《Star Rank Hunter》 Chapter 1: Shadow Hunter Chapter 1: Shadow Hunter Ding C The gentle voice of a woman resounded as the door of a small shop slid open. Welcome. At the same time, a beautiful face appeared on both sides of the door. She had big wavy blonde curls, bright red lips, a sparkling smile and assertive sweetness. But the person who pushed open the door did not look twice at her beautiful face. In fact he frowned and yelled at the direction of the counter, Cillin, get that old man Devon to change out a new face already; its been so many years! The young man behind the counter busying himself with a bottle of wine shrugged, No can do. The boss loves it. Give it up, itll be easier to make him quit gambling than change out the display. Some of the patrons in the bar stirred and answered loudly with a laugh. As the dream lover of the entire male population on the planet thirty years ago, the face on the door had definitely sunk many hearts in the past. Time is the most cruel killer of them all and beauty is one fragile gift. However, before this killer could act out this beautiful singer and televised sweetheart had passed away first due to a failed gene transformation. During the first ten years there were still many people who still kept this beautiful singers holographic images and electronic posters in their room, but in the end, it had been thirty years. The tide rises, and the tide ebbs. Everything is as transient as the fleeting cloud. A new beauty would submerge the old star into oblivion, and there werent many people who were willing to look back at a long dead illusion. But of course, the owner of this bar was in fact a faithful man. Even though it had been thirty years, he still kept the beautiful singers image on the welcome screen. Thirty years and beyond, and it never changed. It was also one of the topics the patrons who frequented here often talked about. The newcomer curled his lips as if he disapproved of the owners practice. He did not bother to comment on it further and walked to an empty spot on a table and sat down. There were familiar faces everywhere, and he quickly inserted himself into a conversation. He did not make an order. Cillin, that is the young man who stood by the counter took down a bottle named, The Smile Under The Sun from the wine cabinet and put it down on the visitors table. He opened the cap, then left to serve drinks to the other patrons. Without wasting anymore words, while he was still chatting with his companions around him, the newcomer had already grabbed the wine bottle in his hands and took a swig. Hah, in the end this is still the most enjoyable drink. It has enough spice in it and packs a punch! Cillin gave him a smile and returned to the counter. He then logged the account into the tablet. This was a very normal bar, and the city it was in was also very normal. They were almost all citizens at the bottom level, and to borrow the words of the people from the center city they would be known as the lower class, or in uglier terms, the rabble. The rabble have their own happiness. They loved to sit in a bar where a human served them instead of a high-grade robot; drink cheap but strong alcohol; sit down with familiar drinking buddies and talk about everything in a day while complaining about their cruel bosses along the way; and gossip about someone elses gossip. It was a simple but happy life. The high class people from downtown area did not understand the happiness of the poor. It was like a smartly dressed successful person walking on the path of gold and authority, and when they passed by a wreckage on occasion looking down on an excited stray cat leaping at a fly. They would think to themselves: Just how bored are these people to be doing such a thing; no wonder they were known as a lowly lifeform. What is lowly, and what is noble? The seven forms of genetic ranks; A, B, C, D, E, F, G were the lines to differentiate them all. Those with lowly genetics would be considered lowly people, and those with advanced genetics would be considered noble people. That was all. Including Cillin, everyone in the bar had F rank genotypes, and on this planet they could be categorized as the lowly poor. Those with E rank genotypes would be given the chance to work at the downtown area, and only those who were D rank and above would be able to gain a foothold at the downtown area. As for those with G rank genotypes. These were the saddest kind of people of them all. Because their natural genetics were inferior and defective, the sicknesses that came along with them could not be saved through simple treatments. Some examples would be severe deformity, progeria and other congenital diseases. Cillins young ex-girlfriend Hena was a G rank genotype. The cute girl never managed to walk past the best time of youth due to a factor of progeria, another congenital disease and poverty. The descendants of those with high genetic quality and high quality genotype would not be lacking. In fact, they would only get better. On the other hand low genetic quality and low quality genotype was the complete opposite, and social polarization was also turning more and more serious. Therefore there were a lot more people of low quality genotype who tried to undergo genetic transformation. However, those who succeeded were far and few, and even disregarding the huge amount of capital expenses, the chances of a successful genetic transformation was incredibly low in the first place. The higher one tried to improve their genotype, the harder it became, and this was exactly the source of pride of those with higher genotypes. The heartbreaker from thirty years also had turned into history exactly because she failed the genetic transformation. Man is fated not to be equal the moment he was born. It is just that familiarity breeds indifference. Ah, Cillin, old Devon hasnt shown up for many days already, has he? He still hasnt come back from his blind date? Someone yelled. Yeah, his chances should be pretty big this time, Cillin replied with a smile. Ceh - No one looked convinced as they began chattering about old Devons history of blind dates. Cillin simply listened with a smile and did not offer an opinion. He did not tell them that actually, old Devon had struck jackpot and became rich overnight. Thus he went on to realize his dreams. Old Devons dream C to find a E rank genotype, neither too young nor too old lady and take out the sperm he had saved inside the sperm bank. The best case scenario would be to give birth of an E rank baby, open a small shop at the city area and lead a stable life. As long as he had money, it would not be a problem to find a woman of E rank genotype, even if old Devon was a rank lower; an F rank genotype. The annual water, land and sky competition was something the entire planet paid close attention about, and it was also the most anticipated event for gamblers. This was because that the prize was large enough that, even if the bets werent completely accurate, as long as one achieved a particular standard it would still turn a poor into the rich overnight. It was exactly because Old Devon had struck jackpot that he was able to depart from his status of poverty. Of course, the reason old Devon managed to win the prize was mostly thanks to Cillin. Every time Old Devon makes a bet he would first ask for Cillins opinion; and only then he would dare to wager. Old Devon might be a miser, but he did treat Cillin very well, otherwise Cillin would not have helped him in the first place. Moreover, this time Old Devon had sent Cillin the dividends of his prize on the same day. The night gradually deepened, and the patrons slowly left. Cillin took a bath and changed his clothes; sprayed a special kind of chemical to eliminate the smells before locking up the shops door. He glanced towards the black sky, and there were blinking tiny dots that were like finely crushed starlight. The weather forecast said that starting from 0000 hour there would be an hour of continuous rain, and now it was still forty minutes away from 0000 hour. Forty minutes it is enough. Thirty minutes later, behind the cover of some jutted eaves and shacks Cillin arrived at an industrial zone. Dexterously and skillfully dodging the outside scans, he took out a magnetic card that he had prepared in advance and silently sneaked into a staff quarter beside the warehouse. After all this wasnt the central city region, and the security system in this small place was neither advanced nor complicated. The person lying on the bed seemed to notice something, but before they (no mention of gender) could act they lost consciousness and seemed to have sunk into deep sleep once more. But at a certain area behind the persons ears and neck hidden beneath the hair, three thin black needles were stuck soundlessly behind it. Cillins hands gently swept the needles back into his possession, and after making sure that he had left no other traces behind, left the same way he slipped in the first place; behind the cover of eaves and shacks. There was the Sky Eye in the sky, and firearms would be detected by the local detection network. The only way to resolve a case silently and without anyone noticing was to do it the primitive way, because there were no energy fluctuations to be detected. As a Hunter, Cillin could be said to have walked a difficult path. Due to his age and genotype, he could not become an honest Hunter. More accurately speaking Cillin was a Shadow Hunter, and a so-called Shadow Hunter was the generic term of people who worked together with a Hunter but remained in the dark due to the sensitivity of their identities and so on. Since he was 14 years old until now, Cillin had been working as a Shadow Hunter for almost three years. His choice to become a Hunter was initially due to Henas sickness, and after Hena passed away Cillin continued to persevere at this job because he needed a large amount of money to leave this planet safely. Five minutes after Cillin left, another shadow slipped into the room and carried away the person Cillin had taken out, in order to exchange them for bounty and split the loot later. They had worked together for almost three years, but the Hunter never knew the true identity of the Shadow. Of course, the Hunter didnt mind it as long as they could capture their prey smoothly and exchange them for bounty. The rest did not matter. Cillin also believed that the Hunter he had chosen would never bother to spend a tremendous amount of effort tracking down his Shadows identity, because long before he picked his choice of partner Cillin had already did a lot of homework analyzing a variety of potential scenarios from all angles. For the Hunters who werent really qualified to do their jobs, without a Shadow they could never have completed their assignment and earn the bounty, and would instead lose their lives. And so to a certain degree, these Hunters and Shadows shared a symbiotic relationship. As for the top level Hunters, they did not need a Shadow at all. Of course, barring a Hunter corp, those people were a special kind of existence of their own. Also, the Hunter would not have realized that the shadow who worked with him, a D rank genotype, would only be at F rank. No one would have believed it even if he told the truth. It was midnight, 0000 hour, and rainfall resounded. Cillin sat inside a deserted building as he watched the droplets grew larger and larger. The rain would wash away any smell or subtle traces Cillin left behind, which was also one of the reasons why he had picked this time to act. How did a natural rain look like; Cillin didnt know. He had only seen one on television, and there was no natural rain on this planet at all. There were only the precisely controlled weathers by a weather station. The precise intensity of the sun, and the simulated thunderstorm; they were all artificial. A breeze blew over through the open cracks of the wall, and Cillin sniffed the smell of cement and slag. In addition, it was also mixed with an unexpectedly familiar smell Cillins eyebrows jumped as he carefully identified that particular smell in the wind. After confirming his suspicions he wore a strange expression. He didnt think that there would still be people using that at this age and time. Translators Note: Hey guys, its Craxuan. Currently Im translating Single Player Only, Spirit Realm and now Star Rank Hunter. The reason I picked this up was because there are a lot of Wuxia Xianxia translated stories out there, but not nearly enough in other genres like horror, sci-fi, slice of life etc. I aim to change this slowly, starting with Star Rank Hunter. I sure hope yall will enjoy this! Chapter 2: Guinea Pig Chapter 2: Guinea Pig Cillins nose was very sensitive. He could differentiate and analyze mixed smells, and that was exactly why he found it surprising. The person who used these few reagents; were they bored out of their wits, conducting a hobby research or for a different reason entirely? These smell did not come from the rain outside. From the other smells mixed within the wind direction and air flow he could determine that this particular smell came from inside the building. But who would use such an ancient reagent inside such an abandoned building? Tracing the smell, Cillin found a pipe about the width of a thumb amidst a pile of rubbish. Cillin didnt walk too far along the pipeline before he found out that the rest of it was hidden inside the wall. It was hidden pretty well alright. Turning on his thumb-sized, closed-ranged projector flashlight, a light blue light was shone onto the wall, illuminating the pipeline buried behind the wall clearly. After some investigation, Cillin grew more and more curious. Interesting. In addition to this pipeline, Cillin had found several more, and they were all very well concealed. Cillin grew more and more cautious. Although the best course of action wuould be to leave right away, for some reason Cillin had a strange feeling that urged his desire to discover the truth. Following the pipeline downwards, he walked through many crooked paths; some of them even requiring Cillin to climb through some ancient vents. Arriving at the first floor of the building, Cillin opened a hidden cover and walked down the narrow staircase beneath it and headed deeper inside. The surroundings were very quiet, but it wasnt exactly a complete silence. After a moment of careful sensing, Cillin felt that there shouldnt be anyone in his vicinity and proceeded to take out his flashlight and continued deeper inside. As the number of pipelines grew more and more numerous, Cillin understood that he was getting closer and closer to his target. He took a deep breath and turned off his flashlight. Although he hadnt sensed anyone in front of him, his instincts told him that the path before him would not a smooth one. Although the energy flux of a flashlight was at most ten meters, to be safe Cillin still turned it off decisively. It was dark everywhere. Cillin relied on the minuscule airflow to decide his direction and avoid obstacles. About half an hour later the space around him gradually grew larger, and a number of electronic lights the size of a nail were also starting to appear. With the lights he could see that this place had existed for quite a while, and there were also a layer of dust on top of those electronic light panels. Although it wasnt really thick, no one had come through here for at least a month. Watching the light spots on the walls, Cillin grew more and more uneasy. Something is wrong, something is really wrong! This place looks just like a trap! A trap! An intense sense of crisis assaulted him, and without another thought Cillin turned around and ran immediately. His Hunters instincts were telling him that he could not the danger that might appear in the next moment. But the thick special steel plates that cut off his retreat path was even faster. With the turn of a palm a metallic dagger appeared in Cillins hand. He could cut open the steel plate with a laser dagger, but one it would waste a huge amount of time, and two the lasers dagger powerful energy flux would expose his position constantly. With his back against the steel plate, Cillin quietly watched towards the front. He knew that there must be someone there. Ta, ta, ta The footsteps closed leisurely towards him without the slightest intent of concealment at all. In fact, they carried within them a fearless attitude. Ka. A beam of light turned on, and the passageway instantly lit up. Cillin narrowed his eyes and swiftly recovered from the discomfort induced by the sudden exposure to strong light in a weak lighting environment. But the person standing opposite to him did not seem to be in a hurry as he waited for Cillin to recover. He was an old man who looked like an F rank genotype human approaching his first hundred, which was to say it felt like he would die at any moment. The old mans skin was brownish-yellow. He had a shriveled body, and his exposed arm showed clear signs of muscle atrophy. Cillin could not see the old mans eyes clearly because he was wearing a goggles. But it was this shriveled old man who had made every hair on Cillins body shudder. The old man walked slowly towards Cillin; as leisurely as taking a walk in the park. He who strikes first gains the advantage! Cillin flew into action in a flash without leaving even an afterimage behind. From this one might notice his incredible speed, so much that it was comparable even to a D genotype human. Qiang! The shrill voice of metal rang. Beside the old mans carotid artery, a twig-like hand had caught tightly of the tip of his dagger as easily as he would pinch a tree branch. The energy flux of either a plasma dagger or a laser dagger were simply too huge, and with Cillins current constitution the chances that he would expose himself was also bigger, which was why Cillin was a lot more willing to use a cold weapon and commit murder without a trace. But even with his special alloy dagger his attack was blocked C not, pinched C all too easily by this deathly old man! Three years of life and death experience as a Hunter left Cillin with no time to think. This was not an enemy that he could face. Run! But before Cillin could make a move, his body was suddenly tied up firmly by what seemed like wires of liquid metal. When Cillin searched for the things origin, he was shocked to discover that they came from the five fingers of the old mans other hand. More accurately speaking, it was the extension of the old mans finger! Is he a human? A machine? A mutant? Or an unknown type? It was an icy cold touch. Cillin could smell the breath of death. Every one of his pores were exuding coldness. Kacha! The alloy dagger that had taken god-knows-how-many wanted mens lives was crushed. Strangling his throat with skinny fingers the old man lifted Cillin off the ground like a chick. All four of his limbs were bound, and even the blood vessels on his neck was almost blocked from the sheer pressure. Hehe, you came at just the right time. Listening to his tone, it appeared that the old man was very happy, even a little impatient for what comes next. If the one being crushed was a normal person, they wouldve rolled their eyes a long time ago. But Cillin still had the willpower and energy to think of a way out of his predicament. The old man stared at Cillin and looked even more pleased. Door after door opened, and door after door closed. Cillins shock grew bigger and bigger. To think that such a place was hidden beneath this poor town! This secret chamber could not have existed for less than thirty or fifty years old, and it was far more complex than Cillin had first imagined. Both its defense and its concealment were done exceptionally well, or it would not have remained hidden for so many years without anyone realizing it. Or perhaps the ones who did discover this place were all dead. Cillin looked sidelong at an open room, and there were numerous men put in liquid tanks like preserved specimens inside it. The twisted looks on their faces chilled Cillin to the bones. He could see that these people had suffered unbearable torment prior to their deaths. Perhaps Cillin would become one of them in the next moment. The old man did not intend to kill Cillin immediately. His control over the strength of his hands was extremely well. Not only did he give Cillin no chance to escape, he also made sure that he would not impair his body functions as well. As for why the old man had said that Cillin came at just the right time, this was because Cillin had walked right into his doorsteps just as the guinea pig before him expired and was placed inside a liquid tank. Cillin was carried into a room filled with all sizes of tools and instruments. The table at a corner of the room were filled with all sorts of jars and bottles. He had already identified some of the gases exhausted from the pipeline, and they were reagents used to purify DNA. At this age and time, almost no one but the old pedants would know such a primitive method to purify DNA. Cillin had done similar experiments before, but it was simply out of curiosity and he did not research it in-depth. With current technology, a palm-sized apparatus was all thats needed to perform DNA purification. It was swift, precise and could even perform functional analysis on genomes. But no matter the kind of purifying and analyzing apparatus, they all needed to be registered and verified under a real name. Every apparatus had a registration number, binding chip and data connection. Since the old man had chosen to perform a manual purification C and from the looks of it he was purifying by the bulk C it meant that he was engaged in the kind of illegal research that would make him a wanted man. But no matter how Cillin wracked his brain he could not find any most wanted information relating to the man before him. The planets most wanted list was open to everyone regardless of their risk level. There were only two pieces of information on top of the arrest warrant: one was their photo, and the other their bounty. Because this laboratory was underground, and it was even covered with a rare layer of isotope barrier, hence it was not discovered by the Sky Eye. The data of these instruments should also be disconnected from the outside world, and so it escaped some other ways of investigation. What exactly is this old man planning to do? Placing Cillin on top of a floating white table, the old man pressed a button on an instrument. Cillins wrists and four limbs were cuffed by the manacles that appeared on the table. Many thin wires appeared on the table, slipped through his clothing and entered his body. In an instant Cillin was turned into a guinea pig studded with countless tubes. On one side he was filled with thin red tubes, and the other thin blue tubes. The numbers on a nearby display jumped continuously. Since Cillin was already bound by on top of the table C not even his fingers were spared C the old man then retracted his hand and returned his fingers to its original twig-like form. After injecting a sticky and ice cold liquid into Cillins body, he tapped swiftly the buttons on the instrument to combine and analyze the data from the other tens of instruments. Pain. Terrible pain that seeped right into the bones. His fingers were shaking, every blood in his body was flowing erratically, every second was challenging the limits of his nerves and his mind was nearly destroyed instantly. But after a short blank period, with difficulty Cillin was finally able to refocus his thoughts little by little. Otherwise, it wouldnt take long before Cillin himself would become a member of those specimens. Those sticky liquid-like substance were actually many tiny special biochips. Some of its characteristics were very similar to vectors, and it could be integrated into the chromosome of a human body and undergo synchronous replication and division. The red tubess main function was induction. It provided sustenance at the same time it induced the subjects metabolism to accelerate cell division. On the other hand the blue tubes controlled apoptosis. It killed off the cells that could not keep up. The old man watched the elevated spike on the screen and let out a few chuckles. He then turned a knob in his hand ten degrees clockwise, and for every ten degrees the rate of induction would rise to a new level, and the chips activation rate would also increase. The cerebrums hippocampus region, the DMRs in the chromosome, the frequency of intercellular communication and more were presented in data form on the repeatedly flashing display. They all made the old man incredibly excited. Cillins nerves were assaulted once again by an even bigger wave of pain, and then arduously gathered his mind together again. Not bad. Not bat at all. To think that a mere F rank genotype can come this far! The old man began talking to himself as he watched the knob that had been turned over a hundred and eighty degrees, but his words betrayed his clear excitement. The figure a hundred and eighty degrees meant that fifty percent of the chips had been activated, and yet this man was somehow still alive. The numbers flashing on the screen even cause a tremor in the old mans speaking voice. In the past, the guinea pigs that were able to endure beyond a hundred and eighty degrees did not even reach half the total number, and it meant that the physical endurance of this mere F rank genotype human was comparable to that of a D ranks. But how long could he last? Every time he lasted another ten degrees there would be an extra set of data that excited the old man beyond belief, but he didnt care at all about Cillins survival. Cillin continued to look for a chance to escape amidst the assaulting waves of pain. Chapter 3: Change Chapter 3: Change Betwixt life and death, the terrible pain will destroy a persons will to survive. When you are faced with such a crossroad, you may wish to induce a deep trance of self hypnosis and numb the nerves that transmit pain; to focus your mind; to think within the shortest possible time Those were the words Genya had said to Cillin, but Cillin had never truly used it before, because he was never as completely helpless as he was right now. Hypnosis. Self-hypnosis. His entire body was convulsing. After drawing in a difficult breath, Cillin then closed his eyes. Watching the spike that had elevated yet another level on the screen, the old mans hand gave a shiver as he took off his goggles and pressed his face closer to the screen. His sunken eyes were completely glued to the screen as if he was trying to distinguish whether this was real. The knob had already turned two hundred and seventy degrees. Seventy five percent of the chip had been activated. He wasnt looking at Cillin on top of the experiment bench. The old man was laughing a somewhat distorted laugh. Since the life indicator lines were still beating rather strongly, it meant that he could raise it some more! Two hundred and eighty degrees Two hundred and ninety degrees Three hundred degrees The instruments were beginning to screech out a warning. The crimson red warning sign and ear-piercing siren did not deter the old man in the least. Right now, his eyes were completely filled with madness. There were nearly a thousand test subjects in the past, and none of them had managed to hold on until three hundred degrees. But today Heh hehehe I, the one they call Horay shall appear within Glory and Code! Cillin did not have any energy to pay attention to the old mans words right now, or he would have thought that the old man was a complete madman! How dare he dreamed of appearing inside Glory and Code with only these resources!? Glory and Code were the two most famous electronic magazines in the interstellar network. They were hailed as the historical records of GAL (Galactic Alliance). With these two electronic magazines at the forefront, every other electronic publications in GAL were relegated into the background. They were also the only publications to have scored over ninety contribution points out of the hundred point electronic publication system set by GAL. That was to say, the achievements of personages or inventions research findings published in these two electronic magazines scored at the very least ninety contribution points. Any one of the personages, deeds, research and more that appeared in Glory and Code was enough to shake the entire GAL. Glory featured mostly generals and politicians, whereas Code featured academics and technicians. It didnt matter whether the records inside the two gigantic magazines were man or deeds; they were all built on top of countless manpower, resources, wealth and time. The Planet Brown Earth Cillin was in had news that reached at best twenty or so contribution points, and they could only be recorded in magazines with small influences. In truth, any news that exceeded ten contribution points would be broadcasted continuously for tens of days by the planets TV station, much less one that was above ninety contribution points. Therefore, any normal person would have thought that the old mans words were but a delusion. The old man turned the knob once more. Three hundred and ten degrees Three hundred and twenty degrees Di C di C di C The alarm grew more and more urgent, and the fluctuation of Cillins life line was starting to grow erratic. A few instruments were beginning to smoke and shudder with many bangs. A few buttons had also exploded, and it was looking to grow worse and worse. Even the tubes trapping Cillin were beginning to shake as if unable to handle the load. Peng! A finger lock trapping one of Cillins fingers ricocheted off from high load. Peng! That was another one. The old man no longer had time to care for Cillin as all of his attention was absorbed by the data on the screen. His fingers clutched the knob, and he could not wait to see the final numbers. Buttons were flying off the instruments everywhere. Theres no time. Cillin knew where his limits lay. His two released fingers had caught hold of a button from a button that ricocheted off some unknown instrument. It was the response of a single trace of sanity left after he had hypnotized himself under intense pain. It was also Cillins last chance. It was only a trace of sanity, and yet its calculation was surprisingly accurate C unprecedentedly accurate; just like the control and error analysis conducted by a sophisticated instrument. In less than a second Cillin fired out the button in his hands. Pu C The flying button rebounded three times across the floor, the wall and the baffle plate of an instrument before it shot through the old mans left eye into the central nervous system of the brain, cutting off his neural network circuit and killing him instantly. It was the same instant the madmans fingers on the knob were ready to make the final adjustments, and the numbers on the knob were already pointing towards three hundred and fifty degrees, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was literally in the nick of time. If the knob really was turned to three hundred and sixty degrees, then Cillin would not have lived as well. Thank god that the old man was an actual human being, and thank god the old man hadnt made crazy modifications to his entire body. The old man who was dead in an instant laid beside the instrument. The moment the old man died, all of the tubes that bounded Cillin were retracted. A warning popped up on top of the instrument, and an electronically synthesized voice resounded, The host is dead. Begin program deletion. Cillin could not afford to attend to his still somewhat paralyzed body as he turned around and fell down from the bench. He could not stand up. He could only lift his head and watch the images and data flashing instantaneously across those screens. Every information that was about to be deleted would flash once across the screen. It was unimaginable that the old man would set up such a strange deletion pattern. There was no telling if a rank B, or even an rank A genotype human would be able to capture all those images and data, and even if they did they might not necessarily be able to memorize it, and this assumption was limited to just a single screen. But Cillin was able to memorize all the information from the tens of screens into his head. In the past this wouldve been absolutely impossible. Although he had a pretty good memory before this, there was no way his capture speed could have kept up, let alone memorizing tens of screens at once! His body was adjusting quickly. Cillins eyes appeared to be out of focus, but he was in fact etching all the information on the screen into his brain. The thing the old man had injected him with was like a unknown bomb C if he could not decipher these information then he might not even know how he died. Five minutes later the programs had been deleted completely, and all information relating to the experiment C including the information of the old man Horay Hanson C were memorized inside Cillins head as long as they had flashed across the screen. Program deletion complete. Self-destruction program to be executed in five minutes. Countdown to desertification in Fuck! Cillin cursed. He moved a little his body that had recovered some senses, lifted himself up with difficulty and staggered towards the exit. Every door beneath the underground laboratory was open. Those other rooms were used for storage such as the specimens, food, equipment, medicine and so on. The true core of the lab was this room that Cillin had stayed in, so he had neither the thought nor the time to check out the items in other rooms. Rely on his memories, retraced his way back through the path he was brought in. All the doors were opened, and he was not obstructed along the entire way. It was if everything had been premeditated. It was exactly five minutes. The desertification program had activated when Cillin reached the vents at the edge of the laboratory. A quicksand-like depression appeared at the center of the lab, and it extended outwards and turned the floor, the lab instruments and the dead old man all into quick sand. The area of desertification began to spread. When Cillin climbed out of the vent and returned to the building from before, the desertification had just reached the vents. Cillin had no time to rest. He knew that the old man so-called self-destruction program would definitely not be just desertification. In order to make sure that his researching findings were not compromised, he had even bound his own life to every program in the place. If he could be this ruthless, then he would definitely ensure a more thorough destruction. Thankfully the sun wasnt up yet, and there were no people on the streets. Under the cover of darkness, Cillin moved while sticking close to paths beneath the shacks and eaves. If he was discovered by the Sky Eye then it would be all for naught. Sure enough, not too long after Cillin had left, the huge sound of an explosion woke up every men from their sleep. There was a mushroom cloud billowed into the sky. Dazzling flames. A deep and wide chasm on the ground. The buildings that were affected by the blast wave and collapsed were left with broken walls and a state of ruination. The kids who were woken up were crying and screaming; the adults were cursing non-stop. Before any curious personnel could approach the blast site, a white light descended from the sky to cover the entire blast zone in a prison of white light and isolate it from the outside world. The Sky Eye had made its response; it wouldnt be long before the patrols of the police force would come over and check out the situation. But they were none of Cillins concerns. When he slipped back to his small ten square meters wide room at the poverty area, his nerves finally and gradually lost their high tension as he fell into a deep slumber. Chapter 4: Genya’s Secret Chapter 4: Genyas Secret An information recorded inside Cillins head flashed across his dreams, and a change was also happening inside his body. It was two days later when he reopened his eyes. Cillin did not go to old Devons shop, but instead went to Genyas, his masters home. Cillin was picked up by Genya from the woods at the west side of the town. At the time, due to the high energy radiation of an abnormal solar flare causing its neighboring planets food crops to fail and the price of sustenance medicine to skyrocket, it was a terrible disaster for the poor. Many people were starved to death, and the kids whom they could not afford to feed were sold to the rich people in the bustling city. Cillin was the kind who wasnt sold off in time. On that day, a scrimmage had happened in the west woods due to a food shortage problem, and when Genya got there the only one still alive was Cillin placed inside a tree hole still wrapped within his swaddling clothes. Genya was only an F rank genotype, and yet he lived and fought better than a D rank. Genya had taught him Cillin a set of exercises that, as compared to the ones he saw on TV, was improved upon on the many aspects of human Kinesiology. These exercises were later used by Cillin for hunting. Genya once said that this set of exercises were originally adapted from actual martial arts techniques. He had removed the killing aspect of it and added some moderation, but Cillin himself was slowly able to recover the removed parts through actual practice. Genya passed away when Cillin was twelve years old. No one knew how old Genya was; Cillin only knew that his master was not an ordinary person. The rest was a mystery. Every month Cillin would come over and tidy up Genyas home. The arrangements inside the house werent shabby. It gave off a feeling of simplicity and peacefulness and it was just as humble and unremarkable as Genya himself. he was obviously not short of money, and yet he was willing to live his life quietly in this poverty area. There was a huge tree over twenty meters tall at the backyard. Its canopy was big enough cover more than half the backyard. Genya once said that there might be only one such tree in the entire galaxy. Cillin walked until he was beside the tree, and took out the crystal-like pendant hanging around his neck. Master, Hena and I are here to see you. There was only Genya and Hena in his world. Well, he supposed that old Devon barely made the count too. But Genya and Hena were already gone, and old Devon too was starting a new life of his own. He sat down with his back against the tree. Fine beams of light shone down from above, and yet he couldnt feel much temperature from them. Its just me again. Cillin lifted his arm and in accordance to the information he had understood inside his brain, controlled the chips activation. He looked at his arms. On the outside it looked exactly the same as before, and yet he could now easily penetrate a ten centimeters thick steel plate with them, just like that crazy old man who had easily crushed his alloy dagger. He hadnt digested much of the information stored inside his head; only the basics such as the control over his body muscles just now, or the activation and halting of his genes It was worth mentioning that thanks to the integration brought forth by the injected chips, Cillins genotype had reached the level of B rank right now. Before Genya had shut his eyes forever he once said to Cillin that, if one day Cillin managed to upgrade his genotype to rank C, then he could open that box inside his room. If he couldnt, then he should never open it. Getting up, Cillin walked inside the room Genya once stayed and opened the cupboard. There was a box that looked like it was wood made lying quietly inside it. There was an invisible layer of protective film surrounding the small box, and it was used to evaluate the rank of a persons genotype. Cillin once ricocheted off it when he was just an F rank. He placed his hand on the invisible film once more, and a thin halo slowly spread until it disappeared completely. Cillin picked up the box. The activation key was Cillins own genetic information; the double password inside genome and Mitochondrial DNA. Pa C The box opened. Genyas hologram appeared. Although it was only the size of a palm, it was incredibly clear. Cillin, since youre able to open this box, it means that not only your genotype has reached C rank, you are also no older than fifty years old. Cillins eyebrows jumped. He didnt know Genya had even set up an age limit. Cillin, if you plan to explore the universe, then continue; otherwise, you should close this box and never open it again. This is my order as your master! Cillin did not move. After a while, the hologram flashed once before clearing up again. Since youve chosen to explore the universe, then please do your master a favor. Carry the ring inside the box with you, and if one day there is a reaction from the ring, then send me back home It would be a lie if Cillin said that he wasnt shocked listening to Genyas voice. The ring was actually a subspace ring, and it was impossible for Cillins current planet have developed such a technology. Only the super-rich at the central downtown area could afford it, and it was practically the luxury of luxuries. But Genya definitely possessed one, and Cillin could sense that it was even more elaborate and complex than the subspace ring and necklace and so on owned by the rich! The more Genya said, the more Cillin felt that Genyas identity was extraordinary. The tree in the backyard is called a Fuji Tree. My familys emblem is a Fuji leaf; the Elder Tree Fuji C the Gen Family. Ever since Ive arrived at this area, Ive never heard of it once When Genya was but a child, he had flown his familys spaceship and accidentally entered the Demons Zone. A wormhole had appeared out of nowhere and consumed his spacecraft, and soon he arrived at this unfamiliar universe. His spacecraft was destroyed, and after travelling from one place to another he finally arrived at Planet Brown Earth X-C362; as in this planet. Although there were a lot of details Genya had neglected to mention, Cillin was able to guess some of it. Before there is a resonance from the ring, you must never easily mention either the Gen Family or the Elder Tree Fuji Once finished, the hologram disappeared and left behind a wood-like ring. The ring looked a bit big, so he wore it on his left thumb. The second he put it on, the wood-like ring suddenly turned into a curly, leap-shaped green pattern and became stuck tightly to his skin. It didnt look like a ring anymore and was practically a tattoo; a tattoo which he could neither pull nor rub off his no matter how hard he tried. Fudge, if I knew this earlier I would never have worn this on my thumb! Who would tattoo a curly leaf on their thumb?! According to Genyas instructions, Cillin was to dig out the coffin buried under the backyards Fuji tree. They had not electro-cremated his body that year; instead they had followed in accordance to Genyas will and placed him inside a coffin made of the wood from the Fuji tree. Then they buried him beside it. Of course, Cillin and Hena were the only ones who knew about this. He didnt move the coffin around much. Cillin pointed the leaf pattern at the tip of his thumb at the coffin, and after a green flash the coffin was sucked into the ring. Cillin could feel the location of the coffin inside the ring, and Cillin also knew that there was still a large enough space in the ring; enough for him to stock up for a long travel. After he tidied everything nicely in the backyard, Cillin kissed the pendant around his neck lightly, then looked at the leaf pattern at his thumb and smiled, The three of us shall go on an adventure! Chapter 5: The Chip’s Ability Chapter 5: The Chips Ability The sheriff himself had come over to supervise the situation because of the explosion, and every day the people living around the explosion area would be questioned. The people were worried, and there were plenty of shops in town that did not open for business, which was why no one would notice even if Cillin did not go to the bar. Moreover, the place Cillin lived in was the poorest region in the area, so the sheriffs simply made a few superficial inquiries before leaving the place. Cillin was not among the questioned. He went back to the streets in town again, but Cillin did not plan to reopen the shop and continue the business. Instead he contacted old Devon. After all, he should communicate with the boss about the matter of his shop. Old Devon was currently hot in love, and his face glowed with a ruddy color. Just he had dreamed old Devon found a suitably aged E rank genotype woman for himself and was currently planning for life after marriage. When he heard that Cillin was ready to venture out to the world, he had thought that Cillin was simply trying his luck in the downtown area. As his elder Old Devon had lent Cillin some advice, but he did not say anything more than that. Young people have all the energy in the world, and it is good to have something to strive for. After all, Cillin was only seventeen years old. Old Devon himself did not plan to come back, and he gifted the little shop to Cillin. The geography of the bar was bad in the first place, and even if he managed to sell it it wouldnt sell for much money. Old Devon also did not know anyone in the city region and he could not help Cillin in terms of contacts, so he planned to give Cillin some money instead. But Cillin turned down his offer. After turning down old Devon, Cillin told him to take care of himself before ending the conversation. His savings were far more than old Devon could ever have imagined. Cillin did not plan to sell the bar immediately, and instead rented it to a person who lived in the poverty area as well. He was fine as long as they did not neglect to deposit their rent to his card every year. He went back to his poor little room and packed up his stuff. On the same night Cillin went back to Genyas place again, and unlike last times open visit he made sure to keep this trip well hidden due to a very critical matter. Plus, Genyas place had excellent security, and the effects of its defensive shields internal and external signal were very good. It added another layer of security. Inside the room, Cillin first relaxed his body before he began to channel the changes inside his body. Since the chips that were integrated into Cillin genes had seeped into his every cell through replication of the host body and blood transportation, Cillins current aim was to make the chips to undergo selective expression. Of course, since the chips did not reach a hundred percent during its initial activation, any selective expression it underwent would be limited. The order was sent down from his brain, and the information from the central nervous system was relayed to every chip inside the cell. The chips began to express selectively, and even the genomes expression were disrupted and underwent a transformation. The most obvious one was Cillins appearances. His facial bones began to change. His hair, eyes and skin color were changing, and even his skeletal frame had undergone a transformation. This was neither short term coloring nor plastic surgery; it was a transformation that happened in his very DNA. It could not be detected even by an advanced instrument because it was a control and change at the very source of his being. This was Cillins real trump card. According to the data and information left behind by Horay, the host body could theoretically cause the original DNA of his cells to undergo recombination, fragmentation, deletion or mutation through control of the chip. For example, if someone tried to examine Cillins DNA information, then Cillin could control the cells of his body fluid, his hair or other parts of his body to undergo a change prior to its departure from the body, thus resulting in the others party failure to examine Cillins true DNA information. But because the chips had not been completely activated, every time he underwent a massive transformation there needed to be a period of stabilization and easing before he could control and change from the source again. Once the sounds of bones cracking stopped, and Cillin sensed that the rest of the transformation was complete, he was left somewhat speechless staring at the person inside the mirror. The black haired, black-eyed, dark skinned and healthy sunshine boy from before was transformed into someone with light gray-hair, dark blue eyes, pale white skin and an even thinner frame. No matter how you looked at it he looked like one of those rich kids from the cities. His face wasnt exactly extraordinarily handsome, but it was definitely shapely. Overall he didnt look as imposing as he was before. Cillin frowned. He wasnt too impressed with his new look, but because the chip wasnt activated perfectly he had no way of dealing with some of the superficial changes. Never mind; lets just leave it like this and use it for the moment. Genya once said that there were two only two kinds of people who could change the world. One of them is God, and the other one a madman. Cillin thought that the old man Horay belonged to the second category. As for whether or not it could really reach the level of Glory and Honor that remained to be seen, but he had to admit that Horay was a devil of a genius. To think that he could create something this insane with just this level of equipment and mostly manual operations. Cillin had spent a large amount of money to purchase a blank identification card from the black market. Both its serial number and magnetic print were verifiable by the officials. Cillin first entered his name and photo and other forged information into the ID card. Then he swiped it across the card slot of an instrument. The screen immediately displayed Cillins current personal identity information. As long as the officials did not dig deep, this ID card would not draw suspicion from the inspectors. Other than the ID card, Cillin had also purchased a galaxy wide debit card form the black market, and after a series of complicated but careful operations, Cillin deposited the rest of his money into the card. In order to obtain these two cards, Cillin had spent over a few million Star currency. He had barely a tenth of his savings left. Moreover, without a proper channel it was impossible to acquire these items through money alone. It was one of the benefits Cillin enjoyed having worked for three years as a Hunter. The next day, the greatly changed Cillin dressed lightly and boarded the flight between X-C362 to X-C100. He did not encounter any problems with his ID card or the spaceports security inspection. Cillin touched the curly leaf pattern on his left thumb as he sat on the spaceliners seat. The security check had failed to scan it at all. If this was just an average subspace object then there was no way it would have gone this smoothly; not the mention the guns and other dangerous articles stored inside it. He pressed a button on his seat, and a screen appeared in front of him. It showed the scenery outside of the spaceship. Cillin might have lived in that poor little town, but as a Shadow Hunter he had traveled to many places around the planet. But from this point of view it was yet another kind of feeling that people usually referred to as mixed emotions. The towering skyscrapers; the bustling cities. Slowly they turned smaller and blurrier until the entire planet itself was presented before him. For the first time Xililn saw the true nature of the Sky Eye C an array of satellites. They monitored everything on the ground and would take measures at first notice, just like how it had dropped down a protective light shield to control the area of destruction that night. Cillin took out the pendant hanging below his neck so it could have a good look at this planet. Hena, master, were departing. I wonder when well be able to come back. Chapter 6: That Weird ‘Uncle’ Chapter 6: That Weird Uncle Planet X-C100 was the equivalent to a transport hub in Sector X. The turnover between the Sectors divided by the Star Alliance mostly happened on planet X-C100. Every day, there were tens of thousands of space crafts and space ships landing and taking off within the area, and Cillins destination lay between Sector D to M; the Sectors categorized as the ten rapidly developing free trade Sectors. Sector X was at best a backward Sector. On the other hand, Sectors A to C were not easy places to gain a firm foothold in. Sector A was populated by political organizations, and the Galactic Alliances coalition government could be found in this area; Sector B was famed for its many academies and financial tradings; as for Sector C, most of the land fell under military reservations, and GALs most famous military academy C GAL Military Academy could be found right here. Sectors ABC were known by the people of GAL as The Shining Three Sectors, and they werent a place anyone could go. The waters ran deep, and there was no telling when one might get eliminated for some inexplicable reasons. Sitting inside a restaurant near the space port, Cillin propped his chin and looked at the scenery outside. As compared to Brown Earths bustling chaos, the terminal planet X-C100 looked to be systematic and in perfect order everywhere; be it as big as a freighter or as small as the flying cars driving swiftly across the roads. The transportation hub of Sector X certainly lived up to its name. Cillin bought a tabloid. The flashing animations and eye-catching names could always inject some freshness into peoples everyday lives. The ticket to Sector K had already been purchased, and all Cillin needed to do was wait. In the meanwhile Cillin sipped his cup of tea. Be it his sitting, drinking or reading posture, the impression Cillin gave was that of a very cultured person. It was something he cultivated following Genya since a young age, and he did not look like someone from the poor area at all. But of course, this was just a disguise to match his current appearance. He could just as easily give the impression of a ruffian if he wanted to. Hey sweetie, got a free table for me? A young man with brown shoulder-length curls wearing a pair of sunglasses and somewhat fancy clothing walked into the lounge holding a big black briefcase. The top two buttons of his shirts were unbuttoned, revealing well defined muscles a testament to his explosive masculinity. He teased the waitress serving him; staring unabashedly at her well-formed breasts. He was right next to a robot waiter, and yet he just had to ask for the waitress on the other side of the counter. But such flirtations were pretty common, and the waitress herself was obviously not surprised by the situation as she continued to answer him with a smile, Im really sorry, but we dont have a free table at the moment. However there are empty seats, so would you like to wait or join another table Aw, man! So there arent any tables left! How unfortunate! The young man looked around the lounge through his sunglasses before finally stopping at Cillins table. That table will do. Guess Ill just squeeze with our little buddy over there. Okay. This way please. The waitress smile was a bit stiff. It was a standard six man table and there was only a person sitting there; two including him. Why would he ever need to squeeze? Although there were several tables in the lounge that were seated with only one or two people, Dias had picked this particular table on purpose. The kid had given him a very strange feeling C one that he just could not describe C and for some reason he even looked vaguely familiar; although he couldnt for the life of him recall where at the moment. Placing his briefcase at a side casually, Dias sits down on the opposite side of Cillin. He had no plans to take off his sunglasses even though he was inside the lounge. He tentatively categorized this under playing it cool. Receiving the menu from the waitress, his fingers slid repeatedly across its surface as he flicked and selected through various menu screens. Hmm, lets have these orders for now. Alright, please wait for a moment. After he finished ordering, Dias looked towards the reading Cillin and said, Hey, little buddy. Waiting for your flight? Cillin lifted his head, smiled gracefully, and with an I am very cultured look answered, Yes, uncle. Un Uncle? Did this sonuvabitch just call a handsome, charming, brilliant and attractive person like me Uncle?! If Cilin was one of his men he wouldve given him a taste of the sole of his foot already, but, hmm. Interesting. From the moment Dias walked into the lounge, Cillin had kept an eye on him. He might know nothing about this young man, but Cillin had a feeling that this man was very powerful; more powerful than anyone he had met before. Even though the other party had called him, a seventeen years old, little buddy, Cillin did not react angrily and countered with an Uncle instead. Dias gave a short laugh and picked up his served drink. He drank it in one go, Same here. Ive already bought the ticket to Sector K. And you? Me too. Why, it looks like the two of us are tied by fate. The waitress serving the pastries rolled her eyes on the inside when she heard him. Tied by fate my ass; eighty percent of the people hanging around here are waiting for the flight to Sector K. If he is the only person in the room tied to you by fate, then does that mean everyone else are un-evolved apes? Much thanks, sweetie! while speaking Dias had even brushed lightly across the back of the waitress soft white hand in a most flirtatious manner. Youre welcome. She smiled and ignored him completely. Dias didnt really mind it. Turning his head around, he began chatting nonchalantly with Cillin and made some small comments about the news on todays morning paper. The majority of them were scornful and criticizing. Most of the time Cillin played the role of a quiet listener, and it was only when Dias asked something that he would nod once or give a short answer or two. Meanwhile Dias shuffled closer and closer towards Cillin, and although Cillin appeared relaxed, he was tensed on the inside; muscles ready to react at the slightest trouble. Alas, I have forgotten to introduce myself. Dias shoved himself in front of Cillin with a suspicious look while saying with utterly undisguised pride, I am Dias. Once finished, Dias leaned backwards against the soft chair, folded his arms and smirked. If someone translated his expression it would be: Revere me! Worship me! Your god is right here! There were invisible light boards surrounding every table, so the people on the other side of the light board would not be able to hear their conversations. Moreover, while Dias was speaking he casually covered up with his arm so that the people outside would not be able to read his lips. Naturally it was impossible to determine what he said through his lips. Cillin blinked. For a moment he couldnt figure out what the dude was so smug about. Oh. I am Cillin. Cillins reactions actually caused Dias to choke a little. That cant be right. If hes from one of those families then theres no way he hasnt heard about me. Dias gave Cillin a strange look, but then he replied immediately with keen interest, Youre so funny! Cillin: And where exactly did this funny come from? Ahem, anyway. I guess we know each other now. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Cillin. Dias stretched his hand. Cillin stared blankly at Dias outstretched hand for a second before smiling and returned, Its a pleasure to meet you too, Mister Dias. The handshake lasted only for a brief moment, but on the inside Cillin was well and truly shocked. Once contact was made with the other party, his chip would feedback information to him, and through this information Cillin had found out that this Dias was actually an A rank genotype! Cillin did come into contact with several people around earlier, but they were at best B rank. To think that this person before him was actually an A rank; Cillin had not expected to meet a character this level so soon. Is he a Hunter? Generally speaking, a handshake was not a common ritual. But Hunters loved hugs and handshakes a lot because there would be a form of contest during the process. Competition of strength was an effective way most Hunters employed when interacting with each other, and not everyone would have the courage and insight to accept these rituals. Those who overestimated themselves might bring severe injuries and even death upon themselves. But all Dias saw from Cillin was momentary surprise before he proceeded to receive the etiquette. He reflected inside his heart, this guy isnt too bad. Although Dias himself had not pulled any cheap tricks during the handshake, he thought Cillin was a pretty interesting boy to return his grip so calmly and fearlessly. Should he say that he had a screw loose in his head? Or was he a different book from his cover? Probably the latter, Dias thought to himself. But judging from Cillins reactions it appeared that he really didnt know him. Just where did this little guy come from? Cillin had told him frankly that he was called Cillin; as for his surname, Cillin made no mention of it at all so it wouldnt be right for Dias to ask about it either. How very curious. It was at this moment the flight announcement had sounded, and more than eighty percent of the people inside the lounge got up and headed towards the station. Dias stuck to Cillin like glue as they entered the station together. There were a few thousand people aboard this flight. Cillin picked neither the first class nor the third class cabin, and instead chose a seat at the medium class cabin. To his surprise Dias had also picked a medium class cabin, and he even deliberately exchanged seats with another person and sat beside Cillin. Even when he was inside the cabin, Dias did not look like he had any intentions to take off his sunglasses. Cillin had a feeling that this flight would not be as smooth. Chapter 7: Robbery Chapter 7: Robbery The three seats were connected, and Dias sat at the right side of Cillin. To Cillins left was another youngster around Cillins age. The youngster shuffled in his seat repeatedly looking a little nervous, and when he saw Cillin frowning slightly, he tugged at the corner of his lips and said, Bro dont worry, the flight path of the spaceliners from Planet X-C100 is the product of precise calculations. It is different from the spaceliners from other planets; its safety factor is at least tens of times higher. The chance of running into a magnetic anomaly is less than 0.01%, and the chance of encountering a space robber is even less. Moreover flights from X-C100 are protected under special laws While listening to the youngsters mostly self-comforting naggings, Cillin noticed that the corner of Dias lips were upturned ever so slightly. He couldnt help but feel that the son of a bitch was smiling in a way that was up to no good. Once the ship had entered warp flight, some of the conversations began to quiet down since the passengers needed to divert more energy to suppress the discomfort of traveling under such conditions. Meanwhile, Cillin lay down his seat, pulled up the blankets, closed his eyes and began to sleep. Dias just felt funny watching Cillins reactions. This little guy was sleeping quite soundly; he must be quite used to this. Both his physical and psychological qualities were pretty good. What he didnt know was that this was in fact the first time Cillin had slept during a warp flight. But although he was sleeping, every hair on Cillins body was absorbing the surroundings around him; and especially killing intent. He would wake up if he detected even the slightest bit of it. However, Cillin didnt manage to sleep too long before an abrupt shaking woke him. Magnetic interference and force field has affected the helms control, and the pulse power isnt functioning normally as well. With these changes the control systems arent going to last much longer. This ship will exit warp flight. Dias calmly assessed the situation before him, Its probably due to deliberate interference on the outside. If my guess is correct, then weve run into space robbers. When the boy beside Cillin heard the words magnetic interference and force fields he was already so frightened that he turned deathly pale, and the latter words space robbers from Dias was without a doubt an unbearably heavy blow for the boy. Therefore the poor kid had fainted straight away. Dias voice wasnt loud and only the three of them could hear his words, but the other passengers had also formed their own respective assumptions. The common point here was fear. After yet another round of violent shaking and the sound of buzzing electricity, a low and arrogant voice resounded throughout the entire ship. Much apologies, my cute passengers. For now this ship has fallen under our control. If you do not wish to die then please stay obediently in your seats, since the guns in our hands cant interact nicely like human beings after all. Oh, one more thing, I dislike noisiness, so if anyone screams aloud then you may meet your fellow debris in space. Space robbers! For a time, the cabin was filled with anxious breathing and sobbing. Cillin analyzed the situation in his mind. Since these robbers dared to rob a Planet X-C100 spaceliner, that meant that they must have planned meticulously for this. That they were able to avoid the security patrols, take down the entire security system on the ship without meeting much resistances or huge commotions such as explosions meant that there was a ninety percent chance they had planted a mole on this ship a long time ago. Moreover, due to the protection of certain laws, anyone who carelessly kill the passenger of a terminal planet spaceliner will be hunted ruthlessly by the military. Judging from the robbers tone, at this stage of the situation, these robbers did not plan to kill the people on this ship, and even the guards were probably only immobilized for the moment. However, nothing was certain, and robbers were robbers after all. Who knows if they might find someone unpleasant to the eye and shoot them? Watching Dias sitting cross-legged leisurely at his side, Cillin thought that this incident had everything to do with this guy for sure. Sigh, looks like Im caught in a crossfire. However Cillin was more curious than anything else actually. Just what was this A rank fellow planning to do? Not long after, about ten or so robbers wearing hideous-looking masks walked in with guns in their hands, and they headed straight in front of Dias. Tens of guns were pointed at Dias. Get up and come with us! Dias himself was pretty cooperative. He opened his arms and spread out his fingers to show that he had no intention of resisting. Oh, right, Just when he had taken two steps Dias suddenly turned towards Cillin and said, Hey bro, look after my food will you? I havent finished that box of space burrito yet. Cillins eyebrows twitched. Fuck! Do I know you that well? Like hell its my problem that you havent finished your burrito, and who would so bored as to grab your more than half-eaten burrito with teeth marks still on them under this circumstance? Youre obviously dragging me down with you! As he thought, the leader of the robber group pointed his gun at Cillin, Bring him together! Cillin did not have the slightest doubt in his mind that the pair of eyes hidden behind Dias sunglasses were filled with fox-like smiles. The rest of the people inside the cabin dared not even take a deep breath; afraid that the robbers might notice them. With tens of guns pointed against them, Cillin and Dias were brought to the main control room. As it turned out, the captain and the helmsmen were left unconscious in a corner. As Cillin expected these robbers had not killed them, although there was no telling what would happen afterwards. Boss, weve brought him over. The person sitting at the captains seat spun the chair over. He wore the same mask as the rest of the robbers and was toying with his gun. He did not look at Cillin and stared straight at Dias, Where is it? They had already gone through all the luggage deposited in the baggage compartment. They did not find what they were looking for. Dias did not act like a fool, Its on me. The hand toying with the gun stopped as he said solemnly, Take it out. Almost twenty guns were pointed at Dias. If he made even the slightest unnatural movement, they would fire straight away. Dias shrugged his shoulders, I can tell you and give you the stuff youre looking for. But you have better keep your guns in check. If Im dead, then you wont be getting it either. While speaking, Dias shook his hands once as a silver colored ring slid from his arm to the wrist. He touched somewhere along the thin ring, and it turned into a three centimeters wide bracelet. A subspace product! Its quality was even far better from norm; this single ring was far more valuable than the entire ship itself! These robbers all knew their stuff. Even through the mask, Cillin knew that their eyes were brimming with greed. Dias took out a big black briefcase. Cillin had seen this briefcase before at the restaurant, but he seriously did not expect that this case that Dias was carrying around leisurely would be the robbers target. Cillin did not doubt the value of the item inside in the least, but wasnt this Dias fellow being a little way too conspicuous?! He did it on purpose; this dude totally did it on purpose! Every muscle in Cillin was tensed in readiness. This Dias fellow was as sly as a fox; there was no way he was going to give in this easily. After taking out the case Dias flung it straight at the person sitting on the captains seat. Just as the person was about to catch it, all the lights inside the control room abruptly turned off. Fuck! I knew hes going to do it! Just before the lights turned off Cillin noticed a flash from a spot on Dias bracelet at the same time a strange noise was released. Most people would not notice these noise, but the chips inside Cillin reacted towards it, which was why the Cillins first and immediate response was to get out of the way. As expected, gunshots rang out amidst the darkness as sparks flew everywhere. Dias had attacked! Cillin did not need to wear night vision glasses at all. His eyes automatically adjusted as columnar epithelial cells grew in his retina, and his pupils were enlarged as wide as 90% of the eyeballs surface. The light from a single firing laser gun was enough for Cillin to see everything inside the control room with perfect clarity; not to mention that so many guns had fired at the same time. For Cillin it was like someone had setup a searchlight inside the room. Dias certainly lived up to his rank A genotype. Crisp movements, precise aim, and striking his target with every hit he threw. He didnt even need a weapon to take down most of the robbers in a single breaths time. He did not kill the robbers and instead simply immobilized them. Cillin did not believe that Dias was a merciful person. From a Hunters point of view, a robber was worth more alive than dead. One of the robbers took out a spare light source, but even with light, they still found it difficult to catch Dias figure. He was simply too quick; giving them no time to aim at all. Plus these robbers probably never thought that the entire control room would suddenly black out. They didnt bring either infrared goggles or scanning electron goggles. The entire battle lasted not more than ten seconds. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these robbers had experienced a disastrous rout. The difference between their strength was all too obvious. The last robber was smart enough to put a fainted worker in front of him; ready to use them as a hostage. But before he could even speak a cracking sound rang out from his throat, and he became the only dead man of the bunch in this control room. I hate it when people threaten me. Diass tone was perfectly calm. It was as if he was simply repeating a commonly known fact. Once the fight was concluded, all of the light source had restarted again as light returned to the control room. Cillins eyes had also returned back to normal. Dias did not even look at Cillin standing beside him as he fiddled with a few instruments. A large screen unfolded before them as several crisscrossing lines of coordinates began to move rapidly before locking onto a couple of rapidly moving light sports. They were robbers who were supposedly standing watch at the other sections inside the ship before running away after realizing that the situation was amiss. Once he locked onto the targets Dias did not hesitate in the slightest to engage the photon torpedo equipped on this ship. The corner of Cillins lips kept twitching. Wasnt there a few factors of password to enter before the ships photon torpedo could be engaged? He had cut through them this quickly? Bright explosions lit up like many flames consecutively, and soon the fighters of the fleeing robbers were blown to smithereens. Yeah! Dias hummed a tune and danced on his feet. Once he put away the briefcase that had dropped on the ground he arrived in front of Cillin and said, The security team will be arriving in a minute. Oh, Cillin, its not in my place to say this, but you should have acted a little more panicky when you see the robbers and be terrified by the sight of the muzzles of their guns. You shouldnt look so calm its as if you have face paralysis, because the passengers every move and expression would be recorded by the ships security cameras. The way you act is so obviously suspicious the security team will bring you back and interrogate you brutally. Dias purposely emphasized the word brutally. Cillin gave Dias a sidelong glance, So? Havent you sat beside me on purpose to involve me in this matter? Dias let out a cunning laugh and did not deny it. You know, the airline company and security team will provide compensation to passengers if they are met with a robbery. If youre willing to mutilate yourself, theyll pay even more. Cillins reaction was noncommittal. Chapter 8: Vanguard Chapter 8: Vanguard Dias took out a book of some sort, dark gold in color, and wrote something while grinning, then cheerfully tore the foremost page and stuck it at the most obvious spot near the entrance. The thin sheet that was originally just the size of a palm expanded until it was as big as the black briefcase. The shining numbers and a dagger-shaped emblem was especially glaring. This thing that looks like a notice is a bill? When Cillin saw the emblem his pupil shrank and his heart jumped suddenly. The Vanguard! The emblem of one of the top four Galactic Alliance Hunter regiments, Vanguard! The top four Hunter regiments were different from the other Hunters that worked alone or in small groups. They had bigger goals; goals that were so big they were breathtaking. From the discovery of a new habitable planet, to the pioneering of a Sector, and a large number of mineral transactions and so on. They were all not without their presence. Their targets might be a certain family, an organization, a city, and even a planet or an unknown region in the galaxy. And they have the power to do it It wasnt something any average Hunter could undertake. What was worth mentioning was that the information about the top four Hunter regiments took up to eighty percent space in the electronic magazine Hero, which was preceded only to Glory and Code in GAL with a contribution of eighty points and above. Hence one could imagine the influence the top four Hunter regiments held; they were an existence that authorities couldnt help but be wary of. The security squad bustled over in a hurry, but when the security squad leader walked into the control room and saw that shining notice his already partially dark face immediately turned as black as coal. One could practically scrape a layer off his face. He looked up again and saw a certain someone crossing his legs, sitting inside the captains seat biting a fruit crispy loud. Report, captain. There are a total of twenty four robbers onboard; twenty three fainted and one dead. Some of the passengers suffered minor injuries. No deaths. We are in the process of consoling them As he listened to his subordinates report the security squad leaders expression turned darker and darker. He wanted to strangle those robbers to death himself. Robbery? Why the fuck did they even bother when they didnt even figure out who their opponent was? This is a veteran rank A genotype Hunter were talking about; do they have pig brains in their heads?! As if that wasnt bad enough, they were completely toyed by their opponent like they were three years old. A robber is at least twice as expensive alive than dead; just how much money the security squad would have to report!? And most importantly the one who caught these robbers are exactly the kind of people were trying but failing horribly to avoid! Speaking of which, why had this bastard come to a poor place like Sector X? Logically speaking Sector X has no pioneering significance at all. The more he thought, the more pissed off the security squad leader grew. As veins popped on top of his forehead he lifted his feet and kicked his subordinates at the side right out of the door. The assistant squad leader who had followed him looked a little dissatisfied; even if he wanted to teach his men a lesson he shouldnt do it in front of outsiders. Wouldnt it be just exposing their own shame? But when he looked up and saw that glaring notice his own expression flushed green instantly. With a livid look he turned around and kicked the men behind him as well. It looked like their security squad was going to get yelled at when they got back and wrote their reports. For example, Does everyone in the security squad eat shit for a living?! Have your brains aged? You cant stop even robbers like these? What the fuck are those cash vampires doing at this place?! The moment he thought about it the security squad leaders facial muscles began to convulse uncontrollably, Lieutenant Commander of the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron C Dias. I have heard about you. Because Cillin hadnt come into contact with much information at the Vanguards level, he only knew about the top four Hunter regiments, but not so much about their respective squadrons. No wonder Dias expression was so strange when he revealed his name and was met with Cillins calmness. But Cillin really was quite surprised. Wasnt Dias a little too young to be the Lieutenant Commander of a Vanguard Squadron? He didnt look more than ten years older than Cillin. Dias continued to sit openly on the captains seat despite seeing the security squad leader walking towards him. Dias did not appear surprised to hear the other party call out his title and background as he smiled, Oh, Ive been found out. The few security squad members looked a little green in the face. Among those who worked in a security squad; who wouldnt know about the dagger shape emblem on that notice? They had a certain level of understanding for every squadron, and they all did their homework about the Sixth B Squadrons activities at a few surrounding Sectors as of late. The few key members of the Sixth B Squadron were even blacklisted and practically guarded against the like of thieves. But in the end it was inevitable. In accordance to the relevant contracts and laws, you will have to pay me a certain amount of remuneration. I have already pasted the bill over there and I hope you can fulfill it as soon as possible. Of course The security squad leader practically squeezed the words out of his teeth. His heart was bleeding; the higher ups were guaranteed to deduct their salaries. After all the one who took down the robbers was the cash vampire Hunter and not them. It was at this moment the receivers and displays in the control room began to lose control. We have a transmission! A crew member shouted. As soon as he said it, a powerfully rhythmic music broke out. Six stressed cannon-like sounds resounded continuously in a specific rhythm, among which interlayered with music like a chain of beads. All the data and images displayed in every electronic screen inside the ship were also beating to the same rhythm. The crowd that was at first still quarreling inside the ship quieted down instantly, and a bewitching power that seemed to synchronize even one hearts beat spread out along with the music. With powerful courage, the music slowly turned as distant as time immemorial; like a dagger piercing through every space. Audio interference and signal assimilation! It was the first time Cillin had experienced such a thing. In the past he had only learned about these things from televisions and magazines, but it was still a lot more shocking to experience it firsthand. A Hunter regiments intro music of signals and mission music was a kind of symbol just like the Hunter regiments emblem. Each squadron under a Hunter regiment would have a slightly different music, such as the six stressed sounds from before meaning that they were the men from the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron. A starship instantly appeared on the screen, and there was a massive dagger cursor on top of the starship. Beside the dagger was the number 6. The Vanguard Sixth B Squadron! Oh, my pickup has arrived. I was going to finish this ride, but alas. Dias tone was regretful, but his expression was smug. It was so smug that the security squad could barely restrain themselves from serving him with their guns. An openly smiling face suddenly appeared at the control rooms display. Sir. Are you going to warp in or are you going to come in yourself? The only word to describe the security squads feelings right now was pissed as they glared fiercely at the person responsible for controls in the ship control room. The man looked innocently; the other partys remote hacking and control of the spaceliners displays were so quick that there was absolutely nothing he could. Dont be stupid, of course were warping in. Oh right, set it to two people; Im bringing a little guy over. Cillin had a bad feeling about this. Dias turned to look at Cillin after he yelled at the monitor. Hey, Cillin. Come take a look at your bros ship. A white light enveloped the two person before they vanished from the control room in the blink of an eye. The security squad leaders expression was clouded as he said towards the person at the control station, Retrieve their information on that spaceliner now! About that Every information and footage etc regarding those two has been deleted. The operator stuttered. Useless good-for-nothing! The security squad leader smashed apart the chair beside him with a single punch. The group of men bowed their heads. They cursed inwardly: Those people are from the Vanguard, man, how can it be easy to deal with them? Meanwhile on the other side. After Cillin was transported to Vanguard Sixth B Squadron starship, he said towards Dias, I still have some baggage left on the spaceliner. Dias himself was indifferent, Anything thats placed inside the cargo hold isnt important and dispensable for you. While speaking, an odd-pitched cry closed in from afar. Lieutenant, youre finally back! The figure rushed over like the wind, and just when Cillin thought the two men was going to put on a subordinate welcomes his superiors glorious return show, the dude uttered his next sentence rudely, The stuff? Dias seemed used to this kind of situation and tossed over the five cases straight away. Among them was the big case that Cillin had seen before. The case was made with a special material that insulates radiation and energy, so whatever was contained inside should be an energy type. Once holding the fix cases firmly, he then cheerfully turned around and got ready to leave. Hey, whats the hurry Cary? Didnt you see that Ive brought a guest? Dias said while pulling at the leaving Carys ear, but there was no blame to be found in his tone. Cary bared his teeth, indicating Dias to show mercy to his ear. Cillin knew that Cary was ignoring him on purpose. They would not respect you until you had proven yourself worthy. Carrying five boxes with one hand, Cary freed his other arm, dug his ears before extending it over. He wore a business smile on his face without a trace of the sincerity he had shown when facing Dias earlier. Hello. A handshaking ritual. Chapter 9: Vanguard Sixth B Squadron Chapter 9: Vanguard Sixth B Squadron Cary would not be as courteous as Dias. Meanwhile, Dias cheerfully stood at a side to watch the show. Cillin smiled and extended a hand, Hello. Neither of them introduced themselves. Then, the cold war began. He used thirty percent power, forty percent power all the way until eighty percent power. Cary had the nagging suspicion that the hand hes holding was made of special alloy. It was really damn hard. Not only did he not make his opponent suffer, his own hands were painful from the hold. What hit him even harder was the fact that his opponent did not use any strength at all; he had allowed him to exert as much force as he wanted to. Cillin himself was caught by surprise on the inside. Another A rank genotype! Since when are A rank genotypes as common as cabbages?! The top four Hunter regiments truly are the top four! Cary was caught in a dilemma. Dammit, I wont believe this! Cary dumped the five boxes on one hand aside and put both hands to work. This shameless bastard! Inside the starships main control room, a group of people criticized Cary repeatedly as they watched the scene on the display. Carys shamelessness had long since rooted itself inside everyones hearts. From the moment Cillin was warped into the starship there were already people conducting the relevant analyses on him. The result of the calculation was that there was a ninety percent chance that this young man brought over by Dias was a B rank genotype. Not only was he bullying the weak; oppressing a lower rank gene with his higher rank gene, he even used both hands instead of one! Dias could only cough embarrassedly at Carys shameless actions, but at the same time he was also incredibly shocked by Cillins abilities. Not every man could force out Carys shamelessness. You are too passionate. Cillin smiled and extended his other hand. Two hands versus two hands. Carys face twisted a little. Look C Ow ow ow I give! I give! Cary pulled away. He stared at his swollen hands and felt like weeping. Lieutenant, just who is this boy? This is insane! That Cary would change the way he addressed Cillin to boy meant that he had already acknowledged his abilities. Got taught a lesson, didnt you? Lets see you flaunt about some more! Dias kicked Cary to aside before pointing at the five boxes on the ground, Get to work already. Yessir! Cary picked up the boxes, swaggered a few steps before turning around again and asked Cillin, Im called Cary; A rank combat personnel of the Sixth Squad. Who are you, boy? I am Cillin, a freelancer. Carys mouth took on an O shape as he winked towards Dias: Lieutenant, dudes a freelancer man, what are you waiting for!? Move! Or do you need me to help you? Dias scolded with a smile. Im going, Im going! Hehe! Cary instantly ran out of sight. The number one reason Dias had brought Cillin over was to figure out the kids background. He thought he looked familiar but couldnt remember who he was. Number two C also the most important point C was to absorb Cillin into the team if he hadnt joined into any forces yet. The Sixth Squadron was just lacking manpower right now. Dias trusted Cillins character, and he trusted his own insight even more. In order to get Cillin used to the situation even faster, Dias began to explain the whole matter from the beginning to the end. The Sixth Squad had a business meeting at a neutral zone between Sector X and Sector R. Since Dias was bored of doing nothing and heard that there was an underground deal about a rare energy ore on a certain planet at Sector X, he went over and stole it while those men were busy betraying each other. At the same time, he had let out some false news on another planet saying that he had acquired a huge precious stone that was worth a few billion credits to attract the robbers attention. That was how the series of events unfolded, and Dias was even able to screw some money out of X-C100s government and spaceliner company because he helped taking down the robbers. Although Dias had explained it in a very casual manner, Cillin knew that many of these details were actually quite difficult to manage. It also proved that Dias true strength and ability to plan and control. He really was worthy of his title as the Lieutenant Commander of the Sixth B Squadron. Dias introduced Cillin to the ship as he led him along the passageway. That is the warehouse; the place used to store supplies, and a right turn at the front is Hey, Dough, why are you sleeping around here? Dias called out towards a particular section on the wall of the passageway. At first glance it wouldve been easy to miss it, but if someone was alert enough or had very acute senses, then they would realize that there was actually a life form right there. Its just that it seemed to have merged with its surroundings into one, and it was impossible to see it judging just from the color of its body. Dias walked over and pulled that thing down. It was about thirty centimeters long, and when it separated from the passage wall its color immediately faded and turned invisible. However its two little eyes were rather obvious; milling about in circles; and when it saw Dias it made a slurping sound; seemingly greeting the guy. An iguana? Cillin stared curiously at the little fellow in Dias hands. Stop pretending. What kind of bad things did you do to make Eudy throw you out again? Dias flicked Dough, the iguanas head. Dough curled his tail and waved it about looking pitiful. Dias tsked once before kneading the small iguana into a ball just like an actual dough and Pak! flung it against the other side of the wall. It stuck on it and quickly changed its body color to match its surroundings, and on the surface it appeared to have become one with its environment. That fellows called Dough. Hes a variant Eudy picked up on a mission five years ago. Little bastard quite often causes trouble. Dias did not elaborate on the personnel named Eudy. Dias brought Cillin to the main control room and introduced him to a few more personnel. While allowing Cillin to interact with the others, Dias called Beaver over, Beaver, come with me for a moment. Yes, Lieutenant. Cillin had seen the personnel Beaver before; he was the one who had appeared on the spaceliner display. What surprised Cillin was that everyone on this starship was fairly young. Many of them were around Dias age or younger, although none of them were as young as Cillin. Taking heed from Carys lesson, the people on this starship treated Cillin fairly well. Although they werent really cordial, at least they were neither distant nor indifferent towards him. After Dias had called over Beaver, they arrived at Beavers workplace. He turned the silver ring on his hand and popped out a connector before connecting it to an instrument. Give this footage a runthrough. The footage running on the screen was the one captured by Dias while he was fighting the robbers inside the spaceliners control room. There was infrared processing so the darkness at the time was nothing. However the footage grew a little confusing as it followed Dias movements fighting the robbers. Beaver did not say anything. His ten fingers danced across the instrument as he manipulated the programs, and after the screens footage was cut, put through three-dimensional arrangement, bit rate adjustments and other workings, it soon became a clear and smooth footage that didnt dazzle the eyes. Analyze that Cillin kid. right now Dias had lost his usual casualness and flippant attitude. In fact he even looked somewhat serious. Beaver adjusted the images on the screen to display Cillins every move in slow motion. The more he watched the more shocked Beaver was, Lieutenant, are you sure this guys a human and not some other races that look like a human? On the screen, Cillin had easily dodged away from where the guns were pointed at as if he had predicted the robbers every next move. And he had done it while every light source inside the control room was cut. I can confirm that he did not wear any kind of auxiliary lens and that he is definitely human. Dias said solemnly while staring at the display. Beavers eyebrows were close to forming knots already, Theres one more thing, Lieutenant. When the two of you warped over I conducted a genetic rank analysis on Cillin. Normally speaking, if he was just a B rank genotype, the reliability of the calculated results of the MFA (Multiple Factor Analysis) should be above 95%. But this time the result was only at 90%. Why is there a 5% of uncertainty? After a pause, Beaver probed Dias thoughts, Should we, acquire the kids DNA? Body fluids, hair or even fingerprints should work. Theres no need. We should give due respect to our future comrade. Alright. But that kid is seriously incredible. But of course; your Lieutenant Commander has incredible insight you know. Right, one more thing, do you think Cillin looks very familiar, Beaver? Dias was caught in the dilemma again. Beaver gave it a thought, but he really couldnt figure out where he had seen him before, The galaxy is huge and there are countless people who looked similar to each other. You want me to enter the computer database and get a match? Never mind, put it on hold. He would need the B Squadron Commanders passcode to enter the archives. Too troublesome. Dias let out a sigh and gave up. Oh right, lieutenant, the Commander has urged us to join them as quickly as possible. It seems that the deal isnt going too well. Got it. Get ready to depart then. Dias waved his hands and walked out of the door. Chapter 10: Unhappy Cary Chapter 10: Unhappy Cary Cillin did not give an immediate reply towards Dias invitation to join his squad. Dias was not in a hurry either; both parties needed an understanding process in between as this would be beneficial for their rapport in the future. Everyday, Cary would pester Cillin about the benefits of joining the squad. Cary wasnt one to be stingy with passion towards a capable person, and he was also a combat maniac. He would often drag Cillin to the training room to spar. Since it was a spar, naturally both sides did not use what they would normally employ to kill people, but even then, Cary was still very happy with the fights. Cillins boxing style was something that he had never seen before. Not only was it flexible, it also carried with it a strange atmosphere. Be it forceful or gentle; peaceful or deadly, it could change instantly to Cillins whim. Although Cillin was a B rank genotype, Cary would not purposely go easy on him either. This was because Cillin had the power to go up against an A rank genotype human. At the same time, Cillin had learned quite a bit himself while training with Cary. Being exposed to different fighting styles was greatly beneficial for self improvement, and while they were training, Cary had told him a lot of combat experience and provided examples. After all, Cary had far more experience than Cillin as a Hunter. For a squadron that often traveled between sectors, their combat personnel must know how to dogfight. Even if they werent good at it, they had to learn at the very least the basic controls. The cost of a good fighter was too high, so Dias would not allow Cary to drive one out for fun. And since he wasnt allowed to drive one Cary dragged Cillin to the fighter battle platform on the computer instead. Although it wasnt as enjoyable as the real thing, the simulation was still good enough that they could go at each other nicely for a few rounds. At first, Cillin was unfamiliar with the vehicle. Although he had experience with hoverboards and triphibian flying cars on Planet Brown Earth, he had never really come into contact with a fighter before. Cary had won the first few rounds, but in less than five rounds, Cary began to lose, and every defeat was faster and more miserable than the last. Every time, Cary would request to change to a different type of mech before they began competing again, and the cycle of victory to utter defeat would renew once more. Later on, Cary would still lose miserably even after they had changed to a new fighter. That guy isnt human! After yet another defeat, Cary logged out of the online battle platform and complained while scratching his messy hair. Do you need me to comfort you? A voice rang out. He sounded like he had just woken up. Cillin looked over. A thin and tall young man about Carys age wearing a sleepwear with a strawberry picture on it and snow white plush slippers were looking at them curiously. Was he a childish spirit? It was hard to imagine that there would be someone dressed up like this on this ship. When Cary heard the voice, he wore a constipated look and kept silent. But anyone could see that he was feeling blue from the twitching of his facial muscles, because there would definitely be nothing good coming out of the voice owners mouth. Did the fucker finish catching up on his sleep already? The fuck is he hanging around here for if he has nothing to do! Eh, youre awake, Eudy? Beaver said towards Eudy standing at the entryway when he walked in from the outside, then turned around and looked at Cillin while laughing rather smugly at Cary, Cillin, you won again? Youre improving really quickly I see. The Lieutenant is looking for you; he wants you to go the control room for a moment. Cillin nodded towards Eudy and greeted him once before leaving along with Beaver; leaving Eudy and Cary behind to glare at each other. So hes the Cillin the Lieutenant was talking about. Eudy looked right at Cary, Judging from his reflexes and body coordination, and the level of control he has towards fighters; and combining that with some of the information I heard earlier, I have come to the conclusion Cary covered his ears, Im not listening Im not listening! That he went easy on you in the match just now. Cary had the impulse to strangle this bastard Eudy to death. You call this comfort?! Is this comfort?! Eudy scratched his head, yawned and walked out of the door. Before he left, he didnt forget to leave behind a line that pissed off Cary so much he almost spewed blood, Youre so shit. Euuuuuuuuuuudyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy IM GOING TO KILL YOU! Sounds of fighting rang out from the battle room. Dough stopped its footsteps towards the battle room, turned around and escaped. There were two dangerous people inside and when they fought, it was easy to be involved as an unwilling victim. Cillins sleep time had been increasing lately, and other than the times where he was pulled away by Cary to the battle platform for a few rounds of battle, the rest of his time were spent on eating and sleeping only. At first, Dias and the others had thought that it was natural to rest since a lot of mental work exhausted ones energy. Eudy was one such example who would sleep for a period of time after making a large amount of calculations. But that explanation was quickly rejected because Cillin was just too good at sleeping. Even when he didnt fight Cary, he would still sleep like his life depended on it and there were signs that his sleeping time was growing longer and longer. The amount of time he used his brain and the amount of time he slept was completely out of proportion. Dias had let the doctor on the ship to examine Cillin before, and the results was that Cillin was extremely healthy and that he could not explain why Cillin slept so much. Cillin himself had expressed that it had something to do with his own constitution. Dias was so worried about Cillins sleeping phenomenon that he had saggy bags under his eyes. Originally, he was planning to recommend Cillin to join the squad after he had reconvened with the other members of the Sixth B Squadron, but some of the other lieutenant commanders had held an opinion against Dias in the first place. If it wasnt for the fact that the Sixth Squads Commander, Shawton, was Dias elder brother, his own position as a lieutenant commander would be at risk. Adding Cillins lethargic situation into the mix; it might not be easy to convince them to accept Cillin into the main force. The competition between the ten Vanguard B Squadrons were growing more and more intense, and the A Squadrons were already implementing a series of measures in order to surpass the other three Hunter regiments. Shawton did not explain any specifics to him, but Dias knew that the Sixth B Squadron was in urgent need for expansion and achievements. The current difficulty they faced was a shortage of talent, which was also why Dias was so eager for Cillin to stay. You are a Hunter, arent you Cillin? Although it was a question, Dias had said this with a tone of certainty. Cillin knew that Dias must have investigated him background already, but as long as the matter of the strange chip and Genya remained hidden, Cillin was fine with it. Moreover, Cillin believed that they would at most discover Cillins false identity and memory card, and anything before that would be largely conjectures. No one could have imagined that Cillin could alter his appearance from the roots of his DNA. Yes, but I was just a Shadow Hunter passing my days in a small planet. The stray Hunters muddling about every day was nothing compared to a Hunter regiment, but Cillin saw no reason to feel inferior or run away from his past. Dias let out a sigh, I dont care what you did in the past. As long as your character is fine and your strength is commendable, then I will welcome you with open arms. Youve been on the ship for quite a few days, and you are familiar with how we operate already. As compared to the other three Hunter regiments, we Vanguards act far more freely, which was also why our captain had named our starships as Free Fleets. Seeing that Cillin was silent, Dias continued, The universe is huge, and this endless space is every Hunters dream. But this dream needs a bedrock, or it will be impossible to sustain. A stray Hunter could never come into contact with this boundless domain, and only by joining a Hunter regiment can one go further and higher than ever before. A single persons strength is limited after all. Cillin understood all of the things that Dias had left out from his speech, plus joining a Hunter regiment was beneficial in seeking out the Gen Family Genya had mentioned as well. After the get-along period, Cillin was rather satisfied with the atmosphere of the Sixth Squad. He really looked forward to explore the field of stars that appeared within reach, yet ever mysterious. What do I need to do? Cillin looked towards Dias. That sentence was a clear expression of Cillins decision, and it dissolved much of the depression that had inflicted Dias for the past time. As long as Cillin had made up his mind to join the team, then Dias would do his absolute best to face those annoying Lieutenant Commanders. Itll be fine as long as youve given your word. Theres no need to worry too much; I am here. Who else is the Lieutenant Commander but me? Dias had put Cillins sleep disorder at the back of his head and focused on thinking up countermeasures after they met up with the rest of the Sixth Squad. Chapter 11: What’s Going On? Chapter 11: Whats Going On? Seeing that Dias and Cillin had finished their discussion, Eudy pressed the bell and came in, Lieutenant, Id like to borrow Cillin for a little. Dias waved his hands, Off you go. Get along with your squad mate. After the two of them went out, they werent seen again until it was time to meet up with the main force. Wheres Cillin? Dias asked. I havent seen him. Hes probably at Eudys place. Cary sounded a little unsure. There were a few times where he mustered his morale to battle Cillin again in the battle room, but he heard that he had been called away by that bastard Eudy to research some formulae. Cary was tactful enough to not disturb them. When I sent them their food yesterday, I heard them discussing whether a certain formula should sum the squares or use square roots. When I sent them their food today, they were discussing weighted multidimensional matrix. In short, they havent been sleeping for the past days. Its likely that that formulae Eudy is researching is going to bear fruit soon. Beaver opened his arms helplessly, Its rare that Eudy gets to meet his own kind. The group of people quieted. Two weirdos. Of course, such talents were exactly what the Sixth Squad was lacking. If the formulae Eudy was researching succeeded, then it would be a breakthrough for the future programs written by the Sixth Squad. The automatic sentries aim, target locks efficiency, and hit rate would be massively increased. But what Dias was worried about was: If it was this mentally exhausting, then wouldnt that mean that the two of them would be sleeping for the next period of time? Different from the starship Cillin was on board right now, the Sixth Squads main starship was far bigger, and there were tens of other starships the same size as this one surrounding the main starship. After docking on the main starship, Dias went to meet his elder brother, the Sixth B Squadron Commander Shawton. Surprisingly, Dias did not wear that showy sunglasses of his, and in fact he appeared to be a lot steadier than usual. Once receiving the notice that the meeting had begun, Dias walked into the conference room. Dias sat down on the lieutenant commander seat that belonged to him before staring soulfully at the famous cool beauty Asiya who was also sitting on her own lieutenant commander seat beside him. However, the other party continued to turn a blind eye to Dias passionate gaze, and the other four lieutenant commanders had gotten used to his antics already. Previously, with Dias as the exception, Shawton and the other Lieutenant Commanders had met with the great galactic family Douances Aiflon to talk business, but the results were not as good as they had imagined and the situation remained at a stalemate without change to this day. It wasnt an easy task to gain more profit from Aiflon, and the goods submitted by the Hunter regiment Navigator, also one of the four Hunter regiments were no worse than the Sixth Squad. The Sixth Squad had spent much manpower and resources to acquire the batch of energy ores in order to gain a greater profit. If they could not sell it for a good price then the Sixth Squad would not be content as well. The previous two business meetings were unsuccessful, and judging from Aiflons attitude, it would appear that he was planning to trade with the Navigators instead. For a few days in a row, Shawton and the lieutenant commanders were all pretty depressed, and it was easily noticeable from their negative atmosphere. The final negotiation would happen today, and Aiflons intentions were clear by the fact that he had chosen to negotiate by video conference and not face-to-face. If they failed this time, then the Sixth Squad would have to find another buyer, and this was the kind of goods that no ordinary person could buy. Even if they could, the buyers final price would not be high with Aiflon as a precedent. Dias, Shawton handed over a tablet from the front seat, You werent around during the last two negotiation. This is the minutes from the last two dealings. Take a look. Okay. Dias straightened himself as he accepted the tablet. While he was reading his eyebrows began to wrinkle. Dias knew very well that the Sixth Squad had nearly lost a Lieutenant Commander in order to acquire that batch of goods, and a lot of aircrafts and detection equipment were scrapped. They did request a slightly higher price for this batch of goods, but even then, the price Aiflon was pushing for was a little too low, wasnt it! The further back he looked the more irritated Dias became, and he grabbed the cup of water before him and downed it fiercely into his mouth. Suddenly, an image flashed across the tablet PUUU C Dias spat his mouthful of water at the person on his opposite. The table were also filled with water stains. Asiya rejoiced at the fact that she wasnt sitting on the opposite side of Dias. The person on the opposite side already darkened expression looked like it was about to thunderstorm after being spat on until he was wet all over by Dias. Since everyones thoughts were placed fully on the matter of the negotiation, no one expected Dias to put up such an act so suddenly. They were also close to each other, so the lieutenant commander on the opposite side couldnt react in time and was struck dead on. Under Shawton and the other lieutenant commanders condemning gaze, Dias hurriedly explained himself. Cough cough Ahem, excuse me. I got too excited and couldnt hold back. Dias turned back to that image on the tablet, pointed at the person appearing on it and asked, Is this really Aiflon Douance? The last time Dias saw Aiflon was ten years ago, and at the time he was just a normal member of the Sixth Squad and Shawton the lieutenant commander. Now Dias could only sigh: No wonder Seeing Shawtons unhappy gaze, Dias hurriedly took out the other portable tablet he carried with him and handed it over, Take a look at this fellow. Holding the two tablets, Shawton himself had looked somewhat stunned, Alike, they are too alike! The lieutenant commanders had also closed in to look, and after they saw it their faces looked odd as well. Theyre alike, yeah? Dias wiped the water stain beside his mouth and said, From the first time I saw that kid I already thought he looked familiar; I just couldnt recall it. This person is the new member I want to recommend, Cillin. If I havent seen the No Children displayed under Aiflons information, I would have really believed that the two of them are father and son. Now, Shawton did not press about Dias behavior just now any longer. His finger tapped rhythmically on the table surface thinking about something. Looking at the time, there were only ten minutes left before the video conference would start. Dias, please call Cillin over. Remember, try not to let anyone on board see his face as much as possible. Got it. Dias did not ask any further questions as he swiftly left the conference room, and in no time grabbed a half lidded, sleeping looking Cillin over. Cillin cleared away his sleepiness when he saw the people in the conference room. He could sense that these were no ordinary people. Sit down. Theres no need to be overly formal. Shawton pointed at a chair beside and smiled good-naturedly. Cillin looked suspiciously at the seven people before taking his seat. Im not really being formal, but your stares are seriously giving me the creeps Cillin is it? Dias has told me about you and we have deliberated over the matter. Welcome to the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron. Your ID card will be sent to you shortly. Dias kept his head low and drank more water. Since when did you guys deliberate about it?! The other lieutenant commanders did not dispute Shawtons words either. Although they held an opinion against Dias, Cillins situation was special. The few lieutenant commanders had come to a rare and unanimous acknowledgement of Cillins identity as a new member; a member of the main force even. Cillin stared suspiciously at Dias lowering his head. Didnt he say that it would be quite difficult to acquire the identity of a main member? Didnt he say that the lieutenant commanders would make things difficult? Whats with this situation then? Chapter 12: Fearless Chapter 12: Fearless Shawton did not waste his words. He passed over the tablet with Aiflons photo to him. Cillin was stunned the moment he saw it. If he didnt know very well that his current appearance was due to the alteration of gene expression, Cillin himself would have suspected that person on the screen was his own father! What a coincidence! After briefly explaining to Cillin about Aiflon and the current trading situation, Shawton pointed at a chair at the corner of the room, Cillin, just sit there when the negotiations start. Okay. Cillin had guessed a few things by now. That they had allowed him to join the Sixth Squad and be part of the main force so easily meant that he his usefulness was rather huge. At the very least, his face was very important to the Sixth Squad. A while later, the video conference began. On the screen, the thirty seven years old Aiflon might wore a kind smile on his face, but his every movement suggested an inviolable spirit. Originally, he had planned to end this negotiation swiftly by rejecting the Sixth Squads business deal and choosing Navigators, but the moment he saw Cillin sitting at the corner, he did not say the words he had prepared beforehand. Aiflon and Shawton were both smart men. They only needed a glance to guess roughly each others thoughts. In that single instant, many thoughts had passed through Aiflons mind. After a short pause Aiflon chuckled, Do allow me to consider the matter of our deal again. However, I believe that we have some matters to talk about, am I right, Commander Shawton? Of course. It is my pleasure. He waved his hand for the others to go out, and Shawton was left alone in conference room. Cillin laid on a chair at the lounge after being pulled out of the conference room by Dias and shut his eyes, calming the surprise in his heart. He had guessed the few possible scenarios that might happen soon, and Cillin looked forward to them no matter which kind it might be. This was his first mission after going out of Planet Brown Earth. Shawton was feeling really, really good right now. The reason he was able to become the Sixth B Squadrons Commander was not due to his powers alone. Shawton viewed problems with deeper insight, and the reason he allowed Aiflon to see Cillin was to confirm that assumption inside his heart. Two hours later, Shawton called Cillin over for a private discussion. Pose as his son?! Cillin stared at the mission plan Shawton had sorted out. Yes. Although Aiflon had not given his reason, but I believe that this move will play a very important role in Aiflons contest for the position of the successor of the Douance Family. What do you think? Tell me your thoughts. Cillin swiftly browsed through Aiflons information in his mind before saying, Although the outside world claims that Aiflon has no children, I believe thats not true. Its just that he would not reveal them before he acquired the position of successor to ensure their safety. Its too dangerous otherwise. His motive is for me to cover for his true offspring and attract firepower from certain people. Only then he can dish out more energy to contest for the position of successorship. But of course, this is just my guess. Very good. You did well to figure out all these just by reading these partial materials alone. However, this is but a part of the mission Aiflon had put forward. The other part can only be decided after he has seen you personally. So my question for you now is: Cillin, do you want to accept this mission? Why shouldnt I? There is a degree of risk to this mission. Members of the Free Fleet have their own decision-making power. We are not the military, and you do not need to obey a superiors unconditionally. You can refuse. Why would I refuse? Cillin looked at the sum on the plan and felt very satisfied. Normally speaking, a missions risk was proportional to the amount of income. Shawton looked Cillin up and down, You dont seem like the miserly type. This is the nature of a Hunter, isnt it? A Hunter was not an adventurer. A Hunter was the kind of person who would walk the line between life and death for money and self-gain. Thats right, thats what a Hunter is. Shawton chuckled, You will come with me to see Aiflon two days later. As for the price tag, we can definitely ask more than this. Use these two days to make your preparations. There were some things that Shawton did not say, but Cillin knew that C ignoring the missions risks C if Cillin had accepted the mission, then the business deal Sixth Squad and Aiflon were negotiating would most likely succeed. Moreover, through this matter, Cillin could even gain the acknowledgement of the other Lieutenant Commanders of the Sixth Squad. This was very beneficial for his advancement in the Sixth Squad in the future. The contest between the top four Hunter regiments was growing more and more intense, and although there were no large scale head-on collisions, there were definitely undercover forces at work, which was why the main squad had already begun to take precautions. The achievements of every B squadron had tremendous impact to the people of those squads. If through Aiflon, they were able to influence a communication between the Sixth Squad and the Douance Family, then it would no doubt promote the Sixth Squads development greatly. The importance of a great galactic family towards a Hunter regiment could not be ignored. The reason these families could stand out from the ash heap of history was mainly due to various channels and networks. Meanwhile, the relationship between the military and a Hunter regiment was very delicate. Although they werent exactly standing on the opposite side of each other, they did not share a harmonious relationship. If possible, the military would not allow a Hunter regiment to exist, but reality was much more complex. Therefore, even if they could not pressure them openly, very often the military would secretly work to obstruct a Hunter regiments mission; to obstruct their development. There werent many people in the galaxy who would dare provoke the main squadrons of the top four Hunter regiments, but the B squadrons were a different story. The military, various Sector-level political institutions and the small scale Hunter regiments. As long as they got the chance they would put a paw on the B squadrons, because the B squadrons very existence was to rob them of their money and fame. Of course, if there was a great galactic family pulling the strings from within, then the B squadrons development would become much easier. So of course the Sixth Squad wasnt willing to give up after obtaining the opportunity to meet Aiflon. Moreover this was a situation where they were competing with another Hunter regiments B squadron, so naturally they would strive for it even harder. Furthermore, if Aiflon really did become the successor under Cillins assistance, then the Sixth Squad would gain unlimited benefits in the future. They were all well aware of this, so it could be said that the few heavyweights of the Sixth Squad who knew about this had high expectations for Cillin. As for the preparation, Shawton had asked of Cillin, what he meant was for Cillin digest all the information necessary for this mission during these two days of free time. Cillin absolutely could not compare to those veteran Hunters in terms of experience. Moreover, due to his origin, Cillins understanding of the latest information was also very one-sided. This was a huge flaw for a Hunter who travels the galaxy. For this reason Shawton had purposely chosen some information for Cillin to look through. After arranging a single room for Cillin, Shawton summoned the six Lieutenant Commanders and started yet another meeting; dealing with the matter regarding keeping Cillins work confidential. However, when Shawton ended the meeting and brought food for Cillin, he discovered that this person who was supposed to be making the best use of his time was fast asleep with a tilted head. In fact, he appeared to be sleeping very soundly, even. The tablet registered with the information were thrown at a side. The monitors of the surrounding computers were all blinking rapidly; whatever it was displaying could not be seen clearly. At the side, Dias opened his mouth, but in the end he swallowed the words that were about to jump out of his mouth. Carefully peeking at Shawtons changing complexion, he shouted inside his heart: Cillin, you idiot, where is your fighting spirit! How can you be sleeping at such a critical moment?! Taking a deep breath, Shawton put down the food tray on his hands, turned around and walked out of the door. Dias followed behind Shawton with a bitter look. For the next two days, Cillin had slept to the point that he did not even touch his food, and during this period of time, everyone in the Sixth Squad had noticed an atmosphere that could freeze someone to death. From the Commander Shawton to the six Lieutenant Commanders; every one of them with a kind of aura that said, DANGER! STAY AWAY. If it wasnt for Shawton, some of the Lieutenant Commanders would have probably knocked him awake and forced him to read those info. A Hunter who did not know to master his information was not a good Hunter. Tell me, how can that kid possibly sleep so easily? Shawton lay down on his chair and tapped rhythmically on the table surface with his fingers. Sitting on the opposite side, Dias scratched the curly hair on his head, Cough, how should I say this. Although the kids behavior really makes you feel like whooping him a good one, but Dias searched for the right words, I cant help but feel that the kids being fearless. Chapter 13: What Kind of a Monster is this Kid? Chapter 13: What Kind of a Monster is this Kid? Shawton lifted an eyebrow at Dias, Fearless? On what basis? He was a B rank genotype Hunter born in the 13 backwater Sectors who was leaving his planet for the first time of his life. He was so young too. On what basis was he so confident? Where did his assurance come from? However, Shawton believed in Dias. His leadership wasnt remarkable when compared to the other Lieutenant Commanders, but when it came to an eye for good men, no one could outdo Dias in the entire Sixth B Squadron. Even the few Lieutenant Commanders who disliked Dias had to admit that he had an outstanding intuition despite his usually unruly appearance. Important talents such as Beaver, Cary, Eudy and so on were all dug out by Dias. From the mundane who were nearly drowned amidst a sea of humanity, to the extraordinaire who were slowly revealing their splendor today, everyone of these men handpicked by Dias were living proof of his intuition. If it wasnt for the large scale betrayal incident in a few Hunter regiments a few years back, Dias would not have been forced to investigate Cillins identity so deeply. He isnt your average kid. He wont try to pass off the responsibility. I hope it is as you say. Shawton sighed. He was under great pressure himself. After all, this was a very important matter for the Sixth Squad. The other five Lieutenant Commanders had already expressed their dissatisfaction. If the time comes Cillin could not perform well, then he would probably drag Dias through the mud as well. Afterall, Dias did guarantee for Cillin about the matter of making him a main force member and accepting the mission. Otherwise, the Lieutenant Commanders would not have agreed so easily just because Cillin had looked like Aiflon. On the day of the appointment, Cillin woke up on time like an alarm clock. Shawton didnt have time to question him too much either, so after he obtaining a I feel okay reply from Cillin, he then brought a few men and departed to a planet at Sector R designated by Aiflon with a few men. Although Sector R was also part of the 13 backwater Sectors, its development was still better compared to Sector Xs. After the spaceship had landed at the port, Shawton had brought only Cillin with him. The others would await orders on the ship. There were many businessmen who loved to use the 13 backwater Sectors as a raw material processing ground for their product, because it was possible to obtain lots of cheap labor here. While walking down the streets, Cillin once again saw the familiar scenes he had often seen on Planet Brown Earth. Many different species went back and forth. At a counter inside a shop, a two-headed Dallean was eagerly introducing the shops products to the customers. They could communicate with two customers at once, and they were both cute and cheap. It is commonly known that the species that had an -an at the end of their names were human-like primates that had evolved significantly. Of course, some of these species were no weaker than humankind, but because their numbers were small they werent seen too often. Shawton led Cillin into a hotel that was more than a hundred stories tall. After informing the the attendant about the floor of their appointment, the attendant respectfully led the two of them upstairs. No ordinary people could reserve the rooms a hundred floors and above. Moreover, Aiflon had booked five floors at once, so from his wealth alone, one could see that his background was extraordinary. Aiflons men had led the duo to the middle floor of the five floors. Both the floors above and below were stationed with Aiflons subordinates. From this, one could see Aiflons cautiousness regarding this matter. Cillin had come here wearing a mask and makeup to disguise himself, and after Aiflons and Shawtons signal, he took off the mask on his face. Aiflon had observed him closely, then examined him with some equipment. Finally he nodded in satisfaction. You can trust us, Mr. Aiflon. We will not lie to a client for profit. The Vanguards reputation is well known. Shawton said while leaning on his chair. Aiflons response was noncommittal, But his genes are only at B rank. As far as I know, there are quite a few B rank descendants in the Douance Family. Shawton knew that there were many B ranks; even among the ones requested for by the military among the descendants of some great families. Its just that they could be slowly improved and evolved into A ranks afterwards. However, not everyone could handle the manpower, material and financial resources required for this process. Aiflon frowned, A B rank is too risky. I dislike unnecessary troubles. Shawton looked at Cillin and asked for his opinion with his eyes. Cillin did not get angry. With a smile he politely asked, Mr. Aiflon. May I ask if the two bodyguards behind you are of A rank genotypes? Correct. Cillins figure moved just as Aiflon finished his words. Even the afterimage he left behind was blurry. BANG! One of the bodyguards behind Aiflon was knocked off his feet. He was smashed right into the special reinforced wall and had sunk inward into a curvature with it. Meanwhile, the other bodyguard had held a gun in his hand and pressed a muzzle to Cillins head. He was definitely an A rank alright. One had to admit that the bodyguard had acted really quickly. If it wasnt for the fact that Cillin was still useful in this business deal, then he would definitely have opened fire without hesitation. However, sweat began to drop from the forehead of this gun wielding bodyguard. His shrunken pupils reflected his current emotions right now. Those people who were ready to charge in after hearing the commotion were all waved out by Aiflons butler. The old butler, whose expression would not have changed even if a mountain had collapsed before him, was feeling the shock of his life right now. While Aiflon was exclaiming that Vanguard was truly full of hidden aces, in truth the Sixth Squads Commander Shawtons heart was beating as wildly as a drum. God knows how much effort Shawton had spent to maintain that calm pretense of his. Holy shit. What kind of a monster is this kid?! The round might have seemed like a draw for both sides, but it was in fact otherwise. Aiflon, the old butler and Shawton could see that. For this bodyguard who was pointing a gun at Cillin, If he couldve fired his gun at that moment, he wouldve done it and would not have checked if anything had happened to his gun, which was exactly why he had spared his own life. The people who could become Aiflons bodyguard must have their own abilities. It was only until after that moment had passed did he realize that there was something wrong with his gun. There was a black needle stuck between the high-pressure pump and ignition slot. If he had opened fire, then the laser beam would likely have backfired at the bodyguard himself, due to the needle causing a back feed reaction from inside the laser gun! There were very few high-powered, ignition type guns that were as small as this one. It might have looked like a gun that fired metallic bullets, but it was without a doubt a laser gun. But it was also because of this factor that Cillin had been given the opportunity he had. Shawton rubbed his chin. The guns Aiflon had equipped his bodyguards were new models. It would have been an impossible feat if Cillin didnt have some level of understanding about them, and if his own physique and reflexes hadnt reached a certain level. Two days ago, the tablet Shawton had handed over to Cillin only briefly mentioned about this gun model. When he recalled the flashing monitors inside the room, Shawton had the impulse to press his forehead. Dias, just where have you found such a freak? It was true that Cillin had conducted a deeper research through the computer after seeing the gun model that day. It took him only two minutes to collect all the information about the gun, and the sleep that happened afterwards was to digest all these information. The reason Cillins sleep time was longer as of late was because that, when he entered that special state, his focus and comprehension would reach a peak value. He would be able to digest all the information he had collected in the shortest time. Its just that this state looked no different from sleeping to any outsiders. Cillin did not pay heed to the bodyguard. He walked back to Shawtons side and looked at Aiflon; seemingly asking his opinion about his performance. The smile on Aiflons face grew wider, Very good. When the gun wielding bodyguard had withdrawn his gun and stood behind Aiflon once more, the other bodyguard who had been slammed into the wall had pulled himself out from it. He stretched his body for a little as it let out many cracking sounds; returning the displaced bones inside his body back to normal. He was an A rank human after all. Although that blow from before was pretty powerful, it did not do too much damage to him. However, the persons gaze on Cillin was odd. It was as if he was looking at a monster. Mr. Aiflon, do you still remember that proposal I made you? Shawton straightened his face. This Sixth Squad Commander would seize any opportunity that presented itself with his life in order to gain a larger profit for his squad mates. Of course. Aiflon motioned for the butler standing at a side to hand over the documents. Seven Lights University? Cillin was somewhat shocked when he read the document. Seven Lights University; or its full title Seven Lights University of the Galactic Alliance, was ranked among the best of universities. It was located at Sector B, and not just anyone could attend there. Chapter 14: Pleasure to Work with You Chapter 14: Pleasure to Work with You Arent you happy, Cillin? Seeing Cillins uncertain gaze, Shawton explained to him, Mr. Aiflon is only asking you to pose as his son and not his bodyguard. Theres no way you can come in contact with his familys business either, so in order to make full use of your time, I have suggested to Mr. Aiflon to have you undertake a higher education. He chose Seven Lights University. Generally, the galaxys education could be divided into three broad categories: primary education, secondary education and higher education. Most Hunters in the top four Hunter regiments had received higher education. As long as they meet the age requirement, the regiments would fund and raise them. The top four Hunter regiments were never stingy with their talents, which was also why they were better than the other Hunter regiments. However, most of these Hunters had received their higher education at the ten Sectors between D to M. There werent many at all like Cillin who could receive his higher education at the Shining Three Sectors. This was also an investment Shawton had made for the Sixth Squad, and even better, the Sixth Squad didnt have to pay a cent for it. It was practically the perfect opportunity, and Shawton was sure that even if all Cillin did was to pose as Aiflons son, Aiflon would definitely choose a high rank university in order to defend the Douance familys reputation. Cillin was not a fool. He had not even received a proper primary education while he was at Planet Brown Earth in Sector X C Genya was the one who tutored him privately all this time. So why would he let such a chance slip by? Of course Im willing, since I got the chance. Aiflon nodded his head, Everyone knows how Seven Lights is. Moreover, the reason I chose Seven Lights isnt just because of the Douance Familys reputation, but also because it is located at Sector B. The families hands do not extend too deeply there, so those who plan to act against you will have more to worry about. This is good for both me and you. It was true that Aiflon would not need to spend more manpower to handle certain probable sudden accidents that might happen if it was Seven Light University. Aiflon received a few more tidied documents from the butler and passed them over, If there are no further questions, then please sign here. As we have agreed upon, the down payment will be a hundred thousand. Going by galactic time, a sum of fifty thousand will be transferred to Cillins account every ten days. When the mission is complete, an additional ten million will be transferred. Galactic credits? Shawton asked further. Galactic credits! Aiflon seemed very dissatisfied with Shawtons suspicions. Did he really think that the great Douance Family would pay with sector credits? The exchange rate of galactic credits to sector credits was 100 at the thirteen backwater Sectors, and 10 for the trade Sectors D to M. The bounties Cillin once earned from his hunt were all in sector credits, and the few million credits he spent to buy a blank ID and debit card were just sector credits from the thirteen backwater Sectors. His three years of bounties were only equivalent of this missions ten days of income. Hearing the dissatisfaction in Aiflons voice, Shawton returned a smile and cracked a rare joke, Cillin is a really excellent, you know? Once you missed him, youll be hardpressed to find another Hunter as good as he is. Plus he can act as a bodyguard once hes finished as a son, though, of course ,that will be a different charge. Cillin rolled his eyes straight away. It was only now that he could see that Shawton and Dias were truly blood related brothers; the way they joked was practically of the same mould. Pleasure to work with you. Pleasure to work with you. Both sides handled the matter crisply. They were all smart men; there was no need for additional explanation. After the deal was complete, all three signed what was necessary for the agreement. They signed a tripartite agreement specifically for Cillins mission, and no one would know about the contents of this agreement except for the three of them. Aiflon would not stay for long at the thirteen backwater Sectors, so he gave Cillin an address and have him depart there two days later. Someone would pick him up afterwards. Shawton left the hotel in a relaxed mood and had Cillin return to the squad first. It wasnt too convenient to walk around with a mask on his face after all. Since everything was done and his depressed feelings for the past few days were completely swept clean, after asking the Sixth Squad to hand over the cargo to Aiflons men, this Sixth Squad Commander looked at his debit card and went on a rare shopping spree, looking to increase the Sixth Squads quality of life. After returning to the squadron, Shawton had even purposely pinched Cillins arm a little. This is real flesh alright. Its just that whenever Shawton recalled the scene where Cillin slammed that Rank A bodyguard right into the wall, he couldnt help but shudder. How was that a Rank B human? He was more like a human armored vehicle! On the other side, Aiflon sat quietly in his seat with eyes lowered and fingers crossed on top his knees, looking to be sunk in deep thought after Cillin and Shawton had left the hotel. A while later, Aiflon looked up, Sopho, send Carnage Elf back for improvement and upgrades; If the problem cant be solved, then just discard it. Its almost time, so urge that matter at Seven Light. Also, start arranging the matter about Cillin. Okay. Aiflons words were very simple, but as an old butler, Sopho knew very well Aiflons intentions. Carnage Elf was the gun Aiflons bodyguard was using and a new type of firearm developed by the Douance Family. Since the gun was small for stealth purposes, there were many designs that had been simplified. But it was the cause of the scene where Cillin had pierced through the guns Achilles heel. If they could not fix this problem, then Aiflon would rather give up than take a risk on this firearm. The second matter was about Seven Light. Seven Light Universitys enrollment period had passed a long time ago, but the school hadnt opened yet, so there was a need to supplement and manage the related procedures. This really wasnt hard to manage with Douance Familys influence. The last one was of course regarding his son Cillin. In a few days, the world would know about Aiflons abandoned son, and so certain operations should be started as well. After returning to the squadron, Cillin went to look for Beaver. As part of the technical staff, Beaver was qualified to use some of the Sixth Squads instruments. You want to reinforce this ash crystal? Beaver looked at the pendant Cillin had taken out and said, Sure I can, but you should know that the energy spent to reinforce an ash crystal will cost quite a bit. How much? Cillin asked. Beaver thought for a moment to calculate the cost of materials, Thirty thousand at least, and in galactic credits. No problem. With the hundred thousand galactic credits from Aiflon, it would be sufficient. Beaver stared at him. It had just been a few days; when did this kid get so rich? But Beaver did not ask him any questions; Dias had told him not to ask Cillin more questions than necessary for now, Come with me. An ash crystal was the ashes of a person that were electro-cremated, compressed in high pressure and underwent a series of processing into a block shape crystal. The process cost close to ten thousand galactic credits; the majority of Cillins bounties back in those years were spent on this process. An hour later, Beaver finished reinforcing the ash crystal and returned it to Cillin. After the reinforcement, the ash crystal seemed to have shrunk a little, but it was also more solid and transparent. When facing towards a light source, the faint image of a person could be seen inside. Ex-girlfriend? Beaver asked. The image of the person depicted inside the ash crystal did not share any similarity to Cillins appearance. This meant that they werent relatives. Yeah. Cillin wore the ash crystal back onto his neck. Beaver gave Cillin a slap on the shoulder. He had seen a lot of similar situations, The road ahead is still long. Perhaps one day in the near future, Cillin would meet a great girl and diminish the sadness of the past. Other than Beaver, Shawton and a few other Lieutenant Commanders, no one else had seen Cillin during the two days he had returned to the ship at all. The Sixth Squad had done a pretty good confidentiality job. Shawton had told him everything he should know. The rest of the opportunities fell on Cillin alone to grasp. Two days later, with a mask on his face, Cillin headed towards the destination mentioned by Aiflon and received his new identity. Chapter 15: Planet Seven Lights Chapter 15: Planet Seven Lights At a certain planet in Sector D. Cillin had arrived at this planet according to Aiflons information. After walking down down the spaceliner, Cillin then pulled at his big coat and straightened his collars. No wonder Aiflon had picked this planet for Cillin to come. It was currently winter on this planet, and Cillin did not need to put on any disguises at all. He would cover more than half his face by straightening his collar alone, not to mention that the wind was strong and the pedestrians came and went in a hurry. Even if there was someone who recognized Aiflons facial features, they would not examine at an ordinarily-clothed passerby closely, so it did save him quite a bit of effort. There were plenty of planets that Aiflons influence had touched upon, and there was a reason for him to choose this place. After exiting the port, when Cillin walked to a street corner, he saw a seemingly ordinary black flying car waiting quietly at the area. After taking a look at the car plate, Cillin then walked over to it. At the same time, the two men inside the car had seen Cillin as well. They got off the car and gave him a polite bow, Young master. Cillin recognized one of them to be the bodyguard that he had slammed into the wall. He didnt recognize the other person. Cillins eyebrows lifted after he heard the greeting young master. He might have accepted the mission, but he had never been given such treatment in his entire life. It felt really awkward for a time. Regardless of his own thoughts, Cillins expression did not change in the slightest whatsoever. He nodded, lifted a leg and stepped inside after the other party had opened the backseat door. This is good stuff. Its also a triphibian flying car! After surveying the interior of the car one time, Cillin recalled a certain phrase C low-key luxury. This car probably cost more than a few million galactic credits. After all was said and done, the car lifted into the air steadily and glided into the hover highway. This car was utterly missable amidst many other flying cars as it merged into the masses. The ten free trade Sectors were far superior as compared to the thirteen backwater Sectors. This could be seen from the surrounding flying cars alone. Put any one of them at Planet Brown Earth and it would definitely cause quite a big commotion even at the most flourished areas. But over here, they were simply one among many. The skyscrapers grew scarce. There werent many high-rise buildings towards the direction the car was heading at. Further up ahead were villas that took up many wide lands, and after passing through these villas, the flying car finally stopped at a manor-like place. The old butler Sopho had been waiting there already. Sopho let out a kind smile after he saw Cillin, Young master Cillin, please follow me. He sure got into character real quick alright, Cillin criticized on the inside. Im in your care. Sopho led Cillin into big house surrounded by flower beds. Although it wasnt tall C only three stories C it had taken up a lot of space and was bigger and a lot more luxurious than the villas he had passed by. On the surface, the servants didnt look all that reactive, but in truth they were unbelievably curious on the inside. It was rumored a few days ago that the master had found his long lost bastard. At the time, a few had thought that it was impossible, but today theyd really seen him with their own eyes. Thats right, anyone who had seen Cillin would believe that Aiflon and him were father and son. This was what they called a coincidence. Moreover, Cillin believed that by the morrow, the news about Aiflon receiving his bastard would spread out and even printed with pictures and videos on certain electronic magazines. But the spread of the rumors and its trend wasnt for Cillin to worry about. That was Aiflons problem and a part of his strategy to contest for the familys successor position. After putting on a loving father, faithful son show together with Aiflon at the dining table, Aiflon called Cillin to his study. The related procedures at Seven Lights have been completed. You will bring your new identity card and admission notice to Seven Lights University. All you need to do is to carry yourself as the illegitimate child, the rest you do not need to worry. In addition, you should know that even the forces of those people who are obstructing me cannot penetrate that place too deeply. But the one thing you must not forget is that the waters in Sector B are very deep. Be careful when you act. You are now holding the Douance surname with you, so you should avoid anything that damages the Douances family reputation. However Aiflon took out his tablet from the drawer and pulled up a few photos. He passed them to Cillin, You may see these people as your targets. Cillin accepted the tablet on Aiflons hands and swiftly looked through the information on it. Some of the people listed on this tablet could be taken out directly, and some of them were to be captured alive if possible. There were freelance Hunters, highly trained killers, Aiflons competitors and the people from their respective forces. Everyone had a corresponding bounty. You do not need to seek out these people deliberately. As long as you are still in Seven Lights University, they will naturally come and look for you unless I have acquired the familys successor position. Remember this information. Once you have reached Seven Lights University, I will have someone send you the latest informations from time to time. Ill leave it to you to decide how to deal with them when the time comes. Of course, it depends on your abilities whether or not you will be able to hunt down these prey. His prey would come to him, and his employer would even refresh his information automatically for him. What was there against such a fantastic opportunity? Cillin quickly flipped through all the information on the tablet once and returned it to Aiflon. Aiflon was distracted for a moment. He finished reading already? Aiflon said nothing else after obtaining a firm reply from Cillin. What needed to be paid attention and what needed to be done had long been stated in the agreement. Aiflon gave Cillin a new debit card; a debit card registered with the identity Cillin Douance. There was already a hundred and fifty thousand galactic credits inside it; a one-time payment transferred into his card for the next thirty days. The next day, Aiflon had deliberately ordered a family starship under his control to escort Cillin to Sector B. Seven Lights University wasnt on a certain place on a certain planet at Sector B. It is a planet. The entire planet was a university on itself. That was why Seven Lights University was also called Planet Seven Lights. There were seven space stations surrounding Planet Seven Lights, and every starship that came must be parked first at one of them. Those who were to be admitted would use the admission notice in their care to enter an exclusive transport. No other starships or spaceships were allowed to come close to Planet Seven Lights, and no unrelated personnel were allowed entry to Seven Lights University. Everyone had to obey the rules set down by Planet Seven Lights no matter which great family you came from. The starships that came here usually abided to the rules. Those who did not would automatically listed as a dangerous target and be opened fire at by the Sentinel defense system on the space stations. Who cares which family you came from; lasers first talk later. And dont say that Planet Seven Lights was too arrogant; they really do have what it takes to be arrogant. Otherwise, why would Aiflon say that the waters of Planet Seven Lights were very deep? The starship escorting Cillin stopped at a space station, and after docking, five bodyguards then escorted Cillin into the space station. Cillin saw someone being stopped in their tracks at a bridge not far away; the reason being that they had too many escorts C there was an eye-catching sign at the bridge that stated that there would be no more than five escorts at a time. There were a lot of people that were escorted by bodyguards like Cillin at the inspection hall. Fifteen to twenty five, all wearing very similar expressions C excitement and anxiety. They were obviously of extraordinary status; grab anyone of them and they would be someone from a certain sector from a certain famous family. But over here, it would seem that their previously extraordinary statuses had been normalized. After passing through the identity verification and scanning his admission notice, the five bodyguards returned as Cillin sat in the transport headed towards Planet Seven Lights. Chapter 16: The Twin Stars of Seven Lights Chapter 16: The Twin Stars of Seven Lights The transporter departs every two hours. When Cillin walked in there, not even a third of the cabin was filled. When checking the time, there was yet an hour until the next departure. There were a few girls at the front talking to each other quietly. From time to time, they would look towards the people inside the cabin. Aiflon had handpicked Cillins outfit for him. Put together with his own incredibly deceptive face, anyone would know that he was the young master of some great family at first glance. Therefore, the girls discussion became louder when Cillin had come in, and their stares on him were so obvious that it was hard to ignore. But it only lasted a few minutes before they switched their attention onto another newcomer. Naturally, more than half of the people in this transport had powerful backgrounds. Cillin recalled the story which Beaver and the gang had flaunted back at the ship. They talked about the class of a certain Sectors military academy where twenty nine out of thirty people were all a generals offspring; that was to say their fathers were all Sector level generals. The one person in the class who wasnt a generals offspring had a colonel father, so they were scorned greatly by the twenty nine other people in class at the beginning. But two days later, hah, these people were all as silent as the dead. You wanna know why? Thats because said colonel was actually a Galactic Alliance colonel! Their ranking system was different from a Sectors. Ten generals may not necessarily match up to a single galactic colonel. Dias had even ridiculed him saying that Cillin was lucky he wasnt sent to a military academy at Sector C, or anyone he meets would be the offspring of a galactic military personnel. Cillin smiled silently then. He picked up the Seven Lights Handbook that the inspection personnel had passed him when he came in and swiftly flipped through the booklet. There were many things that he had learned prior to this and he had an exceptional reading ability and memory, so it took him less than two minutes to read through the whole thing. Cillin lamented as he touched the leaf pattern on his thumb. Not even the famous Seven Lights could detect this ring. Just what kind of an existence is the Gen Family? He pressed a button on the seat handle, and an optical display popped out in front of him. Cillin looked forward to his next life as he watched the colorful planet backdropped with a deep colored space on the screen. Hey, bro, can I sit here? A young man grinning a bright smile pointed at the seat beside Cillin and asked. Judging from the way he dressed, his family seemed to be faring quite well. Of course. Cillin smiled back. He could see that he was the overly familiar type. I am Allen Chev. The young man introduced himself in a friendly manner. Cillin. The young man named Allen gave a brief chuckle and stretched his neck to look at the girls in front of him. Yep, it looks like the quality of our terms babes are pretty good, although it seems like the pretty babes in Seven Lights are plentiful in the first place, hee hee. How nice. Allen scratched his head and turned back around after seeing that the girls had ignored him completely. All the entertainment related stuff inside the passenger cabin had been put inside the luggage compartment, and it was boring to just wait and do nothing, so Allen automatically looked for a topic to chat up to Cillin. As a Hunter, Cillin had a certain level of involvement in all kinds of things, so he was able to converse a little in every topic Allen had brought up. After retelling his epic tale of merry times and once leisurely life in great delight, Allen frowned again, Ugh, I heard that Seven Lights is not an easy place to screw around. I hadnt wanted to come to Sector B to receive my higher education; the competitions way too fierce after all. But after I started clubbing and skipped the night, my dad flipped out, dropped some cash and dumped me into this place to fend for myself. Aaah, my colorful life! ~ When will you come back to me once more? It was true that those whose admission results werent ideal had to pay a huge sum of money to enter Seven Lights. That being said, Cillin also knew that Seven Lights would not admit a student if their result was too bad, regardless of the sum of money involved. That Allen could enter Seven Lights meant that his result wasnt too bad. Before Cillin could make a comment on Allens words, he heard a low hmph coming from behind. While Cillin and Allen were chatting about random stuff, the traffic into the cabin had not stopped. At a glance, about four fifths of the passenger cabin had been filled, and the young man sitting behind Cillin and Allen also arrived around this time. Allen did not react in anger towards the disdainful humph. In fact, he even clung to the back of his chair and looked at the person who had let out the humph curiously. The person ignored Cillin and Allens gazes and simply stared at the display before him. His attire was different from the people around him; although he wasnt dressed poorly, it definitely looked more simple and plain as compared to the others. But of course, one must not look down on this person simply because of his attire. How many of these people who could sit here and had the qualifications for Seven Lights were actually ordinary? Eh?! Allens eyes turned starry, Kang Man! I cant believe Im actually sitting on the same transport as the genius Kang Man! Only then Kang Man, who had scoffed after hearing the words dropped some cash and leisurely life finally turned away from his monitor to look at Allen, You know me? It might be phrased as a question, but there was no surprise behind his words. Cillin could see the arrogance in his eyes and the air of obstinance around him. Of course! The genius Kang Man; our terms specially recruited student. At just the age of fourteen, you have published research findings that are over fifty contribution points; its all published in some academic electronic magazines, isnt it? I have zero understanding about that electronic cryptography thingy youve researched though. Allen grew more and more excited as he spoke without the slightest embarrassment for having zero understanding about said subject, I couldnt count the number of times my dad had pulled my ears and said that the only two youngest fifteen years old geniuses in our term are also known as the Twin Stars of Seven Lights. One of them is you, Kang Man, and the other would be Pride Zweig Suddenly Allen stopped talking as he opened his mouth wide and stared at the cabin entrance. Pride Zweig After staring blankly for a moment Allen grabbed Cillins sleeves and began pulling excitedly, Cillin, its Pride Zweig, its really Pride Zweig! Oh my god Im actually sitting on the same transport as this terms Twin Stars of Seven Lights! What do I do; I feel like squealing! What the hell does your squealing have to do with me! Cillin stared at the thread that was about to come loose from his sleeves and itched to smack him in the head. Hes not a pretty girl so what the fuck is with your reaction?! Plus you didnt react nearly as much when you see Kang Man just now. Pride Zweig was exactly that person Cillin had seen at the bridge who was stopped in his tracks because he had too many escorts. Pride Zweigs face was one that could cause every woman around him to overflow with maternal feelings. His expression was impatient when he first walked into the cabin, and after he frowned and swept his gaze once around the cabin his eyes were attracted by a certain someones waving arms. It wasnt a choice. It was difficult even to ignore it. Allen was the only one in the entire cabin gleefully waving his arms, shaking back and forth in his seat in excitement with one finger pointed at the empty seat beside Kang Man and his mouth contorted into many exaggerated shapes, Sit here! Sit here! If it wasnt for the fact that no one was allowed to make loud noises and roam freely inside the cabin, Cillin believed that the dude would have hollered at the top of his lungs, ran to Pride Zweigs side and dragged him over. For a time, everyones gazes inside the cabin was focused onto Allen. It was as if everyone had just realized that there was a monkey hiding inside the crowd Cillin lowered his head and read his Seven Lights Handbook seriously, while Kang Man never took his eyes off the display as if he didnt know Allen. And man did that baby face of Prides turned from red to green and from green to red. He felt as if he had turned into a monkey himself. Pride thundered from the bottom of his heart: WHO THE FUCK IS THAT GUY! It was at this moment a staff member had walked in from outside, and after seeing Pride still standing at the entrance he urged, Find a seat quickly. The ship is about to fly. Glancing about, he pointed at the waving Allen, How about over there? That seat looks nice. Pride gritted his teeth and walked to the seat beside Kang Man with a black face. Bloody hell, the hell is going on today! Chapter 17: Arrival Chapter 17: Arrival Pride was feeling very depressed today; to say nothing of the bunch of naggers back at home who wouldnt stop breathing down his collar over and over again. He was just attending school, but they actually sent five starships to escort him and, even after he boarded the station, there was a huge crowd of men that had surrounded him as protection, causing him to be blocked at the bridge. The moment Pride recalled the gazes of those people on the space station, Tsk, what a baby, look at the number of nannies he brought with em he couldnt help but gnash his teeth in anger. He finally escaped those people outside, but he ran right into one such case again the moment he entered the cabin. Nothing was going well today. Pride angrily walked over and sat down. Without even glancing at Kang Man beside him, he glared at Allen once before he opened the display, adjusted the angle and checked if those escort ships his family sent over had left the station yet. Prides alienating-dont-come-near-me attitude was obvious to everyones eyes, and yet it just so happened someone was able to ignore it completely. Pride Zweig, it is a great pleasure to meet you. I am called Allen Chev, and I am also enrolled in Seven Lights this term. Ya can say were classmates now. Allen extended a hand in greeting with a very happy smile. Pride did not even lift his eyes as he answered in a very furious tone, Like I give a damn which shallot (T/N: Or for better understanding, piece of shit) you are! But Allen did not have the slightest self-conscious that he was called a shallot; his thick skin and ability to filter words automatically amazed Cillin. He had heard long ago from Dias that there were a lot of weirdos in institutions of higher learning. Today he had certainly learned his lesson. I always watch your fighter battle videos. Youre so amazing; I cant believe you can pull off such amazing maneuvers Praise poured out of Allens mouth continuously. Although Pride did not lift his head, Cillin realized that the corner of the brats lips widened a bit. He then immediately strived to maintain his serious outlook from before, but his ears were lifted completely straight. In Cillins opinion, if Pride had a tail, it would definitely be pointed towards the sky. Why else would he have allowed Allen to rattle off the whole time like a machine gun without appearing to have any intentions of stopping him. A difficult child, he is. This was the conclusion Cillin had come to about Pride. Kang Man humphed softly again before staring at the display before him. There was no telling if it was directed at Allen or Pride. Pride was drowning in Allens praise anyway so he probably didnt notice it. Besides that, there were also a few people sitting around them that had been paying attention to this area for a while. When they heard Allens words, they too joined into the conversation. Pride lifted his chin at the surrounding peoples praises, Ive learned them a long time ago. If someone said that Kang Mans pride was hidden inside him, then Prides was as obvious as his name. Still, Pride did have the qualification to be proud of himself. Excluding status, background and other similar factors, if someone said that the Twin Star of Seven Lights Kang Man was leaned towards research, then Pride would fall under the combat type. His fighter piloting skills were top-notch among his peers, not to mention that his shooting, mech piloting skills and other aspects were also outstanding. Allen was very sad that it wasnt allowed to carry photographic equipment inside the cabin. Otherwise he would definitely take a picture with the two Twin Stars of Seven Lights. It would definitely give his dad a pleasant surprise. Although Allen had also brought up the other person of the Twin Stars of Seven Lights C Kang Man, it was obvious that people around them werent too interested in this genius with an ordinary background. Part of the reason they had come to Seven Lights was because it provided a platform, and hence some of these children of big families and forces could network with more people here in order to pave their paths towards the future. It was obvious that these young people born to speak with a golden spoon did not categorize Kang Man as part of their social circle. Kang Man might be one of the Twin Star of Seven Lights this term, but his speciality was leaned towards academics. Naturally the group of youngsters had even less common topics to share with Kang Man. Of course, Allen was an exception. Kang Man did not express too much emotions towards the others cold shoulders. He seemed to be used to them. Can you tell me about that electronic cryptography that Allen had mentioned earlier? Electronic cryptography has magnetic trimming, correct? How do you ensure that the geomagnetic field and other factors would not cause a distortion. According to the formula Cillin did hold some interest in the electronic cipher Kang Man had researched. When he was discussing with Eudy, the subject had been brought up before, although they did not delve deep into it. But now Cillins curiosity was actually piqued. Kang Man looked at Cillin with surprise. Someone who could cite those formulas correctly must have a certain degree of understanding in this subject, which was why Kang Man did not ignore Cillin. He turned off the display, pressed another button on the armrest, took out an electronic board and began slowly explaining things for Cillin. The duo had talked from the most basic acoustic cryptography, to optical cryptography, and finally magnetic cryptography. Cillin had even written down a few simplified formulas that came up when he was discussing with Eudy. This caused Kang Man to view Cillin in a new light, and when the matter of academic research was brought up, Kang Man had grown even more excited. Kang Mans attitude towards a genuinely knowledgeable person was completely different from norm. Prides attention was also shifted by Cillin and Kang Mans discussion. Although his eyes were still staring at the display before him, his focus was actually somewhere else entirely. He might not know the things that Kang Man was talking about, but he could understand some parts of it. Allen, who was originally deep in conversation with the surrounding, saw that Cillin and Kang Man were whispering with each other and glanced at their direction. When he saw that Kang Mans board was written full with formulas, his gaze at Cillin became filled with admiration. To Allen, formulas or whatever was no different than the bible of gibberish. After the transport had landed on Seven Lights, according to the newcomers guidelines written in the Seven Lights Handbook, they must acquire the all purpose card on Planet Seven Lights. This was because the exclusive card was needed to purchase items, catch a ride and so on. Once you got out of this port, outer worlds debit cards would become completely useless. After he had made a Seven Lights card with his identity card and admission notice, Cillin then transferred the credits on the card Aiflon gave him to the Seven Lights card. Since he was a new student, Cillins Seven Lights card was crimson in color. When classes officially started, then he would be able to apply to upgrade his Seven Lights card if his academic credits reached a certain target. The Seven Lights cards ranks could be divided into seven ranks: Crimson, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Purple. Different ranks had different authority on Planet Seven Lights, and the students would have to depend on themselves to rank up their cards. Seven Lights was a relatively independent place, and they werent the only one. There were a few academies in Sector B and military academies in Sector C that had similar systems. Kang Man was going to visit an old professor, and he had wanted to bring Cillin along at first C the old prof was pretty friendly to those who were engaged in academic studies. But Cillin had turned him down. He had his own plans, and he wasnt a pure academic researcher either. After also turning down Allens invitation to complete their registration together, Cillin carried his rather light travel bag from the luggage compartment on his back and left the port. The moment he got out, he saw two high class flying cars stopped at the entrance waiting for someone. With a lifted chin, Pride walked over, threw the small bag in his hands at one of the escorts and entered the flying car. He didnt think the boys background was deep enough that he could enjoy special privileges openly even on Seven Lights. No wonder those people had fawned all over Pride back inside the cabin. Although Prides identity was not revealed outright, they most likely had an idea who he was when Allen revealed some of his accomplishments. Cillin turned his head and put the trivial matter away. He arrived at a shop selling communication equipment around the port and purchased a bracelet type communicator. Seven Lights had their own exclusive communication network and signal reception equipment, so the communication equipment that was brought over from outside the planet could not be used here. He could only buy a new one. Cillin did not plan to register immediately; the registration session would continue for another six or seven days anyway. Complying to a Hunters habit, Cillin would first visit a few important locations on Planet Seven Lights personally. After purchasing a world map, Cillin then hopped onto a maglev train that travels around the planet. Chapter 18: ‘So Poor All That is Left is Money’ Family Chapter 18: So Poor All That is Left is Money Family Seven Lights University. As a university that was famous throughout the galaxy, be it their geographical and urban planning, or their resource and equipment allocations, they were incomparable to the schools at the ten trade Sectors. Here, there was a tightly guarded research and technology zone, a wide open area training zone, a sleepless city that provided relaxation and entertainment, and a trade zone of many categorizations they had everything in this place. It was just like a perfected system. The school zone was the closest to the port, and there was a large residential zone right next to it. There were clumps of high-rising buildings and clumps of villas as well. According to the Seven Lights Handbook, the students living quarters were assigned by the university and not chosen freely by the students. Of course, there were many luxury houses and office buildings for rent, and whether someone could rent those buildings depended entirely on their own abilities. Money was just a small matter; what was really important was the limit of authority of ones Seven Lights card. If you havent ranked up the Seven Lights card to a certain level, then dont even bother thinking about those buildings. The school district was located at the center of the planet and was surrounded by the entertainment zone, training zone, trade zone and so on. Cillin did not go to the school zone; he would register himself there directly after circling the entire planet. Therefore, going by the signs on the map, the global trains first big stop would be the trade zone. Maybe because it wasnt the rush hour that there werent many people scattered along the train. Some of them had their eyes closed as they slept in their seats. Judging from the badges at their chest area, they were all third or fourth grade students. In Seven Lights, there were seven grades divided according to ones education level. The first to fourth grades were mandatory grades, and a student could only apply for graduation after they had gone through all four grades. Of course, those who had good enough results and the intent could pursue for further study, and in Seven Lights those who pursue for further study would enjoy a very lucrative treatment. The reason there was no fifth to seventh grade students abroad the train was because that they all had their own private cars, which was a lot more convenient than taking a train or renting a cab. When he was speaking with Kang Man on the transport, he had already learned that Kang Mans choice of education was four plus three, which was an integrated mode for further studies. This mode was only open to specially recruited students, and the treatment they enjoyed were different from other people. Cillin and everyone elses Seven Lights card was the most basic rank : Crimson, but Kang Mans was a rank higher: Orange. it was also easier for him to rank up his card compared to other people. Listening to the trains stop announcement, Cillin got off the train while carrying his bag on his back. The moment he got out, Cillin was immediately assaulted with the sensation that he was standing somewhere else. He might have read the trade zones description on the Seven Lights Handbook, but it was still a lot more impactful to see it in real person. This place was like a giant business empire. The trade zone before him seemed to be formed from countless flourishing and complex commercial streets intersecting with each other. The bustling flying cars; the noisy crowd was this really just a university? Why did it not look too different from the bustling commercial streets on that planet in Sector D when he went to look for Aiflon? There were many blinking road signs and billboards guiding those who had arrived here. A giant display suspended in mid air would also run ads from time to time, such as: A person wearing a fifth grade badge holding a device in his hands and introducing its functions Such advertising screens could be seen everywhere while encompassing all kinds of things from the most basic daily necessities to roller skates and flying cars. There were endless varieties, and with images gorgeous enough to capture ones attention completely. Cillin randomly took a glance at the shops on his two sides and knew immediately that none of them were selling your ordinary goods. It would have been embarrassing otherwise in such a high-end commercial street anyway. Although Cillin still had some savings in his card right now, there really wasnt much that he could buy in this place. Luckily for him, he didnt need some of those items right now anyway. After arriving at a department store and buying his daily necessities, Cillin then wandered towards a flea market. As its namesake, there were no formal shops in this area, but the people who opened a stall on this street were all second to fourth grade students. The items on display were all part of the prizes they had obtained while undergoing a fieldwork outside the planet or during a certain class exam. Some of these items were small and delicate playthings that were worth nothing but pure decorations inside ones living quarters. They might be varied, but the only worth of these trinkets were their novelty. Still, there were a lot of good stuff on sale; among them there were even precious metals or energy blocks. If these were consigned to a large shop, then a partial fee would be collected, which was why many people handled the selling themselves. Hey, look at this, this is a big seashell that we fished when we went to Planet Sea Blue last month. When the wind blows, you can even hear the sound of sea waves, and would you look at this color Oh my, you sure have a good eye brother. This is a type of alloy ore that we dug during a fieldwork. The tutor who led our team mentioned that the ratio of the few significant metal elements that made up this alloy ore was near perfect. It plays an important role in building and repairing a weapon, as well as the modification of an armored mechs parts Looking around, there were all kinds of people selling their products in all sorts of ways. For some people, it might be their first time doing this so they couldnt let go of themselves, but there were obviously some seasoned old birds mixed inside as well.. The energy behind their shouts and slippery smooth words were practically no different from veteran traders. The dexterous girls would do some simple processing to the materials in their hands, and the resulting appearances were not bad at all. At the very least, the number of people crouching in front a pretty girls stall were three times more than anyone elses. There was no denying the pretty girl effect. While Cillin was checking out a stall, a man suddenly appeared at the stall beside his. He looked to be about the same age as Cillin. His hair was a little messy and he was wearing a singlet and fat flowery pants. The soles of his feet were tucked with a pair of rattan knitted slippers, and his hands were shaking a fan made from tree leaves. Cillin had seen that fan at a stall that specialized in selling products made of tree leaves before. This man crouched down in front of the stall and shook the fan with one hand while playing with the little items on the stall with the other. He seemed to be checking the items raw materials or their integrity. However, Cillin realized that the expression of the stallholder behind him had changed multiple times when he saw this person. He opened his mouth, but in the end he did not say anything. Cillin had a feeling that this stallholder had the impulse to roll up his stall and run away immediately. It piqued Cillins curiosity, and so he stood at the side and watched quietly. The stallholder beside him did not look any different, however. He enthusiastically explained to this man about the raw materials and origins of his items. Then a most tragic haggling process began. Cillin witnessed the poor stallholders eyes shifting from a most jubilant ? shape to a griefing U shape. He couldnt even get angry as he said, Forget it, junior. You look like a new student. Just take this as a gift from a fellow senior. No, dont! its not like I know you or anything so why the fudge would I want to accept your gift? Plus, if you dont accept some money at least youre gonna give me a guilty conscience, you know? Conscience do you even have such a thing? The price was chopped from 500 credits all the way to 50 credits. The stallholders own tears were almost chopped out of his eyes. The dude even refused when he tried to gift him the item so that he would go away and get out of his sight. The man lifted a hand, dug into his pocket and fished out a whole stack of galactic credits in 1000 bill (E/N: We decided to use a symbol for the currency of Galactic credits for clarifications even if there is none in the raws). We decided on the cause it looks like a C and a G, so it could represent Galactic credits). He frowned. He then dug into another pocket and fished out his Seven Lights card and a few VIP cards from a few luxury stores from the central district of the trade zone instead. He spent a long time fishing through his pockets before finally, he worked out a galactic credit with a 50 bill from a certain corner. There, a fifty. Dont say I took advantage of you. The man smiled most harmlessly. And boy did the stallholder look like he had chronic constipation. Cillin could feel his misery just by looking at him. That stack of galactic credits in 1000 bills couldnt possibly be less than twenty thousand credits, could it? Also, those cards could not be made without spending a few million credits. But he went so far as to crouch down like a person from a small household and haggled all the way until 50 credits while wearing a Im a good guy you see face. If he was that stallholder, Cillin thought that he wouldve let loose his legs and give that bastard one hell of a time. Watching the mans departing back, the poor stallholder lifted a trembling finger and pointed at that damnable bastards back. He couldnt even fart a single word for a long time. Cillin listened to the stallholder of the stall he was visiting patting the back of the person who was still pointing with a trembling finger and consoled, Let it go. That guy has a bad taste. You arent the only one who suffered. Who is that bastard? Dude, Ive only learned about it yesterday from a lecturer. When I discovered the truth, I had the impulse to run myself into a wall. Tell me the truth! Hes called Lung Andrea. This surname is so familiar The poor stallholder frowned harder before his eyes abruptly turned wide open, Andrea he hes from that so-called So Poor All That is Left is Money family?!!! Yep. Something crashed on the ground. Cillin smiled and left while shaking his head. The Andrea Familys fame in the galaxy was even bigger than the Douances. In truth, the Douance familys wealth wasnt too far behind, but the reason the Andrea Family was so famous was due to an incident, where the master of the Andrea Family had complained about being poor at a certain old galactic generals birthday party, and that old general had joked and said, Yeah, youre poor, youre so poor all that is left is money. And so, the So Poor All That is Left is Money familys name became spread throughout the galaxy. Chapter 19: Something’s Strange About That Guy Chapter 19: Somethings Strange About That Guy The items sold in these small stalls were not bad, but they were not really that practical either. As a matter of fact, those who were looking to buy highly practical items would not have come here in the first place. Those who came here were purely after the novelty, and if the seniors could sell them some new toys that they had never seen before then there were still many people who were willing to buy them at a high price. Continuing forward, a plant stall caught Cillins attention. Thanks to Genyas education, Cillin would always acquire some greeneries at the places he stayed in. The amount of flowers on this stall veered on the high side. Some were especially grown by floral enthusiasts, and some were seeds and branches collected when they went out of the planet for training and fieldwork. Cillin had seen in books all of the plants on display before, but the seeds were a different matter. After a brief observation, Cillin took a fancy to a green vine sealed inside an ecological film and nutrient solution. The name on the label was Bigfoot Parthenocissus Tricuspidata (T/N: From here on it will be short-formed to BPT). In comparison to a normal Parthenocissus, BPT had stronger climbing ability. Moreover, its radiation and drought resistance were more than ten times a normal Parthenocissus. Cillin took a look at the price tag; 8000 galactic credits. Pretty expensive. The stallholder was a third grade student. Seeing Cillins frown, he explained, Junior, the price may be high, but it is definitely a real bargain. This BPT is unlike the species that youve seen before. We found this vine by accident when we were receiving a training course outside of the planet; we didnt manage to get too many because we were pressed for time. Its rare not only in Planet Seven Lights, but in the entire galaxy. The stallholder said mysteriously and passed Cillin an infrared optometer. He then placed the vine right in front of himself. When Cillin saw the picture on the optometer, he was surprised. The image around the vine was incredibly blurry; it was almost impossible to see the stallholders face behind the vine! Get it now? The stallholder looked very pleased, This thing is definitely a bargain. If you can grow this vine and make it cover the walls around your living quarters, it will be difficult for the people outside to peep into your home. Its masking effect against night vision telescope or the like is super awesome! Before Cillin could express his opinion, a voice interrupted into the conversation. Hey, I saw this at the Institute of Botany in Seven Lights Research Zone yesterday. I heard that it can only live for ten days at most after leaving its main body. Counting back, shouldnt it be the eighth day already? Lung Andrea! Seeing that it was this guy, Cillin did not say anything further. He simply looked at the stallholder with pity in his eyes. Ahem, thats not entirely true. If its sealed inside and eco film and a nutrient solution it can still be preserved for ten days or more. The stallholder was a little embarrassed about being pointed out by Lung. He didnt expect to meet someone who actually knew the Institute of Botany; how fucking unfortunate. Long did not even lift up his head as he stared at the vine he picked up, I heard that the fifty plus research samples at the institute had all died. There are still tens of samples that they werent willing to use and were preserved through this method. A few lecturers had gone out to look for the mother plant; they may be able to acquire a huge number of samples in a few days Five minutes later. With a look of tearless grief, the stallholder accepted 80 galactic credits from Cillin. His eyes on Lung was one that could not wait to flee as far away as possible. Truly a member of the family so poor all thats left is money, Cillin thought to himself. So? Do I get a reward for slashing such a hefty price for ya? While waving his tree leaf fan Lung looked cheerfully at Cillin. Cillin did not waste his breath either, Tell me your request. The people of Andrea Family were definitely not some goody-goody fellows. They would not do useless work, and they would not make bad bargains. That was why Cillin had asked Lung to propose to him directly. As long as it was within an acceptable range, then anything was possible. Good; an honest man. As for the reward if you can grow this vine, then you will sell the plantation technique to me before anyone else. And you are sure that I can grow it? Even the researchers of the institute had failed; on what basis do you think that I can do it? Besides, it is as the stallholder says; you buy this purely as a souvenir or for funs sake. My reason? Well lets just say its the intuition of an Andrea. Lung said very cockily. Alright. Cillin replied with a smile, waved and left the market street. Cillin wanted to buy a hoverboard so it would be easier to move around in the future; the school zone was quite large after all. A hoverboard was much cheaper than a flying car. It looked like a skateboard, but a manual rudder could be installed to it. It could even be used to train ones body C if you want to save energy, then you would have to push the ground yourself. Before he went to buy a hoverboard, Cillin passed by a bookstore. The shop-front was huge, and had a quaint feel to it. It was pretty old. The bookstore was having an event C their seventh centenary. There was nothing Cillin could do with the member exclusive incentives, but he could participate in the open quiz. The sources of the questions were publicly known; they all originated from those few books. Those who got everything would be rewarded ten thousand galactic credits, be free to choose any ten books from the bookstore without charge, and awarded a VIP membership card. There was rewards for those who scored between fifty percent to ninety percent correct as well. It was not as if the people who couldnt score even fifty percent were entirely neglected too; at the very least they could get the stores discount coupon. He didnt have to pay for it anyway, so why not participate in the event? Plus Cillin had read those books before. They were all very basic. There were many participants. After swiping his Seven Lights card for verification, the store clerk then arranged Cillin an answering panel. Almost all of the questions were objective, but about twenty percent of the questions were very minute. For example, from which book and which volume and which chapter did a specific sentence come from; on which year did that specific war happened; there was even a question that asked about a certain medicines molecular formula Thankfully, Cillins memory was extraordinary. In no time at all, he had answered all one hundred questions, and after he submitted it the system began evaluating immediately. 100 marks! Congratulations on getting the first prize of the quiz! In accordance to the instructions provided on the panel, after Cillin had submitted the results and answering panel to the relevant person in charge, someone led him to the prize area. At the same time, a line that stated, Congratulations to Cillin Douance for acquiring first prize in the quiz. appeared on the winner and award received list on the stores big display. When the people saw this they couldnt help but exclaim, Someone scored full marks even with such unusual questions? What a boss. Douance? A member of the Douance family? This is the second full marks prize of the day, isnt it? Speaking of which, who was the first person who scored full marks again? Seems to be a Ci (T/N: Not to be confused with Cillin) or something Cillin didnt know how the people outside were talking about him; he was busy receiving his prize. When ten thousand galactic credits were swiped onto his Seven Lights card, Cillin then went up to the display area to pick his books. Some limited edition books could not be easily found. The premium display area werent open to the public today, but those who acquired a certain prize were an exception. When he arrived at the display area, Cillin noticed that there was one other person who had come to receive the full marks prize and choose his books. He looked about the same age as Cillin, with a bit of a cultured scholarly air to him. He stood in front of a bookshelf and flipped his book quietly. Jincheng, look, theres actually someone other than you who had scored full marks. The person who brought Cillin over to choose his books smiled and greeted the person. Oh? The persons attention was shifted away from the book on his hands to Cillin. He wore a refined and cultured smile, Thats hard to come by. He did not look like he wanted to go over. Cillin returned a courtesy politely before he began reading a book on the bookshelf. Soon after. Hey, Jincheng, dont you think somethings strange about that guy? The person who brought Cillin over went beside Jing Cheng and whispered. Ci Jincheng shifted his gaze away from the book once more and looked towards Cillin not too far away. The more he watched the deeper his frown became. Too quickly, he was flipping through the pages way too quickly! The next page had followed almost the instant his gaze fell on the current page. This was not an e-book. They could not ignore the speed at which he flipped through the pages. Jincheng, tell me, do you think he really read them? Or is he just putting on a show? He had flipped through the pages like this over a few books already. Who is he? The information displayed on the card during the transfer was Cillin Douance. He is a new student of this term just like you. Self-sufficient; not specially recruited. The Douance Family? Ci Jincheng was sure that he remembered everyone with even a little reputation in the Douance Family. But he had never heard of a Cillin. Chapter 20: I am a Gentleman Chapter 20: I am a Gentleman Cillin was immersed inside the book while he copied all of the information into his brain. He didnt care about the gazes of the other two people at the display area at all. As long as there was no danger, Cillin would not exit that state. After flipping through the books that he thought were useful on the bookshelves, Cillin chose ten of them and turned around. He immediately saw the two people looking at him with strange looks. After smiling towards the duo and nodding his head, he then said to the store clerk, These ten books, please. Oh right. Right, please wait for a moment. Finally the store clerk came around, and he scanned and demagnetized the ten books Cillin had chosen before stamping a Book Store Centenary Quiz First Prize stamp. Then he returned the books to Cillin, Please receive your VIP member card at the main service desk. Alright, thank you. After Cillin had left, the store clerk was still struck with some amazement, Jincheng, did he really read everything? He should have remembered all of the books he read. Is he even human! Ive heard a long time ago about people with eidetic memory, but its scary to even hear about someone who can scan things like a machine. While he was speaking, the store clerk had even shuddered a little in response. It appears that there are a lot of hidden dragons* this term. Ci Jincheng closed the book and put it back on the bookshelf, Im leaving too. Ill come back after registration if I have the time. That batch of new books will arrive two days later; I will have someone contact you then. [*T/N: The full Chinese idiom is crouching tiger, hidden dragon. Not to be confused with the movie, the idiom is used to portray exceptional people who keep a low profile.] Kay, Ill let the manager hear about this. Ive submitted the graduation application; it shouldnt be long before there is a reply. When that happens, Ill be relying on you to arrange things. Ci Jincheng gestured him to relax before leaving the display area as well. The ten books Cillin had chosen were all hard covers, and it wasnt a good idea to carelessly put them into his subspace at this place. He could not risk exposing his rings secrets, but it was also too strenuous to carry them at his back. Therefore, Cillin had arranged for the books to be put in a trust. He would contact a store employee later to send them over after he had finished registering and tidying up his living quarters. Since he was the quiz first prize winner, the store did not charge him extra for the deposit. Cillin was stopped just as he walked out of the book store. Cillin Douance, please wait for a moment! Ci Jincheng walked swiftly towards him while holding a book in his hands. Whats the matter? I just want to remind you that the winners would be announced in the stores big display. It doesnt display a picture, but someone will still pay attention to it. It is very common for high grade students to bully a newcomer, and if you do not have conclusive proof the police will not be of too much help. Cillin let out a smile upon hearing this, Thank you for the reminder. May I know who you are? Im called Ci Jincheng. Im also a new student this term. But I do know some understanding about Seven Lights University. If you have need of anything then you can always try me. After giving it some thought, Cillin said, Are you familiar with the Trade Zone? Do you know which store sells a more affordable hoverboard? Since Ci Jincheng had expressed his good will, there was no reason for Cillin to reject it. This was a new and complicated environment after all; the more friends he had, the better. I know of a hoverboard store that is pretty affordable; it is admission season now so it should have a lot of special offers. The production quality of their hoverboards is pretty good as well. I bought one at that place before. The store Ci Jincheng had led Cillin to had discounted hoverboards on display at the stores entrance. Cillin took a look at the real thing and found that they were pretty good and, as promised, pretty affordable. They even came with two complementary open air tea house coupons at the top floor of a commercial building. In order to express his thanks to Ci Jincheng, Cillin used the two complementary tea house coupons right away. There were many different-sized round or square tables on top of the commercial building. There was even a huge parasol at the top. Groups of people would often take a lift straight to the top floor to enjoy some tea and snacks after they had finished shopping at the mall. It wasnt peak hour at the moment, so there were a few empty tables. Cillin and Ci Jincheng sat there and drank tea while they took the time to chat a little about Seven Lights. But they didnt sit for long before eight people came up and surrounded them. Yo, so this is where you guys are hanging out, eh? What kind of friends are you to not invite us to have tea with yall? One of them greeted them warmly as if they were close brothers. Cillin and Ci Jincheng exchanged glances. Here comes trouble. The eight men surrounded the tiny table, and the person who greeted them pulled a chair and sat beside the duo after he walked closer. He grabbed a snack and put it into his mouth while saying leisurely, They say the two of you just got some money. What good, studious kids you are to be able to answer all those crazy questions correctly. Thats what he said, but there were obvious sarcasm brimming in his eyes. To these people, those who could answer that kind of questions were all bookworms, and bookworms were very easy bully targets. They had always looked down upon these sickly scholars. Cillin had changed out of his clothes after he left the port, and Ci Jinchengs attire was not showy as well. They were both dressed in modest clothings so their identities did not look profound. It was no wonder that these people had picked them up so quickly; they were sure that neither Cillin nor Jincheng had the background to back themselves. However The persons hand holding the snack froze in mid-air and even began to shake C a gun barrel was propped right at his head. Other than Cillin, these people did not even notice Ci Jinchengs actions. They just felt that out of nowhere a gun had appeared just like that, and it was only when the gun was pressed against the head did they realize that their target had taken out a gun since god-knows-when. Gun control was very strict in Seven Lights. Most people did not have the qualification to equip firearms, so they had not expected that one of these two very easy looking targets to actually have a gun. Moreover, this scholarly-looking guy was most definitely powerful! All eight people was frozen in place. It was obvious that this was the first time they had run into such a target. They did not dare to escape, and they were even scared of speaking aloud. Even their breathings had turned cautious. Their numbers meant nothing against a gun. The air felt like an icy hand grabbing them by their throats as a cold chill instantly spread throughout their entire body. Cillin was surprised for a second during that instant Ci Jincheng had taken out his gun, but besides that no discernable emotions could be seen from his appearance. He continued to drink tea and enjoy his snacks; itll be a waste not to finish the food he paid. Ci Jincheng held a tea cup with his other hand and drank his tea leisurely, I am a gentleman. I dislike solving problems through violence. Like hell youre a gentleman! All eight people shouted inside their hearts. WTF, if this doesnt count as solving problem through violence then what is? A high-energy laser cannon?! W we The guy with a gun to his head stuttered for so long he nearly bit his own tongue. Out. Ci Jincheng did not plan to listen to an explanation at all. A so-called explanation in this situation would be pure bullshit. His fingers moved, and the gun vanished. Ci Jincheng withdrew his hands and continued to drink his tea. From the beginning to the end, he did not look at the person even once. They knew that it wasnt that the gun had disappeared into thin air. It was just that the other partys movements was too quick, and they could not capture it at all. Even a fool would have realized that Ci Jincheng was not to be trifled with the moment he took out a gun. Anyone who continued to stay here would be an idiot! Without even looking at the escaping buffoons, Ci Jincheng continued to wear his scholarly smile, The best way to solve problems in Seven Lights is absolute domination. Cillin lifted his cup and toasted, Great idea. After they finished their drinks, the duo exchanged numbers and Cillin rode his new hoverboard and headed towards the global train station. There was special slow lanes in the air specifically for slower flight transportations like hoverboards and the like. As for the faster vehicles like flying cars, they had their own lanes. Cillin bought some instant snacks and put them inside his bag, so he wouldnt need to look for a store when he got hungry. It was a special kind of feeling to ride a hoverboard in mid-air while looking at the skyscrapers on his two sides and the pedestrians below. Cillin did not use the hand controlled rudder because it would deplete more energy. Energy ores and batteries werent cheap, plus Cillin was confident that he could control the hoverboard without relying on the hand controlled rudder. When he reached the station, the next train was still twenty minutes away. Therefore Cillin put away his hoverboard, bought a newspaper and waited while sitting on a platform not too far away. The advantage of a hoverboard was that it wouldnt take up too much space after it was retracted. The more than a meter long hoverboard was less than twenty centimeters after it was retracted. Since he kept food inside his bag, Cillin had set the hoverboard at a side. Hey, the child over there! No one answered. Hey, the child reading a newspaper over there! Still no one answered. Hey, the child over there reading a Seven Lights Weekly with a hoverboard on his left and a bag on his right! Chapter 21: You Have The Right to be Specially Recruited Chapter 21: You Have The Right to be Specially Recruited Cillin raised his head. He was reading a Seven Lights Weekly with a hoverboard on his left and a bag on his right, but the child part was kinda Following the voice, Cillin saw an old man with grey hair shouting at him from a seat not too far away. He was holding a bunch of parts in his hands. Seeing that Cillin had looked over, the old man pointed at the edge of Cillins seat and said, Child, give me a hand and pass that over. When the old man spoke, he was panting a little. It was probably due to exhaustion. Cillin picked up the parts that had rolled to the edge of his seat, stood up and handed them over. Thank you, my child. Sir, Im almost eighteen years old already. Oh, youre almost eighteen eh, child? Your old man here is a hundred and thirty years old. Cillin: Oh well. A child it is. After the old man accepted the parts, he began assembling the parts in his hands; joining every socket with its corresponding connection. The assembly of many connections was very technical, and those who were unfamiliar with the task would take up to tens of minutes just to link a single connection. But this old man had linked them nearly within a second, and from the looks of it, he was very skillful in this job. Every one of his fingers had fully played their roles: supporting, balancing, pressing The old man might have been a little breathless earlier, but his hands were very steady. The parts in his hands were like many fragments of arts being assembled little by little into a striking work of art. The old man was assembling his work very seriously, and Cillin was watching very seriously as well. Through observing the old mans action, he could learn many assembling techniques. Cillin had never seen someone able to make full use of their fingers to this extent. Even the gaps between his fingers had played their roles. Parts danced on his fingers before they were assembled onto the main body in the next moment. Other than skillful fingers, Cillin also noticed that the old man was incredibly experienced in differentiating parts. He only needed to look once at the connection and sweep a glance over the pile of parts on top of his knees, and he would be able to choose without fault the one that was needed. While the old man was in the process of assembling, a three-dimensional image had appeared inside Cillins head as well. When a part was assembled, the next part to be assembled into the connection was already formed inside his head. Afterwards, Cillins gaze and the old mans finger would fall onto on the correct part almost at the exact same time. Ten minutes later, a small fifteen centimeters tall robot was complete. Cillin had watched the assembly process from beginning to the end, and he knew very well how complicated was the assembly of circuit connections, chips, parts and so on in a robot. Even some of the engineers he had met back in Planet Brown Earth would not be able to assemble this robot to completion without taking more than half a day, and whether the results would pass a quality check was also unknown. But the product the old man had completed in only ten minutes would most definitely be graded as outstanding if tested with a machine! Eh? It was only until he finished the assembly that the old man realized that the child who had helped him picked up the parts was actually watching from the side. His eyes flashed with sudden interest, You interested, child? Cillin glanced at the small robot dancing smoothly in his hands and answered, Nope. Finished, he was ready to turn around and return to his original seat. Come on, child, dont be so hasty to leave. Do talk with this old man and keep him company; its so boring, sitting here alone waiting for the train. But I see that youre having a good time, Cillin criticized on the inside. Let me get my bag and hoverboard first. Just leave them there; no ones going to take it. Come quickly. Afraid that Cillin would run away, the old man moved away and patted at the empty seat beside him; motioning for Cillin to sit. Having no choice, Cillin glanced once at his backpack and hoverboard before sitting down. Child, youve seen how I assembled the parts? Cillin nodded. Did you see everything clearly? There are some parts that I dont understand. Which? Cillin pointed out his doubts. He might have memorized the old mans assembling movements completely, but there were a few places which principles he did not understand. The old man was quite surprised by the questions Cillin had asked. They werent questions that could be asked without a certain level of understanding towards the assembly of this robot model. He is a learned man. However, the old man did not show this on his face and focused on resolving Cillins doubts one by one. His explanations were simple and direct; he did not act like those ostentatious lecturers who used many difficult terminologies to flaunt their knowledge. The electric circuit is a robots nervous system. It takes a lot of effort to install this nervous system accurately and without fault. This old mans advantage lies in his experience. Practice makes perfect. After connecting the electric circuits, the old man then pointed at a few parts of the robot, These things may look simple, but no effort was skimped in the process of manufacturing them. Lets have an example. You younglings love to play with guns, and some who are well off would often order barrels or firearms and so on. But you would not pay attention to this manufacturing process. We will not talk about design; that is an exhausting work. After designing, you will have to choose the materials, ream the barrel, cut the rifling grooves all of these processes requires precision. The old man grew more and more engrossed as he spoke. He had even cited a few hot selling gun models at the moment as examples and picked them apart. Among them were the DKC series multi-functional titanium gun that was rather loved by youngsters and the Carnage Elf Cillin had seen before. But I heard recently that that bunch of idiots in the Douance Family had come up with a Carnage Elf II. I havent seen the specifics, but I hope it wont have a fatal flaw like Carnage Elf I The old man was shooting spittle everywhere with a completely flushed face. Although Cillin did not say anything, seeing the silent agreement in Cillins eyes, the old mans criticisms had only grown more and more heated. Still, Cillin sweatdropped on the inside. That bunch of idiots in the Douance Family right now hes wearing the Douances family name under his belt. Di Di Di The bell rang. The train had already arrived. The people waiting for the train by the station stood up, and the people inside the waiting room too poured out in succession. Sir, let me help you up the train first. Cillin lifted the two bags filled with parts and was ready to help him carry them up the train before getting off again for his own bag and hoverboard. The weight of these two bags of parts were nothing for Cillin, but the old man was old, and it would be strenuous work for someone his age. Plus Cillin was rather impressed by the old mans research spirit. No matter how tired he was, the moment matters related to his own research were brought up, he could ignore his fatigue completely. Hah, youre a pretty good child. Whats your name? Who is the chief mentor of the mechanical engineering course? Ill talk to your chief mentor later and have him give you more credits. The old man asked while walking towards the train entrance. Although in principle, a students GPA was strictly given according to their average results, in truth there were many elements involved in the final GPA given. If someone at the top had given a recommendation or notice, then the class mentor would grade a little higher. Every course had many mentors, but the number of chief mentors would not exceed five. Since the old man had started right off the bat with a chief mentor, it appeared that his status in Seven Lights was rather high. But didnt a person of that level normally have their own private vehicles? I would really have to thank you, but I am a new student just starting this term. I havent even registered yet, so I wouldnt know who my mentor is. You are specially recruited? No, my family spent some money and threw me in to continue my education. The old man really was surprised. After a pause he said, You have the right to be specially recruited! The old mans words were very firm. Even the usual prefixes such as I feel or I think was missing as he said it directly and vigorously. That my word is law vigor of his was probably related to the old mans identity; he was accustomed to such a way of speaking. The old man appeared very dissatisfied with the fact that a student like Cillin wasnt recruited and humphed once, Your name! Cillin smiled and put the two bags of parts beside the old mans seat, I am called Vroom vroom The sound of speeding flying cars resounded. There were two convertible flying cars; one crimson and another bright yellow. When they streaked past the train station, the owner of the red car reached out and took Cillins bag. It really was quite the crime in broad daylight, but the people at the train station seemed to be used to this and did not have much of a reaction. Obviously, the old man had seen it as well. His eyes were open wide and round. He even told Cillin earlier that no one would take it. You go first. Cillin said before he jumped swiftly off the train, grabbed his remaining hoverboard, activated and unfolded it, and chased after the criminal. Oh dear. If there isnt anything important in the bag then just let them have it. Isnt it pointless to chase a flying car with a hoverboard? Someone commented. Yeah, its not like such crimes are uncommon. Those people on the flying cars must be awfully bored. Its not like theyre short of cash or anything; they did it purely for the heck of it and pissing off someone else. Even if they were caught later by the police, the worst thatll happen is that they get a fine, pay some money and settle everything behind closed doors. Thats why these people arent afraid Listening to the discussions of the people next to him, the old man stayed quiet for two seconds before pressing his communicator and searched for a number on the popped up screen. He dialed after confirming the number. Chapter 22: Are You Sure That’s a Hoverboard and Not a Plane? Chapter 22: Are You Sure Thats a Hoverboard and Not a Plane? At Seven Light University training base, inside the chiefs office of the training division office building, a middle-aged man and a seventeen or eighteen years old well built young man were talking to each other. Its been two days. How is your experience in Seven Lights, Knight? the middle-aged man asked the young man sitting opposite him. He wore the smile of an elder caring for his junior, and even though he was simply sitting, his every movement spoke of his qualities as a soldier. Traces of impatience appeared on the face of the young man called Knight. But he was facing a senior after all, so his tone wasnt overly rude, One word: Boring! Seven Lights isnt a military academy after all. Theres no way they would let students come in much contact with firearms and mechs. Even when they do, there isnt much firepower involved, nor any large scale mock battles. Still, Seven Lights online training platform is pretty good. the middle-aged man expressed his helplessness about certain matters. But ultimately that isnt the real thing. Theres a difference between facing down a real gun and a simulated one. Plus, the people here have terrible constitutions! Knights face was filled with disdain. He had fought a few rounds with some high grade students for the past two days, and although some of them were barely passable, that was all there was to it. None of them were truly worth his attention. If he wanted to improve his fighting abilities, he could only seek out the people from the training division . Some of the people in the police and training division were transferred over from the galactic army. Unlike the ones in an academy, the killing intent of a soldier in combat greatly excited Knight. This isnt a military school after all The man was helpless as well. He couldnt remember how many times he had repeated this for the past two days already, How about apologizing to your dad and taking the opportunity to have him arrange for you to go a Sector C military academy? You havent registered here anyway. Impossible! Id rather be bored until graduation than apologize to him! Not to mention I wasnt wrong in the first place! Those bastards should be beaten! They deserved to have their asses kicked! The moment the matter was brought up, an air of hostility immediately rose from Knights body. Wasnt it just a small case of beating up a bunch of noisy, pretentious spoiled brats? The next time he sees them, hed beat them just the same. The middle-aged man smiled wryly. This father and son duo sure were similar to each other. The moment that stubborn temper of theirs acted up, it was difficult to change their minds. As he was about to say something, his communicator suddenly rang, and he motioned for Knight to give him a moment. Looking down, it was a number he didnt recognize, and it wasnt even a video communication, just a voice call. Wondering who it was, ONeill picked up his communicator and spoke with the vigor of the chief of the training division, This is Huo Neil. Ah, Little Nail The moment he heard the voice, Huo Neil abruptly sprung up from his seat, pressed his feet reflexively into a standard military pose and answered with a powerful voice, YES SIR! The shockwave nearly caused Knight to tumble from his seat. Open-mouthed, he gaped at the man, whose elderly demeanor had completely vanished, standing rigidly at attention while listening intently to the person lecturing him from the other end of the communicator. Yessir yessir, dont worry sir, I will notify the police division to act immediately yessir, I know, dont worry sir yessir, take care of yourself, sir! Once the comm call had ended, Huo Neils body finally relaxed a little. His expression was bitter; far bitter than the one he wore when he spoke with Knight earlier. Why did Sir Mo change his number again? Speaking of which, Sir Mo has been changing his number more and more frequently as of late. Its probably because the number of visitors had increased with the deluge of new students Uncle Huo, what happened? Well talk later! Without waiting to explain too much to Knight, Huo Neil turned and called the police division. It didnt take long for the comm link to be established. Huh? Why are you looking for me at this time, Nails? You got bored and wanted to get some practice in? The other party joked. Huo Neil ignored his teasing and said seriously, Gerrard, Ive just received a report about a robbery at the trade zones global train station. Two flying cars robbed the backpack of a student waiting for the train On the other side, Gerrard couldnt help but press a hand to his forehead. Normally they couldnt care less about such a thing. It was just a minor issue between students and almost nothing major ever came of it. The messd be over in the blink of an eye. Plus, a stolen backpack was hardly anything important, not to mention those rich kids speeding on flying cars didnt lack money at all. Still, someone who could mobilize the police division through Huo Neil obviously had some weight of their own. What annoyed Gerrard was that it would be terribly irritating if it turned out that the police were getting dragged into a quarrel between the offspring of any of the big families. Nails, just give me the word. Who made the report? Our old boss General Mos father; Seven Lights vice headmaster Sir Mo Before Huo Neil could finish, Gerrard immediately replied in full righteousness, How dare they committed something as atrocious as a flying car robbery under broad daylight? This is downright heinous! Huo Neil: Gerrard turned towards the window and roared at his subordinates practicing outside, Alright grunts, round up! Were mobilizing! Anyone whos slow will be stripped, dumped outside, and forced to run naked around the whole city! Finished, he then turned back towards the communicator, Nails, tell Sir Mo not to worry. Well mobilize and take care of those itchy little bastards immediately! After he turned the communicator off, Huo Neil pressed a control button on his hand and entered a few coordinates. A screen rolled down, and a few pictures appeared. They were satellite images of the two flying cars and Cillin riding a hoverboard captured from the top, sides and front. Knight had also crept closer to watch curiously. There was a no mans land between the trade zone and the Sleepless City of the entertainment zone. A green wave was set off by the three red, yellow and blue vehicles as they raced across the boundless forest landscape. Fuck, what the hell is in the bag? That brat actually chased us this far on that shit hoverboard of his! The guy in the bright yellow flying car complained. Its all food other than a newspaper, a tablet and some clothes. The materials of these clothes look a little rich, but other than that, theres nothing valuable. The other guy in the crimson car flipped through Cillins bag and answered. Holy shit, he chased us this far just for these? Its another one of those hotheads; god knows how many high efficiency batteries hes used! These people had assumed that the reason Cillin was able to chase them this far was because he used high efficiency batteries. Yeah right? Tsk, a mere shit hoverboard wants to catch up to a flying car? Not even a hundred high efficiency batteries will be enough! That kid totally has a brain fart! Forget him. Lets speed it up. That kid probably isnt going to last much longer, plus that shit hoverboard of his has a poor tolerance for high efficiency batteries. He better not explode mid-chase! Haha, thatll be fun. Lets wait and watch that kids hoverboard explode into smithereens then! Woohoo~~ The two youngsters whooped insolently as they sped up further. Cillins eyes narrowed into slits. He increased the strength beneath his feet and adjusted his body into an angle that would minimize drag. An invisible cone shaped aura had surrounded Cillin, helping him break through the air. He wore no goggles, but this speed could not affect Cillins vision in the slightest. The sound of his foot pushing the hoverboard forwards broke through the air again and again. It was as if Cillin had merged with the hoverboard right now. Like a blue homing bullet he flew with speed and flexibility. Cillin was calculating the other partys car speed, the push force he needed to use, the number of pushes and the hoverboards tolerance. This hoverboard could not have caught up to those two flying cars at the front with just its energy and maximum speed. That was why Cillin had decreased the energys thrusting power and used his own strength to push forwards instead. Inside the training divisions office, Huo Neil and Knight stared at the screen intently. This kid is pretty unusual, eh? Huo Neil asked. He didnt use the manual rudder and controlled his movements completely through his own will. From the way he deftly dodged the obstacles,you can see that his mental control is very high. Moreover, in order to conserve energy, all of the energy originally reserved for the manual rudder has been used to maintain the hoverboards flight. If he had started chasing from the train station at the trade zone, and was able to chase this far without being thrown off by the flying car, it means that his stamina is pretty good. From the shockwave he generated when pushing the hoverboard, you can see that this guy is very strong. At this point Knights eyes were brimming with strong fighting will, Who is he? Such a person couldnt possibly be unknown. Huo Neil entered a series of passwords and coordinates on another screen. Through identifying and locking on to the position of the Seven Lights card, he could confirm the identity of the cardholder. Cillin Douance? Hes from the Douance Family? On the other side, a dedicated passenger car was flying from the trade zone to the entertainment zone in mid-air. A few students were idle, and so looked at the endless greenery outside the window. Suddenly, one of the students eyes grew wider and wider, Holy fuck, is that a hoverboard that guy is riding?! The people beside looked outside the window, and the scene of the hoverboard chasing relentlessly after the two flying cars fell into their eyes. In fact, they quickly overtook the passenger car. Are you sure thats a hoverboard and not a plane? Well duh, is there a plane thats shaped like a hoverboard? Actually I think theyre advertising the hoverboard, arent they? Again someone expressed their opinion. Someone looked around and said, But I dont see any shooting crew around? If it really is a hoverboard then Im going to buy one just like that. I just dont know what the brand is. Dont worry, I took a picture just now! Regardless of the discussions of the people on the passenger car, all Cillin wanted right now was to smack the two robbers and fish for compensation. It was likely that his hoverboard would be unusable after this flight. The two flying cars at the front continued to accelerate, and Cillin too increased his pushing force and frequency. The sounds of his foot detonating the air with loud bangs could be heard clearly even by the passengers inside the passenger car. Before long, the three red, yellow and blue figures had vanished before the passengers eyes. Not good. The hoverboard is about to reach its limits. Cillin swiftly calculated in his mind the angle of his next step and its success rate. Suddenly, the duo chatting inside their cars heard an explosion from their backs. Hah, it exploded! That kids hoverboard had exploded! The guy in the crimson car was overjoyed as he started to turn his head around (T/N: Never do this while speeding, people) and enjoy the miserable sight of the kid behind him. But after he heard a sudden bang, his eyes blurred, and the flying car slammed uncontrollably towards the ground. The next moment yet another bang occurred, and the other bright yellow flying car too was kicked into the air while performing many high difficulty rolls. Huo Neil and Knight, staring at the screen inside the training division office, was dumbfounded. Chapter 23: Hoverboy Chapter 23: Hoverboy The two people inside the flying cars might be confused as to what just happened, but Huo Neil and Knight saw it crystal clear in front of the screen inside the training divisions office. The instant the hoverboard exploded, Cillin had leveraged the force of the explosion, zoomed over to the crimson flying car and slapped its rear with his palm. At the same time, he used the energy of the slap to swiftly kick towards the bright yellow car next to it. In the blink of an eye, one flying car was slapped down to the ground, and the other was kicked into the air. The reason Huo Neil and Knight were shocked wasnt because of Cillin slapping or kicking the two cars away. They were shocked by his ability to grasp the perfect timing. The act of borrowing the hoverboards momentum after it exploded was a risky thing. If he was a moment too early, he would not have been able to able to leverage its pushing force; and if he was a moment too late, he would have been hurt by the explosions shockwave. At the same time, Cillin was able to accurately home onto the crimson flying cars body after he flew out, before leveraging the force of his own actions again and kicked the bright yellow flying car away. Knight pointed at Cillin on the screen who was landing safely on the ground, How is it possible that such a person is unknown? Huo Neil did not answer Knights question and exclaimed instead, He definitely deserves Sir Mos protection alright! Still, since when did the Douance have such a person in their family? It was obvious that Cillin was a veteran who had fought countless battles. There was no way he could be one of those fresh greenhorns. Moreover, Huo Neil could see that the kid had acted pretty decisively, without a bit of hesitation to be seen in his movements. Inside the vast green woods, after two crashing sounds, Cillin slowly walked beside the crimson flying car. The body of the car was already warped, and some of its internal components were scattered to the surroundings or even further away. The energy system of the flying car had not exploded, since it was built with increased safety in mind. The driver did not suffer too much injuries thanks to the air bag, even though he was still inside the car. However, he was obviously still shaken. His eyes were dull, his body was shivering continuously, and his teeth were chattering. Cillin looked at the man once before grabbing his backpack from inside the car. He counted the items inside, and felt his mouth twitch. . He pulled away the air bag with one hand, then grabbed the mans face and shook him a little. It was only then the mans focus slowly shifted onto Cillin. His already pale face turned even whiter from fright as he stuttered, Dont dont kill me You can take the bag. Ill pay you all the money you want This time he was truly afraid. He had never encountered such a thing. When his car was slapped down from the sky, he had felt as if his entire body was wrought with despair. You make it sound like Im the one who robbed you. Cillin took out his tablet and wrote something on it. Then he passed it over to the man to have a look, You will have to compensate me C as you should C since your criminal acts have caused me severe losses. Look, the details are all written in there. A hoverboard is 2000 galactic credits; the expended batteries are 500 galactic credits. You ate three of my snacks, and every one of them costs 5 galactic credits so its 15 galactic credits in total. However, I bought these from the trade zone and there is no way I am going back to buy them again, so lets round them up to 30. There is also 10000 galactic credits worth of emotional trauma compensation. But of course, the most important thing is that this matter has wasted my time. As you know, time is more precious than gold, so I guess Ill just have to suffer the loss and fine you another 10000 galactic credits After summing everything up Cillin concluded, They all add up to a total of fifty thousand galactic credits. Is that a problem? The man lost his will to think long ago. He could only shake and nod his head. Alright, thats it then. Press your fingerprint here. Cillin put the tablet into his hands. The man shakingly pressed his fingerprint on the tablet. Wheres your card? The man shuddered again and took out his Seven Lights card. Wow, an orange rank. Which grade are you? Se second It was at this moment that a police siren rang. the eyes of the man inside the car, who was full of fear, suddenly lit up as if they had found their savior. The police had sent a whole team of police cruisers. In the past, it wouldve been incredible if even a single police car was sent out to deal with such a case, but today, it could be said that they had mobilized with the utmost seriousness. Gerrard had led the team personally. Along the way, there were only three swiftly moving targets on the surveillance monitor in his car, and he could differentiate which one was a flying car and which one a hoverboard. This was because both hoverboards and flying cars had GPS tracking system installed in them. However, Gerrard would not know what exactly was going on from this information alone, so when he saw the hoverboards signal vanish from the monitor, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice pool. Crap, how the hell is he going to explain this to Sir Mo? Although both flying cars had crashed, their car bodies were still intact, so the GPS signals had not disappeared as well. That was why Gerrard had urged his men to move faster after he saw both cars coming to a sudden and bizarre stop. But when they saw the real scene, everyone in the police team was a little dumbfounded. Both flying cars had crashed? What happened? Right now, the only person Gerrard was concerned about was Cillin. Huo Neil had already sent Cillins information to Gerrard, so Gerrard had rushed right at Cillin the moment he arrived at the scene and saw him. Cillin Douance, is it? I am the captain of the police force Gerrard. Gerrard said with a friendly smile. When he saw that Cillin was okay, the weight on his chest was lifted. Cillin was leaning against the car, and when he saw Gerrard walking over, he was sure that he did not recognize this person. But before he could answer, they abruptly heard the person still inside the car screaming, Help! He cried out while did his best to extract himself from the car before running right at Gerrard who had a police emblem on his uniform. Gerrard had dumped the guy running at him on his men at the back. He had no time to bother with him right now. We received a report that there was a flying car robbery incident in the train station at the trade zone, so we need to get a handle of the situation right now Good day, captain Gerrard. I am very thankful that the police could come over to uphold justice, but we have already come to an agreement and settled behind closed doors. That would be the best outcome alright! Gerrard shouted in his heart. There was no way he was getting involved in the contest between the younger generation of the great families. But when he thought of Sir Mo, Gerrard still gave the person who robbed the bag and deducted a demerit in credits. Captain Gerrard, do you have a card reader with you? I would like to borrow it for a moment and make a transfer. A transfer? Uh, yeah I have one in my car. Gerrard led Cillin over to his car, and when he saw Cillin swiped the card, transferred the funds and very calmly returned the card back to its original owner, he couldnt help but think that they might have really acted unnecessarily by coming over. With Gerrards experience, naturally he was able to guess what had happened after seeing the scene. He couldnt help but think much more highly of Cillin. If he had come because of Sir Mos face, then he had acknowledged Cillins abilities now. The other person in the bright yellow car was also brought over. His condition was pretty much the same as the guy in the crimson car. He was shivering so much that the police almost had to carry him all the way. After the major matters had been taken care of, Gerrard had his men dealt with the remaining matters on site and drove Cillin and a few more team members away. However, Cillin had gotten off the car after he had arrived at the edge of entertainment zones Sleepless City. He still needed to survey the state of affairs in Sleepless City. Once Cillin had gotten off, a police team member beside Gerrard exclaimed, Captain, that kids actually a King Kong, isnt he? To chase a flying car with a hoverboard? It was a seriously unimaginable feat. Moreover, he had relied on a hoverboard that uses a common battery alone to wreck the two flying cars. Not everyone could do this; not even Gerrard would dare say that he could do the same without a chance of failure. At the same time, a video was uploaded into Seven Lights internet, and the name Hoverboy began to circulate within Seven Lights. Chapter 24: The Sickest Accommodation In Town (1 of 2) Chapter 24: The Sickest Accommodation In Town (1 of 2) There were many people who heard of Hoverboy, but very few actually knew that Hoverboy was Cillin, the reason being that Cillins figure was blurry and his face was unclear in the video. When Cillin had chased after the flying cars, the air around him had extruded and twisted abnormally. Therefore, the sharpness of the video captured by the person on the passenger car was poor, and later on it was also impossible to revert the twisted parts of the scene. Because of this, the person who recorded the video had even bought a more professional filming equipment; so that he wouldnt regret it again if he ran into a similar situation in the future. Cillin had seen that video by chance. Luckily, he had changed into a new set of clothes when he arrived at Sleepless City, since the one before was worn due to air friction. Otherwise, even if the Hoverboys true face was unknown, his clothes would still make him pretty recognizable. After he had arrived at Sleepless City, Cillin was deeply impressed by the money making abilities of this entertainment system. Many of those who came to Seven Lights C especially those with a strong background C had spent more than eighty percent of their expenses in this place. In comparison, the tuition fee or whatever was practically nothing. Playgrounds, bars, arcades, hotels, casinos the madness of entertainment knows neither day nor night. There were disputes happening at almost every moment in Sleepless City, but the police would normally not involve themselves too much. There were clear rules in Seven Lights, and the people were allowed to go crazy amongst themselves as long as the matters were within acceptable bounds. However, if they were to exceed that limit, then Seven Lights punishments would be very severe. There were plenty of people who had been expelled because they caused too much trouble. In addition, this place also had its relevant laws and regulations. The moment they were infracted upon, the police and training division would mobilize to execute these laws. And who were the police and training division? They were men sent over by the galactic military who had gone through many battlefields of life and death. Resistance was futile. Cillin had stayed in Sleepless City for two days before he continued to the next stop. Within the next three days, Cillin had visited the rest of the zones such as the training zone, the research zone and so on. However, these zones were more restrictive and Cillin did not have the permission to enter them right now. But still, even though Cillin could only observe these zones from the perimeter, he still had a profound experience as to how unique these zones were. On the last day of registration, Cillin took the train and returned to the school zone. He still had a lot of time to register going by his original plan. The reason Cillin had wandered the zones before registering was because he could only wander inside the school zone after registration and was not permitted to leave freely. Once the registration was done, a students profile would be fully activated. They would become an official Seven Lights students, and Seven Lights was more strict towards their new students. This was the education method most academies had adopted in Sector B. Cillin arrived at the registration center following the maps guidance. The last 48 hours before the registration ends were also the busiest, but there would definitely be no one during the final hour of the registration. He could already see from afar that there werent any students at the registration center except two employees sitting at the spot while shaking their arms. It looked like their workload today was pretty huge, and it tired them out. They came this early to Seven Lights University, and yet they had all ran to Sleepless City to have fun before rushing back to register on the last day. It tires the hell out of me! One of the employees complained. What can we do? Its the same every year. Those pampered kids would rot from boredom inside the school zone if they registered a few days earlier. The other guy lying down on his chair answered. One more hour left; there should not be anyone else. Im going to take a nap and leave once its time. Im afraid not. Theres another kid at the front. Both men looked somewhat sick when they saw Cillin gradually coming closer. They could not even hide the impatience on their faces. After reading Cillins card, one of the man pointed at the small device beside his hands, Swipe your Seven Lights card here. Once the Seven Lights card was swiped, Cillins information appeared on the screen. Hmm? The Douance? Thats a great family. After seeing Cillins information, both employees attitudes improved a lot. They forced out a smile and gave Cillin a tablet, Please fill in this form.There is also the choice of accommodations and more at the back the employee paused for a second, It looks like there are no single accommodations and huh? There are no double accommodations as well. Im very sorry, but think the only choice left for you is a quad accommodations. Still, a quad accommodation has its own benefits. Its space is huge and the space distribution in Seven Lights has always been 1+1+1+1 smaller than 2+2, and 2+2 smaller than 4. Moreover, the quad accommodations were all in the style of villas As the person had explained, a quad accommodation did have the biggest living space out of all the choices; bigger than even four single accommodations put together into one. However, Cillin also knew that this so-called extra space was just an additional courtyard. Most people couldnt care less about it, but Cillin was an exception in this case. The most expensive living quarter among Seven Lights dormitories was a single villa, and the best value proposition was actually a studio apartment. But these two choices were also obviously the most popular, so those who came later would not be able to choose them. Moreover, a quad accommodation had always been thought to be the kind of living quarter that was filled with strife and troubles. After all, it was easy to gain mutual dislike for each other with four people squeezed inside a single apartment. There were plenty of cases in Seven Lights where the conflicts between housemates had caused entire villas to be destroyed. Other than the interior space, the reason they were called twin or quad accommodations were because everyone would have their own set of training room, rest room, bathroom, study and so on. A single accommodation would only have one set of each, whereas a quad accommodation would have four sets of everything other than the courtyard, the living room and the kitchen. Ill have the quad villa then. Although the ideal choice for Cillin was a studio apartment, but if he couldnt get one then no harm done. Regardless, these living conditions were far better than the place he used to live in. While Cillin was filling in the form, another person had walked in from the registration centers entrance. It was someone familiar. Eh? So youre registering at this time as well, Cillin. Ci Jincheng shut the book in his hands and came over with a smile. Ci Jinchengs Seven Lights card was orange in color, and it meant that he was specially recruited. The smiles on the two employees faces immediately grew wide as they enthusiastically introduced Ci Jincheng to the registration process. The reason they were this enthusiastic wasnt only because that Ci Jincheng was a specially recruited student. The most important factor was the information displayed on Ci Jinchengs card. The surname Ci wasnt common in this galaxy, and when put together with Ci Jinchengs qualification to be specially recruited, the two employees immediately thought of that particular family C the leading authority of academic studies, the Ci Family! Within the academia, there wasnt anyone who hadnt heard about the Ci Family. The frequency of Ci family members appearing on the two top magazines Glory and Code would amaze most people, and their influence on galactic military and politics could not be underestimated as well. It was no wonder that these two men were this enthusiastic. According to normal registration procedures, every accommodation should be filled up completely before they could arrange for the next one. But both Cillin and Ci Jincheng had solid backgrounds, and they knew each other. So the employees didnt mind doing them a favor and opened a new quad villa; the previous villa was already three man full anyway, so it was only a matter of time before they opened a new one. While the duo was filling in their information, a sudden engine rumble came from afar. There was the sound of a flying car, and a hoverboard. Screeeech! a luxurious, red gemstone-like flying car swung its tail and drifted into a stylish stop. When the ceiling of the car opened, a familiar face appeared. Lung Andrea! The hoverboard had also paused in front of the entrance at the same time the flying car had come to a stop. A sturdy young man had jumped down from the hoverboard, withdrew the transport and walked in. The two men had entered almost at the same time. Ci Jinchengs eyelids twitched when he saw the duo. These people Chapter 25: The Sickest Accommodation in Town (2 of 2) Chapter 25: The Sickest Accommodation in Town (2 of 2) When they saw the duo walking in, the smiles on the employees faces grew wider. However, their mentality were different from when they faced Ci Jincheng. Right now, the duo were trying their best to smile as honestly and warmly as possible, but in truth they were beginning to sweat all over their backs. With their insight, naturally they noticed that the flying car that looked like it was inlaid with a layer of red gemstones was not something any ordinary rich family could buy. And then there was that hoverboard. To begin with, it was a military grade hoverboard! A military grade hoverboard was incomparable to the average flying car, and there was only one place in the entire Seven Lights University that had this kind of hoverboard: the training division. They both knew very well what kind of people resided in the training division. If this boy could get a military grade hoverboard from the training division, then it was obvious that he had quite the military background. Those with military background werent easy to deal with. Yo, student BPT! We meet again! This is fate! Lung let out a bright smile. He hadnt really expected to meet Cillin at this time. While Lung might be driving a deluxe flying car, he was still wearing the same clothes Cillin had seen him in at the trade zone. It was a really incongruous sight. What a coincidence. Cillin answered with a smile. Cillin did not feel disgust towards this person; in fact he thought that he was pretty interesting. A prominent background could not conceal this mans abilities. There might be a lot of people who missed this, but Cillin was sure that Lungs true strength was not weak at all. As for the other young man who had arrived riding a hoverboard, he wore with him an air of arrogance concealed within a layer of fortitude, and when he saw Cillin, a terrific fighting will flashed across his eyes like a star. Even as mere bystanders, the two employees felt a sense of fear towards him. This young man was none other than the one who had watched with Huo Neil the whole process of Cillin slapping down the flying cars at the training division, Knight. When he saw Knights eyes, Cillin felt confused. And who the heck is this guy? It seems that he recognizes me. However, Cillin showed no intentions of cowering whatsoever as he faced the intimidating fighting will in Knights eyes. Both Knight and Lungs Seven Lights cards were Crimson just like Cillins. After both cards had been swiped across the device, the duos information were displayed on the screen. Lung Andrea. Knight Feigler! The two employees matched each others eyes and felt a violent beat in their hearts. After so many years in Seven Lights, they were of course familiar with some of the more sensitive surnames of the galaxy. While everyone knows about the Andrea So Poor Money is All Thats Left Family, the real crux of the matter today was the sudden appearance of the Feigler surname! Feigler was a well known military family. There were already quite a few generals who bore the surname Feigler, and there was even one who was among the eight grand admirals of the Galactic Alliance Military. The two employees watched nearly every step of the way when they dealt with the duo standing before them; terrified that they might offend the two little devils. There might be plenty of rich kids in Seven Lights, but those with such terrific backgrounds were few and far between. In comparison, Cillins own background with the Douance family was a lot more low-key. Originally, the two employees had planned to report the matter to the higher-ups and apply for a few single villas, but to their surprise, Lung and Knight had chosen right away to stay in the same villa as Cillin and Ci Jincheng. There were very few people with such profound backgrounds who would choose the least popular quad accommodation. With that kind of background and history, they only needed to insist to acquire their single villas. After finishing up all the procedures, Lung waved a hand and said, Come, my housemates. Well ride there in my car! Our beautiful life of four has begun~~ 4 seater mode! At first, there was only one seat. As Lungs voice settled, that lavish flying car of his began to transform swiftly. Its body was slightly stretched, and three seats appeared one after another. Cillin did away the pleasantries and jumped straight into the car. It would be a waste to turn down a free ride. Seeing Cillins actions, Ci Jincheng paused for a second before jumping into the vehicle as well. Knight scooped up his retracted hoverboard and entered Lungs car. Oh? I see that youre fine with my car now, brother? I thought it was a little too poor for your taste when I made you the offer earlier. Lung joked when he saw Knight jumping into the car. Earlier today, while Lung was driving over from the trade zone and about to reach the school zone, he had run into Knight riding on a hoverboard and flying over from the training zone. Cut the nonsense, you didnt even bring out a seat at that time. It was clear that you were just offering for the heck of it. Knights mouth twitched. Lung smiled and did not answer. As Knight had said, he really was just offering for the heck of it. Even if Knight wanted to take a lift, he would have ignored him. But since they were all staying in the same accommodation now, as the old man would have put it, they were now one of his, and it was only natural to treat his people better. After watching the flying car zooming away with a whoosh until it vanished completely out of sight, the two employees finally dropped and lay crookedly on their seats. Holy shit, there were so many people who registered today, but I did not expect such a highlight to show up at the final hour. Yeah, and who would have thought that four heavyweights would show up all at once. Especially Knight. Hey, tell me, with such a profound military background, why in the world had he come to Seven Lights and not the military academy at Sector C? This doesnt seem like the style of the Feigler Family. This is nothing man, those rich kids are all weird. Perhaps they felt like having a change of air. Just look at the Andrea Family and tell me which one of them arent unique? Thats true. Accommodation number 13 sector 6, This may be the terms, no wait, this may be the sickest accommodation even in the entire Seven Lights University The quartets accommodation was at number 13 of sector 6. Sector 6 referred to a private villa area, and number 13 was the house number. The number showing on the screen of the recording system was exactly 0613. After the number 0613 was entered, a clear navigation route had appeared, and before long, the quartet had arrived at their assigned accommodation. The first floor of the accommodation was at least 500 square meters wide, and there were three floors in total. The first floor had the largest area, whereas the second and third floor were about the same size. Excluding the courtyard, the three floors added up to a total of at least 1200 square meters wide. The wide courtyard was paved with grass, and above the fences was a detection light curtain that reached straight into the sky. Those who didnt belong in this accommodation would not be allowed to enter, and forced entry would trigger the alarm and retaliation. The object of detection would be the Seven Lights card. While they were processing the documents at the registration center, the quartets information had already been entered into the accommodation management system. Upon sensing their Seven Lights card, an opening appeared in the light screen at the courtyard, and the flying car flew straight into the courtyard. At first glance of his accommodation Lung sighed, Man this place is fucking small. Cillin: Although Ci Jincheng and Knight did not say anything, their expressions were obviously aligned with Lungs thoughts. Cillin sighed inside his heart. Fine, were poor people. Were not gonna compete with them. The key to the accommodation was the Seven Lights card. As for the locks on their respective rooms, that would have to be arranged differently. Every bedroom had its own setup system used to configure the locks of their respective bedroom, study, training room and so on. The four training rooms, living room and the kitchen were all here. To Cillins surprise, other than the first floor, the second and third floor could be configured to ones own likings. The space was just like toy blocks that could be moved around and combined, which was why there were no longer any clear boundaries left between the second and third floor after a series of adjustments. There was only the top and bottom floor. After tidying their respective bedrooms, studies and so on, Lung yelled out and said, Lets go and grab some food first; man Im so hungry I could die. I dont have the energy to tidy up the rest of the stuff. Bullshit, did you even do anything? Then what are those two domestic robots for? The only thing you did was some spatial adjustments! That being said it was almost time to eat. Oh well, he could finish up the rest of the stuff after meal. Are we ordering a takeout or eating at the dining hall? Of course we have to visit the dining hall on our first day, plus we get to look at the hot chicks of Seven Lights. And Im telling you, theyre pretty good. Lung wore a perverted smile on his face. There are 7 sectors in the accommodation zone. Sector 1 and 2 contained single villas, sector 3 and 4 contained double villas, sector 5 and 6 contained quad villas and finally sector 7 contained single apartments. These seven sectors joined together to form a circular ring, and the center area that theyre surrounding would be the dining hall, convenience store, hospital, cafe and so on. The dining hall was built in the shape of a heptagon. Every one of its corner was pointed towards an accommodation zone. When the four of them arrived at the dining hall, they first swiped their cards and reserved their seats. It would be fine to leave them as long as they returned within thirty minutes. If the person who swiped their card did not return after thirty minutes, then the seat would automatically cancel the reservation and revert to a free state. Once they reserved their seats, the group split up to pick their own food. Everyones taste differed from each other after all. However, while Cillin was choosing his own meal, a shout suddenly came from behind him. Cillin! Chapter 26: First Meal in the Dining Hall (1 of 2) Chapter 26: First Meal in the Dining Hall (1 of 2) As expected, the owner of the voice was the guy he met on the transport, Allen. Allen was originally coming down from the side passage to receive someone else, and did not expect to see Cillin choosing his food. What a coincidence, Allen. Cillin raised the tray in his hand and greeted Allen. Seeing the empty tray Cillins holding, Allen said hurriedly, Cillin, it looks like you havent make your pick and thats perfect. Come, come with me upstairs, Ill treat you. I was going to call you a long time ago but I dont have your number. Its lucky that I ran into you here. while speaking, Allen dragged Cillin by the elbow and began pulling him upstairs, as if he was afraid that Cillin would turn him down. Ever since he saw Cillin and Kang Man discussing on the transport, and those complex equations on the writing board, Allen had admired this peer of his greatly. Allen always treated those people with genuine ability and skill warmly. To bully the old but not the young, for the future belongs to the young, and you never know what they may achieve in the future. That was the belief his father had taught him. Easy, I came with my housemates. I cant just leave them without saying a word, can I? Cillin put down his tray and said. Ah? Housemates? What kind of accommodation are you staying in, Cillin? Allen had always thought that Cillin would pick a single villa with his background, but apparently he was wrong. Ive only registered today, so the quad villa is the only choice left. Oh, I understand. I registered three days earlier myself to grab a single villa, but it was still too late, so I could only pick a double villa. Allen made a regretful look, The reason Im treating today is to get acquainted with my housemate and a few other people around our accommodation. Ive also met a few more people after coming here as well. Oh right, hehe, I managed to invite Pride as well. Kang Man seems a bit busy, so he cant join us. Allen had spent a painstaking amount of effort to invite Pride along; he couldnt even remember how many praises he had to say in order to convince him. At the same time, Allen felt another twinge of regret. He was going to invite this terms Twin Star of Seven Lights for a group photo, but he didnt think that Kang Man would turn down his invitation with a lack of time as his excuse. Cillin, why dont you contact your three housemates to come along? Ill treat everyone. The more the livelier, so lets all go together! Plus us new students of this term should get together and communicate a little. By the way, we also have a few pretty babes coming over today, so you better dont miss out, hehe. The quartet had exchanged numbers back at Lungs flying car before, so Cillin immediately flipped out their numbers and called all three of them at once. He explained to them about Allens treat, and C other than Lung, who had accepted the invitation without much hesitation C both Ci Jincheng and Knight agreed with some reluctance. Ci Jincheng and Knight had only accepted mainly to give Cillin face*. Otherwise, with Ci Jinchengs temperament, he would have never liked that kind of messy atmosphere, whereas Knight just couldnt be arsed to communicate with those brainless showoffs. They would be lucky if he didnt greet them with a fist. (*T/N: although this concept is rather common now, for Chinese face means something like honor, respect, pride and so on. Here, it means that only accepted Allens invitation out of respect to Cillin.) While Cillin was talking with the trio on phone, Allen ran to the main entrance and looked around for a bit, seemingly waiting for someone. Not long after, he then led three beautiful girls over. He said something to the girls that caused them to giggle like a schoolgirl with shining bright eyes. It added a kind of charm that caused a few surrounding students holding their trays to stare fixedly at them. They didnt even realize that the food on their trays were stolen by someone else. My three beautiful ladies, allow me to make an introduction. This is my friend, Cillin. Cillin, they are Allen, didnt you say that everyone has been waiting for a long time? Before Allen could begin, one of the girls immediately interrupted. Yeah, yeah. Come on, take us up already Allen. Another girl flicked her hair and gave Allen a sidelong glance. It was true that Cillin had good looks and qualities, but it wasnt like people like him were rare in Seven Lights. This was why they werent really too interested in Cillin. Plus, wouldnt the heavyweights be reserving a room for lunch upstairs? Seeing Allens hesitation, Cillin smiled and said, Its not a problem, Allen. You bring them up first. Then okay, you wait here until your housemates joins you. The place is at second floors Freedom Hall. Ill come and receive you later after I send them upstairs. When they heard that Cillin had housemates, and more than one no less, the three girls lost all interest in Cillin right away. Those who lived in quad accommodations werent deserving of their attention. Cillin didnt care at all about the girls thoughts. If it wasnt for Knights words today, they might not have gone out of their way to choose their own meals personally and would have had a robot send it to them after ordering. He felt like laughing the moment he thought of Ci Jincheng and Lungs expressions when they listened to Knights words. Knight had shared some past experiences along the way to the dining hall. He used to make orders and have robots serve him his meals back at middle school, but by coincidence he saw a few pranksters spilling dandruffs into a fitted tray. However, the robots would only scan for dish names and whether there were life forms or poison etc in the dishes when they carried over Since then, Knight had ordered and carried his food in person, and it was obvious that Ci Jincheng and Lung usually relied on the robots to bring them their dishes. At the time both Ci JIncheng and Lung had immediately felt a surge of nausea. When they arrived at the dining hall and saw with their own eyes that there were plenty of people who carried their own dishes, the duo grew even more determined on the inside. It definitely looked like many people had had a similar experience. Therefore they pondered to carry their own dishes personally as much as possible, or else especially acquire a waiter robot and set up a few more scanning programs in it. Scans for dandruffs was a must. Allen wasnt gone for long before Ci Jincheng and the rest showed up. It appeared that their experience of lifting their own dishes werent all that eventful. Cillin, wheres your friend? Lung looked around but saw no one. He led three pretty girls upstairs. Cillin pointed up. Oh~~ pretty girls, huh! That being said, how is your relationship with that friend of yours, Cillin? Cillin briefly explained what happened on the transport. Then you guys arent all that familiar with each other after all. But why is that kid acting so warmly? Allen Chev, you say? Chev Oh, I remember now, its the family that founded Tomorrows Star and Prospect. Theyre okay; both these electronic magazines have over sixty contribution points. Lung was obviously knew more about this, but judging from his tone, the Chev family was just okay in his eyes. Both Ci Jincheng and Knight also knew about Tomorrows Star. This was because they had both appeared before on that magazine. So, all three of you have appeared on that electronic magazine? Cillin said. Money and background alone could not win someone a spot in an electronic magazine with over sixty contribution points. Whats truly important was genuine ability and skill. Kang Man, who had an ordinary background, was such an example. He had relied completely on his own abilities, skills and talents to acquire the same Twin Stars title as Pride. When he heard Cillins words, Knight snorted and said, You can appear on those magazines as well if you want to. Dont think that you can avoid other peoples attentions just by hiding yourself. You and I are going to practice tomorrow. That is true. Youre the Hoverboy who can chase after two flying cars and not be dumped in the dust with just a common hoverboard. We have high expectations for you! Lung winked. It was clear from Ci Jinchengs calm expression that he knew that Cillin was the Hoverboy as well. You all know about this. Cillin scratched his head. Hmph, thats not all I know. Not anyone can fuck over two flying cars with a shit hoverboard, so you and I have better get in some practice before school officially starts. Its not easy to find a good opponent in Seven Lights, you know. the moment the matter was brought up Knight grew eager again as the fighting will in his eyes rose instantly. Alright, well find a place and get some practice tomorrow. Of course Cillin wasnt going to turn down a chance to practice. Huh? Could there be a continuation to the story of Hoverboy? Tell us quickly, Knight! Lung immediately closed in. While they ascended the floor, Knight summarized the whole incident with one simple and clear sentence. Then, Lungs eyes brightened as he put on a surprised look. Cillin, why dont you come and endorse our hoverboards! Well pay you generously! The Andrea Family did have a factory that produces hoverboards, and their brand was rather famous as well. Even their prices started at ten thousand. Cillin smiled and did not answer. After giving out the name Freedom Hall, a small hoverbot then led the quartet towards the place. They barely walked a few steps before they saw Allen coming from around the corner. Ah, Cillin, I was just ready to go down and receive you Allens voice abruptly cut short as his eyes widened and his jaws dropped to the floor. The reason for that was the trio beside Cillin. Chapter 27: First Meal in the Dining Hall (2 of 2) Chapter 27: First Meal in the Dining Hall (2 of 2) There were many people who had heard of Lung Andrea, Ci Jincheng and Knight Feigler, but not many people actually knew them in person. Since Allens family had founded two GAL electronic magazines, he had memorized deeply the many faces of famous people in his head. That was why Allen had instantly recognized the trio beside Cillin the moment he saw them. For a time, he wasnt sure how to react. He had not received any news beforehand that these trio were coming to Seven Lights University. For the longest time, Allen had thought that the brightest stars of this term would be the Twin Stars of Seven Lights Pride and Kang Man, today he was truly overawed. When the trio had looked at him all in unison, Allen suddenly felt nervous. He, who had been a social butterfly for the longest time, was actually feeling nervous at this very moment! Back in those days, his father had pointed at these three people on the Tomorrows Star magazine and told him in private that they would definitely become the top dogs in business, military and academia in the future. Allen did not understand why his father would view them so highly; he had not given such high praises even when the Twin Stars of Seven Lights had shown up. But even so, Allen trusted fully in his fathers insight. Thankfully, Allen had a lot of experience and managed to adjust his mentality swiftly. Cillin are these three your housemates? Its definitely an honor, hahaha Allen howled in his heart: Oh my god, these three VIPs are Cillins housemates! You guys know each other? Ill skip the introductions then. Of course, of course. It is my great honor to have you all. While leading the way, Allen pondered about a change of plans and to add some more high-end dishes later. He must satisfy these guests. However, reality did not go the way Allen wanted. Just as they approached the entrance of Freedom Hall, they heard a group of people chatting inside. Just who is it that Allen kid is receiving? A somewhat arrogant and impatient voice asked. Oh, I know that guy. I know him from the transport. Cillin had heard this voice before on the transport. It was then followed by a sound of laughter full of disdain, Hes nothing but a fellow who stays in a quad accommodation and eats at a public restaurant. Another roaring laughter ensued. There were no holds barred. Allens eyes dimmed, and he nearly face-planted onto the ground. Holy shit, if I knew this would happen I would never have invited them! Also, why the hell did they not close the door! If they want to talk behind someones back at least do it behind closed doors C what am I saying, they shouldnt do it even behind closed doors! It was obvious that all four of them had heard their words clearly. Before Cillin could say anything, Lung began to cry out, Why, it looks like someone doesnt welcome us! I guess everyone here is a big name, eh? Lung would not care for Allens face. Hes the type to say whatever he wants to. Allen did not even have the time to cry as his thoughts raced for a way to appease these guests. One of the youngsters among the laughing crowd abruptly stood up as if his ass was on fire before stuttering out with a red face, Young young master Lung By chance, this person had seen Lung when his old man had gone to a business meeting. He was nothing in front of Lung; even his own father had to watch his own words and manners in front of him. There were no idiots in this place. The moment they saw their companions reaction, they immediately stifled themselves and withdrew their previous jests. Lung didnt look at the guy who stood up at all. Since the sofas were already full, he went and pull a chair on his own and sat down. Cillin and the others had also sat beside him. And so a bizarre scene was formed. On the other side tens of people sat on soft, luxurious sofas; on this side the quartet simply sat on chairs. The quartet might appear to be sitting casually, but their aura was so powerful that the group of people sitting at the sofa felt as if they could not even raise their heads in front of the quartet. It was so uncomfortable they felt as if they were sitting on nails. The person who broke this bizarre scene was Pride. The bodyguard who walked in first went blank when he saw Cillins group, and he was especially surprised to find Knight among them. However, he also felt a lot more assured. At first, he thought that this place would be very mixed and unhealthy for the young masters growth, but if he was here, then they would not need to worry. Snotty brat is here as well (T/N: For some reason he suddenly takes on a completely British accent in my head)? Knight scoffed. The arrogant, chin-lifting Pride who couldnt even be bothered to look people in the eye immediately reacted like a cat who had its tail stepped on the second he heard Knights voice, Knight, why are you here?! If a snotty brat like you can come over, then why cant I? Hmph! Pride turned his head, dragged a chair and sat down next to him. He might not be able to stand Knight, but those people on the sofas werent worth even a single glance. Even an idiot would know that these people sitting on chairs were not to be trifled with by now. Otherwise, why would Pride stare them in the eye? Everyone on the sofa said not a word as they pondered their own thoughts. Even the girls gaze on Cillin had turned different. Cillin nibbled at some melon seeds and watched the show from the sides. How interesting. I should tell Dias and the others about today when its time. Pride looked curiously at Ci Jincheng and Lung once he sat down. He had seen Cillin before on the transport, so he automatically overlooked him. This is my housemates; Cillin, Ci Jincheng and Lung. Knight gave a simple introduction before turning to Cillin and the others, This snotty brat here is called Pride. He had only introduced his name and nothing else. Prides only response to Knights snotty brat nickname for him was a humph, but if he was someone else then Pride would definitely have turned on him. What could he do; he was defeated again by Knight during their last challenge, so he had no choice but to endure the nickname. Pride gritted his teeth. Sooner or later he was going to get back at Knight, and when that happens, he was going to pummel the bastard so hard not even a pig would recognize him! I cant believe that youre living in a quad accommodation. Pride said scornfully. Knight shrugged, It cant be helped. Im a poor man. I can only afford to eat at the dining halls public restaurant and live in a quad accommodation that no one wants. Its by coincidence we ran into Cillins friend that he so kindly brought us up here. But it appears that were not wanted though. Allen broke out in cold sweat profusely. Objection! He swore to god that he never thought and would never dare to think such a thing! At this point, even Allen did not know what to say anymore. These people have very eccentric tempers and Allen could not figure out what theyre thinking right now. He could only look at Cillin for help. When he received Allens S.O.S, Cillin put down the melon seeds and said, Im hungry. Why dont you send up the dishes, Allen. Alright, well send up a few dishes first. Please order anything you want. Allen hurriedly passed them the menus as if he was freed. In the end, around the huge, rectangular table there were a group of five sitting on chairs and cheerfully eating away at their meal, whereas the other a group of people sitting on sofas were trembling and sweating and moving very carefully. In short, the atmosphere of this lunch was bizarre. Knight was the speedy type. He finished three bowls of rice before Pride could even finish one. However, Cillin and the others werent slow as well. After they finished, the quartet bid their goodbyes and left first. Although Pride had eaten a little slowly, seeing that Knight and the others had all left he had no mood to eat while facing the remaining people as well. So he pushed his bowl aside and left. Cillin and the group did not care what the group of people might have said after they left. After they returned to their accommodation and finished tidying up the stuff, they went to bed and had a good sleep. The next early morning, Cillin was forcefully woken up by Knight saying that they sould spar at an ad hoc training room in the school zone after choosing their courses. According to the rules, students had two days to choose their courses after registration. Every accommodation had a platform, and they were used for course registration as well. The quartet then finished choosing their courses in succession during breakfast time. Breakfast was prepared by Lungs domestic robots, and the results werent bad. All four of them had programmed the robot and placed their breakfast ingredients in the kitchen. This way they would be able to eat breakfast right away every morning. After finishing their breakfast, the quartet then sat Lungs flying car to the training room at the school zone. The training room in the accommodation was too small and fit for some simple exercises only after all. The only place they could let themselves go and fight was the training room at the school zone. It had a wider space and all kinds of training modes. There werent many people who were using the training room today. Cillin used Ci Jinchengs orange card to pick a medium-sized training room, since their red cards could only book a small-sized training room. Technically speaking, a small-sized training room would be sufficient for single combat, but Knight still felt that it was a little too small, so they chose the medium-sized one. They were the only four people inside the medium training room. Ci Jincheng and Lung watched from the quarantine zone at the sides, while Cillin and Knight did some warm ups to digest their breakfast. Their coats were also left at the quarantine zone so they wouldnt be damaged by the match. You ready? Knight asked. Ready. Lets go. Chapter 28: The Star Who Walks Out Of The Darkness Chapter 28: The Star Who Walks Out Of The Darkness While Knight was speaking, his knees were slightly bent and he shifted his weight to his toes. His fists were placed in front of his body, reading to initiate combat at any time. Cillin raised a foot and took a step sideways. His arms were wide open and placed seemingly casually on both sides. His posture appeared to be full of holes. When Cillin said lets go, the emotions in his eyes slowly subsided until not a speck of it could be seen. It was a sharp contrast to Knights intense fighting will. His instructor once told him that it was possible to determine an opponents next action from their eyes, but all Knight could see from Cillins was tranquility; a tranquility so deep that it was like the abyss. Knight had seen the same tranquility in many peoples eyes before, but they were either extremely experienced instructors or prominent characters like his father. He had never seen such eyes from a peer! This Cillin gave Knight a very strange feeling. The Cillin now was like a hunter waiting quietly for its prey to fall into his trap. Prey? Knight laughed at his own thoughts. We will see who is the hunter or the hunted after this fight! Bang Whoever strikes first gains the advantage. Knights figure instantly vanished from his spot, and the air where he stood resounded with a bang due to the air compressing and colliding instantaneously with each other. Knight rushed forwards and tightened his fists the instant he arrived in front of Cillin. His speed was even several times faster than when he first started, and his strength was instantly adjusted to its best condition. Just when Knight felt like he was about to hit Cillin, he suddenly realized that his elbow had dropped slightly as if sucked in by a whirlpool, causing him to deviate a little from his aim. At the same time, Cillins other palm had pierced through the gap and attacked right at Knights neck. Knight blocked the attack with a raised hand, and rather than retreating, he took another step forwards and punched Cillins face yet again. This time his punching speed was again much faster than before; Cillin could even hear the friction sound of Knights fist crackling against the air. Cillin dodged past it, shifted and withdrew, adjusted his footing and twisted his body forwards at the same time. Was he going to charge into Knight head-on? No, he wasnt! That bizarre, whirlpool-like force had appeared once more and sucked Knights fist away from its original trajectory. This time Knight had seen it clearly. The origin of the strange force was the cyclone formed from the movement of Cillins palm unto his entire arm. To subdue hardness with softness? Knight recalled the examples of subduing hardness with softness his father and instructors had told him in the past while he was still in training. Since almost everyone in the Feigler family were strength types, Knight had learned a lot of countermeasures so that he would not be caught off guard in the future. However, one of his favorite countermeasures was to add strength upon strength; that is absolute strength. He might be having thoughts in his mind, but his hands were definitely not slow. A knife hand went straight for Cillins throat, but he did not withdraw it completely when it was parried away in the next moment. Instead, he swiftly overturned his palm and struck downwards at Cillins chest. He never stopped once, and his speed only accelerated faster and faster. The eyes, the back of the ears, the neck, the throat, the ribs, the stomach, the shin, the tailbone Every time he attacked he had aimed well at his target, but every time his strikes would be sucked off target by that cyclone energy and hit the walls, the floor or the ceiling instead Meanwhile, Cillin had not actually put on much of an offensive. Most of the time, he was simply defending. Every time he fought against a different person, he would always check out their skills and combat style. While he neutralized the enemys attacks, he would also correct his weaknesses and learn new techniques from the fight. Cillin had never seen Knights fighting technique before. Although he could still deal with it at the moment, Cillin knew that Knight was improving little by little as well. At first, Cillin was still able to deviate Knights fists to a certain corner, but gradually his attacks grew stronger and faster with each passing moment. The cyclone had been gradually losing control to the point where he could only throw the attacks aside. This meant that Knight was slowly grasping the limits of this cyclone. Countless banging noise rang inside the training room, and depressions were beginning to appear on the walls, floor and even the ceiling. One could see just how powerful these punches were to be able to punch holes in the special walls and ceiling of the training room. Ci Jincheng and Lung sighed on the inside as they felt the tremors coming from the training room. This is a little fierce, isnt it? Jincheng, is Cillins genotype really just rank B? Ci Jincheng nodded. Cillins admission data did show him as a B rank genotype, but on the other hand Knight was a full fledged A rank. Would an A rank really need to use this much firepower against a B rank right from the beginning? Plus, Cillin was still able to resist against Knights attacks up to this point. More accurately speaking, Cillin was leveraging off borrowed power and causing all of Knights attack to miss. As he watched the continuously shaking training room, Lung exclaimed, The guys from the management are probably starting to notice. It would be a real surprise if they didnt notice such a huge commotion, though they did turn off all of the training rooms cameras when they came in earlier. Still, theres no way the management wouldnt have a backup plan, would they? Ci Jincheng didnt say anything. He took out a finger-sized device and pressed it once. Many probes and pinhole cameras appeared on the floor, walls and ceiling of the training room. There were also a few monitoring equipment joined together with the walls that appeared completely ordinary at a glance. At the same time, anyone of the monitors that were connected to this training room would only display static. Even the records would be deleted as well. Check the card owner of that training room. One of the employees of the management said. Got it. Looks like he didnt delete this card record. The card owner is called Ci Jincheng! His surname is Ci? The person thought for a while, Never mind. Ignore that training room. Let them do whatever they want as long as they didnt destroy it. Since the commotion Cillin and Knight had caused was too huge, even those who were training had come out of their training rooms and looked about curiously. Just who was so amazing to cause such a noise? Even those in the nearby training rooms could sense the tremors clearly. A group of people followed the noise and arrived in front of the training room. The rooms door was shut, and locked down in Onlooker declined mode no less. Since the crowd couldnt get in, they could only gather in front of the door and discuss whats happening inside. People came one after another to join the discussion circle. Both Cillin and Knight were not in the mood to think about the reactions outside. The longer they fought, the faster they became. If there were afterimages that were visible just now, now even those had completely vanished. Instead, fleeting bolts of electricity began to appear clearly. The Feigler Familys Thunderstorm Fist. Ci JIncheng said while watching the flashes of electricity. I have long heard its name. But Ive never seen it with my own eyes. Lung had only seen videos of it from electronic magazines, but they were only blurry images at best. Most magazines did not dare to analyse too deeply into things related to the military. At this time, Cillin who was defending against Knights attacks could sense clearly the beginning of a restless air around him. The particles were beginning to split and release energy, and these changes were all caused by Knight. It was as dense as rainstorm and as devastating as a thunderbolt. Every one of Knights punches would spur flashes of electricity around it, and crackling sounds persisted in ones ears. These were no fancy effects, but real electricity. Cillin could already feel his skin numbing from the contact with these miniscule particles. He had a feeling that he was inside an electric field, and the electric field was still strengthening as more and more fission particles appeared. Every time he moved the numbness would worsen. Cillin could even sniff the kind of scorched stench of burned clothes. If this continues, he definitely wouldnt be able to last much longer. The bulging green veins on Knights arms and the gradually declining acceleration of his punching speed indicated that his strength was about to reach its peak. Bang Cillin received the blow and backed away a few steps. However, when Knight encroached onto Cillin, he realized that Cillin had shaken both his arms and dispersed his cyclone. Instead it was replaced with a completely different aura from before. It was an unfathomable, immeasurable, and even stifling pressure. Then, the restless particles around Cillin began to subside. Now this is the real you, isnt it While thinking, Knights leg pushed against the floor once more and heightened his momentum of his charge to the peak. The crackling electricity seemed ready to tear apart even space itself Cillin neither dodged nor used the same deviation tactic as before when he faced down Knights attack. Instead, he chose to meet him head on. He stood there, raised a fist and moved forwards. BANG! BANG! The two sounds had resounded nearly at the exact same time. The impact of their fists clashing against each other caused both Cillin and Knight to fly towards the walls on both sides. The students discussing heatedly outside the training room turned dead silent. It was because they saw a human shaped protrusion jutting out from the wall. These students had trained inside the training room long enough to know exactly how tough the walls strike resistance were. It they tried to leave a footprint on the wall, they could probably kick until their leg bones were fractured and not even leave a curve on the wall. But then, how could they explain the scene before them?! Ci Jincheng and Lungs eyelids twitched continuously. Luckily the duo had not been blown towards the quarantine zone, or the entire quarantine floor would be smashed apart. Knight was very strong. This was something both Ci Jincheng and Lung had known a long time ago. As their contemporary, they would often hear high praises about him from their seniors even though they did not belong in the same field. But what about Cillin? Since when did the Douance Family give birth to such a monster? How could someone who could fight Knight to a standstill possibly be obscure? He was like a bright star hidden in the darkness all this time, watching the world quietly, while displaying a terrific brilliance at a place where no one would know. But no matter what, this star would soon appear before everyones eyes. Since he had walked out of the dark, then his brilliance could no longer be hidden. Chapter 29: The Young Master Lung With A Missing Screw In His Head Chapter 29: The Young Master Lung With A Missing Screw In His Head Both Cillin and Knight were embedded inside the walls at the opposite sides of the training room. Cillin jumped down from the wall and landed on his feet. He moved his arms and rolled his shoulders, and every time he moved clear cracking sounds could be heard from his bones. On the opposite side, Knights condition was about the same. Haha, thats so fun! This is the first time I had such a pleasant fight ever since I came to Seven Lights! Knights laughter was incredibly happy. Watching the duo from the quarantine zone, both Ci Jincheng and Lung felt a constant tic on their faces. Those two were actually King Kongs, right? They literally smashed a human-shaped hole in the wall, and yet after they climbed to their feet and dusted themselves a little, both of them appeared to be perfectly fine! Cillin looked at his clothes. There were a few spots that were obviously charred. Luckily, he had brought a change of clothes to be on the safe side. There was no separate dressing rooms inside the training room, but they were all guys anyway so what was there to be embarrassed about? Just strip and get on with it. While Cillin and Knight were changing their clothes, Lung took out a mini camera and began snapping photos. Hehe, Ill set up an online auction and sell your changing photos later~~ Lung, you planning to decorate the walls as well? Knight lifted his chin and pointed at the two human-shaped depressions on the walls. Ah, worst comes to worst Ill split you half the credits of the sale. Were housemates, right? Speaking of which, Cillin, are you really a B rank genotype? There are many A ranks who are not as good as you. That sure was quite the swift change of subject, but admittedly Knights attention was drawn towards this topic. That is true. I felt like I ran into a tank during that last hit. Knight swung his arms while saying. Surely Cillin had not used much strength when he slapped down the two flying cars, or else the resultant damage would have been far different. Cillin smiled, Its because of my physique. A physique like yours should enter the army. I guarantee that you will rise swiftly just like that second oldest brother of Prides Ji Feihang. Back when he was still a recruit, he took down an entire class on his own. My father called that an A+ physique, and the cause of this phenomenon may be heterosis. Heterosis It was definitely obvious just by listening to Pride and his second oldest brothers name alone. Their parents werent from the same race, so one of the sons were named after his father, and the other his mother. But still, Knight said again, I also know of some people whose parents werent from the same race, but their genotypes were only at rank B, which is leagues apart from their parents rank A But of course, Im not sure about your situation, Cillin. Im not familiar with the Douance Familys state of affairs. Knight was feeling good at the moment and so had a lot to talk about. Lung narrowed his eyes into slits while rubbing his chin, Does that mean that if I find a woman whose race is outside the galaxy, then the chances that our children will have A+ rank genotype will be higher? Ci Jincheng appeared thoughtful, There has been people who researched this, and they believed that the further apart the parents geographies are, the higher it is their chances to give birth to offsprings with better genes. Alright! Lung clapped his hands together, Then I will find a woman outside the galaxy as my wife in the future! Youve decided to exercise self-restraint? Cillin wore a disbelieving look on his face. Thats two different things! My wife has to be from outside the galaxy, but I could hardly ask as much from my lovers. Ceh~~ All three of them scoffed in disdain. Cillin would not tell anyone the truth behind his physique; the chips integrated inside his body were his greatest secret. Outside the training room, when a group of students were discussing whether the people inside were instructors or high grade students, the door of the training room opened. The discussion stopped instantly. Cillin and his friends walked out one by one. They merely swept a glance at the crowd of students gathered outside his training room before walking straight towards the exit. Who are those four? They didnt wear badges, so I cant tell which grade they are. Its them! a high grade student had identified Lung. Lungs name was spread really quickly among the high grade students, because the person they had interacted the most while they were setting up stalls at the trading zone was this young master from the Andrea Family. You mean theyre all this terms first grade new students? Isnt this a little too fierce! some of them gulped as they watched the human-shaped protrusion on the wall. Not even grade five, six and seven students specialized in military would have such destructive power, would they? Not far away, a few grade three students leaning on a handrail withdrew their gaze from Cillins group. Knight Feigler? I didnt think that guy would come to Seven Lights. Didnt he despise all universities that arent military? A youngster wearing a earring said with a tone filled with thick, dripping sarcasm. Oh? You know them, Stolt? Which ones Knight? His companion asked curiously. The young man named Stolt did not answer, seemingly unwilling to delve deeper into the subject. Sister Fu Luo, who do you think is fighting inside just now? The speaker was a younger girl with blinking big eyes and a voice tinged with playfulness. When she smiled, there were two very cute dimples on her cheeks. What do you think? The girl named Fu Rong simply lifted a faint smile, while appearing graceful and pure. Hmm While holding her chin, the younger girl pointed at Knight on the screen, This guy is definitely one of them. His air of battle hasnt subsided yet. she then pointed at Ci Jincheng, This guy is definitely out of the question. As for the remaining two her big eyes roamed between Lung and Cillin before she pointed at Cillin, The chances that this guy is the other fighter is higher. I believe so too. But if even the training room walls were smashed this badly, then why do the two of them look perfectly unhurt? Fu Luo looked at the ruby-like flying car vanishing into the distance with complicated eyes. She felt that the coming days in Seven Lights would be no longer calm. After returning to the accommodation, Cillin took a good bath, ate the fast food prepared by the robot and swiftly went to bed. He needed to enter that state today to analyze in depth todays battle. While asleep, the scene where he sparred with Knight began to replay clearly in his mind. Knights every movement, the contraction of every muscle, the miniscule changes in the air, the splitting of particles, the generation of electricity everything began to replay in high definition slow-mo. This time, Cillins sleep did not last too long, however. At the very least, he woke up on the next morning. After checking the time display on top of the bed, he scratched his head and went down ready to wash himself. There was already the smell of breakfast coming from below. The second he went down, he saw Lung crossing his legs and exclaiming at the Teacher Information Display on the accommodation education platform. Look, this teacher has such beautiful eyes; they look just like shit! Cillin: Is that praise or slander? Ci Jincheng was applying egg yolk jam to his bread in front of the dining table, when he heard Lungs words and felt his hands coming to a stop. He frowned at the egg yolk jam and suddenly lost his appetite. Cillin did not care too much for it; he urgently needed to replenish the energy from exhausting his brainpower. After instructing the robot to make five sets of the same breakfast, he grabbed the hotdog on the table and took a bite, Wheres Knight? Lung pointed upwards, Hes fixing some kind of wireless jammer on the roof. Right, Cillin, we can use the internet now. JIncheng had installed something that would keep the people from the management division from investigating our real information. In other words, even if we swear at the headmaster on the Seven Lights Net, we wont need to worry about being discovered and have our marks deducted. Its not just Seven Lights Net. It will work on Sector Bs University Alliance Network as well. Ci Jincheng said firmly. Thats awesome! I had a flash of inspiration last night and I came up with a love letter. Im going to send this to every pretty girl in Sector Bs universities! Lung excitedly took out his tablet. Cillin and Ci Jincheng moved closer to read exactly what kind of heart touching soulful confession it was. The tablet wrote: You are like an inferno. The moment you appeared, every molecule of my blood cooks my soul until it boils for you alone. That bone deep, scorching passion is what drives me to turn over the entire galaxy to find a carnation for you; unable to pause my footsteps for anyone else, only for you Cillin and Ci Jincheng sweatdropped all over themselves. Ignoring that terrifying phrase about his blood cooking his soul, what in the universe was with that carnation? The two of them pointed at the text Carnation harmonized with pink and rendered in crimson tone before looking at Lung. Hmm? Isnt carnation the symbol of passionate love? Lung widened his eyes with an innocent look on his face. Then what does red rose symbolize? Cillin asked again. Lung said with a even kids know this expression, Of course I know. Its a curse! Cillin, Ci Jincheng: Like hell its a curse! Knight, who just finished installing the wireless jammer and was about to get down ready and flaunt around for a bit, nearly fell off the stairs. What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! Young master Lung, even if youre writing a love letter you cant just misuse the flower language like this! The trio finally gained a profound recognition on exactly which screw was missing from this young masters head. Chapter 30: Life’s Code Chapter 30: Lifes Code On the day of the freshmen inauguration ceremony, Cillins group sat at the last few rows of the auditorium. Cillin was leaning against his chair and sleeping, Knight was playing with a tank model in his hands, Ci Jincheng was reading and Lung was looking left and right for pretty girls. In summary, no one among the group gave two shits about the freshmen representative or the Seven Lights upper managements speeches happening at the center stage. In fact, there should be plenty of students who were just like them. However, Cillin suddenly heard a familiar voice while he was in sleep mode. He awoke and opened his eyes to look at the stage. It was a familiar face. The person giving the speech right now was one of Seven Lights vice headmasters; Chief of Science and Research Division Mo Heng. He was also the old man Cillin had met at the train station in the trade zone. While Cillin was looking over, the speaking Mo Heng suddenly looked at Cillins direction as if he had detected his glance. After a momentary daze, a rather meaningful smile then appeared on Mo Hengs face. The vice headmaster An Ting sitting beside Mo Heng suddenly gave a violent shiver while he was pondering what to have for lunch later, and the moment he looked up, he immediately saw Mo Hengs eerie smile. To the innocent and ignorant, his smile would still appear kindly, but anyone who understood Mo Heng would know that the old devil was up to some wicked plot again! Cillin suddenly felt a chill. What is this vice headmaster planning? When the inauguration ceremony finally ended, the quartet immediately left like the wind. It was boring as hell to sit through the whole thing. After the inauguration ceremony, it was time to officially start class. There were many established curriculum in Seven Lights University. Under academic majors, there were literature, business, theoretical studies, engineering, military and so on. You could pick whatever you want as long as its within your grade, but if a student picked a course and failed the final exam, then all the university had to offer was a sorry: instead of gaining credit, their corresponding credits would be deducted instead. Therefore, a student would generally pick a major that they were familiar with. As long as they accumulated enough credits, they would be able to move on to the next grade. If they failed to meet the minimum requirement, they would have to repeat a year, and if they failed to move up a grade in three years then they would be forced to drop out. On the other hand, if they could accumulate enough credits, then they could apply to move up a grade in advance. The military major was the most male students most looked forward to, but it was also the hardest to acquire credits. That was why those who wanted to major in military must know their own abilities, or it would be too late when they screw themselves. But of course, it was impossible that the university would kill a students passion. Every major had established their own respective elective courses, so those students who were interested in a particular major but werent too sure if they could guarantee those credits could choose to study these elective courses. The credits of these elective courses were only one tenth of the originals, but the good thing was that they were easy to get, and the lecturers were lenient. So the students were rather fond of these elective courses. Ci Jincheng had chosen some of the courses under the literature major, and since he was a specially recruited student, he was judged by a different standard. Lungs main choices fell under the business major, but he also picked up an elective under the literature major because there were more pretty girls over there. To quote his own words, I am there to clean my eyes. Needless to say, Knight had chosen the military major. He was uninterested in anything else. As for Cillin, he chose a few courses in every major, and they were not elective courses either. Basically, he picked everything he could as long as the times didnt clash and was within school hours. It could be said that his schedule everyday was relatively full. Of course, weekends didnt count. The weekend was the time for respite. Since they had different courses, their chances to meet during the day became a lot less. Cillin had bought yet another hoverboard. He couldnt always depend on Lungs flying car after all, and their class times were not exactly the same either. A specially recruited student like Ci Jincheng often stayed overnight at the Science and Research Division, whereas Knight also often stayed overnight at the Training Division. It was convenient after all. Meanwhile, Lung would drive everyday to the trade zone after class and flirt with the high grade students, causing everyone at the trade zone be it male, female, old or young to wish for flying legs to escape whenever they saw Lung. Therefore, as a result, Cillin was the one and only permanent resident of the accommodation. But this wasnt a bad thing; it would make it more convenient for Cillin to deal with a certain matter. If he delayed dealing with that BPT wrapped in eco-film any longer, the poor things gonna drop dead. It was the first weekend after classes had started. Cillin was the only one in the accommodation. Cillin took out a clean tray from the room, tore open the eco-film and placed the vine on it. The surrounding nutrient solution seemed to be of no help to it whatsoever. The green color of its leaves appeared dim, and incredibly weak. Cillin placed a finger on the leaf and closed his eyes, sensing the information transmitted from it. The placement of each cell, the different compositions inside a cell, the decoding of genetic information The relevant data and information flashed across his mind. The biochip integrated within Cillins chromosomes was like a precise instrument analyzing the object he touched. Cillin had a very peculiar feeling. Unlike the other dead, lifeless objects, this beating vibrance caused Cillin to feel like engaging in communication. Cillin seemed to have discover this vines lifes code. By unlocking this code, he would be able to understand the survival conditions of this plant. More accurately speaking, it was what this plant needed the most right now. Cillin could sense clearly what this vine was desiring for. At the same time, he could sense its weakness and insecurity as well. Thoughts? Thats right. This is their thoughts. Cillin remembered Genyas words clearly. Back in those years, Genya had sat under the Fuji tree and told Cillin, Very few people would truly care for the life of a plant, but in truth, a plant is more eager to communicate C the resonance of life can win their affection much easier than an inflexible machine. Of course, Genyas words were actually based on the Fuji tree. The Fuji tree could be counted as among the finest within the plant kingdom, or it could not have possibly been crowned as Elder Tree Fuji. Genya had even said that the finer they were, the clearer their minds were. They were like a specie in between an animal and a plant; the shape of a plant, the mind of an animal. So it would seem that this mutated BPT was actually an evolved breed. Cillin could accurately make contact with its clear thought. Cillin expressed his goodwill as he transmitted his thoughts through the transcoding of the chips inside his body to the leaf. This vine was just like a child who had been separated from its parent. After it came into contact with Cillins goodwill, a long lost sense of security returned as it transmitted its own thoughts. Cillin lifted the tray, looked at the vine inside it, and said quietly in his heart: Dont worry, Im here. Im right beside you. Before he went out Cillin pressed a button setup by Ci Jincheng. Once activated, the people outside would only see a preset scene and not the changes that were actually happening inside the courtyard. On the ground right beneath his bedroom window, Cillin dug open the surface to reveal the soil underneath. He put down the vine and sprinkled a common nutrient solution on it. The vine began to change at a visible rate. The color of the leaves began to turn full of vitality. The vines began to grow, extend, and climbed step by step upwards (T/N: the plants branched tendrils are filled with sticky disks which can be seen as the its feet, hence step by step), and at the same time, its two sides too began to grow offshoots when it had reached a certain level of height. It grew more and more. Cillin sat on the lawn and watched it grow; spreading its way step by step towards its surroundings. In reality these vines did not have high environmental needs, and were pretty easy to grow. It wasnt that the child couldnt absorb the nutrient solutions earlier, but because its wariness was too strong after being separated from its parent. If their wariness could not be appeased, then they would rather wither and return to dust than accept the relief that had been presented right in front of them. The Institute of Botanys instruments at the research zone could analyze in detail the plants genetic code and respective traits. However, it could not communicate with it. This was the difference between life and machine. The miracles of life lay in its inability to be interpreted by words, and yet could be felt clearly as a real, living existence. It was evening. Cillin watched the plants that had covered more than half of the surface of the accommodation and smiled. When those three come back they would be surprised, wouldnt they? Chapter 31: The Humiliation of Twenty Rounds Chapter 31: The Humiliation of Twenty Rounds In less than two days after Cillin had planted the BPT, Lung returned on his flying car and nearly drove straight into the accommodation while he was entering the courtyard. After parking his car in haste, he ran circles around the accommodation and looked all over the plant, clicking his tongue in amazement. Cillin, you have to sell me the cultivation method for this plant! Lung said with bright eyes. Cillin shook his head, The growing conditions of this plant is nothing special. Moreover, Ive only used a single common nutrient solution worth 100 galactic credits. Bullshit, even if you used only a bottle of common nutrient solution, there must be some special way or something. Otherwise, why the heck would those people at the research division come up with nothing despite such a long time? Lung said while fiddling with the leaves of the vines that had climbed up the accommodations walls. This plant sure grows pretty well alright. Cillin shrugged as a sign of his own helplessness and said, Perhaps they need to be soothed. Lung wore a look of suspicion, but then he smiled and replied, You may actually be right. There were certain things that need not be said. They were all smart people; they all kept secrets that were best left unspoken. However, Lung really did pay heed to Cillins words. Cillin was not one to waste his words on random things. He might deceive someone else but not him, because Cillin had promised to sell him the cultivation technique before anyone else long ago. Seeing Lung fiddling with the leaves and examining them, Cillin continued, A child forcefully separated from its parents was threatened to eat by a stranger at knife point. Even if they did acquiesce and eat, how can they possibly grow well? Much less those that are rigorous by nature. Lung took it to heart, You have a point. What happened afterwards was also clear proof of Cillins words. The plant was going to be exposed to the public sooner or later, so when Cillin had withdrawn the preset light screen altogether, the news of this mutated BPT was quickly known by the people of the Science and Research Division. The people of the Institute of Botany had doubtfully cut and propagated the BPT back at the research division, and after less than two days of intensive care, the specimens were all dead. The instrument had shown that the specimen at Cillins accommodation was identical to the one at the institute, and the result of the soil analysis was inconclusive either. It was as Cillin had said; there was only the composition of that 100 galactic credits common nutrient solution. Coincidentally, the person who went to acquire a sample at the planet where the vines parents were grown had returned with a small but complete version of the BPT. After much care, the small specimen finally managed to survive, but its growth was obviously completely incomparable to Cillins. But this was a problem the people of the Institute of Botany should worry about. Cillin had not the time to deal with them; he had plenty of other courses that required his attention elsewhere. Cillins military class could be said to be at its initial phase and was carried out within the school zone only. Every class had emphasized on exercising ones fitness; if their fitness wasnt up to par, then they would be nothing more but a punching bag at the training zone. Only after their fitness had been improved would a student be allowed to continue to the next step of the course at the training division. In a rare occasion, Knight had shown up after skipping three classes. He even wore a I so dont want to be here scowl while standing. The instructor ignored him right away; everyone here knew about the mans identity and abilities anyway. He can do whatever he wants to do. Todays training will be weight running, laps with 100 kg weights. The cutoff is 10 laps. Those who can run 15 laps are exempt from weight running and can proceed directly to the next training. If you can run 20 laps, then you can head to the training division. Theres no need for you to continue wasting time here. The instructor had said this in a very easy tone, but there were plenty of students who were gulping already after after hearing his words. The field was 1 km long per lap, and ten laps would be the equivalent of 10 km. Would they not be as exhausted as a panting dog if they ran the whole length while carrying 100 kg of weight? Both Cillin arms and legs were tied with 25 kg of weights. After some thought, he added yet another 50 kg on his back, or it seriously would not contribute much improvement his physical fitness. Knight grinned immediately after seeing this, Cillin, youre a true man! while saying, he also added 50 kg on his own back. Originally he had planned to get to the training division sooner, but it wasnt a bad idea either to add a bit of challenge to the exercise. Not far away, the instructor and assistant instructors had also turned interested after seeing Cillins actions. Although Cillins performance was pretty good during the past three classes, he always stopped when he had fulfilled his quota. They wondered if running with Knight today would force out this kids abilities. Everyone knew that they should maintain their own pace, but in reality, when so many people started running at once C competitiveness triggered and heads turned hot C some people began to lose control and ran faster than they originally planned to. It was a chain reaction; the moment the people at the back saw that they were about to be left behind, they too began to speed up. Not far away, the instructors sat there leisurely while chatting. One of them pointed at the running students and said, Most of these fellows are B rank genotypes, but are incomparable even against a C rank army. Theyre purely wasting their genetic resources. Thats why I say they needed to get fucked up. Even if we dont judge them by military academy standards, we cant shame our reputation either. After all, people like us who are sent to non-military universities have our names singled out at the GAL headquarters. If these bastards got out and got their asses kicked by the other universities, just imagine how embarrassing itll be when we return to the army. Thats why I asked big boss Huo to force that Knight brat over; its all to teach these usually arrogant bastards a lesson during this class. Hehe, jokes aside, this Knight kid really is pretty good. Of course, just look at his father, would he have taught a terrible son? While the instructors were chatting leisurely, the running Cillin and Knight on the other side were also chatting. They ran near the front of the center of the group. Since Knight was bored, he roped Cillin into chatting with him while running, and it caused everyone around them to stare at them like theyre exotic animals. Are they actually chatting during a weighted run?! The duo paid no heed to things like breathing rhythm or whatever at all. It felt no different from walking and chatting! Fuck, youll regret this when two laps are up! Some people thought on the inside. Cillin knew that Knight was very impatient with the class, but still he underestimated the true depths of his annoyance. It was a waste of time for Knight to attend this kind of class. Then why have you come today? I dont have a choice, Attendance can only be taken by swiping the card, and the number of attendance is calculated into the final result. Uncle Huo Um, that is the chief of training division said that he could help me, but I still gotta show my face once in awhile. Oh right, how are the vines at our accommodation doing? I heard that the people at the Institute of Botany are so frustrated theyre about to lose all their hair. When Cillin had sent both Ci Jincheng and Knight pictures of the vines, they were no less surprised. Not bad. Yesterday those people from the research division had come over to collect some soil again. Tsk, absolutely disdainful. Those idiots have heads made out of rocks And so the duo moved on from the topic of vines to the training divisions high grade training, and then to a military academys training. From the sound of it, the training here really couldnt compare to a military academys training at all. No wonder Knight had looked down upon the people who were complaining about fatigue around them so much. While the duo was chatting, they did not pay attention to the other students running speed, so before they knew it, the duo was beginning to lead at the front of the group. As the students breathing heavily behind them watched the duo chatting easily about nothing, they doubted from the bottom of their hearts if the duos weights were made of bubbles. That Cillin kid is pretty good, yeah? The instructor pointed at their direction. Its the seventh lap already and he looked just like he hadnt run at all. Hes bearing the same 150 kg weight as Knight you know, and his genotype is only rank B. Hes a good seed. Cillin and Knight only knew about running and chatting and did not care about the people behind them at all. Knight didnt even bother remembering the number of laps he ran; in the past he stopped only when he had reached his limits. Slowly, they had left the group behind by more than a lap. The weaker ones were more than 3 laps behind. We ran 10 laps already, right? Cillin asked. Eh, who cares. Lets talk some more. Where were we just now? Sure, lets chat a little more. Once we finished 20 laps well go straight at the training division and register. Haha, youre a true brother! Knight slapped Cillins shoulder and felt very satisfied with Cillins words. Then they continued to talk about the stories at the training division. When Knight talked about the ridicules Pride caused there, he grew even more excited. He was always happy to see Pride make a fool of himself. And so, the entire large field was filled with Knights laughter alone. Oh my god, you have no idea how he looked at the time; I was about to laugh myself to death! Haha! The students who were gritting their teeth and hanging on felt their vision turn black and couldnt wait to blackout. This fucker was trying to drive them to death, wasnt he!? How was he still chatting and laughing after all that!? How were they going to look themselves in the mirror if he could laugh so powerfully even after so many laps? Some of the students felt the duo running past them not long ago, before passing by them again after a short while, and again, and again When Cillin and Knight had finished their 20 laps, some of the students were still running their 10. The instructor had roared earlier that they either finish the 10 laps even if they had to crawl, or have their credits deducted. Comparisons are odious. This was the current thoughts of those students. A few people had personally inspected Cillin and Knights weights after they finished running, and not only were they the real deal, the weights had even exceeded their own. Those people who thought they were good felt so resentful they could spew blood. After the 20 laps were done, and Knight pulled Cillin before the instructor to perform a standard salute, he said in a pleased manner, See, my brother aint bad, eh? Were brothers of the same accommodation! Now then, instructor, a promise is a promise, so we wont be coming over next time. Well be training directly at the training division. After 20 laps were done, Knight and Cillin were only breathing a little heavier. However, their spirit were strong as ever, and they looked like they wouldnt take long to recover. The instructor did not mind Knights tone. This wasnt the real army, and considering this kids terrible temper, that he saluted them and called them by their title were all the face they could want. The instructor waved his hands and smiled, Go on, go on. Keep up the hard work after you reached there! Once the duo had gone far away, the assistant instructor at his side said, I heard a long time ago from the police team about this Cillin kid. He may appear ordinary, but he definitely has some serious tricks up his sleeves. His stamina is easily a match for Knights. Chapter 32: Caught By The Vice Headmaster For Skipping Class Chapter 32: Caught By The Vice Headmaster For Skipping Class Naturally, Cillin was happy that he could go straight to the training division to train, but it had also brought him a problem C a schedule clash. This was because the training divisions class time was not entirely similar to the military class time. In addition, even if he were to take a direct shuttle from the school zone to the training zone, it would still take him more than half an hour of flight time. Cillin did not have special privilege like Knight, so he had no choice but to selectively skip a few classes. He should be able to pass the final exam as long as he didnt skip too many classes. If it wasnt for the fact that attendance was tied to credits, there were many classes that Cillin didnt need to attend. He only needed to look at the materials once to learn them, so even if he went, he would just be sleeping in class. It was only when he encountered more advanced or interesting materials would he pluck himself up and listen for a moment. There werent many advanced materials for first grades after all; if he could accumulate enough credits sooner, he would be able to apply for high grade courses then. At the training divisions shooting range. The students were doing target practice; 100 shots at high speed moving targets. The result of the practice were as followed: Knight had the highest hit rate at one hundred percent. The next was Pride, also scoring a hundred percent but used two more seconds than Knight. The third was Cillin, with a ninety nine percent hitting rate. At first Cillins results had surprised everyone, but they got used to it later on. A few target practices passed, and Cillin constantly sat at third place by missing one or two shots. What a black horse. He may not compare to Knight and Pride, but hes not far away from some of the high grade students already. The person calculating the scores said. It is a little regretful. That Cillin kid had missed yet another shot. If he didnt miss that, he might have been able to compete with Pride for second place. Another person also said. Huo Neil frowned and did not say anything. He always came over and observed the two little ancestors Knight and Pride when they had their classes to prevent landing into a situation where it would be awkward for him to explain it to certain people in the army. But after every shooting class, Huo Neil kept feeling that something was off with that Cillin kid, even though he couldnt quite get his fingers on it. After the target practice had ended, Cillin withdrew his gun and turned around, getting ready to leave. Coincidentally, Pride was also heading towards the exit, and after he saw Cillin, he lifted his chin and said, Yo, Forever Third (T/N: Literally it would mean, the third for ten thousand years. Basically hes saying that Cillin is always at third place). No one is competing with you to see who can lift their chins higher. Now get lost, you snotty brat who can choke himself while eating fish. Knight said derisively while walking over from behind Pride. It was obvious that Knights words had struck Pride in a sore spot. That one incident where he choked on a fish had turned him into a laughing stock. After glaring indignantly at the duo, Pride humphed once before lifting his chin and left. Knight twitched his mouth at Prides back and said, No need to bother with that snotty brat, cmon, lets go get a drink. The food at the training division aint bad; do you know that back in military school, they barred us from drinking and starved us so bad In truth, Cillin didnt mind placing at third place at all. He could absolutely hit all the targets in half of Knights time, but by doing so, he would without a doubt bring a whole lot of suspicion and trouble upon himself. Cillin did not plan to stand out too much; as long as he could enjoy the benefits of being part of the top three, it would be fine. The rest should play out just right. There were many types of courses in the training zone. Other than shooting, there was also military theory, military geography, cooperative tactics, driving techniques of battleships, airplanes, tanks and so on. Cillin had learned quite a bit during middle school himself, but those days didnt last long. Today, Cillin had skipped his class at the school zone and took the passenger car that goes directly from the school zone to the training zone. The transport didnt fly for long before it came to a sudden stop. Apparently a conflict between two students had caused a small problem in the passenger cars energy system. Cillin checked the time. The passenger cars energy system should take about half an hour to repair, but he was still in time for class. Lets take a nap. Vaguely, Cillin heard a conversation from not far away. Today is my lucky day! Thank you elder Mo, thank you for your efforts elder Mo! Cillin even felt someone looking at his direction, so he opened his eyes and turned around to look. It was at this moment, he knew he fucked up. It really is you, kid. How dare you play truant! It was none other than Mo Heng. Good day Headmaster Mo! Cillin stretched the corners of his mouth. No matter how he looked at it, Mo Hengs smile was giving him the creeps. Mo Heng no longer bothered with the driver or the people around him, squinting his eyes while walking over with steady steps. He said unhurriedly, You should be attending an engineering course now, shouldnt you? The machine manufacturing class? Okay, youve actually paid attention me for a long time now, havent you sir? How am I going to refute you if you can even tell what classes Im attending? He looked at Cillins backpack, Going to the training division? Yeah Rejected. Follow me, I have something to talk with you. After taking two steps and turning around, seeing that Cillin hadnt moved his white eyebrows lifted upwards, Faster! What are you dawdling about for; youre wasting the other passengers time! Cillin forced himself to follow Mo Heng and got out of the passenger car. Headmaster Mo He still had shooting class at at the training division today. It was to be included in the usual results. Mo Heng lifted a hand and stopped him. He dialed his communicator right in front of Cillin, which was connected almost instantly by the other party as Huo Neils hologram appeared above the device. Little Nail, Im taking Cillin. Yessir! Hes all yours sir! It was a very powerful, very clean, very decisive answer without even a speck of hesitation in it. Cillin: After cutting off the communicator, Mo Heng sat in his private car and beckoned proudly with his finger, Be a good boy, will you? Come and take a trip with this old man. Mo Heng had taken this path only because he had some unexpected business today, but he didnt expect to run into a passenger car with a malfunctioning energy system, so he lent a hand and shrank the repair time from half an hour to just five minutes. It was also thanks to this coincidence that Mo Heng caught Cillin playing truant. Cillin sat in Mo Hengs private car and arrived at the research divisions mechanical engineering lab. With Mo Heng leading the way, Cillin met almost no resistance when he walked inside. Mo Heng threw a set of overalls at him, Change into these and follow me. Cillin didnt know what Mo Heng is planning, but he still did as he said. He followed Mo Heng into a workshop. The interior of the room was scattered with parts. You have half an hour to assemble a complete machinery. If the machinery does not pass QA (T/N: Quality Assurance) then it will also count as a fail, and if you fail, then youll be staying here for the day and score zero marks for that machine manufacturing class of yours as well! once said and done, Mo Heng closed the door and locked it. Facing towards the tightly shut steel door, Cillin scratched his head, let out a sigh and looked around the workshop. Cillin needed only a glance to be able to differentiate which parts could be joined with one another, but if he was to assemble them into a complete machinery, he would always be missing a few parts. Cillin did not begin his work right away. Instead he swiftly categorized the parts and memorized the positions of each part after they would be assembled into a machine. As he continued to categorize the parts, the many mechanical blueprints in Cillins head gradually became whole. Mo Heng had given him thirty minutes, but because there were too many parts in this workshop, he took twenty minutes just to sort out the parts alone. Ten minutes left it should be enough time, I think. Out of the seven heaps of parts, there were only two that could be assembled into a full machinery. Cillin chose the slightly easier heap and began assembling. While sitting at his office and looking at the display, Mo Heng let out a pleasant smile. Mo Heng had tested other students in the research division with the parts in that workshop as well. But they either could not assemble a full machinery, or discover only a full assembly. But Cillin was able to find both assemblies in such a short time. The time limit given to other test students was ten hours, and there were no lack of specially recruited students among them either! That was why Mo Heng had told Cillin that he had the right to be specially recruited. Chapter 33: Quick, Bow To Your Master! Chapter 33: Quick, Bow To Your Master! Cillin recalled the memory of Mo Heng assembling the parts back at the train station in his head: The force of every finger, the angle and accuracy of every connection After glancing once at his chosen heap of parts, Cillin almost never looked away from the parts in his own hands. But somehow, Cillin was always able to grab the correct parts needed for the next step of the assembly instantly. At first, Cillins speed was a little slow. But once he got used to that kind of finger control and calculation of the accuracy of his assembly on the fly, his hands began to move quicker. While he watched Cillin assembling in his office, Mo Heng grew so excited that his entire body began to shake. He stood up from his chair while still shaking and zooming in on the screen, staring at the art-like assembly. The further he went, the faster Cillins assembling speed grew. Not only did his accuracy not fall, it even trended to increase even further. Mo Heng stared closely at the screen and said to the computer, Analyze overall accuracy. Scanning overall accuracy at 97% of theoretical value. Scanning overall accuracy at 98% of theoretical value. Scanning overall accuracy at 99% of theoretical value. Scanning overall accuracy at 99.2% of theoretical value. Scanning overall accuracy at 99.3% of theoretical value. Scanning overall accuracy at 99.5% of theoretical value. In the end, the overall accuracy had reached 99.5% of the theoretical value, and every step he took afterwards reached 99.95%. Be it assembling one part or multiple parts at once, his accuracy was always 99.95%! The overall accuracy was calculated by putting through the many parameters acquired after scanning into a number of technical formulae. The higher the overall accuracy, the closer the assembler was to that legendary point. Inside the workshop, Cillin had assembled the heap of parts into specific units and components. Then he put these units and components through one final assembly. Mo Heng didnt even need to test for the assemblys circuits or correctness to know that it would definitely work; that it was definitely at excellent grade! At the ninth minute, Cillin completed his work and pressed a button on the assembled machine. Other than the stabilizing bottom, a large majority of the upper part of the half-an-arm tall machine began to open up like flower petals. It was like the blooming of a skeletal flower accompanied by a crystalline music, causing someone to feel as if they had stumbled slowly out of the darkness after a long, long wait to welcome that very first ray of light. Cillin finally understood why so many engineers were obsessed with these things. He watched the machine that he had assembled with his own hands and felt a childish joy in his heart. It was incredibly touching. Cillin sat there cross-legged on the floor, and while listening to the flowing music, fell into a trance while watching the machine; watching them expanding and collapsing, blooming and closing just like rebirth. It wasnt until Mo Heng opened the door of the workshop that Cillin finally came to. Mo Heng walked before Cillin and sat down on where he stood, Cillin, do you know about the Golden Point? (T/N: Not to be confused with golden ratio or that other golden point. Its a new concept. Also, testing out Italics to see if its more friendly to the readers. Do comment and tell me!) Cillin shook his head. The first year courses did not venture deeply into many content, and the relevant books that Cillin read previously did not mention this either. Most books would not mention this, because it is something that exists only within our circle. The correct parts, the correction position, the literal perfect assembly accuracy within the shortest time. The point that satisfies all those requirements is called the Golden Point. While speaking, Mo Heng took out the computers calculation results while Cillin was assembling. Cillin frowned at the 99.95% at the end. There was actually no increase at all during the last stages of the assembly. Mo Heng pointed at those 99.95% at the end and said, When this number reaches 100%, then you would have achieved the Golden Point. Cillin, youre not bad at all. I can see that you havent done this much, but you are already much better than some of the teachers in Seven Lights to be able to reach 99.95%. Have you reached the Golden Point, elder? Cillin looked at Mo Heng. At this, Mo Hengs voice turned forlorn. No. No one even in the entire Galactic Alliance has reached it. We have always been getting closer to the Golden Point, but no one was actually able to reach it. Some said that the Golden Point is just a theoretical limit that is impossible to achieve, but I have always believed that the Golden point is achievable! Cillin kept his head down and watched the machine still blooming and closing before him, listening quietly to Mo Hengs story. Many of these knowledge could not be learned from books. After talking about some matters relating to the Golden Point, Mo Heng continued to sigh, I am old. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. Even if I know what I should be paying attention to when assembling, even if I know where I can improve further, but my hand speed and control still cannot reach the form I had imagined in my mind. Slapping his his hands on his knees, he sighed as if he wanted to vent every bit of regret inside his heart. Then he glanced at Cillin still keeping his head down and C this brat isnt reacting at all! Lets give it another shot! Mo Heng sighed again with even more sadness of a hero at his twilight, I will reach a higher point in my life no longer, and my biggest regrets is none other than the fact that I have no successor. My son has chosen the army, and there wasnt any students that I was particularly satisfied with back when I was still a teacher in my younger years, unlike those old bastards in the Alliance who had the good luck to run into a good disciple. Ah, this is fate! How nice would it be, if I had met someone of your talents earlier. While sighing, Mo Hengs eyes glanced towards Cillins direction. The latter continued to bow his head and said not a word. His expression was hidden from sight either. Mo Heng swore in his heart. You little shit, I already made it as clear as it can be; cant you show me any signs at all? Logically speaking, shouldnt this be the part where you excitedly recommend yourself?! How stupid do you have to bit grab hold of such a precious opportunity! So stupid! Blockhead! Sir Mo seemed to have forgotten that he was praising a certain blockhead just now. Seeing that Cillin refused to give any reaction, Mo Heng got angry. Would it kill you to react a bit?! Cillin was tempted to laugh. With Mo Hengs quick, bow to your master! look and that intense gaze he threw over from time to time, it would be hard not to know what Mo Heng was thinking. However, as a Hunter, his days in Seven Lights were limited. He would leave as soon as his mission was complete. What would happen when Cillin Douance disappears from the peoples eyes? You know, there are so many specially recruited students Dont talk to me about those specially recruited students! They cant achieve what I want, and they are put under the names of other mentors. Their direct mentor isnt me either. Cillin pressed his forehead under Mo Hengs terrific gaze and said, Im lacking in many expertise, and since Ive picked up so many classes, I should obtain those credits as well. I dont have too much time Before Cillin could finish Mo Heng waved his hand grandiosely, Those courses are mostly form without substance; to attend them will just be a complete waste of time! Ill give you your credits directly; Ill be interested to know which chief mentor dares to question me! Cillin sweatdropped in his heart. Oh vice headmaster Mo, you must not speak of this outside, or every teacher and student in Seven Lights will be holding a grudge. So? Are you going to become my disciple or not?! Seeing Mo Hengs eyebrows slowing trending towards a vertical line, Cillin considered for a moment before finally saying, How about this. Ill work as a trainee under you, and if youre satisfied with my performance, then well talk about this again. Is that okay? Forget becoming a trainee or whatever; it sounds ugly. Youll work as a research assistant. Alright, Ill become a research assistant as you say. Cillin didnt know that for individuals like Mo Heng, a research assistant was the equivalent of a disciple. And so without Cillins knowledge, Mo Heng had labeled Cillin as his research assistant a.k.a disciple right away. Now that Mo Heng was happy, he pinched Cillins cheeks and said, What else are you dissatisfied about with the Chief of Research Division teaching you personally?! Youre totally taking this for granted, arent you kid?! Yes yes, Im taking it for granted, Im taking it for granted. Cillin did not struggle and allowed Mo Heng to pinch both sides of his cheeks and shake them. Sigh, why does this old man like to pinch someones cheeks so much. Its almost swollen already. What Cillin didnt know was that Mo Hengs son, the GAL army general, had carried baby fat on his face before he entered higher military university at fifteen years old. Chapter 34: We Have A Mission Chapter 34: We Have A Mission Mo Heng had tweaked the research institutes access system on that same day. Cillin was the only person who could enter the research institute while wielding a Crimson card; a place where not even many specially recruited students had the authority to enter. Luckily, most of the institutes members were cooped up inside the research division, or the news of Cillin given special favor by the assistant headmaster would be known by many people. Many of the first year courses Cillin had chosen were given approval by Mo Heng to skip entirely. Since the vice headmaster himself had given his word, none of the chief mentors dared to say anything either. Mo Heng had even specially granted Cillin a personal workshop, so Ciilins commute now basically consisted between the research divisions workshop, the training division and the accommodation only. Since he didnt need to attend many of the courses and rarely showed up, for most of the Seven Lights students, Cillin had basically no presence whatsoever. For the past few days, Mo Heng had told Cillin a lot of mechanical knowledge and benefiting him greatly. His overall accuracy had risen to 99.96%. Please do not look down on this 0.01% increase, for the number of people who achieved 99.97% like Mo Heng, in the entire galaxy could be counted on two hands and they were all famous authority figures like Mo Heng in GAL. Meanwhile there were hundreds of known people who could achieve 99.96%, and up to thousands to tens of thousands people who could achieve 99.95% overall accuracy. The higher the number, the harder it was to improve. Beyond 99.95%, not many people could improve by another 0.01% even after an entire lifetime of effort. Only those who achieved 99.90% overall accuracy could be considered high-end talents. Those who were unable to reach this standard basically had no say in this circle whatsoever. The mechanical mentors in Seven Lights were all 99.90% and above, and the chief mentors could achieve 99.96%. Therefore, Mo Heng was no less proud at Cillins improvement. He was proud at his own wise decision to save Cillins time from those garbage mentors, and even prouder that he finally had an excellent disciple. If those mentors knew that they were garbage in the vice headmaster Mo Hengs mind, they might spew blood from sheer anger. There was a time when Cillin went to look for Mo Heng, and the latter was talking with an unknown person on the communicator. That cockiness of his was just missing a wagging tail. Since Mo Heng was very proud of his disciple, he therefore expressed it directly by pinching Cillins cheeks more and more frequently. Cillin felt keenly that his cheeks was beginning to put on some weight. Today, Cillin was assembling some parts Mo Heng had given him in the workshop. Mo Heng had gone out on an errand, and an errand meant that he had left Planet Seven Lights itself, although his destination was a question mark. But before Mo Heng had left, he wore a radiant look as if he was expecting something while he was assigning Cillin a task. His gaze on Cillin also grew more and more kindly, causing Cillin to feel a chill up his spine. After knowing Mo Heng for some time, Cillin also knew that whenever his Chief revealed such a smile, he must have a rotten idea in mind! in actuality, Mo Heng was going to visit an old friend and show off while he was there. Cillins hand speed was incredibly quick. There was a computer at the side capturing the entire process while calculating his overall accuracy at the same time. Every time he finished assembling a machine, Cillin was required to write an assembly report about his findings and thoughts. This was something Mo Heng had especially emphasized and also something everyone in the research division must perform. A member of the research division must be flexible and have their own opinions and beliefs. These were Mo Hengs words as the Chief of the Research Division. Cillin believed that he could still increase his speed further while preserving his accuracy. Time is life. These were simple words that even a child was overly familiar with. But the Hunters who walked among the galaxies were very conscious of this fact. Be it accidental or intentional, if he was ten thousandth of a second too slow to repair certain malfunctioning parts of a warship, then the chance that everyone dies from that implicit threat would grow continuously. Its not to say that Cillin was oh-so-noble or anything, but only a capable person would be accepted quickly by a Hunter regiment and walk further into the universe. For the Vanguard and for himself, only by having this mindset would he be able to carve a better living. After finishing the assembly of the machine, Cillin took a look at the data on the logger, picked up a report and began summarizing his thoughts and findings on it. It was at this moment that the doorbell rang, and judging from its rhythm Cillin could already guess who it was. A head poked inside after the door was opened. Seeing that Cillin was writing a report and not assembling, her intelligent eyes immediately curved into crescent slits. Luckily, youre not assembling a machine. I was worried that I would disturb your work. A young girl wearing an innocent and charming smile walked in. It was the girl who commented on Cillin and the others with Fu Luo back at the teaching building. You came at the right time. I just finished assembling. Cillin said. The young girl was also one of the research divisions specially recruited student belonging to the design institute. Her name was Ling Long, 16 years old and also a first grade student. She seemed to have some background as well, although not many people knew what kind of background she had. They only knew that many of the chief mentors in the research division had treated her quite well. Cillin had ran into Ling Long by coincidence when he came over to the research division, and she had pulled him asking about the details of the battle between Knight and him. Since then, Ling Long would visit Cillin whenever she was free, saying that the rest of the people in the research division were boring, and that she found Cillin rather agreeable. When the conversation had happened, they were at the research divisions dining hall, not to mention that she did not lower her voice as well. So the people around them heard her and showered Cillin with odd and ambiguous looks. She was the research divisions famous little elfin beauty, and he was Chief Mo Hengs favorite pupil. They were the literal image of an ideal couple. Cillin simply smiled at their ambiguous gazes. He knew that Ling Long was a person of hidden depth despite her innocent appearance. She was most definitely not as innocent as she looked. Moreover, on the first day Cillin and Ling Long had eaten their meal together at the dining hall, Mo Heng had told him to keep some distance between him and Ling Lung if possible. Cillin could also see that Mo Hengs attitude towards Ling Long was friendly but distant. As for the reason, Mo Heng wasnt willing to tell him, so Cillin wouldnt ask either. Ling Long touched the machine Cillin just finished assembling, and while looking over it, curiously said, Cillin, someone is gonna treat us at our institute today. A BIG treat. His son was born recently and he was going to celebrate it with a feast. Everyone in the institute is allowed to bring their own friends. So, are you going or not? Are you asking me to sponge off him? Cillin answered with a smile while still jotting on his report. Ling Lung stared at Cillin and blinked, Its not like its our first time; last time the communications institute had a treat, we sponged off them as well, didnt we? Cmon, lets go. While saying she even bumped Cillin a little with her elbow. Just as Cillin was about to answer, his communicator suddenly rang. Sorry, excuse me for a moment. Cillin walked into a rest bay next to the workshop. No one would be able to hear him from the outside. The one who called him was Knight. Usually, Knight would not call Cillin on his work time, but after seeing the ITE (T/N: ͼΰ. Dont ask me what this means; I cant find it anywhere as well so Im assuming that its a name of sorts) pictographic signal on the display, Cillin immediately shied away from Ling Long and connected at the rest bay. The signal meant Urgent. What is it? Cillin asked. Cillin, weve got a job to do!! Knight appeared very excited on the display. After holding back for such a long time, he could finally unleash himself. Tell me. Cillin knew that the mission must not be simple for Knight to react so intensely. Knight straightened his face and asked, Do you know about Seven Lights asteroid experimental stations? I do. There were a few asteroids not far away from Planet Seven Lights, and Seven Lights experimental stations were built on top of them. There was a station on each asteroid, so one might see exactly how grand Seven Lights was. The reason for their locations was because certain experiments were too dangerous to conduct on Seven Lights, such as wide range communication interference, high risk bio-virus experiments, wide range radioactive weapons research and so on. That was why the extraterrestrial experimental stations were built. Ci JIncheng was performing research on one such communications station on an asteroid right now. Something happened at the bio-virus station. Uncle Huo did not explain the exact details; these are Seven Lights confidential secrets. This time, those people from the army allocated at the police and security division have joined the operation team as well. At first, Uncle Huo wasnt ready to allow a student to participate, but there were some students who applied multiple times to join in the operation, so now it was changed to allow only the top performing students to join. Everyone else is out of the question. There were only four grades in the military, and there was no fifth, sixth or seventh grade. If a student performed excellently within these four years, then they would be recommended into the military. Normally speaking, such people were few and far between. In total, there were two second grade students, and three each for third and fourth grade. Originally none of us first grades were allowed to join C I couldnt change Uncle Huos mind even though I blocked his room entrance for a whole day C but after I contacted my grandpa, he finally added my name into the operation team. But that Pride brat, hehe, hes not allowed to join in; his family wouldnt allow him to. Still, I figured that he definitely wont give up this easily. He should be persuading his second oldest brother Ji Feihang or thinking of a way to contact his grandpa right now. They are the only ones who might agree to this. Knight said gloatingly. As the Chief of Training Division, Huo Neil knew both Knight and Prides identities very well. If the mission wasnt dangerous to a certain level, he would not have acted so firmly. So, what do you think Cillin? Are you interested to join in? Knight asked. Yeah, sure, I look forward to it. Cillin smiled and answered. His hands were getting a little itchy from underuse. Alright, Ill talk to Uncle Huo directly. Come over now, we have to prep before the operation starts. After he hung up, Cillin came out and smiled apologetically at Ling Long, Something came up. I cant go sponge off the table with you. Ling Longs delicate nose twitched while she drew lines across the floor, Fine, Ill go eat two portions on my own! Buh-bye! After Ling Long left, Cillin swiftly finished his almost completed report and began tidying up the mess inside the workshop. Five minutes later, he picked up his backpack and left on his hoverboard. in a room inside the research division, Ling Long watched Cillins back hurriedly leaving on a hoverboard in a monitor and frowned. She flipped open the communicator in her hands and called a number. The person on the other side had connected swiftly. Ling Longs eyebrows tightened deeper and deeper as she listened to the report from the other side. Chapter 35: Preliminary Test Chapter 35: Preliminary Test When Cillin arrived at the training division, Knight had already talked to Huo Neil about Cillins participation. However, Huo Neil only allowed Cillin to enter the preliminary list. He wasnt the only one; all ten Seven Light students must participate in the preliminary test, and if they failed they would be barred from this operation. They were just students and not soldiers after all; it was necessary that their overall qualities reached a certain standard. A real battlefield was nothing like a usual examination. The ten students C no, wait, it should be eleven, because Pride had run over and passed his communicator to Huo Neil with an excited look on his face when the test was about to begin. At the time, Huo Neil already had a bad feeling about this, and when he received Prides communicator and walked into his office to listen, he soon came out with a constipated look on his face. Huo Neil felt that his future was bleak as he watched the chin-lifting Pride and Knight denouncing each other. And so, Pride joined in the test as well. The first subject on the test was shooting. The guns handed out to each person were different from the ones normally used during training. The bullets were slightly bigger, and their firing speed was slightly slower. Moreover, not only were their targets not slow, they were also very aggressive as well. Everyone had put on a protective suit. These protective suits all had sensors on them, and they were set at a maximum 10 points. If anyones points fell below 5 after the test, they would be eliminated. Therefore, this preliminary test challenged a students shooting ability, responsiveness, adaptability and more. Moreover, the students had also realized that this operation was different from norm and guessed vaguely the reason behind it. As long as they held fear inside their hearts, their reactions would become less calm and crisp. Their shooting abilities would be noticeably affected. The soldiers would be able to see their results on the screen outside the test field displaying the number of hits, accuracy and deducted points within the given time limit. This was a group operation. No soldier would acknowledge you if your capabilities werent above a certain standard. They would not feel safe fighting together with you, much less trusting you their backs. All ten people were scattered at ten different locations within the test field, and every test field had a total target score of one thousand. Their first priority was to eliminate all targets within the time limit. On the test field, Cillin walked to the entrance after he had finished adjusting his equipment. The lighting of the test field was dim, and the simulated environment was a dark and humid atmosphere. He could clearly sense something moving about restlessly within the darkness. Whoosh A medium dog-sized black shadow charged towards him. Cillin raised his gun, bang, and took it down in one shot as the black shadow shattered and disappeared. Then there were two black shadows, four black shadows, eight After he got used to the bullets speed and recoil, it could be counted as smooth sailing despite the increasing number of targets. The longer the test continued, the more black shadows there were, and the stronger their offensive power became as well. There were a few times Cillin was barely able to slip through the attacks. He wouldve been hit if it wasnt thanks to his swift reactions. He would open fire and attack his targets while he was dodging a number of sudden attacks at the same time. As long as he kept his targets from closing on the him en masse, he would have the space to avoid them, and as long as there was such a space, Cillin would be able to perform the quickest and most convenient response. Strangely enough, Cillin was astoundingly calm. He felt neither fear nor worry. It was like he was eating a bowl of noodle; watching them disappear into his mouth as he ate them with a pair of chopsticks little by little. That was all. At the same time, the crowd was observing the ten participants performances from the display outside the test field. There were two students who were affected by the interior environment and atmosphere, feeling a hint of fear the moment they entered inside. Adding to that a change of firearms and the miscalculation of the bullets speed, it didnt take long before they started to get hit, and five minutes later, both the sensors on their protective suits had fallen below 5 points and looking to drop further. Huo Neil had them pulled out immediately from the test field. There was no longer any need for them to continue. The two people who were disqualified when the preliminary test had barely started took off their helmets while appearing defeated and very dispirited. An instructor counseled them at the side. As the test continued, three more people were eliminated. There were only five people left inside the test field now. Knight was still the first person to eliminate all targets within the specified time limit. He appeared calm after he walked out of the test field. He had performed exercises like these since he was young, and Pride was probably in the same situation as well, which was why Knight was only looking at Cillins display after he came out. Before long, Pride had come out as well. He appeared somewhat dissatisfied upon seeing Knights figure, but still he lifted his chin high and humphed once. Cillin was the third to walk out of the test field. He had gathered all the necessary data, and at the same time, he also predicted that Knight and Pride shouldve completed their respective tests and were waiting outside, so there was no longer any need to drag this any longer. He walked out after swiftly executing the remaining dozens of targets. Other than the trio, there were also two students who hung on until they exceeded the time limit. However, the points on their protective suit did not fall below the cut-off line, so they were considered to have passed as well. Knight, Pride and Cillins grades were excellent, whereas the other two students were passable. After the preliminary test was over, the next was an antibody allergy reaction test. The five students who had passed through the preliminary test were injected with a small amount of antiserum. If their body could adapt to the serum and not trigger an allergic reaction, then they would pass and be able to join the other comrades ready and waiting on the transports. So it would seem that the targets we are to eliminate this time not only have incredible offensive power, but also poison. Cillin thought while analyzing the antibodies injected into his body. After the antiserum was injected, Cillin then deduced its antigen from the antibody, and after combining the test fields environmental conditions and relevant data on their targets, Cillin dare said that their targets this time were rodents. And what kind of rodents had powerful reproductive capabilities, loves to live in dark environments and were widely used in biological tests? Mice!! If they were really as big as the targets at the test field, then Cillin really hadnt seen seen such a big mouse in his life yet. The good news was that none of them were allergic after the antibody allergy reaction test was over. It was an emergency situation, and there was no time to provide the five students with any additional orders at all. All the equipment was readied just as the five students completed their tests, and they were sent directly up the transports by a very reluctant Huo Neil. The relevant information would be explained on the warship. The transports transported the soldiers and students onto the warship parked at the spaceport. When he saw the warship, Knight let out a whistle, A military warship armed with heavy weaponry and high-end Sentinel defense system. It looks like this incident is pretty serious after all. Still, the garrison wasnt alerted, so it cant be that bad. After entering the warship, every man and woman on the warship, be it the operation members or the warships pilots, were injected with a lot more antibodies than during the allergy test. After the injection was over, every member was even given two antiserums to be used in case the injected antiserum did not work. Chapter 36: Approach Chapter 36: Approach While the warship flew, Huo Neil began debriefing them on the current mission. The huge screen began displaying the three dimensional map of a planet that showed the layout of the station. Half a year ago, when the bio station was disposing the assumed dead mice during a failed experiment, they found out that one of them had gone missing. There was a hole in the sealed container, and the many attempts to search for it were met with no results whatsoever. Twenty days ago, an abnormal situation had occurred at the waste treatment plant on the other side of the planet. Three workers had gone missing, and there were bloody torn overalls found on the scene and several instruments with claw marks on them. Since then, similar incidents kept happening at the treatment plant. Ten days ago, the base sent out a small patrol unit to investigate, and half a day, later the entire units biosignals had disappeared one after another. Communication had come to no avail. Huo Neil switched to the next image. The image showed a black mouse that was half a meter long even after discounting its tail, After that, a large number of patrol units were dispatched, and just three days ago they had discovered the cause. It was these black mice that had caused the current grim situation. Through Huo Neils presentation, the group was made to understand that these black mice had incredible vitality. In the station, the confirmation of death of the subjects used in experiments were very strict. Theres a time requirement that stated that a subject must show no signs of life for twenty four hours straight before they could be confirmed dead. Moreover, they were also sealed under ultra low temperatures while being transported to the treatment plant. Normally speaking, even a live mouse would be frozen to death under -80C, not to mention that it had to pass through yet another test for signs of life so that there would no room for error. But that lab mouse managed to bite through the sealed container and escaped, so one could see just how tough this mutated mouse was. At the time, the escaped black mouse had undergone a strengthening agent experiment. Later on, it mutated after being subjected to UV sterilization and ultra low temperature during its transport and, after it escaped the station, it endured the effects of magnetic fields and radiation outside and mutated again to become what it was right now. After a great sacrifice, the stations patrol units finally brought back a live, juvenile black mouse. The antiserum youve injected is supplied by the stations personnel. However, these black mice mutates very quickly, so theres no telling how useful the antiserums will still be when the time comes. So Ill be warning all of you here beforehand C dont think youre immune just because youve been injected the antiserum! Huo Neil said seriously. After the debriefing was complete, Huo Neil split up the five thousand strong operatives into ten big battalions. The five students were plugged into five of them. Pride and Knights respective battalion commander were Gerrard and Huo Neil. The two of them would be led personally by the head of the training division and police division; they couldnt entrust them to anyone else without feeling worried. Cillin was assigned in the seventh battalion. After readying their equipment, they were to gather as a battalion an hour later. The five students had put their equipment together, and while they were tidying up they talked about some impressions along the way. Hard, one of the two people who passed the preliminary test had a forthright attitude, and he quickly chatted up to Knight in no time. Say, how do you guys think it became a large scale mouse infestation even though it was only one lab mouse that escaped? Huo Neil had asked this question before, but there was still no answer yet. Therefore everyone was just making guesses at the moment. It went out and found a doe, I guess? The last person of the five man group, Sird said. Sird might not be as bold and direct as Hard was, but he wasnt too far behind. He was Hards childhood friend, and his father held a post in the GAL army at one of the ten business Sectors. Bullshit, theres no life outside the station, not to mention the strong magnetic fields and radiations. Even if there is, they would have been cleaned up already when the station was built. Knight said while wearing his combat suit. I guess our targets are pretty tough then. Sird sighed. Hmph, if youre afraid to die then dont go! Pride said scornfully. Sird took no notice to his words. After being in the training division for such a long time, everyone knew the young masters temper. Cillin, what are your thoughts? Knight asked. Cillin arranged the tools in his waist pack for a little. Many asteroids have erratic magnetic fields, so it was impossible to use subspace containers. In the end, he had to rely on himself to carry them. My thoughts? I dont have any, really. I do have some advices though. Oh? Do tell. Knight asked curiously. We should think less about how many mutated black mice were going to kill, and more on how to retreat safely when the need arises. Cillin barely finished his words before Pride scoffed disdainfully, Coward. Fine, Im a coward. I have no intentions of turning into those black little mutated things shit just like those workers at the waste treatment plant; leaving behind only a few shreds of stained cloth, having even their bones dragged off to feed its offsprings Cease your scaremongering! Pride yelled out. They had to admit that Cillins words did cause a chill among them. Hehe, actually, all we need to do is to take them out. Thats what our weapons for, right? Sird lifted the gun in his hands. No, its just that I have a feeling that the situation may be far more serious than we thought. The black mices group attack may be even tighter than what we faced during the preliminary test, plus theyre intelligent and would not act like preprogrammed targets. They have sharp teeth that could bite through a labs sealed container, and sharp claws as well. Moreover, their saliva carries toxin and their skin carry animal virus. Cillin said firmly. Cillin wasnt exaggerating his words. He had in fact come to this conclusion after a conducting series of analysis. Cillin had even accounted for the asteroids radiation and many other factors to his comprehensive analysis of the black mices frequency of mutation. Still, judging from the operatives sent out on this operation, as long as the drugs at the tip of the bullet remained effective, and eliminated the mutated black mice thoroughly, they should be able to handle this. The reason that the firearms were different, and the bullets were larger and heavier; with slower bullets speed than the practice guns was because they were custom made in a hurry and contained drugs inside. When the bullet was fired into a mutated black mouses body, they would explode. The drugs would spread out and swiftly and thoroughly kill the target. At the same time, the drugs would also scatter onto the surrounding mutated black mice and affect them, causing them to slow down as well. Although Pride still maintained a disdainful look on his face, in truth he had memorized all of Cillins suggestions. Who wouldnt appreciate their own life, and he had no plans of turning into those black little mutated things shit alright. The warship docked onto the space station once it had arrived outside the asteroid. Huo Neil and Gerrard took a few men and went in first to get a better grasp of the situation. The rest of them were on standby. Before long, Huo Neil and Gerrard had returned with serious looks on their faces. They began explaining the latest news theyd acquired just now to the group. An hour ago, the black mice had attacked the station from underground. the center section of the station had the strongest base, and it would take them some time to break through this layer of defense. However, there was not much time left for them to act. Many of the stations flight and communication equipment had been chewed off, and there were now hundreds of researchers trapped at the center area of the station. Among them, there were tens of people who were severely injured. The toxin had invaded their bodies, and the few antiserums they had injected were completely ineffective. New antiserums were being synthesized in the central lab as they speak, but as to exactly how many more unknown toxins waited for them at the back, they dared not imagine. As for the fringe area of the station, it had already fallen. Battalion 1 to 8 will take care of the sweeping, starting from around the stations central area. Battalion 9 will be responsible for the protection of the engineers and perform emergency repairs on the stations defense systems. Battalion 10 will assist the trapped researchers in evacuating and act as medical backup Huo Neil gave out the orders swiftly. He only assigned the tasks to each battalion, and as to how theyre going to go about them, he believed that his men would not disappoint him. In truth, Huo Neil wanted nothing more than to arrange Knight and Pride in the last two battalions, but he also knew that if he did, these two ancestors would probably disobey him anyway. The seventh battalion Cillin was assigned in had been split up by the battalion commander into five smaller companies. Each company consisted of a hundred men, and they were broken down again into ten squads. They would push forward as a single squad unit. Eight out of ten squads had moved out first. The eight armed transport aircraft descended around the stations central area from eight different directions. Chapter 37: Sweeping The Station Chapter 37: Sweeping The Station The aircraft slowly descended after approaching the stations central area. Rather than scared, the black mice grew excited by the aircrafts approach and reacted as if they had seen food. Since there were many locations inside the station that could not be scanned by the scanner, there was no telling exactly how many black mice were down there. However, dense black dots could be seen everywhere looking down from the aircraft. In just half a year, the mutated mice had reproduced to astonishing numbers. Its tremendous reproduction speed was obviously incomparable to normal mice. The stations isolation barrier has been activated, we may begin the operation. Over. Roger that, over. The seventh battalion commander Shute switched the communication channel, All squads, standby! Begin countdown to infrasound weapon in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 C Fire! The soundwaves that could not be heard by human ears were discharged from the aircraft, and the originally very excited and lively mutated black mice suddenly began to grow anxious. The agile ones had already begun to escape far away, and those who were slow became slower and slower. This was the infrasound weapon provided by the research station that was specifically developed based on the natural frequency of the black mices internal organs. While it was effective, it wasnt working as well as they had imagined. Still, at least it was effective. After the infrasound attack had ended, the number of black mice around the stations central area had decreased quite a bit. Those that remained were somewhat slow and groggy. Seizing the opening, many cables were lowered from the low flying aircraft as the operatives wearing combat suits glided down along the cables and descended on the surface. The squads of ten men swiftly formed into formations and began dealing with the targets while pushing forwards. The spinning, high-speed bullets cut through the air before sinking into a mutated black mouses body and exploding, blasting its internal organs into smithereens. A huge hole appeared on the half-meter long mutated black mouses body before it fell to the ground and died without even twitching once. Its black skin and red blood began to dehydrate after the drugs inside the bullets began to take hold, and in less than a minute, the entire mutated black mouse had transformed into a pile of powder. The reason Cillin was assigned in the squad led by the seventh battalion commander Shute himself was probably to watch out for Cillin, the student. However, a warrior was not a nanny. Shute did not expect Cillin to perform well or anything, but at the very least he must be able to protect his own life. Within the 10-man formation, Cillin was placed in a fairly safe, backup point. But before long, everyone realized that this ten plus years old student was most definitely a pro. Cillins firing speed was impressive. While the others were still firing their second shot, he had already fired his third. Moreover, all three shots were fired in succession without missing a single target. But the most important thing to notice was that the mutated black mice he killed were all large and swift. All these factors combined were enough to draw glances from the side. When a squad member was reloading, Cillin almost singlehandedly took over their points suppressive and support fire. They didnt even notice when Cillin had reloaded, and only heard a series of uninterrupted gunshots. With such firing speed, setting physical endurance aside, there wasnt even aim time, was there? Cillin was accepted quickly by this squad after displaying capabilities no weaker than a soldiers as a student. The rest of the men were also beginning to set down their worries and focused on their own attacks as well. With their comrades and this very capable kid watching their backs, there was nothing they needed to worry about. Inside the space station outside the asteroid, a man wearing a uniform of a lieutenant general rank stood at the command center and watched the ongoing sweep at the station happening on the displays. He was Marshal Feiglers man, and he even received a call from a certain GAL politician before he left. It could be said that he bore a heavy weight on his shoulders. Both Knight and Prides squad had two specially assigned agents to guarantee the two young masters safety. You could say that this was a special privilege; he wouldnt say anything even if he might harbor certain opinions of his own. Still, there was something to be gained from this trip. The three students Huo Neil mentioned had performed pretty well; especially that kid named Cillin. He was comparable even to those celebrities at Sector Cs military academies. At the very least, the lieutenant general hadnt noticed much emotional changes in Cillin so far. He was sufficiently cooperative, calm, decisive and accurate! While staring at the screen, the lieutenant general pondered the possibility of absorbing Cillin into his subordinates troops once the operation was over. His talents were utterly wasted at Seven Lights. The operation was met with some obstacles after they pushed forward and entered into the station. The cables were bitten, the power generator was missing, the energy system was malfunctioning and the batteries were unusable. Any place without a window was completely pitch black, plus a lot of the areas inside the stations laboratories were infrared and X ray scan insulant. In order to make sure that every laboratory had been swept clean, the operatives would throw a flashbang, rodenticide grenade and so on to force the black mice inside out to the open. Then they would pop everything that came out. As the sweeping continued, the black mice seemed to have sensed the threat from this side of the station and escaped into the open. That was exactly what they had hoped would happen. If they could force these mutated black mice out of the station and into the empty grounds outside, only then the weaponized aircrafts could perform a large-scale clean up with their directed-energy weapons. Unless it was absolutely necessary, no one was willing to destroy a station that took so much hard work to build with a directed-energy weapon. At times, several holes could be found inside the station. These were the marks of mutated black mice attacking the station from underground. They had sent many bots to scan down the mice holes, and at the same time, they poured drugs into them to force out the mutated black mice hiding underground. Once this battle was done, the underground constructions of bio stations would likely be improved further. After a while, the black mice in the base had decreased tremendously. Grey powders were scattered wherever the operation squad went. They were all mutated black mice that were shot and transmuted into powder. Cillins senses were very powerful. Even without looking, he could sense the three mutated black mice hiding behind the lab bench. The second they showed their heads, bullets immediately flew over to blast off their heads. Maybe the other operatives would experience some difficulties operating in a dark environment, but Cillin wouldnt. There were a few times when Cillin had opened fire before his squad members could react, exploding the black mice just as the gunshots resounded. After finished inspecting the area for any signs of abnormal biosignals, Shu Te smiled and said, Mission complete. Captain, this is the edge of the station already, right? A squad member asked. Although Shute was the battalions commander, the squad members still called him captain out of habit. Yeah, we should be done soon. The directed-energy weapons outside have begun cleaning up, and the rest of them should be easier to deal with. Shutes tone was slightly relaxed as he took a glance at Cillin fixing an electric circuit on an instrument and said, Cillins pretty good. Oh yes. Even we feel a little ashamed ourselves. A squad member laughed. Cillin did not say anything and focused on the task at hand. Something just didnt feel right. According to his predictions, this shouldnt be all the black mice were capable of. Chapter 38: They Want Vengeance Chapter 38: They Want Vengeance Shute did not say anything towards Cillins silence. In fact, Cillin had not said much at all since the start of the operation. He simply felt that the kid was too silent; a young man should be act more cheerful and lively. Cillin, you can put those things aside for now. Once we took care of all the black mice and the repairs began, there would be specialised personnel who would take care of these things. We should head to the other side of the waste treatment plant now; that is where their lair is. Shute looked at the time and said. Give me a moment alright, done! Cillin opened the instrument and entered a series of commands. Whats that? One of the squad members asked. The written labels on the instrument had been worn away by the black mice. They couldnt read what it said. This should be the instrument that analyzes the genes or something, I think. Another squad member answered. Yes, this is a more high-end analyzer in GAL right now. Cillin took out a small needle from his waist pocket and dripped its contents onto a recess on the instrument. Then he pushed the recess into a socket and resumed typing a series of formulas on the instrument. See, I told you you should read more books. If you run into some instruments in the future then at least youll know something about it. Otherwise, youll be called an illiterate, you know. Ceh, Im a soldier; all a soldier needs to know is to fight. Why would I need education for? A few squad members laughed while chatting. However, Shute did not follow suit. Cillins reaction had given him a bad premonition. He had heard from Huo Neil a long time ago that Cillin was a very talented person and did research at Seven Lights research division. Now it would appear that this kid really was skilled and knowledgeable. It didnt even take him five minutes to repair this instrument, and his technique was well-practised. However, the thing Cillin just dripped on the instrument should be the black mices blood, wasnt it? When did he get that? How is it? Shute crept closer and asked. He didnt understand any of the advanced stuff displayed on the screen. Certainly, being uneducated was a terrifying thing. Still, as his subordinate had said, all a soldier needed to know was how to fight . The stuff they could store in their brains were limited, and if there were too many, than their CPU wouldnt be able catch up. Cillin did not answer Shutes question directly. Instead he said, Captain, lend me a hand and help me gather some black mice blood samples from the lab. As fresh as possible. Some of the places had blood residues left behind by the black mice fooling around with themselves (E/n: ;)) or injured by the labs defense mechanisms. As long as the blood residue hadnt come into contact with the drugs, then it wouldnt change too much. Sure. Shute received a small bag of empty vials from Cillin. Every one of these vials had a piece of sterilised cotton swab in them. He didnt think that the kid would bring even this along while they were tidying their equipment on the warship. Before long, nine men had brought twenty eight blood samples to Cillin. After scouring the lab for a few solutions and putting them through a series of treatment, Cillin put all twenty eight samples inside and analysed them all at once. After looking at the series of data displayed on the screen, he sighed, Give me a moment; Ill go for another round of sampling. Lets hope that I can find it. Hey, what is that kid doing exactly? A squad member complained. I have a bad feeling about this. Another person muttered. Cillin looked at a hole and took a couple of photos. Then he jumped right into it. Hey, you! The squad member who came after him could feel his hair standing on its end. This was a mouse hole; they couldnt even stretch their limbs inside, much less raise a gun (T/N: Dont forget that these mouse holes are far bigger than norm). If a black mouse suddenly scurried out from the bottom, then the only thing that awaited them was death. Although the bio scanner had not detected anything, there were just too many interferences in this kind of research station. It was very common for the device to malfunction. It was pitch black inside the hole, so the people above could not see what Cillin was doing either. Cillin pulled off his gloves and pressed his hands directly on the wall. The black mices virus had no effect on him. While touching the walls, Cillins brain was already beginning to analyse in high speed the information he acquired from his fingers. The data he acquired through DNA analysis from the miniscule hair, dander, saliva and other residues on the wall was almost the same as the one he acquired on the instrument. His fingers traveled along the walls before coming to a sudden stop when they had reached a certain spot. Cillin put on his gloves again and took out the cotton swab from a vial. He swiped that area with the cotton swab and scraped a layer with his cutter at the same time. Shute and the others finally let loose a sigh of relief when they saw Cillin climbing out of the hole. Seriously, this kid After scanning and analysing the sample he had acquired from the hole, then comparing it with the twenty plus samples earlier, a new set of data was displayed on the screen. As I thought. Cillin pointed at the data displayed on the screen and said to the group, This is the comparison of the sample that Ive acquired in the hole just now, and the twenty plus samples that youve collected. According to the data deduced from the analysis of their genetic materials C well, Ill skip straight to the point C in short, weve been played. Shute frowned, Can you explain? Ill use this one as an example. Cillin pointed at a particular dataset, The black mice weve hunted have red and white muscle strength that are at least five times weaker than the black mouse that drilled that hole. That is to say, this black mouse is far stronger than any of the black mice weve encountered so far, be it in speed or endurance. This is not even the full analysis yet. You mean that the black mouse that drilled those holes is a stronger variant? Shute asked. Thats right. The black mice that we killed couldnt even claw through the reinforced coating underneath this station! Ive checked those holes before, and the claw marks inside were pretty smooth and clean. These stronger variants could even claw through steel plates. However, the black mice we encountered might not be able to claw through the reinforced coating even if we gave them a months time. Do you remember how long has it been since these holes were drilled into the station? The squad members turned silent. Thats right, how long did it take for the station to succumb? A few hours at best! Where are those stronger black mice then? Inside the waste treatment plants? No. If my guess is correct, then their true elites are right underneath the stations central area! Shute was shocked, Thats not possible! Arent they Shute was about to say that, werent the black mice incapable of drilling through the central areas underground reinforced barrier? But he then immediately realized that they might have been wrong from the very beginning. It wasnt that they couldnt drill through the barrier. If the black mice were truly this strong, then no matter how tough the barrier beneath the central area was, it could not have possibly endured this long. What exactly are they trying to do then? A squad member couldnt help but ask. Revenge. They want revenge. Cillin looked at the direction of the central area. The stations most core researchers were all there. The black mice they killed were just the vanguard. The true elites had not showed their faces yet this whole time. Cillin even suspected that the research stations successful capture of the black mouse was the black mices leader intention in the first place. This was because that mouse wasnt an elite; it was completely incomparable to the mouse that drilled that hole. They once made their lair at the bottom of the waste treatment plants because both food and water could be found in that place. But now, that place was nothing more than a cover; a cover to waste the operation teams bullets and time. A diversion. They had played the tactic very well. In this world, the intelligent species were far beyond the humankinds imaginations. If you predicted this a long time ago, then why didnt you say anything? A squad member said angrily. Would you have believed me without evidence? With Cillins status as a mere student, no one would have believed him, be it the military or the stations researchers. In that case, he might as well acquire for some evidence first and talk later. Cillin did not think of himself as a kind person. He would not do things that would obviously not be reciprocated. Whether those people lived or died was none of his damn business. If Mo Heng could hear Cillins inner thoughts right now, he would probably be mad enough to give him a good beating. Chapter 39: Big Black Mouse Chapter 39: Big Black Mouse After listening to Cillins words, Shute dialed his communicator and conversed a few lines before passing it to Cillin, Here, tell big boss Neil the situation yourself. Cillin accepted the communicator and began explaining what needs to be known about the current situation. He also transmitted the series of data analysed by the instrument; they were convincing enough as evidence. Keep those blood samples and everything else youve collected in safety. Ill send some men over to collect them. I will also order the other squads to collect more samples as well. Huo Neil also realized the severity of the situation after listening to Cillins report. He told Cillin some of the things he needed to pay attention to. Alright, got it, well keep an eye on Suddenly, Cillin came to a pause while still on the phone before turning around swiftly, lifting his gun and firing twice in succession. There was no hesitation or lag time at all in his aim; all of his movements were completed in one go. Bang! Bang! On the other side, Shute was still discussing something with his squad members. When Cillin raised his gun, Shute had already noticed the danger, but before he could react in time, Cillins bullets had already streaked towards him. The two bullets streaked past the hair at the fringe of his ears; he could even feel the heat of the projectile and the lingering smell of burnt hair caused by the speeding bullets in the air. It was a black mouse about two meters long even after excluding its tail. When the first bullet had struck it, it only caused a small-scale explosion and the drugs did not swiftly penetrate into every part of its body. Therefore, it would still have been capable of clawing Shutes back in half had the second bullet not followed closely behind. The black mouse that was shot twice convulsed violently on the floor; its claw as sharp as knives drawing deep claw marks on the floor. It was very obvious that its drug resistance was far more powerful than the black mice they encountered before. Before the blood traces on the floor were completely atomised, Cillin swiftly took out a needle, sucked in some of it and put it inside a small vial containing neutralizing agents and anticoagulants. Under the groups alarmed gazes, he even dug up some flesh from the big mouse and submerged it into a bag filled with neutralizing agents. His squad mates felt a chill behind their backs, and they werent sure if it was caused by the black mouse or Cillin himself. Could this kid refrain from doing something that scares the shit out of them?! The black mouse was still twitching, and hadnt even drawn its final breath yet, but the kid had already run forward to take its blood and dig out its meat. What if the black mouse had retaliated with a swipe before its death? The black mouses eyes, so red that they appeared to be bloodshot slowly faded into black before it finally expired and atomised into powder. However, those cold, sharp claws were perfectly intact. Thank you. Shute recovered himself and said. He was on his guard even though he was talking with his squad members earlier. However, no one had detected the big black mouses approach, and he himself had noticed the danger only after Cillin had raised his gun. Although Shute had his back against the black mouse, he could sense that its speed was several times faster than the black mice they had encountered earlier, and it was completely silent. When you realized it, it would already be too late. Since the communication channel with Huo Neil was never closed, Huo Neil had seen what just happened through the communicators video capture function. No more proof was required to prove Cillins point; Huo Neil had seen it with his own eyes, the powerful black mouse Cillin was talking about. If all the black mice underneath the station were like this, then the consequences would be truly unimaginable. Had it not been for Cillins warning, the elite black mice in hiding wouldve seized the opportunity to slaughter all of the researchers at the station center and the two battalions sent out to rescue them while they were exterminating its lair at the waste treatment plants. Cillin picked up the perfectly unharmed black mouses claw and scratched the surface of the lab bench at the side with the claw. A gap was easily cut open on the surface of the hardened sheet. Holy crap, this thing is deadly! A squad member cried out in surprise. This result had completely exceeded their initial predictions. This black mouse had probably come over to patrol and check if our operation squad has left. After all, going by the time, the rest of the squads should have left the station and readied themselves to head towards the waste treatment plants by now. However, we are still here. Cillin voiced his assumption. Plus, the fact that the black mouse could arrive here safely meant that he wasnt afraid of the rodenticide sprayed down in the underground tunnels at all. Ive ordered six battalions to return and left two of them plus the weaponized aircraft at the waste treatment plants. If they couldnt handle it later, then well just wipe out that whole place with a directed-energy cannon and leave it. Huo Neil no longer could not be bothered with the situation at the waste treatment plants right now. He felt restless every time he thought about Cillins words. On the other side, the tenth battalion that was carrying out rescue work and was preparing to open the station centers defensive barrier was put into an emergency stop by Huo Neil. At the same time, the engineers rushing the repairs of power supplies and other important facilities were protected and hurried back up the aircraft since the station was too dangerous. The samples and data Cillin had submitted were processed immediately. Thereafter, Huo Neil had given every battalion commander new orders while sending in the bots to expand the sizes of the underground tunnels. Otherwise, their soldiers wouldnt even be able to move after they got down there and be nothing better than food. However, the strange thing was that the deeper they went, the bigger the mouse holes became. There was no need for the bots to expand the tunnels at all. After the machines had reached a certain level of depth, they were destroyed by the black mice underneath. But before they were destroyed, the scanning device installed on the machine indicated that there were a large amount of abnormal life forms underneath the station, hence proving Cillins assumptions. But now another question had surfaced. Why were the mouse holes underneath so big? Did this mean that there was an even bigger black mouse lurking somewhere? No conclusion could be drawn yet about this question. Perhaps it was because they had noticed something, but the black mice hiding deep beneath the station had begun to act earlier than expected. Part of the eight battalions went underground, and the rest stayed behind and guarded at every corner of the station. Since Huo Neil had informed them beforehand, every operative fired at least twice at every black mouse that crawled out of the holes. Other than the ones that were already there, the group of big black mice had drilled even more holes that strayed away from the operation squads firepower when they charged towards the surface. They were like a bunch of crazy avengers who only knew to charge madly towards the central area without a care at all for their own lives. There was no doubt that the operatives accuracy had fallen because these black mice were quick and their senses were acute. Moreover, the operation team had to switch locations from time to time as well, because there was no telling if a huge group of black mice would suddenly appear from underneath them if they stayed at one spot. There were already a few people who were dragged by the suddenly emerging black mice into the holes. They did not even have the time to let out a death scream. The squad Cillin was in had entered the underground. The tunnels were very dark, but their headgears were equipped with night vision devices. There was less interference underground than inside the station after all. The teamwork among the squad members had been excellent so far, and no casualties had occurred just yet. Firepower was also more concentrated inside the tunnels. As they moved deeper, the tunnels grew larger to the point where three members could walk side by side along the way. At a fork in the road, the group saw a pool of blood. It did not belong to a black mouse but a human. At the same time, there was also a weak cry of help coming from that direction. Chapter 40: Hidden Danger Chapter 40: Hidden Danger There werent many messy marks around the blood, indicating that no struggle had taken place here. However, it also meant that the men who were attacked did not put up much resistance at all. Shute made a hand signal C alert, cover C before moving over to perform a rescue. Cillin crouched down at a place beside the wall and took out a small box, scraping a layer of soil from the wall. His squad members simply watched the surroundings vigilantly and did not disturb Cillins actions. They assumed that he was acquiring samples since he had done the same thing earlier. In truth, they didnt know that Cillins true objective wasnt to acquire a sample, but to use his actions as cover to pull his fingers from his gloves and touch the walls and ground, analysing miniscule traces within. Not even the most high tech instrument could compare to the chips inside him in terms of convenience. The instant contact was initiated, the feedback from his fingers had told him exactly which kind of black mice had attacked the operatives at this place. This is different! This is different from the hole-digging, big black mouse that we ran into earlier! This mouse is even stronger! Exactly how much stronger it was, Cillin could not be sure. However, he had a feeling that these people had probably run into the leader of the black mice; the very first mutated black mouse that had escaped from the station at the beginning. When Shute found the squad member who was crying for help, he was already on his last gasps and entered into deep coma. Under the flashlight, everyone could see clearly that one of his legs were bitten off and that there was blood everywhere. The medic in the squad came over to staunch the bleeding, but before the bandaging could be completed, he had already passed away. Im going to kill those animals! A squad member with bloodshot eyes punched the wall beside him hard in terrible grief. Everyone elses expression was more or less the same. Shute sucked in a deep breath and said, Its demonstrating its strength. It couldve killed everyone here without a sound, but it had purposely left behind one whos severely injured. He lost too much blood, and the rat toxin has invaded its internal organs. The medic lifted two empty needles to the air, Both antiserums were injected, but they have no effect at all. This rats toxin is unbelievably potent. Captain, theres no signal on our communicators! A squad member suddenly cried out. He had wanted to contact the reserve group and notify them of the current situation at the same time, but he didnt expect to find no signal at all. Cillin pondered in his mind. Their, no, he should say its intelligence was far beyond anything they had expected. If every squad had done their jobs C installed and disguised the signal receivers properly C and there was still no signal, then either the receivers had broken down themselves, or the black mices leader had taken apart all of them. The former was unlikely, and the latter was all too possible. It sounded ridiculous alright, and Cillin dared to say that not many people would believe him at all if he told them. A mouse that not only knows how to find and destroy a disguised signal receiver, but also destroyed every last one of them thoroughly? Is this even a mouse or a man? Cillin did not underestimate the black mices leader from the very beginning. The more information he acquired, the more he felt that this particular black mouse was very powerful, be it its intelligence or combat strength. Moreover, Cillin was gradually figuring out the frequency of that sound. Shute thought for a moment before taking out his sonar scanner and pressed a button. The reason he hadnt used it earlier was because there was an extremely high likelihood that the black mice might discover their location through it, but he couldnt be bothered by such details right now. He had a constant nagging feeling that something wasnt quite right. When he saw the display, Shutes expression abruptly twisted, Get out of here now!! They didnt even manage a few steps before the black mice drilled through the ceilings and the walls, and poured out into the open. The locations from which the black mice appeared coincidentally separated Cillin and another squad member away from the other eight people of the group. As more and more black mice appeared, the distance between the two groups grew further and further apart. There was nothing Shute could do even if he wanted to save them. Their guns never stopped firing, but these big black mice were not nearly as easy to deal with as the little mice from before. The air was filled with heavy tension. Cillin and the other squad member swiftly retreated towards the other end of the tunnel while firing their guns continuously. Luckily, the group of black mice wasnt so big that it was unmanageable, and after shooting and retreating for more than ten minutes, there were no longer any black mice that came after them. The duo hung back at the other side of the tunnel. They had already lost contact with the other eight people in the squad, and they did not run into the members of other squads either. Their breaths were the only thing that resounded inside the silent tunnel. It looks like were safe for now. The person smiled and said. Yeah Cillin also smiled. Splurt! Blood shot out from the side of the persons neck. The mans eyes were filled with disbelief. He really did not expect Cillin to act so quickly!! How could any normal person be on their guard against a squad mate in this kind of situation?! A normal person would have relaxed temporarily and loosened their tension when someone said that its safe for now, not to mention when they were right next to a squad mate. But he had just taken out his knife before Cillin had cut right through his carotid artery, and due to the strenuous mice extermination exercise earlier, his blood flowed quickly, causing him to gasp his last breath in no time at all. Cillin toyed with the mouse claw in his hands, and after glancing at the man on the ground let out a number of near inaudible noises from his mouth. This was the first time Cillin had used it after deciphering the black mices leader sound frequency. Cillin had been searching for this sound and deciphering it ever since he entered into the network of underground tunnels. He did not stay there longer than necessary and left the place. In less than a minute, a few black mice would appear and consume that dead squad member. It was only in this situation where he was alone could Cillin better eliminate those threats hiding inside the operation force. Cillin had never forgotten about those hidden threats ever since he entered Seven Lights until now. Be it a student, a researcher or a soldier, Cillin had never let down his guard once. He found it pretty interesting that Aiflons enemies had actually extended their fingers into the army. They were definitely Aiflons enemies alright. Cillins performance was most eye-catching when they just descended from the weaponized aircraft and fired at the black mice, but no one could have realized that Cillin was also paying attention to every little change in every squad member. It was through these miniscule details that Cillin had deduced that the hidden dangers existed, and after a series of events happened, Cillin became sure of it. In fact, Cillin had purposely walked a bit slower before the black mice had appeared and separated them from the other eight people. That man was obviously planning to seek an opportunity to kill Cillin as well. They were both at the back of the squad. The black mices location, his own traveling speed and distance between him and the eight people in front of him were all within Cillins calculations. It might have seemed like a coincidence that the black mice separated them both away from the eight other people, but in truth it was all within Cillins predictions. Cillin did not need a sonar detector to be able to sense the sound waves transmitted through the walls. A normal person couldnt even feel it. Cillin was like a precise multifunctional machine analysing every information around him at every moment. He knew that the black mices appearance was not a coincidence. It was the result of the black mice leaders order. Like a human-shaped detector, Cillin was well aware of every movement in his surroundings. Be it how many people of squad X had just passed through tunnel Y, or the number of black mice operating at a nearby tunnel, Cillin knew all of them. This also allowed Cillin to avoid a lot of trouble. Glancing at the belt of his backpack, Cillins lifted the corner of his lips a little. The next one should be appearing pretty soon. There was a corner at the end of the tunnel before him. Cillin slowly walked in that direction, and just as he was about to reach the corner, he threw out the mouse claw in his hands like lightning. Splurt! At the corner, the throat of a man wearing a combat suit was pierced through as he was nailed right on the wall. His eyes was also filled with disbelief as the gun in his hand fell on the ground. He was originally planning to kill Cillin with this. the mouse claw had curved during its flight! Not to mention that his aim was so true, even within a tunnel environment! This was something his enemy had not expected at all. Cillin pulled out the mouse claw, before releasing a series of indistinguishable noises just like before. Cillin took out another three people during the next period of time. There was a micro tracker hidden at the belt of his backpack. It was installed even before the equipment was distributed specifically to Cillin. It was evident that they have been preparing to look for an opportunity to kill Cillin at this place for a long time. However, what they didnt know was that Cillin had detected this trick from the moment he received his backpack. And this is how you beat someone in their own game. After walking inside the tunnel network for such a long time, Cillin could sense an obvious decrease in the number of black mice. It was thanks to Cillin providing the blood samples and relevant data just in time that the operatives were able to make full preparation beforehand. Casualties were minimized, and efficiency was increased. While walking, Cillin suddenly came to a pause and turned around. Within the darkness, a big black mouse about three meters long stood at the other end of the tunnel. Its red eyes glowed with a bloody light amidst the darkness. You finally appeared. I thought you would hide from me forever. There was a smile in his tone, Im taking that thing inside your body. Chapter 41: The Hysterical Black Mice’s Leader Chapter 41: The Hysterical Black Mices Leader Cillin had always suspected that there was something on the black mices leader for it to experience such a transformation. Mutation was one thing, but a stability period should follow after a mutation had occurred. But this black mouse had undergone its second transformation not long after its first was completed, and it was so successful that it was as if its intelligence and combat strength were the culmination of hundreds of years of evolution. It was unheard of. Who is better, a one year old mouse or a hundreds year old mouse that is just as strong as ever? The answer was obvious. When Cillin was examining the traces left behind by this black mouse, he already discovered that there was a strange substance inside its cells, or should he say that there was likely something inside this black mouses body that was stimulating all of its cells to produce enhancing substances. It wasnt until the black mouse appeared that Cillin had a clear sense of a special signal transmitted from inside its body. This signal caused the biochips inside his body to grow incredibly excited, almost as if they had found their own kind. The huge black mices leader with a pair of frontal teeth that looked like large scythes emanated a strange chi chi noise from its mouth that was unlike a normal mouses. It had sensed Cillins presence earlier but did not attack immediately. It felt that this human gave it a very special feeling. There was a faint sense of danger, yet there was also a temptation that reminded it a delicious meal. Perhaps eating this human would benefit its evolution. After holding back for such a long time, in the end, it decided to attack Cillin. The black mouse disappeared from its original spot and appeared right in front of Cillin within the next moment. Cillins reactions were not slow either. His gun and backpack had been tossed aside while he faced it with his bare hands. Dull banging sounds resounded as his reinforced body clashed against the black mouses. The instant the black mouses claw swiped at his direction, Cillin swiftly rebounded on his feet and kicked it right in the cervical vertebrae. Bang! The black mouses neck didnt break, but the upper part of its body was knocked to the side by sheer force. The wall it slammed into was hollowed as shattered rock debris fell towards the ground. Bits of rocks flew everywhere, and the tunnel walls grew wider and wider as the black mouses claw cut continuously through them like tofu. After repeated contact, Cillin had already discovered where that thing was inside the black mouses body. Whoosh Two mouse claws flew towards the black mouses bloody eyes, and the black mouse closed them while turning its head slightly away. The two mouse claws Cillin had thrown out struck at the bottom of its eyes, failing to scratch through its skin. But the mouse claws that were thrown out as a hidden weapon were only a distraction. Cillins next target was its ears. The moment it closed its eyes, Cillin had thrown out yet another two mouse claws towards its left and right ears at the same time. If they really sank into its ears, with this strength and speed, no matter how tough its auricles were, its inner ears and nerves inside the ear canal would be damaged. The big black mouse also understood those consequences, and that was why it brought up both its front limbs to deflect the hidden weapons with its sharp claws while closing its eyes and avoiding the first first two mouse claws at the same time. Now! Cillin jumped at a slanted angle and passed right beneath the black mouses frontal claws. His reinforced arm penetrated right through its stomach and sucked out that thing from inside it like a magnet. Then he pulled back and jumped away swiftly. The entire process took only an instant. It was a fist-sized crystal white ball that glowed with a dense white light amidst the darkness. Holding the white ball, Cillin could feel clearly a huge amount of energy emanating from inside the ball. However, this was not the time to study the white ball. Cillin quickly evacuated after getting what he came for. Only an idiot would fight head-to-head against this big guy. The wound Cillin dealt to the black mouses stomach didnt bleed much before it began to heal instantly. However, its healing speed was slower than when it still had the white ball. After noticing that the white ball had been taken, the black mouse turned berserk. Its bloodshot eyes turned even redder than before as it screeched out angrily. The anger and killing intent brimming from its scythe-like frontal teeth had reached their peak. It could forget about revenge and forget about the lives of the other black mice. But it could not lose the white ball. All of its reliance and fortune had come from this white ball! The black mouse chased after Cillin like it had gone insane. For every step it ran, a layer of rock would be torn apart by its sharp claws. It did not even bother turning, and simply charged at a straight line through the shortest path towards Cillin. You could imagine how impatient it was. Many of the tunnels were destroyed by it, and the paths behind Cillin and the black mouse slowly began to crumble. Cillin had chosen the path with almost no other operatives to run through, and since the black mouse itself had caused quite the commotion, the nearby operatives were also alerted. When they noticed that the tunnels were starting to destabilize, they swiftly began to evacuate towards the surface. Cillin had formed a perfect picture of the tunnel in his head a long time ago, so he knew very well exactly when to travel down which fork during his run. He had run through almost all of the tunnels, including the places where he took out those hidden killers, and after those tunnels collapsed, even the last vestiges of evidences had been buried as well. The longer the chase went, the more the black mouse felt its weakness after losing the white ball, and thus, grew even more restless. Unfortunately for it, the human that took away its precious thing was incredibly quick. While running, the black mouse let out a long, drawn out howl that was less like a mouse and more like an ancient beasts. The howl caused the entire underground network to shake. Even those fighting against the black mice on the surface could hear it clearly. It was like the terrible howl of cold winds, or the devilish voice of a Shura walking through hell. At this moment, every operative and researcher who heard this voice felt a trembling cold chill. What kind of creature must it be to let out such a noise? And what kind of state and mood was it befell on to let out such a hysterical howl? When the howl had resounded, every black mice on the surface, be it the ones fighting against the operation squads, the ones hiding at a certain spot in the station waiting for an opportunity, or the ones that had almost dug through the final layer of defense of the stations central area, all stopped whatever they were doing and rushed towards the underground. They were utterly indifferent even when the operatives shot them with their weapons. Tell all squads who havent left the tunnel to evacuate immediately! Everyone else on the surface be on high alert! Huo Neil roared into his communicator. He might not know what was going on, but judging from that howl alone, it was obvious that the mices leader was about to appear. At a certain spot underneath the tunnels, a squad of soldiers were heading towards the front. They had lost contact with the surface earlier, and they could not get even the slightest signal on their communicators. However, seeing that the tunnels were growing more and more unstable, the squad captain made the decision to evacuate. It would be terrible if they were buried at this place. His decision to retreat grew firmer after hearing that one terrifying howl just now. Captain, we got a signal! A squad member cried out joyfully. The closer they were to the surface, and the further away they were from the black mices leaders location earlier, the more there were receivers installed earlier that escaped destruction. This wasnt the only squad either; all the other operatives evacuating towards the surface had also realized that they were receiving signals once more. All underground operation personnel are to retreat to the surface immediately! Retreat to the surface immediately! Huo Neils voice resounded from the communicator with urgency. Retreat! The squad captain ordered immediately. But before they took more than two steps, they could feel a distant tremor closing in on them. Alert! Every squad member readied their weapons and got into positions to fire, but they all knew that there was no way the few of them could deal with the amount of black mice that had caused such a tremor. Go back? It was pointless. This was a very long tunnel, and to escape to the back now would only be wasting their strength and delaying the inevitable clash. Previously, when they had first entered the underground tunnels, they had not encountered such a huge number of black mice. Now it would appear that the black mice had gathered as one and rushed onward as a single group. Moreover, judging from the commotion, they had not bothered to disguise themselves at all, unlike the silence when they were waging a guerrilla warfare against them before. Sird was also part of this squad. Right now, he could no longer be bothered to wipe the sweat above his forehead. He recounted everything he had experienced up to this point, his dreams, his ambitions when arriving at Seven Lights Do I regret this? He asked himself this. He didnt know. He really didnt know. He wasnt thinking about anything else but his feelings when he was but a young kid and saw that golden, shining medal with a military emblem on his fathers study. Perhaps it was that moment when an obsession was born inside his heart; that someday, he should get one not of his fathers name but his own, Sird. The black mice were closing in. The squad members could already smell that disgusting smell in the air coming from afar. For glory! For glory!! The squad members roared after the captain and tightened their grips on their weapons. Chapter 42: Escaped Chapter 42: Escaped When they noticed the unusual commotion, the squad leader had already reported their current situation and the names of his squad members to Huo Neil. They knew that Huo Neil would not be able to save them even if he wanted to. At the same time, there were multiple other squads at other areas who were facing a similar situation. It was just that Sirds team was the earliest squad to have run into the surfacing black mice. Huo Neil listened with incredibly heavy feelings to the increasingly loud breathing of the squad operatives through the communicator. They were still alive at this moment and their breaths could still be heard. But what about the next? All of the operatives around Huo Neil wore bloodshot eyes, but they could neither do anything to help them nor rush there in time. Meanwhile in the underground, the squad members could already see the black mice at the end of the tunnel through their night vision goggles. Ready Aim Fi - The squad leader didnt manage to finish the word Fire before a voice suddenly rang up from the communicator. All squads who ran into a large group of black mice returning to the surface, do not open fire if you want to live! Quickly get to the sides and press yourselves against the wall! I repeat, do not open fire! Cillin! Its Cillin! The black mice rushed closer and closer, but the squad leader hesitated. Listen to him! Do not open fire and keep to the walls! On the surface, Knight, who was standing beside Huo Neil, snatched the communicator in Huo Neils hands and roared. The squad leader gritted his teeth, Do as he says! When the squad members had pressed themselves against the wall and stood in position, the black mice had already arrived just three meters away from them. It wasnt like they hadnt gotten this close to the black mice before, but at the time, they were not nearly as defenseless as they were now. When the first black mouse passed before their eyes, the squad members hearts had nearly leaped to the top of their throats. The sharp front teeth and claws that passed right in front of them, the bloody red eyes and terrible stench caused them all to feel a tingle on their scalps. Some of them had even readied themselves to die. However, as if it hadnt seen them, the black mouse passed right by them with a whoosh as quickly as it came. Then there was another, and another, and another While feeling a sense of horror towards the black mices tough black hair passing by again and again, Sird could not even begin to describe how shocked he was. This was a black mouse, a real big black mouse, a mutated black mouse that might not necessarily be killed even with two shots! He could still sense the violence and brutality emanating from their bodies, but holy shit, they had passed by them just like that. They seriously passed by them without doing anything! They never even glanced at them once. This was definitely the strangest and most terrifying thing they had experienced in their lives up until now! Cillin was the only one who knew that the meaning behind the black mices leaders howl. It was calling for all black mice to put down whatever they were doing, to ignore everything in sight and to do everything they can to block Cillin. As long as they had the white ball, they would have the chance to make a comeback. On the other side of the communicator above the surface, Huo Neil and the surrounding operatives held their breaths and listened to the sounds of black mice rushing past the squad members. The video capture was on, but the image on the other side was dark and blurry. However, those blood red eyes were still just as clear. They could feel both fear and adrenaline rising just watching the image on the communicator. It wasnt hard to imagine how those people experiencing the black mice passing by them for real felt. When the black mice had all ran past them, the rumbling noise too faded away. Knight let out a sigh of relief. As expected, Cillin really was something special. However, when he realized that he failed to connect Cillin when he tried to contact him once more. With this squad setting the example, the other squads that ran into the same situation also followed suit. But it wasnt until they did it for real did they realize exactly how much courage was needed to pull off this act. Those who were timid had fainted a long time ago. Inside the tunnel, everyones backs were almost drenched completely. They still maintained their standing posture and felt stiffness all over their bodies. They still did not dare to draw even a huge breath. When they finally came to, the squad members experienced the mixed feelings of both joy and oddness after surviving this near death experience. The impassioned atmosphere of heroism and martyrdom they had cultivated earlier was completely destroyed by this turn of events. It was as hilarious as getting ready to shit for a long time but managing only a tiny fart in the end. Man, do they feel conflicted. Thank god that kid had reminded them on time, or else the mere thought caused the squad members to shudder. That being said, if they knew that the culprit who attracted all the black mice over was Cillin, they would definitely be mad enough to break Cillins neck. While running, Cillin did some calculations in his head and thought that it was almost time. Then, he put the white ball into Genyas ring. Another subspace item mightve experienced some instability, but after Cillin gave it a test earlier, he discovered that it was pretty stable after all. it definitely deserved its title as an item from the high tree Fuji and a possession of the Gen family Once the white ball was placed into the ring, Cillin sprayed some medicine he prepared beforehand on his body, and got rid of the odor ointment that he had deliberately applied on his body. As a Hunter, Cillin had misled quite a lot of preys using the sense of smell. Cillin had put quite a bit of distance between him and the big black mouse. If the big black mouse could speak, it would definitely say, What the fuck, how can he possibly run so quickly? Just who is the real mouse here?! This fucka aint human, this fucka seriously aint human! When the black mices leader had chased over to Cillins location through his smell, what it saw was the fluorescent spray painting of a cat face smirking most disgustingly on the wall. There was even a huge Meow~ beside it Then Cillins smell disappeared entirely further forward. Cillin did not know if the big black mouse could recognize that Meow word, but it did not change the fact that it was going to feel pissed as fuck. It was a success as long as it could add fuel to its anger. How would the black mices leader act if it could not find the white ball thief Cillin and incited further by this cat face? The matter about taking revenge against the stations researchers had been kicked to the other side of the universe by the big black mouse a long time ago. Now all it wanted was to find that despicable human, snatch back the white ball, then tear that human into shreds before stomping it into dirt! All the operatives underground had already evacuated to the surface. What would be the black mices leaders most possible action if it was pissed but could not find a target to vent its anger? It would charge up to the surface. And whats above the surface? The concentrated firepower of the operation forces and air support from the weaponized aircrafts. Obeying to the rules of capturing a snake by first capturing its head, the big black mouse was obviously the common target the moment it showed its face. Now that it had lost the support of the white ball, the big black mouses physical abilities were gradually decreasing. Its physical defenses had already decreased by a lot, so even if it still had powerful offensive capabilities, the big black mouse was far less threatening than it was before. Cillin believed that Huo Neil could deal with it without any problem. Cillin headed towards the ground surface through a different route. Along the way, he avoided the black mice horde summoned by the black mices leader. When he had almost reached the surface, Cillin felt a group of people nearby and swiftly overtook them through a different route. With the mouse claws he had gathered, he slashed his combat suit and drew lines of wounds across his body. He controlled the color and viscosity of the blood trace and the degree of mending of his wounds. They would appear as if he had been hurt for quite some time. Both antiserums were injected into his body. Cillin forced his face to appear slightly pale, just like a wounded person who was exhausted and lost too much blood. His communicator was destroyed after the call from earlier to prevent other people from detecting his location through the signal of the communicator. After preparing everything and inspecting his handiwork once, Cillin then laid peacefully on the ground and waited for the operation squad that was about to pass by this place. The development of events later on was more or less the same as Cillin had predicted. The members of the squad had seen Cillin as a wounded personnel, and they had even carried him all the way back to the surface. Huo Neil also relaxed after seeing that Cillins life was not in danger despite some wounds here and there. Otherwise, how was he going to explain things to old Mo? Cillin then informed Huo Neil about his guess. Once he was finished, Huo Neil immediately ordered his men to get ready and await the black mices arrival. At the same time, Huo Neil thought, this boys old Mos prized pupil alright. His predictions are spot on. Chapter 43: I Overestimated Them Chapter 43: I Overestimated Them Huo Neil arranged a single ward specifically for Cillin. Cillin had not been sent to the sickbay of the aircraft for long before the sounds of intense fighting began to ring from below. There were even the blasts and rumblings of heavy weaponries. It would seem that the big black mouse had gone completely mad. Cillin could deduce his allies firepower distribution from the sounds of combat. He could tell that the black mice were growing increasingly disorganized. Their leaders confusion had severely affected their movements. Why, it would seem that the final battle has begun. One of the medical staff treating Cillins wounds said. Their tones were a little relaxed after hearing from their co-workers that the crisis was almost over. The ship responsible for additional medical support had arrived at the space station outside the planet. Some of the emergency meds had also been sent over already, and once the matter was said and done, the rest of the medical staff would probably be sent over to treat the wounded. Yeah, boss Huo has this in his grasp. A medic who came in bringing more medical supplies said. He looked at Cillin lying on the bed and asked, Are you a student too? Cillin nodded. The medic gave him a thumbs-up, Ive heard from comrades; you all did really well this battle. However, things are a little unfortunate for that student named Hard. Hard? What happened to him? Cillin was surprised. Now that he thought of it, he hadnt heard anything about Hard so far. Hes in the intensive care unit right now. I heard that he had suffered a few blows saving his squadmate, and then a few more wounds during the latter battle. The antiserums we injected were useless. The mouse poison had already seeped into his internal organs, and I heard that he wont last for much longer. The medic said regretfully. He was only a student in his teen years. In their eyes he was just a child, and for a child to be able to participate in the battle courageously and not leave or give up on his comrade was incredibly commendable. Cillin leaped down from the sickbed, Which ward is he in? The third emergency room upstairs turn right. Hey, your wounds are not I wont die from this. Cillin left the medical staffs behind, walked out of the room and headed upstairs. When he got upstairs, Cillin did not need to look at the door number to know which room was Hards. There were a few soldiers wrapped in bandages standing in front of a door. They were probably Hards squadmates. There was also a man leaning against the wall and crying while hugging his head. It was Sird. It was at this moment the door of the intensive care unit opened, and the doctor walked out while rubbing his forehead wearily, Im truly sorry, but theres nothing I can do. All the antiserums weve injected were useless. He is a strong man with a strong desire to live. It is amazing that he held out for this long already. Go go and see him, all of you. He should be able to hold out for five minutes at best. Sird and Hards squadmates rushed in almost instantly. As he watched Hards blackened and rotting appearance, Sird rubbed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath and walked to his side. Hard was wearing an oxygen mask. It was obvious that he had difficulty to even breathe. His eyes were so swollen that it was impossible to see their original contour. Hard could barely see the few people around him through the slightly opened slits of his eyes. Not only was his vision incredibly blurry, his hearing had weakened by a lot as well. But he knew who they were. He only needed to look at their blurry figures once to know their identities. Hard could not utter a single word. Cillin could only distinguish what he said from the shape of his mouth. I dont want to die Its gonna be okay, you wont die. Didnt you always say that youre going to be a general so you can scorn those sarcastic sonuvabitches with your nostrils! Come on! Sird nearly roared out those words with a shaking voice. Hards tears were tinged with the color of blood when it dripped from the corner of his eyes and onto the white pillow. He knew very well what awaited him. He did not have much time. Still, he really wanted to go back home or at the very least call his family right now. But they were too far apart, and by the time the call came through, it would already be too late. Looking at Hards eyes through the slits, Cillin knew that Hard did not regret his decision even at this point. He did not want to die, but he did not regret his choice. Dias once said this: In the army and on the battlefield, a generals responsibility is to command, and a soldiers responsibility is to die. But even soldiers had their own glory and beliefs. They would die without regrets. Raising his hand, Cillin placed his fingers on Hards arm. It looked like he was giving his comrade his final encouragement. But in truth, Cillin was analyzing the poison in Hards body. He then formed a special antibody from this poison, and secreted them through his fingertips. The antibodies seeped through Hards pores and entered beneath his skin before circulating throughout his body through blood circulation and other bodily functions. Sird, who was doing his best to identify Hards intentions suddenly realized that Hards eyes were shut, and his lips were no longer moving. His tears immediately poured down his face. Cillin poked the crying Sird wallowing in his sadness with his hand and said, Hes only fallen asleep. Look at his heart rate on the monitor. Sird: It it really looks like hes just fallen asleep. Five minutes later, his heart was still beating. Ten minutes later, his heartbeat seemed to be growing stronger and stronger. After confirming that Hards life was secure, he slapped Sirds shoulder once and said, Call the doctor over. I guess the dudes so tough that even the grim reaper couldnt take him. Oh. Sird was still a little absent minded as he followed Cillins instructions and called over the doctor. Staring at the medical staffs bustling about while looking over Hard in amazement, Cillin shook his head and left the scene. However, he did not return to the ward and instead went to the temporary lab that was established in haste. Many researchers were busying themselves at this area. Some of them were personnel who had escaped the station, and the rest came from the hospital ship as support. However, they had only managed to analyse dozens of antibodies up until now. There were still plenty of soldiers who were injured by the black mice and infected with mouse poison waiting for them to come out with the unknown antiserum that would cure them. Cillin sighed in disappointment. He had totally overestimated them! Right now, he could really experience the same disappointment as Mo Heng when facing the other researchers at Seven Lights Institute of Mechanical Engineering. Hey, who are you? Get out of here, this isnt a place where a soldier should be! How utterly undisciplined and ungrateful. Stop interfering with our work! Cillin ignored them. He walked towards a molecular synthesis analyzer on his own and moved the researcher sitting there out of the way by his collar. The man lifted his eyebrows and was about to say something, but without even looking at him, Cillin took out a portable handgun and pointed it at his mouth. The moment they saw Cillin take out his gun, everyone in the surrounding immediately turned quiet. The few people near the door ran out to call the soldiers. He sat down in front of the instrument. He only gave the case on the operation panel a single glance before looking away completely. His eyes stared only at the monitor as he withdrew his gun and began typing on the operation panel. His fingers fell danced across the keys perfectly and without any mistake as if he was very familiar with this instrument. Cillins hand speed grew faster and faster while appearing incredibly practiced. That was not all. The researchers inside the room realized that the instruments in front of them began to run on their own and automatically transferred all analysed data into Cillins instrument. He had actually controlled all the instruments inside the lab in such a short time! At first, there were a few researchers who began scolding Cillin for screwing around. But gradually, the researchers inside the lab all turned silent. Molecular formulae began forming one by one on the screen of Cillins instrument. The data listed beside the turning molecule had told them enough that none of them had the qualification to say a word right now. One, two, three no one knew how Cillin did it, but the molecular maps of almost a hundred antibodies was displayed on the screen. Chapter 44: Before The Curtain Falls Chapter 44: Before The Curtain Falls It would take at least three hours and five people working in unison to analyse and determine the correct antibody. But how long had it been since Cillin walked through the door? Not even thirty minutes! This fellow had spent less than 30 minutes to achieve seven times the result that the 50 plus people inside the lab have produced in half a day What kind of concept was this? How many things could a human brain process at the same time? What was its limits? The researchers didnt know, because the answers they did know were completely overruled by the young man before them. The images flashing swiftly across the screen alone were enough to make their eyes spin. One manone pair of handscontrolled over thirty instruments inside the laboratory. In less than thirty minutes, he had used parameter calculation and statistical analysis to interpret and verify the data to come up with a hundred antibodies. Cillin ignored the dumbfounded researchers and transferred his results to the synthesizer at the side, inputting the parameter settings. He then aliquoted the antibodies acquired from the synthesizer and labeled the categories and dosages. The researchers who ran outside previously and the soldiers who were called over quietly stood at the entrance to watch Cillin work in front of the synthesizer. Cillin turned around and glanced at them, Why are you still standing there and doing nothing?! Take these synthesized antibodies and use them for now. Test them one by one, and if one doesnt work then try another. One of them will work, and the antibodies can be stacked. The soldiers who came over reacted faster, since the injured people who needed the antibodies were their comrades after all. They packaged the synthesized antibodies into boxes according to their labels, saluted once at Cillin before swiftly leaving the area. Cillin let out a sigh of relief after all the antibodies had been synthesized completely. He had spent quite a lot of energy within the hour. Not only did he have to manage the data from thirty plus instruments simultaneously, he also had to include the parameters he acquired back at the underground tunnel. It definitely added to the amount of computation he had to perform. To be safe, Cillin also added the antibodies related to the big black mouses toxin and, at the same time, improved a dozen or so antibodies so that their side effects would be lessened. Listening to the report from the communicator, Huo Neil, who was commanding the troops outside to fight against the black mice smiled and shouted at Knight who was holding two guns and firing at the black mice, That friend of yours is a fucking genius! He finished fifty researchers work by himself! Synthesized more than a hundred kinds of antibodies! Well Duh! Hes my friend after all! Both of them felt a lot more at ease. Half an hour ago, Pride had suffered a blow and was sent to the intensive care unit. At first, they were worried that there might not be a corresponding antibody, but with more than a hundred antibodies in hand now, Prides health was without a doubt more secure. Cillin walked out of the lab and returned to his ward. The medical staff treated his injuries again. Sleep well. Youll recover faster that way. Yes, I will certainly sleep well today. Cillin smiled, but the medical staff did not notice the deep meaning hidden within his eyes. Cillins communicator rang just as the medical staff had left the room. Huo Neil had specifically set this up for him after Cillin got hurt and arrived on the aircraft. After the line was connected, Knights face appeared on it. Yo, looking pretty good there I see. You dont appear to be severely injured. I wasnt hurt badly in the first place, it just looks bad. Cillin said. Knights side was still pretty noisy. The sounds of gunfire and cannon shots were endless. Hehe, I havent told you that the big black mouse is dead, have I? You could never have guessed how it was killed. Knights face was so cheerful that there were wrinkles on it. After hearing the news that the mouse toxin on Prides body was removed, Knight had been feeling pretty relaxed. Otherwise, he would not have taken the opportunity to share some funny stuff on the battlefield. At first, Knight was planning to call Prides communicator as well, but that brat had fallen asleep after taking an injection. Oh? Do tell. Cillin also wanted to know how that big black mouse was sent to the afterlife. God knows what the big guy was so mad about, but it didnt even look at whats in front of him before running right into a warehouse at the station filled with more than two hundred square meters of liquid nitrogen. Hahahaha Cillin didnt need Knights help to imagine what happened after that. The cold damage caused by more than two hundred square meters wide liquid nitrogen warehouse was absolutely deadly, and considering the big black mouses running speed, the power of the cold explosion was not something the big black mouse could endure at its current state. If the big black mouse still had the white ball, then these liquid nitrogen wouldnt have damaged it too much. It would be hurt for one second, then be healed during the next. This supported further the uniqueness of the white ball. It was impossible to guess what Cillin was thinking as he rubbed the green pattern on his finger. It was easy to imagine the big black mouses ending when it was attacked again by the operation team after suffering the cold damage from the liquid nitrogen warehouse. Knight gave Cillin a vivid description of that moment. Right now, they were sweeping for the final leftovers on the battlefield. There wasnt much left to do. I even took the opportunity to grab some souvenirs of my own C the big black mouses claws and front teeth. Hehe, the late bird gets no worms alright. Knight was very proud right now. Yeah, yeah. Oh, right, dont cut off the communicator yet. Let me show you a hot nurse. Cillin looked at the monitor by his side and said. The monitor was displaying the image outside the door. A graceful and voluptuous hot nurse holding a medicine tray stood in front of the door and pressed the doorbell. Previously, Cillin had changed the lock on the door to dont disturb mode when he was receiving the call, so anyone who wanted to enter must be let in by the people inside. Cillin put the communicator at the corner of a bedside cabinet. On the surface it looked like the connection was cut off, but in truth, the people on Cillins side would be blind and deaf to what was happening on the other side. However, the people on the other side could clearly see and hear what was going on here. Add another book on top of the communicator as cover, and no one would find out his little trick. Staring at the image of the hot nurse holding a medicine tray and walking into the room on his communicator, Knight let out a most sly and perverted smile. The girl had a good figure alright. It would seem that fortune was looking up with such a beautiful nurse looking after him. The female nurse gave him a very friendly smile and said gently, Its time to change your medicine. I am in your care. The female nurse simply pursed her lips and smiled at Cillins gaze on her full buxom. She swapped in a new infusion bag with practiced hands and pressed a white and soft finger at Cillins forehead, Little flirt. Cillin was not embarrassed either as he chuckled, Only for a beautiful lady. After the hot nurse left, Cillin opened the communicator once more. How is it? Not bad, eh? Verification complete. Conclusion: Hot babe. Knight winked. You wanna try mutilate yourself and enjoy some hot babe service yourself in the sick ward? Ceh, enjoy it yourself. Alright, Im hanging up. Ill clean up the battlefield and sweep the last of the black mice before coming back later to talk to you guys about todays great decisive battle. I heard that you gave those researchers, who have their noses high up in the air, a good smack in the face. Good job. Alright, alright. Get out and get working already. Go grab some more mice claws to sell at a high price once we get back to Seven Lights. Good point. Ill go grab a big bag then. Cillin cut off the connection and dropped his smile. His eyes were icy cold as he stared upwards at the new infusion bag that was just switched in. A killer could not hide its icy blood stench even if they had taken an entirely new skin. Still, this time, he would not need to make a move personally. Someone else would pursue this matter naturally. Chapter 45: Old Mo is About to Flip Out Chapter 45: Old Mo is About to Flip Out Since the battle was nearing its end, the remainder of the medical staff put on standby in the ship that was parked at the space station were transferred to the planet. The research stations defensive shield was finally put down as well, so every aircraft had some nurses assigned on them to perform some simple treatments for the sick and wounded. A patrolling nurse opened the door belonging to Cillins bedroom, ready to record the patients vitals. All the data displayed on the instrument were pretty normal, but when she touched Cillins arm, she realized that it was ice cold. She checked the body temperature displayed on the monitor and touched both Cillins wrist and forehead, but not only was it as icy cold as before, his pulse was so weak that it was almost non-existent! How did it turn out like this!! The little nurse panicked and quickly pressed the emergency call button. The battle was over on the battlefield. Huo Neil was directing tasks such as post-battle cleanup, rescue of the wounded inside the tunnels and other locations of the station, and so on. The waste treatment plants had also returned with a report that the sweep was complete. It was only now that Huo Neil relaxed a bit, although that did not mean the end of his work. After the mission was over, there was still a series of other matters that needed to be dealt with such as compensation for the wounded and the bereaved, mission reports and post-battle analysis. These were all tasks that he had to manage personally. Huo sucked in a deep breath. Todays suffering was finally over! Thank goodness that those little ancestors were safe. Reality proved that Huo Neil had relaxed way too soon. He had just finished letting go of his breath before his communicator rang. From way far back, Knight, who was dragging a whole sack of mice claws and teeth, and was walking this way could already see Huo Neil shouting into his phone, Bunch of useless fucks! Im coming over immediately! Huo Neil cut off the communication, spoke something to the captain beside him, asked Gerrard to take over command of the remaining tasks and ran right towards the aircraft. What happened? Knight walked over and asked that captain. The captain didnt think too much of it and said, Something happened to a patient on the aircraft, I think. Patient? There were only a few people who could incite such a reaction in Huo Neil that he would throw down even battlefield affairs and rush over like his life was on the line. But the comrades he was deeply associated with such as Gerrard and the other captains were all on the battlefield, and as for the patients on that aircraft Knight put down his sack, took out his communicator, pressed a few button and shortly after saw Prides two nostrils. He said with a still sleepy and extremely impatient tone, Whats the fuss about, Im still sleeping man. The doctor told me to rest some more, if my recovery was delayed you - Knight cut off the communication before Pride could finish and called Cillins number instead, but this time no one answered despite waiting for a long time. At this point, Knight could not be bothered with his sack of trophies, and ran towards the aircraft. He was just fine during the call not long ago. What happened? Back at Hards ward. Although he was still lying in the ICU, it was obvious that he was healing nicely judging from the energy in his eyes and the subsided swelling of his face. At this moment, Hard and Sird was talking to each other. Sird was telling him about some of the stuff that happened afterwards. While Sird was speaking, the duo heard a commotion on the outside. It seemed to be coming from the emergency room. I wonder who it is this time. Sird sighed. Before long, a nurse came in and checked Hards infusion bag. Then she took a sample from the bag and tested it using an instrument. Seeing the obvious sigh of relief on her face, Sird asked curiously, What is it? The nurse returned a soothing smile, Its nothing. You know, I can just ask the doctor directly. Sigh. It really is nothing for you guys, but something happened to the patient at the ward downstairs. We have to retest every patients meds. The ward downstairs? Who is it? Sird asked nonchalantly. I think its someone called Cillin Cillin?! When Huo Neil had arrived at the entrance of the emergency room, Sird had pushed Hard on a wheelchair and waited beside the room. Why have you come out? Rest is the most important thing for someone hurt as badly as you are right now. Hard could not salute like Sird when he saw Huo Neil. After Huo Neil had stopped the salute, he was about to raise with his hand, Hard said, I dont feel at ease there. A person wearing the clothes of a medic ran over from behind Huo Neil and reported the situation. The wards camera logs had been completely wiped out, and the two cameras outside the ward had also been manipulated. Someone had invaded and altered the program of the instrument inside the ward so that no alarms were sent out when the patients vitals had fallen into critical condition. And the biggest issue of them all was that they could not identify the suspect Huo Neil stared at the logs recorded on the tablet handed over to him as his frown turned deeper and deeper. He was careless. A medical staff from the drug testing room walked over and said to Huo Neil, There are highly toxic substances inside that infusion bag. Judging from its dosage, it could cause death in just half an hour, but the patient who was injected with this kind of substance would not experience any discomfort whatsoever. They would only feel sleepier and sleepier. Then they would fall into a deep sleep until they pass away. The medical staff did not dare to say the last line, but everyone knew it what he meant. Knight, who had just rushed out of the ward downstairs after seeing that Cillin was missing, happened to hear the staffs words, and he was so mad that he took out his gun right away and pressed it against his head, Do you people eat shit for a living?! You didnt know which bag has poison and which doesnt?! You didnt test them beforehand?! A soldier laments nothing to die on the battlefield. But if their soul could never rest if they were to die for unaccountable reasons without any value whatsoever. Calm down, Knight! Huo Neil motioned for several medics to pull Knight away, although they failed to snatch the gun in his hand. Knight struggled out of their grips and withdrew his gun. He received the tablet Huo Neil handed over and read the logs. The cameras were manipulated and did not capture anyone suspicious? Infusion bag Wait a second! I know who switched that infusion bag! Knight opened his communicator and brought up that call log, Shes the one! A nurse? Huo Neil opened his communicator and hit a number. Then he transferred the video over and said, Investigate this woman! The call didnt end long before Huo Neils communicator rang yet again. Huo Neil glanced at the number and discovered that it came from a special communicator from Seven Lights. Although the main mission was completed already, they were still in the middle of the follow-up works after all. Normally speaking, Seven Lights shouldnt be questioning him at this time since it might involve military influences. He recalled a certain person, and suddenly, Huo Neil felt nervous. He gritted his teeth and pressed Accept. The image blinked once and displayed Mo Hengs unusually kind smile. Ah, Little Nail. I knew it The cold sweat behind Huo Neils back was like a waterfall. He wasnt nearly as nervous as he was now, even when compared to the massive horde of black mice. Hello, E-Elder Mo! Huo Neil gave a military salute with a stiff body. Seeing Huo Neils reaction, Mo Heng said, Whats wrong? Youre sweating all over. Why are you so nervous seeing old me? Surely Im not scarier than those mutated black mice? Mo Heng was apparently fairly aware of this mission. Scary doesnt even begin to describe it; youre a million times scarier than those things. Huo Neil thought to himself, but he really did not know how he should answer this question. However, Mo Heng had spoken first before he could figure out an answer. Did something happen to Cillin? How could Mo Heng not guess a thing or two seeing Huo Neils reaction? While Mo Heng was saying these words, even Huo Neil could feel the unusually low pressure circulating around old man Mo on the other side of the communicator. Old Mo was about to flip. The fuck. Out. Chapter 46: Solace Chapter 46: Solace Lets turn the clock back a little. After Mo Heng was finished showing off to his friend outside, he returned from his trip only to find the written request for leave Cillin had left behind in the workshop. His face had immediately turned from sunny to gloomy in an instant. Everyone in the research division was dead silent because of this. It was obvious that sir Mo was feeling down; very, very down. Knowing some of the details of this military op, Mo Heng had restrained himself from contacting up until the point he heard that the mission had reached the final stage. Moreover, it was only when he heard that Cillin had analysed more than a hundred antibodies singlehandedly to completely trump over the fifty plus station researchers that his feelings improved just a tiny bit. Using vice headmaster An Tings words, the old foxs tail was raised just a little taller. But Mo Heng did not expect to hear Cillin in danger the moment communication was established. His already cloudy feelings immediately turned into a thunderstorm, and as he listened to Huo Neils explanation, his expression had only darkened even further. Youre telling me that my disciple made such a huge contribution while injured only to be stabbed in the back?! Huo Neil kept quiet. With his understanding of Mo Hengs personality, it would be best if he said nothing right now. How is he now? Mo Hengs voice grew deep and heavy; so heavy that it was almost unbearable. The doctor says that he has stabilized somewhat after resuscitation Im worried. Im bringing some men over right now Huo Neil was on call at a rest room beside the emergency room. Just as Huo Neil was sweating all over himself trying to deal with Mo Heng, a medic knocked on the door and walked inside. Huo Neil had told him earlier to inform him the moment there was any progress in the ER. Seeing that Huo Neil was on call, the medic passed over the tablet to him. After reading the contents of the tablet, Huo Neil immediately felt a little more emboldened than before. Elder Mo, Ive just received news that Cillin is now stable. Seeing Mo Hengs obviously distrustful gaze, Huo Neil took the communicator and headed into the ER, showing Mo Heng the vitals on the instruments and the color of Cillins face. It wasnt until he moved the communicator back and forth for a long time that Mo Heng finally believed him a little, but he still demanded that Huo Neil send Cillin back to Seven Lights as soon as possible. He couldnt not worry otherwise. Im telling you, this old man wouldnt blink once even if all the bastards in the station were eaten by those mice. You can put them all together and their sum value would not compare even to a shred of my disciples! Why should someone else pay with their lives for the havoc they caused due to their incompetence C Pooh, pooh, fuck me hes alive what am I talking about C I mean, why should someone else clean up their shit, huh?! The moment sir Mo got angry, that temper of his immediately rose to the surface as well. His son General Mo Qing also fully inherited this trait from his father. Back in those years, both Huo Neil and Gerrard had tasted the brunt of General Mos temper before. The moment his temper appeared, it would be difficult for anyone to stop him from whatever he wanted to do, not to mention that any statements that came out of his mouth were the absolute opposite of political correctness. Someone like Mo Heng might put on the appearance of a kind and friendly senior academician when he was in a good mood in a normal day. But if his temper was to bare its fangs, then it was every man for himself. This was what people meant to be bull-headed. The world they faced were big, but the world inside their hearts might not necessarily be big as well. Therefore, one must not stop them when they were protecting their own. Huo Neil knew this very well, which was why he kept quiet when Mo Heng flew off the handle and spittled his extreme remarks. Lets have them enter one ear and exit the other. Otherwise, it would affect sir Mos kind image if this was spread to the public Thank goodness that the medic who came in just now had already left, otherwise Sigh, lets not go into that. After instructing Huo Neil for a while, Mo Heng finally cut off the communication with much reluctance. However, before an hour was up, Huo Neil would have to report Cillins condition to Mo Heng. Otherwise, if Mo Heng had run over here with his own men, how would he dare to excuse him Mo Hengs face did not improve by much after cutting off the communication. Ever since he decided to take Cillin as his direct disciple, he had made some investigations into the Douance family. He knew about its familial conflicts and all the tricky and dirty stuff that followed behind it. The Douance Family could be considered rather influential at the ten trade Sectors, but to Mo Heng, it amounted to exactly nothing. Mo Heng valued the ability of the person in question, not their background nor the benefits their identity could bring. He even wished that Cillin could detach himself from the Douance family and have no background at all, so he would not be involved in those dirty infightings. That being said, now that something like this had happened, Mo Heng aint gonna sit by and watch his disciple suffer. Someone had to pay the price. While Mo Heng might be engaged in academics, the truth was that iron flowed inside his heart. Just look to General Mo Qing; if the old man could bring up someone like General Mo, then how could he possibly be a soft boiled egg? Mo Heng entered a new signal transmission code into his communicator and called Someone had extended their hands too deep and lorded over the ten trade Sectors for too long that they forgot how big the universe was! Huo Neil, Knight and the others had commenced their investigation of the poisoner, and before long, they heard that the woman had injected cyanide into herself at the medical depot and committed suicide. Moreover, she did not bother avoiding the depots security cameras and injected a large amount of cyanide into herself right in front of it. She knew that she was a goner after failing the mission and exposing herself. She never figured out how Cillin survived until the very end despite being injected with poison for such a long time. How did the woman slip into the hospital ship? And who was covering for her? The interrogation and examination of the medical personnel were also stricter than others. She most definitely had cohorts, and more than one no less. It could be a soldier, a researcher, a medical personnel Huo Neil also understood the complexity that laid beneath this matter, and the moment he remembered his own assurance to Mo Heng, he immediately decided to send the wounded back to Seven Lights, and Cillin, Pride and the others would have specially-assigned personnel to protect them. There must not be even the slightest trouble in between, or he would have to lose the badge on his shoulders. While everyone was busying about, Cillin was still in bed. But, although he was sleeping, his mind was very clear. He knew about what was happening around him; knew about Mo Hengs concern for him; knew about Knight, Hard and Sird standing by outside the door during the entire time he was in the ER. He would be lying if he said he wasnt touched. When Cillin was still very young, Genya had already told him that man is a social animal. The amount of people he would come across or glanced over by in the entire galaxy exceeded hundreds of billions, and yet those who would truly treat you well could only be counted by fingers. This was a kind of wealth that could not be earned no matter how much money or time was spent. Even those who were used to being loners hid a deep longing inside their hearts. This drama had developed according to Cillins predictions. He had predicted that those people would have a backup plan, and the moment he saw the woman holding the medicine tray on the camera, he knew that backup plan had arrived. That was why he had left the communicator on so that Knight would have a lead to trace after, and even if the lead had met a dead end, it would be enough to force the killer to her death. The only way out for such a killer who failed her mission and exposed herself was death. However, this matter had also caused Cillin to feel a long-lost warmth. Solace had come to him again after Genya and Hena had passed away. At the least, there was someone watching over him at the other end of the door while he lied on a sickbed. As someone his age, he had experienced too much. Chapter 47: Returning to University Chapter 47: Returning to University On the ship, Cillin, Pride and Hard were assigned to the same sick ward. Sird and Knight were also there. Although knight wasnt hurt, He was still sent back to Seven Lights by Huo Neil. Knight did not mind, since he felt slightly more at ease because he was guarding the sick ward himself, just in case there was another assassination attempt Since the matter had come to an end, naturally, Cillin recovered really quickly, and now the five of them were chatting inside the room. Three were lying on their beds and two were sitting on chairs. Sird was peeling some fruits for them, and Knight was spitting saliva all over the place while talking about the news he had heard just recently. I heard that the big black mouses chromosomes were multiplied after it had mutated and was able to reproduce to a bunch of little black mice asexually. Er the hierarchy is just like the queen bee and her drones. But Im not sure about the exact details either. The other research stations had come over to collaborate on the research. As you might imagine, if substantial results are to come from this research, then it can be published on an academic-type electronic magazine that would be at least seventy GAL contribution points or above. That way theyll become famous. Do the researchers on the station not feel any trauma from this incident at all? Sird asked. To this point, he would recall the scene where the black mice brushed past him every time and would unconsciously feel a chill every time the mice were brought up. Thats their thrill. Take an example. You were shot during an operation and just barely survived it. Are you afraid of guns, then? Would you still pick up your weapon and join in on the next operation? Of course I would join in on the operation! Whats so scary about guns; isnt it a common thing to get shot at? And they feel just the same. Isnt it common for a researcher to come up with weird things? Hey, stop interrupting; let me continue, Knight cleared his throat and continued, I heard that the mutation produced some kind of enzyme inside their bodies that allowed the black mice to perform anaerobic respiration for an extended period of time. This also explains why they could survive inside the underground tunnels for such a long time. Knight was the kind of person who would give most people the impatient daddy look, but would have an entirely different attitude towards someone whom he acknowledged. He also spoke a lot more. Seeing Knights I am an expert facade, Prides eyes zoomed to a corner as he tsked, What shameful conduct! Yoho, does our young master have an opinion for me? You should take a good look at your own cowardly face in the mirror. Its pardonable that Cillin and Hard got hurt, but what about you? Young useless burden? Seeing Prides indignant glare, Knight threw a grape right at him, Dont tell me you didnt notice that those soldiers in your squad were specially assigned agents. Its exactly because I noticed that theyre specially assigned agents that I wanted to avoid them! Thats why you deserve to be scratched by the black mice. Do you seriously think you can handle that kind of situation alone? You fancy yourself a Star Rank Hunter (T/N: oh ho ho ho) or a Heavenly Edict Soldier? Use your brain, or youll never catch up to your brother Feihang Zweig! If I cant become a Heavenly Edict Soldier, do you think you can? At the least, Ill be one before you. Knight said in disdain. If Feihang Zweig hadnt asked him to watch out for Pride, who would give a shit about this idiot? Seeing that Pride was about to fight Knight to the death, Sird hurriedly went over to mediate thing between the duo. Cillin watched the duo amusedly at the sidelines. If Sird hadnt gone over to mediate things, Pride was probably going to get smacked around by Knight again. A similar situation had already happened quite a few times. That being said, the topic of Heavenly Edict Soldier and Star Rank Hunter did attract Cillins attention. There were countless Hunters in the GAL, and those who stood at the pinnacle were all bestowed upon the title Star, a.k.a the Star Rank Hunter Knight was talking about. As of now, there were six publically known figures in the world of GAL Hunters who owned the title Star. The leaders of the four great Hunter regiments and the two elusive and mysterious lone rangers were all Star Rank Hunters. Together, the six of them were known as the Six Stars of the Hunt. Meanwhile, Heavenly Edict Soldier was the highest honor one could be bestowed upon among the soldiers of the army. However, their existences were overly mysterious, and many of their achievements were listed by the military under top secret. To the public, they only existed among legends, and even the offsprings of generals like Knight and Pride didnt know who they were. They only knew that there were four of them. The Four Heavenly Edict Generals and the Six Stars of the Hunt. These were the legends this eras soldiers and Hunters chased after. It was only through this mission that I recognised the gap between students and the regular army. We still need to work harder. Hard sighed while lying on his sick bed. Both Knight and Pride looked towards Cillin in unison after hearing Hards words. They did not say anything. Hey, what kind of rewards do you think the university will give us after we went back? Sird said expectantly. Rewards? Knight rubbed his chin, Its either credits or cash. Although, a military merit will be marked under our profiles as well, its nothing big. However it is a badge of honor at least. It will be somewhat useful if you join the army in the future. That will be good enough. A military merit is all I can ask for. Hard answered with a grin. The ship stopped at the space station when they arrived at Planet Seven Lights. They were then transported on an aircraft and landed at an airport in the training division. Both Cillin and Hard were pushed out on a wheelchair. Originally Pride should have joined them on a wheelchair as well, but he turned it down due to his pride. There were plenty of people that were already gathered at the airport. Some of the higher-ups of Seven Lights were also here. This was an operation that started due to an accident on Seven Lights research station after all. The training division students were present; Lung and Ci Jincheng were also present. However, Lung winked at Cillin and used his chin to point at a certain direction. There was a very familiar flying limousine parked at that direction. A person had walked over from the limousine after Cillin was pushed down the aircraft. After seeing that person, Knight threw away his so-called brotherhood code and dumped Cillin behind. From the looks of it, he wanted to stay away as far away as possible. Seeing this person, Cillin pulled the corners of his lips, Why have you come, sir Maintaining a stern look, after checking Cillin all over very seriously and confirming that he had recovered pretty well, Mo Heng lifted a hand, and pulled. The people at the training division airport, the students and higher-ups greeting and consoling the wounded, and those pouring down continuously from the aircraft should number around several thousands in total. It was under the attention of these several thousand people that Cillin was reprimanded while his cheeks were pulled by Mo Heng. The entire huge airport was filled with Mo Hengs powerful and clear voice. There were plenty of high grade students in the area, and they had only ever known Mo Hengs kind appearance in the past. Since when had they seen such a vice headmaster Mo before? Their own faces felt painful just watching Cillins pinched cheeks. However, the few higher-ups present were surprised by Mo Hengs actions. Those who understood Mo Heng knew that the old man would only pull the cheeks of someone he really cared about. And while it might appear as if Mo Heng was reprimanding Cillin, in truth he was warning everyone that Cillin was under his protection, and anyone who would think to harm him must go through him first. At a planet on Sector D of the ten trade Sectors; inside a manor not far away from the bustling city. Aiflon was holding a sprinkling can and watering the plants leisurely while his butler Sopho reported the situation behind him. Those families had suffered quite a bit of damage. The militarys seizure of goods, the governments sudden investigation, business partners breaking off their cooperation and even several well-known academicians who were invited as guests changing their minds about things Aiflon showed no reaction while he listened. After he finished watering the plants, he accepted the towel Sopho handed over, wiped his hands, and only then he said, Lets triple his reward this time. Yes. And about that person responsible for communication at Seven Lights Well stick with the original plan. Yes. Ill work on it right away. Chapter 48: Theresa Kiara Chapter 48: Theresa Kiara Careful, watch out for the legs C hey! Be gentler At Seven Lights Technology Development Zone, Research Division Hospital, Mo Heng was commanding someone while they were transferring Cillin from his wheelchair to the sick bed. Cillin already said that he could move on his own, but Mo Heng wouldnt listen to him at all. The old man wore a look of disgust as if Cillin couldnt be any more troublesome, and yet his hands wouldnt stop ordering the person lifting Cillin about, for fear that Cillin would bump or knock into anything. Cillins expression could only be described as one of absolute anguish. In truth, he could kill ten black mice with his bare hands right now and not be hurt in the slightest, but what could he do when he was the one who had chosen to feign sickness himself? Feigning sickness was such a terribly excruciating act; oh, the sins we bring upon ourselves! Although the medical test reports indicated that Cillin could absolutely be discharged right now, Mo Heng had still forcefully requested that Cillin recuperate for another ten days, and during these ten days, no one was allowed to visit him. In reality, this was his punishment for suddenly taking off and participating in a dangerous training division mission, wasnt it! Every day, the microcomputer was Cillins only method of communication with others. Seven Lights had their own internal communication platform, and there were only five people in Cillins friendlist: Knight, Lung, Ci Jincheng, Hard and Sird. That being said, the chat box pinged non-stop every day even though there were only five. This morning, Cillin woke up, opened the microcomputer and immediately saw a few messages pop up on the display. They were all talking about the same thing C the mice extermination mission the five of them had participated in. The troubles at the bio-station were resolved, so there was no longer any need to keep it under wraps. Moreover, even if every student in the training division had kept a tight lip about the matter, for certain students in Seven Lights who did not belong to the training division, it was something they could inquire one way or another if they really wanted to. Since the incident at the station was exposed, naturally the five students who participated in said mission were exposed as well. Someone had even built them a power ranking. Cillin opened the Seven Lights Forum using the URL left behind by Knight, and as expected, the hot threads leading at the front was about them. There were even images of the black mice on top of the thread, and there were many people who replied to it. There were both positives and negative replies, and of course, some people who visited purely to check out some mice. As for their ranking, in descending order from first to fifth, they were: Knight, Pride, Sird, Hard and Cillin. Naturally, there was a reason as to why they were ranked in this order. Why were Hard and Sird ranked last on the list? This was because they were seated on wheelchairs when they descended from the aircraft that day, and Hard was discharged the next day while Cillin had to wait several more. That was how he was ranked at the last place of the list. Pride should thank his own good fortune for insisting against sitting on a wheelchair that day, or he would have definitely been depressed to death to rank behind Sird. But the more Cillin read, the more he discovered that the discussion was getting off rails. Since when did things start to go awry? (T/N: you poor backwater child, its the first. Its always the FRIST) The story should begin from the 1626th poster on the thread, Sasa. The moment this person replied, everything below her began to go crazy and disconnect from the threads original contents completely. This should also be the stuff Knight and the others had really wanted him to see. That Sasa had said this: Actually, I think the fifth person on the list is better. Then the replies began to pour it from the bottom, and looking at the time the masses replying speed was so quick that more than five pages were filled up in less than a minute. A wild Beauty Sa has appeared! Beauty Sa, have you seen the love oath I wrote to you fifty seven days twelve hours thirty eight minutes and three seconds ago? Is this the legendary Beauty Sa? Could it be that Beauty Sa is interested in the guy that ranked fifth? What? Beauty Sa is interested in the guy ranked fifth! Beauty Sa, have you left your heart with the guy ranked fifth already? Shocking news, Beauty Sa has a crush on a grade one student! Who is that bastard at fifth rank; lets drag him out to the open and strip him bare! Cillin was practically speechless reading the replies. He was truly impressed by their ability to distort ones words. He had witnessed their ability to turn a grape into a durian, and each one of them was only more self-righteous than the next. While Cillin was staring in speechlessness at the replies, the chat box flashed yet again. Both Lung and Knights avatars were blinking rapidly. What now? After clicking it open, he discovered that the duo had sent him a large picture. The picture was of a girl dressed in refreshing light-colored casual wear. She had a ponytail tied to the back of her head and wore a pair of sunglasses. She was holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands. The focus of the picture was that the background was the hospital Cillin stayed in. Cillin, go take a look at the home page of Seven Lights forum. Ci Jincheng sent him a message. Returning to the home page, he saw many glaring red highlighted threads that were all about that Beauty Sa, and the number of messages denouncing Cillin, Beauty Sas scandalous boyfriend were countless. There was even a top thread that was titled, Live Stream of Beauty Sa Visiting Scandal Boyfriend. The more Cillin read the dizzier he felt. He didnt even know who Beauty Sa was so where the fuck did this scandal come from?! The little trumpet beneath the chat box rang non-stop. Cillin clicked the simultaneous call button right away. Hey Cillin, have you seen Beaut Sa yet? Cillin, how dare you raise a wildflower, correction, a house flower outside and not tell us! Something smells fishy. We demand the truth! While noise poured out of Lung and Knights big mouths, The door of Cillins sick ward slid open with a beep!, and the person following behind the entered robotic nurse was non other than the Beauty Sa he had seen on the picture. Hi, Cillin Douance! The visitor let out a cheerful smile and greeted him generously. Oh~~ Its Beauty Sa beep The voice from the other side of the comm was cut off since Cillin had turned off the microcomputer straight away. He then looked at the visitor. Meanwhile, both Lung at the Trade Zone and Knight at the training division were hopping mad. How dare Cillin turned off the computer at such a critical time! Could it be, that they were going to make love or something? The duos thoughts were already roaming wildly. Let me introduce myself. I am Theresa Kiara, Grade Five, from the Research Divisions Institute of Design. She carried with her a refreshing beauty that was not seductive. Every one of her movements gave off a dignified feeling that was easily approachable. This was the peoples first impression of Theresa. Cillin didnt know who this Beauty Sa everyone was talking about, but he did know the name Theresa. There was an introduction to the universitys celebrities in the Seven Lights Handbook, and Theresa was among them. Theresa was the famous talented girl of the Research Divisions Institute of Design. She was a specially recruited student who had risen to Grade Five in just three years of studies. She was also the disciple of Seven Lights famous Queen and headmasters wife; Professor and Mrs. Lin. Professor Lin and Mo Heng were old acquaintances, so it was no wonder that Mo Heng would have given her special permission to come in. Youre done with Professor Lins project? Cillin asked. He heard a long time ago from Ling Long that Queen Lin was about heading out to Sector A to work on a project, and from the looks of things, Theresa had probably gone along with her as well. Theresa placed the flowers she held at a vase nearby, Yeah, we just came back today actually. Professor Mo had praised you quite a bit at the dining table today, and there werent many people who received such high praise from Professor Mo. Cillin shrugged noncommittally. Theresa casted a glance at the microcomputer beside Cillin and smiled, Ive been away for a while, so I made a casual reply after seeing that thread on Seven Lights Forum today. I didnt think there would be such a big reaction through. You dont look apologetic in the least though, senior-sister-in-learning. Hehe. Theresa did not deny it either. After chatting casually for a while, Theresa then stood up and bid him goodbye. She had left Seven Lights for a period of time to work on the project, and Mrs. Lin was still waiting for her to deal with some of the trivial matters in Seven Lights. She could not afford to stay here for long. Thank you the the visit, senior-sister-in-learning. Allow me to treat you after I am discharged from the hospital. Alright, Ill be waiting. The total amount of time Theresa had spent in the hospital was no more than five minutes, but in Seven Lights Forum, the people had exploded into gossip already. Even though they only saw Theresas pictures entering and leaving the hospital, it was enough for the masses to conjure all kinds of imaginations in their heads. Then, someone used their god-knows-what means to confirm that Theresa had indeed visited Cillins backroom, and the entire Seven Lights Forum boiled into total chaos. Cillin did not pay heed to those things, however. After Theresa left, Cillin turned his palm around to reveal a memory card in his hand. Theresa had slapped his hand once before she left, and it was It was at that moment that she passed the card to Cillin. No wonder he kept feeling that something was a bit off. So shes the middlewoman. This was also why Cillin had offered to treat her after he was discharged from the hospital when she left. Cillin let out a meaningful smile. Other than knowing the fact that she was the middlewoman, Cillin had also discovered an additional secret. Aiflon was truly a powerful contender of the position of heir of the Douance Family. His depths were deep! Chapter 49: The Picnic Incident Chapter 49: The Picnic Incident Cillin barely got Mo Hengs approval to be discharged from the hospital, and to this aim he had even written a touching and trenchant ten thousand words self-reflection essay. But no matter how Mo Heng looked, he could not find any lines that stated the words he really wanted to see, such as, Never again in the future will I in the entire ten thousand words self reflection text. Borrowing Mo Hengs remark, this was like machine that was missing a core component, or in one word, shit! That being said, while it was a little shit, Mo Heng still framed and hung the self-reflection essay at his office, and every time Cillin went over to submit an assignment Mo Heng would point at the essay on the wall and go blah blah blah. Of course, this was the aftermath. When Cillin got out of the hospital and returned to his accommodation, the door behind him had closed automatically. There were three people sitting on three chairs at the living room, putting on the impression of a Three-Judge Court. The trio who were normally too busy to even return home were all present today. Ci Jincheng was toying with the control panel in his hands, it was likely that Cillin would be attacked by some unknown objects if he ran out of the house; Knight was wriggling his wrists and pressing his fingers until they cracked audibly; and Lung was letting out wicked laugh at the side. Confess and accept severe punishment, or resist and run naked on the streets! Make your choice! Cillin looked at the trio and calmly pulled over a chair, sitting down on the opposite side, I choose C. Fuck you! The trio rushed over and pressed Cillin to the ground. They throttled his neck. Quickly, what is your relationship with Beauty Sa?! Even her supporters had run up to our front door! Look, they even threw rotten eggs at us! Lung pointed at a yellow spot on the window and accused. Bullshit, like theres anyone in Seven Lights who dares to bully the lot of you? Its obvious that you threw it out yourself while youre trying to fry an egg! I can even see the oil on it; or do you think you can fool me!? Be gentler, my necks going to break if you throttle any longer; I give, I give okay. It took a while before his neck was finally released. After smoothing out his breath, Cillin then explained the cause and effect of everything. After a while, Knight asked suspiciously, Are you sure she knows you because of Professor Mo and Professor Lin? If you dont believe me,go ask her yourself. Lung put on a deep, thoughtful look, So this is a case of first come, first served then? The stars are aligned, man, if you still cant take her down with these advantages youll be a candy ass. Knight too pressed closer while acting secretive, So what did you do during those five minutes? We talked. And then? We talked some more. After analysing Cillins facial expression with everything they got, the trio said disappointedly, You are sooo talented! Speaking of which, some of the students sounded the gong of retreat when the crowd at Seven Lights Forum had dug out Cillins identity and background. Speaking of appearance, Cillin was in fact a pretty handsome man. That temperament of his was definitely dazzling when he put it on display. Speaking of background and identity, Cillin came from the Douance Family, and as of late, his father Aiflon was riding the crest of success and not far away from becoming the heir of the Douance Family. If that time did arrive, then Cillin would become the prince of the family, and there werent really many families who could exceed the Douance Family other than some forces at the three Sectors A, B and C. Speaking of knowledge, Sir Mo a.k.a Mo Heng was his master, and how could Cilin have become Sir Mos student if he didnt have some ability of his own? And finally, the subject of Cillins power was but a moot point. The guy had fought in the army and killed some mice. His personal combat strength ranked fifth in the training division. How the hell were they going to compete with this guy? Therefore, the majority of the people were leaned towards watching a good show from the sidelines and gossiping. On the next day, Cillin got ready to leave while holding his hoverboard. The trio eating breakfast looked towards him at once, Todays a weekend. Theres no class. Im treating Theresa to lunch today. Cillin was very forthright. Fuck! Shit! You animal! Cillins barely had one leg out of the accommodation before the trio took out a bunch of tools. The signal is clear. Debug the satellite monitoring will you. We must get a good look on how Cillin hits on a girl this time. Cillin knew that the three scums in the accommodation would not sit by and watch just like that, but he had nothing to hide either. After buying some things along the way, Cillin arrived at a forest outside the school zone, which was the location they agreed upon. Theresa was waiting for him already. She was dressed simply and elegantly as usual; connecting with the surrounding sceneries and appearing incredibly harmonious. Excuse me, Ive kept you waiting. Cillin withdrew his hoverboard and took out the food he just bought. Its nothing, I came earlier on purpose. Many people were surprised that the duo didnt go to a restaurant, and instead came to the forest for a picnic. And why a lot of people? Thats because there were plenty more people who were tracking Theresas movements other than the three idiots in Cillins accommodation. However, be it monitoring through a binocular or a satellite, the lush forest would be their greatest obstacle. They would not be able to see clearly even with a see through glass. Therefore, they could only see the duo sitting there, watching the flowing stream and savoring their picnic. It appeared that they were chatting very happily. There were already plenty of photos leaked out on Seven Lights Forum. The tree leaves mightve been in the way, but it was impossible for the peoples imaginations to sit still when they could see the duo sitting by the stream. Meanwhile, Lung was complaining non-stop in the accommodation, That Cillin is so sly. To think that he would choose such a secluded location! The video is blocked by the tree leaves. We really shouldve placed a bug on him. Of course, Lung was just saying without meaning it. They knew that there should be a limit to everything. Ci Jincheng had thrown the tracer into his Cillins bag openly, and the fact that Cillin had said nothing meant that he didnt mind giving away his whereabouts at all. They must be discussing their beautiful life and romantic future. There were countless who thought that way, but in truth the topics Cillin and Theresa were discussing with each other had nothing to do with romanticism at all. Since this incident has a great impact on his opponents, Mr. Aiflon Douance had paid you three times the usual reward. You can expect the same thing for the next two months. Theresa said. Is it my mentor, Professor Mo? Its not just him. All three of your housemates had acted, and the military, business, government and academia had exerted some pressure of their own. Ive also heard that the killer organization was put on the wanted list. Recently theyve been planning to take revenge against their employer, you know. Cillin smiled at the news and said nothing. Although those people would restrain themselves a little after these pressure from all sides, Mr. Aiflon had asked me to tell you this: Some of the people from the main family might seize this opportunity to act, and put the blame on those unlucky fellows. Therefore you should be careful for the meanwhile. Still, I think that Mr. Aiflon was worrying too much. With your abilities, theres absolutely no chance that you would be unable to handle these small fries. You sure think highly of me. Cillin turned his head and looked at the small stream. Different from Planet Brown Earths artificial stream, there was a beauty to this stream that was closer to nature. There was even a crab underneath a rock. When he was young, he would often play with Hena at the stream slightly far away from the poverty area, but it had only rocks and water, nothing else. Hena had even said that such a stream had no life in it. She said that if one day she could see a stream filled with abundant life such as the fish, prawn and crabs shown on TV, it would definitely be a very happy thing. Cillin touched the pendant hung at his chest inside his clothes. Do you see, Hena? There are crabs here. This stream is alive. In the future, we will see even livelier streams. Who are you thinking of? Theresa asked. During that one instant, the gentleness in Cillins eyes was one that could cause someone to drown in it. Im thinking of crabs. Cillin stretched his back, Is there anything else? No. Ill tell you after I receive new instructions in the future. As long as you remember my reward. We will absolutely not undercompensate you. Lets end our meeting here today; it seems like your patience is at its end anyway. Lets have a goodbye kiss before we part. Once finished, Theresa then leaned forward and got closer to Cillin. Countless Seven Lights students watched Beauty Sa leaning towards Cillin as the distance between them grew shorter and shorter until FUCK! THE TREE LEAVES ARE IN THE WAY! Lung pointed at the tree leaves in the screen and said furiously, Ill reward anyone who chops that tree in half a billion! At the same time, in a different accommodation on the other side, Ling Lung had crushed her fifth microcomputer today with her bare hands. Everyone knew that the duo had kissed, but did they really? Its true. But just the face. Theresa had only kissed Cillins face, but because of the tree leaves, everyone else was thinking about the obvious. Theresas grasp of the angles was terrific. She knew by heart exactly where the surveillance were coming from. Aftering cleaning up the stuff on the ground, Cillin extended his hoverboard while Theresa pressed the button on her key. Not far away, a flying car flew up as its colors turned from green to white. She was using a camouflage color earlier. Want me to drive you? Theresa sat inside her car and asked. Its fine. A pleasure to work with you. Remember the reward. Pleasure to work with you. Both parties parted towards different directions. Cillin flew along the stream for a time, but there werent many people who paid attention to him any longer. Knight and the others also opened the forum and checked the threads. The hottest threads of the entire Seven Lights Forum were all about Cillin and Theresa; they were talking about the truth behind the photo. Cillin had just returned to the accommodation before Knight and Lung threw down the microcomputer and ran towards him. You have better tell us that critical segment right away fuck, crabs, where did you get these crabs? Theyre so fresh! Knight and Lung no longer cared about the picnic kissing incident or whatever and rubbed their hands excitedly at the huge sack of crabs. Ci Jincheng: These gluttons! That night, while the rest of the people in Seven Lights were salivating all over the forum, Cillin and his friends enjoyed a fine meal of crabs around the table. Chapter 50: Sector Championship Chapter 50: Sector Championship The Ci-Sa Incident made quite the noise, but it lasted only for a few days before it was completely covered over by another event C the Sector Championship was about to begin. And what is the Sector Championship? The Sector Championship was the contest joined by all higher education institutions of Sector B and C, and the top ten higher education institutions of the ten trade Sectors. It included contested sports such as ACM (Air combat maneuvering or dogfighting), gun fights, full-contact combat, integrated warfare and so on. This was a contest in which all the pros were gathered and where geniuses from all around the universe were looking to unleash their capabilities. This was also the most influential contest among the higher education institutions every year. Gathering of Titans, an electronic magazine with over seventy GAL contribution points had a special column reserved for this contest. Gathering of Titans was an electronic magazine that specialised in reporting all kinds of sports events. It was the sports events type electronic magazine with the highest contribution point, and its influence on the entire GAL was extremely huge. The importance of this championship could be seen from the fact that it had a specially reserved column in Gathering of Titans. Moreover, this contest was also closely related to the higher education institutions source of students in the coming years. If a certain higher education institution had failed to perform admirably in the Sector Championship, then who would be willing to apply into such an institution? Seven Lights was without a doubt a beneficiary of this contest. In recent years, Seven Lights sat solidly at the fifth spot in the contest, and this was an achievement that all higher education institutions in Sector B were jealous about. And why would they be jealous about a mere fifth spot? Thats because the top four spots of the Sector Championship were all landed by the four military academies from Sector C. After all, the people of Sector C were honestly trained and had true skills and abilities. Thats why Sector Bs higher education institutions would content for the fifth spot every year, but most of the time, that spot would be occupied by Seven Lights. That was how Seven Lights had come to enjoy its fame and reputation today. This was also one of the reasons why so many great forces and families tried so hard to send their kids to Seven Lights. Seven Lights was just like a rich and powerful family, and it would definitely be most beneficial to ones future development if they could join this family. There were no lack of offsprings of wealthy and powerful families like Lung and Pride, but those who lifted Seven Lights to the top were mostly specially recruited students. This was why Seven Lights treatment of specially recruited students were extremely generous, and why old professors like Mo Heng rather preferred specially recruited students over regular students. It was because they all had the potential to step into the top. As of late, there were a lot less people frequenting the trade zone districts and entertainment zones Sleepless City. The training division and the school zones training rooms were fully occupied almost everyday, and there were also those who stayed in their accommodations the whole day, going online and entering the Sector Championships combat platform to warm up and train. The Sector Championships combat platform would only be opened a month before the contest began, and after it ended, the platform would be shut down along with it. Every contested sport had their respective training grounds in the Sector Championships combat platform. While they were just virtual zones, some training grounds were still filled to the brim, so the people could only wait in queues for practice. In reality, all contested sports were conducted in this Sector Championships combat platform except the last sport of the contest integrated warfare, which would be conducted in real life. However, the sensors would reflect a persons physical condition on the platform, and the virtual character on the combat platform was nearly the same as the persons physical condition in real life. Therefore, the tempering of ones constitution was a must. There were no special criterias in order to become eligible to participate in the Sector Championship. All Grade One to Four students were allowed to participate, but Grade Five, Six and Seven were forbidden from joining the contest. In reality, they could only be considered as half a student; those who had continued to pursue further study could already be considered as half a professional and thus, barred from the Sector Championship. There was also the fact that the military academies in Sector C or the higher education institutions in the ten trade Sectors had only four grades in their system. Therefore, for the sake of fairness, the students who pursued further study in Sector B did not have the right to compete in this contest. It could be said that Knight had been looking forward and extremely gratified by the coming of this contest. He wasnt able to enter a military academy, and so he had set his mind to knock those people in the military academies down a peg so he could absolve this particular grudge. For the past few days, Knight had almost never left his doorsteps. A fridge was purposely placed in his bedroom, which he would eat directly from after he was hungry, before returning to the Sector Championships platform after he was filled to fight again. His only regret was that he could not hug the sensor to sleep. Seven Lights identity card was needed to register on the Sector Championships platform, and every student could only have a single account. Therefore, the students who were Grade Two, Three and Four already had their own accounts, which would be deleted only after they had graduated from the university. No classes were held during the Sector Championship, and even if there was, Cillin could choose not to attend. He had accumulated enough credits to rise straight to Grade Three, not to mention that he had Old Mo, Mo Heng backing him up. All of the tutors had taken no notice to Cillins absence in class. He opened his microcomputer, put on the sensors, opened the Sector Championships platform and scanned his Seven Lights account registration number. The account name Cillin entered was Shadow X. The account name was shown to be usable. After a variety of verifications the message of successful registration was finally displayed. Only a brief introduction was shown in Shadow Xs information window. ID: Shadow X Gender: Male Genotype Rank: B Institution: Seven Lights Combat Information: No record. Other than his ID, the rest of the information had been automatically generated from his Seven Lights card. They were all real information, because he hadnt competed in any contest yet, many of the display fields were blank. After confirming his information, a choice to configure his appearance and body size appeared. He could choose to display it as it was or modify it to his wishes. Its initial appearance was very much like the domestic robot Mo Heng and the others had created. It appeared very common with nothing special to speak of at all. However, Mo Heng had never liked to add unnecessary beauty modifications to his robots, and Cillin was too lazy to bother with such non-essential things himself. Its not like it would affect his participation in the Sector Championship. From the beginning, the reason Cillin had participated in the Sector Championship was simply to get to know the geniuses around the universe and improve himself through combat. He did not plan to fight for an actual place for himself. After all, even if he did become number one of the contest, it would still belong to Cillin Douance and not him. However, Cillin still underestimated the significance of face engineering to the masses. The first thing Cillin heard when he finished registering and officially walked into the Sector Championships platform was: Fuck! This guys is openly streaking on the Sector Championships platform! And so Cillin entered the first page of the Sector Championships platform forum on his first day of entering the Sector Championships platform C The Sudden Appearance of the Streaking Male. Shadow X became known to the public before he had even started in a single match. There were even some Seven Lights students who accused Shadow X of throwing the universitys face and ruining the universitys reputation. Cillin was speechless. Its not like this robots appearance had an exposed dick, and it looked just like those humanoid domestic robots running about daily on the streets. Since such a generic robot choice was setup in the system, then of course its there to be chosen! The hell does it have to do with streaking! Not to mention that a universitys reputation was not built on empty talk, but on blood, sweat and tears. Cillin no longer paid heed to those silly personages. He decided to find someone to practice a bit and get used to platform fighting. There just happened to be a man who just finished registering and walked out of the newbie zone at this moment. He wore a camouflage suit, and through it informed everyone right away that he was from a military academy in Sector C. Cillin looked at his information. Fang, Male, Third Military Academy, rank A genotype. Not bad. This is a good target for practice. Cillin sent out a 1v1 challenge request to the man straight away. Fang seemed a little surprised to be challenged right after he came out, and by a rank B genotype non-military academy student no less. Where did he find the courage to challenge him, a rank A genotype who hailed from a military academy? Normally speaking, there were plenty of cases where rank B genotype military academy students had fought non-military academy students to a standstill or even defeating them outright. It was no wonder that Fang was so surprised. Fangs first reaction was that this kids brain was addled, but it would be too embarrassing to reject Cillin outright as well. This was his first challenge request on the Sector Championships platform after all. And so, Fang clicked the accept button. Chapter 51: Followed By All Chapter 51: Followed By All There were from thousands to tens of thousands of students practicing against each other on the Sector Championships platform at every moment. Therefore, no one had applied to spectate the newbie match between Shadow X and Fang. Plus, both their accounts were just newly registered, so their follows and followers were completely blank, and so no one learned about their battle in time. The people who had published the streaking incident on the forums front page did not follow Shadow X, it was just an amusement they had found after a period of intense training. Meanwhile, those who had accused Shadow X did not follow him either. This was because they felt like they would shame themselves by doing so. This had also caused them to pass by a huge opportunity. Both sides automatically entered a single combat battlefield after agreeing to a versus battle. After pressing Start, Fang did not move. After all his opponent was just a rank B non-military-academy student. If he had acted first, it would feel a little like he was fighting a one-sided battle or bullying the weak. Cillin also knew what his opponent was thinking, so he attacked first. A white shadow flashed towards him. For an average person, it might appear to be very swift, but to Fang it was just passable. Hence, Fang had even split his attention to evaluate his opponents movements and posture while he lifted his hands to block the attack at the same time. Not bad While Fang was still thinking, he then realized that his arms were somehow knocked slightly off position just before they were about to block his opponents attacks. It was just a single opening, but his opponents hand had already cleverly pierced through the gap with twice the traveling speed, and hit him. Bang! Fang was struck backwards a few steps away. Cillin made his own silent appraisal. He hails from a military academy alright. If this was someone else, they shouldve been sent flying, but this person before him had only taken a few steps backwards. His body was very tough, and his reactions were also swift. Although he wasnt able to avoid the attack due to being distracted, Fangs chest bones and muscles were all in a state of high alert, which lowered the offensive power of his strike. Moreover, even if Cillin did seize the opportunity to put in a combo, he was sure that Fang would be well prepared against it. After Fang had stood still and stared at this generic robot-like fellow, he suddenly felt a little heat rushing to his cheeks. He was actually beaten back by a non-military-academy rank B newbie! Moreover, Fang was a little angered when he saw his opponent stayed quietly at his spot instead of rushing towards him, seemingly waiting for him to recover. I was careless. Before the Sector Championships platform had started, the instructors had already told them not to belittle those who hail from non-military higher education institutions. There were plenty of people who were hiding their true strength, and it was up to their luck whether they would encounter these people. He did not expect to encounter such a person right after he registered his account. He felt anger, but that anger was eclipsed by the fighting spirit inside him. Fang put up a defensive stance and signaled his opponent to attack. Seeing that Fang was ready and not distracted this time, Cillin too kicked his strength up a notch. Cillins attacks appeared light and floaty, but at close range, they would suddenly speed up and become extremely unpredictable. It was incredibly hard for Fang to instantly predict Cillins intentions. Moreover, Cillins attacks contained heavy strength behind them, and a single blow was enough to strike Fang backwards a few steps. The more he was beaten, the further back he was blown away. Fang himself noticed that something was amiss after he was blown backwards for the fifth time. It felt like his opponent was just probing his strength all this time, or to put it bluntly, playing with him. A rush of anger flooded to his head. Fang couldnt give a care about keeping his tricks under wraps any longer; it wasnt his style to hide himself anyway. He wants a fight, Ill give him a fight. This time Fang did not defend, and went on the offensive instead. At the same time, at a certain accommodation at the Third Military Academy, three people exited from versus mode after ending their respective battles. As I thought, we can only versus against someone from a military academy. Those people from Sector B are just too weak. A person complained. Youre still searching around Sector B? Leave those for Grade One students, man, at our level we can only seek out our own kind. Look, Ive always challenged those from the First and Fourth Military Academy. The First Military Academy had ranked second place in the Sector Championship last year. The Third Military Academy was ranked third as usual, and the Fourth Military Academy was the champion. As for the Second Military Academy, they were laughed at quite a bit by the other academies for ranking bottom out of the four military academies. Right, that Grade One fellow shouldve registered by now, should he? You mean that Fang Faratin? The Third Military Academys Grade One student, Faratins individual combat strength was ranked fifth in the entire academy. The students all called him Fang. However, it appeared that he was sent away by the instructor on some mission a few days ago, and there was no news from Faratin during the first few days of the Sector Championships platforms opening. Do you know whats his ID? Lets search around for a bit. Just search for Fang, he should be using this nickname. Eh, there really is a Fang. The account was just registered today, and the information board indicates its from our Third Military Academy. But hes in versus battle right now. Versus battle? Everyone in the accommodation rushed over. Most of the accommodations in military academies were communal, with four to tens of people living within them. This accommodation had eight people in it. The eight of them were all gathered around in a discussion. His opponent actually comes from Seven Lights, and hes a rank B genotype no less. With Faradins strength, why would he bully a student from Seven Lights? The battle has been going on for sixteen minutes, and it still hasnt ended yet. That Faradin kid is probably not going all out, his opponent is a newbie after all. While speaking, the screen showed that the versus battle had ended. Hah, theres the game over. I told you that Faradin kid is huh? He he lost? How is this possible! Fangs combat result was a shocking 1 loss, whereas Shadow Xs was a 1 win. After a long silence, someone asked. This Fang isnt our Fang, is he? No one said anything. According to the information, this Fang should be Faradin alright, but this combat result was just way too bizarre. Give me a minute. Let me ask someone. One of them turned on the Third Military Academys on-campus chat app. Meanwhile, at an accommodation in the Third Military Academy. Faradin sat at his place with sweat all over his body. His arms were shivering, while he panted heavily. The rest of the people inside the accommodation were shocked by his appearance, but when they saw Fangs combat result on the screen, their faces were as if they had seen a ghost. Faradin could feel the pain in his muscles. The sensors had clearly transmitted that pain to his body. That Shadow Xs entire style earlier could almost be summed up with a single word entangle; entangling him while continuously increasing his own force until he was finally forced to convert his fighting spirit to murderous intent at the end. And then Faradin hugged his head. The sweat on his forehead dropped incessantly the moment he thought of that single instant. Shadow X, while wearing the appearance of a generic robot, had looked like a Demon King back then. If this was an actual combat, Faradin was absolutely sure that he would be dead already. There would be no chance of survival, and both his arms would have been torn to shreds. After getting his thoughts and emotions under control, Faradin sucked in a deep breath and moved his somewhat stiff arms a little. Faradin, that Shadow X Very strong. That guys very strong. Faradin sighed. Then he got up and headed to the balcony with his communicator. After Faradin had walked out, the people inside the accommodation matched each others glances. There werent many peers at all who could get a very strong appraisal from Faradin. And so, they logged into the Sector Championships platform, searched for the ID Shadow X and followed him. Meanwhile, the people at the high grade accommodation were still guessing after sending an all chat on the on-campus chat app and getting no response. Then, one of them cried out, Someone followed Shadow X! There were five people who were shown to have followed Shadow X, and when they clicked open the window, they discovered that all five were new students of the Third Military Academy. Five minutes later, Fang himself had followed Shadow X. Meanwhile, Faradin had also replied to the all chat on the on-campus chat app and said, I am Fang. Shadow X is very strong. Faradin did not grow dejected just because he experienced a loss on his first battle on the Sector Championships platform. On the contrary, he was extremely excited, and he did not intentionally hide the fact that he had lost to Shadow X either. He had told his instructor about this matter, and his instructor had assisted him in analysing the reason behind his defeat. Moreover, this was very beneficial in helping Faradin to discover his own flaws and shortcomings. Every encounter with a new combat style was a perfect opportunity to improve himself, and Shadow Xs combat style was without a doubt a very good example. Faradins words caused every high grade student to boil up, and so the words began to spread from one to ten, and ten to hundred And this was how the epic scene where the generic-looking Shadow X had come to be followed by tens of thousands of people on his first day, and all of them were Third Military Academy students. Chapter 52: Observe, And Realise How Much Your Master Spoils You Chapter 52: Observe, And Realise How Much Your Master Spoils You After his battle with Fang, Cillin would often receive challenge requests from military academy students, but he would only receive a single challenge each day due to lack of time. Although the Sector Championship was a pretty weighty contest for a lot people, to his mentor Mo Heng, the Sector Championship couldnt even compare to a tiny, little assembly part. Other than Mo Heng, there were also people like Ci Jincheng and Lung who did not hold the Sector Championship at great value. Ci Jincheng had gone out to the communication station on the nearby asteroid on an errand once more; Lung on the other hand had gone to manage his business. Some of Seven Lights supply procurement came right from the Andrea Family, and since the Sector Championship was near, the demand for certain necessities had begun to increase sharply. More than half the necessities such as microcomputers, sensors and other goods were all supplied by the Andrea Family to Seven Lights before they were resold to the students. Lung was probably collecting money even in his sleep; to him a Sector Championship or whatever was purely a money earning tool. During the first three days he registered and entered the Sector Championship platform, Cillin would discover a huge amount of challenge requests in his inbox every time he went online. Moreover, they all came from military academies. On the first day, the Third Military Academy was still the only one who sent him challenge requests, but on the second day the rest of the military academies had all jumped out and joined in the party. Cillin simply chose one person at random to initiate versus battle, and once the battle was over, he would sleep all the way until the next day before heading to the research division to complete Mo Hengs assignments. These were also the only three days Cillin had fought in versus battles on the Sector Championships platform. On the fourth day, Cillin was ordered by Mo Heng to stay in the research division and complete the assembly of a large machinery. It would take him several days at least to complete. To quote Mo Hengs words, Its just a pre-game warmup; the hell are you wasting time screwing around with those people for. Quickly get down to business already. And this was rare euphemism coming from Sir Mo. If he was being any more direct, those hot-blooded students full of passion and fighting spirit would probably run their heads into a wall and commit suicide. This was because Cillin once heard Mo Heng mutter: Its not like theyre gonna get any higher than fifth spot no matter how hard they work And so Cillin temporarily bid goodbye to the Sector Championships platform and immersed himself fully into Mo Hengs grand scheme of machinery. That was to say that Cillin had only logged onto the Sector Championships platform for a total of three days; challenged one person and accepted two challenges; fought a total of three battles with a battle record of three nil. Three wins and zero losses. If you judge from the battle record alone. it was nothing special. There were plenty of people who had hundreds of wins and zero losses. However, whats special was that there were two special figures out of the three people Cillin had fought. One was the first person he challenged, the new Grade One student belonging to the Third Military Academy who ranked fifth in terms of individual combat strength, ID Fang; and the other was a Fourth Military Academy fellow whom Cillin had randomly selected with the ID Invincible Brave. He was not a new student. It was exactly because of these two people that there were an unusual amount of Third and Fourth Military Academy students who challenged Cillin during the time after those victories. But of course, at the least Cillin was unbeknownst to these recent commotions. He had no heart to think about the Sector Championship while he was assembling machines. Cillins current workplace was not his own workshop, but Mo Hengs big workshop. At the moment, Cillin was staring at several categorised mountains of parts in a daze. This many?! Meanwhile, Mo Heng sat leisurely on a chair not far away. He dropped his legs on the table, lifted his cup of tea and sipped. As punishment for your previous leave without cause, you shall finish these in my stead instead. There were ten piles to be assembled originally, but your master has specifically picked the most complicated pile for you. Observe, and realise how much your master spoils you. Mo Heng laid there and uttered with a tone that demanded Cillin to kowtow and thank him for his kindness. Leave without cause my ass! Cillin lifted the corner of his mouth and said, Master, you certainly spoil me so much that I can die!* Cillin had especially emphasised the word spoil. (*The chinese character of the word meaning spoil can also be interpreted as pain) What can I say, youre my disciple after all. Ever since Cillin learned that in this circle a research assistant was pretty much the equivalent of a disciple, and a direct disciple no less, he thought: the future is full of parts. Dont just stand there, get working already. Dont think i dont know that youve eaten three large bowls of rice, a pot of noodles and a plate of roast chickens for breakfast; strength is the one thing you dont lack right now. Also, since Im your supervisor, dont you even think of loafing on the job. If your overall accuracy doesnt reach 99.96% of the theoretical value then youll have to strip it and start over. Mo Heng slapped the monitor beside him. The programs were all set just waiting for Cillin to start and begin calculating his overall accuracy. Cillin casted Mo Heng a helpless glance, Thank you for your benevolence, master. Hmm~ Youre welcome. If the students outside were to notice Mo Hengs appearance right now, their jaws would definitely drop to the ground. Right now Mo Heng had completely dropped his usual mature temperament of a kind and smiling senior professor. Vice headmaster An Ding described this Mo Heng as his senior academic mode. Cillin arrived in front of the pile of parts and gave it a rough look. First, he needed to assemble the categorised parts into components and modules. Moreover, there was a certain sequence behind the assembly of these components. He should first decide which pile of parts to assemble first, then he would be able to save more time when he actually began the assembly later. Cillin only needed one glance to decide the best assembly order of the piles of parts. After choosing the correct pile, he then began assembling. Mo Heng nodded in satisfaction. It appeared that his disciple was the better after all; those old fellows disciples did not have as much of a keen eye as Cillin. Every finger, every muscle, every joint; the right strength, the precise timing, the lack of unnecessary movement. And yet they were as captivating as a perfect piece of art. The feeling Cillin gave off was that he only needed move a finger slightly to assemble a single part without effort. But in reality, at that instant, many actions were executed simultaneously. Its just that it would be difficult for a normal persons eyesight to capture those movements. Every time Mo Heng watched Cillin assemble, he would have the feeling that the Golden Point was just within reach. It was a very fine feeling. Cillin was Mo Hengs hope; his hope to reach that legendary point. The monitor beside Mo Heng showed that Cillins overall accuracy theoretical values were all 99.96%. These values were incredibly hard to maintain; not even the chief mentors of Seven Lights could maintain such a high overall accuracy for such a long time. This was the difference between constitution and concentration. For a mechanical engineer, ones constitution was also a vital factor. Every time Cillin assembled, he couldnt shake the feeling that he should be able to assemble faster with higher accuracy. But no matter how hard he tried, his overall accuracy just maintained at 99.96%. It was like an invisible threshold that he could see to the other side, but not jump over. Oh, never mind. Its not a limit that can be forced anyway. If my hands accidentally shook and dropped the overall accuracy to 99.95% then according to Mo Hengs standards, Ill have to dismantle the whole fitting and reassemble Dismantle and reassemble? Suddenly, Cillin felt as if there was a flash of blurry light across the darkness. Dismantle and reassemble. Dismantle and reassemble At first, Mo Heng was watching Cillin assemble with great relish.One moment he was sighing over his disciples impressive assembling talents, and feeling smug and pleased at himself on the inside, and the next he saw Cillins hands suddenly coming to a pause, standing there immobile as if he had sunk into a daze. Chapter 53: Back Analysis Chapter 53: Back Analysis Mo Heng did not disturb Cillin; he looked like he had caught onto something. Sometimes, if one could recapture that sudden flash of brilliance, it would be greatly beneficial to ones personal progress. Such an opportunity could only be stumbled upon by luck, but not sought for. Of course, he hoped that it really was a flash of inspiration that Cillin was experiencing, and not another pang of hunger (T/N: Some of you may be confused by this, but in the previous chapter Cillin ate a crazy amount of food for breakfast). Mo Heng would not be able to hold himself back from flinging a cup at him otherwise. Cillin stayed in that posture for several minutes without moving. Then, he put down the parts he was still holding in his hands, put the component that he had nearly finished assembling at a side, took out his utility knife (Literal: assembly tool knife) and began taking it apart one by one. Up until now, Cillin had only assembled but never truly taken apart any machineries before, which was why he had always felt as if something was missing from his thought process. To achieve mastery in something, was to have a deeper comprehensive and thorough understanding of said something. Front and back, forward and reverse, assembly and disassembly; they should all be comprehended and practiced thoroughly. During this disassembly process, Cillin was able to analyse and reflect on this machine from a different perspectives. So this is what Ive been missing all this time. Every time Cillin glanced over an assembled machine, he would only consider how it was assembled, but not analyse how the instrument should be properly dismantled. From where should he commence his work, beginning from which part, and in what order? Inverse deduction or induction, was just like backtracking during a hunt. This method of thinking should sit equal with logical thinking, and yet it was often neglected instead. Divergent thinking and convergent thinking were both equally important roles. Cillins dismantling movements were not slow; everywhere his knife swiped across, the parts that were solidly assembled into a wholesome form would be separated perfectly. Every angle of applied force questioned the wholeness and potential deformation of the dismantled parts, and these dismantled parts fully displayed Cillins capability as an analyst. There would be more or less some marks left behind on the parts wherever the utility knife was used on, and and these marks do exist even if they might be invisible to the naked eye. Even the smallest changes would affect a parts integrity, so during the dismantling process, Cillin had done his best to minimise the amount of times he used his knife. That was how the scene where multiple part were dismantled with a single flash of the knife came to be. Mo Heng nodded on the inside as he watched Cillins actions. So it was a flash of inspiration, and not because he was hungry After Cillin had dismantled the nearly completed component back into parts, he then sat down on the floor and tossed a part into the air. He grabbed it, then tossed it again, then grabbed it, then tossed it again finally, he placed the parts at the side and laid on the ground. He stared towards the ceiling. In his head, there were many individual parts scattered at every corner. Then they began assembling themselves one by one into a whole component, before coming apart again on their own. Then they assembled again, and disassembled; assembled, and disassembled After thinking for a moment, Cillin climbed up and began assembling. His method was different from before. When he was assembling, he would throw a few parts into the air, and when they fell downwards and reached the spots they should be assembled into, Cillins hands blurred and fixed the parts tightly into their respective places. At first glance, one would feel as if the parts were tossed into the air in succession before they fell downwards to become assembled into a complete whole. If someone was to pay closer attention, then they would notice that the parts had fallen downwards in a specific order. At the same time, Cillin had tweaked three spots during the assembly process. These were the shortcuts he had found when he was performing induction. A series of data was displayed on the screen. Overall accuracy at 99.96% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.96% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.97% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.96% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.97% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.97% of theoretical value. Overall accuracy at 99.97% of theoretical value. Mo Heng was so excited that his old face was glowing red. Genius, Cillin was absolutely a genius. Just how long had it been since Cillin officially came in touch with mechanical assembly and received formal education? Cillins overall accuracy was already almost the same as his own, a veteran who had spent many years in his craft. Cillin could be ranked even in the entire GAL. If he could improve his overall accuracy from 99.95% to 99.97% in such a short time, then how much longer would it take for him to reach 99.98%? Cillin was completely immersed in that world, where he assembled the piles of categorised parts into components, then assembling these components into a whole unit. Mo Heng no longer looked at the computers display and watched Cillins assembly with his full attention. This series of assembly from Cillin was absolutely fit as an excellent teaching material, but exactly how much the rest of the people could learn from it was unknown. This was something that strongly tested a persons vision and creativity. Cillin did not stop for the whole day, and Mo Heng just sat there and watched Cillins assembly. Nether of them ate lunch, nor did they have the consciousness to stop and do so. This situation continued until Cillin assembled the final part into the machine, inspected it for a moment before pressing the On button. The machine began switching forms continuously with smooth movements with no unexpected or suspicious noise whatsoever. Theres no need for examination; you completely passed. Mo Heng said. He could not conceal the excitement in his voice, and just as he was ready to get up and examine Cillins work thoroughly, he realized Hiss (T/N: sound of sucking breath through teeth), Aiyo, its completely numb! Mo Heng said while rubbing his legs. He had stayed the same posture for far too long, and it was only now that he realized that his legs were numb, Cillin, come over quickly and give me a hand! Just give it a bit of rest, sir. Sit there for a moment. Cillin walked over, lifted two chairs and stacked them together before placing Mo Hengs legs slowly on them. Then he began rubbing and massaging Mo Hengs legs. Sigh, Im getting old. Im growing senile (T/N: In this sense, he is not referring to his mental faculties but bodily functions). Mo Heng sighed. From what I can see, you were pretty fierce when you were disciplining the crowd yesterday, sir. None of those mentors could even lift their heads. It was a coincidence that Cillin had run into the scene where Mo Heng was teaching the mentors a lesson yesterday. Forceful was the description, and it was as if Mo Hengs entire body was emitting with the air of wang ba (shamelessness / turtle)*. Those mentors who were used to looking down on their students with proud attitudes had buried their heads so low that they could almost kiss their own pants. Mo Heng leveled his head high, That is what you call temperament! Born temperament! Even if you still wield the air of wang ba (kingliness)** you still should not skip your meals or sleep during work, right? I heard that you would often stay inside the workshop and work for several hours straight, sir. This is what you call professionalism! Mo Heng said with a face full of awe-inspiring righteousness. Right, right, professionalism. Heh, you little brat Mo Heng reached out and tugged at Cillins cheeks, Whats with that incredibly disdainful look on your face? How would I possibly dare, sir, but really, even machines need to be maintained, much less a human. As the pillar of the research division you should take better care of yourself, or I will be in trouble if no one covers for me. Tch, you little bastard! Mo Heng half-laughed and scolded before pulling Cillins cheeks once with force before waving, Alright, my legs are fine now. Ill have a look at the machine first. Mo Heng circled around Cillins assembled machine and examined carefully the end product before his eyes. Master, I want a leave. Im exhausted today. Granted! Leave, leave. Mo Heng continued to circle around the machine with bright eyes, reaching out and fiddling with it from time to time. Master, I want a raise. After he came to the research division, every time Cillin completed a task, he would receive additional income other than his fixed salary as a research assistant. Of course, Mo Heng was the one who paid for it. Sure. Raise, raise. Mo Heng answered very candidly. I want three times the usual. No problem, three times it is. Also Get out and get to dinner already! Seeing that Mo Heng was still not yet ready to leave, Cillin booked their meals and had a robot send them over. Of course, it was on Mo Hengs tab. After Cillin had eaten dinner with Mo Heng inside the workshops rest bay and discussed about his afterthoughts on the assembly, Mo Heng had called for Cillin to sleep in the rest bay since it was already late. Up until today, his son and his grandchild were the only ones who were allowed to stay in Mo Hengs rest bay. Cillin was the third, so one could see exactly how much Cillin amounted to in Mo Hengs heart. Mo Hengs office and workshop both had rest bays specially built into them, and since Mo Heng was both important and powerful, the rest bays were fully equipped. Therefore Cillin did not turn him down and took over the rest bay in Mo Hengs workshop for himself. He ate dinner and took a soothing bath before sleeping comfortably for two days straight. Cillin had slept well, but he had no idea that it was chaos on the Sector Championship Platform. *Let me paint the image: Imagine Mo Heng bearing down on the mentors while steam is gushing out of every pore of his body, choking them with his absolute smugness and authority. **And yes, this is a Chinese word play used to insult people who doesnt have a measure of their own worth, although in this case Cillin is just making fun at Mo Hengs expense. Just like theres a fine line between genius and madness, there is also a fine line between kingliness and shamelessness / turtle(?) Chapter 54: Wronged Knight Chapter 54: Wronged Knight After a satisfying meal and a couple of good nights sleep, Cillin got up and opened his communicator. There were thirty or so missed calls displayed on it, and they all came from the same person. Looking at the call logs, they were all calls during Cilins break time. However, this time Cillin had slept for two days straight and turned off his communicator. Looking at the number and the many Reply ASAP after you see this messages, Cillin wondered to himself, what is this guy up to again. However, Cillin still called back at the first moment. There was basically no pause in between before the call was connected, and Knights haggard and utterly grieved face appeared on the panel. Cillin Cillin nearly spat out the water that he was drinking. Just how big of a grievance did it take to make Knight, someone who normally carried himself in a I am number one under the sky manner to speak with such a tone? What now? I was bullied. Bullshit, who on earth has the guts bully you?! who in the entire Seven Lights could bully you? Get to the point. After listening to Knights explanations, Cillin finally understood why this fucker had made more than thirty calls to his communicator. Knight had run into his old friend at the Second Military Academy, Stantine while warming up and practicing on the Sector Championship platform. However, Stantine and another student from the Second Military Academy were defeated by the Visby brothers from the Fourth Military Academy in the middle of warming up and practicing, hence drawing Knights thirst for battle. However, for a time Knight couldnt find anyone suitable to team up with in Seven Lights. The reason he needed a partner was because the Visby brothers only participated in the less popular double format content and not the more popular single format contest. The first person Knight had thought of was Cillin, but Cillins communicator was turned off and he did not reply to his messages as well. When he checked with Ci Jincheng and Lung, both of them were busy as well. Sird and Hard? Their abilities were slightly lacking. Pride? No way, Knight felt that if Pride had gone he would not be able to hold back from 1v3 soloing all three of them by himself. So Cillin it was. And so he called Cillins communicator the first time and found that it was unavailable, called a second time and found that it was unavailable again, called a third time and found that it was still unavailable repeating the same action all the way from yesterday until today. Knights face looked haggard from the act. There were a couple of times he wanted to go straight to the research division and catch a Cillin, but if he did, Mo Heng would most likely detain the both of them. All hope would be lost if that really happened. The Sector Championship was about to officially begin soon, and the small contests at the start of the Championship were the first to be open for registration. There were only two days time for registration, and they were yesterday and today. It was no wonder that Knight was in such a hurry. Cillin wanted to laugh at Knights grievance-filled look, Alright. I just got a few days off, so Ill accompany you and check out those twins for a bit. Hearing Cillins words, Knights eyes turned bright and his haggardness vanished as if he was injected with drugs, Brother you must come back soon then, the registration will be closed by tonight. Im going to send the battle request right now! Beep C Cillin looked at the communicator that had already been cut off speechlessly. Just how thirsty was this fellow? After stretching his back, washing and tidying up for a bit, Cillin walked out of Mo Hengs workshop. After sleeping for two days straight he was hungry. He must forage for food above all else. While walking to the research divisions restaurant, a pale-looking student greeted Cillin feebly. What happened, Singh? You dont look too well. Cillin asked. Singh was about the same age as Cillin and a specially recruited Grade One student. However, most of the time he spent tackling problems at the research division instead of attending lectures. Lets not talk about it. Constipation much, bringing shit to work. Singh had always felt that being in the research division was like going to work; punching cards and checking in, tackling problems and earning salaries just like a salaryman. Pwack Singh, this is a restaurant. Can you have a bit of culture? Someone spat out their orange juice at the side and glared angrily at Singh. Excuse me, do understand the pains of a man with periodic constipation. Singh made an apology gesture before leaving the restaurant. Cillin shook his head while smiling. This guys periodic constipation was well known already. Once he was done feeding, Cillin returned to his own workshop to pack and to get ready to return to the accommodation. While he was packing, Ling Long had come around. After entering, Ling Long asked in a small voice, Theres no one else in here, is there? Nope, the cameras arent turned on either what are you planning? You gonna force yourself onto a man? After eating and sleeping well, Cillin was feeling a lot better. He was even cracking jokes more frequently. Ling Long curled her lips, closed the door tightly before folding her arms together and smiling sneakily at him, How would I dare take Shadow X all for myself? Hmm? Cillin was surprised. The way Ling Long put it, she was very sure without the slightest bit of guess in it whatsoever. How did she know? He even implemented the safeguard on the platforms information himself. Ling Long stared straight at Cillin, No matter your ugliness or your beauty; the water you swim or the sky you soar; I will always know you at first glance. Cillin smiled, Levines Colors, Chapter 7, The Butterfly and The Dragonfly. You read Levines books as well? Ling Longs eyes lit up as if she had finally found her confidant after overcoming countless hardships, There are very few people who would read Levines literature-oriented fantasy fairy tale. I didnt know you read it as well, and remember it so clearly. Cillin didnt answer. Chapter 7 of Levines Colors talked about the story of a butterfly and a dragonfly. There was a very large tree besides a river. Its branches stretched far, and there was one thick tree branch that was stretched across the river. A very disgusting caterpillar had laid there while eating a tree leaf. The tree branch was very close to the water surface, and after it was full it looked down from the tree branch at the water surface on a whim. Through the reflection of the water surface, the caterpillar saw a very ugly and very fearsome-looking worm underneath the water surface, and that worm saw it in turn as well. For a while, the caterpillar would go there everyday to meet the worm, and the worm would wait at the same spot everyday beneath the river for the caterpillar as well. The days passed by, and the caterpillar was about to turn into a cocoon. On that day it crawled back to the same spot, looked once at the worm beneath the water, before crawling to a place on the tree where its companions are spinning themselves into a cocoon. On the next day after the caterpillar had left, the worm under the water climbed out of the water surface and hung onto a plant jutting out of the water. There were many of its kind that had also climbed out along water grasses as their bodies began to change. After the caterpillar had undergone metamorphosis and flew out of its cocoon as a butterfly, it immediately returned to the same place from before. However, the worms figure could not longer be seen beneath the water surface. The caterpillar was very sad, and it followed its companions to fly to a land of flowers not far away from this place. There were colors everywhere; from colorful flowers to colorful butterflies, dragonflies, bees and more. It was very lively. The butterfly flew and flew, and when it flew across a sea of irises, its gaze fell onto a purple iris where a dragonfly was flapping its wings and flying towards it. A golden sheen shone as sunlight reflected across its thin wings At the conclusion of The Butterfly and The Dragonfly, Levine wrote a passage as she always did, and one of the lines were, No matter your ugliness or your beauty; the water you swim or the sky you soar; I will always know you at first glance. Do you believe in what Levine wrote? Ling Long asked. I dont know. Cillin answered. But Hena believed in it, and she loved this fairy tale very much. That was why Cillin had remembered this chapter. Ling Long looked at Cillin and said, You dont believe it. She leaped onto a nearby table and began shaking her legs like a little child, There are many things that arent logical in fairy tales, but I agree with Levine on this line. She turned around and looked at Ling Long seriously, From the very first moment I saw Shadow X, I knew he was you. Sweat appeared behind Cillins back. Was this a confession? Thankfully, Ling Long did not press the matter and instead took out a microcomputer from her bag and turned it on. She looked onto the Sector Championship and opened the Sector Championship form. Look, Shadow X. Youre famous now. Chapter 55: Knight and Shadow X Chapter 55: Knight and Shadow X In the first place, the amount of times Cillin had fought on the Sector Championship Platform were little; only a match a day. This already caused a lot of people to feel so mad they could flip out, and this time Shadow X had vanished again for three days straight without accepting even a single challenge. There were people who could not hold it in and accused him of fault already. On the Sector Championship forum, there were many people who directly posted their challenge requests and openly challenged Shadow X into a fight. Most of these people came from military academies and were of rank A genotype. These challengers were actually rank A genotypes from military academies! Students at the level of rank A genotype from military academies had actually challenged a student of rank B genotype from a Sector B university? Moreover, all four military academies had acted the same without the slightest fear that they might be called fools by others at all. Everyone could not help but wonder: Just who exactly was Shadow X to force these military students who normally looked down upon all students from other Sectors into such a state? Shadow X had only appeared for three days, and the amount of time he showed up during these three days werent long either. However, his generic, initial-state robot appearance had already become a major defining feature, which at the same time caused a lot of people to feel helpless. The information about Shadow X on the forum was an image of a generic robot, and a simple and drab information list that stated male, Seven Lights, rank B genotype and three wins zero losses. That was all. It was so simple that it was mysterious. After the first battle against Fang, several tens of thousands of people had followed Shadow X. Three battles later, the number of people who challenged him rose to five digits, and they were mostly military academy students from Sector C. A large majority were military academy students from Sector C. The number of his followers had reached six digits and was rising towards seven with ferocious rally. It was unprecedented. Since Shadow X had not logged onto the Sector Championship platform for three days, someone jumped out and accused Shadow X of being stuck-up. Stuck-up? Why dont you show us what you can do then, sucker! The people from Seven Lights immediately retaliated; those who had accused Shadow X of undermining the schools reputation and morale also had steered around. Right now Shadow X was the treasure of Seven Lights. There were also some people who said that Shadow X was intentionally avoiding a match, but this voice was quickly shouted down by the other military academy students; especially those whose voices were given much value and consideration. They believed that Shadow X was temporarily busy with something and so did not log onto the Sector Championship platform. There were people in Seven Lights who purposely prepared a list of names of all the people whose combat prowess were impressive and genotype at rank B. Cillins name was among them, but he was excluded on the first round of screening. A man who was just recently recovered from a great illness and discharged from the hospital would be capable of challenging someone from a military academy? No one would have believed it, even if the truth had gone out. Moreover, while the students of the training division had commented that Cillins marksmanship was pretty okay, no one knew about his combat prowess. He was placed last among the five students during the previous operation after all. But even after many rounds of screening, they could not find anyone who might be the person behind Shadow X. There was a thread that guessed that Shadow X might not be a Grade One student at all. Grade was not listed inside the information list at all, so they could not assume that he or she was a Grade one new student just because it was their first time registering on the Sector Championship. One must understand that there were many pros who missed out on the Sector Championship when they were Grade One due to certain missions. Many people supported the thread the moment it was posted. In short, there were all kinds of speculations. Therefore, when Cillin saw the Sector Championship forum page Ling Long had shown him, his mind went blank. Even he did not expect that he would cause such an effect after using the Sector Championship platform for just three days. So as I say, Shadow X, youre famous now. Ling Long looked at Cillin, What are you going to do? Well see. I got a few days off anyway. Ill log back in and look around once I get back today. I dont know how many challenge requests you got, but the Sector Championship is about to officially start real soon. Are you going to participate in the small contests prior to it? Small contests referred to single and double format contests, and big contests referred to contests that involved entire groups as single units. But be it big or small contests, it had nothing to do with the Championships popularity, just like how single combat tournament was always filled to the brim with spectators, and double combat tournament were slightly less so because there were less chance of a superstar appearing in double combat tournament than in single combat tournament. You want to know? Cillin got up and packed his backpack, Wait for tomorrows news. Ling Long wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction and humphed softly, Stingy! She packed away her microcomputer, and before she left she even made a funny face at Cillin. Ling Long ran into a certain someone after she left Cillins workshop and exited the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. As usual, she was dressed in refreshing clothes that was not flirtatious, but very brilliant. Theresa did not turn around to look at Ling Long. She continued to look at the faraway scenery with a smile at the corner her lips. The moment Ling Long saw Theresa, she lost all semblance of playfulness inside Cillins workshop just now. Her deep, amber eyes were filled with ice; so cold that Theresa could feel a clear murderous intent from them. Cillin already has someone in his heart, you know. Even if there was it wont be you, Theresa! Ling Long called Theresas name directly. Theresa did not pay heed to her outburst either. She continued to smile lightly while feeling the gentle breeze. Theresa, I dont care what kind of deal you have with Cillin. If anything happens to him, the Kiara family will suffer my wrath! Just you? Or the powers behind you? Theresa played with her hair blown up by the breeze. She seemed to pay no heed to Ling Longs words at all. Ling Long glanced at Theresa once before letting out a sarcastic smile, Theresa, youve always thought youre so smart. Once she said this she left without turning back. Cillin had returned to the accommodation on the same day. As usual, Knight was the only one at home, and the moment he saw Cillins return, he dropped everything about the Sector Championship platform and urged Cillin to log in and register. While Cillin was logging in, Knight had run back to his own bedroom to grab his own microcomputer. Both of them had to enter their information at the same time while registering, and for convenience purposes, Knight had brought over his own equipment directly. However, Knights jaw had fallen to the ground when he saw a window popping up on Cillins microcomputer. On Cillins screen, there was the unusually familiar appearance of a generic robot moving casually about. The name displayed was Shadow X. Cillin What? Fuck you man! Knight rushed over to grab Cillins neck, I cant believe youre that fucking mysterious generic Shadow X famed throughout the entire Sector Championship platform who ignited the fighting spirit of all four military academies singlehandedly! How dare you hide this from us for so long! Hey, its not like you asked me. Let go of me and lets register already; registration is of the utmost importance, right! Oh, right. Im letting you off today, but youre not getting away for lying to us next time! A great man wont stoop to pettiness or harbor grievance for past wrongs. Ill treat you to crabs next time. Im telling you, dont you play that trick on me Fuck I want to eat a fresh live unexperimented natural crab! I knew he was a glutton. Cillin only glanced at his mailbox and voicemail once before ignoring it entirely. So many Although he had logged onto the Sector Championship platform, he was currently in invisible mode. He could neither fight nor train, but of course, it was still possible for him to register. Knights ID was a very simple and direct, Knight. Knight could be said to be rather famous on the Sector Championship as well. There were many people in the military academy who knew about him, and Knight was the number one person in Seven Lights among this terms new students in terms of combat prowess. Naturally, he had a lot of followers. However, when the names Knight and Shadow X had appeared in the participant list of the double format tournament, the entire Sector Championship platform erupted. Just how big of a wave was this combination going to make? Chapter 56: The Double Combat Tournament Where Stars Shine Chapter 56: The Double Combat Tournament Where Stars Shine The Sector Championship was a major event with great transparency, fairness and freedom. Every registrant would be recorded and made public so that those who logged on to the Sector Championship platform could seek them out. This way, anyone who saw someone whom they might be interested to challenge could register and participate as well. Previously, single combat tournament was the most popular among small contests. It was the contest that easily incited the students battle lust. Anyone would wish to become a powerful figure who could match thousands and tens of thousands of enemies alone. Why would anyone be willing to share such a glory and spotlight with another person? But this term was different. When the pair of Knight and Shadow X had appeared on the participant list, the entire atmosphere of the Sector Championship platform began to shift. The single combat tournament and double combat tournament were held nearly at the same time. Normally, the students would only pick one out of the two to participate; at the same time, they could also measure every institutes combat rating more comprehensively. Ever since they discovered this duos existence on the participant list, many participants who had already registered for single combat tournament also registered for double combat tournament as well. This also created a situation where the number of entries of the double combat tournament exceeded the single combat tournaments entries. Thankfully, this was a virtual platform. It could accommodate multiple matches at once and not cause a phenomenon where further participation was prevented due to having exceeded the number of participants allowed. There was no upper limit to the number of participants of small scale tournaments. This was also one of the Sector Championships platform defining traits. In the Third Military Academys gravity training room, Faradin was dueling against another combatant. The sounds of banging fists and legs exchanging blurry hits against each other resounded incessantly. It was obvious that Faradin was slightly inferior, finding the attacking shadows of fists a little hard to deal with. One must say that their strengths were pretty impressive to maintain such high speed under a gravity field. Bang! Faradin thump thump thump backed away a few steps before shaking his arms after blocking a kick from the opponent while saying somewhat vexedly, I missed a hit again. Its okay, you did remarkably well already. There isnt anyone else in Grade One who can block so many of my hits. After fighting for such a long time, Faradins opponent actually didnt sweat much at all. His slightly rapid breathing had also calmed down pretty quickly. Faradin looked at his opponent and said for the umpteenth time, Boss Boer, I really want to see you and Shadow Xs fight. It will be amazing. Standing not far away and relaxing his muscles, Boer shook his head, Shadow X is too mysterious. There were many people I knew who had sent them (T/N: because gender unknown) a challenge request but did not receive a reply. No one knows their identity. However, I would suggest you meet Knight when the time comes. Seven Lights Knight? I think he has a little fame of his own. I heard back at my accommodation that he was also a Grade One new student. Ever since he had lost to Shadow X, Faradin hadnt paid much attention to other people. Most of the time he learned about others only when someone had told him. Originally, Knight could attend a military academy, but for some reason he went to Sector B instead. However, his strength cannot be underestimated. Do you know what Knights full name is? Faradin shook his head. Knights full name is Knight Feigler. The Thunderstorm Feigler?! Faradins interest was immediately piqued. The kid had never used his Thunderstorm Fist once ever since he entered the Sector Championship platform. Faradin felt his hands and feet turn itchy, I will definitely meet him when the time comes. He should be participating in the single combat tournament, right? I believe so Di di di The emergency pager on the wall rang. Since communicators werent allowed inside the gravity training room, both of their communicators were turned off. In the case of emergencies, the pager specifically setup on the wall would transfer the call. Boer walked to the side, turned off the gravity field and received the call. What is it? Boss Boer, theres major news on the Sector Championship platform! Knight and Shadow X had formed a team and registered for the double combat tournament! Faradin, who was wearing his jacket felt his ears straightened, and he accidentally lost control of his arms strength and tore the poor clothing in half. But Faradin did not pay attention to the jacket. He simply tossed the two torn pieces of cloth casually at the side before zipping right beside Boer while keeping his ears wide open, afraid of missing out even a single word. Once the person on the other side had finished, Faradin was so excited he couldnt wait to run back home and register for the double combat tournament this instant. After cutting off the call, Boer turned quiet for a moment before asking Faradin, Is Shadow X really that strong? Faradins expression immediately turned incredibly serious, Hes very strong. I do not know about his strength, because I feel that he did not use his full strength at all that one time he fought against me. From the beginning to the end, I felt like I was being led by the nose, and that final strike It was just one strike, but it was enough to directly kill me at my top condition. When he heard Faradins words, Boer laughed once and said, Thats good then! Let us meet this Shadow X and Thunderstorm Knight together then, Faradin. Boss Boer, youre attending as well? Didnt the instructor say that you are going to fight against Comos for first place in the single combat tournament this year? Although Faradin was very moved by Boers suggestion C Boer was the second place finalist of last years single combat tournament, and so had indisputable strength, plus the fact that he had gotten used to training with Boer and hence teaming up to participate the double combat tournament was definitely not a problem C but since the instructor had given his word earlier, it wasnt exactly the best idea to change things up now. The instructor also said. Isnt the battle platform all about fighting to one hearts content? Why would you need so much bubble reputation for. Faradin pressed his fingers together and muttered on the inside: The fart-like bubble reputation the instructor had said was directed at people of the internal division like us, but to those of the Third Military Academys external division this fame was very important since it was connected to their welfare. If we lose it theyll punish us and have us run naked on the fields. Knight and Shadow Xs duo didnt appear on the double combat tournament participation list for long before the Third Military Academys Boer and Faradin duo caused everyones eyes to fall on the double combat tournament once more. Half an hour later, Second Military Academys Ryan and Bonn and First Military Academys Comos and Feng Haichao set off the third wave of climax on this terms double combat tournament. It would not be an exaggeration to describe this particular double combat tournament as the tournament where stars shone. The Visby brothers; last terms double combat tournament champions had returned. This year, there was the Thunderstorm Knight and the much anticipated shadow X participating. There was also the second place finalist of last year, Boer, and the Third Military Academys emerging seed Faradin. Another pair entering the tournament consisted of Ryan and Bonn. Ryan was the 4th place combatant of the singles tournament last year, while Bonn missed that particular tournament, but was rumoured to be stronger than Ryan. Up next was last terms single combat champion, Comos, who was paired up with Feng Haicao. Feng Haicao was also rumored to have missed last terms contest for a mission, however his strength was known to be no weaker than Comos. At a glance, other than the Fourth Military Academys Valente, who was second place finalist during last years single combat tournament just like Boer, three of the top four contestants of last years single combat tournament had appeared on the double combat tournament participation list. The entire Sector Championship platform had descended into utter madness. Since the top contestants of the four military academies of Sector C had participated in the double combat tournament, naturally the rest of the institutes could not be left behind as well. Although in terms of strategy regarding combat score, the best course of action was to avoid such a contest filled with aces and participate in something else. But personally speaking, this particular double combat tournament was simply too significant. They had never seen such a grand scene for innumerable years C at the very least, they had never known of any double combat tournament in any term that had attracted so many top talents from all parties. But it was different this time. If they missed this, who knew how many more years theyd have to wait to encounter a similar situation again. If they missed this they would regret it, and if they didnt want any regrets then of course they had to register! The higher-ups of every institute had worn black faces for this matter. They could not stop the students from registering for the double combat tournament even if they wanted to. No matter what kind of methods they used, spilling saliva everywhere good cop bad cop so on and so on, these little bastards would not stop wiggling their way to the tournament registration. The higher-ups of those institutes were absolutely furious. The night of the registration deadline was a crazy night. Be it the electronic magazines responsible for reporting the news or the weaker students who werent able to register themselves, they were all so agitated they could not sleep soundly for the entire night. On the other side, Cillin, who was getting ready to sleep and rest and Knight, who was still fighting hard on the Sector Championship platform had their attentions forcefully dragged back to reality by the dreaded give-me-your-life serial calls (T/N: Applicable to harassments, debts and your boy/girlfriends!). Cillin pressed the answer key, You calling for our souls or what?! Its fine if you just call our numbers, but what the fuck is with calling all five communicators installed inside the house? You calling the cops? Cillin, Knight, wait for me you heartless bastards, Im returning to the accommodation this instant. Dont sleep, and even if youre asleep I will drag you out of your beds! on the other side of the communicator, Lung roared loudly. Chapter 57: Disappointing Match Chapter 57: Disappointing Match Although Lung didnt have time to participate in the Sector Championship, he had always been paying attention to every happening on the Sector Championship platform. Previously, he wasnt quite sure if Shadow X was Cillin, but when the duo team Knight and Shadow X had appeared on the double combat tournament participation list, Lung knew that Shadow X must be that bastard Cillin. Therefore he had immediately called Cillin and Knights communicator numbers at the same time, and just in case, called the other five public communicators in the accommodation as well. Just think of it an alarm. The moment Lung walked through the accommodation entrance, he was met with Cillin and Knight sitting gloom-faced and cross-legged at the living room waiting for him. Judging from their faces, if he could not give a satisfying explanation he might have to sleep on the streets today. Lung had planned everything before he came over. First, he must express his apologies and lower the other parties anger. These are shortcakes bought from a newly opened biscuit shop of meat fillings or fruit fillings. Theyre stored inside a crisper and are still crisp, you know. Oh, right, here are also two cups of hot milk tea; isnt it nice to eat shortcakes and drink milk tea together, hehe. Lung handed over to Cillin and Knight a cup of milk tea each before taking out a cup of his own. According to Cillins understanding of Lung, he would never have thought of buying a drink like milk tea, and even if he did, he wouldve bought alcohol instead. Adding this up with other factors and coming to a conclusion, there was a ninety percent chance that the first two milk tea were gifted by the shopkeeper when Lung was buying the shortcakes, and the third milk tea was probably Lung unleashing his unique trait called utter shamelessness and forced it into his hands. Seeing that Cillin and Knight had picked up the shortcakes and milk tea and began to eat, Lung relaxed a little. Now, he must seize the initiative for himself! While Knight was chewing on the biscuit and getting ready to open his mouth for another bite, Lung swiftly put down his cup and criticised the duo righteously, How dare you two not discuss something so important with me! Do you know that what youre fighting isnt a match, but money! Money! Cillin and Knight: Knights mouth maintained at an open state. He paid it no heed even when crumbs fell out of his mouth. Lung opened his own microcomputer and surfed to a particular web page. He enlarged the screen and pointed at it, explaining, Gambling is available on the Sector Championship; undertaken by the officials themselves! While speaking, the trios communicators and the five public use communicators inside the accommodation rang at the same time. After glancing at the name displayed on the communicator, Cillin pressed a hand to his forehead. Why do they all like to play this trick. After the call was connected, Ci Jinchengs image appeared on the display. He was still in his overalls, and his background was his workshop. You guys are plotting an evil scheme! Ci Jincheng said with an I knew it look. Didnt your base have a rule about communication with the outside world? Also, doesnt Seven Lights have a rule about interplanetary communication as well? Ci Jincheng said with disdain, Thats for the average people; its useless against me. What were you saying just now, repeat everything from the beginning. Alright, since everyone is here now, I will explain my grand plan once more! Lung cleared his throat and began explaining about the gambling scene. After finished listening, Knight said hesitantly, But sometimes, its not something that we can control. Suppose if we run into those people from the military academies. When they fight, they fight with everything they have, because their combat results will affect their mentors or instructors welfare. If the welfare of their higher-ups were affected, then the little ones would not be better off as well. They will definitely fight with everything on the line. In this case, it will not be easy for us to control the time. They havent joined GALs regular army, have they? Also, whats the welfare of their instructors and mentors? According to my knowledge, the ranks of those military academy instructors or mentors were pretty high up. They definitely earn a lot of money. Lung did not understand. Knight shook his head, and while cracking his fingers said to the trio, Sector Cs military academies are slightly different from the other Sectors military academies in that theyre attached under the GAL army. Every student who comes out of Sector C are definitely elites, not to mention that those top students were all booked by garrisons everywhere a long time ago. People like the First Military Academys Feng Haicao and the Second Military Academys Bonn had begun performing missions under external orders since way back, so they did not need to worry about their futures at all after graduation. However, the military academies instructors and mentors are different. There is such a word called relegation. They are all officers of the GAL army, but some of them were at Sector A, B and C; some of them were transferred to the ten trading Sectors, and some were even relegated to the thirteen backwater Sectors. As a serviceman, do you want to lead your men to hunt down galactic robbers and suppress local Sector rebellions, or develop an untamed land? Cillin and Lung let out looks of sudden realization. So it appeared that there were so many unspoken words behind the term welfare the military academies were talking about. But I believe Cillin and Knights team can take them all down. Ci Jincheng said affirmatively. Blah, of course I believe it as well. Otherwise I wouldnt dump my business on the other side and run back the same night. Lung looked expectantly at both Knight and Cillin. Knight rubbed his chin. Although he was frowning, the upturn lift on his lips could not hide the true thoughts inside his heart, This will be pretty challenging. said he, but it was exactly this kind of extreme challenge that he loved. The trio turned to look at Cillin. Cillin slowly put down the cup in his hand, There certainly is a level of difficulty here. Although he said this, he had taken out his card at the same time and passed it to Lung. Lung understood his meaning and took it, How much? Everything. As long as I didnt give you a sign, go all in every time. Lung swiped Cillins card across the card reader he carried wherever he went, glanced at the numbers on the display and lifted an eyebrow, Hmm, it looks like youre pretty confident. Knight also threw his card over, Bet everything on it as well. Lung, Ill send the money to your card in a moment. Ci Jincheng also said on the other side. On this night, while the other students were either so excited they couldnt sleep or training overnight, these four men were stuck inside their accommodation conspiring to make boats of cash. What human trashes. On the next day, the first match of the Sector Championship on the battle list was announced. The battles were randomly assigned by the system, and Cillin and Knights first match was against the IDs Dominate The World and Break Thousand Forces, who were also Sector B students from Prometheus College. Their pre-match training records werent bad. They had over ninety percent victories and they were both A rank genotypes. But of course; who among the participants of this Championship did not have some capabilities to show? Moreover, Dominate The World and Break Thousand Forces were both among the top 50 in last years single combat tournament. After a year of hard work, their capabilities were definitely not weak. They wouldnt be considered weak on Sector B at least. Naturally, there were plenty of people who went to watch Shadow Xs first match. Even those who had a match at the same time were ready to end them as soon as possible so they could watch him fight. It was only the first round, but the number of viewers watching the duo Shadow X and Knight had already reached the equivalent of the peak level of viewers during a quarter final. When Shadow Xs symbolic generic robot appearance had appeared on the stage, all of the viewers had boiled up. This was the first time Shadow X had showed himself since he disappeared for four days. However, the audiences were destined to be disappointed. During the first match, Shadow X had simply folded his arms and stood motionlessly at the sides from the moment he entered the stage. Then, he watched the battle from the beginning to the end as Knight won it all by himself. Moreover, Knight had fought with ease even though he did not use the Thunderstorm Fists, and in five minutes, he sent the Prometheus pair flying away with a kick. Of course, if he restrained himself slightly, then the other party would have been able to hang on for five minutes at least, or if Knight was slightly more serious, then he would be able to take out his opponent in less than two minutes. But what could he do; Lung had placed his bet under five minutes after all. Shadow X did not act during the first round, and Knight had won one versus two. The second round was the same, and the third, and the fourth Gradually, some people were beginning to lose their patience. Could this fraudulent system arrange them a stronger opponent already? Its been five matches and Shadow X hadnt acted even once! The teams who were defeated by Knight couldnt help but want to bawl their eyes out. Were actually pretty strong in our institutes, you know Finally, under everyones expectations, the duo Shadow X and Knight was met with a special opponent. They were not from a military academy. The reason they were called special was because one of them wielded guns, and the other swords. The contest rules did not forbid anyone from bringing weapons. As long as the party who brought them applied for it and received the consent from both sides of the match, then it wasnt a problem. Obviously, Knight and Cillin did not turn down the request. In fact, they were rather looking forward to it. Guns and swords? That sounds interesting. After five disappointing matches, the audience grew excited once more. This was because Shadow X would definitely act during this match. The crowd had only heard of Shadow Xs abilities, but had not seen it with their own eyes. After all, Shadow X had only fought three times, and no one recorded the battle footages, so no one could imagine exactly how powerful he was in their minds. The daylight for Shadow X and Knights match was different for people of different Sectors, different planets or different places within the same planet, but if they could witness Shadow Xs fight with their own eyes, then it would be worth staying up for the night! Chapter 58: Act Chapter 58: Act There was a reason why so many people paid much attention to this match. Firstly, the team Shadow X and Knight was about to face wielded weapons. One of them wielded dual swords, and the other wielded dual guns. Secondly C also the reason why many people were excited C both of the combatants wielding dual swords and dual guns were females, and the two famous beauties of Sector Bs Billy University no less. Since theyre both beauties, the two guys Shadow X and Knight would probably be more tactful when fighting against them. Moreover, these two women were extremely lethal. They would definitely force out Shadow Xs hands. In truth, there were even some people who were guessing if Shadow X and Knight would be toppled this match. After all, someone spread out the news prior to the match that Shadow X and Knight had given the consent to their opponents to wield weapons, but still chose to fight bare handed themselves. This narrow-minded gentlemanly demeanor would become their fatal weakness. As the saying goes, even the strongest warrior would fall in the hands of a beautiful woman if he does not exercise self-restraint*. *The above saying is actually two sayings in one: A fickle man would get no true love even if he has a thousand choices, and capsize in a gutter. After some thoughts I combined them into one sentence above plus this explanation here for better understanding. Thirdly and the most important point was that this sword and gun combination, Liu Yewu and One Smile Kill (T/N: Just a reminder, but I will literally translate any names that doesnt sound like proper names since these are virtual IDs) were runner-ups of last terms double combat tournament, and just one rank below the Visby brothers. Last terms runner should be able to force Shadow Xs hands no matter what, right? It would be somewhat unrealistic for Knight to hang on on his own. There were even more viewers on the Sector Championship platform watching this match than the first. The amount of viewers of those matches that started at the same time as this one was pitifully small, and even if there were teams that enjoyed some small reputation of their own, their viewership was absolutely eclipsed by Shadow X and Knights. Boss Boer, do you think that Shadow X will act this match? Faradin asked Boer in front of the microcomputer. Boer thought for a moment before saying, If Knight still does not use his Thunderstorm Fist this match, then Shadow X will act. This is because both of their opponents wielded weapons. One Smile Kills marksmanship is pretty good, and although its a little unorthodox to use a gun in a double combat tournament, she would not reduce her offensive power just because of it. There were more than a hundred people who were killed by One Smile Kills gun in close combat during the pre-match training. One Smile Kills gun could also be used as a blade, so her close combat skills would not be weaker than Liu Yewus. Although Boer was a military academy student, he had never looked down on the people of Sector B. He had done some research on the veterans of Sector B as well. Faradin and Boer werent the only ones who were watching. Comos, Feng Haicao, Ryan, Bonn and more were also sitting in front of their microcomputers and watching this match. They really did want to know exactly how strong Shadow X was! If his abilities werent up to par, then they would no longer join in this little game and head straight for the throne of the single combat tournament. That was why they had registered for both contests. Under everyones gazes, the duo One Smile Kill and Liu Yewu walked into the ring. Pretty faces, tight midriff-baring dresses, and fantastic waistlines. Even though they were just virtual avatars, it was enough to strongly attract the audiences attention. However, in the next moment, the other duo who appeared later pulled the spotlight onto themselves. His appearance was still the look of a generic robot just like before, but it drew the gazes of the viewers in front of their microcomputers directly away from the two ladies. Shadow X! This time you will fight, wont you? Shadow X and Knight continued to walk leisurely onto the ring just like usual. What was different was that this time, it was Knight was the one who was folding his arms at the edge of the ring looking like he would enjoy a good show, and Shadow X walking step by step towards the center. The people in front of the microcomputer instantly turned frenzied. OHHHHHHHH~~ Shadow X is going to fight, Shadow X is seriously going to fight!! Boer, Faradin and the rest subconsciously straightened themselves and stared closely at the generic robot on the computer display. As Shadow X walked closer, the pair One Smile Kill and Liu Yewu who were standing side by side split up. One headed towards the back, and the other headed towards the front. One Smile Kills thin fingers hooked the guns at both side of her thighs into her hands and twirled them once skillfully between her fingers. Judging from her practiced motion, he could see that One Smile Kill had been toying around with guns for quite some time already. But that was all. In Cillins eyes, she really was just toying with guns. Liu Yewu also brought out her twin Liu Ye swords. There were very few people who could wield such an ancient weapon well in this era. Those who wielded such weapons were usually the offsprings of some ancient legacy. Watching Shadow X stepping slowly and coolly towards her direction, Liu Yewu suddenly experienced an inexplicable sense of oppression and urgency. His expressionless generic face, his excessively calm movements; they all gave off an unfathomable feeling. In that case Liu Yewu leaped into the air, unleashed her silver white blades and rushed towards Shadow X with the sounds of swords cutting through the air. It was strange, however. Shadow X seemed unperturbed as he continued on his seemingly careless way. Its just that when Liu Yewus twin swords slashed at his direction, his figure blurred. Bang! Liu Yewu was jarred so fiercely that she flew all the way back to where One Smile Kill stood. Her sword dance fell into shambles. In that instant, when Liu Yewu was confident that she would be able to cut down her enemy, Shadow Xs instantaneous high speed movement and a sudden force had caused the edge of the swords to shift away from its original spot. At the same time, Shadow Xs palm had slipped through the gap between the two swords and chopped towards Liu Yewu, forcing her to block it with her swords. Although Shadow Xs movements when dodging the sword edges were incredibly fast, the attack he threw at her was not. Its just that Liu Yewu could sense the strength behind this palm, and as expected, it had blown her all the way to the back. While she was flying backwards, Liu Yewu was still thinking why One Smile Kill had not opened fire. It wasnt that One Smile Kill didnt want to open fire in that instant, but that she could not find the chance to open fire at all. Shadow X was nearly completely covered up by Liu Yewu. Previously, there were many people who tried using similar methods to avoid One Smile Kills gunshot, but they were all blown up by her without fail. In that instant, One Smile Kill had wanted to smile (T/N: and kill Shadow X, as her ID suggests), but she still couldnt catch a glimpse of his outline even after she shifted to another angle! Shadow X was just a few paces away from Liu Yewus figure. As Liu Yewu was thrown backwards, he too moved along with her and used her as his shield at every moment, preventing One Smile Kill from discovering the perfect opportunity to kill him. If One Smile Kill opened fire carelessly, there was an extremely high chance that she would hurt Liu Yewu instead. Liu Yewu sensed Shadow Xs thoughts and swung her swords towards the floor, leveraging the force to twist her waist and slash her other sword at Shadow X. Even if she could not hit Shadow X, she would still be able to force him out of that angle and allow One Smile Kill to shoot him. However Impossible!! Liu Yewu eyes widened as she watched her opponent catching the tip of her sword with two fingers. Her eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. At the same time, a pulling force came from the tip of her sword, to which Liu Yewu responded with a tight grasp to stop her opponent from pulling her sword away from her. In the next moment, a tremendous shockwave spread to her thenar space, causing her to feel as if her entire wrist was about to shatter from the shock. Liu Yewu felt both her hands turned numb. Her swords left her. Ka! A sound rang from the gun in One Smile Kills hands, but it wasnt the sound of a bullet exiting its chamber. What followed after was silence. There were two swords. One was pointed at Liu Yewus forehead, and the other placed beside One Smile Kills neck artery. Chapter 59: The Second Person To Wield Guns To That Extent Chapter 59: The Second Person To Wield Guns To That Extent It was fast. Too fast. The time from the moment Liu Yewu began her offense until the situation right now was only five short seconds. Five seconds. It was the time some people took to yawn, open their eyes and witness the scene before them. Before they could understand what they were seeing, before they could reflect upon anything, it had already turned like this. Her weapon was pointed at her own forehead. Her hands were still numb. Liu Yewu did not understand how exactly Shadow X had did it, or should she say that she did understand somewhat, but wasnt willing to accept it. Two fingers were enough to catch the edge of a sword? Was it really as simple as it looked? Such a situation had not happened even during last years double combat tournament. She had no choice but to admit that Shadow X was really strong. A sword is a killing tool. If you cannot evoke a swords killing intent, then it is no different from a soft wooden stick to an expert. This was what her father once told her. Was he talking about this situation? Ka! Ka! Ka! Pak One Smile Kill pulled the trigger repeatedly in disbelief. Then her gun fell apart with a Pak noise and dropped to the ground piece by piece. Among the pieces was an unused clip. Cillins sword drew even closer. One Smile Kill still had a long way to go; Aiflons bodyguard didnt even need to open fire to know that there was something wrong with his gun. It was something only those who had wielded guns to a certain extent could detect. They could detect even a tiny change in their weapons, and not act like One Smile Kill who absolutely refused to believe that her gun malfunctioned by pulling the trigger repeatedly even in the face of death. This was the sheer gap of skills. Hesitation, doubt, lack of resolution, lack of killing intent when striking and lack of decisiveness when firing. This were the weaknesses of a student. As the sword pressed closer, the mere chilliness One Smile Kill felt earlier had now turned into blood flowing down the swords edge. Although this was just a virtual platform, reflex sensation and the pain transmitted by the sensor still caused her to feel the illusion of bleeding. Liu Yewu and One Smile Kill could clearly sense the killing intent from the sword. If they still would not surrender, then the generic robot before them really would splatter their blood across the ring. If that happened, then they would appear even more humiliated than now. The entire match did not exceed even one minute from the beginning until the end. One of them had her swords snatched away from her, and the other did not manage to fire a single shot. Although they were very reluctant to admit defeat, this was the reality they had to face. One Smile Kill and Liu Yewu surrenders. This match is won by Knight and Shadow X! When this line appeared on the screen, many people had turned silent. More accurately speaking, they hadnt recovered from the shock yet. Boer withdrew his gaze and pondered on his seat. That palm strike from Shadow X that blew Liu Yewu backwards was intentional, or his actions wouldve been much faster. But what Boer did not understand was why Shadow X had not killed Liu Yewu in one hit. He obviously had the ability to do so, and if that palm strike had more strength and speed behind it, then there was no way Liu Yewu would have had the time to react and block it in time. If the attack had hit her, then Liu Yewu would have been effectively put out of battle, not to mention that if he could easily find the gaps between Liu Yewus sword dance, then he could dodge One Smile Kills gunshots as well. Liu Yewus sword was incredibly quick. The average person couldnt even differentiate between the real swords and the afterimages of her sword dance. Since Shadow X could weave through her twin swords and attack through the gaps of her attacks with such speed and ease, Boer absolutely refused to believe he couldnt dodge past One Smile Kills gunshots. In truth, there were many people who did not understand why Shadow X had used such a method to win the match. It was a little cheap, mean, and even took advantage of the systems loophole. And why did they say that? Shadow Xs generic robot appearance was thinner than most and not too tall. Thus, the situation became greatly advantageous for Shadow X where he could easily hide himself from One Smile Kills aim. If Shadow X had been in his true form, then One Smile Kill might have had a chance to hit him. Someone posted a thread on the Sector Championship forum accusing Shadow X of being too mean and cruel. It was bad enough he used a cheap trick to secure victory, but he even used such a method to humiliate the two ladies. Their swords were taken, not a single bullet was fired, and they were even pointed at their forehead and neck by their own weapons. How did he expect One Smile Kill and Liu Yewu to swallow this humiliation? When Comos and Feng Haicao saw this thread, they only smiled sarcastically. If Shadow X really didnt hold back, how could this possibly be the extent of One Smile Kill and Liu Yewus fate? Lets put everything away and focus on that sword pointed at Liu Yewu alone. In truth, Shadow X could totally slice her from top to bottom. But Shadow obviously left his opponent some face and retracted his sword a little so that it would only point at Liu Yewus forehead. If this was Knight, he wouldve sliced his opponent cleanly in half regardless of their gender or identity. What do you think of this? Comos asked Feng Haicao in front of the microcomputer. While turning his cap Feng Haicao said, Hes just playing; he really is just playing, thats all. Its not just Shadow X, but Knight as well. Up to this point, Knight has not used his Thunderstorm Fist, and no one knows how far he has trained his Thunderstorm Fist. He got such high praises from Ji Feihang, so it isnt really easy to estimate Knights strength. Yue Lou, what do you think? Comos then turned to look at Yue Lou, who had been toying with his gun on his seat all along. Yue Lou did not participate in the contest. In fact, he had never even registered an account on the Sector Championship platform since he entered the military academy for three years. However, Yue Lou was someone even Comos and Feng Haicao were very impressed with. The First Military Academys best marksman Yue Lou was known throughout the entire Sector C. The reason Yue Lou was never interested in the Sector Championship was because there was no shooting contest (T/N: What? Seriously?). Yue Lous head was bowed and his eyes were drooped as if he was asleep. However, his hand movements werent slow at all. When he flung his handgun to the air it was split into parts, and when they dropped back down they were assembled back into a handgun once more. Moreover, Yue Lou was only using one hand, and his fingers were so quick that even Comos admitted inferiority. Meanwhile, Yue Lous other hand was propped against his chin, giving off the impression of laziness and that he would fall asleep whenever he felt tired. But everyone who knew Yue Lou knew that they should not disturb the man even when he was asleep. There were plenty of people who saw him playing around with his gun in his dreams, and was able to blast a soccer ball that was kicked at his direction into smithereens by pure instinct. Hearing Comos question, Yue Lou spent a tremendous amount of effort before he finally opened his eyelids to look at Comos, Ah? What did you say? He only remembered that it was a question. Comos, Feng Haicao: This guy fell asleep again, huh. Feng Haicao rubbed his forehead helplessly, Comos asked you about your opinion about that previous match. Opinion? Yue Lou pulled his own face with the hand he used to prop his chin, Shadow X is very strong. Its pretty rare that someone made you say the three words is very strong, you know. And then? Feng Haicao asked again. Yue Lou yawned once and stretched his lazy back, I only watched Shadow X. That meant that he didnt pay attention to anyone else at all. He ignored the other three people on the ring again, didnt he? Sigh, why is it again again? Yue Lou stood up from his chair, moved his fingers, the gun that was still parts earlier became assembled perfectly in his hand. He shoved it with practiced motion into his pocket. Every time they saw Yue Lou shoving his gun into that wide pocket of his, Comos and Feng Haicao could not help their eyes from twitching. Bro, arent you afraid of misfire? That spot is close to the crotch. Stretching his arms wide for a little and letting out yet another huge yawn, Yue Lou lazily walked his way to the microcomputer, brought up the recorded combat footage from earlier, slowed down a section of it and pointed at one of Shadow Xs movements, He is the second peer I saw who could wield his gun to such an extent. Feng Kaicao and Comos pressed closer to the screen. It was the scene where Shadow X snatched Liu Yewus twin swords and pointed them at Liu Yewu and One Smile Kill. When Shadow X had pointed a sword at One Smile Kill, there was an instant where his hand had swiped across One Smile Kills gun. After that, One Smile Kill pulled the trigger but fired no bullets from her chamber. At the same time, Shadow Xs sword was placed at the aorta of her neck. This was to say that in that instant, Shadow X had tampered with One Smile Kills gun, but One Smile Kill did not notice it in the slightest. He had such amazing hand speed and was able to disassemble a gun with the one hand that was still holding a sword. No wonder Yue Lou said that Shadow X was very strong. Feng Kaicao and Comos stared thoughtfully for a moment at the screen before they came around and asked curiously, You said that Shadow X is the second person among our peers who could wield his gun to such an extent. So whos the other one? Yue Lou wobbled his way to the storage cabinet and grabbed some food. He was hungry after a nap. Hes also from Sector B. The names Ci Jincheng. Chapter 60: Sniffing Chapter 60: Sniffing It wasnt Cillin and cos concern what the others were discussing about the match. They would, as usual, finish a match and continue on with their own thing. Once the match was over, Lung immediately called Cillin and Knight on their communicators. Judging from his high-pitched voice and the eyebrows that were about to fly off his face, their profits must be pretty sizable. They werent wrong. Lung was so happy that his mouth cramped. The first few odds werent huge, so they didnt earn too much money. But this time, Lung had betted on Shadow X winning within a minute and without a single shot fired from the opponent. The odds on this bet was very high, and Lung had betted all their money on it. So when he saw the numbers on his card after the match had ended, Lungs mouth did not clam up even once. This was also why Cillin had chosen to win the way he did. After the match had ended, the threads relating to this match on the Sector Championship forum filled up the entire screen. The news of Prides victory in the dogfight contest and subsequent entry to the quarterfinals was pushed right down to the bottom, not even a trace of it to be found. There were praises and there were criticisms, but there was one point that everyone agreed on, and that was the match had ended way too quickly. From the moment the system had displayed start to the moment it announced the end lasted less than a minute, and within this minute, the actual time when both sides had actually fought against each other was five seconds. What were five seconds? Some people turned their heads, chatted a little, turned back around and then discovered that the match was over. That was five seconds. I shouldnt have done that! And it was deep. It was the kind of depression where someone closed their eyes, opened them again and discovered that the match was fucking over. Although it was possible to watch a recording, but the mentality of watching something live and watching something recorded was completely different.The latter was completely void of anxiety and excitement. Therefore, the crowd came to the conclusion post-match that they would not be distracted no matter what when watching Shadow Xs matches. Otherwise, they might miss out on a brilliant kill even they were distracted for even a second. Following Shadow Xs action-packed match, some of the people who loved analysis began analysing Shadow Xs strength and real life behavior from many angles. However, they continued to come up with nothing because there was just too little data on Shadow X. It was exactly why some people had begun issuing tremendous rewards for the truth behind Shadow X. The moment the reward was announced, the people in Seven Lights were riled up. In fact, before the other people in Seven Lights had officially begun the uproar, before two seconds had even passed after the reward was announced, Cillins communicator rang. You mustnt mustnt ruin our great muture (T/N: money bound future!) just for that teeny weeny bit of money, Cillin!! Lung was howling in high decibels the second the line had connected. Cillin pulled the communicator further away and looked at the shining seven figures of the reward on the forum. You call this a teeny weeny bit of money? Before Cillin could say anything, Lungs lips began rattling off constantly like fireworks, explaining to Cillin about long term analyses and macro perspectives. In short, he meant that if Cillin was to divulge his identity right now, it would be detrimental to the betting scene. Cillin dug his ears, I got it. Im not ready to stand up now anyway. Thats good then, Lung let out an obvious sigh of relief, Ill go check out the next betting scene right now. You keep doing your work. Beep Cillin looked at his disconnected communicator and felt his mouth twitch. Greedy bastard! He set the communicator aside and began assembling the parts piled on the top of his study desk. Cillin had modified his study a little into a study and a workshop. Competing in the Sector Championship was a must, but he must also complete the assignments Old Mo had arranged him. Otherwise, with that difficult temper of his the old man would definitely feel as if he was ignored. He would not be able to participate in the Sector Championship if that happened. While he was assembling, the doorbell of the accommodation rang. Normally, Cillin and cos doorbell would never ring because they never had any visitors up till this point. Even if there were, they were led in personally like Sird and Hard. After that mission, Knight had once invited them over to their accommodation for a drink. As for Pride, unless they invited him personally, he wasnt someone who would not lower himself to visit them. After the doorbell had rung for a few times, Knight turned on the intercom inside the accommodation from upstairs and said, Cillin, Im challenging that snotty brat Pride to a dogfight right now! What Knight meant was that hes busy and he had no intentions of opening the door. The even deeper meaning was that if Cillin was also busy, then he could ignore it as well. Cillin did not stop his work immediately, and instead had the security system to turn on the display and see who was on the screen. When he saw the person, Cillin let out a small smile. That was fast. Oh well, at least I can save the trouble of you people coming over again and making blind guesses. The people of Seven Lights had always been extremely curious about Shadow Xs identity. To think that such a master was hidden within their own academy! The reward aside, Shadow X was the most mysterious and most concerning person on the Sector Championship platform right now. If they could discover Shadow Xs true identity and expose it themselves, then their own fame would rise by leaps and bounds. And how would they discover Shadow Xs true identity? Hack into the Sector Championship platforms system? Unlikely, since the Sector Championship platforms systems were developed hand-in-hand by the specialists of Sector B and Sector C. Their security defense could only be described as impenetrable. So hacking was out of the question. What about connections? Some people had tried making friends with the Sector Championship platforms maintenance crew with their fine backgrounds, but they could not obtain an answer from them either. Although the Sector Championship platforms maintenance personnel could not publicly divulge a students information, they could investigate into it themselves. Its just that they discovered that Shadow Xs information had many layers of additional protection, and those complicated programs were very difficult to resolve. Since both of these methods didnt work, then the most direct way was to seek out Knight himself. Knight was the kind of person who dared flip the table and grab his gun even in front of Seven Lights headmaster. Moreover, he had an incredibly deep military background. Everyone knew about this, which was why not many people dared to ask Knight directly even though they were very curious about Shadow Xs identity. But although they did not dare to provoke Knight, one thing many of them did know was that there were four people in total in the sickest accommodation in Seven Lights. They could at least beat around the bush, couldnt they? They did not dare to provoke Knight. Ci Jincheng was not on Planet Seven Lights. Take it to Lung Andrea? Out of the question; they would be played so hard they wouldnt even be able to differentiate head and toe. In that case, the only choice left was Cillin Douance, and the forerunner of this inquiry was none other than Allen Chev, the guy whose family had set up an electronic magazine. When Shadow X had logged onto the Sector Championship platform and became the top three followed person in just three days, Alen had already guessed about Shadow Xs identity, but never obtained actual confirmation. After Shadow X and Knight had teamed up and participated in the double combat tournament, Allens suspicions that Cillin was Shadow X was renewed once more. Cillin opened the door to let Allen in. he did not let Allen take up the living room and instead led him to his study. Cillin, that BPT growing outside your accommodation looks pretty well. Its just as the rumors say. Alen chose a opener. Its just coincidence. Cillin handed a cup over to Allen, There is fruit juice, milk, beer, tea and so on in the water dispenser. Dont hold back; pour yourself anything you want. Got it. Alen glanced at Cillins study while he was taking his fruit juice from the water dispenser. There werent many books, and his desk were filled with parts. There were several spaces inside the study were filled with categorised parts as well. He saw Cillin sitting back down beside the study desk assembling parts, and felt slightly embarrassed. He seemed to have disturbed Cillins work. About that sorry. Ive troubled you. No problem, I can speak and assemble simultaneously. Cillin turned around to speak with Allen, but his hands continued to move just as swift to prove his point. Allen admired Cillin. He knew who Cillins mentor was, and anyone who could learn under Professor Mo most definitely had genuine talent and ability. But when he witnessed Cillin assembling the parts with his own eyes, Alens feelings took yet another turn. He seriously felt as if he was watching some kind of elegant art. Cillins hands were very swift and very accurate. One could see that one moment the parts were dancing between his fingers, and in the next it was already assembled onto the machine. While watching, Alen began to zone out as if he was dragged in by Cillins swift, blurry hands and the assembling parts. Although he was still staring at Cillins work, Allens eyes had already turned lax and lost all focus. Allen could never have imagined that he was hypnotised after just staring at Cillin assembling for a moment! Chapter 61: Induction Chapter 61: Induction Cillin wasnt actually assembling that quickly in front of Allen; he was much slower when compared to assembling in front of Mo Heng. The reason he slowed down was so that Allens eyes could follow his hand speed. When Allens attention fell on his hands, Cillins assembling movements began to change little by little. His hand speed changed, following a specific pattern without Allen noticing at all. It was by coordinating this rhythm, parts jumping in the air at certain times and the orbit of his movements that he slowly dragged Allens consciousness into a whirlpool. Cillins voice became deep and low as he said unhurriedly, I have to finish assembling these parts today. This is the task my mentor had assigned me to. You can see that there are a lot of parts, arent they? Allen nodded, but his eyes were still lax and unfocused. He seemed to be in a state of half consciousness. Yeah, there are a lot of parts. Most of my time is spent on assembling these parts, and not much left for anything else. Cillins hands did not stop, My mentor, Professor Mo dislikes the idea of me participating in the Sector Championship Although Allen was in a completely hypnotised state, and Cillin could totally draw out everyone in Seven Lights opinion and assumptions on Shadow X from Allen, he did not do it. He did not even touch on the topic of Shadow X at all. For someone like Allen, these keywords might trigger a rebound effect from Allens subconsciousness, hence giving himself away unnecessarily. The human brain is a very strange thing. The people had only understood a small portion of the human brain, and even if the other party was hypnotised, one must not presume that they had complete control over their thoughts. A different person required a different solution. This was what Genya had told him when he taught Cillin hypnosis. Therefore Cillin employed only indirect induction to mislead Allen. He kept talking to Allen about things that werent related to the main subject in question, causing Allen himself to come to a conclusion that there was no way Cillin was Shadow X. Ka Allen woke up to the sound. His gaze was focused on a completely assembled machine placed on top of the desk. Cillin moved it into a huge box. There were already several identical machines wrapped in shockproof bags inside the box. Allen sweated as he read the dates written on the shockproof bags. It looked like Cillin was impossibly busy alright. It was only when he looked at the time again that Allen realized that it had been more than two hours! When he recalled his memories, he only remembered Cillins movements as he assembled the machines. He had actually stared at Cillin assembling for two hours straight! Although he was a little groggy, Allen still remembered the things Cillin had talked to him about and how he answered them. When he looked at the parts and assembled machines inside the study again, Allen believed that he had overthought things. There was no way Cillin was Shadow X; cant you see just how busy he was? Cillin swayed his arms around a little looking very tired, Thats one more finished finally! Oh, right, are you hungry, Allen? While speaking, Cillin opened the storage cabinet in the study, but discovered that there was only a lone bag of red bean buns left inside it. Lets go to the living room. Er, Cillin, you dont have to trouble yourself, Ill be going after a chat. Cillin took out two bags of jerky from the kitchens cabinet and passed one to Allen, Dont give me that routine, since when are you a shy guy? Cmon, the jerkys pretty tasty. Try it. Thanks. Allen accepted the cup and jerky Cillin passed over to him, paused for a moment before asking, Cillin, youve logged onto the Sector Championship platform, havent you? You want to ask about Shadow X, right? Cillin cut Allen off, I can tell you nothing about Shadow X. Ive promised them. Cillins answer was them and not him, so this caused Allen to be even more assured that Cillin wasnt Shadow X. In Allens mind, them should probably mean Knight and Shadow X. Allen let out two dry laughs, Were just too curious, really. We didnt even know theres such a powerhouse in Seven Lights. Let me tell you something. In fact, Shadow X and Knight are pretty familiar with each other. They just dont see each other often. While he was speaking, Knight bounced his way down the stairsteps while humming a small tune. From the looks of it he had beaten Pride in the dogfight. However, when he saw Allen sitting in the sitting in the living room, his face immediately fell, What the hell is this situation?! Allens hands shivered the moment he saw Knight. He could feel the anger radiating from Knights body. Could it be that Knight really disliked visitors? Allen carefully glanced at the serious-looking Knight. He really was pretty scary; it was no wonder those people didnt dare to ask him directly, Ahem excuse me for the disturbance. I am here to see Cillin I gave him the jerky; he didnt take it by himself. There are still plenty of them inside the cabinet, dont be such a miser. Cillin said calmly (T/N: says the guy who compensate a persons mental manipulation with someone elses riches~). Allen: Was that the point? I knew I thought too much about myself; my entire being couldnt compete with a bag of jerky. After staring dead-eyed at the jerky in Allens hands, Knight wobbled his way to the kitchen for some food of his own. He was obviously hungry after challenging Pride to a dogfight. Allen immediately took the opportunity to bid Cillin goodbye while Knight went to the kitchen. The moment he saw Knight he felt prickles all over his body; the mans aura was just too strong. When Knight came back out he did not see Allens figure, He left so quickly? That aura of wangba of yours is too powerful. He couldnt take it so he ran out right away. What did you do to that kid? Knight asked while sitting on the sofa, shaking his legs and chewing his jerky. Cillin threw a slice of bread at him, What do you mean what? Do I look like such a bad person? Ceh Knights expression was filled with disdain, You may look like a pretty straight person but its in fact the exact opposite. Youre always up to something, and those people who were swindled by you wouldnt even know that theyre cheerfully counting the price of their own coffins! Thank you for your praise. You thought too much. I am just lamenting about my supernatural deductive abilities. Due to Cillins intentional misinformation, Allen really did exclude Cillin from suspicion. Seeing that Cillin wasnt a good target either, the people of Seven Lights turned their sights somewhere else. In truth, it couldnt be said that Cillin had lied to Allen. It was just slightly one-sided. He only said that Professor Mo dislikes the idea of Cillin participating in the Sector Championship, but he didnt tell about whether he actually participated in the contest. As for that thing about him being very familiar with Knight but them not seeing each other often It was the truth. Other than the mission prior to the Sector Championship, most of the times they had communicated with each other were on communicators. Even during the Sector Championship, for the last few days, the moment he finished competing in the match he would return to his own study and start on the assignments Mo Heng had left him. The time they saw each other everyday didnt even reach an entire hour. The crowd continued to twist and tangle themselves over Shadow Xs true identity, but the Sector Championship went on as usual. The next two matches was fought by Knight alone again, but during the final moments of a match Knight was forced to use the Thunderstorm Fist. It was only an incomplete and blurry punch with electric sparks on it, but it was enough to cause excitement in some students. The further they went, the tougher the opponents they met. Although matchups were randomly assigned by the system, some of the veterans and teams with incredibly high win rate would still be kept away from each other so they didnt face off each other too early. However, the fire of the Sector Championship combat tournaments were lit as the remaining thirty two teams made their appearances. This was because the matchups would now be drawn by the contestants themselves. It was possible that the best would fight against the best straight up during the first match. There were twenty teams out of the thirty two remaining that were from Sector C, three from the ten trade Sectors and nine from from Sector B. Meanwhile, the opponents Cillin and Knight had to beat to become one of the sixteen teams left in the tournament hailed from the ten trade Sectors. They also had the best combat results out of the three teams from the ten trade Sectors. They had a perfect win streak just like Cillin and Knight. Chapter 62: Code Chapter 62: Code The team Cillin and Knight were about to face was a little special. They came from the ten trade Sectors, and the kind of people who could stand out from the ten trade Sectors were definitely no weaker than those of military academies. Another peculiarity was that there was a non-average human in this team. ID Eight Claws, Octopus human. Just like his ID suggested, he had four more arms when compared to the average human. Moreover, Octopus humans were normally stronger and considered to have both strength and speed. His performance in the previous matches were very eye-catching. However, Cillins attention was biased towards the other person of the team. ID Coy Behind The Smile might have displayed his skills plenty of times in the previous battles, but his performance was a lot more low key than Eight Claws. After watching the recordings of the previous matches, Cillin felt that this man was definitely not weaker than the Octopus human. He was an extremely low key person just like him. Cillin thought that he would be able to verify this feeling when he stepped onto the Sector Championship platform battle ring again. Coy Behind The Smile and Eight Claws entered the ring before Cillin and Knight. Eight Claws was warming up, and his six arms were very eye-catching. Moreover, Cillin also noticed that his six arms were incredibly flexible and had a very wide reach. It would actually be somewhat problematic to find an angle of attack from the back. On the other hand, Coy Behind The Smile stood very quietly at his spot, and when he saw Cillin and Knight entering into the ring, he lifted his hand and made a greeting gesture. However, when Cillin saw Coy Behind The Smiles gesture, he narrowed his eyes a little. When Coy Behind The Smile lifted his arms, he had made some miniscule movements with his fingers that most people would not notice. Setting aside whether they could even capture the instantaneous movements, who would pay attention to the miniscule movements in a persons fingers while he was greeting someone before the match had even begun? However, Cillins habit forbad him from overlooking every tiny bit of changes in his opponent, and especially their fingers. One must never overlook a Hunters fingers, for they could easily take a life without being discovered, even with just a finger. Coy Behind The Smiles finger movements was a Vanguard Sixth Squad code. Therefore, Cillin replied with a Hello hand gesture. Just the same, his fingers moved swiftly while he was raising his hand. Coy Behind The Smile was taken by surprise for a second. Not bad, he found out this quickly. Originally, he did not think that Cillin could understand the meaning behind his hand gesture. No wonder the commander had placed such high expectations on him. You deal with Eight Claws. Ill deal with the other one. Cillin said towards Knight. Knight lifted his eyebrows once. This wasnt part of their prior arrangement, but since Cillin had given his word, Knight did not voice any objections whatsoever. He wondered what Lungs reaction would be after the match. Once both sides were ready, the system began counting down from ten to match start. During this ten seconds, Coy Behind The Smile swung his arms about, and Shadow X too shuffled his hands and feet in activity. While looking like they were performing another warm up prior to the match, the duo had in fact exchanged codes with each other for more than ten times already. Their finger movements were so quick that they could form over hundreds of codes in an instant. Vision, calculation and reaction. These were all qualities that must be fulfilled, or else a fracture would happen during the communication. The demand to capture the hundreds of codes the other party made during that one instant, convert them into information, process the information and come up with a reply greatly tested a persons abilities. However, when the match had officially begun, both sides stopped the exchange of codes. After all, once the match officially began, the monitoring on the Sector Championship platform would become a lot stricter and the match itself would be officially recorded. The warm ups prior to the match would not be recorded, which was why Coy Behind The Smile had chosen that moment to exchange codes with Cillin. Knight immediately rushed forwards to battle against Eight Claws. There werent many Octopus human in the army at all, but since he ran into one here then naturally he could not let go of this excellent opportunity. This was a new challenge to him. Knight was very excited by the battle, and Eight Claws was obviously more or less the same. They fought harder and harder, faster and faster. Eight Claws truly was a capable fighter. When electrical sparks had appeared on both of Knights fists, Eight Claws still looked like he had some reserve strength to spare. In comparison, while Shadow X and Coy Behind The Smiles battle was very quick and intense on its own, they neither looked as gorgeous as the electricity flashing from Knights Thunderstorm Fist, nor were they as special as Eight Claw throwing six arms into the battle at once. Coy Behind The Smile and Shadow Xs fight could not be called boring, and every one of their movements could be used in a class as teaching examples. And yet Boer and the others couldnt help but feel that the whole thing was incredibly strange and awkward. It wasnt what they imagined of Shadow Xs combat style. Eight Claws was eventually worn out by Knights ferocious attacks, and after he was punched backwards by Knight, Eight Claws and Coy Behind The Smile chose to surrender the match. For Knight, the battle obviously left much to be desired, and when he heard the system declaring the end of the match he was incredibly dissatisfied with the outcome. He could feel that that Eight Claws hadnt reached his limit yet, and this shouldnt be all of his abilities. He could sense Eight Claws muscle strength behind their clashes, and although Knight was confident that he could beat Eight Claws had the fight continued, that Eight Claws had surrendered just like that left him somewhat unwilling and reluctant. To put it shortly, he didnt have enough yet. Although this match appeared splendid and eye catching, they couldnt help but feel like something was missing. Somethings wrong. Comos frowned in front of the microcomputer. Feng Haicao nodded, It felt a little showy but lacking in substance. Although the battle was incredibly intense and impactful, it isnt what were looking for. Our expectations were too high, I guess. Regardless of the reactions to the match, Coy Behind The Smile and Eight Claws had completed their mission. They were the members of the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, and because their age fitted the requirements, they had been sent by Shawton to universities to study. Normally speaking, a Hunter would not participate in such contests, but this time Shawton had ordered the duo the bring Cillin a very important news. Impending assassination. Red alert! Impending assassination. Red alert! This was the news Coy Behind The Smile wanted to transmit to Cillin. They were neither interested nor caring about getting a place in the contest or scoring a victory. After the match had ended, Cillin immediately received Lungs complaints on his communicator. He had earned a lot less money this time due to the last-minute change of their battle plan. However, Lung did not question Cillin for a reason and continued to work on the analysis of the next match. Knight felt like his hands were still itchy after the fight, and he went to the mech training ground again and challenged a couple of military academy people to a fight. Many of these people were his former classmates, and after they were finished watching and fighting their own matches, they gathered once more to pick their preferred model and armor. This was something the group had done quite often while they were still at high school. Now that they had all entered into higher institutes of learning, they had a lot less free time than before. The Sector Championship was a rare event, so naturally they needed to take this opportunity to enjoy themselves as much as possible. However, Knight did not reveal Shadow Xs true identity, and because of this, he was even ganged up upon by his friends on the mech training ground. Knight, Im heading out for a walk and Ill pass by the supermarket along the way. My cabinets out of stock. You wanna get something? Cillin pushed open the door and asked. Just get me one of whatever you get and more dried meat! Knight yelled without even looking back at Cillin. He was in the middle of a heated fight against his military academy friends on the mech training ground. He absolutely must take revenge for their encirclement last time. Cillin walked out of the accommodation. He was feeling a little stuffy today and came out to walk and get some fresh air. That was why he hadnt ordered a takeout. It was nighttime, and there werent many people about. However, the supermarket was open for 24 hours a day. But he hadnt managed a few steps before his communicator rang. There were no images except a single, encrypted message: It was a line of text and a map. The map marked a spot at the forest between Seven Lights commercial trade zone and the entertainment zones Sleepless City. We have Theresa. You have an hour. Chapter 63: The Hunt In The Forest Beneath The Night Sky Chapter 63: The Hunt In The Forest Beneath The Night Sky The message automatically deleted itself after display. It was untraceable. It looked like these people had made full preparation before they came. An hour. Cillins opponent had left him with no additional time to prepare at all. It was also three days earlier than the time Coy Behind The Smile had told him. After returning to the accommodation, he took out his modified hoverboard and left a timed voice message on the answering machine. If he did not return after a specific time, the answering machine would tell Knight what he should do. Cillin did not bring his communicator with him either. It was too easily exposed. A muffler was installed in his modified hoverboard. The energy installation was improved as well. Cillin rode the hoverboard and vanished into the darkness, heading towards the location marked on the map. At a certain accommodation in Sector D of the ten trade Sectors, Coy Behind The Smile sat very indecently on the chair while speaking on the communicator. Ive already sent out the news. He should know what to do. The reason Coy Behind The smile and Eight Claws had participated in the Sector Championship was purely for funs sake. Although Hunters would not normally participate in such contests, Eight Claws and Coy Behind The Smile were really bored out of their wits, plus they were also rather curious by the news of Shadow X prior to the event launch. And so they registered for the tournament. However, they did not expect that they would receive a mission to transmit codes, and they were even more surprised to find out that the legendary Shadow X was actually one of their own. Coy Behind The Smile and Eight Claws had never planned to perform too well in the Sector Championship in the first place. Its just that their luck was too good that all the opponents they ran into werent strong; not even the students from military academies. That was why the duo was able to become one of the remaining thirty two contestants of the tournament. Even without the mission, they did not plan to continue further. It wasnt a Hunters way to expose their true capabilities in front of everyones eyes. They didnt care for the extent Cillin wanted to fight either. The person on the other side said something, and Coy Behind The Smile sat up straight with a frown. Didnt you say that it is three days later alright, Ill keep an eye out for him at the Sector Championship platform. If he still hasnt shown up before tomorrows match then hes probably alright. Got it. What is it? Eight Claws looked at Coy Behind The Smile, sitting like a statue after the call had ended. Coy Behind The Smile sighed, Something happened over at our employers side, and the assassination was brought forward. The exact situation is unknown. The hidden contacts arranged by the commander in Seven Lights could not contact Cillin either. Judging from their habits, if he still hasnt shown up during tomorrows last-16 match, then logically speaking, he will never show up again. If he does show up, it would mean the disappearance of the Black Thorn killer organization from the killer leaderboard forever. Yeah but just how likely is that latter situation? Coy Behind The Smile didnt say anything. When Cillin arrived at the edge of the forest zone between the commercial trade zone and the entertainment zones Sleepless City, he retracted his hoverboard and stored it and his jacket into the ring. He ran into the lush forest. Deep inside the forest, there were three men dressed in black whispering about something. Beside them was Theresa, both hands and feet tied while laying on the ground. Her hair was a little disheveled, she had dust and grass stains all over her, but her eyes had not lost its spirit yet. She had only suffered some bruises, and everything else was still fine. The Black Thorn would not silence her yet until they found Cillin. Theresa also knew that it was better for her to act obedient right now. If these people found out that she was pulling any little tricks on them, they would kill her without hesitation. She did not expect that those people from the Douance Family would contact the Black Thorn, the killer organization who was almost on their last legs already. After their failed assassination on Cillin during their last mission and and consequent pressure and attacks from many sides at once, the Black Thorns remaining strength was no longer sufficient for them to float around the killer leaderboard any longer. However, the competitors within Aiflons family had lent them a helping hand when they were about to eliminated completely. Although she wasnt sure about the details, even Theresa could guess that this matter was definitely related to a deal between the Black Thorn and those few people from the Douance Family. Without their interference, the Black Thorn alone wouldve found it difficult to infiltrate onto Planet Seven Lights. Brown Thorn, hows it going? Someone said. Theresa lifted her eyes and looked. She couldnt see the persons face clearly in the night, and he was walking really quickly. But Theresa did not hear any walking sounds whatsoever. It was like watching a ghost drifting back and forth. Brown Thorn looked once at the obedient Theresa who was doing nothing at all before turning to his pals. Weve found him. But according to Eagle Thorn, he disappeared after he had descended from his hoverboard. Disappeared? We cant find him. We cant even detect his hoverboard. It was like he had never appeared. But Eagle Thorn most definitely saw him riding over to the forest on a hoverboard. Brown Thorn sounded very doubtful as well. Tiger Thorn, the person who had spoken up earlier, let out a ferocious smile, This young master has some abilities of his own. Otherwise, Gentle Thorn and the others would not have failed either. The Gentle Thorn Tiger Thorn had mentioned was the woman that had disguised herself as a nurse during the previous bio-station mission. What do we do now? Brown Thorn asked. Tell Eagle Thorn and the rest to keep their eyes open and not screw up when they least expect it. Otherwise, Gentle Thorns fate will be their final lesson. This is our last chance. At the end of his words, Tiger Thorns voice was already emanating with cold murder. Black Thorns leaders were watched too tightly by all sides, which was why they hadnt joined them on Planet Seven Lights. This operation was led by Tiger Thorn and supported by Brown Thorn. Although the school zone and residential zone had gone dark for quite some time now, this forest zone had just entered nighttime not too long ago (T/N: Remember, this places a planet). After running into the forest, Cillin did not hurry his way to seek out his target. Instead he slipped quietly between the trees looking for something. Cillin discovered what he was looking for at a lust, tall tree. There was a hollow in the tree trunk, and there were many little things that were flying back and forth beside it. They were a kind of flying ant that were different from termites. They were the primitive inhabitants of Planet Seven Lights. Its body were only a few millimeters long, and even the big ones did not grow over a centimeter. Its adult form gave it a pair of wings that was slightly longer than its body. Its wings would not fall off, and it also had a developed upper jaw. It disliked light and consumed just about anything. These insects were what Cillin was looking for. He sprayed an odorless solution into the hollow and its surroundings. The solution would form a thin crystalline film on the surface of the flying ants bodies. Then they would slowly change from solid to gas over time. These sublimed gas had no effect on the flying ants, but a human body was different. After a human body had inhaled the gas, they would exhale a different kind of gas that would cause these little fellows to become excited, just like how the human body inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide. Again, the person who breathed it in would not feel any discomfort whatsoever, but they would unknowingly become these little fellows target. Other than the flying ant nest he had found inside the tree hollow, Cillin seeked out a couple more nests and dealt with them the same way. This was the edge of the forest, and these little fellows would fly everywhere at night in search for food. Moreover, the night breeze spread the odor theyre carrying deeper into the forest. Night had just begun at the forest, and these little fellows had a long night of work ahead of them. Cillin had paid special attention to these flying ants when he was surveying the area on his first day arriving at Seven Lights. The forest was the best place to resolve grudges in secrecy and an easy place to lose satellite monitoring as well. There were many flying ants in the forest, and Cillin had researched them a long time ago. He had designed a few types of solutions according to their bio parameters. Not even Mo Heng knew that Cillin had assembled a drug synthesizer on his own. Otherwise he would have definitely run out to brag about it. This was because the demand for precision to assemble a drug synthesizer was higher than the norm. The assembly of a drug synthesizer normally took three or more people to complete. The fact was this was hardly the first solution Cillin had synthesized for his own use. He had made them during his leisure for emergencies, and he never fought a battle he did not prepare for. These synthesized drugs were all stored inside Genyas coiled leaf patterned ring. Cillin did not know how many people were hiding in this forest, but according to the information he obtained from Coy Behind The Smile, there was definitely more than 10 at least. These people were cruel and decisive, and most importantly they had hid themselves very well. Infrared scan would not find them, and without external support, Cillins predicament would become a lot more difficult. A single misstep would end his life. However, most of the time, those that could help us were not necessarily human. Cillin watched the little fellows flying far, far away before darting into the forest. The hunt has begun. Chapter 64: Who’s The Trapped Beast Chapter 64: Whos The Trapped Beast The drugs wouldnt take effect this quickly; the forest was really big after all. It was entirely possible that many of these flying ants wouldnt run into those people at all. However, if even one flying ant had managed to reach them, then a chain reaction would be triggered. Without backup, Cillins preliminary work must suffice in order to seize victory in this hunt. Along the way, whenever he ran into a flying ants nest, he would spray the solution so that the insects would carry the crystallized drugs into the deeper parts of the forest, enlarging his chances of success. Cillin was not in a hurry. Black Thorn hadnt told him to do anything specific within the hour, so he spent it doing preparatory work patiently instead. Cillin had not spent more than fifty minutes from the moment he received the message to the point he slipped into the woods. His travelling speed was at least twice as fast as Seven Lights direct train. The spot marked on the map was deep inside the forest. It was impossible to reach that location in ten minutes, and that was obviously not his opponents objective either. The reason they told Cillin an hour was just to prevent him from calling in reinforcements. They would not pay heed to Theresa as long as Cillin showed up in their radar within the hour. After all, Cillin was the one theyre gunning for. They left him no means of communication. They did not show up to explain things, negotiate, or follow up on the communication even though they obviously knew of Cillins arrival at the forest. They had only one objective, and that was to kill Cillin. Every other place in Seven Lights was tightly watched by the police. This was the only and best place to resolve their conflict. Time passed by slowly, but Eagle Thorn found no traces of Cillin anywhere at all. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Seeing nothing amiss in his surroundings, Eagle Thorn got ready to contact his other companions. However, when he lifted his arm he realized that there were a few flying ants on it. He shook his arm slightly to shake them off, but this was just the beginning. The flying ants flew towards him one after another. His elbow, his pants, his back, his mask; the flying ants were starting to drop all over himself. Because this operation was carried out too hastily, they knew nothing about this particular forest. Eagle Thorn thought that he might have accidentally ran into a flying ant nest and retreated a few dozen meters towards the back. But the situation did not improve, and there were more and more flying ants landing on his mask, severely disrupting his vision. He was just about to wipe them off when suddenly, warning bells began to ring at the back of his head. This was an instinct that was bred through many years of experience. Eagle Thorn swiftly leaped away from his original spot and made a few dodging movements along the way. However, the angle of the needles flying towards him was so tricky, so swift, and not even travelling in a straight line that, even though he managed to avoid the first few needles, one of them still managed to cut through his skin and left two holes in his camouflage suit. It was a three prong needle with three sharp points. However, when the needles pierced into the trees or slammed into rocks, they shattered before slowing melting into nothingness. While Eagle Thorn was moving swiftly, he took out some meds and sprayed them on his wound. The meds quickly formed a film that sealed the wound and kept the smell of blood from spreading. It also controlled the wound within the area, so even if the needles were poisoned, the poison would not spread too quickly. Eagle Thorns reactions could only be described as swift. His movements were skillful and he made almost no noise as well. After dodging nimbly a few times, he hid behind a big tree and kept watch of any surrounding movements. He still hadnt found his enemy! Eagle Thorn did not dare act carelessly. These days people preferred guns over other weaponry, and even the Black Thorn preferred to use guns to take care of their targets. However, Eagle Thorn also knew that anyone who could use archaic hidden weapon like this was not easy pickings either. In fact, Eagle Thorn felt that Cillin was more of a killer than they were; stealthy, calm, hiding at an even darker place while watching them. However, Eagle Thorn only paid attention to Cillin and ignored the flying ants that were landing on him one after another. His wound was sealed with the medicine alright, but the two holes in his camouflage suit gave way to convenience for the flying ants. Eagle Thorn himself was slowly starting to feel that something was wrong. The itch and pain brought by the biting ants were starting to spread throughout his entire body. One after another, the flying ants began landing on Eagle Thorn in search of entry points such as his shoes, pants, the needle holes etc and slipped inside them. To prevent himself from being sneaked upon once more, Eagle Thorn endured the discomforting mix of pain and itch, forcing himself to calm down and ignore these sensations. However, it only grew more and more out of control. Eagle Thorn hoped that Cillin could act quicker so that hed have a chance to move and get rid of these flying ants, but since the first attack, there hadnt been any movement at all from Cillin. It was as if he was a Hunter quietly watching his prey struggling to escape its predicament. The flying ants toxin wasnt lethal, but it could irritate a persons nerves and cause them to feel restless. Right now Eagle Thorn was obviously edging towards that result. Eagle Thorn knew that his enemy was just waiting for that one fatal opening where he failed to endure the sensation and lose control, but this sensation of being bitten alive by thousands of flying ants was truly worse than death. An average person would have lost control a long time ago and rather kill themselves than withstand this torture. The inside of Eagle Thorns mask was completely drenched with sweat. The toxin was already starting to irritate his nerves, and he didnt know how much longer he could endure this. Making up his mind, Eagle Thorn gritted his teeth, sucked in a deep breath and abruptly zipped towards the far distance, running in an irregular pattern to make it harder for his enemy to lock him down. Lets get away and get rid of these ants inside my clothes first. Otherwise, if this continues, the one who loses this fight will definitely be me. A flying ant bit open the breathing hole of his mask and crawled inside it. It slipped into Eagle Thorns nostrils and caused his running footsteps to pause just a moment. It was also at this instant a needle pierced through his throat. The fresh blood caused the flying ants to grow even more excited because there was a smell that they liked inside the flowing blood. More and more flying ants landed on Eagle Thorn, covering the surface of his body in dense masses. Shortly after, Eagle Thorn stopped breathing. It was only after determining that Eagle Thorn had lost his life that Cillin had slipped out and arrived beside Eagle Thorn. Eagle Thorn was wearing a special camouflage suit that blocked infrared thermal imaging and automatically changes colors according to the environment. There was a silencer on Eagle Thorns hand that Cillin chose not to touch. The gun was modified before, and there was a mini self-destruct device installed inside it. Cillin had no intentions of keeping a bomb beside him. Cillin found yet another sonic gun from Eagle Thorns body, and after giving it a look he decided to keep it. This ones safe. Deep within the forest, Tiger Thorns expression was extremely dark and gloomy. This was because the dot representing Eagle Thorn on his biomonitor the size of a pocket watch in his hand had extinguished, indicating that Eagle Thorn had died. Eagle Thorns down! How is that possible! Brown Thorn ran over and glanced at the biomonitor in Tiger Thorns hands. Seeing the extinguished dot, Brown Thorn paused and said, Ill deal with the bastard. If even Eagle Thorn could die, then the rest of their men might not necessarily fare better against Cillin. He had no choice but to go out himself. Theres no need, Brown Thorn. Snake Thorn and I will be more than enough. A person beside Tiger Thorn stopped Brown Thorn and said. Tiger Thorn nodded to show his agreement. After the duo had left, Tiger Thorn saw yet another light spot vanishing from the biomonitor and twisted his head to look at Theresa on the floor. Chapter 65: Eerie Chapter 65: Eerie Beneath the dark sky, within a lush forest, resides murder. Yet another two hours passed by, and on the surface, the dense forest appeared to be as normal as ever. However, if someone were to walk in, then they would discover that the reality was something else. There were more and more excited flying ants, and Cillin no longer had to seek out their nests. They would naturally transmit this excitement to the others and trigger more of their kind to become active. Tiger Thorn sat beside Theresa and said nothing with his eyes glued onto the biomonitor in his hand. Brown Thorn grew a little worried now and came closer to check out the light spots on the biomonitor. A total of 13 people had come to Seven Lights for this operation, and including Brown Thorn and Tiger Thorn, there were originally 13 light spots on the biomonitor. However, six, no, seven of them had already been eliminated. Another light spot had disappeared while Brown Thorn was looking at the biomonitor. It definitely looks like were missing some critical info on our target. Tiger Thorn said while staring at the biomonitor, Why does a young master of Douance Family have such skills? Tiger Thorn pressed a sonic gun against Theresas head, You know, if I pull the trigger, then those intricate nerves inside your head would become chaotic, and you yourself will die a most horrible death. Theresa lifted her head and stared straight at Tiger Thorn, I am just a middle woman who communicates Aiflons will. I know nothing else. I know nothing about Cillin Douances past! Tiger Thorn knew that everything Theresa said was true, but this sense of unknown towards his target made him very uncomfortable. Usually, they would analyse their target before carrying out a mission to guarantee complete success, but everything was different ever since they accepted the mission to assassinate Cillin Douance. The losses caused by all sorts of unexpected or expected variables, the pressure that followed from all sides, and the vultures harboring dark designs watching them from the back had ultimately caused the Black Thorns current predicament. Its fake. Every intelligence they got on Cillin Douance at the time were fake. Aiflon had been preparing for this since decades ago, and all of the information provided by their employer were untrue! Right now, they even felt as if they had never understood this Douance Family young master at all! Black Thorn was about to disappear into the canals of history, and even if they were to rise once more, it wasnt something that could be done within a short amount of time. Those people in the Douance Family had promised them enough money to hide themselves safely from the many enemies chasing after them, and their condition was the killing of Cillin Douance. While Tiger Thorn was pondering, two more light spots vanished from the biomonitor. Brown Thorn seriously could not hold back any longer and looked towards Tiger Thorn, Im contacting Golden Thorn for a bit. Golden Thorn was the guy who stopped Brown Thorn earlier, and entered the forest together with Snake Thorn. Normally speaking, the commander would not easily contact their operation personnel unless it was an unusually urgent situation. This was because the receiving devices electromagnetic wave might expose their location, unless the operatives themselves felt that they were safe enough to contact the commander on their own accord. But Brown Thorn could no longer sit by when he saw the light spots vanishing one after another. Tiger Thorn did not say anything, meaning that he acquiesced in his decision. Brown Thorn took out his communicator. It was a communicator exclusive to their internal personnel. Its signal was set so that it covered only a specific range and hence would not be detected by the satellites or affect any signal receiving equipment in Seven Lights. However, they couldnt get a response from Golden Thorn. Contact Snake Thorn! Right now, Tiger Thorn was experiencing a terrible premonition. The enemys actions might be a lot faster than they thought. Their bio signature hadnt disappeared, but why? Unlike Golden Thorn, Snake Thorns communicator was connected very quickly. Whats going on? Brown Thorn asked urgently. Beware Snake Thorn only managed to say a word before his voice was gone completely. Tiger Thorn looked at the biomonitor on his hand. The light spot representing Snake Thorn was still there, and this proved that Snake Thorn hadnt died yet. But for some reason, he wasnt able to utter any sound at all. Just what was going on here?! Snake Thorn? Shake Thorn! Brown Thorn yelled twice, but he still didnt get a response from Snake Thorn. However, there was a faint blurb blurb sound that sounded like flowing liquid resounding from the communicator. Snake Thorn wanted very much to tell Tiger Thorn and Brown Thrown to beware of flying ants. His assassination skills might not compare to Golden Thorn, but his ability to analyse clues were better than either Golden Thorn, Eagle Thorn or anyone else in the team. He already noticed that something was wrong with the flying ants when he went into the woods, but in the end, he was too late. The three needles behind his neck prevented Snake Thorn from uttering any sound whatsoever. It was as if his nerves were completely cut off, and he could not move at all. The needle slowly melted into Snake Thorns body, and he felt as if every blood in his body was flowing the opposite direction out of his nostrils and mouth. Sensing the excitatory factor in his blood, the flying ants sprang towards him in droves. Snake Thorns face, twisted by pain could no longer be seen as the flying ants covered it completely. Brown Thorns end was eerily silent. Even Theresa on the ground felt a little frightened. A gust of wind passed by, accompanied by the rustling of tree leaves. It caused everyone to feel unusually chilly. The silence lasted for a little while longer before the clear, steady sounds of footsteps resounded from the communicator. Tiger Thorn snatched the communicator from Brown Thorns hand and said in a low voice, Cillin Douance, I know that youre there - Beep The communicator lost connection before Tiger Thorn could finish his sentence. Although she could not see the person on the other side of the communicator, Theresa felt that the Cillin now was so calm that he was almost detached completely from emotion. If Theresa was confident that she weighed at the very least something in Cillins heart before, then now she suspected that Cillin would actually shoot without hesitation if Tiger Thorn used her as a hostage. This was bad. Theyre being pushed around completely! Both Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorn thought at the same time that perhaps Cillin Douance wasnt here for Theresa at all. Perhaps Cillin Douances objective was the same as theirs, and that was to eliminate his enemies. Perhaps They were the only two people left out of the original thirteen now. Tiger Thorn grabbed Theresas long hair and dragged her to his side. Brown Thorn understood his meaning, got up and put his back against Tiger Thorns, watching the surroundings warily. The reason they kept Theresa alive was to use her as their final shield. From the information provided by those people from the Douance Family, Tiger Thorn knew that Aiflon valued Theresa greatly, so Cillin would probably take her consideration no matter what the circumstances. Probably. By now they already realized that this forest did them more harm than good. The tens of people before them had already been eliminated, and the chances that they might assassinate Cillin from concealment werent too high either. In this case, they might as well put their cards on the table. An hour later, under Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorns vigilance, the sound of footsteps gradually came closer to their position. Brown Thorn did not dare to act carelessly. This person had given him an all-too eerie impression, and he did not know if this clear footstep was a trap of some kind. After all, no one would dare expose themselves so openly when they knew that they might be sniped by the enemy. Chapter 66: Kill Chapter 66: Kill Tiger Thorn pressed his gun against Theresas head and watched the slowing approaching figure. Brown Thorns entire body was tensed in a high alert state. Cillin Douance. You truly are something alright. Even if you die, you can be comforted by the thought that you managed to push us, the Black Thorn, to such a state. Cillin did not react because of Tiger Thorns words. His footsteps were the same as ever. Tiger Thorn pushed his gun against Theresas head once more, indicating that he would blow this beautiful girls head apart if he came any closer. Although it was night time, Tiger Thorn could see the expression on Cillins face. This young kid looked too tranquil, too calm. He couldnt figure out what was behind his mask. Cillin came to a stop fifty meters away from the group of three. He looked at Theresa once, then at Brown Thorn and Tiger Thorn, You want to kill her? Perhaps it was because Cillins tone was too calm that Theresa felt a little scared. She really couldnt see through Cillin right now, or guess what he was going to do in the next moment. Perhaps it was because she herself didnt dare to guess further. Seeing Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorns silence, Cillin said as if he had just realized it, Oh, you want to use her to threaten me. Cillins tone made Tiger Thorn incredibly uncomfortable. He felt as if he was slapped in the face. Your father, Aiflon values her a lot. But youre still going to kill her anyway. If you cant do it, do you want me to help you? Cillin had just finished speaking, when he threw three needles right at Theresa being held right in front of Tiger Thorn. At the same time Cillin immediately jumped backwards, and a bullet hole was left at the spot he just left behind. When Cillin threw out the needles, Brown Thorn, who had been watching him all this time immediately shot him without any hesitation. But Cillins movements were incredibly swift. There were two bullets that practically brushed past him as he retreated towards the back. After a couple of dodges, he then hid himself back into the forest. Brown Thorn did not pursue him. If he followed Cillin inside, then his fate would definitely be no different from Snake Thorn and the others. Returning to Tiger Thorns side, Brown Thorn glanced at Theresa, thrown on the floor by Tiger Thorn and no longer breathing, traces of fresh blood still visible at the corner of her mouth. As if in disbelief, Brown Thorn checked Theresas pulse and heartbeat once more before frowning, That kid is pretty ruthless. Hes not the kind of people who would be moved by threats. Tiger Thorn stared at the spot where Cillin had vanished into the woods and said in a low tone, He does not feel like the young master of a rich family. He feels more like a different kind of person. A killer like us? No. A Hunter But no matter what kind of person he is, he must die! Previously, they had planned to lure Cillin to them with Theresa as bait, but they did not think that Cillin would kill Theresa immediately the moment he saw her. Now, they were the only three people left in this forest. Murder was a show being played in the middle of the thick forest. Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorn were afraid that Cillin would lure them into a trap, and so every time they would first observe their surroundings closely and confirm that there was no danger before continuing the pursuit. However, Cillin was too slippery. Every time they lifted their guns, Cillin would immediately escape as if he could sense the danger. Suddenly, warning bells rang loudly inside Tiger Thorns head as he abruptly exerted strength onto his feet, leaving behind a deep footprint on the ground before dodging rapidly to avoid the incoming attacks. Brown Thorn had dodged out of the way just like Tiger Thorn. Needles werent the only thing that was shot at them, there were also bullets. To Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorns surprise, these needles were actually almost as swift as bullets! At the same time, Tiger Thorn also noticed that these needles were different from the one used to kill Theresa! Tiger Thorns night vision was very good. He could see clearly that when those needles pierced into the trees or smashed against the rock, they would shatter, melt, and volatilize. Poison?! Tiger Thorn swiftly suspended his breathing and put on a poison filter on his respiratory mask. Seeing Tiger Thorns motions, Brown Thorn too got ready to install a poison filter in his own mask. After all the mask theyre wearing wasnt a specialised gas mask. This poison filter might be able to prevent poison, but it would affect their breathing to a certain degree. The average person might not be able to get used to it, but Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorn could withstand the discomfort for a very long time, though normally they would not put on a poison filter. However, just as Brown Thorn took out his poison filter and was about to install it, a bullet went right through his temple. Brown Thorn was hiding behind a rock, and this rock was enough to obstruct the enemys shots. He had already used it to block a couple of gunshots just now, and there were nearly ten needles that had smashed futilely against the rock. But he could never imagine that he would be killed by the enemy in this situation with a single shot. Curve shot?! The moment he saw this, Tiger Thorn instantly understood that the kid had done it on purpose. His previous shots were all in a straight line, but this particular shot was curved! Such a person would normally appear only inside a military academy. Why would such a person be in Seven Lights?! Tiger Thorn did not have the time to ponder those things. He was now alone, and he needed all of his energy to guard against the kid. Perhaps Tiger Thorn himself did not realize that he subconsciously no longer put killing Cillin as his first priority. Guarding against him, was. Strangely, Cillin did not move at all. He had turned quiet after that shot. Then, Tiger Thorn saw a scene that shocked him to the core. A huge swarm of flying ants flew towards his general direction and landed on the dead Brown Thorn. The parts that were bleeding were especially densely covered. This was definitely a mental shock for Tiger Thorn, and it was at this moment a dozen or so needles were shot at his direction. Tiger Thorn dodged out of the way, but in the next moment a shadow zipped swiftly towards him. Tiger Thorns speed wasnt slow either, as he lifted his gun and C Ka! The gun barrel was immediately twisted into a bunch of useless metal, and at the same time a needle stabbed right at Tiger Thorns heart. Before he died, Tiger Thorn suddenly realized that he had not sensed the slightest killing intent from the beginning to the end, even when he was opening fire at them. Moreover, Cillin was not wearing a camouflage suit either, and yet the infrared sensors detected nothing at all. Cillin Douance was a cold-blooded animal. Not only did he possess the coldness of a killer, he also possessed the blood of a cold-blooded animal. That was Tiger Thorns assessment of Cillin during his final moments. However, if Mo Heng learned that someone had evaluated Cillin this way, he would probably grab a knife and swing it at the evaluator. His disciple was not a cold-blooded animal! He wasnt cold either! It was only after checking the biomonitor on Tiger Thorns hand and ensuring that all of the dots on the display had disappeared that Cillin finally let out a relaxed breath. The half-life of the drug that caused the flying ants to grow excited was twelve hours. Once the time was up it would automatically break down, so there was no need to worry too much about it. In the future, the people who came into this forest would not discover this drug either. Cillin rejoiced at the fact that Black Thorns core members had been eliminated beforehand. Otherwise, if the people standing here today were the real elites of Black Thorn, then he would not be as fortunate. There was no doubt that the strength of an organization that could place itself at a certain position on the killer leaderboard was absolutely not to be trifled with. If he hadnt cheated and used those flying ants to his advantage, it would have been incredibly difficult for him to obtain a good outcome today. If the people who werent even the core members of Black Thorn had such strength already, then just how powerful those core members really were? And how powerful were those people who managed to kill the core members of Black Thorn? It might not necessarily be a single person or a couple of people who had taken out Black Thorns core members. It could be another organization, a familys hidden hand, or an army. Cillin would encounter these forces when he returned to the Sixth Squad in the future. Cillin loosened his shoulders. His arms were sore from tossing bullets and needles today. After he had cleaned up the traces of battle Cillin headed towards Theresas direction. If he delayed it any longer, then she would probably really lose her life. Chapter 67: Instant Kill Chapter 67: Instant Kill Speaking of which, the next day Knight got woken up by a tremendous need to pee and relieved it with a big dump at the same time(E/n: classy), he immediately felt his empty tummy and took a look at the cabinet in the kitchen. There was nothing but a few lonely bread lying inside it. Knight scratched his head. He remembered Cillin saying that he would buy some supplies during his walk last night. So why was it still empty? Cillin Knight raised his voice and shouted once. No one answered him. He went to Cillins bedroom and study. He found no one. He called his communicator. No one picked it up. Left without a choice, Knight used the satellite to locate and lock down Cillins communicator, but the signal indicated that it was inside Cillins bedroom. Cillin had put his communicator in the bedside cabinet. Knight checked the time. There were only three hours left until their next match. On the other side, when Theresa opened her eyes she saw a dark golden hue. There were also a string of numbers blinking on it. Beside the number was a logo in the shape of a sharp dagger. The Vanguards bill. The bill was given to Cillin by Shawton when he left the Sixth Squad. The ideology Shawton had instilled in Cillin was: Were Hunters. We cant work and bleed and sweat without pay, right? Plus, its not like people like Aiflon would mind about a little tip, so he should absolutely bill when he could and slaughter his clients without mercy. A Hunter should treat themselves kinder, and treat their employers harsher. This time it could be said that Cillin had taken care of a huge problem for Aiflon and even saved Theresas life, so there was absolutely no reason for him not to ask for more remuneration. And Cillin didnt go soft either; he had written eight figures on the bill directly. Suspended animation was not something that could be detected without using a rigorous life detector. The needles Cillin had shot at Theresa were to make her fall into a state of suspended animation. Only then he could save Theresa, and more importantly keep her from becoming his burden in battle; not to mention that Aiflon would definitely pay less if Theresa had actually died. After she woke up, Theresa did not express any opinion about the numbers on the bill. She simply stared at Cillin with a complicated look on her face. To be honest, when Cillin had walked out looking completely calm as if he was indifferent to everything around him, Theresa no longer counted on Cillin to put her life as a priority. During certain moments, Hunters were very similar to killers in that they were just as relentless, cold, and ruthless. Moreover, Theresa felt that her entire body was ice cold when Cillin had said to Tiger Thorn and Brown Thorn, Do you want me to help you?. She was in despair when she was pierced by the needles Cillin had tossed at her and lost consciousness. Theresa realized that she had been underestimating this man who was even younger than her all this time. Right now, Cillins eyes made her feel as if he knew about everything. And yet she could not be certain. After all, there were only five people who knew about that secret, and those five people would never reveal that secret unless it was the right moment. How much do you know? I only know this. Cillin pointed at the dazzling bill before Theresa, Do remember to pay me on time. Of course, if you guys are willing to pay me more as thanks, I will not turn it down. After putting the bill away, Theresa tried to stand up. However, she was still feeling a little dizzy and had no choice but to sit down once more. What happened exactly? Theresa asked. Cillin did not answer her question directly. Instead he said, You still need a bit of time to recover. I believe that you can contact someone to take you back home, in which case Ill be taking my leave. Wait. Theresa stopped Cillin just as he was about to turn around and leave, Are they all dead? Cillin nodded. Theresa took in a deep breath and calmed herself down a little, If theyre all dead, then Mr. Aiflons plans will advance quicker as well. In that case, you will have to get ready sooner. Knowing what Theresa meant by getting ready sooner, Cillin gave her an OK gesture before he slipped into the woods and disappeared. When Cillin returned to the accommodation, Knight was discussing countermeasures with Ci Jincheng and Lung on his communicator. Cillin! Did you walk all the way to another planet or something?! Knight rushed over and grabbed Cillins collar while roaring. However, his face relaxed a little when he saw the bags Cillin was lifting. It looked like his decision to buy food from the supermarket along the way home was the right choice. Cillin, if you were any later I was going to get some men to search for you. We need to nail down our bet an hour before the match starts. Lung urged him from the other side of the communicator. They said that, but Cillin knew that Lung, Ci JIncheng and Knight truly cared for him. He gave them a smile and said, For our next match, lets bet on one hit kill. When Lung heard this, both his eyes turned bright. Their opponents this time was last terms champion the Visby brothers. The odds must be shockingly massive. Knight rubbed his chin, Thats pretty difficult. Enough already, your grin is about to stretch all the way to your ears. On the communicator display, Ci Jincheng wore a disdainful expression. Oh, right. Cillin, do you want to take the first place in the double combat tournament? Knight looked towards Cillin. Nope. But if you want to, then why not. Haha, great, youre a true brother! I feel better now that youve said that. The reason I participated in the double combat tournament was to take revenge for a friend and teach the Visby brothers a lesson. I dont want to fight anymore after we take them down. He had already disobeyed his fathers will when he participated in this contest. If he continued any further there was no telling if his father would give him a good beating. To borrow his fathers words, the Thunderstorm Fist was not a plaything! Its purpose was to live in the battlefield, and not in this kind of childish, boastful game done purely for the sake of attracting new students! The students who were treated as secret weapons by the military academies would not participate in this contest. This was because they were busy with their missions, and could be considered proper soldiers already. They were completely uninterested in these little games between students, and even if they did participate, they would not fight seriously. In their opinion, the drawbacks of exposing their true strength completely to the public were greater in their opinion. Thats fine. Thats the best really. Cillin needed to prepare for the aftermath, and if he ended this sooner, he might even be able to save some time for something else. Sigh, I wonder how much resentment those people gunning after Shadow X will feel. Lung faked a sad face on the other side of the communicator. Lung, remember to place another bet. There might be a new record at the end of this. Ci Jincheng said. Because he came back earlier than expected, Cillin deleted the messages and traces he left inside the answering machine, replenished a short nap and logged onto the Sector Championship platform with Knight. Knight and the other did not ask about Cillins business last night. Even if Cillin hadnt told them, they could guess more or less themselves. The match versus the Visby brother went just as Ci JIncheng had predicted earlier. They had broken the last-16s combat tournament record. The match was incredibly short; it was even shorter than the previous match against Liu Yeuwu and One Smile Kill. It was an instant kill. The moment the system had displayed Match Begin, Cillin and Knight immediately charged towards their opponents. Because they had acted too swiftly, the Visby brothers couldnt dodge out of the way in time and had no choice but to bite the bullet and block. The rampaging electricity generated from Knights fists immediately cause one person to lose all fighting capability, and the other person going up against Cillin did not feel too well either. He felt as if he had run into a mech and lost all fighting capability instantly as well. While the system displayed the sentence Team Knight and Shadow X is victorious, it also notified everyone that this match had set a new record with an eye-catching light dot. The students in front of their microcomputers turned silent for a moment before boiling up completely. Instant kill, they actually pulled off an instant kill! But their excitement didnt last long before a message crashed down on them like an iceberg. Shadow X and Knight had forfeited the double combat tournament. There were many people who joined only because of Shadow X, and without him they immediately lose half their interest in the tournament. Half an hour later, Comos, Feng Haicao, Boer, Faradin, Ryan, Bonn and many other teams withdrew themselves from the double combat tournament. Thus, there really was nothing to look forward in the double combat tournament any longer. Their boiling blood freezing in their veins, the students and the entire Sector Championship forum page exuded with thick, unending resentment. Cillin and co did not pay heed to the students reactions. After Cillin and Knight had announced their withdrawal, Knight received a message from Comos in his Sector Championship platform mailbox. As for Cillins mailbox there were plenty of messages, but in general Cillin would not read them at all. Cillin, Comos and his pals want to fight us in the final integrated warfare contest. Knight was a lot more interested in integrated warfare, because it involved actual combat. Only the academies that were placed top ten in the leaderboard were allowed to participate in the live combat competition. However, with Seven Lights foundation entering top ten was no problem at all. Sure, I look forward to it. Cillin didnt turn him down. The integrated warfare contest was also a great opportunity for him. Chapter 68: Integrated Warfare Candidates Chapter 68: Integrated Warfare Candidates Yet another week had passed after the small scale contest had ended. The large-scale team contests such as dogfights, multi-person shootout, mech battles and more also ended in succession, and according to the ranking and accumulated points of each contest, the top ten academies were allowed to participate in the integrated warfare contest. Seven Lights was again placed fifth this term, but the higher-ups of Seven Lights were already very satisfied with this result. After all, it was no easy task to conquer a title, and even less so to defend one. However, the final ranking wasnt set yet. The points for integrated warfare dominated 30% of the total score. There were plenty of academies who put on a wonderful comeback during the final integrated warfare contest. The electronic magazine Gathering of Titans had reported some of the highlights of the contest in a special column. Unlike last year, the report that took up the most space this year wasnt any large scale contest or the champion or runner-up of a certain final. It was a fellow with the appearance of a generic robot C Shadow X. Shadow Xs appearance had set off a ten thousand follower typhoon on first day on the Sector Championship platform, and after that, all sorts of abnormal events began to happen one after another. It was exactly because of his appearance that particular seeded students of military academies who had never showed up in the Sector Championship participated because of his participation, and withdrew because of his withdrawal from a tournament. The spotlight was all on Shadow X. An authoritative critic on Gathering of Titans had appraised Shadow X to be in no way inferior to the military academies superstars among honor students. Some people said that this critic had exaggerated things. No matter how exceptional he was, a Sector B university student could never exceed the honor students of Sector C, couldnt he? There were also people agreed with him, but ultimately, there were even more people who adopted the wait and see attitude. After all, the live combat in integrated warfare was the contest that most tested a students ability. They would know immediately after this contest if he was gold, or scrap. The most important thing was that Shadow Xs true identity would be exposed during the integrated warfare contest. The students of countless higher institutes of learning counted down each day and looked forward to the expos. For each academy, the total number of people chosen to participate in the integrated warfare contest for each academy was ten, and the person in charge to make the picks would be the chief of the training division. However, Huo Neil had gone to Sector C to make his report due to the previous bio station operation, so this time the task was taken over by Gerrard. Gerrard would choose the suitable candidates and report them to the higher ups of Seven Lights. At the same time, the list would also be announced on the Seven Lights forum so as to notify all Seven Lights students. If there were no major issues, then the higher ups would confirm the final name list. The students who wished to participate in the integrated warfare contest would report their own Sector Championship platform ID and record to Gerrard for evaluation. Normally speaking, the better the record, the higher the chances to be selected. Everyone wants in on the integrated warfare contest, and anyone who believed themselves capable had all reported their information to the upper level. If they could have the experience in integrated warfare put down in their graduation info, then they would be in a much higher demand after they graduate. They would be able to shout with a straight back at the top of their lungs: See, Ive participated in the Sector Championship before! Gerrard laid lazily inside the office and watched the many names and combat record descriptions on the screen. The number of registrees alone was close to a thousand, and some Gerrard had kicked right out of the pool at first glance. He only needed to sweep through the combat footage to know who was a paper tiger, and who was the real thing. There were only ten openings, but three of them had already been set from the beginning. The selection had been decided by the higher ups a long time ago. That being said, these three default candidates were truly capable, so Gerrard had no objections to the selection. These default candidates were Fu Luo, Kang Man and Ci Jincheng. Fu Luo was the precious granddaughter of the vice headmaster, An Ding. She was a top student in the School of Medicine, and medical staffs were absolutely necessary in integrated warfare. That was why Gerrard really had no objections towards Fu Luo whatsoever. Kang Man was a specially recruited student and a research division IT developer. He had published his findings on an electronic magazine with quite the contribution points since a young age, and he also had a lot of understanding in regards to site-specific teleportation and decoding. He was a technical staff and also absolutely necessary. As for Ci Jincheng, even if he did not know what outstanding achievements Ci Jincheng had, Gerrard would have to think through the matter seriously before voicing an objection. The public might only know about some superficial information about the Ci Family, but Gerrard did hear to a certain extent about the Ci Family. However, those information were all highly classified, and no one dared utter a word about them. While propping his chin, Gerrard swiped his finger across the button again and again and he flipped through the various student information displayed on the screen. Suddenly, his hands started, and he stood up and pushed his face right in front of the monitor. That little punk! Gerrard couldnt help but swear with a laugh. There were two pictures on the screen. One was Cillin, and the other one was the generic robot Shadow X. The introduction of his combat record was below the pictures. Gerrard dragged Cillin into the list without even looking at the report. After the last bio station mission, every man and woman in the training and police division were full of praise for this less than twenty years old young fellow. Be it his individual prowess or technical application, Cillins performance far exceeded the average student. The next person after Cillin was Knight. Just the same, the moment Gerrard saw Knights face, he had dragged him right into the name list as well. This guy was supposed to be a good seed that shouldve entered a military academy. He was the son of a general and his prowess was indisputable. There was nothing to be criticised about. Plus, even if Gerrard had skipped over him, as long as Knight expressed his wish to participate in the integrated warfare contest, Seven Lights higher ups would still add him into the mix. He flipped through yet a few people and picked out Pride, Sird and Hard. Now he had eight candidates already. Two more Gerrard rubbed his tired eyes, and just as he was getting ready to squeeze two droplets of eyedrops into his eyes, his communicator rang. Gerrard glanced at the name displayed on the panel and curled his lips. Here we go. Heres most likely another person looking to pull some strings and open some backdoors. Gerrards guess was spot on. The headmaster of Seven Lights himself had called him personally. Someone did knock on the headmasters door and requested him to negotiate directly with Gerrard, and this person was none other than young master Lung of the So Poor All That is Left is Money family. At first, young master Lung really didnt plan to participate in this integrated warfare contest. It wasnt like he could earn money by participating, and he didnt care anything for glory or whatever. However, all three of his housemates had participated in the contest, and he felt uncomfortable being the only one left out. So while still on his slippers he went straight to your great headmasters home and blocked the front door. Gerrard wasnt familiar with the Andrea Family, and the publics impression of them was that theyre the So Poor All That is Left is Money family and nothing else. But this wasnt the whole truth. Even if he wasnt familiar with the Andrea Family, Gerrard knew a little something about them. The Andrea Family was very much familiar with many of the big bosses within the military, and many of the militarys weapons were supplied by them as well. The Andrea Family had never skimped on military funding. Based on this fact alone, Gerrard was not in a good position to object his selection. Besides, the headmasters here. If anything happens his headliness would be the one flying. For the last candidate, Gerrard chose Copley, the fifth place finalist of this terms single combat tournament. As for why he was only fifth need not be said. The people of the military academies were right there to prove the point. The reason he chose this person wasnt only because of this single combat tournament result, but also because of the man himself. Copley wasnt your generic human C he was a Hosenfaith. An average humans static field of view view was only slightly more than a hundred degrees, but a Hosenfaiths field of view was about two hundred and seventy degrees. Their eyes were slanted closer to the two sides of their head, granting them their natural advantage. A wide field of view and keen vision made them better adept in scouting. This is it! And that was the ten candidates. Three defaults, one backdoor, and six handpicked by Gerrard himself. This was the first batch of name list for the integrated warfare contest. After that, he picked a few more candidates for the reserves name list, and reported it to the higher-ups. Sigh. He wondered what the peoples reaction in Seven Lights would be when they saw Cillins ID. Chapter 69: It’s Time To End This Chapter 69: Its Time To End This Due to the integrated warfare contest, Ci Jincheng returned to Planet Seven Lights earlier than was originally planned. Inside the accommodation, Cillin, Knight and Ci Jincheng sat together inside the living room and observed last years integrated warfare contest. There were two locations where the integrated warfare was held. First, they would have to gather at the asteroid C-N976 supervised by the GAL Army at a junction between Sector B and Sector C. The representative team of each higher institute of learning would have to undergo an identity check there, receive their tools and so on. Then they would all depart towards their destination, another asteroid C-N300 which was supervised by the military at the same time. While the trio was watching the footage, the door opened, and Lung walked in with his iconic singlet, flowery pants and slippers. Hmph hmph, now I can participate in the integrated warfare contest just like you guys! Lung kicked his slippers to the shoe rack and walked barefooted into the living room. He grabbed an iced beer from the fridge and sat on a sofa just like Cillin and the rest. Seeing no reaction from the trio, Lung complained in dissatisfaction, Hey, arent you guys curious? Cillin and the rest turned towards Lung at the same time while wearing a curious about what look on their faces. Lungs mouth widened, I went to block our headmaster early in the morning so that he would open a backdoor for me! Cillin and the rest were speechless. He was the only one who could walk a backdoor with such righteous indignation. Although the list hadnt been finalized yet, there was no doubt that this group of four was absolutely set for the contest. On the next day, the preliminary list of the ten candidates to participate in the integrated warfare contest was announced on Seven Lights forum. After seeing the name and information listed on the announcement, there were strangers roaming around Cillin and cos accommodation at every moment, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shadow Xs actual figure. The name listed under Shadow Xs information display everyone was looking forward to was none other than the impressive Cillin Douance. Every students first reaction in Seven Lights after seeing this was C holy mother of balls, how could it possibly him?! When Allen realized it, he wanted to cry but failed to shed a tear. He finally understood that he was fooled by Cillin. Other than the fact that he was outwitted by a wordplay, Allen also bore a faint guess about a certain something from this revelation. His father was right after all; he should always believe his first instinct, or he would run around in circles without ever realizing that he was duped. Although the commotion caused by the name list announcement was huge, in truth there werent many people who objected to it at all. There were many people who suspected the validity of the information that Cillin was Shadow X, but when they thought about it, they found themselves warming up to the idea. After all, Cillin did participate in a military operation, went on a battlefield, killed black mice and was very close with Knight and several other people. Even if they wanted to object to his selection, they had to weigh their own capabilities first. Since there wasnt too much problem, the higher ups of Seven Lights quickly finalized the name list. The ten official candidates were: Fu Luo, Cillin, Knight, Sird, Hard, Lung, Pride, Ci Jincheng, Kang Man and Copley. What was worth mentioning was that six out of ten people were new students. Regardless whether or not they were specially recruited students, if they managed to obtain a good result in this integrated warfare contest, then Seven Lights would utilise this image to advertise themselves. The day before the integrated warfare contest, the quartet was tidying their stuff when Cillins communicator suddenly rang inside his room. Before long, Cillin came out. Im going out for a little. Lungs eyes narrowed, A date? Nope. Before he left, Cillin even stole a bag of Knights jerkies. Dammit, you better give me back twice the amount when you come back! Knight raised his voice and roared. Cillin waved his hands to indicate his acknowledgement. Watching Cillin departing on his hoverboard, Lung let out a cheap and perverted smile and said, Not a date? Like hell anyone will believe that. Lets have a guess: who do you think Cillin went out on a date with? Is that even a question? Of course its beauty Sa. They must be up to goodbye kiss. Knight opened the cabinet and counted how many bags of jerkies were left inside. He planned to take all of them with him during tomorrows departure. Thats not necessarily true. I heard that the research divisions Ling Long was a little interested in Cillin. While speaking, Lung even put Ling Longs picture on display intentionally for Knight and Ci Jincheng, Not bad, right? They are both the elites of the research division Lung hadnt finished saying when the accommodation doorbell rang. Who would come over at this time? Lung complained and reluctantly ended the conversation. He turned on the HUD and looked at the image of the person standing outside the door. When they saw the image on the HUD, Knight and Ci Jincheng turned their heads towards Lung. Lung raised both his hands and said, Alright, I never said anything. The visitor was none other than Ling Long. This was the first time Ling Long had visited their accommodation. After entering the house, Ling Long looked obviously disappointed when she did not see Cillin anywhere at first glance. Ci Jincheng checked the time and said, Cillin had left two minutes and twenty five seconds ago. Judging from the speed in which he rides his hoverboard, you are too late to catch up to him. Ling Long frowned and looked at the decoration inside the accommodation. She accepted a water from Lungs robot servant. When will Cillin come back? That we have no idea. Who knows whats he doing with Beauty Sa. Lung didnt know if Knight had said it on purpose or not, but he could obviously feel the surrounding air pressure taking a nose dive after Ling Long had heard his words. The trio pretended not to notice the crack sound and the hairline cracks forming on the poor cup in Ling Longs hands and busied themselves with whatever they were tidying in hand. Knight flipped a single singlet back and forth for countless times and actually managed to put on a rather busy look. An hour, two hours three hours passed by, but Cillin still hadnt come back. Cillin had left his communicator inside the accommodation and hence could not be contacted. While feeling the air pressure growing lower and lower around Ling Long, Knight shot a glance at Lung to come up with something asap. But Lung expressed wordlessly that he couldnt do anything about it either. However, after Ling Long received a message, the trio suddenly felt as if spring had bloomed indoors. A brilliant smile appeared on Ling Longs face as she got up and said, Cillin had gone to Professor Mo, and itll probably take a while before he comes back. Ill be taking my leave then. Goodbye. After Ling Long left, Ci Jincheng said with a pondering look, She looks somewhat familiar. Old Mo did summon Cillin to his side with a message. Since Cillin went directly to Mo Hengs staff dorm and not the research division, Ling Long had received the news later than expected. Mo Heng was a little unhappy with Cillin participating in the Sector Championship, so he ordered Cillin to assemble one more machine before he departed for the contest. If he passed, then he could compete in the integrated warfare contest. Otherwise, he would have to say obediently at the research division and assemble more machines. Mo Heng did not specifically request Cillin to assemble a particular machine. He allowed Cillin to design and choose his own parts. As the vice headmaster, Mo Heng had his own exclusive workshop in his own accommodation. Parts and equipment were the one thing he did not lack, and they were all high grade production as well. Cillin had exerted a lot of effort into building this particular machine, so he used more time than usual to assemble it. Cillin was very satisfied with the assembly of this machine. After it was completed, the examination results also satisfied Mo Heng a lot. There was no regression; it was still 99.97% overall accuracy. And so two clear fingerprint marks were left on Cillins face again. Cillin suspected that his face might regress back to baby fat stage if this continues. After leaving Mo Hengs accommodation, Cillin took a trip to the research division and tidied up the things in his workshop for a little. After he walked out of the research division, he ran into Theresa, and Theresa smiled at him and said, Congratulations on your fathers succession. It was only one sentence and not many words, but there was only too much information contained within this simple line. All was understood, and no words were necessary. The mission, had reached its end. Chapter 70: Arrival At Asteroid C-N976 Chapter 70: Arrival At Asteroid C-N976 The sky was still grey dark at the training division, but the place was already bustling with activity already. It had turned lively an hour earlier than the usual time. The students attending the military class had ran surprisingly early to the training divisions airport. They were all extending their necks and glancing at their surroundings. Gerrard did not restrain them either; it was something that happened every year and not necessarily a negative occurrence for these students. At the very least, it could incite them to work harder in the future. Before long, a passenger transport had flew over and descended at a parking spot at the airport. The first person to descend from the transport was a dean in Seven Lights. The dean were followed by Fu Luo, Pride, Knight, Cillin All ten candidates wore special uniforms. The main color of the uniforms was sky blue. Seven Lights integrated warfare uniforms were different every year, rotating between seven colors. Last years was green, so this years theme was the color after green, blue. The chest area of the uniform was imprinted with Seven Lights seven-colored school badge of the seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The back of their jackets had Seven Lights logo and the candidates name. Every one of their clothes were unique. This uniform represented a kind of honor, the honor to represent Seven Lights to compete in the Sector Championship integrated warfare contest. The moment they saw them, the surrounding students began to discuss among themselves. Which one is it? Which ones Shadow X? That guy with light grey hair next and next and next to Fu Luo! Hes Shadow X! He really doesnt look like it! The ten candidates did not care what the students were saying about them and followed the dean to the front. Cillin and co were still in a sleepy and groggy state. Last night, Lung, who was so excited that he could not sleep, had dragged the three of them together to play cards with him for the whole night. Although they won every cent of the dividends he got from selling the black mice claws in his pockets, but it was at the expense of their sleep time. Therefore all four men had come over in disgruntled moods and dark circles around their eyes. Yo. You guys went out to catch thieves last night or something? Gerrard watched the incoming group and set his eyes on Cillin and his friends. He immediately noticed the serious lack of sleep on their faces. We played cards for the whole night Cillin covered Lungs mouth before he could continue further. Only this idiot with a screw loose in his head would tell the truth with easy conscience in this situation. Did he not notice the green vein throbbing on the deans forehead? Knight and Ci Jincheng looked away from Lung in unison. Brother, just how thick could you get? The deans task was to deliver these ten candidates to Gerrard, and Gerrard would lead the team to asteroid C-N976. After the discussion, Gerrard then led the group up the starship. The starship had Seven Lights logo on it. There were medical staff and workmen inside. These people had been trained and handpicked for this journey. The majority of them were people from the training division and the police division. The ten candidates were arranged Individual lounges on the starship. Cillin and co had gone straight to their own lounges to catch some Zs after boarding the starship. The rest of the candidates were also bored and went back to their respective lounges to watch the footage of last years integrated warfare contest. For the next few days on the starship, Gerrard would talk to them about things to take note of and some past experiences, before answering some of the questions raised by the candidates. Teamwork was the most important factor to obtain a good result, which was why Gerrard allocated more time for the team to familiarise with each other so that accidents would not happen later. When Cillins group had arrived on asteroid C-N976, the people of the four military academies were there already. The teams of two Sector B institutes of higher learning had also arrived before them. Just like the students in Seven Lights, the thing these people were most concerned of was Shadow Xs identity. However, when they saw Cillin, they found that it was truly difficult to believe that he was Shadow X. From his appearance, Cillin truly did not look like the Shadow X in their hearts. He looked more like the young master of a rich family. The twelve floor building in the camp was built specifically for the participating students. The second floor was a restaurant, and everything above the second floor were accommodations. Every team had a floor to themselves, and prior to this, every institute drew lots to decide which floor they were staying in. Therefore the decision was finalized long ago as to which floor belonged to which institute, and even if there were opposing opinions, it wasnt anything to be disputed about. There was also a gym covering a wide area beside the student accommodation. They were both indoors and outdoor. The indoor gyms did need not be described; Cillin and everyone else were familiar with them. The outdoor gyms had a much larger variety. There were all sorts of vehicles such as hoverboards, flying cars, mechs, fighter aircrafts and much more. Moreover, they were of military grade and were of much better specs than the usual stuff. Many of the students who came here and felt bored could even fly a fighter aircraft and take a spin around the area. Regrettably, the scenery of this place could not be considered great. Mechanized buildings could be seen everywhere, and it was either that or large areas of battlefields. Forget about beautiful country scenes; it was only possible to meet a thousand blooming flowers in ones dream. Cillin, do you want to give it a try? While clinging to Cillins shoulders, Knight pointed to the fighter aircraft parked on the field. For some students, a fighter aircraft might be something fresh since it was usually something they could come into contact with only on virtual platforms. There werent many people who had flown a real fighter aircraft before. But Knight came into contact with one real early; his father had flown circles with him in his lap before he even knew how to walk. Though, of course, at the time Knight was put inside a safety compartment, or with his baby constitution, it wouldve been one hell of a ride. Sure. Cillin answered crisply. I want to fly too. How about the four of us have a match? Lung pointed at Ci Jincheng reading a book at the back and said. Great idea! Wanna go, Ci Jincheng? Knight looked at Ci Jincheng. Ci Jincheng closed his book, Of course. The four housemates shall go for a stroll! Pride lifted his chin and humphed. In his opinion, there was nothing here that was worth strolling. These aircrafts didnt even have homing missiles on them; they were put here purely for the sake of fooling the students. Only those who had neither seen nor flown a fighter aircraft before would be curious about them. Knights eyes zipped right over at Prides disdain-filled hmph, Guys who lost a dogfight have no right to humph others! Pride choked and turned beef red at Knights words. Oh, how he wished he could lock horns with Knight there and then. It was a fact that he had lost to Knight on the Sector Championship platform in a best of three dogfight. One must register first to use the fighter aircraft on the training field. Originally, Sird and the others wanted to join them as well, but since Knight said that they wanted a fight between the four of them, Sird decided to wait and see how they fly first. Although he had flown a fighter aircraft before, this was Sector C. It made Sird even more excited. Cillin and co all chose the same model. After registration, they climbed their respective fighter aircraft. Not far away, the people of the four military academies, be it in the training rooms or accommodations, all wore expectant smiles on their faces as they watched the four fighter aircraft flying up from the field. Comos leaned against the railing and looked towards the four fighter aircrafts rising to the sky and said, They will probably run into that, wont they? Feng Haicao flipped open the display device on his hand. The light screen that popped up showed the images of the four fighter aircrafts, But of course, the people at the upper level really likes to tease their students, you know. Even Knight probably wont realize it until its too late By then he wouldnt be able to contact the others anyway. Cant wait for it! Yue Lou yawned and moved closer to the screen. Chapter 71: Tricks Chapter 71: Tricks On the other side of the camp, the officers who brought the teams over, and the officers who were stationed at the camp gathered to chat with each other. The officer with the lowest military rank in this house was at least a lieutenant colonel. Because there was no one else around them, the normally serious-looking officers all appeared to be more relaxed now, and judging from their conversational tones, they all knew each other well. Gerrard, why are you the one bringing the team this time? Isnt Huo Neil the one who usually does this? someone asked. They all knew that the thing Gerrard hated the most was being a nanny, which was why Gerrard had chosen the police division and not the training division when he and Huo Neil were sent to Planet Seven Lights back then. Gerrard had nowhere near enough patience to baby those young masters and mistresses at the training division. Leading soldiers was one thing, but leading students was completely out of the question. If he was to apply what he learned from the army onto the students, they would have to shed a whole layer of skin in less than two days, assuming they even survive it. Moreover, the students in Seven Lights all had a certain level of background. Gerrard might not fear them, but he did not wish to go for wool and come home shorn, and he was lazy to deal with the twists and turns of politics either. It was exactly why the last few years integrated warfare contest were all led by Huo Neil. Huo Neils got business, so Im leading the team this time. But you dont look reluctant either. So it was an excuse, wasnt it? The speaker lifted his leg and kicked Gerrard on his seat while saying. The main reason is because our candidates this time were pretty good, and I even hand picked six of them myself. Gerrard felt like laughing the moment he thought of them in the team. He wondered if those punks would cause some sort of trouble. You got to pick six candidates yourself? I only got to pick four at our place; the remaining six were all cut and dried for someone already. another person complained. People like them usually talked with their fists, but Sector Bs rules were obviously more complicated. Sigh, lets not talk about those sickening topic. Its annoying enough being a nanny already and you people just had to talk about them. one person slapped the chairs armrest and said. The leaders of the four military academies and base officers grinned at their complaints; thank goodness they werent assigned to Sector B. Speaking of which, Gerrard, youll be coming back after another year, wont you? A base officer asked. Yeah! The moment the topic was brought up Gerrard grew incredibly excited. Everyone here had five years of away mission, and once the mission has ended, they would return to the army and have their military ranks would increased. Currently both Gerrard and Huo Neil were colonels, and their next step would be to rise as major generals. Heh, congratulations on your early freedom. We still have two years ahead of us. Dont forget to treat us then! While they were speaking, someone suddenly said, Yo, Gerrard, its one of your brats. Gerrard looked at the monitor the person was pointing and chuckled, Why is it them four again! The rest of them also looked towards the monitor. There was a list beside them that displayed the registration of the fighter aircraft in use. I knew that Knight wouldnt be able to restrain himself. someone laughed while speaking. Some of these people were soldiers under Knights father just like Gerrard, so they were familiar with Knight as well. This is the Shadow X they speak of. one person pointed at Cillin. The young master of the Andrea Family is in this as well? I heard that the old man (Lungs father) from the Andrea Family pissed off a few old generals so badly that they nearly spew blood not long ago. Everyone here knew about the trivial matters between the Andrea Familys old man and the few heads within the army. They argued against each other almost every day, but although the argument had gone on for nearly a hundred years, no one actually pulled any real punches because of it. But for whatever reason they just loved picking at each others faults and trigger a topic to be quarreled about. Some of the fundings in the army were bamboozled by the old generals from the Andrea old man, and anyone who could shakedown a person of the Andrea Family is a crafty old fox. As for Ci Jincheng, they very tacitly avoided discussing about him. They did not wish to dwell anymore than necessary when the surname Ci was involved. Should we toy with them a little? Bullshit, you gonna just sit by and leave this golden chance to waste? They literally delivered themselves to our doorsteps! Gerrard dragged his chair over and said, Do your worst. The four of them have quite the big heart. Roger~~ That officer was so excited he rolled up his sleeves, wriggled his fingers and chuckled evilly. Besides him, the few other people inside the room had also dragged their chairs closer to the screen and looked on with incredible interest in their eyes. Meanwhile, at this very moment, the quartet flying happily on the sky were still chatting very leisurely and had not entered into a competitive state from the very beginning. In fact, most of the time Cillin, Knight and Ci Jincheng were listening to Lung making a loud ruckus in their earphones. Holy shit, theres a sea! I cant believe theres a sea at this place! Eh~~ Cillin yall look quickly, the shape of that coral reef zone looks like the ass of a hot babe bending downwards! Cillin and others: Most people would describe it with a heart shape, wouldnt they?! Why does everything comes out weird from his mouth! Back at the monitor room, Gerrard facepalmed. He had a taste of this fellows idiocy a long time ago, so it could be said that he was somewhat prepared for it. Meanwhile the team leaders in the room looked at the base officers with a oh so thats your taste look on their faces, pissing off the base officers so much that they wished they could run right over and beat that fucker to a pulp. That coral reef zone was formed naturally, so what the hell did it have anything to do with them! It was only now they finally understood why the old generals were the way they were after getting pissed off at the old man from the Andrea Family. A drill was being conducted at the sea surface beneath them. The explosion beneath the water caused the sea water to be splashed sky high. Since this wasnt an official drill, no lockdown was carried out in this area. But most students flying a fighter aircraft would know to avoid them if they were passing through this area. Oh, are those caused by torpeeeeeeeeeee~dos? How spectacular! Truly an eye opener! Bullshit! Whats the act for? Have you really never seen a torpedo before? Your family built so many torpedoes they could blow up an entire Sector! The base officers inside the monitoring room were so pissed they couldnt wait to pull out their guns and charge out into the open. How could this bastard use that no big deal tone of his so naturally and say something as bullshit as truly an eye opener! Gerrard continued to facepalm. After a base officer opened communication and gave out a few orders, the warships on the sea began to open fire towards the sky. Although those people on the sea were firing at the sky, it was very obvious that they were just pushing them away. Cillin and co pulled their fighter aircrafts upwards towards higher altitude. However, when they rose about twenty thousand meters or so, Knight suddenly recalled something. Before he could speak, his communicator already let out static sounds that indicated that the signal was interrupted. That wasnt all. Something happened to the fighter aircrafts propulsion system and the engine had shut down on him. The current situation was that the fighter aircraft was headed straight for a nosedive! Motherfucker! Knight swore. Why had he forgotten about this! Those officers must be waiting full of expectation for them to embarrass themselves right now. All sorts of confusion and bewilderment, panic and helplessness, fear and despair; these were the thing those officers sitting in their monitoring room were looking forward to! Such similar incidents would happen during the selection of certain pilots in the army to test their adaptability. Knight had forgotten about this shit after his long stay at Sector B. This place was under the armys supervision, and thus their tricks would be army-style as well. But those three should be able to handle this, right? Chapter 72: Everyone’s Got A Trick Up Their Sleeves Chapter 72: Everyones Got A Trick Up Their Sleeves The on-board communicator was useless. Both the communication and positioning equipment they brought were unusable.There were no parachutes, and the emergency cockpit could not be accessed. Logically speaking, the pilot sitting inside the cockpit would not be feeling too well either. This was exactly what the officers wanted to see. In this almost completely desperate, isolated and helpless situation, the students inner self would normally be exposed more truthfully. The officers were looking forward to seeing the reaction of these four fellows, but contrary to their expectations, reality threw them a harsh slap across the face. Never mind about Knight. He most definitely had a certain level of understanding towards this type of situation, and the fact that he was able to face it calmly was not beyond their expectations. However, Ci Jincheng was even calmer than Knight. At the least, Knight had expressed more or less some worry for his fellow companions, but Ci Jincheng had no such worries at all. The instant the power went out Ci Jincheng coolly took out a book and began reading with great relish. Before he started reading, he did not forget to nod and smile politely once at the direction of the hidden camera. This caused the faces of the officers inside the monitoring room to fall. Downer. They looked at Lung. After the power system had gone down, young master Lung froze for two seconds before he began expressing his greatest disdain, To think that our grand army would buy such substandard goods. But, I remember that the armys resource allocation was pretty good, could it be that there are only defective goods left when the resources are passed down to this area? Or maybe Lung kept talking to himself incessantly and paid no attention to the falling fighter aircraft at all. In the end, he even came to an astounding conclusion C as he thought, the army stationed at the borders were all raised by their stepmothers!* *Meaning to say that the children of stepmothers are usually not loved. Although the quartets communicators could not be used due to interference, there were hidden cameras in the cockpit, and hence, the officers heard very clearly every word young master Lung was saying. The team leaders inside the monitoring room all looked sympathetically at the base officers. It wasnt that they agreed with Lung, but that they sympathized with them for being scorned upon by Lung. The base officers nearly spat blood from sheer anger. Our Sector is nothing like the primitive zones of the borders of the thirteen backwater Sectors, and even if this place is at the border, it is still the border of Sector B and Sector C. How the hell could it possibly be compared to those primitive borders?! Not to mention that their highly weaponized fighter aircrafts and other armed vehicles were not placed within the student camp, but somewhere else. It was completely beyond their imaginations that, not only did they fail to intimidate Lung, they were instead harshly scorned upon, and worse this was but the beginning of it. After Lung was finished slighting the army, and the fighter aircraft had descended until roughly ten thousand meters above ground, Lung suddenly took out a small square box and ejected it out of the fighter aircraft through a small exit. The small square box split into five smaller blocks outside the aircraft before sticking themselves onto the aircrafts wings, body and tail respectively. Lung held a palm-sized controller in his hand, and when he pressed a button on the controller, huge wings stretched out from the five smaller blocks. The fighter aircrafts descent speed slowed abruptly, and in the end, it almost drifted like a piece of thin paper floating in the sky. While using the controller in his hands, the block at the tail of Lungs aircraft began spitting out some white smoke. And so, the officers in the monitoring room watched Lung piloting the aircraft that, despite losing its power system, was floating about slowly, until a huge smiley face was drawn in the sky. Gerrard continued to facepalm. He seriously did not know what to say about this Andrea Family young master. As for Cillin, the moment the power went out, he swept a glance around the cockpit before he opened up a spot, took apart the remote controller inside, opened the control panel, and began entering a new decoding program on the control terminal which screen had winked into existence in order to reassume control. At the same time, the fingers of the person in the monitoring room in front a screen danced as he entered his own control program to stop Cillins decoding. Fifteen seconds later, the screen inside the monitoring room displayed the word Connection Terminated. This meant that the planes access rights had fallen completely into Cillins hands. The officer in front of the screen blushed bright red, unable to utter even a single word for a long while. He was actually taken out by an academy student, and in less than twenty seconds, no less! Gerrard slapped his shoulders, and said, Theres nothing to be ashamed of. His mentor is that old Mo, Mo Heng. Give him a small purpose knife and hell be able to take apart the entire aircraft into its base components, and reassemble it as good as new. Gerrards words might have been exaggerated a little, but there was no denying that Cillins ability had truly astounded them. After reacquiring access rights of the fighter aircraft, and reactivating the power system, Cillin piloted the plane and flew downwards. It didnt take long before Cillin saw Ci Jincheng and Knights aircrafts both regaining flight capabilities and their respective power systems returning to normality. The quartet looked for a parking spot and landed their aircrafts. Knight also explained to Cillin and the others about the trick that the army often used. Most of the time, the new students fighter aircrafts were tampered with, and could be remotely controlled. Sometimes the plane would break a wing, sometimes its power system would fail, sometimes its energy would suddenly fall to zero, and so on. It was all just a trick played by the officers on the students, although it was also how the officers reevaluate a students ability. Ceh, they just have to make everything oh-so-mysterious. My grandfather once said that one must not completely rely on someone else during a crisis. They must learn how to save themselves, and save up for a rainy day. While juggling with the little square box in his hands, Lung gave Cillin a huge thumbs-up, That being said, Cillin sure is impressive; snatching back access rights of the fighter aircraft just like that. Its like giving that mastermind a direct slap to the face. Awesome! When the quartet returned to the camp, the gazes of the surrounding students were obviously different from before. The news that they were played by the officers but remained safe and sound and dealt with the situation with ease had spread. Sird, Hard, and a few other people were impressed by the feat. If they had been the victims, they would have definitely made a fool out of themselves in front of those officers. Although they did not know how the quartet had actually dealt with the situation, it did not affect their opinions about them. The gazes of the military academy students were even more complicated. It wasnt just anyone who could cause their officers to flip out, and judging from their faces, no one but colonel Gerrard looked happy today. Sigh, I really wanna know how they did it. Yue Lou leaned against the railing and sighed. Ah, I cant wait. Feng Haicao clapped the display device close in his hand. The device could only display the flight status of the fighter aircraft, yet not the pilots reactions inside it. There were quite a few people whom Knight knew inside the military academies, such as the Second Military Academys Stantine. During dinnertime, Knight was called down by Stantine for a drinking game, and he wasnt gone for long before Cillin and the others communicators began to ring. Come down quickly, fuck, these shameless bastards are planning to use sheer numbers against me! The Second Military Academys accommodation was at the sixth floor, and Seven Lights accommodation was at the eighth. When Cillin and the others went downstairs, they saw Knight and ten other people from the Second Military Academy surrounding a table inside the common living room of an accommodation. Knight had one foot on the stool and an arm on his waist. His face was already red from drinking, and when he saw Cillin and the others walking towards him he let out a grunt of laughter, Say hello to my accommodations brothers. Today the four of us are gonna go all out against ya! Lets see who falls first! Fuck off and get a few more people over here already, otherwise youre gonna complain that we dropped you with mere numbers again Isnt there still a girl at your place? Stantine let out a cunning snicker. No need. The four of us are enough! When Knights stubborn temper flared up, no one could change his mind. Yeah, the four of us will do. Ill take four, and you guys split the remaining six among yourselves. Cillin walked beside the table and said. Bang! Before the Second Military Academy students could offer an opinion, Knight had already slammed a fist on the table and said, Ill take four, and the rest of you take the six! Lung patted Knights shoulders and said, Hey, theres no need to fight amongst ourselves. Well take three each and leave the last guy for Ci Jincheng. Ci Jincheng lifted his eyebrows but said nothing. How should we drink? Cillin asked. What nonsense are you spouting, of course were gonna down a whole bottle at a time! Dont tell me youre gonna drink sip by sip like a girl? Stantine yelled. Without a word Cillin took a bottle, and downed the whole thing in five seconds. Alright, youre the real Shadow X alright, Ive been wanting to fight against ya a long time ago. Stantine took up a bottle of his own and began pouring it down his throat. On that night, the Second Military Academys leading officer had an expression so dark he looked like a brooding storm. The ten of them actually lost the drinking game to their opponents four people! Knight really drank too much, and went down after taking out three people by himself. He was dragged back to his bed by Cillin. Lung also drank too much, but his drunk performance was different in that he became overly excited, yelling that hes gonna play cards and if he didnt get to play cards, hes gonna sing and if he didnt get to sing, hes gonna make a scene and refuse to leave. Cillin dragged Knight upstairs first before coming back to grab one of Lungs arms each with Ci Jincheng, forcefully dragging him back upstairs. That night, Lung sang love songs for the entire night. Thank goodness every room had excellent sound insulation, or the instructors might have just pumped a bullet down his throat. They had their fun. When the people of all ten institutes were gathered, the integrated warfare contest officially began. The Second Military Academy students rubbed their fists and wiped their palms. They lost in the drinking game and were called up by their officer to sober up at midnight. They must take revenge. Chapter 73: Assignment Chapter 73: Assignment The ten teams departed from asteroid C-N976 in unison and headed to their destination asteroid C-N300. These two asteroids were both situated at the edge of Sector C and supervised by the military. Every team was allocated a small starship and a hundred or so technical engineering type robots to assist with the management of the starship and other matters. However, the assistance was strictly limited to the journey to their destination, and once they arrived at the space station outside their target asteroid, the robots would all be put into sleep mode. They were not allowed to be brought into the planet as martial force for offensive purposes against the other teams. When they reached the space station outside the asteroid, all team members would switch to air transports that were prepared beforehand and head to the planets stronghold. When that happened, the ten competing team members would truly be left alone in that area. If any technical issues were to arise, they must be resolved by the team members of the respective team alone. Team members were not allowed to bring weapons, and would receive a uniform distribution from the base. If there were any special requests, they could make an application to the base. The applied items must be inspected and verified by the responsible person in charge of the base before they were allowed to be taken. No subspace containers were allowed to be carried, and all food, energy batteries and so on must be uniformly received from the base as well, hence ensuring basic uniformity among the ten teams equipment. the only way to differentiate the abilities of the students of each institute was by having everybody at the same starting line. Gerrard and the other team leaders were not allowed to accompany their team members, and could only be transported by air to a different location. Moreover, while the integrated warfare contest was ongoing, they could only stay at asteroid C-N300s space station. They were forbidden from interfering with the students actions. The students job was to gather ten energy blocks, and whoever turned in ten energy blocks the fastest would complete the mission first. There were a total of one hundred energy blocks in the area, and they were all buried in the ground beforehand. Only the person in charge of this contest would know the exact location of each energy blocks. Everyone else knew nothing about them. Although looking at the average, it might seem that every team could obtain ten energy blocks equally, in reality things were different. The aircraft parked above the stronghold consumed energy, and after they landed the security system installed on the aircraft, livelihood, electronics and other necessities all consumed energy. Normally speaking, the team members would need to gather a total of 12 to 13 energy blocks to smoothly complete the mission. Ten of them would be turned over for the mission, and the rest were used for energy consumption. In Seven Lights ten man team Knight was appointed team leader, and Cillin the assistant team leader. Knight might look like he couldnt give a rats ass about anyone normally, but when he had real responsibility put on his shoulders, he would become a lot more steadier. The ten teams of ten institutes all gathered at the port not far away from the base and departed towards asteroid C-N300. As the battlefield for every years integrated warfare contest, asteroid C-N300s mechanization wasnt too severe. It even had a sea, although it was not part of the integrated warfare contests battlefield. There were also garrisons and observation stations on the planet, and they were not within the integrated warfare contests combat zone. A majority of the combat zones on the planet used to hold the integrated warfare contest were jungles. There were also some large lakes. In order to ensure that the students would have enough food supply, some small mammals were also specifically raised in the jungle. There were also fish in the lake. Highly dangerous large fishes and animals did not exist in the integrated warfare contest combat zone, which was why the biggest threats of this contest were still the students of other institutes. Every student wore a special sensor suit on themselves. The guns distributed by the base were not of the usual lethal kind, but specially modified so that the student who was hit could judge from their sensor suits if they were dead. If they were judged dead, then this student would be already out of the contest, and at the same time, the military would come over to take them to the observation station on the planet. The student would no longer be able to participate in combat. For Cillin, this was nothing more but a game. It was a classic educational game with no life or death stakes involved. But for many of the non-military academy students, this was their first, and most significant battle. Every team had their own specific stronghold. During earlier integrated warfare contests, the participants had to seize a stronghold for themselves, but later on it had gradually developed to the point where strongholds were distributed right away. The surroundings of every stronghold always had a lake so as to take care the students water problems. After arriving smoothly at the space station of asteroid C-N300, the engineering robots all went into sleep mode and became completely immobilized. Cillin and the others had long since switched transports to the aircraft prepared beforehand and drove it to the surface. From now on, everything must be carried out by the students themselves. The first thing to do after landing wasnt to scan the surroundings of the stronghold to check if there were energy blocks around or where the closest energy blocks were. It was to conduct a good preparatory work. Scan the surrounding terrain and open the solar panel. Knight ordered succinctly. Although they were given maps beforehand, those maps were all from last year. There might be crustal movements or other special circumstances that altered the terrain. Moreover, they also had to consider the growth of the grasslands and forestries, and the distribution of small mammals. Scanning the surroundings and acquiring a real-time map facilitates the later operations. As for opening the solar panel, it was for the purpose of conserving energy and absorbing solar energy from the sun. This was to avoid using a hard won energy block due to lack of energy later. Map acquisition successful. Kang Mans fingers moved across the control panel and brought up the map. Analyse for strategic points and begin the assignments. Once the strategic points were analysed based on the terrain, it would be time to begin deploying Sentinel on the ground within a certain area, so that the alarm could be sounded in time when the enemy team members attacked. Besides that, they also had to place traps etc. and improvise based on their respective needs. At the same time, Ci Jincheng analysed the weather condition and made some predictions about the weather for the next five days so that itd facilitate future plannings and operations. On the night they arrived on C-N300, Knight decided against taking action and instead called for rest. This was because that rest would become a luxury, and they would have to stay tensed and alert when the battles began. Therefore, before either sides had started fighting, they would take the opportunity to get in a good rest. Lung ran to the lake to catch some fish. Judging from his appearance, he wasnt anxious in the least. He looked like he was on a trip. While eating dinner, Knight looked at Cillin and Lung and said, I heard that the two of you were marked. The team leaders of each team had told their own members that whoever manages to send Cillin or Lung out of the contest would be amply rewarded when they got back. These two fellows seriously pissed off the officers that day. I was born to be dazzling star, capturing everyones attention in the limelight. Lung did not have the slightest consciousness as a marked man at all. As long as you dont act like an idiot when the time comes. The people who needed to be heavily guarded against in every institute were explained a long time ago, so Knight refrained from nagging further. Fu Luo and Kang Man basically would not participate in any external confrontations, since Kang Man was pure technical personnel and Fu Luo was responsible for health care. They both belonged at the rear. After dinner, the rest of the team members rested while a member on rotation was left behind to guard the night. The person to keep vigil for the first night was Cillin. He had requested this himself. He had had his beauty sleep back on the starship when they came over after all. You gotta do something when youre on night watch, after all. Chapter 74: Marking Red Chapter 74: Marking Red What is this? Inside the control room, Knight stared blankly at the items on top of the table. Knight had climbed out of his bed a long time ago. The moment he entered the control room, he discovered that there were five fist-sized warheads on the table in front of Cillin. Knight dared wager that he had never seen the base handing out such warheads to them. This was because the rules of the integrated warfare contest forbad the distribution of air-to-ground weaponry. Sird, Hard and the others also woke up early, and when they saw the five items in the control room they too were pretty amazed. The five warheads had spiral patterns like a screws. Ci Jincheng stared at the five warheads as his eyes lit up, Is there something inside? Correct. Cilin nodded. Ci Jincheng walked over and examined the warheads closely. Then he said, Are they detectors? Cilliin gave Ci Jincheng a thumbs-up and explained, According to the plan, today Knight and Pride will pilot the plane and take us to San Border. Although the plane isnt equipped with assault weapons, it can carry them. These five warheads are all installed with detectors and jammers. We will fire these five warheads before Knight and Pride land the aircraft, and they will dig into the ground and transmit signals from underground, thereby cutting off the Sentinel defense network and scan for external changes Cillin explained the function of these five warheads to the group. According to the rules of the integrated warfare contest, the planes on the aircraft are not allowed to be installed with assault weapons. Normally speaking, they could only be used to transport people. In the past there were people who installed some portable weapons on the plane, but the effects were not as good as they hoped. It might be because that many students nowadays were used to high-tech battles that they gradually overlooked some of the primitive, and most basic way of combat. Overreliance on high-end technology and WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) were not really meaningful to a students growth. Therefore, large-scale weaponry were not allocated in the integrated warfare contest. All students basically had to lift their guns and mark red the enemy one by one. The meaning of Mark red was to shoot dead an enemy. If a students sensor suit judged that the level of damage sustained was enough to cause death, then the students clothes would turn red color to indicate that that student was already dead. The students who were marked red could only stay at the same spot and wait for the garrison troops to come and pick them up. The students who were marked red would be taken to the observation station. Although they were out of the battle already, they could still watch the battlefield from the displays of the observation station. The closest academy to their location was San Border College, also hailing from Sector B. San Border Colleges total score put them at eighth place of the integrated warfare contest last year, and it was also a rather famous academy at Sector B. Knight had made some minor changes to the battle plan based on the five warheads Cillin provided. If they succeeded, the time spent on this endeavour would be three times shorter; and the less time they use, the bigger the advantage they would gain. Some teams would go search for energy blocks first, but there were also some teams who would first take out the competitors close to them. As the saying goes, how could one tolerate others snoring at ones bedside? If they did not take out their competitor, then they would be met with bigger obstacles when they were searching for the energy blocks. When that happened, the time they would waste would not be just a day or two. Obviously, Knight had chosen the more forceful strategy of the two. In the past, the four military academies would also make such a decision. In general, every stronghold that was close to the four military academies would be marked red on the next day, so when San Borders participants learned that it was Seven Lights and not the four military academies that was nearby, they were so happy their mouths nearly got stuck. The difference in prowess between the four military academies and them was huge, but the overall prowess of every academy on Sector B was more or less the same. There was no such thing as an absolute advantage, so even if Seven Lights had produced two powerful nemeses Knight and Shadow X this year, San Border wasnt really too afraid of them. Its not like theyre military academies, so what the fuck was there to be afraid about? There were seven people who had taken the initiative to participate in this offensive. Fu Luo, Kang Man and Ci Jincheng were left at the stronghold, whereas the remaining seven had joined the fray. Every aircraft was equipped with two planes. Knight and Pride piloted one each, with Knight taking Cillin, Lung and Copley while Pride taking Sird and Hard. Although Pride usually looked at people with his nostrils, he would not be careless during a real operation. Were almost at their stronghold, any closer and we would be discovered by their Sentinel. Ok. This place is enough. Execute plan A. Knight said through the communicator. Understood. After receiving Knights notification, Pride turned the plane and headed towards another direction. After Prides plane had flown far away, Knights plane circled around the area to check in passing whether there were energy blocks around the area. Unfortunately, there were none. Ten minutes later. Times up. To avoid having their communications tapped by their opponents, Knight and Pride had agreed on a time. Once the time was up, both sides fired their warheads in unison. The trajectory of the warhead wasnt like the near straight line of other warheads. Instead, it flew in a flight pattern that was erratic and incredibly unpredictable. After the warheads were shot, Knight parked the plane nearby and disguised it in full before sneaking towards San Border with Cillin, Lung and Copley. It must be mentioned that Prides ability was pretty impressive. When Knight fired his warhead, Pride too had arrived at the expected location and fired his warhead. When San Borders air-raid siren indicated that there were fast-moving missiles in the air, their students still couldnt quite believe whats going on. Wasnt there no ground-to-air weaponry in the contest? If thats the case, then what were with these five objects? The air defense system did not detect any planes entering the alert zone either. Since the missiles were travelling very swiftly and in an unpredictable pattern, plus they never thought that Seven Lights would actually attack them, and from the air no less, they failed to intercept the missiles. The missiles werent aimed at their aircraft. More accurately speaking, these missiles had just barely entered the edge of their alert zone. After the missiles had impacted against the ground they did not explode. Instead they penetrated straight into the underground before everything turned peaceful once more. But this peace did not last very long before San Borders people realized that their Sentinel defense network was being hacked. Moreover, the speed at which it was hacked was incredibly quick! But of course that was the case. It would really be strange if the combined efforts of the two experts Ci Jincheng and Kang Man at Seven Lights stronghold had produced a slow hack. San Border Sentinel defense network lasted only thirty seconds before it was completely paralysed. Although San Border had guessed that the cause was the five warheads, they were unable to settle the matter immediately. After all, the five missiles had all penetrated into the ground. Inside Seven Lights aircraft, Ci Jincheng turned on his communicator, Hack successful. Marking red. San Borders Sentinel network was paralysed, by the sensors inside, the missiles could sense everything around them and display them on Ci Jinchengs screen. What Ci Jincheng needed to do now was to report these circumstances to the seven people carrying out the operation. He would need to explain in detail who had enemies around them and how many, how much danger was lurking in the area and so on. In the space station outside asteroid C-N300, the team leaders of the ten teams were watching the battle while seated. There were plenty of monitors, and every teams outdoor activities could be captured through satellite monitoring. Right at the center, there was a monitor that wasnt displaying these activities, but some blue and red dots. The monitor was still completely blue yesterday, but red dots were already filling it today. These red dots represented those who were marked red. Every dot was labeled with the students info so that the officers would know that which dot belonged to whom. From this monitor filled with dots, one could see that the military academy students were much stronger than the other students of Sector B. As usual, any academy that was close to a military academy would be marked red on the second day. No matter how much preparation theyd made, they would not last over the second day. The team leaders of the four military academies were numb to this situation already. Although the team leaders of the academies that were marked red had mentally prepared themselves, they still felt more or less unhappy on the inside. But the person who was even unhappier than them was the team leader of San Border. Anyone who saw his dark expression could see that the guy was roaring on the inside. Gerrard sat at a side and leisurely picked his teeth while he watched the students of San Border being marked red by Seven Lights. From time to time, he would even hum a martial tune, pissing off the San Border team leader by his side so much that he ground his teeth repeatedly. Chapter 75: Inferior Chapter 75: Inferior After the second days Mark Red battle, half of the ten teams were kicked out of the contest. In the first place, Seven Lights goal was only the fifth spot. Judging from the current situation, the four military academies would contest the top four, and all Seven Lights needed to do was to drift along and pass the time. The remaining energy blocks were enough that they could do whatever they wanted to. But Gerrard was slightly dissatisfied with this result. Perhaps those fellows would bring everyone a pleasant surprise? In fact, the five forces could be said to be rather docile during the few days after the Mark Red battle. They only searched their surroundings for energy blocks and did not attack the people of other teams. Seven Lights had already found seven energy blocks, but used one for daily consumption. That was to say that they needed to search another four or so energy blocks. After five teams were kicked out of the contest, the task to search for energy blocks became a lot easier. Lung sat against a tree and plucked at the leaves beside him in boredom. Not far away, Cillin was thinking with his eyes closed. Their patrol group of six was split into three teams: Lung and Cillin, Knight and Copley, and Sird and Hard. Meanwhile, Pride was responsible for piloting the plane between the three teams and the stronghold to transport supplies. If any energy blocks were discovered, Pride would transfer them to the stronghold to avoid them being intercepted by the military academy students. Up until yesterday, every team was able to find two energy blocks respectively. However, Knights team found yet another energy block way early in the morning today, resulting in Lung yelling about not wanting to lose to Knight and finding another energy block to match the score. This was the extent of Lungs interest in the integrated warfare contest. However, energy blocks gets harder and harder later on, and in the previous contests, the time spent on searching energy blocks could last up to ten days or so. Sometimes there wouldnt even be any findings for a day or two. In Cillins head, he had already marked down all of the locations of the energy blocks that were discovered. Some were Seven Lights, and some were their opponents. From these burial spot one could deduce how the mind of the person who buried these energy blocks acted, and predict where the next burial spot might be following this line of thought. Otherwise, it would waste too much time to continue searching blindly like this. This might be just a game, but it was Cillins final game in an institute. He might never experience such a thing again in the future. When he saw Cillin opening his eyes, Lung grew spirited, Youre done calculating? Cillin nodded, pointed at a direction, and walked there with Lung. But half a day later, the sensor still did not detect anything. There were no mountains in their surroundings, and the land was as flat as they could see. There was a lake before them. Could it be inside the lake? Lung pointed at the lake and said. Lung believed in Cillins calculation abilities, but the reason the sensor could not detect anything might be because that it was shielded in some way or inside the lake. The match officials could not have isolated the blocks energy reactions completely, or they might as well not bury it at all. Cracking his neck, Lung took off his jacket, took the sensor from Cillins hands and jumped into the lake. Before long, he appeared and said excitedly, There is a reaction, and two no less! Lung tossed the sensor to Cillin, You dont need to come down. I can handle this myself! Okay. Watch yourself. Cillin said as if to mean something. When he grabbed the sensor he made a secretive hand gesture. Got it! said Lung before diving back to the bottom of the lake. At the same time, there were two people not far away from Cillin and Lung. After interacting with each other through a series of hand gestures, one of them closed in on Cillin whereas the other went into the lake to seize the energy block while his companion was holding Cillin back. Before the person closing in on Cillin could even act, Cillin immediately turned around and fired a single shot. Then he swiftly left the lakeside and went into the forest in search of obstacles to hide behind. The opponents gun was probably equipped with a silencer, but Cillins wasnt. This gunshot was to warn Lung under the lake that someone was coming. Previously, he already noticed that there were people around them, which was why he made that gesture to tell Lung to be careful. Cillin did not assume a defensive state and instead closed in on his opponent using the forest as cover. Thud thud thud. The bullets slammed into a tree Cillin was passing by, but it did not hit Cillin at all. If the bullets could penetrate the tree trunks, it would have definitely hit Cillin. However, while the firearms distributed by the base shared nearly the same firing speed as real firearms, they could hardly kill a person, much less penetrate a tree trunk. This was the vulnerability Cillin exploited to close in forcefully towards his opponent. His opponent got a little anxious as well. He knew that Cillin was Shadow X, but he didnt think that Cillin would be able to close in on him so quickly. Moreover, Cillin basically dodged the second he was ready to open fire, almost as if he could predict his every move. Although he knew that Cillin was closing in on him, he was unable to stop him. Therefore he had no choice but to back off for now. While Cillin was closing in on the enemy, his hands werent resting either. Bullets flew at that person from tricky angles, although his opponent was an experienced person himself and was able to dodge bullets while backing into the forest. But right before his foot was about to step on the ground, the person came to a stop. While he was shooting, retreating and avoid the bullets, he had also forgotten about the trap beneath his feet! Although he had sensed it just now, a bullet slammed into his chest during this less than a seconds pause of time. Mark red! Now he understood that Cillins goal was to force him to the location where the trap was set! To think that he was marked red by Shadow X himself; he wondered how his teammates would look when they heard about it. In reality, Cillin did not count on these vine-made traps to trap a military academy student at all. He was only borrowing these traps to distract his opponents attention.Such traps might be good for catching rabbits, but as military academy students, there was no way they could trap their feet at all. It was exactly because of this mindset that he had neglected the extremely short but fatal pause these things could bring upon them during a critical moment. Since he was marked red, the guy laid on the ground straight away and gave Cillin a well done hand gesture. Cillin walked towards the person and took a glance, The Second Military Academys Ryan? Since a person who was marked red wasnt allowed to speak, Ryan could only nod his head helplessly. He wasnt able to meet Shadow X in the combat tournament, but he didnt think that he would be marked red by Shadow X in the integrated warfare contest. He supposed that this was what they call inferiority in skill. Im very sorry for disqualifying you from the contest. Also, Cillin pointed at the direction of the lake, That partner of yours has also been disqualified. What?! This time Ryan was so shocked that he accidentally spoke up in agitation. There was the sound of slithering rope as Lung lifted a fainted person in one hand, and the two energy blocks tied together in the other. Ryans face changed colors when he saw Lung holding his partner. His eyes looked conflicted. It would appear that the Second Military Academy was going to left behind just like before. If even Boen had been marked red, then the rest of their teammates wouldnt be able to hold out for long. Lung Andrea was much stronger than they had imagined. Cillin obviously recognized Boen. He read the name list and memorised the faces of everyone who participated in the integrated warfare contest. Lung tossed Boen directly at a side and smiled so widely that his eyes were slits, Now weve found four energy blocks, which is one more than Knights group. Lets see if he dares to show off to me again! No longer bothering with Ryan and Boen, Cillin and Lung left the place and sent an encrypted message to Pride to come and take the energy blocks. Sigh, if only we have some laxatives to use. Well dump them right into their lakes and wait until they shit themselves silly before catching them all in one go. Then we can snatch their energy blocks all for ourselves! Lung was a little tired of this energy block hunting game already. Lung. Hmm? Youre a goddam genius. Chapter 76: Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover Chapter 76: Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover What kind of effect do these things have? Lung pointed at the categorised variety of plants on the rock that were almost done drying and asked. Youll know when the time comes. Cillin dealt with the remaining plants in his hands before setting them aside. Cillin really hadnt thought about using this method at first, but the moment Lung mentioned laxatives, the idea immediately came to his mind. Lung had only ever seen researchers isolating a plants medicinal properties before creating more drugs basing off its functional chemical formula. But now that he saw Cillin doing the same thing, he thought that it was incredibly novel. His choice was the right one after all; it would definitely not be boring to pair up with Cillin. Hmm, there seems to be a huge business opportunity here Are these things really going to work? Its not that Lung didnt believe it, but because he felt that it was novel. There were many plants here that he did not recognise. He would pull whichever grass Cillin had him pull, and the treatment for each type of plant was different as well. For some flowers he needed to collect their pollens, and for some he needed to collect their nectar or petals. Although Lung had memorised all of these, he did not really understand how they could be used. Cillin pointed at the collected herbs and said, Do you know that before humans step into the age of machines, there were no drug synthesizers, no needles, no antibiotics, no analysers or any kind of mechatronics at all, but they were still able to create all kinds of drugs? Be it poison or tonics, they were all made using the primeval method, and through this method, we will be able to mix the drugs we need. This way we can poison their lake and make them shit? Lung narrowed his eyes as if he could see it in his mind the Fourth Military Academy shitting en masse already. No, its useless to dump poison into the lake; their drinking water would all be filtered and detoxified Dont mess with those herbs! Cillin threw a rock and struck Lungs hand fiddling with the herbs. Its just grass, plus didnt we touch them already back at the forest Aiya! Lung looked at his right hand. A red rash appeared on where he just touched the herbs, and it was both numb and itchy. But contrary to expectations, not only did he have not the slightest self-consciousness whatsoever, he even let out a silly smile as if he was taking credit for the act, Look, it really works! What the hells so funny about this! How much stupider can you get?! Cillin itched to send this idiot flying off with a kick. There was a bottle carved from stone at the side, and there were several kinds of herbs soaked inside it. If someone was to sniff it, they would even find the scent of nectar. Cillin poured out some and applied it to Lungs hand, and five minutes later, the red rashes gradually faded to leave behind only a faint mark. Ten minutes later, even the mark itself was gone. Lung began turning his right hand back and forth and examining it all over like it was a rare object. Then he used his left hand to touch the herbs again Eh? Cillin, why isnt there a reaction any longer? Lung lifted his left hand and saw not a single red rash. Cillin rolled his eyes at him, This is a type of allergenic drug. After the first allergic reaction, the body will produce the antibodies to fight it off, although the average person wouldnt be able to grow accustomed to it so quickly. It means that you have a pretty good constitution. Cillin sent a secret message to Knight using acoustic ciphers. They had defined each representation of the acoustic ciphers, so even if it was intercepted by the enemy team, they would not know the meaning behind the secret message. While Cillin was making drugs over this side and Knight was developing the next operation plan, Sird and Hard had run into the students of the Fourth Military Academy. Sird was marked red, and Hard managed to escape by luck. At the same time, in Seven Lights stronghold, Kang Man who was operating the Sentrys surveillance system suddenly discovered an intruder showing up in their alert zone. Moreover, this person had walked out leisurely and openly without any intention of hiding himself at all. Kang Man notified Ci Jincheng and Fu Luo. Both Ci Jincheng and Fu Luo were very familiar with the person on the screen. This guy Fu Luo did not express her opinion, but she did not tell Kang Man to activate Sentry and attack him either. Ignore him. Ci Jincheng said after glancing at the intruder once. But hes holding a gun. You wont see his gun if he really wants to attack; especially not this type of gun. Alright. Kang Man did not operate the Sentry, but he did not let down his guard either. He just thought that the man was very dangerous. However, exceeding Kang Mans imagination, after the man walked past the Sentinels alert zone and arrived at the aircraft within their stronghold, he began overtly knocking on the door. Open up, Im dead tired here! Kang Man looked at Ci Jincheng. When the others were out, Ci Jincheng was responsible for the duties inside the stronghold. Its fine, just open the door. Ci Jincheng said. Kang Man sighed once. Since Ci Jincheng had given the word and Fu Luo did not express her opinion on the matter either, it was not something he needed to bother with. He opened the hatch and let the person inside. Hey, sister-in-law Feng, long time no see! The guy greeted smilingly at Fu Luo when he came in and saw her, acting like he knew her for a very long time. Yue Lou, what did you come here for? Fu Luo raised an eyebrow at the sister-in-law Feng greeting before asking. Yue Lou shrugged his shoulders, Its too noisy over there. Theyre busy marking red the Second Military Academy, and since I have nothing to do I came over here to catch a nap. Nothing to do catch a nap Kang Man could only think of how ridiculous the situation was. While his teammates were busy fighting, this guy actually had the leisure to search for a quiet place to sleep?! But looking at Fu Luo and Ci Jinchengs expressions, it seemed like they were well accustomed to statements like this. If youre not going to help in a mark red fight, then why did you join the integrated warfare contest? Fu Luo asked. To watch a show, of course, not to mention that Im on vacation right now. I have nothing to do anyway, so I came over to play. Seeing Kang Man staring closely at the gun hes holding, Yue Lou smiled, flicked a finger, then broke the gun down to several parts before sending them falling neatly onto the round table nearby. Kang Mans eyes twitched. This guy was a dangerous person! Yue Lou yawned and asked, Is there any place I can sleep? Find one yourself. Ci Jincheng answered without even turning around. Can I go to the bedrooms? No. Yue Lou looked at his surroundings before dragging over a few chairs and joining them together. Then he laid on top of the chairs and broke into yet another yawn, Wake me up whenever theyre turning in the mission. Otherwise, dont wake me even if theyre all marked red. When he finished saying this, Yue Lou closed his eyes and slept right away without caring whether he got their permission or not. Kang Man was dumbfounded. This guy was seriously a weirdo. Ignore him. Just pretend that he doesnt exist. Ci Jincheng said to Kang Man. How could I possibly ignore such a dangerous man? Kang Man curled his lips and sat down in front of the monitor, resuming his previous work. Five minutes later, Kang Man could hold it in no longer and turned his head around to ask Ci Jincheng and Fu Luo, Just who is this guy? First Military Academys Grade Two student, 18 years old. Within the First Military Academy, he is hailed as a genius that appears only once in a millennium. At Grade One he was already the undisputed king of the shooting leaderboard, and it was also during the same grade in which he began carrying out missions for the army. After he graduates, at the minimum he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in GAL. Fu Luo introduced Yue Lou to Kang Man. An 18 years old GAL second lieutenant?! GALs military ranks were in no way easy to climb at all! To him, the guns used in the integrated warfare contest are not guns at all. Therefore, he probably hasnt fired a single bullet yet. While listening to Fu Luos explanation, Kang Man looked at the man snoring on top of the chairs. It really was as the saying goes: do not judge a book by its cover. Chapter 77: They’re Playing With Fire Chapter 77: Theyre Playing With Fire No way, Im not doing it! Pride said looking like he would rather be beaten to death than complying. He could even give up on flying and challenge those military academy students on foot, but that was the one thing he simply refused to do! Hes a jet fighter pilot, not an agricultural aircraft pilot! Knight had told Pride about the plan when he came over. After considering Cillins suggestion, Knight remade the operation plan so as to spray the drugs directly from air. Not only would it be highly efficient, the plans success rate would be higher as well. Since Sird was marked red, they only have six people left in the operation team now. The best way to marshal their forces was to have one person piloting the plane and the remaining five on the move. It would be too difficult if two people were to pilot the plane and four on the move otherwise. But Pride rejected it right away before he even finished listening to the plan. As if predicting this from the start, Knight did not react much to Prides outburst and simply said indifferently, Go join the mark red team then. Ill pilot the plane, its not like the results will be any different with or without you anyway. When Knight turned around and left he even muttered to himself, Ceh, fool cant even do something as simple as dusting*, its no wonder he cant beat me in a dogfight! *The full term would be crop dusting, meaning to spray pesticide/fertilizer from an agriculture plane, but this is different so I just use the word dusting. You you Im telling you, goading is not a tactic thatll work on me! Although he said that, Pride obviously looked like he was now ready to obey the plan in full. Knights mouth twitched. He seriously had no idea how the Zweig Family managed to raise such a weirdo. Ignoring the fiasco, after Knight had explained the plan to Pride he then sent an encrypted message to Ci Jincheng and Cillin. Hard was on his way to meet up with Cillin and Lung, and when that happened Cillin would tell him what to do then. If the game followed the same old routine, it would have been incredibly boring. So when Knight heard of Cillins suggestion he was very much in agreement. Perhaps this operation might even leave a mark in the history of the Sector Championships integrated warfare contest. After all, no one else had thought up such a despicable plan before, had they? After a few days of peace, the atmosphere between the four military academies began to tense up. Normally, this would be the time where they began to attack each other. The Prometheus Institute marked red by the First Military Academy, the Billy University marked red by the Second Military Academy, the Wanna Institute marked red by the Third Military Academy, the Kililak Institute marked red by the Fourth Military Academy, and the San Border College marked red by Seven Lights University were all present at the observation station of asteroid C-N300. Some of the military academy students who were marked red such as Ryan and Boen were there as well. When Sird was first brought to this place, he could not help but be overcome with emotion. Moreover, the people of other institutes were all looking at him with strange eyes. It wasnt the look of someone staring at a loser, but one that held both curiosity and fear of the unknown. Of course, absolutely no one from San Border showered him a friendly look. Seven Lights really was pretty extraordinary this year. No one could have imagined that Seven Lights would employ the same offensive tactic as the military academies, and the time they used to slaughter San Border was no longer than the rest of the four military academies as well. Many people were looking forward to Seven Lights playing the dark horse this year and stepping on a certain someone or someones heads among the four military academies. If they succeeded, then the myth of the undefeated military academies would become broken. When Ryan and Boen were brought to the observation station, many had stared at them C especially Boen C as if they had seen a ghost. Boen belonged under the special category among the students, and although the public had never seen him participating in the Sector Championship combat tournaments, it was publicly accepted that Boen was stronger than Ryan. There were plenty of displays in the observation station, and through the multi-angle view of satellite array, one would be able to observe the movements the participants who were not yet marked red. Every academy and every students focus of attention was different. Most of the attention was put on Shadow X and Lung because the instructor had declared them both VIPs, but now that they no longer had the chance to exact them the treatment they deserved, they could only wait to see who could mark red these two. It was exactly because of this sentiment that some people saw the scene between Boen and Lung. No one saw what happened beneath the lake; they only knew that Lung was carrying a fainted Boen when he floated out of the water, climbed upshore, dumped Boen at the bank and marked him red in one shot. At that moment, many people had shivered unconsciously, and that included several military officers as well. In fact Boen himself did not know what happened. After he dove into the lake and swam downward, he could clearly sense Lungs position. But before he could act, Lung suddenly changed directions and swam straight towards him. Boen had thought that that speed wasnt something a human could possess. At the time, he felt more like he was facing a sea monster. But before he could react, his eyes turned black and he fainted. When he woke up he was already at the observation station. It was exactly because Seven Lights was being paid much attention right now that the moment Sird was brought to the station, many people had chatted him up to acquire some inside info. But Sird did not have the heart to deal with them right now. Since he was marked red, Seven Lights operation team should have undergone some changes as well. Sird switched viewpoints and observed everyones actions. After cooperating with them for so many days, Sird had some understanding as to how everyone worked. Suddenly, Sirds hand paused and stopped hitting the switch key. He enlarged the image, and his eyes immediately narrowed when he saw what he was looking for. A device was planted on the plane Pride was piloting when he switched to Prides viewpoint, and Sird dared wager a gamble that it was definitely Cillins handiwork! What kind of insidious plan was Cillin up to again? Sird got ready to lock onto Prides viewpoint. He knew that if there was an operation, this thing Cillin had installed on the plane was definitely the trigger! It would definitely be the highlight of the operation! When some people saw Sird locking onto Pride, they adjusted their own viewpoints to do the same as well. Although they did not know what was going to happen on Prides side of things, but since Sird chose to lock onto him, there was no harm in doing the same. Sird was a Seven Lights after all, so there must be some kind of understanding between teammates. Yes, something was definitely going to happen. At the same time, the people who did not notice Sirds strange actions and were observing the rest of the students of Seven Lights began to cry out, Seven Lights is playing with fire this time! It looks like theyre going to execute an operation, and theyre gunning for the Fourth Military Academy no less! The direction of the Seven Lights students were headed was exactly the Fourth Military Academys stronghold. Theyre planning to go up against the Fourth Military Academy?! Isnt that too bold? Hearing these words, the rest of the students began to pay attention as well. Its just that more people still chose to pay attention to the First Military Academy, since the First Military Academy and the Second Military Academy were currently knee deep in combat. The battle between the two military academies was very entertaining, very intense, and very enjoyable, which was why they chose the First Military Academy over Seven Lights. It was also why they would be filled with regrets later on. The Third Military Academy attacked the Fourth Military Academys stronghold half a day ago. But since the Fourth Military Academys outbound personnel had returned quickly, and their defense work were pretty solid as well, when both sides were one member down the Third Military Academy retreated after seeing that their assault was a failure. Therefore, logically speaking, it was unwise to attack the Fourth Military Academys stronghold at this time because the Fourth Military Academys outbound personnel had almost all returned to the stronghold. The person who took out Sird had returned to the stronghold as well. An hour later. Holy shit, what the hell is this! The people who had pointed their viewpoints onto Pride roared. Chapter 78: All’s Fair In War Chapter 78: Alls Fair In War The exclamation attracted quite a lot of peoples attention. The person who saw the image couldnt help but sigh: Seven Lights truly was a persistent troublemaker! Prides piloting skills were pretty impressive. He might have lost two out of three rounds to Knight in a dogfight, and in terms of offense, Pride might be just a little weaker than Knight, but if he chose not to attack and went full on evasion instead then even Knight would find himself hardpressed to catch a flaw in his flight pattern. The Fourth Military Academy was very surprised by Seven Lights attack. Had Seven Lights gone crazy choosing this particular time to send all their members to assault their stronghold? However, Pride in his plane was the only one who showed up at the outskirts of the Sentinels alarm zone, and no one else from Seven Lights could be seen. That being said, since Pride was here, then the others could not be far behind as well. Hence, The Fourth Military Academy began to keep vigilant. Although Seven Lights wasnt from Sector C, they had a couple of people who were very tricky to deal with. Therefore, to avoid screwing up when they least expect it, the participants of the Fourth Military Academy still decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. The strange thing was that Pride was only flying around the outskirts. The Fourth Military Academys Sentinels offensive power couldnt be considered powerful at the perimeter, and they were lacking in ground-to-air firepower as well, thus allowing Pride to leisurely circle around the outskirts here and there. Ignore him. Just let him do whatever. The Fourth Military Academys captain said. In his mind, Pride wasnt someone who would pull a stunt like this just because he was too bored. There must be mastermind behind this, and Seven Lights was definitely cooking up some evil scheme. Therefore, his choice was to stay firm and see what would happen before reacting accordingly. After all, right now their opponent was just hovering around the outskirts. However, Prides leisurely flight about quickly took on a sinister change. The thick brown yellow smoke sprayed out from the plane began shifting along the breeze towards the Fourth Military Academys stronghold slowly. As Pride flew his plane at the downwind and sprayed back and forth, the brown yellow smoke grew thicker and thicker. No optic equipment could see through the smoke at all. Inside the observation station, what the students saw was a scene filled with brown yellow smoke. Are are they using smoke against us?! Thats not the point; the point is how on earth did they get this kind of smoke? The base didnt distribute anything like a smoke grenade at all! Inside the Fourth Military Academys aircraft, the student responsible for technical support did not tense up just because of the spread of the brown yellow smoke. Just their optic equipment wasnt working didnt mean they had no other alternatives. Smoke is an outdated tactic Before he could finish, he immediately realized that there was a missile alert. It was the same missile as the one Seven Lights used to slaughter San Border, but the Fourth Military Academy were pretty capable and managed to intercept two out of three missiles before they landed. Only one missile had successfully penetrated into the underground. The Fourth Military Academy had made the own relevant preparations to counter this tactic after learning how Seven Lights had taken out San Border. Therefore, the moment the missiles appeared they were able to adjust on time to intercept them, and although they did let one slip, they were able to swiftly activate the anti-intrusion program. However A Sentinel at the perimeter has been destroyed manually! There are people sneaking through the smoke area! Although Seven Lights intrusion hadnt worked until now, it did cause some problems in the Sentinel system that its reactions werent as swift as usual, hence giving the infiltrators an opportunity to sneak in. The moment they did, destroying the Sentinel that was disrupted by the hack became as easy as ABC. Seven Lights breakthrough point was exactly where the missile had successfully penetrated into the ground, since radar scans would not work in that area. Moreover, that area was also covered in brown yellow smoke. Seven Lights must have prepared for this part of the plan as well, and if the Fourth Military Academy would not gain the upper hand even if they sent someone over. At the same time, the smoke was slowly spreading towards their direction, giving Seven Lights the choice to raid them from behind the smokes cover if they wanted to. If they did not implement countermeasures in time, the moment Seven Lights broke through they would be in trouble. Captain, let me out there and Red those people! Im going too! Me too Wait a minute! The Fourth Military Academys student responsible for medical care frowned and said, Ive analysed the smokes components for a bit, but because the instrument were provided is missing certain functions, I cannot tell if theyre harmful to the human body even with the results of their compositions. From the analysis of the smokes components, it could be stated that most of its composition were made up of plants from this planet. They had all come into contact with these plants in the forest, and they were even briefed on the flora and fauna on this planet quite some time ago. There was no mention in the briefing about any plants that were particularly deadly, and the plants that were poisonous were mild enough that they would not cause too much damage. Still, the medic couldnt put away the feeling that something wasnt quite right. Although the results showed that every type of plant were harmless on its own, there was no telling if they would be deadly when mixed with each other. Due to the smokescreen, they did not know if the Seven Lights attackers were wearing gas masks. They did not have a machine with more well-rounded functionality to analyse the smoke in greater detail and determine its harmfulness either. Back in the camp, they were routinely issued each a set of protective suit that covered their entire body from head to toe, but for the longest time, there were very few integrated warfare contest participants who would actually wear them. This was because the protective suit would inhibit their movements slightly, and in a battle between masters this tiny bit of effect was fatal. This was why more often than not, the participants would choose not to wear a protective suit than the other way around. Just in case, two out of the four people who went out wore protective suits. The other two did not, but they did put on gas masks. It didnt take long for them to discover that something was amiss after the quartet had entered the smoke-filled area. Number one. No one from Seven Lights were wearing protective suits, which was why the two Fourth Military Academy students who were wearing them were taken out by Cillin and Knight respectively. Number two. The two Fourth Military Academy students who werent wearing protective suits found many red rashes appearing on their exposed skin. It was numb and itchy, and even though they were trained in this regard they still found it incredibly difficult to tolerate, not to mention that they had to watch out for attacks from their surroundings at the same time. They did not last too long before they were marked red as well. The duo who were marked red without a protective suit and laid as stiff as a corpse on the ground felt like weeping as they stared at the large sections of red rashes covering their bodies. Yo. You guys seem to be having a good time. Lung walked over with an infuriating smile. Youre all fucking contemptible, I cant believe you actually made such a thing. One of the person lying on the ground said. Alls fair in war. This is called skill, you understand? The duo obviously knew this; its just that they were experiencing some hard feelings and spoke up just for the heck of it. Lung stared at the duo and took out a bottle while wearing a oh poor thing this gentleman shall bestow upon you mercy look. He poured the liquid inside the bottle onto the rash covered spots, and when he saw the red rashes gradually fading into nothingness, he turned his back on the duo suavely while wearing a shit eating grin, I knew I have the potential to become a savior! The duo lying on the ground was seriously considering going against the rules and shoot this fucker red. Anyone can see that this thing isnt made by you young master Lung, so why the hell are you taking credit for it and showing off! The students at the observation station could not see whats inside the smoke. They only know that the four people who went in were marked red. Whats going on? The Fourth Military Academy got fucked this time. Seven Lights performance is truly astounding. I didnt think they would actually be able to take out a military academy team. Since Sird was marked red by a Fourth Military Academy student before, he was really happy with the current outcome. Now that the Fourth Military Academy was forced into such a state, at this rate they obviously could not hold out for long. Sird felt a surge of happiness to have his revenge for being marked red repaid in full, although it was regretful that he wasnt able to participate in this extremely meaningful mark red battle. At first, the Second Military Academy thought that they would sit at the bottom of the board for sure due to Ryan and Boens unexpected drop out. Their current massive decrease in strength was also why the First Military Academy had set their eyes on them. But contrary to expectations, they received yet another news that the Fourth Military Academy had been utterly annihilated even earlier than they were. This caused their originally heavy hearts to soar instantly like a balloon. Chapter 79: Assassination Chapter 79: Assassination After the Second and Fourth Military Academy were disqualified, the game was also almost at its end. The First Military Academy was the fastest to collect ten energy blocks, and surprisingly, Seven Lights was two hours ahead of the Third Military Academy to collect the energy blocks they needed and obtained second place, for the first time ever in Seven Lights history. The higher ups of Seven Lights were probably smiling so much that their mouth got stuck. Only god knows how many people would sharpen their heads* and try to squeeze their way into Seven Lights. *A metaphor describing that since a round head cant squeeze into narrow gap, you sharpen it into a pencil shape so that itll fit. At the space station, the military officers were seated inside the observation room. It was rather quiet in the observation room right now unlike the time at the camp. Every military officer except Gerrard were silent and appeared to be in deep thought. Gerrard was very happy. The kids certainly had not disappoint him! He had to thank Huo Neil for being too busy later, or this cushy task would not have fallen onto his shoulders instead. Although he had to admit that he was slightly reluctant when he took over the task, now looking at the current results, it was a cushy task. Gerrard, just what kind of pedigree does he have? The team leader of the First Military Academy pointed his chin at Cillin on the screen and asked. Hes from the Douance Family. Exactly how did he grow up to be like this, I have no idea. Gerrard expressed his own ignorance in the matter. That modified missile wasnt something any average engineer could do, plus Elder Mo probably didnt teach him to make that, did he? Although it was theoretically possible to use the materials that was provided to create such a thing, in reality none of the military officers had seen a student in the integrated warfare contest who was actually capable of doing it. Regarding that modified missile. The first time Seven Lights had used all five missiles to paint San Border red. The materials inside the aircraft were just sufficient to make five in total. After slaughtering San Border, Cillin had removed more applicable materials from San Borders aircraft to make the three modified missiles that were used to attack the Fourth Military Academys stronghold during the latter half of the contest. This I have no idea. Do you want to ask Sir Mo yourself? Gerrard made a helpless shrug. The First Military Academys team leader shook his head like he was having a stroke, Like hell Im gonna do that! Actually, we have the full right to absorb such a great talent into the army while it isnt too late. It is too wasteful to let him develop anywhere else. Another military officer sighed. Gerrard cast him a disdainful glance at the corner of his eyes, You think we havent tried that before? This kid performed outstandingly during the previous Seven Lights mission, and he even caught the eye of a lieutenant general who was sent over by the upper chain of command. Later on, said lieutenant general went to see Sir Mo to recruit Cillin, and he was cursed on the spot by Sir Mo so badly that he dared not utter even a mouse squeak. Even Huo Neil and I were dragged into the mess. For the next few days, we could not lift our heads up high, and we ran like hell every time we see Sir Mos car. Everyone else in the room shut up. They all knew more or less about Mo Hengs personality, and they could imagine the scene in their heads themselves. If even a lieutenant general was cursed at this badly, then there was no need for colonels like them to even bother trying. Following the end of the integrated warfare contest, the students were to return to their starships parked at the space station. This time the military officers had accompanied them as well. To commend the group, Gerrard deliberately used his connections and acquired some alcohol from the garrison of asteroid C-N300. The path between C-N300 and C-N976 could be considered a military route and was thus relatively safe, so it was enough to have the robots that piloted the starship to do their jobs. The drinking party was a little wild, and even Fu Luo, someone who didnt normally drink much, drank a little bit herself. Adding that to a period of high tension, once the drinking party was done everyone collapsed in their rooms and slept all the way until the landing. After the landing on asteroid C-N976s base and a post mortem general meeting, the ten teams returned to their respective institutes. Cillin, Seven Lights is going to hold a feast for us! Hard said excitedly while grabbing his microcomputer. The Sector Championship forum was currently in a state of extreme excitement. This was especially true for people from Seven Lights, who lifted their heads tall no matter where they went. Back in the past, whenever they met anyone from a military academy on the Sector Championship platform, they would unconsciously think that they were three inches shorter than the other party. But things were different now. They were now the number two university in the Sector Championship, and no longer the eternal number five! The students themselves had organized a welcoming feast without needing the school authorities to say anything. Moreover, Seven Lights higher-ups had upgraded the Seven Lights card of all ten students to Cyan rank right away. There were also relevant events to be held at Sleepless City and the financial trading zone, and various invitations extended to the ten participants become a spokesperson as well. In short, they had soared into popularity, and they would have a shiny golden runner up badge on their graduation certificates, which was incomparable by those who participated in the integrated warfare contest last year. Hehe, heres also some photos of us wearing our teams uniform! Im going to distribute our photos on asteroid C-N300 later C its so going to charm a whole bunch of girls! Oh, and lets not forget to sell these signed specimens at the high-end auctions as well! Lungs eyes were lit like Christmas trees. Lung had collected some plants and rocks from asteroid C-N300 and processed them into specimens. Moreover, he made everyone sign them so they could be sold at auctions later. Once he got back and had the rocks processed, they should look pretty attractive to customers. Yeah, well rake in a big one once we get back to Seven Lights, and when that happens Ill open a small shop at the financial district. You guys must simply come to support it, especially you, Cillin. You will dress up as Shadow X and play the mascot at the entrance of the shop! Seeing Lungs excited look, Cillin smiled and said, Sure. Not far away, Ci Jincheng frowned slightly. He couldnt shake the feeling that Cillins smile was a little off from usual. Moreover, Cillin gave him a slightly strange vibe during this integrated warfare contest; he was more proactive than Ci Jincheng thought he would be. Ci Jincheng was a person who was well-versed in analytics. Those who were good at mathematics were also better in the logic and analysis department, and from certain clues, Ci Jincheng was capable of deducing things that most people would fail to notice. The people around Cillin might not have noticed his smile or feel odd even if they did, but Ci Jincheng could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen next. Hard, Copley and the others were really looking forward to what would happen when they returned to Planet Seven Lights. Through the Sector Championships platforms internet, they already knew what kind of scene was awaiting them at the airport of Planet Seven Lights right now. All kinds of slogans and billboards with their images on it, all kinds of fresh flowers and beautiful babes The forum was already filled with the happenings at the airport, and the only thing that was missing now was the heroes arrival. They had to admit that the feeling of anticipation was pretty exhilarating. Copley wasnt paid much attention in the past, and because he didnt participate in the biohazard mission earlier, his influence in Seven Lights wasnt high either. But after this mission, everything about Copley was dug out and thrown to the surface: His origin, his personal info, the courses he took, the other honors hed gotten and so on were now all known by the public. In comparison, Knight was a lot more calmer than him. Calm wasnt the right word to put it either, in fact he should say that he wasnt feeling much of anything at all. The integrated warfare contest was just a game; a game without life and death and war. The moment he saw those people boasting about how they were better than the military academies, Knight couldnt help but want to laugh. Better? Like hell thats true! In a true battlefield of life and death, it was an uncertainty if Sird, Copley, Hard, Pride and the others would have survived. That was why Knight paid no heed to this game at all. The aircraft landed at the airport beneath the passionate and expectant gazes of the Seven Lights students. This time, they did not land in the training divisions airport, but the Seven lights main airport, because there were too many students who requested to participate and welcome the party. In order to make a grander welcoming scene, Seven Lights school authorities decided that they would allow the aircraft to descend at the main airport. At the same time, it was a good opportunity for them to promote this kind of atmosphere and attract even more people to Seven Lights University. The escalator descended, and after the team leader Gerrard and accompanying personnel came down, the participants of the integrated warfare contest began to come out in succession. Their blue uniforms and rainbow patterned school badges were especially dazzling amidst the lively voices of the crowd. All kinds of close-ups and photographs from all angles began spreading on Seven Lights network at the same time. Live broadcasts were available at the entertainment zones Sleepless City, the financial trading zone, the training division, the research division, the school zone, the accommodation zone and many other places. Cillin wore a perfect smile on his face. Knight kept a straight face and even looked impatient at the scene. Pride lifted his chin high as usual with fully exposed arrogance. Ci Jincheng was very calm, and Lung was smiling very brightly and throwing out kisses from time to time. Kang Man looked a little nervous; Hard smiled so much that the corner of his mouth was a little stiff However, it was at this moment. Puchi The bullet penetrated his body, carrying with it a trail of blood. The filming cameras transmitted every reality of it to every corner of Seven Lights. It was all so sudden. Chapter 80: Goodbye, Seven Lights Chapter 80: Goodbye, Seven Lights As Cillin fell, the students at the airport began to scream. The excitement from before was completely gone. It was all panic now as they rushed en masse towards the exit. If the security division wasnt controlling the situation, there might very well be stampedes, car crashes and more incidents happening one after another already. It was a fact that the school authorities had allowed far more people than usual into the airport for publicity purposes, and it impeded the police and security divisions ability to act. But because a public assassination like this hadnt occurred for nearly a hundred years or so, they had grown careless. Since the school authorities had organized an honor guard to welcome the ten participants, Gerrard and the others were immediately pushed to the side the moment they came down. Since Gerrard and the others were obstructed, Gerrard was unable to determine the attackers location at once either. Knights body was shaking. He felt as if someone was choking him; a terrible weight in his heart. His father once took him along on a mission to pacify a rebellion, and although he had not truly come in touch with that cruel battlefield, seeing those people from afar flying, falling; blood splattering at every direction was no different from what he was experiencing now. It was just a lot worse because those people back then were strangers, and the one who was currently on the ground was his roommate and teammate whom he had drunk and fought together with. No one, be it Knight, Gerrard, or everyone else sent down by the army had detected the slightest bit of killing intent. There were no murderous look, no killing intent. It was a sudden shot that came out of nowhere, and there really was nothing they could do to analyse the attackers location in time. They didnt notice anything amiss from the surveillance footages sent over from each zone either. Lung took out a shot and injected it into Cillin lying on the ground without hesitation. It was something he had always carried with him to preserve his life during an emergency. The medicine would tap into the bodys greatest potential in order to give the patient a stronger vitality. After the injection Lung immediately called a number; it was the number of his own private medical team in Seven Lights. They had the latest analysers with them. Lung wasnt going to put all his hopes on the people of Seven Lights. Fu Luo and the medical staff rushed over and performed emergency first aid on the spot. She noticed immediately that the bullet had struck too close for comfort even though it just missed the heart. Moreover, normally speaking Cillins condition shouldnt be as bad as he was right now, so it was likely that the bullet contained some other substance inside it. The bullet had struck the aircraft behind Cillin after penetrating his body, shattering and disintegrating swiftly. It was impossible to use the bullet to analyse anything, but it showed that this assassination was a premeditated affair. Since Lung had injected the medicine on the spot, Cillins vitals were somewhat stable even though they werent strong. But along the way to the emergency room, Cillins vitals began to weaken rapidly, and before any effective measures could be taken, the vital signs monitor already showed that Cillin, was dead. Even then the medical staff still transported Cillin into the emergency room and attempted to resuscitate him, but was met with no success. Lungs private medical team came, but was unable to overturn the lost cause just the same. The toxin was a kind of plant toxin from Sector Z and was rarely seen in the first place, which was why they had few corresponding antidote in stock. They did have the molecular formula of the antidote, but by the time it was synthesized, Cillins vital signs were long gone. Knight had smashed apart a couple of walls inside the hospital. Seeing his bloodshot eyes and the vicious aura enveloping his being, no one in the hospital dared to say a thing in front of Knight even though they were angry at his actions. No one actually dared to tempt fate and drag the obviously murderous Knight and Lung back to wherever they came from. But when the duo received a call they hurriedly the place, leaving people wondering what had happened again. Aiflon, who had become the successor of the Douance Family was already notified of of Cillins assassination. Very soon, Aiflons men had come over to take Cillins body and personal possessions back home. The call Knight and Lung received was from Ci Jincheng. All sides were investigating at the moment, but no one had a clue or made any progress regarding the assassin yet, so the moment they heard from Ci Jincheng, the duo immediately returned to the accommodation in haste. Ci Jincheng sat in the living room. He was the calmest out of everyone in regards to todays matter. Knight was extremely dissatisfied with Ci Jinchengs reactions, and he expressed this dissatisfaction directly in his tone, Speak! Lung said nothing and sat down on the sofa. He still hadnt put away the murderous aura around him, and his face was just as ugly. Everyone who knew Lung would know from his appearance that a foul wind and a rain of blood was coming. Lung had never been a kind and gentle person. Ci Jincheng did not mind Knights tone. Instead he passed over his personal tablet. This is the message I decrypted from the code Cillin left behind. Read it first. When Cillin was shot, Ci JIncheng was the closest one to him. This was obviously not a coincidence. When Cillin had fallen Ci Jincheng was crouching right beside him, and at the time Ci Jincheng was pretty worried and anxious as well. But the moment he saw Cillins finger movements, he knew then that the matter wasnt as simple as it seemed. The finger movements he made were a kind of code. It was a more complicated code, different from the one Cillin had used during the double combat tournament. The former wins at speed, and the latter wins at complexity. One would need to perform multidimensional decoding and matrix analysis to understand it. At the time Cillins movements were rather subtle, so even if the medical staff did notice they would only think that it was caused by a wave of spasms. The killing intent on Knight and Lung faded after they read the contents on the tablet. However, their faces were a little distorted. Right now, all they wanted to do was to drag Cillin out of the hospital and whip his corpse bloody. Knight even purposely ran into Cillins room for a look and, motherfucker, there really was nothing substantive left in the room at all. The whole thing was premeditated from the start! In the message on the tablet, Cillin had only explained briefly that this assassination was something that was planned for; that they need not worry about it and that Cillin Douance would disappear from this world from hereon. The first reason he gave them an explanation was because of trust. Cillin was confident that the trio would not hurt him. The second reason was the consideration that the trio would probably turn Seven Lights and a couple other Sectors upside down if he chose to say nothing. At the same time, in the research division, the chief Mo Heng had shut himself up in the workshop after he returned from the hospital. Even if someone had something to say to him, they would swallow their words the moment they recalled Mo Hengs ugly expression and low pressure surrounding him. Anyone would think that his current state was due to the fact that his beloved disciple was assassinated, but this was in fact, not the case. Mo Heng was feeling horrible, that much was true, but it wasnt from sadness but from depression. He knew about this assassination a long time ago. The machine Cillin assembled prior to the integrated warfare contest had a code in it, and it was something only an engineer would understand. But although an engineer would know that it was a code, they would not be able to decipher its meaning because it was arranged in the order of a persons habit. The message was different in each persons eyes, and unless they knew the correct order, the message was nothing more but gibberish. From the code, Mo Heng had learned of Cillins intent and that he would leave after the integrated warfare contest. Although Cillin promised that he would contact Mo Heng, but man, what was he going to do with this annoying feeling in his heart? Now that Cillin was gone, he could no longer boast openly to anyone about his disciple. Kang Man, fard and the others felt that the whole thing about Cillins assassination was surreal. They found themselves unable to quite accept that such a great and outstanding person, who was just talking to them about the welcoming feast a moment ago, would disappear just like that in the next. It was without a doubt a shock to them. Lung offered a one hundred million bounty to search for the murderer, but of course this was but a mere guise. Otherwise, with the kind of blood that flowed inside young master Lung and the Andrea Familys veins, the bounty would not be a mere hundred million. Since there were no progress made despite prolonged investigation, Seven Lights announced to the public that the assassination was probably carried out by Black Thorn. This was the statement Aiflon of the Douance Family had provided, therefore Lights had borrowed it themselves. Moreover, this statement would minimize Seven Lights responsibility in the assassination, which was something the higher-ups of Seven Lights were happy to see. Twenty day later, on a starship in Sector D, a brown-haired, sturdy built and honest-looking young man walked into a room while carrying a backpack behind his back. The person inside the room had been waiting for a while already. Long time no see, commander. The young man smiled good-naturedly and said. Welcome back, Cillin. Chapter 81: Tang Qiuqiu Chapter 81: Tang Qiuqiu Other than Shawton, there was another little girl who looked about six to seven years old inside the room. She held a lollipop in her mouth and was engrossed in playing a shooting game. She kept her eyes glued to the screen and did not bother to acknowledge Cillins entry. The remuneration settlement just came in. It looks like Aiflon is very satisfied with this case. Shawton flicked the card in his hand and said. Cillin Douance had already vanished from this world, and even Aiflon himself would not recognise Cillins current appearance. Aiflon, who had become the successor very generously gave them the remuneration settlement. One portion belonged to Cillin, and the other belonged to the Sixth Squadron. This remuneration settlement alone was enough to pay for a whole year of the Sixth Squadrons daily expenses. It had been almost a full year since Cillin had accepted the mission. Barring specific personnel, no one else in the Sixth Squadron knew about Cillins existence or whereabouts. It wasnt until the end of the mission that Shawton told Eudy, Cary and a few others about Cillins mission, since they were among the very first people to have met him, and a part of Dias squad as well. From here on, they would continue to get along with each other. Eh? Who are you? After completing a game round, the little girl who was playing raised her head to look at Cillin. Her big, sky blue eyes were filled with caution and curiosity. Cillin too was very curious about her. He was surprised to see that Shawton had brought this little girl with him. Could she be his daughter? But they dont look alike. Shawton smiled and pointed at Cillin, introducing him to the little girl, Hes Cillin. Then he pointed at the little girl and said to Cillin, Shes our new arrival, Tang Qiuqiu. Before Cillin could be surprised at their unbelievably young teammate, Tang Qiuqiu had let out her own outburst first, Impossible! Cillin doesnt look like this! Cillin pulled a chair over and sat in front of her, I am Cillin. You got a problem with that? Youre not! Cillin has light grey hair, and his eyes isnt like yours either. You dont look like him, and Cillin is thinner than you as well! Tang Qiuqiu said with certainty. I did plastic surgery. Youre talking nonsense. Im not talking nonsense. You just are! I am not. You What about me? Why do you say that Im not Cillin? Because Im the one who shot and killed him! Tang Qiuqiu shouted angrily. Cillin was well and truly shocked. He looked at Shawton, and Shawton nodded. All this time Cillin thought that he was the one who fired the shot at Seven Lights airport, since that was what he said he would do during the deliberation. If the commander of the Vanguards Sixth B Squadron was the one who attended to the matter personally, then it would be incredibly hard for anyone to track down the perpetrator. The fact was that the incident was handled very well, and to this day, Seven Lights still hadnt found the suspect yet. But he never thought that the one who fired the shot was actually the child before him! No wonder those people couldnt find or track down a suspect. Who would connect a cute and innocent young girl about six to seven years old chewing lollipop in the middle of a crowd to the suspect of an assassination?! Qiuqiu, he really is Cillin. He just changed a look; the needs of a mission. Shawton said as he walked over and patted Tang Qiuqius head. Tang Qiuqiu looked Cillin up and down before jumping down her chair and circled around him twice, He doesnt feel like the same person at all. Thats why hes an excellent Hunter. Although Shawton didnt know how Cillin managed to transform from his old looks to his current self C even if he took Cillin at his word, he did not quite believe that a plastic surgery would cover the entire range of the human body C these answers were his members own secrets. After all, who doesnt have a trump card or two of their own? That was why he would not ask unneccessary questions. As long a persons capable and moral, then their Sixth Squadron would welcome all the same. Hmph, I will become better than him in the future! Tang Qiuqiu returned to her seat and unwrapped another lollipop to put in the mouth. Then she continued playing her game. Shawton motioned Cillin with his eyes to talk at the room next door. You aside, we have a few more new members joining the team this time. Theyre all in Dias squad, and speaking of which, you should know them. Youve met Eight Claws and Coy Behind The Smile on the Sector Championship platform. Eight Claws real name is Ba Dao, and Coy Behind The Smiles real name is Xiao Shang. Since they met the age requirement, they were sent to higher institutes of learning to receive their educations. We may be Hunters, but were also civilised Hunters. Cillin knew the moment Shawton mentioned Eight Claws and Coy Behind The Smile. Those two fellows were pretty good. The other newcomer who was placed under Dias is Tang Qiuqiu. When he talked of Tang Qiuqiu, Shawton let out a heavy sigh, She came from Sector V. Sector V was one of the more chaotic Sectors among the thirteen backwater Sectors. Since it was further away from the Sectors that were more well developed, it was ranked among the last of the thirteen backwater Sectors; utterly incomparable even to Cillins old home Sector X. The habitable planets of Sector V were in a perpetual state of war with no peace in sight. It wasnt just a pure conflict between local forces and foreign forces, but something more complicated than that. The GAL garrisons of Sector V would not interfere with the war, or at least not now right now. They would wait until both sides had almost completely expended themselves before sending the troops to suppress them by force. Since the development of civilization, after the people of Sector V had come in touch with higher civilizations, they would become split into many factions who contested for superiority and status through war. The permeation of external forces provided them with weapons and wealth, and at the same time, the invading forces too bribed the people they needed to expand their power and domain. Moreover, many children were reduced to war slaves in that Sector. The first thing they picked up wasnt a feeding spoon, a doll or a starship model; it was a gun. The adults in the war zones would teach them how to use a gun and how to murder; they would make them believe that killing a person was the most pleasant thing in the world. Many of these kids killed their first human being before they grew taller than their guns. The purpose for murder was to survive to the next day, and to them the act was just like killing a fish for the purpose of eating it. It was nothing to be thought about. The children of Sector V basically had none of the so-called innocence and naivety that belonged solely to their age. Instead they were replaced with numb and empty looks in their eyes since their entire lifespan might not even compare to that of a G rank genotype person. This was especially true for girls. The older girls who were slightly more than ten had to fight, and work as the mens sexual objects. In that sense, Tang Qiuqiu should fall under the same category as well. Qiuqiu may appear to be six or seven years old only, but in truth shes already eight. Since she suffered from undernutrition at a young age, she appeared thinner and weaker than the average child. We met her while we were hunting down a prey at Sector V. Dias said that she was the only child he had seen in Sector V who wasnt tainted by war. At the time, those who went together with him did not believe him, because when we saw Tang Qiuqiu, she was busting an adults head with a shot expressionlessly. Shawton took out his electronic notebook and opened a picture, This is Tang Qiuqiu at the time. Cillin looked over, and on the electronic notebook, there was a little girl whose hair was withered and messy and her face covered in soot, carrying an old rifle about her size without an expression on her face. The background was a street filled with blood and violence, noise and unrest. As you know, Dias may not excel in other areas, but he has a really good eye for people. At the time, Dias had tossed away his firearms right in front of Tang Qiuqiu, and walked towards her with a friendly smile. He motioned to us not to follow him and not to take out our guns. In fact, it would be best if we dont look at his direction at all, he said. If Dias hadnt told us not to act recklessly before, we might have fired when we saw Qiuqiu lifting her rifle and pointing it at Dias. He really gave us a cold sweat at the time. At this point Shawton couldnt hold back a smile, Dias did not pay attention to Qiuqius gun barrel. He walked in front of her, took out a couple of sweets he bought along the way to keep his teeth busy from his pocket, and passed them over. At first, Qiuqius eyes were still wary and suspicious. Then Dias unwrapped one of the sweets and stuffed it into his mouth, making all sorts of grinding noises and he ate. Perhaps it was the sweet scent of fruits that attracted her, but when Dias unwrapped another sweet and passed it over, she took it, and stuffed it into her mouth. When she stuffed the sweet into her mouth, she smiled at Dias. Shawton opened yet another picture. Cillin looked at it. It was still the same soot-covered face on the notebook, but the icy cold gaze from before was gone. It was a very clean smile. And at that moment, her eyes were as free as the sky. Chapter 82: A Grave Sin Indeed Chapter 82: A Grave Sin Indeed Tang Qiuqiu was bought out from Sector V by Dias. In reality, a war slave at Tang Qiuqius age was extremely cheap and wasnt worth even a thousand galactic credits. Many people from other Sectors would buy war slaves from Sector V, and due to the nature of their environment, these war slaves basically fell under the category of cannon fodders. Since most war slaves at war torn zones did not have a name of their own, after he bought her and took her back to the Sixth Squad, Dias had her come up with a name for herself. Thus, Tang Qiuqiu was born. Every newcomer must complete a mission prior to entering the team in official capacity. Therefore, after Shawton had tested and trained her for a while, he then handed her the assassination mission. After all, with Tang Qiuqius qualifications, her invisibility was far greater than Shawtons. The squadrons pretty active in Sector T recently. Diass squad is currently hunting alien beasts; once we reach the transit planet, you and Tang Qiuqiu will go over and meet them. Ill be returning to the main starship right away, there are things to be done there. Shawton explained the next few arrangements to Cillin. As the commander of the Sixth B Squadron, Shawton was a very busy man. Alright, got it. The remuneration you got belongs only to yourselves, and the squad will not ask for additional dividends. So buy whatever you want to, you do have some wealth of your own now. Shawton said smilingly. It was true that Cillin had gained quite a sum from Aiflon through the mission. The total amount was close to a hundred million galactic credits, which was something both Shawton and him did not imagine at the beginning. They had nothing to do before they reach Sector D, so Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu played the shooting game for a little while. It must be said that the kids who grew up at Sector V were really different from the norm. Her shots were only more decisive than the next, and her judgment and accuracy were pretty good as well. Otherwise, Shawton would not have let her to act as the shooter in the first place. As long as it was not a fast moving target, and the target was within her shooting range, it could be said that Tang Qiuqiu simply could not miss. After coming in touch with the Sixth Squad, Tang Qiuqiu saw many great shooters and gained access to many different types of guns. At the same time, she learned quickly, and she was able to learn almost every type of gun the moment she used them. A child at her age usually had amazing learning aptitude. That being said, she learned what she shouldnt learn pretty quickly as well Fuck! What the fucking dick hair is this! Pu Shawton, who was drinking tea and pretty engrossed watching at watching the duo fighting it out spat out everything in his mouth. Cillin stared speechlessly at Shawton. It was simply way too thrilling to hear such a thing from an eight years olds mouth, and a girls no less. Who taught her that? Worse, the person who said it had not the slightest self-consciousness of the inappropriateness at all. She continued to suck on her lollipop and frowned at the screen. Ahem, Tang Qiuqiu, a girl should be more refined. Shawton wasnt sure what to say. He had no experience teaching little kids. Tang Qiuqiu looked very doubtful, Am I not allowed to say that? Brother Xiao Shang always say such things. Xiao Shang, youre just asking for a beating arent you! Its fine if you say it during other times, but how dare you speak such bullshit in front of a child! Shawton gritted his teeth. Cillin, you may sentence that horny bastard Xiao Shang to punishment when you see him later! Yes sir! Shawton turned around and straightened his expression, Tang Qiuqiu, Xiao Shang and the others can say that line, but you cant say it, okay? Its not good for a girl to say that. Tang Qiuqiu frowned and looked conflicted, But it feels pretty cool to say. Like fucking hell its cool! Shawton nearly slipped into swearing rant, but he forcefully swallowed it all back down his throat. Do you know that a single slip may cause everlasting sorrow? Oh, Xiao Shang, your sins have just become greater. Dias squad was the one squad that loved to act like a hooligan the most. As the saying goes, a subordinate imitates their superiors vices. Since Dias himself was of such conduct, his squad of course left even less to be desired. When Cary and Xiao Shang ran into each other, the only thing that filled their mouths were indecency. But there just was no other place Tang Qiuqiu would go but Dias squad. She simply refused to join any other squads at all. To think that such a beautiful flower escaped the taints of war at Sector V, only to be dyed in the Sixth Squad instead. Shawton seriously did not dare to imagine how Tang Qiuqiu would turn out in an environment like this thats full of profanities. Shawton said seriously, Tang Qiuqiu, if a girl says this she will not be beautiful. But Tang Qiuqiu frowned even deeper than before, and her expression obviously stated the words: Whats beautiful? Why is beautiful necessary? Shawton and Cillin both turned quiet. Yeah, thats right. In Sector V, everything else but life and death was about as important as the clouds on the sky. Anything like beauty or ugliness could all be equalized with a single shot. Ahem, Tang Qiuqiu, are you unhappy because you lost? Shawton changed the topic and no longer persisted on the slur incident. The next time he saw Xiao Shang he was absolutely beating the shit out of that punk. The moment the match was brought up, Tang Qiuqiu immediately pouted, I lost by one point. Back at Sector V, Tang Qiuqiu did not have this many expressions, but after coming in touch with the people of the Sixth Squad, her face gradually became rich with expressions. She saw on TVs or magazines that kids pouted when they feel dissatisfied or conflicted, so she too copied their behavior and pouted as well. Dias had even purposely filmed Tang Qiuqiu practicing her pouts in front of a mirror. It was very funny, but it also left behind a bitter taste in the mouth. When we first started you even lost by a full ten points, but didnt you lose less and less during the latter rounds? Youre improving tremendously, arent you? Cillin did hold back, but even then he could obviously sense Tang Qiuqius improvement. Her ability to learn was simply too amazing, and her speed at which she corrected her mistakes was also impressive. Tang Qiuqiu said nothing, imagined that Cillin was the lollipop and crunched down fiercely until it made a crunching noise. One more round! Tang Qiuqiu rolled up her sleeves and prepared herself for another battle. Lets do that next time. Weve reached Sector T, and we still have to search for the lieutenant and the others. Okay, well find brother Dias and the others first. Then well see who can hunt down more alien beasts! Who knows, we might surpass Cary and the others from behind and hunt even more beasts than them. Yeah, and that horny bastard brother Xiao Shang as well! Shawton, who was just about to exit the door tripped and nearly fell on his feet. As expected, one should not use their words carelessly, should they? Tang Qiuqiu, horny bastard is not a good word. A girl will not say it carelessly, okay? Seeing that both Cillin and Shawton wore serious expressions, Tang Qiuqiu continued to pout, Alright, I wont say it. After entering the transit planet T-C100 in Sector T, Shawton split away from the group. There would be someone who would take him back to the main starship. Meanwhile, Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu went to buy a flight to planet T-H001. Right now, both Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu had new IDs of their own. With the Vanguards means, it wasnt hard to acquire such legal IDs. The flight departure was still more than half a day away, so Cillin took Tang Qiuqiu to enjoy a fulfilling meal first. Tang Qiuqius appetite was bigger than her average peer, but she wasnt picky about her food as well. Moreover, she would do her best to finish any food that was ordered. Having experienced true hunger, Tang Qiuqiu disliked wasting food. Cillin looked at the time and saw that they were still more than five hours away from departure. After opening a map of their surroundings and giving it a glance, he said to Tang Qiuqiu who was drinking a fruit juice, Qiuqiu, the flight is still five hours away. Do you want to go take a walk? Theres an amusement park nearby, well play inside for a little while and itll be time before we know it. Its better than sitting here and doing nothing anyway. The moment she heard the words amusement park, Tang Qiuqius eyes lit up immediately. She had only seen them on TVs and magazines, and had never experienced them for herself. Tang Qiuqiu herself desired it after seeing the kids on the screens seemingly have a great time playing at the amusement park. Okay, lets go to the amusement park! Tang Qiuqiu followed Cillin out of the restaurant while holding her fruit juice, and sat in a taxi headed towards the amusement park. Chapter 83: Back In The Team Chapter 83: Back In The Team I want that! Tang Qiuqiu looked excitedly at the variety of sweets displayed on top of the counter. These sweets were all finely packaged, and the cutely designed boxes attracted kids more easily than the actual sweets inside them. But Why the heck is she pointing at the dinosaur that looks like green poop and not the pink rabbit or dolls or whatever at the side? The sale was a kind of automated selling of sorts, and there were no human shop assistants about. Otherwise, a shop assistant would have looked at Tang Qiuqiu with strange eyes. That being said, since Tang Qiuqiu liked it, Cillin wasnt going to comment on her choice either. After swiping his card, he passed over the green poop dinosaur sweet box to Tang Qiuqiu, who took it excitedly. Why did you choose this one? The little animal boxes beside it are cuter. Cillin asked. Because it looks like Dough. Tang Qiuqius smiled very happily. Dough was that weird but quick-witted chameleon Eudy owned. They circled the entire amusement park once. Most kids would have been so tired they would have fallen asleep already, but Tang Qiuqius stamina was unusually good despite her thin and fragile appearance. She was still spirited and energetic after three hours. Cillin allowed Tang Qiuqiu to sit directly over his shoulders; this way she could see the faraway scenes as well. Cillins current physique was much more bigger and solid than before, and with Tang Qiuqius tiny figure on top of him, they painted quite the heartwarming image. Oh, whats that?! While seated on Cillins neck, Tang Qiuqiu hugged Cillins head with one hand and pointed at a direction with the other. Cillin looked at the direction she was pointing. There was a big floating cotton candy balloon. That is cotton candy. In truth the words cotton candy was floating beside the balloon, but Tang Qiuqiu only recognised the word candy. Back at Sector V, she basically did not know any words at all, and even her discourse was in native language, with little to no experience with GAL linguistics. She learned a little of the language after joining the Sixth Squad, but was not used to it yet. That was why Tang Qiuqiu would diligently memorise what everyone said to enrich her own vocabulary. There were many children around the cotton candy shop, saliavating at the cutely shaped candies and pulling and crying to their respective adults about buying them. Which one do you like? Cillin asked. Since Tang Qiuqiu was sitting on Cillins neck, she saw every cotton candy up there clearly. That one! Tang Qiuqiu pointed at the cotton candy with a funny face. Boss, give me that candy with a funny face. Also, Id like a custom-made candy that looks just like us. No problem, but youll have to wait about ten minutes or so. Sure. Cillin paid for the sweets first. The cotton candies were made on the spot, and they sold like hot cakes. They were bought almost the instant they were made. Some people were waiting because they chose to make a custom cotton candy. At first, Cillin wanted to bring Tang Qiuqiu somewhere else for another twirl, but Tang Qiuqiu refused and wanted to stay there to watch the process of the creation of a cotton candy. Some of the surrounding kids hugged the adults beside them and asked for the same treatment when they saw Tang Qiuqiu sitting on Cillins neck. Tang Qiuqiu glanced at them once and smiled until her eyes were bright with joy. Tang Qiuqiu ate her cotton candies all the way back to the airport. Cillin carried a huge bag in his hand, and it was completely filled with sweets. Of course, there was also a bottle of denture cleaner, or with the way Tang Qiuqiu were consuming her sweets her teeth was most certainly going to rot. Tang Qiuqiu fell asleep soon after getting on the flight from T-C100 to T-H001. It had been an all-too-wild day, and she was still just a kid who needed her rest. Even when she was asleep, she wore a smile on her lips, hugging the dinosaur sweet box in her lap. Cillin pressed a button beside his seat, and a panel popped out. He began reading magazines on it. There were plenty of news on the electronic magazines recently, and while Cillin was reading he saw the news about himself. The son of the successor of the Douance Family assassinated, Seven Lights genius falls to gunshot Many of the details of the reported news were watered down, with no negative sayings of Seven Lights role in the incident. In fact, the majority of it absolved Seven Lights from their responsibility, proving that Seven Lights higher ups put in quite the effort to see that it was so. The title itself might look pretty shocking, but there werent much actual content or even video footages to show. Everything was severely trivialised. Cillins name didnt even appear and was replaced with the term son of the successor of the Douance Family, so it would appear that Aiflon had a hand in this matter as well. This news was also connected to the other news about the Douance Family where Aiflon buckled the matter of the assassination on a particular group within the family and dealt with them with an iron fist. He used the assassination as an excuse so that he would appear to be standing in the right. After arriving at planet T-H001, they would still need to switch to another passenger transport if they were to meet up with Dias. There were many small passenger transports parked at planet T-H001s main port, headed to different planets. At Sector T, any planets that started with H were categorised as hunting planets. These planets were not suitable for human habitation, and were basically the world of beasts. Hunters loved to hunt in these planets, the transfer their catches out of the planet and sell them. The beasts in this Sectors planets were all pretty special, and most species were valuable from head to toe. Their skin, hair, horn, teeth, bones and so on sold like hotcakes outside. However, to ensure the preservation and survival of the alien beasts in this Sector, GAL had a treaty where they forbad the use of weapons of mass destruction, the use of radioactive weapons, the destruction of the environment so on and so on Sometimes, if the Hunters used a weapon that was more powerful than anticipated and blew up a mountain or a forest by accident, they would be fined or worse, sent to jail. Dias squads hunting spot was at Planet T-H036. When Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu took a passenger transport and arrived at the planet, they immediately saw the familiar starship parked at the spaceport. The starships gigantic dagger symbol was incredibly eye-catching, and it also warned the rascals to take a measure of themselves before planning anything funny against them. At this time, the personnel responsible for guard duty should be the only ones left on the starship, and all the core members of the group should have gone out to the planet to hunt. However, an aircraft had just coincidentally flown out of the planet at this time and back into the starship. When Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu entered the starship, they immediately saw Cary ordering the men unloading some items from the aircraft. Eh, Qiuqiu, youre back! Cary walked over and was about to give Qiuqiu a hug. But when he looked down and saw the blue and red alien beasts blood on himself, he ultimately decided against it. Seeing Carys questioning gaze on his own, Cillin smiled and said, Long time no see, Cary! Cary was even more doubtful now. He was sure that he had never seen this foolish-looking man before him. Tang Qiuqiu giggled right away. It would seem that she wasnt the only one who couldnt recognise him, Hes brother Cillin! The fact that Tang Qiuqiu added the word brother in front of Cillins name meant that she had acknowledged Cillin now. Before this, she would either call him Cillin directly or without adding a title at the front. Cillin?! Carys mouth fell open as he looked Cillin all over before voicing his amazement, No wonder the lieutenant said that youve changed into a new skin. Chapter 84: Arrival At Planet Hunt Chapter 84: Arrival At Planet Hunt The aircraft Cary flew over were packed full with the results of his hunt. The alien beasts skins, bones and other materials were already categorised and packaged properly in place, and it would be up to the support staff on the starship to process these goods further. Once the goods were completely unloaded, Cary flew the aircraft out of the starship and returned to the planet. Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu accompanied him as well. Tang Qiuqiu had been looking forward to this for quite some time now, and she wouldnt stop toying with her gun on the aircraft. Tang Qiuqius gun was modified so that the body was lighter, and its recoil not as powerful as the one she used before. However, it was far more lethal than her old rifle. A couple of physical bullets lay at the side. Laser type firearms were not used during hunting because it would burn the alien beasts skin and fur, hence causing a drop in their selling price. Moreover, it wasnt exactly safe to use a laser type firearm in a dry forest either, not to mention that it could easily put an alien beast in alert. Therefore, the Hunters who came here to hunt preferred using modified bullets instead. Among them, some of the bullets were specifically modified to capture living creatures. The tip of the bullet held drugs in them, and it would melt and break apart the moment it entered they preys body, releasing the drugs into its blood. During the short period of their flight, Cary grabbed two thermal wears for Cillin and Tang Qiqiu to put on and explained to them briefly about the terrain. There might be plenty of species living on this planet, but for a human, the environment wasnt nearly as friendly. The planet was almost perpetually at a sub zero temperature, and the alien beasts on this planet were mostly covered in either thick fur or scales. Moreover, they were incredibly fierce, and some of the animals that appeared harmless were actually even more so. Normally speaking, the beasts at the cold zones are larger than norm, and in this place cats are about the size of leopards in another Sector Cary chattered. Tang Qiuqius head cocked, But how do you know its a cat and not a leopard? Theres this one night I heard them caterwauling as they Before Cary could finish, Cillin immediately covered up his mouth. Its probably for the best if that word was not spoken in front of a child. At first Cary didnt understand why Cillin had stopped him from speaking; its just cats yowling in heat as they fuck, wasnt it? But then he saw Tang Qiuqius curiosity-filled gaze and immediately came to realization. Basically, a leopard and a cats cries are different. Cary said with a straight face. Tang Qiuqiu thought for a second, and found that his answer made sense, and so she stopped pressing him about the subject. Cillin and Cary met each others eyes and let out a sigh. As expected, things were different when there was a child in the team. They even had to watch their mouths real tight when they were around her. The aircraft descended in front of a small three-story building. There was another identical aircraft that was parked beside the building, and someone was just transporting goods into that aircraft. This time the transported goods were basically all living creatures, and they were contained inside specially made cages. Since the alien beasts were injected with drugs, they lay sluggishly inside their cages. Cary pointed at an animal that looked very much like a squirrel, but was three times the normal size and said, Look, arent they just cute? Girls love these kind of furry animals the most, and it is extremely easy to feel pity for them when you look into their black, round eyes. But the fact is, just these squirrels bit god knows how many Hunters and killed them. Seeing Tang Qiuqiu staring at those animals, Cary got closer and asked, Do you like them? Should I find a smaller one later to gift it to you as a pet? Theres a type of squirrel that has white fur and looks a lot more cuter than this one. There are lots of rich girls and ladies who prefer them as well. Tang Qiuqiu frowned, Whats the use of raising them anyway? Cary was going to say that they could be raised for fun, but he swallowed his words just as they reached the back of his mouth, because if he did say that, then Tang Qiuqiu would certainly answer: In that case its better if we sell them for credits; the credits we get can buy a lot of sweets, you know. These animals were only dangerous when their animal instincts were still present. Moreover, once they were tamed, they were basically timid and harmless. The only reason the rich girls and ladies raised them was for entertainment purposes, and when they had nothing to do, they could touch and hug and tease them for fun. But for Tang Qiuqiu, it was unnecessary. In terms of intelligence, these animals were far surpassed by Eudys little devil of a chameleon, Dough. Seeing Cary choking on his words, Cillin patted Tang Qiuqiu and said, Get ready. Were going out for a hunt. Alright, hunting! The moment the matter was brought up, Tang Qiuqiu no longer cared for Carys answer and followed Cillin outside. Hey, wait for me, Im coming with you two as well! Cillin had just walked out the aircraft when he saw Beaver moving all ten fingers across a keyboard and calculating something. Whats wrong, Beaver? Did something happen? Beaver raised his head upon hearing his voice, Yo, Cillin, youre back! Cary was crestfallen, and Tang Qiuqiu was disappointed. They didnt think that Beaver would actually be able to recognise Cillin. In truth, Beaver had already seen Cillins new face from the image Shawton sent him, so naturally he wasnt as surprised as Cary. He had already gotten over that phase. Its nothing, Im just checking to see which place has more alien beasts. Oh, are you looking for the lieutenant? Hes at this location. Beaver brought up a picture and pointed at a dot. After the map transfer was complete, Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu and Cary then departed on a small airship towards Dias location. Looking down from the airship, the planets unique cold-resistant coniferous forest and some evergreen species could be seen everywhere. From time to time, they could see black shadows passing through the forest, but since they werent the preys they were looking for the small group did not bother with them. Dias was currently tracking down a group of alien polar bears, and their fur could be sold for a huge sum of money. In a highly technological era where the variety of materials were inexhaustible, the demand for natural fur, leather and skin objects had only gotten crazier. The higher someone stood on the pyramid, the more they loved these kind of objects. In the eyes of the rich ladies, a precious natural skin was equal or better than expensive jewelry. The airship had a radar that revealed any surrounding living creatures, but Cillin did not fully rely on the radar to sense them. He would watch with his eyes, and listen with his ears. This was a habit of his. Caw caw caw caw A flock of birds was surprised and flew up into the air. Their cries were a little eerie. From the data revealed on the radars scan, there were only a few cats and wolves at that direction. None of these animals were up to Carys standards, so he ignored them. Hunting them would be a pure waste of bullets. Cillins ears moved, and he suddenly said, Cary, stop here for a bit! Whats wrong? Cary slowed down the airship and asked. Cillin grabbed his backpack, Im going down for a look. You guys go meet up with the lieutenant first. Hey, those things arent worth looking at. Were still at the outer edge of the forest, and there aint anything valuable out here. Its okay, Im just taking a look, thats all. You guys go first. Cillin grabbed a hoverboard from the airships equipment hold and extended it, Ill catch up to you guys later. Once finished, Cillin then rode the hoverboard out of the airship and flew downwards. This kid is really Cary shook his head and accelerated away. Tang Qiuqiu asked while licking a lollipop, What is brother Cillin trying to do? Isnt there no good prey at that spot? Who knows, maybe hes gone nuts. Cary said without thinking. Whats a nut? Cary: After a pause, Cary answered carefully, Its a kind of fruit. Chapter 85: Cyborg Chapter 85: Cyborg After he rode the hoverboard down into the forest, Cillin put it back into his backpack, took out a canister and sprayed its contents onto himself, causing his body to be enveloped in an odor that smelled similar to his surroundings. Then, he squeezed his backpack into a crevice, and quietly sneaked his way towards the place where the birds were surprised. If Cary conducted a spectral analysis with his equipment just now, he would have discovered a particularly strange wave pattern. It was a machine-like cry that was mixed within the cries of the birds and cats, and the cause of Cillins piqued curiosity. He had the feeling that he would find something there. Cillin slowly searched his way forwards. Unlike humans, the animals here had very acute hearing, which was why Cillin was treading with the utmost carefulness. If he wanted to know the truth, then he must hide himself well. Although he had sprayed himself with the deodorant, Cillin still chose to move from where the wind was blowing against him. This way, his odor would not be easily detected by the animals at the upwind. The leaves susurrated in the breeze, and from time to time, there would be needlelike leaves falling off the branches. These tiny noises were enough to aid Cillin in masking his stealthy approach. Gradually, Cillin could hear a couple of low growls and the warning growls of a cat. He went closer, and saw the the situation upfront. There were six wolves and three cats C wait, four C cats. A small cat was surrounded at the center by three large cats, and it looked both sick and dispirited. Its eyes were closed, and its breathing was a little weak. It was as Cary had said earlier. These cats were as big as leopards, and in comparison, the small cat was the only one whose size could be considered normal. The size difference was glaring with it being enclosed at the center by the three large cats. But while the cats were big, the wolves were even bigger. Have you ever seen a wolf the size of a bear? Nevertheless, this was the first time Cillin saw a wolf this big, although considering the fact that he had seen mice the size of bears back at Seven Lights, the novelty already rubbed off him already. Cillin found it strange that the six wolves would hesitate in front of the three cats, however. The small cat was of course a non-factor. Logically speaking, be it in terms of size or numbers, the wolves had the absolute advantage, so they shouldnt be acting this hesitant as if they wanted to charge forwards, but couldnt help but be wary about something. Somethings wrong. Cillin held his breath and continued to watch the scene unfold. He kept feeling that something was off, but could not find anything amiss whatsoever. There were neither mechanical activities nor energy fluxes in the area. There were only these few animals. A wolf roared twice in a low tone and took a step forwards, causing the hair all over the three large cats to stand immediately on their ends. Previously, only the hair behind their backs were puffed up, but now it was as if their entire bodies had gone completely stiff with tension. Their tails were stuck straight up, and their puffed hair caused them to look a size bigger than normal. At the same time, the three large cats took yet another half a step backwards and got closer to the small cat. The wolf did not pressure further, and instead circled around the area restlessly. Its claws cut through the rock hard ground frozen hard by sub zero temperature like tofu. Maybe it was because of the low growls of the wolves and the sound of their claws grinding against the ground, or it could be because of the growls of the three large, tensed cats. At any rate, the small cat inside the encirclement opened its eyes with great difficulty. The small cat was leaning against a rock that wasnt much bigger than it, and there were also some primitive ferns inside the seams of the rock. The first thing the small cat looked at wasnt the large cats or the wolves, but the few small ferns between the seams. The small cat opened its mouth and revealed its fine teeth. It was no different from a normal cats, unlike the absolutely savage-looking teeth the large cats owned. The small cat bit at the fern leaves extending out of the seams of the rock, rubbed its paws, closed its eyes and dropped its head on the floor just like before. It was as if the mere act of biting those leaves had consumed it much energy. Cillin narrowed his eyes. Somethings definitely not right! When the small cat opened its mouth just now, the six wolves obviously looked shaken by it. The foremost wolf had even backed away to stand with its companions, as if it was the only way it could regain some courage and assurance. At first, he thought that the three cats surrounded the small cat in the middle to protect it from harm, but the truth might be that the three large cats were just scared, and the one the six wolves were truly scared of was not the three cats, but that sickly-looking small cat lying on the floor! Cillin continued to observe, but the situation remained the same as ever. He couldnt let it keep going on like this. In order to confirm his assumptions, Cillin grabbed a needle and shot it at one of the wolves. It was only by aggravating the conflict that the situation could better resolve itself. It was during the standoff where both sides were baring fangs at each other, when the wolf who was shot in the butt jumped upwards and let out a yelp. It wasnt a yelp of pain, but of surprise. The wolfs skin was very thick, and Cillins needle could not have entered deep into the flesh. But the wolf, in a high state of tension had reflexively jumped a step forwards after it felt pain from his backside. The couple of wolves behind him seemed encouraged by its movements and leaped forwards as well. Seeing that the wolves were actually going to charge them, the three large cats decided to go all out as well. The situation instantly fell into chaos. It was exactly thanks to this fallout that Cillin saw something that shocked him to the core. The head of the small cat that was originally lying dispiritedly on the floor, giving off the impression that it was exhaling more than inhaling, suddenly swelled bigger than even the wolves themselves. Its grey hair swiftly contracted and transformed to reveal a metallic skin, and at this very moment, it looked nothing like an animal at all and more like a robot. But no, the small cat should be a combination of both animal and machine, for excluding its bizarre mechanical head, its body and limbs remained the same as before. The swollen mechanical cat head opened its mouth and swallowed the closest wolf in one gulp. Then mechanical cat head then slowly shrank bank to its original size, losing its metallic luster and regrowing its hair. It regained its original looks and went back to looking delicate and half-dead on the ground. When the small cat was transforming, the six wolves already tried to leap out of the combat zone right away. But the wolf that was closest to to the cat failed to escape in time and suffered the fatal consequence. The rest of the five wolves escaped with their tails between their legs until they were at least fifty meters away, panting heavily from their flight. Meanwhile, Cillin dropped a sweat at the sight. Holy shit, that things a Transformer! It might not be a full machine, but it most definitely looked like a robot just now! Is it a Cyborg? The topic of cyborgs once came up in some articles Cillin read from electronic magazine with great contribution points. This kind of lifeform was incredibly unstable, and could only live for a very short amount of time. There were many researchers who once attempted to create such a life that was half flesh and half machine, but the results were never as good as they imagined. With time limit being its only flaw, the transformation between carbon-based lifeform and mechanical lifeform of a naturally occurring cyborg was near perfect, whereas an artificially created cyborg would not be able to achieve this level of perfection. They would always score either below or above the point of balance. One of the two magazine giants of GAL, Code once speculated on the potential causes of the formation of a cyborg, but the explanation provided was very vague. It could be that Cillins reading privilege wasnt high enough to access the true research secrets. The researchers described this semi-mechanical alien lifeform as a miracle of the universe. A certain substance that was formed randomly in the universe was the core of the formation of this type of lifeform. These substances could not be replicated, and when they drifted to a planet with life, these substances would then capture a certain biological creatures genetic information, and with this genetic information as basis, turn into a pseudo-lifeform. This was what they called a cyborg life. The universe is a place where all kinds of miracles happened. Cillin did not know how it was formed, nor did he know if those researchers managed to come up with a perfect cyborg already. However, this being before him was most definitely a cyborg life of perfect transformation! Translators Notes 2: glorious machine overlord, most OP existence in the galaxy and beyond. Dont believe me? Read on Chapter 86: It Speaks! Chapter 86: It Speaks! It was back to the same situation Cillin had seen earlier, but with one less wolf now. The little cat continued to lay there dispiritedly, barely even moving its tail. But Cillin dared not look down on the little guy now. He wasnt sure that he could win against a cyborg that could swallow a wolf in one gulp. He still couldnt decide if this cyborg cat was really sick or just faking it, though. If he assumed that it was sick, the speed in which it swallowed the wolf just now was literally as quick as lightning. If Cillin didnt have good eyes and saw through its movements and certain details, it wouldve looked like the wolf had just suddenly disappeared. But if he assumed that it was faking it, it was undeniable that the cat did look sickly and listless. If it was in good spirits, these wolves would probably all be devoured already. In order to figure out the cats condition, Cillin decided to wait and see if a change occurs. Now that he knew that the cat was a cyborg, he did not dare to act recklessly anymore. But reality did not go the way Cillin wished for. The little cat that was lying listlessly on the ground, looking like it was asleep abruptly opened its eyes and stared right at Cillins hiding spot. Gone was the half-conscious look from before, as its eyes opened wide and its pupils narrowed into thin, long slits. It appeared incredibly excited, and this time it wasnt just its head, but its entire body that had begun to change, twist and transform. However, it couldnt seem to settle on a definite form as it transformed continuously between hairy and metallic, big and small. It looked incredibly strange. Cillin truly believed that the cyborg cat was in poor health now that he saw it lifting and supporting its body on four limbs, but was unable to take even a step. Perhaps it was as the researchers said: A natural cyborg could not enjoy a long life because their bodies werent stable enough. This cats condition was obviously one such example in that it could transform very smoothly between a machine and a carbon-based body, but could not stabilize itself and maintain either one of its forms right now. Earlier, the cat had probably stayed as a carbon-based lifeform because a carbon-based constitution consumed less energy, and could be maintained longer than a mechanical body. The remaining five wolves escaped the instant they witnessed the cat in its current state. Right now, the strange cat was giving them an incredibly dangerous feeling. The five wolves aside, the three big cats themselves had also backed away shakily before running away after witnessing that the wolves escape. They left behind the cat that could not stop transforming and settling on a definite state. Cillin did not move. In that instant, a very familiar feeling struck him: the chips inside his body had become excited once more. At the same time, he felt as if something was about to break out of its metaphorical cocoon. Hmm? Cillin looked at Genyas curly leaf tattoo on his finger, and found that something was growing restless inside. It was the white ball he had obtained earlier! The cyborg cat stared straight at Cillin a hundred meters away, and lifted a foot with great difficulty. After stopping itself from falling, it continued to move towards Cillins direction once more. Every time the cyborg cat took a step towards him, Cillin could feel the restlessness inside the white ball growing stronger. Even more amazing was that the closer the cyborg cat got to him, the livelier the cat seemingly became. Cillin could take out his gun and shoot it straight away, but his instincts prevented him from doing so. If he did that, then the one to die would definitely be him. Like two mutually attracting magnets, Cillins left hand rose uncontrollably against his will. There was a dominant force in his left thumb that was pulling him towards that cats direction. Cillin gritted his teeth and steadied himself, but the force was so powerful that he was being dragged across the ground. As if dissatisfied with the current situation, the surroundings of the curly leaf tattoo on Cillins left thumb began to distort. An invisible force was literally tearing the subspace apart. The white ball flew right out of the subspace and straight to the cyborg cat. Then, it vanished into the cats body. There were no dazzling white light, or explosions of epic proportion. There was only a cyborg lying there on the ground, transforming. However, Cillin knew that everything was definitely not as calm as it seemed. Thanks to the chips, he was able to sense the abnormality happening around him. The surrounding electromagnetic waves and charged particles were all undergoing a change. At the same time, every communication device in the entire Planet T-H036 was interrupted, and every electric grid paralyzed. Not even the solar-powered panels could be used at this moment. Dias was laying out the tactics to surround and hunt down the polar bears on the other side, but then he discovered that his communicator had gone out after a bzzt noise. Whats strange was that the polar bear that was howling arrogantly above the hill just now had suddenly fallen to the ground and trembled non-stop. Dias and the others also experienced a little bit of discomfort. They felt as if some unseen sound waves were disrupting their thoughts. However, since none of their instruments were currently functional, and hence they could not seek out the source of this discomfort either. The satellites and aircrafts outside Planet T-H036 were also affected somewhat. The satellites could not transmit any signal or monitor the planets surface, and the magnetic and ray analyser could not be used either. They were unable to make contact with the planets surface or any other planets. Prior to this situation, no abnormalities were detected from the high energy particles, rays or magnetic fields at all. Someone suggested that it might be a solar flare, but Planet T-H036 was one of those planets that orbited further away from its sun. Otherwise its temperature would not have been this low. There were also plenty of planets that were closer to the sun than Planet T-H036, but they did not hear anything from those planets about such occurrences. Of course, it could be that they were experiencing the same phenomenon right now, and were unable to communicate it in time before communications were interrupted. Regardless, what they needed to do right now was to analyse the approximate length of this abnormality. Only then they would be able to come up with the appropriate countermeasures. However, without their analysers, it was not entirely realistic to come up with something substantial within a short time. In the forest on the planets surface. Cillin watched the cyborg that was lying on the ground and still hadnt stabilized. He did not walk closer for a better look. He had no confidence that he would be able to take a blow from such a powerful lifeform, not even in its current immobile state. About an hour later, the cyborg cat gradually stabilized. It was still the same little cat, but it appeared lively and full of energy, unlike its sluggish appearance from before. Its full fur of grey also gave off a shiny reflection under natural sunlight. After the cyborg cat had stabilized, the communication device in the whole planet also recovered and began functioning normally as usual. The cat lifted its head and stared at Cillin. There was no malice in its eyes, but Cillin would not grow lax just because of it and stayed on high alert. He was so out of this place the second this cat did anything unusual. Seriously, who in their right mind would want to fight such a cyborg head on unless they have a death wish?! When the cat had reached less than fifty meters away from him, Cillin let out a warning, Take another step forwards and Ill blast you. Normally, Cillin would not waste his breath on such nonsense when hes about to shoot. He just wanted to remind the cat to keep its distance. He wondered if the cat could actually understand him though. When the grey cat heard his words, it stopped its feet and sat on its butt. Pulling its ears behind its head, the cat let out an incredibly disdainful look, What the hells with that temper, man! Cillin: ?! It talked? Holy shit, the cat seriously just talked! Chapter 87: Debt Settlement Chapter 87: Debt Settlement Cillin stared at the cat who was despising him from not far away. He seriously did not remember reading anywhere in those documents that a cyborg could speak. However, it could just be that he had not accessed the real core content of the study. Regardless, this type of lifeform was truly astounding. I cant believe you can speak. I learned that more than a hundred years ago! The cat lifted its hand, no, its paw and pointed at a direction, I remember that there werent that many buildings over there back then. The entire planet only had a single aircraft landing zone. It was more than a hundred years ago when GAL gave permission to hunt on this planet, and there werent that many human buildings back then. The direction the cats paw was pointing at was exactly where their aircraft were parked. I cant believe you can live for such a long time. Cillin sighed emotionally. You dont say. I may not know how long I can live, but I certainly didnt feel like Ive grown up much after so many years. the gray cat was very dissatisfied with Cillins doubting his own lifespan. Whats with your look just now then? Was that sickly appearance where youre so weak that youre about to RIP just an illusion? Cillin said disdainfully. There will always be such a period every dozen of years or so. I will become weakened at the time. My state will become extremely unstable, and both of my forms will become very difficult to control. Moreover, I will also let out a kind of magnetic wave that attracts a lot of ill-intentioned species to attack me. Those wolves are an example of that. Cillin abruptly came to realization. So this is why. They were unstable, but it did not necessarily meant that their lifespan was short. The reason those researchers said that their life was short was probably referring to their periodic phase of weakness, and if they attracted a more powerful species to attack them during that time, then they would be dead for sure. The cat continued to speak on its own, In the past I do not understand why my body would let out that kind of magnetic wave uncontrollably, but I finally understand now that it is to attract that white ball. I do not know what that white ball is; I only know that it is useful to me and is able to stabilize my chaotic state. It was true that Cillin could not sense the white balls existence any longer. It seemed that a cyborgs coincidental birth also included the white ball. Without it, even if a cyborg could switch flawlessly between two forms, they would not be able to maintain stability. It feels like youre the same kind of lifeform as I am. The cat looked at Cillin. When he arrived at this world, he already knew that he was different from the lifeforms around him. However, right now Cillin was giving him a very strange feeling; an unspeakable sense of familiarity. I am a normal carbon-based lifeform and a pure human. Pure. Cillin said definitively. I know that youre human, thats why Im only saying that you feel the same like me. Hey, why dont you come with me. Now that Im stable, I no longer have a weakness phase like before. On this planet I stand on the apex, you know. Not interested. Cillin turned around and left. He had better take his backpack and search for Dias and the rest. Hey, dont leave man. How about I come with you then? The cat ran after Cillin eagerly from the back. Cillin paused his feet and looked at the cat. This time he didnt tell it to stop and allowed it to walk in front of him. You want to leave? Yeah, Im tired of this place. I wanna go out and get some knowledge and experience. You can look for someone else. There are plenty of people who hunt here. Maybe you can enter a certain aircraft sneakily and enjoy a free tour. No no no. The cat head shook with all its strength, Theyre unreliable. Theyre either too weak or too immoral. Cillin crouched and stared seriously at the gray and boring-looking cat before him, Speaking of which, you did remind me of something important. What? It took me quite a bit of effort to get that white ball. If I sold it to those crazy researchers, I couldve maybe gotten a few hundred million credits, but now youve robbed me of it. You just have to compensate me no matter what. You can come with me, but you have to settle your debt then. Settle my debt? Yeah. Cillin took out a knife and began carving some numbers on the ground, You know about the polar bears of this planet, dont you? One polar bear can be sold for around ten thousand GAL credits each. If we convert the money you owe me to a polar bear, you owe me at least ten thousand polar bears then. Of course, some alien beasts are more valuable than the white bears, and certain species are even valued over a million credits. If we hunt those down then youll be able to save yourself some energy. At this point, Cillin paused for a second and looked doubtfully at the cat thats staring at the ground intently and listening to him count, Of course, maybe you wont be able to deal with that kind of alien beasts Cant handle them?! Claws and hair puff, on! Ill prove it to you! Im telling you, I havent met a beast that can take two swipes from me! If youre just going to demonstrate how you can swallow a wolf then forget it. It only shows how big of an eater you are and how much food money youre gonna cost me. The cat scoffed and huffed through its nose before looking at its surroundings, circling around Cillin one time. Then it raised its paw and pointed at its own head, Take out your gun and shoot here. Cillin did not object to the suggestion. Theoretically a cyborg or whatever should be pretty niubi (amazing), so maybe it really could take a bullet and a shell; fly into the air or drill into the ground. Bang! The gun roared, and the cat was blasted right off its feet. The gray clump of shadow flew way back into the distance. Cillin: You call this a proof? However, very soon the gray cat ran back unhurriedly and spat out the bullet in its mouth. The bullet itself was perfectly intact, and the drugs sealed inside it did not leak out either. The most amazing thing was that Cillin had aimed and fired at the cats forehead, not its mouth. The cats head was perfectly undamaged, but somehow it managed to spit out the perfectly intact bullet from its mouth instead. Moreover, this type of bullet was specifically made to deal with large alien polar bears, and a single shot was all that it took to penetrate the skin. He didnt think that this fellow would actually be capable of taking the shot without any injury. How is it? Not bad, eh? The gray cat said complacently. Yeah, theres certainly no shame in getting blasted right off your feet in one shot. If I switched a form I wouldnt be blasted off, okay! Cillin put away his gun and asked curiously, How do you change between the two forms exactly? Even the elements have changed. When a cyborg was in a biological form, it was also a carbon-based lifeform. The composition of its elements was no different from the average organism. However, the moment it switched to a machine-like form, its elemental composition would change entirely. Despite learning under Mo Heng about machine assembly for such a long time, Cillin had never seen this type of metal before. I dont know, I was born with it. I can easily undergo elemental directional transition. It continued to act complacent. Why dont you let me see you change something into gold? Do you not understand what is called directional transition? The gray cat put on a teaching appearance and drew a circle on the ground with its paw, This is the elemental composition of my current form. It drew another circle, This is the elemental composition of my other form. Then it marked the center of the two circles with a bidirectional arrow, This is the so-called directional transition. Cillin said disappointedly, So turning into gold is impossible. The grey mouths ears flicked backwards in depression. Suddenly, it felt that it was scorned to the point of utter uselessness. Never mind, I suppose this will have to do. Just follow me for now and repay your debt slowly. This way you may yet run into something like that white ball again and improve your constitution. Plus, if you come with me you wont have to worry about being sold to research institutes, lying on operation tables and be dissected into tiny parts by crazy researchers seeking to uncover your secrets. The gray cat that was about to object to the first half of Cillins words immediately turned meek the instant it heard the latter half. In truth, it wasnt that bad after it thought over the situation. Its just a few hundred million GAL credits; a few valuable alien beasts later and its debt would be settled right away. It didnt take long before the gray cat realized that it was too naive. Translators Note: AND IT CAN TAKE A BULLET TO THE HEAD! Oh, and owe several hundred millions of credits. You think thats it? THERES MORE! It can also Chaper 88: Wheeze Chaper 88: Wheeze Cillin took out a stack of dark gold-colored things from his backpack and began writing on it. The gray cat lay on the side and watched, its tail swaying leisurely from side to side. It knew GALs common language, and the word Bill was clearly written on the stack of dark gold things. Therefore, when Cillin took out this item the gray cat looked very disdainful. Its only a couple hundred million credits, and It wasnt going to renege on its debt at all. So was it seriously necessary to do this? Whats your name? Cillin asked. He couldnt exactly write gray cat on the bill, could he? Whebeze. Hah? Whebeze. Its this Sectors native language, and one of the very first languages that I came in contact with. Whebeze means overlord. Originally, there were no humans on this planet, and the very first humans who came here were none other than the humans of the planets belonging Sector, Sector T. Later on, there were people from other Sectors who came here as well. In the end, everyone used the GALs common language, which was why the gray cat learned the lingua franca later on. Nuo, Im done writing. Have a look and see if everythings proper? If it is then you can sign it or slap a paw print is fine too. Cillin passed the written bill to the gray cat for viewing. The gray cat glanced at the number Cillin had written C five hundred million credits C and thought nothing of it. Without giving it a second glance it raised its paw and slapped a print on the bill straight away. Heh, were done. Every bill has two copies; one for you and one for me. This is just in case one side refuses to acknowledge the promise. Cillin passed a copy to the gray cat, but it simply swallowed it in one gulp. The gray cat raised its butt, stretched its back and shook its fur before saying, We can leave now, right? Wait a second, theres something that I must clarify with you first. Cillin put the bill safely away before staring seriously at the gray cat. What is it? The gray cat asked lazily. I am now a member of a Hunter regiment. If you wish to come with me, then it will be not as a member of the Hunter regiment, but as the party who owes us money. In short, Im the creditor and youre the debt slave. Debt slave? Thats so vulgar. The gray cat flicked its ears and said. A pet then, to disguise your identity. Pet? I am the magnificent A debt slave then. Fine, a pet. But lets be clear: once I paid my debts I am neither a pet nor a debt slave any longer! Of course. You should be proud to have me as a pet. To think that I, a magnificent C er, by your terms it will be C cyborg am treated as a mere pet. Do you know that Im Blah blah blah the gray cat began advertising exactly how special, smart and tough of an existence it was. Through the cats incessant prattle, Cillin knew that the cat would often hang around the base after the humans had built it on this planet. Through those experiences it learned the GAL language, learned how to memorise a given year, eavesdropped on the humans development plan for this planet, imitated the humans weapons The cat was very proud because of these achievements. No matter how you looked at it it was gifted, outstandingly capable, and a self-made genius. Cillin shook his head and ignored the fellow who was busy sublimating its ego. He took out the hoverboard from his backpack, extended it, activated it and left. Hey, wait for me! The gray cat limbs pushed, and it quickly caught the backside of the hoverboard with its claws and jumped right onto it. Then it lay on top of the hoverboard and watched the ground growing further and further away, its bright round eyes full of excitement. Remember not to tell anyone that youre a cyborg and save yourself some trouble. Yep yep, gotcha gotcha. The gray cat knew that a humans madness was difficult to imagine, and that it really wasnt easy to find one that was actually reliable. That was why it had not revealed its existence to the humans for so many years. When Cillin found Dias and the others, they were almost finished with their tasks already. At the time the communicator could not be used, and the polar bears were all lying flat on the ground. Although Dias was feeling uncomfortable at the time, he also knew that it was a golden opportunity to take down the bears, and indeed it didnt take them much effort before they dealt with all of them. Tang Qiuqiu was currently grabbing Ba Daos (T/N: In case anyone forgot, this is Eight Claws) tallest arm and swinging herself off it. Ba Dao used only two hands to process the animal skins while he allowed Tang Qiuqiu to play with his remaining four arms however she wanted to. When she saw Cillin walking towards their direction, Tang Qiuqiu put some strength into her arms and threw herself into the air, flipping once before landing gracefully on the ground. Really, Brother Cillin! You came only after were finished the mission! Cillin smiled and patted Tang Qiuqius head, purposely making a mess out of her short hair. Tang Qiuqiu did not turn angry either as she gripped Cillins patting hand and giggled out loud. How many polar bears did you catch? Cillin asked. We got seven in total. I took down one of them myself! No wonder shes so happy! When these polar bears stood up, they were more than seven meters tall. It would be an impressive feat for anyone to hunt down such a beast, much less a child at Tang Qiuqius age. Not bad at all. Great job! Not far away, Eudy, Xiao Shang and the others were all staring at Cillin in amazement. He really did switch into a new skin! Not only could they not recognise him, even his physical body had become more robust. He no longer looked as thin as he was before. The gray cat was very dissatisfied by the fact that it was ignored. It jumped right off the hoverboard and walked with graceful steps towards the side to watch the men process the white bears. It ate so many of this kind of polar bears that it lost count already; it was a number no less than the amount of polar bears the Hunters hunted every time the planet was opened for hunting. It didnt know that their skin could be sold for money as well. Sigh, it would have to pay attention in the future. It would separate those that could be sold for money first, then eat the rest of the meat. Eh, a cat! Brother Cillin, where did you find it? Tang Qiuqiu stared at the gray cat strolling leisurely on the field and asked. I picked it up somewhere. Why did you pick up a cat for, and a young cat no less. Just look at its size, it probably wont live for a long time if you left it in the forest. You went out for a stroll just to pick up this little cat? Cary said. Hearing Carys words, the gray cat turned around and very disdainfully looked down on him. Yo, that cat actually looked down on me, it totally looked down on me just now didnt it? Cary cried out as if he had discovered another chameleon that was like Dough. Oh wow, its true! Brother Cillin, whats its name? Tang Qiuqiu asked. Whebeze, or in short, Wheeze. Hearing Cillins words, the gray cat who was watching rather interestedly at Cary and Dias skinning the polar bears felt rather dissatisfied. But seeing as Cillin was his creditor, the gray cat decided not to bicker with him over the matter. Hehe, its so cute. Tang Qiuqiu laughed. Cute? This gloomy and dull color is ugly as hell. The second it heard Cillins words, the gray cat puffed up again, Youre the ugly! Your entire being is ugly! Cary, who was skinning the bears accidentally dropped his knife and nearly cut his own hand. Oh my god, this fellow can actually speak! Not bad, it can definitely fetch a good price. Its not for sale! Its not for sale. Cillin looked at Tang Qiuqiu. She was the one who said its not for sale unanimously with him. Those polar bears are enough already to sell for money. Well keep it as a friend for Dough! Tang Qiuqiu did seem treasure the gray cat quite a bit. Dias waved his hands, Alright, lets finish our work first. Our guys at the main ship are urging us to speed up already. Well be doing a big one after were done with these goods. A big one? Carys eyes lit up, Boss, is it time for our five-year mission already? The Sixth Squad had a rule where every member was required to perform a major mission that might take half a year or a year, or four to five years if not longer. If they managed to complete it in a short time, then they would have a long period of holiday, or else vice versa. The purpose of the so-called five-year mission was also to report their achievements to the A Squad of Vanguard. If they did not have anything to show, then their squads status in the entire Vanguard would fall. On the other hand, if their achievements were impressive, then their squads status would rise. Chapter 89: Parasite Chapter 89: Parasite The five-year mission was a standard to measure a squadrons overall strength and state of development. It could bring a squadron to the top and turn them into the limelight of the entire GAL, and it could turn a squadron into the worlds object of ridicule as well. This was also the second time Shawton would be performing his five-year mission after he became the Sixth B Squadrons commander. His previous missions performance was neither good nor bad either. It did not make him famous or notorious, but at the least it proved his ability as the commander of the Sixth B Squadron. A five-year mission was a very difficult task to accomplish, this much was certain. They might be met with unprecedented crisis, and no one, not even the commander or the lieutenant commander could guarantee that they would survive a five-year mission intact and unharmed. To lose one portion of men and temper the other portion, was the Hunter regiments way to continuously temper and grow themselves. The Hunters were used to dancing on the edge of life and death all year round, and it was exactly because they had gotten used to such an exciting and adventurous life that they felt neither nervous nor panic when they heard that there would be a dangerous mission, but near intolerable excitement instead. The veteran Hunters were especially so. After acquiring Dias affirmation, Cary and the others cheered. They werent able to get much experience during the last five-year mission, and they didnt get much of a kick just following their seniors lead either. This time, they must absolutely enjoy the five-year mission to the fullest! When Cary and the others thought up to this point, they began to work faster as well. Cillin joined them in their work, while Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat crouched at Cillins left and right side to watch the processing of the spoils. Seeing that the gray cat was so engrossed at the sight that it did not even blink, Tang Qiuqiu asked, Wheeze, are you interested in this? Call me Whebeze! The gray cat was very dissatisfied. But Wheeze sounds cordial. Cordial? The gray cat immediately felt elated and did not fuss over Tang Qiuqius way of addressing it any longer. However, it did not mention that it owed Cillin money; it was just too embarrassing to admit that it was a debt slave or something. After they were finished processing the polar bears, the group returned to their temporary base, tidied things up and flew back to their starship parked at the space station on their aircrafts. The gray cat walked here and there around the starship with a straight tail as if it was patrolling its own territory. Dough followed behind the gray cat eagerly, excited that it had finally met another kind like his own that was not a human on the starship. If it got into trouble in the future, at the least it would have someone to share its fate with. Although the five-year mission had not started yet, the people aboard the starship did not turn idle. They had to examine their food supply, energy supply, weapons and equipment, and inspect the starship itself carefully to see if there were any aged parts that needed to be changed. Since theyre gunning for a big one, then they must not allow any slip-ups to occur. The devil is in the details after all. Cillin and the team members responsible for engineering on the starship inspected the ship together. The engineering person-in-charge, Enji, was also an Octopus human. The difference between him and Ba Dao lay in their physique, where Ba Dao was robust and Enji was thin. Although an Octopus humans incredible height was evident, in terms of actual weight, Enji might not even compare to Cillin. There were plenty of people like Enji. They belonged under the support division, and they would not fight at the frontlines of combat. Of course, a technician who could work long in a Hunters regiment could not be a common person, and at the least they would not be lacking in the courage department. If there was a need, they could pick up a gun and rush to the battlefield all the same. While servicing, Enji and Cillin exchanged insights with each other. Enji very much admired the young Cillin. Although Cillin was young, he had genuine ability and knowledge, and he was able to identify the critical areas of certain machines structure with a single glance. Moreover, Cillin was able to accept opinions and suggestions with modesty, which was a very admirable trait for someone his age. All six of Enjis arms worked non-stop; holding tools, parts and apparatuses with each hand. Cillin was making records at the side. Alright, were done with the servicing of this area. Lets rest for a bit before we move to the next area. Enji accepted the water Cillin passed over to him and drank two full gulps. After a short breath, he looked at Cillins log. Very good, this is a very professional log. Enji did not save his praises as he opened a chair and sat down, putting the tools one by one back into the toolbox. Big brother Enji, whats that? Cillin pointed at a small reddish brown crystalline block inside Enjis toolbox and asked. Oh, this. Enji smiled and picked up the small block before passing it over to Cillin, Look at it carefully and see if you can guess what it is. Cillin accepted the small crystalline block. The entire block was only half a thumbs size. Resin? Cillin could differentiate the items main composition, and at the same time he also noticed that there was an organism trapped inside it. Its length was less than a centimeter, and its body was semicircular in shape. It had a pair of ambulatory legs and many chelipeds. It looked rather sinister, Ive never seen such an organism. There are all sorts of life in the universe, and it is natural that you havent seen this before. Enji smiled and said, Can you guess how I got it? Cillin shook his head. Although there were plenty of organisms which living environment could be deduced from their physique alone, there were even more that was beyond his imagination. Cillins instinct told him that this organism trapped inside the resin was no simple thing. Enji chuckled gently and took back the small reddish brown block. As his fingers rubbed across the objects surface, he sighed, This is a parasite! A parasite?! Cillin knew what Enji said was not the kind of parasite that lives inside a humans body, but the kind that lives on starships and vehicles that could traverse through the universe. Yep. This is something that we give special attention to every time we service the ship. We have to inspect from time to time during long flights, and if a parasite was discovered, then we must either eliminate them in time or face endless troubles. They may be tiny, but this wee bit alone can potentially destroy an entire starship. They can endure cosmic rays and vacuum environment as they clamped themselves tightly onto an aircraft. Moreover, most of the substances they secrete can erode an aircraft too. Although it isnt visible at first, if the erosion continues for too long and isnt found out in time, then it will be too late. Do you know what happens when a hole suddenly appears on a starship in flight, and it isnt fixed in time? Cillin shivered subconsciously. Scary. Thats not all. They may damage certain critical areas of the starship as well. Be it the weapons system, the energy delivery tubes, or some interface ports, they are all potential parasite habitats. There are all kinds of parasites in the universe, and they all have a preferred environment of their own. Some parasites love places with high amounts of energy, and some love places with a lot of oxygen. In summary, what we need to do is to inspect the whole ship periodically to prevent any potential concerns. Enji tossed the small block in his hand to the air before catching it again, Every time we perform an inspection, we will prepare an embed fluid so we can embed these tiny parasites in them. They look just like amber, and they can also be sold for a high price to researchers or hobbyists during the aftermath of a mission. There are plenty of people who likes to collect cosmos parasites, and to a certain extent, these cosmos parasites are something that can only be found serendipitously. It is during the last five-year mission that I got this parasite; sold one and kept this other one to myself as a souvenir. If youre interested, Ill call you to have a look if I find and clean up any parasites in the future. Thats great. Thank you very much, big brother Enji! Theres no need to be so courteous, kid! Come, lets go service the next area. After Cillin was done servicing the ship with Enji, Cillin got ready to return to the lounge and lay down for a bit. But before he managed to take a few steps, he abruptly heard Carys roar. Cillin, look at your cats handiwork! Chapter 90: The Two Pets And Their Misdeeds Chapter 90: The Two Pets And Their Misdeeds Facing the storage cabinet inside his room, Cary looked so angry that his complexion was ashen from anger. Eudy was already there, dressed in a strawberry pajamas a pair of fluffy slippers, whereas Cillin was just coming around. He pointed a shaky finger at the near empty storage cabinet and said to the duo, The two of you must take responsibility for the wicked behavior of your pets! Cillin cast a glance at the storage cabinet and thought, wow, they sure cleaned it up real good. No wonder Cary was so angry. Eudy let out a yawn and said without the slightest bit of guilt, I told you long ago that you should lock your food cabinet. You have no one but yourself to blame for the consequence. So youre saying that this is justified?! Cary was so pissed that his eyebrows were about to turn into straight, vertical lines, I did! And the door? He didnt lock the door. The second he saw Carys constipated look, Eudy knew that he must have forgotten to lock the door again. Eudy said lazily, How many times has it been already? I can only say that youre stupid, without an ounce of alertness in you at all. Y-you you! It was all Cary could do not to grab his hammer and swing it at Eudys direction. How dare you even say this when your damn chameleon raided my food for god knows how many times already! Its just a chameleon, and yet its as sly as a spirit. Just what kind of chameleon knows how to disguise its own toeprints and use a decoder! The moment he thought of this, Cary grew sulky with anger. And you, Cillin, listen to this! Cary pressed the communicator in his hands, and a sound recording was played from the device. Cary had it installed on the lock, and the second the cabinet was unlocked it would begin recording automatically on its own. Some sneaking sounds later, two different rhythms of food chewing sounds could be heard through the device. Eudys Dough had a specific chewing frequency that Cary was extremely familiar with. He could even hear the sound of that damnable chameleon sucking at his food with its tongue. It must be said that Dough was a freak among its kind. Its diet was incredibly varied; capable of eating vegetables, consuming meat, swig wine and quaffle fruit juice. Its not actually a chameleon but some fucking demon from someplace, isnt it?! It was no wonder the first Dias inquired Dough after a greeting, when Cillin boarded the starship for the first time was about the bad things it did. Again. Since Doughs feeding sound had been identified, then the other sound should be the gray cats. Meow~ The pleased meow after a heartfelt meal caused blue veins to pop out of Carys temples. His heart was bleeding; my hardtacks, my jerkies, my fruit pies Cillin felt the corner of his eyes twitching rapidly at the meow. What the hell was that meow for! If you want to do bad things at least do them sneakily, or are you afraid that no one realizes that youre the only cat on the whole ship? Sigh, thats enough. I get it. Cillin patted Carys shoulder, When we meet up with the commander, well stock up some food together. I guarantee that your cabinet will be filled to the brim. As for that cat, just think of this as a treat to celebrate your first meeting or something. Who knows, maybe itll repay your kindness today by saving your life when youre in danger. That cat? That kitten that hasnt even fully grown up yet? Dont judge a cat by its appearance, mate, that little fellow is plenty formidable. Cary fell silent for a moment before waving his hands, Get out of my sight already, you two. Im going to change the lock! Eudy, tell your Dough that it better hide itself well and dont let me catch it or else! Previously, Cary still used fingerprint recognition on his cabinet, but after that shameful chameleon stole his fingerprints, Cary had since reflected upon his mistakes. It was just fingerprints after all; where in the entire ship could it not find such a thing? After mingling around Beaver and Eudy for such a long time the chameleon was used to doing such things, which was why Carys locks had only gotten more and more complicated, with the sole purpose of keeping that gluttonous chameleon away. Somewhere on the ship. The gray cat licked its claws and wiped its face, extending a tongue to lick the corner of its mouth before looking at Dough, Are there any food stains left on my face? Dough shook its head. Thats good then. Hehe, its not bad to eat something else for a change. The gray cat was very satisfied. Dough grinned. Finally, it had a partner in crime whom it could pilfer food with. Doughs nest was inside Eudys room. It was a lush little tree that was only half a man tall but was rich with branches and leaves. Dough loved to sleep on top of the tree. To sleep after it filled its belly was Doughs self-consciousness as an animal. However, its footsteps were a little meandering. After all, it had committed a misdeed again. Arriving at Eudys front door, Dough lifted its front limb to press a button and opened a small hole. Dough stretched out its tongue into the hole, and after its tongue was scanned, a little door opened with a beep sound. Dough climbed in, and just as its front limbs hit the ground, it raised its head and immediately saw Eudy waiting for it. What are you waiting for? Close the door. I have something to ask you. Eudys voice sounded unhurried. Dough entered slowly, and even after the little door had closed, it continued to stick against the wall, eyes looking everywhere else but Eudy. Cary found you out again when you pilfered his food. Dough froze, and lowered its head. Next time, dont forget to check if anything was installed on the lock before unlocking it. After a pause, Eudy continued, Youre not the one who unlocked Carys cabinet, are you? I remember that Cary purposely switched to a multiple encryption lock last time, and I havent taught you how to decrypt that kind of lock yet. Dough nodded. How did it open it? Eudy took out an electronic drawboard. Dough self-consciously walked over and began drawing on the drawboard with all four limbs. It was incredibly difficult to imagine that a chameleon could use its limbs this flexibly. Looking at the drawing on the drawing board, Eudys eyes flashed once before he smiled, Get along better with that cat in the future. Youll benefit a lot. Dough nodded repeatedly. Alright, get out yourself and find another place to sleep. Youre not allowed to sleep in your nest tonight. Cary told you to hide better and dont let him catch you. Eudy put away the drawing board and no longer looked at Dough, lying back on the bed to sleep. He was woken up by Cary before he managed to get a good sleep in today. Dough looked miserably at his own little green nest before climbing out of the little door again. He would have to find some other place to sleep again today. Dammit, lets go find that cat. At least there would be someone to share the punishment with if Cary caught me. The fact was the gray cat didnt fare much better than Dough either. It was given an earful by Cillin, and it had a new debt and a favor registered into the books. However, its gloom lasted for only a moment before it curled itself into a ball and snored soundly. This time, the Sixth Squads objective was Sector Z. It was also one of the three most dangerous Sectors that was yet to be developed by GAL. There were very few official star map publication of Sector Z, and they were mostly of the outermost zones only. Sector Z was a dark triangular shape on the overall GAL map. The darkness meant that it wasnt developed yet, and since it was triangular in shape, it was also called the Dark Triangle. Of course, this was just the official statement. If a Hunter regiment had explored an area on their own, then the star map was either sold for a high price, or kept to themselves. Normally, such dealings and discoveries would not be announced to the public unless something unusual happened. If a Hunter regiment could discover a habitable planet, then the discovery that would gain them both fame and fortune. GAL had established the relevant policies since a long time ago, and their course of action for any habitable planets discovered in an undeveloped Sector was to reward the Hunter regiment that unearthed it with a huge sum of bounty. At the same time, the electronic magazines with high contribution points would also report the news and increase the Hunter regiments fame. Some would even allow the Hunter regiment the chance to name the planet themselves. The reason the four great Hunter regiments were so famous was exactly because they appeared frequently enough on these magazines to eclipse any other Hunter regiments. Shawtons choice of Sector Z was made after careful deliberations, and the votes of the six lieutenant commanders by show of hands. If they wanted to increase their influence now, then they would have to have something to show for it. Excluding the unearthing of habitable planets, the places left that were truly valuable would be those areas that had yet to be explored. Danger and fortune are two sides of the same coin. Chapter 91: Secrets Chapter 91: Secrets When Cillin and the others arrived at the rendezvous point designated by Shawton, the rest of the five B Squadrons were already there. After linking the starship with the Sixth Squadrons main starship, the spoils of the hunt were reported and traded with the buyers who had been communicated with beforehand. But those jobs did not require Cillin to do anything. Right now, he was sitting inside the room and reading a book. It was a book he borrowed from Enji about cosmos parasite. There were plenty of information inside that could not be found on the federal network, and the average electronic magazines would not log such information too extensively. Some of the information that was truly useful was locked behind reading privileges. With his current identity as a Hunter, Cillin was not allowed to read through those official documents. Hunters kept their stuff for their own people, and would not easily publish them. This book in Cillins hands right now was just that something that belonged and was known only to Vanguard. The book was more like a journal; a journal where the recorder would jot down every line with his pen. Although it wasnt the original, every other copy was copied to be exactly the same. Therefore, Cillin was able to make out the writers feelings at the time through his handwriting. The person who wrote this journal was called Chamonidine. However, Enji only told him that the journal was something left behind by a senior who had passed away, and did not explain more than necessary about the person named Chamonidine. Still, from the recorded content, Cillin could guess more or less the persons identity. From some of the contents recorded inside the journal, Cillin knew that Chamonidine was someone from the Third B Squadron. Moreover, he was probably an engineering technician aboard a starship just like Enji. However, his status was higher than Enji, and since Chamonidine had brought up the Third B Squadrons commander Nata quite a number of times, it would seem that his relationship with Nata was pretty good. The problem was that the current commander of the Third B Squadron wasnt called Nata, but Falvey. That being said, forty seven years were enough for the common people to welcome a new generation already. From the ephemeris time (ET) recorded in it, this journal had existed for quite some time already. The final record was made forty seven years ago, and there was nothing else beyond that. There were a lot of pictures in the journal, and they were all depictions of the parasites Chamonidine encountered when he was in the Third B Squadron. Moreover, there were labels and explanations beneath the pictures, definitions regarding the parasites partial habits, fondness for certain things and more. While Cillin read, the doorbell of his room rang up. From the display, he could see that it was none other than Cary, whom he hadnt seen for more than half the day. Although he was waiting outside the door, Cary looked like he was filled with excitement. What, did you win a lottery? You look so cheerful. Cillin shut his book and said to Cary walking into his room. Hehe, I have something to show you! Cary took out his tablet, and even brought up a 3D hologram on purpose. Look, its our new equipment! Dont you think its just overflowing with power? The commander sure spared no effort this time around! Cillin was astonished just looking at those images alone. The batch of weapons were plenty and varied ranging from equipment to firearms, and although there were plenty of strange and weird weapons that he did not recognize among them, he knew that they cost a lot judging just from the ion guns and shoulder rifles alone. Cary pointed at one of the wrist blades and said secretively, Do you know how much this wrist blade costs? What material is it made of? I dont know, but I asked the lieutenant earlier, and he gave me this number. Cary showed five fingers. Fifty thousand? Five hundred thousand! He was well and truly astonished alright. Cillin had thought all this time that he was more or less well-off, but this new revelation was truly a blow to the gut. This work truly is a money burning business! Seeing Cillins expression, Cary said, You didnt really think that those lousy guns we use to hunt down the polar bears are enough to make it through a five-year mission, did you? Space exploration is a money burning business in the first place, and if your equipment isnt good enough, then there wont be nearly enough lives to fill the void. I remember that during the previous five-year mission, I was fighting an alien lifeform; and that thing kneaded my high density alloy knife into a ball like it was mud. I nearly lost my life then. Cary dragged over a chair and sat down, Before I became a Hunter, I saw everything through a lens of naivety. It was only when I truly became one that I knew how stupid I was being at the time. Lady luck isnt always going to bless you, and good fortune isnt something youre always going to pick off the road. Using the Commanders words, weve got to be pragmatic, and the build up of confidence needs the investment of capital. Therefore, the random missions we perform usually were all in preparation for the five-year mission. Cillin agreed with Carys words. Several hundred millions of credits might seem a lot, but when the money was actually invested in high level missions, they would be gone in a flash. This was just like the achievements published in Glory and Code, they were all the products of countless of people, lives of test subjects, and money. Where else would their illustrious success, capable of influencing the entire GAL come otherwise? This included the maker of the chip, Horay as well. He might not necessarily have spent much money, but he must have sacrificed the lives of many for his experiment. Cillin could still remember those failed human test subjects who were preserved in liquid like specimens in Horays laboratory. Looking around Cillins room, Cary asked, Wheres that damned cat of yours? Its gone patrolling its domain. That fellow would patrol the whole starship once every day, obviously having partitioned the place as its own territory. Dough had joined in the fun as well. However, Cillin forbad the gray cat from entering any other starships. It was only allowed to move about their own. Right, Cary. Do you recognise Chamonidine? Chamonidine? Cary frowned in ponderment before shaking his head, Never heard of him. How about Nata? Nata I think I heard of him before. Oh, you mean the Third Squads commander Falveys daddy! Nata is the previous Third Squad commander, but more than forty years ago At this point Cary paused and scratched his head, Cillin, some things arent easy to talk about. Cillin waved his hand, Its okay, I was just curious and thought that Id ask. This journal was written by Chamonidine, and Chamonidine was once a member of the Third Squad. But big brother Enji said that senior Chamonidine had passed away a long time ago, and the final record in this book was from forty seven years ago. Forty seven years ago, huh. There were plenty of legends who passed away that year Sigh. Even I heard only a short word or two. If the commander himself doesnt talk about it, then its best if we talk less as well. Do you know that that years incident affected a lot of people? It was just too complicated. The four great Hunter regiments, the army, and some political figures were involved as well. Alright, I understand. He said that, but in truth Cillin was very curious about the incident from forty seven years ago inside. After all, he had never heard anything about that years incident up to this day. That being said, it was one thing to think about it, and another to show it on the surface. Okay. Im just here to tell you that we got some new stuff. We frontline combatants have the first right to the goods, although there is a limit of course. Im sending you the information, and take your time to think through which one youd like to pick up first. The lieutenant and the others should be done with their meeting and returning pretty soon. Once theyre back, we will depart for Sector Z. This time we must put on a good show! Cary did not leave for long before Dias came back from his meeting and notified the squads members to gather over, instructing on the relevant matters. Once he was finished, everyone returned to their respective positions. Although they were currently connected the A Squadrons big starship and thus did not need to perform additional piloting, it was still necessary to pay attention to some details and be ready for any emergencies at a moments notice. Amidst the Vanguards theme music, the giant starship branded with the Vanguards symbol left the Sector and flew towards their current destination: the Black Triangle, Sector Z. Chapter 92: Operation Begin Chapter 92: Operation Begin Sector Z might be called the Black Triangle, but it wasnt really completely black. It was marked black on GALs star map simply because it was an undeveloped zone. Cary looked at the screen displaying the outside sceneries and mumbled to himself, This place seriously does not resemble its name. Not unlike the other Sectors, the scenery outside the starship was filled with glittering stars. However, according to their knowledge, the life forms in this Sector were incredibly dangerous, and magnetic anomalies happened frequently as well. There were small teams made up of specialized personnel on the main starship that were responsible for scanning and probing. Going by the standard rules, theyd have to probe at least ten planets whenever they reached an undeveloped zone, or the Vanguard would lose face otherwise. The outer zones of Sector Z had already been explored, and some of these explorations were carried out by the Vanguard themselves. However, no Hunter regiment would explore and calculate the statistical data of more than a specific number of planets each time. Probing too many planets in one go was inadvisable. Exploration did not equal giving up ones lives, and it was fine to perform within ones capabilities. At the very least, one must recognise their own limits. After roughly looking through the star map, Shawton selected a course. The course went into Sector Z at a certain angle, but not too deeply. Steps should be taken one by one. The partial results of the probing team would transmitted to the six B Squadrons connected to the main ship at the same time. Cary sighed as he watched the data displayed on the screen. This was the third planet theyd probed after arriving at Sector Z. There was one planet at Rank C planetary habitability, and two planets at Rank D. The so-called planetary habitability referred to the measure of a planets habitability to human life. Normally, it was divided into four ranks of A, B, C and D. Rank A meant that the planet was extremely suitable for human life, and if such a planet was discovered, then the Sixth Squad would immediately rise to fame and be rewarded with a huge sum of wealth. Rank B planets were just okay. The planets condition could not be considered great, but it was still sufficient to make do. But while many Rank B planets were not very suited for human life, they were suited for other life forms. Therefore, many great families would purchase such planets specifically for breeding purposes. Rank C meant that a planet was unsuitable for living. Its environmental conditions would not allow human beings to live naturally on it for a prolonged period of time. Rank D meant that the planet was extremely unsuited for human beings to live in. It was not a problem of time, and simply that humans could not live naturally on such a planet at all. If the planetary habitability of a planet was rank D, then all they needed to do was to send out probes to search and collect samples, record parameters and coordinates etc. However, these were the technicians jobs and had nothing to do with Cary whatsoever. But if the planetary habitability was Rank C, then it would not be just the probes work. It would also involved the dispatchment of operation teams to search, explore, collect live specimens and sort out the evolution of life on the planet. When Cary heard that one of the planets was Rank C, he immediately jumped to his feet and got ready to grab his weapons. But contrary to his expectations, Shawton had sent another small team down the surface to conduct the operation instead. The team did not discover much at all on the planet, and the evolutionary grade of its life forms were relatively low as well. There wasnt even a single high grade plant to be found. Still, Cary was bored out of his wits and wouldnt mind taking his mind off on a simple stroll. In boredom, Cary glanced at Dough who was rolling on the floor with the gray cat. He chuckled and grabbed Doughs tail before it sensed the danger, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it against the wall like a ball. He grabbed Dough when it bounced off the wall, tossed it again, then grabbed it again when it bounced back. The gray cats eyes turned round with widened pupils when it saw this. Its head followed Doughs trajectory, and it jumped right before Dough hits the wall and, smack! Not bad. I guess you have some use beyond eating and sleeping after all. As he said this, Cary tossed Dough, who had bounced back to his hand at the wall from a different angle this time, but it was smacked right back by the cat again. He switched a tossing angle, and was return served by the cat right away. He switched again, and it was returned just the same The one man and one cat had quite a lot of fun playing. Attention to all teams, a planet at planetary habitability Rank B has been discovered. All teams be prepared! Pak! Dough smacked against the wall. It was no longer being smacked around since both Cary and the gray cats attentions were drawn to the news. Everyone was gathered in front of the screens closest to their positions. The screens were displaying the results of the probing and analysis teams findings. Low atmospheric pressure and PO2, slightly strong radiation hey this is just fine really; it shouldnt be a problem even without protective suits! Cary stared at the monitor and said excitedly. A planet at planetary habitability Rank B wasnt easy to discover, and a Rank C planet was already enough to excite Cary for half a day. A Rank C planet normally required only the dispatchment of one team. However, a Rank B planet normally required the dispatchment of all available teams. The group began preparing themselves with the information gleaned from the images, and the analysed data and a variety of parameters transmitted back by the probes. Each of the six B Squadrons must first send a vanguard to head out. Seeing that Cillin, Xiao Shang, Ba Dao and Cary were all in the vanguard team, Tang Qiuqiu wanted to follow them as well.But Dias turned down her request and put her in the second team to be dispatched to the planet instead. A Rank B planet meant that there were plenty of life forms around, and no matter what evolutionary grade they were at, no matter how similar they were to humans, and no matter what level of civilisation they were at, the living beings on this planet could not be underestimated! Even plants had a time at which they preyed on human flesh. Tang Qiuqiu was young after all, and her adventure experience was absolutely incomparable to the others. Therefore, for her own safety, Dias turned down Tang Qiuiqus request to join the vanguard team. Seeing that Cary and the others had left, Dough slowly crawled beneath Eudys feet with a heavily injured appearance. It hugged Eudys trouser leg and looked incredibly wronged. It wanted to make an appeal; it was tortured! Eudy sipped his cup of tea calmly, You can rob Carys cabinet today. Dough, who was just looking weak and depressed immediately turned as excited as a chameleon on chicken blood*. It turned its head and immediately ran towards Carys room, crawling ridiculously quick without a hint of the injured look from before. *An ancient Chinese pseudo-medical therapy On the other side. The gray cat most naturally followed Cillin into the aircraft, and when Cary saw it, he touched the gray cat with his gun and asked, What are you following us for? The gray cat answered with a matter-of-fact look and expectation, Of course Im out here to hunt for food. Cary choked before asking Cillin, Cillin, arent you worried that this little thing might run into trouble? Cillin swept a glance at the gray cat at his feet shaking its head rhythmically in self-narcissism and said, It may not necessarily do worse than you. Yeah, I may not necessarily do worse than you. The gray cat answered. Yeah, no! Dont think I cant hear that disdain in your tone just because you switched a word order! Cary knocked the gray cats head once with his gun, I heard that cats and tigers are of the same ancestry. Were about to set off, so why dont you give us a loud and domineering roar to boost our morale. Cary was thinking of cracking down on this gluttonous and lazy cat, but contrary to his expectations, the gray cat really did open its mouth. Remember that were on an aircraft. Cillin reminded it. The gray cats widening mouth paused for a moment, and adjusted itself for a moment. Then it drew in a deep breath and, ROAR! The communicators of all six vanguard teams in the six aircrafts were all on. The main ships communication channel was open as well. And so, a sudden roar that was like a giant, prehistoric beasts blew everyone out of their minds. The aircraft Cillin and the others were in even drew an S shape flight path in the air. The pilot was so shocked just now he nearly leaped off his seat. Is that a beast roar? But wheres the beast then? Is it a sound effect purposely played for the occasion? Dias, whats going on?! On the main ship, Shawton immediately shouted at Dias. Ahem, uh, its just one of our team members letting out a roar to well, boost morale Dias wiped his sweat and stared at the slightly dazed Cary and the gray cat that was licking its paws nonchalantly after the roar, thinking, this is truly our teams cat alright. The six aircrafts that had flown out of the starship were headed towards six separate locations on the relatively green colored planet upfront. After scanning the terrain and confirming the landing spot, the aircraft descended and activated its defense system. The Sentry were released and scattered around the aircraft in a regular pattern. The hatch opened after safety had been confirmed, and the first one to come out wasnt the lieutenant commander Dias, but the gray cat. The gray cat jumped out impatiently as it twitched its nose and sucked in a deep breath, letting out a deep sigh, The smell of food! Then it moved all four limbs and ran off. Ignore it. We do what we came here to do. Cillin said. Dias nodded. Since they had split the task earlier on the starship already, there was no need to any additional explanation, Begin the op. Everyone wore protective suits and masks on their faces. Other than shielding radiation, resisting pressure, and maintaining constant body temperature, the main purpose of the protective suit was to prevent direct contact with poisonous plants. Since this was an unknown planet with unknown species on it, it was necessary to take every precaution. The protective suit was equipped with weapons, and everyones rig was different from the other. They were chosen and arranged in a way that was most familiar and convenient to the user. The masks were equipped with a scanner that had zoom-in, filter, lock-on and more options. They provided many kinds of vision while enabling the user to lock onto their targets. Such equipment did cost a lot of money, and it also proved the words Cary had said earlier that this was a money burning business. Chapter 93: Jungle Hazard Chapter 93: Jungle Hazard Although the probes and the six small teams scattered at every location did not find anything resembling a machine civilization, everyone still armed themselves to their teeths. Sometimes, the native plants and animals were even more difficult to deal with than machines. Cillins group was led by Dias as they walked into the woods. The reason this planet looked green was because it had a lot of jungles. Its trees were lush and plenty, and there were a lot of new breeds that had never been seen before. The collection and analysis of the plant species would be completed by the probes, whereas Cillins group would gather data on the animals in accordance with the situation. Even if it was just data, as long as the species was new and special, their data would be worth a lot of money. The results of their sensors work would be displayed onto their masks. The surrounding humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure etc would all be displayed. Birds flew across the sky above the jungles. Their speed was very quick, and through instant image capture they could see that these birds were similar to eagles with some minor differences. Moreover, their cries were occasionally high or low-pitched, sharp or deep, long or short. While stepping on a thick floor of leaves, the group carefully proceeded forwards. Cillin loosened the mask on his face and inhaled once the air around him, identifying the scent mixed within the air. The tree species in this jungle was a kind of tree with recognisable trunks that had never been seen before. Dias chopped down one of these trees that grew better than the others and found that its hardness was pretty impressive. They should be pretty suitable for certain manufacturing industry. From its exposed stump, they could see its rings and determine its age, which were densely packed with not much space in between each ring. Dias sent a picture of the tree rings of the exposed stump to the aircraft, which was then sent again by the people of the aircraft to the starship outside the planet. There would be professionals who would collect, sort and analyse these data. Yo, the flower on that tree sure is pretty. Someone said. Not far away there was a tree that wasnt too tall, but was pretty thick. Its diameter was around five meters, but its trunk was about one meter wide. It had plenty of branches that were spread on two sides like stretched wings. Its leaves were very thick, and there were rows of dark brown spots that were aligned vertically on its main trunk. Whats strange was that there were some vine-like plants above the trunk. One end of these vines were connected to the tree, whereas the other end was connected to a large number of colorful red and white flowers. The red and white petals were arranged in a way that looked like a layer of thin scales. The sporadic rays of light scattered by the thickets fell onto the flowers and were reflected by these scales, twinkling like the brilliant starlights of the universe. A person would feel the impulse to pluck them just from their appearance alone. While sniffing the air, Cillin sensed that there was also an enticing, slightly sweet scent in the air. Without a mask, a normal person would have failed to resist against this temptation and walked up to those flowers. Although the flowers were pretty, not a single person in the group went closer a better look. Although the flower was breathtaking from the moment they set eyes on it, their experiences also taught them that the prettier a flower was, the more likely it contained a hidden threat. Cary cut off a new section of the plant Dias had chopped down earlier and tossed it at the tree. Almost the instant after the broken tree trunk touched one of the flowers, the surrounding, wing-like branches immediately folded together like lightning to trap its prey within. At the same time, everyone saw rows of sharp thorns piercing through that tree trunk amidst a series of whooshing sounds. These sharp thorns were the dark brown spots that they had seen on the trunk earlier, and from this string of reactions it was obvious that the setup was a literal nature-grown trap! Everyone in the group shivered a little at the sight. The tree trunk Cary threw just now was pretty strong, but those sharp thorns had pierced right through it about as it was made from tofu. It showed exactly how hard they were those thorns were. Dias waved his hand, and the group continued to move forwards. The more they walked, the stranger the group felt. The jungle was actually relatively safe other than the small amount of deadly plants they encountered earlier, and there werent much poisonous plants around either. However, other than some small insects they ran into, wasnt this place a little too quiet? By quiet, they did not mean the audible kind, since there were the occasional sounds of insects beating their wings, and invisible birds flying across the sky as the greenery above the group grew thicker and thicker. What they meant was that after walking through the jungle for such a long time, they did not encounter a single animal even the size of a wee at all! Rabbits, monkeys, boars, mice, nothing! The group searched some holes and caves that might hide an animal or two using their past experiences, but still, they found nothing at all! Could there really be no animals at all in such a good environment? Of course not. Earlier in the ship, they had seen some ferocious, large-sized animals from pictures captured by the probes in space. While it could be said that there was no machine civilisation on this planet, its species should have evolved to a pretty high level. Dias heart was clouded with doubt. He felt a strange sense of crisis that he could not make head to toes with. He had always trusted his instincts, and his instincts were telling him that the situation theyre in right now was very bad. They were now deep within the jungle, and the deeper they went, the more he felt like there was a huge jaw at the end of their journey, waiting to swallow them whole. While the group was pondering, their sensors sent out an warning. Through the information relayed by their masks about the surrounding scanned area, the group discovered that there were many unknowns heading towards their direction. The unknowns numbered around thirty and were three times their groups number. Moreover, they moved fast. Dias didnt need to say anything. The group automatically fell into formation and readied their weapons. The things were close. They could hear them running and letting out pitapat low growls even without the scanners. Bang, bang, bang, bang! The group opened fire before those thing completely reached into their sight range. If they opened fire only after they saw them, it would already be too late. Everyone in the group were experienced fighters, and even new members like Cillin, Ba Dao and Xiao Shang had plenty of experiences themselves. Therefore, the men felt no panic, wielded their guns steadily, and shot pretty accurately in the face of this situation. With the target lock of their masks, they could boast a ninety nine percent shot accuracy even if a hundred wasnt possible. The heat signature display enabled them to hit their enemies whenever they left the cover of the thickets. Conserving ammo was a habit they had cultivated through many years of experience, but this time they could not afford to do so. This was because those things did not die even after they were shot once. There would be a momentary pause, but it did not affect their zeal at all as they charged towards the group like they wouldnt stop unto their last breath. Dias mentally calculated and found that he needed around five bullets to kill those things. He was sure that his bullets struck the things head every time, and yet they just wouldnt die. It was only until the fourth or fifth bullet that those things would finally come to a stop. Perhaps they were truly dead then. Dias couldnt be sure. Looking at their speed, the time gap between every four or five bullets was definitely enough for them to cover a lot of ground. Moreover, they were only twelve people, and not everyone could kill three of those things before they charged over. Cillin had already killed two of those things. His firing frequency was so rapid that the others suspected that he was wasting bullets. In reality, through the heat signature display of his mask, Cillin would open fire and hit a beast if it slipped out of cover for even an instant. He even calculated both the bullets speed and the things running speed so that he could achieve near perfect precision. Moreover, Cillin targeted three of those things at once, so when the others had just killed off their first target, he was already in the process of taking down the third. Finally, the first thing leaped out of the thicket, and it was shot at nearly at the same time by both Cillin and Xiao Shang. Perhaps it was shot earlier, which was why it collapsed after taking two more shots only. Dias did not have the time to give it a close examination, and so simply gave it a hurried glance. He immediately realize the reason behind the things durability. Chapter 94: One Thing After Another Chapter 94: One Thing After Another That things appearance was very strange. Its head was way too small compared to its body, and a thick layer of hardened stratum corneum* covered its head almost entirely. The stratum corneum and lamella** behind its head stretched all the way down to its back, covering one third of its body and was spread out in a certain angle that fully protected it from frontal attacks. The areas that were not covered in hardened stratum corneum had thick fur instead, and although the remaining two thirds of its body were not covered in thick horny armor, there were many thorns jutting out of its body, giving it an increasingly sinister-looking appearance the more they looked. *the horny outer layer of the skin **a thin layer, membrane, scale, or platelike tissue or part, especially in bone tissue They had short and thick leg. The sole of their feet were shaped like hoofs, and on the whole the creatures looked very bulky. But who wouldve thought that such bulky-looking fellows could run so quickly? The things body was very well protected. Someone once said that an animal with a small head and poor IQ would evolve its body into a strictly defensive form, compensating for the flaws of its intelligence with heavy defenses on its body instead. Cillin didnt know how smart these things are, but even if they didnt have great intellect they were definitely not stupid either. When they attacked, they would aim their heads at their enemies and attack in a straight line. Moreover, they would do their best not to expose the part of their bodies which werent covered in hardened stratum corneum. It was just a momentary glance, but everyone already had an idea what they should do next. They were veterans after all. Without a word, they corrected their shots and this time, primarily aimed at the things bodies. This way, if a shot was accurate then a single bullet would be enough to incapacitate them. In fact, hitting their limbs wasnt a bad idea either, but unfortunately the thickets and lush bushes in the jungle covered their short and thick limbs a little too well. Even with thermal sensors, they might not be able to hit them precisely. They were lucky that the things numbered only about thirty or so. If the enemy group was any bigger, then they would have to fight them in close range. When the last of these fellows was taken care of the group finally let out a temporary sigh of relief. However, they didnt dare to grow grow too lax either. Temporary silence did not equate temporary safety. A few people went over to kill the remaining things that werent dead yet. Dias also approached one that was the closest to them. Since it was the one that came the closest to their group, it was also the one that was the most devastated by gunfire. After taking a good look, Dias fired a shot at the thick stratum corneum covering its head. The effects of the shot was shocking. The gun Dias wielded was powerful enough to blow a huge hole in a alien polar bears chest, but on this thing it was only enough to peel off a fragment of its skin. If the second shot was fired at the same spot as the first, then the shot could penetrate its skin and enter into the body, but exactly how deep the shot would go, and how much damage it would cause was unknown. After all, the muscular tension of a dead body and a living body that was poised to attack were different, not to mention that they might have some life saving technique that they could implement in the face of danger. If these things come at us again with a bigger group, then we may have to use armor piercing bullets. someone sighed. Armor piercing bullets were specially made to be used against armored life forms, not armored tanks or armed aircrafts. Their targets included both humans and a specific range of life forms. Unfortunately, the amount of armor piercing bullets they carried was limited, which was why they chose not to use them earlier. Who wouldve thought that there are life forms on this planet this well protected? That hardened stratum corneum and lamella are just too strong. If these thing came at us in swarms like rats then Cary did not finish his sentence, but everyone felt a shiver down their spine. What a terrifying image. While speaking, their sensors let out yet another warning, and this time it was a lot more rapid. The type of warning was the same as before, meaning that there were alien lifeforms closing in on their direction. However, not even the previous warning had been this urgent-sounding! Whats going on?! someone asked. Everyone fell into high alert. Before long, many fist-sized black insects began appearing from the ground. They were crawling out of the ground those killed things were lying on. The black worms bored their way through the horny skinned creatures wounds, and it didnt take long long the huge amount of black insects began devouring the creatures from the inside, deflating their bodies at a visible rate. When the insects finished consuming and bored back into the ground, all that was left was layer of horny skins and piles of bones. These insects were the street cleaners of the jungle. The moment any animals died, they would crawl out of the ground and consume their bodies. Then they would go back underground and hibernate once more, awaiting their next big meal. Cary let out a long sigh of relief, That got me good. The warning sounded again just as he finished his sentence. This time it wasnt rapid, but that didnt mean that things would be easy on them. God dammit! They just dont stop coming! Cary said angrily. Cillin frowned. He heard a bird cry just now, and although its voice was soft C probably because it was rather far away from their location C and brief, he was sure that it was the same kind of bird that theyd seen earlier. Its snakes! Holy fuck, these snakes could actually change colors! The scanners of their masks revealed the newcomers true identities. It wouldve been very difficult to identify the snake accurately if they relied on naked eye alone. Snakes were cold blooded animals. Their heat signatures were different from the one discharged by the horny skinned creatures, but their sensors were still able to perfectly identify and display the creatures on their masks, informing group about the snakes position. Dammit, why are there so many snakes? We didnt run into any snake earlier, so why are there suddenly so many? Yeah, why is this happening? Everyone had their own doubts, but they still needed to come up with a response to the situation. Since it was just snakes, then there would be no need for them to retreat. Dont use a flamethrower. Freeze them with ultra-low temperature. Dias said. Got it. Everyone in the group took out a cylindrical object, and when the snakes closed in about fifty meters away, they pressed the button on the cylinder and pointed the device at the snakes. A white fog gushed out, and every snake that came into contact with the white fog instantly hardened and became frozen. The snakes at the back could only approach them by circling around the frozen snakes, because even the unharmed snakes found the ultra-low temperature unbearable. It was just too cold. With the ultra-low temperature condensers, it did not take much effort for the group to freeze the snakes and shatter them all with expandable batons. Watching the floor of shattered white objects, Dias waved his hands and continued forwards. But he didnt manage a few steps before the warning fucking sounded yet again. This was truly starting to feel like being under siege. It was the same horny skinned creatures from before, but this time there were at least a hundred of them! Cary looked at the submachine gun he brought with him and sighed. SMGs bullets were seriously ineffective against these fellows. They wouldnt compare even to armor piercing bullets. Retreat! Dias ordered immediately. The current environment was just too disadvantageous to them. At the same time, Dias sent out a request for help and manpower support. He also uploaded out some data on these horny skinned creatures to the ship. Outside the planet, Shawton was observing the six teams situation on the starship. Three out of six of the teams had sent out requests for help, and Shawton reckoned that the other three teams werent having a good time either. It was only a matter of time before their requests for help came. Second group, standby! After leaving a few instructions to the people beside him, Shawton grabbed his equipment and joined the second group of men personally to provide backup. Chapter 95: Clash Chapter 95: Clash Inside the jungle, Dias opened the subspace container in his hand and replenished everyones ammo. Normally speaking, subspace containers were unstable on planets that were below the habituality rank. Therefore, it was only on habitable planets that subspace containers were more frequently seen and used. On the other hand, the user would have to shoulder various degrees of risks if they opened their subspace containers on planets that was at habituality Rank B or below. But still, Dias took the risk. If they did not replenish their bullets now, they would have little time to do so when the fight started. Luckily, the subspace container had opened rather smoothly, and although there were some level of impact and instability, at least they managed to take out the supplies. Lieutenant, those things arent just coming from one direction! Xiao Shang said in alarm. The scanner displayed yet a couple of dots. A second scan and parametric cross analysis confirmed that it was those those life forms with horny skin on their head area. The beasts had surrounded Dias and the others in a pigs head formation, and they were either planning to encircle and annihilate them or force them into a certain location behind them. Theyre forcing us to move backwards! Xiao Shang said. Thats right. If they were planning to encircle and annihilate them, then why would they only approach them in a pigs head formation? If theyre forcing them backwards, then what exactly was waiting for them at the back? They did not know, but it would definitely be more dangerous and disadvantageous to them. Therefore they cannot retreat! They were already in a crisis now, and if they fell back, then they might find themselves standing at deaths door or even pass right through it! It would seem that these things were intelligent far beyond their imagination. With their ammo replenished, the armor piercing bullets should be enough to take care of all of them with some solid aim. However, these fellows moved even faster than before as if they were the grim reapers themselves looking to claim their lives. Bang! The bullet struck and penetrated the hardened substance that made up the horny-skinned creatures skin, entering its head. It was a lot easier now that they were killing the creatures in one shot, but because there were too many enemies, the distance between the two sides was still shortening. The group was somewhat confident of their chances even though they were only twelve facing down more than three hundred of those fellows. At the very least, the situation wasnt too dire just yet. But just as they had this thought the alarm rang again, and this time their hearts sank the instant they saw the things that were displayed on their scanners. Yet another group of unknown creatures had shown up behind the horny-skinned life forms. They had terrific speed, and they did not move in a straight line. Even more unusual was the fact that these unknown creatures had maintained a pigs head formation even as they zigzagged to avoid their shots. It didnt take long before everyone saw the creatures running behind the horny-skinned creatures through the Farsight system. They were bigger than the horny-skinned life forms. Discounting the thorns behind their backs, the horny-skinned life forms were about a meter tall, but these new life forms were at least twice as their size. If they were to say that horny-skinned creatures were partially protected, then this new group of enemies was fully protected! It was yet another damnable group of enemies with armor, and the level at which they were armored made them far more difficult to deal with than those horny-skinned creatures that were only armored around the head and part of their torso! Their bodies were fully covered in a hardened red-and-black substance that looked like crystals, and they looked a little bit like leopards on the outside. Cary fished out a different type of bullet. This bullet looked very similar to armor piercing bullets, but its color was different, and there was a special label imprinted on every one of these bullets. Bang! The bullets hit one of the big guy, penetrating the hardened substance of its surface and entering its body. Then it exploded. Blood sprayed out of the creatures mouth, and much of the hardened red-and-black substances were blown away due to the internal shockwave. However, its body looked fine on the surface and was not blown into pieces. Of course, even though it looked fine, its internal organs were completely destroyed, so after twitching a couple of times it lost all signs of activity. When its kind saw this, they sped up even further with high nimbleness and leap range and more skillful running. It was very hard to lock down and shoot them. The two shots Cary fired later on missed and hit the tree trunks instead, and the explosions caused by them did not affect those creatures too much. As long as it wasnt a direct hit, they would not take much damage even if the explosion happened right beside them. The hardened skin on their bodies was enough to protect them from this level of explosion. The horny-skinned beasts at the front ran even faster since the red-and-black monsters were right behind them. The horny-skinned beasts were the cannon fodders to attract the groups firepower and die first. The monsters at the back numbered about twenty or so, and this was just their apparent numbers. Dias wasnt sure if there were more of them hiding beyond their scan range, or even lying in wait behind them. Up to this point, the only red-and-black monster that was killed was Carys. It was incredibly difficult for them to defend against both types of life forms at once. The two sides drew closer and closer to each other. Fall back for the moment! Delay them! The commander and the others will come over and support us soon enough! Dias roared. Right now he too had no way of dealing with this kind of offense. If they did not make a tactical withdrawal and find a suitable cover to defend themselves in, it would become very difficult to kill the enemies when they closed in on them. The monsters at the back could probably kill them with a single swipe. Should they climb up a tree? Unthinkable; to do that would be no different from committing suicide. Even the thickest trees could not resist those claws, not to mention that judging from the way the creatures moved they could climb trees as well. In fact, they might even be a lot nimbler on trees. What about hoverboards? They brought them alright, but they didnt dare to use them. They could only fly above the jungle, and judging from the creatures leaping power, they could reach a certain height as long as they used the tree trunks as stepping stones. Moreover, a lot of birds had gathered on the sky above the jungle before they realised it. They could only see their shadows whisking by through the gaps between the tree leaves, but the moment they went up they would most certainly be attacked from all sides. A human was in no way nimbler than those big birds in the sky, and to go up there would only invite a quicker death. Although there might be an even more difficult circumstance waiting for them at the back, they did not have a choice. At this point, they could only proceed without a plan and improvise when need be as they waited for reinforcements from the rear. Boom Someone used their shoulder cannon. Although a shoulder cannon was more destructive, and its killing power was definitely a lot more stronger than bullets, the effect it had on the big guys was not too encouraging. The reason for that was the terrain and environment theyre in. This was a jungle, and there were thick and tall tree trunks everywhere. Moreover, those big fellows were both acute and fast, so it was really difficult to actually lock onto them. The destructive power of the energy shell when it hit a tree trunk could at best damage the horny-skinned beasts to a certain degree, but on those big fellows, the damage was mostly superficial. At best, it blew off only some hardened skin. That being said, wiping out some of the horny-skinned beasts at the front with the shoulder cannon did relieve quite a bit of pressure from the groups shoulders. Three quarters of the horny-skinned beasts at the front were eliminated, and the monsters at the back were not yet dealt with. They could not handle them with just twelve people alone. One of the big guys running at the back ran into the trapper plant with red and white flowers while dodging bullets, and it tore the plant in half instantly with its two claws. This gave the group an even clearer picture exactly how difficult it would be to fight these creatures in close combat. Even a rank A genotype would not dare to fight them head on without a weapon, not to mention that the creatures had the number advantage on their side as well. Ba Daos two extra pair of hands played an effective role in this battle. While his aim might not compare to the others, it was still additional support. Cillins rapid fire killed most of the horny-skinned beasts in his area, and it should be within his comrades ability to handle the last of them. Cillin switched bullets and aimed his muzzle right at the big fellows behind the horny-skinned beasts. These beasts had incredibly acute awareness, and they had only grown more vigilant after watching Cary killing one of their kind with a single shot. They were very sensitive to being targeted at, and they would dodge out of the way before a shooter had the chance to pull the trigger. Bang! A gap burst open on a big fellows head. Its red and black hardened skin scattered everywhere as it rolled twice on the ground due to inertia and became completely still. It didnt even feel any sensation of being targeted at; it was just running and running and suddenly it was shot and killed out of nowhere. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three rapid shots followed, and three more red-and-black creatures collapsed to the ground. When Cillin had killed a total of seven, the remaining horny-skinned beasts and the big guys in hardened skin finally reached them. Zzzt Sparks appeared when their extended wrist blade cut against the big fellows skin, showing exactly how tough the skin was. Although the blade did manage to sink through, the wound was still too shallow. Unless they slashed again at the same spot, they could be torn apart and still do no real damage to the enemy. The ultra low temperature condenser and flamethrower were not really effective either. Their surface defense was simply too good. Thankfully, Cillin had taken out seven on his own, and adding that to the one Cary killed at the beginning there were now only fifteen of these beasts left. The horny-skinned beasts did not stop to fight and instead continued to sprint away, so the group only needed to face these fifteen big guys. Although they were all wearing protective suits, the group was still pretty quick at dodging attacks. They dodged as they sought out points of attacks. Perhaps it was because Cillin had dealt them the greatest damage, but three beasts had chosen to attack him. Using the rebound force of his wrist blade clashing against their bodies, Cillin leaped up to the air and shot a bullet right into a charging big guys mouth. The impact of the bullets explosion caused countless numbers of its hardened skin to be blown away, and dark red blood and bits of its innards gushed out of its mouth. Cillin did not stop after the first shot. After avoiding the beast that attacked him from his back, he stepped on a tree trunk, twisted his body and jumped swiftly out of the way before firing yet another shot at the beast pouncing at him from the side. The chain of movements were so swift that even Dias would find himself hardpressed to move to such a degree while still wearing a protective suit. The big guys feet was up in the air, which was why it could not make an instantaneous evasive action to avoid the shot. He withdrew his wrist blade at fired three small hooks at the same time (T/N: Suddenly its ATTACK ON TITAN) that fasten around the surrounding tree trunks. He twisted around the tree trunk, turned and fired yet another shot, hitting the beast that was just about to attack him perfectly. Dias, who was brawling with a big guy himself roared on the inside, the kid took down three on his own before I could even kill one! After he finished dealing with the three beasts, Cillin caught an opening and killed another for Xiao Shang. The mistake it made was to throw Xiao Shang away at this timing, hence giving Cillin an exploitable opportunity. If the two parties had been too close then it would actually be difficult to open fire. Cillin, go and help Cary! Two of the beasts were attacking him! Xiao Shang roared. Since Cary was the first to have killed one of their kind, these big fellows had labeled both him and Cillin as threats to be dealt with. Cillin was the biggest threat, so they sent three of their numbers to deal with him. The next biggest threat was Cary, so they sent out two of their numbers to deal with him. The remaining number were just enough to fight the rest of the group one on one. Cary? Even if that guy was pushed too hard by the two beasts and retreated further back than the others, but he couldnt have possibly walked out of the scanners range, could he? Cary was incomparable to Cillin In terms of agility, so the only thing he could do was to avoid being caught by the two beasts in a pincer attack. But even then, the guy couldnt have withdrawn so far back that not even a shadow could be seen, could he? Chapter 96: Cary’s Crisis Chapter 96: Carys Crisis The further in the direction he went, the thicker the bushes became. Through these knee-length bushes, Cillin ran along a trail of footprints and soon encountered a dead alien beast covered in red-and-black hardened skin. From the signs, this big guy was killed by an internal bullet explosion after it was shot. The black insects had crawled out of the ground and were currently feeding on it. Strangely enough, the grass trail, not far away from this big guys location, looked different. It looked like something was being dragged across it. There were many broken vines in the surroundings, and although these vines werent thick, they were pretty tenacious. It looked like they were being forcefully pulled apart. After tracking for yet another distance, Cillin saw the other big guy who was also shot and killed by an internal explosion. From this point onwards, there were obvious signs of a struggle, and when Cillin parted the bush, he discovered three deep scratch marks on the ground. Cary probably made it with his grappling hook when he was being pulled by the vines. Cillin didnt take more than a few steps before he saw some cut vines in a bush. The exposed stump was very smooth, and it was probably cut open by Carys blade. Further ahead was a precipitous incline that led to a dark green river beneath. The river wasnt wide, but it was very rapid. Cillin found one of Carys gun on the incline. Cary had probably rolled down the incline and fell into the river. The protective suit was waterproof, but after the prolonged battle, Carys protective suit had probably taken some damage. The damage must have been pretty severe as well, since his positioning device wasnt responding either. Cillin turned on his communicator and was about to leave a message to Dias and the others, but he discovered that only static sounds came from the device, and the signal display appeared to be completely chaotic. Whats going on?! Never mind, Ill worry about this later. Finding Cary is more important right now. Cillin installed a message button at the incline. If Dias and the others finished their fight and came after them along the trail, then they would definitely discover this button. Cillin exhaled and began searching downriver. Hopefully, Cary was still safe and sound. So, how was Cary right now? He was in a bad spot. A very, very bad spot. When he was being pursued by the two big guys, his leg was caught by the vines hidden beneath the bushes. However, it was also thanks to these vines that that he did not need to pay attention to his feet. The speed at which he was being dragged away was swift, allowing him to put all of his concentration on the two big guys behind him. Moreover, the two big guys were obviously hindered by the vines as well, hence giving Cary the opportunity to kill them both. Otherwise, with their speed, there was no way he couldve taken them out this easily. However, the vines saved him, but the vines also damned him. Carys protective suit was swiped open by one of the big guys, but he was unharmed. When the vines trapped Cary, the capillaries on the vines pierced through Carys unprotected skin and injected neurotoxins deep into his body. Therefore, when Cary was cutting the vines, his consciousness was already starting to blur and turn dizzy. Then, after stumbling a few steps, he rolled off the incline and fell into the river. Before he fell, Cary pressed the life-saving button with difficulty before a life buoy surrounded him. He did not know how far he was washed away. Carys rank A genotype demonstrated its superiority as the dizziness symptom caused by the neurotoxin inside his body began to fade. Had it been a rank C genotype or below who suffered this neurotoxin, they would probably be dead in no time. After recovering some of his consciousness and stamina, Cary pressed a device on his arm and fired a rope drill. The drill punched into a stone wall beside the river and penetrated it. Then the rope retracted and pulled Cary towards the shore. After climbing up the shore and withdrawing the drill inside the stone wall, Cary looked up and saw a jungle not too different from the one on the incline he fell off earlier. He was not going to climb back up immediately, however. What would he do if he ran into those big guys again? He didnt know if his communicator was broken or had no signal, but it wasnt working. While he was resting, Cary looked towards the dark green river. The river was so green that it looked a little eerie. This section of the river was much moving at a much slower and calmer speed. Hmm? It was then Cary saw many greenish-blue things the size of chicken eggs floating towards him on the river. Although his eyes werent as sharp as usual due to the effects of the neurotoxin, but Cary was certain that he didnt see anything like this earlier! The greenish-blue lumps on the river grew in number as they converged towards Carys direction. Fuck! Even if his brain was any more addled than it already was, he would still know that these things werent anything good! He fired his drill hook again and swung it over the incline above the stone wall. After fastening it on the incline, climbing claws popped out of his wrist as he began climbing up the hillside very, very slowly. What would he do if he accidentally fell down again otherwise? After climbing up the incline, Cary laid face up on the ground beside a large rock. Right now, he felt like a bunch of wet noodle with not a bit of strength left inside his body. The symptoms of the neurotoxin might have faded, and his consciousness was much clearer than before, but he was still feeling feeble all over. He had no idea where his guns were. If he ran into those alien beasts covered in red-and-black hardened skin again, then death would be his only option. At his current state, it was difficult for him to even cut a fruit with his wrist blade. While thinking, Cary suddenly heard a familiar low growl. It was a slow, rhythmic low growl that sounded like breathing. Am I hearing things? After concentrating and listening for a while, he raised his head. Im a sad, sad Hunter today. Cary wailed in his heart. He was just thinking about them, and then they appeared right away! One, two, three there were six alien beasts in total! What happened to Dias and the others?! Why are there six of these creatures at this place?! If possible, Cary would very much like to grab a cannon and do battle against these creatures. He would have no regrets even if he were to die in the process! This situation however, was something he found really difficult to accept. The six red-and-black alien beasts did not charge Cary in a hurry. Instead, they slowly walked towards him with eyes that made Cary felt as if he was a monkey on display. Wait. Their eyes? Cary looked carefully, and realized that their eyes revealed a kind of expression that differentiated them from the average animals. They looked similar to human eyes and had something that was called intelligence! Thats right, thats what Eudy would have said. As he watched the six big guys that were gradually approaching him, Cary slowly supported his upper body against the rock and popped out his wrist blade. In truth, the arm that was connected to the wrist blade was trembling. The neurotoxin wasnt fully flushed out of his system yet, and his muscles were a little twitchy. But he still had a hand grenade in the bag around his waist. Some people might choose to commit suicide in face of certain death like this one, but Cary would not do so. He would fight to the death, and he would not hesitate to drag his enemies to the abyss with him. This was his belief; the belief he had chosen for himself when he walked on the path of a Hunter. Seeing Carys expanded wrist blade, all six big guys showered him with looks of disdain. Come at me, you ugly bastards! When they entered within ten meters of him, Carys unarmed hand secretly reached towards the grenade, all but ready to push the detonate button. ROAR It was at this moment a long, drawn out roar, one that sounded like it came from a gigantic, ancient beast happened and nearly burst Carys eardrums. However, Cary nearly shed a tear when he heard this voice. A gray shadow flashed by. BANG! There were six alien beasts. One was rammed away, and the other one was stepped beneath its claw. The remaining four were literally pushed twenty meters away by the deafening sound wave. With a sleek body glowing with metallic lustre and a posture of extraordinary gracefulness, Wheeze stared downward at the four red-and-black alien beasts twenty meters away from it. Chapter 97: Wheeze Is Great Chapter 97: Wheeze Is Great Cary stared blankly at the gray fellow thats even bigger than those red-and-black alien beasts. It looked a little like a leopard or a lion. Its skin glowed with a metallic luster, but for some reason it gave off the soft impression of liquid metal, plus it did not look as sinister as the red-and-black alien beasts. But why did it sound like that gluttonous and lazy gray cat? Also, the roar just now was only aimed at the red-and-black alien beasts and not Cary, or with Carys current condition, he wouldve bled from all seven apertures and died. The big metallic fellow had sent a red-and-black alien beast flying, and stepped on another under its paws. The alien beast that was stepped on appeared to have its skin shredded, and there were a lot of hardened red-and-black skin on the ground. It was no more fearsome than the red-and-black alien beasts, and it was just a tad bigger than them. Yet, it was putting on a full show of aggression; its elegant appearance failing to conceal its arrogance or wantonness at all. It applied strength to its claws. Crack! The sound of breaking bones resounded from the red-and-black alien beast beneath its claws. Dark red blood poured continuously out of its mouth, dying its formidable white teeth completely in red. Howl A dreadful howl resounded throughout the forest; one that chilled even Carys heart. The flying birds circling in the air let out a series of rapid cries before flying away in panic. The four red-and-black alien beasts bared their fangs and let out low growls. The big metallic fellow looked at the now immobile red-and-black alien beast beneath its feet and scoffed once. Its sickle-like claws extended. Cary thought that the big metallic fellow was laughing disdainfully when it looked at the four red-and-black alien beasts. Then, its claws swiped across the immobile red-and-black alien beast on the ground. Cary was left completely flabbergasted when he saw the red-and-black alien beast that not even he could take out immediately with his wrist blade become split into several chunks of meat. It really was like cutting apart a fruit, and there was no blood stains the big fellows claws at all! After it was finished, the big fellow glanced at the four red-and-black alien beasts in clear intimidation. There was no howls, no fang baring. It was only a simple glance, and all four red-and-black alien beasts immediately turned tails and ran away. Yo, you look pretty beat up. Ever since he absorbed that white ball, the gray cats metal form had become even better than before. It no longer had the coarseness of a machine, and looked a lot more sleeker. Hearing the familiar voice, Cary asked still somewhat disbelievingly, Whe Wheeze? Its Whebeze! The gray cats body slowly shrank until it returned to its original cat appearance. However, even though it was now in the form of a little cat, its arrogance was unconcealed. It was a lot shorter than Cary, and yet Cary couldnt help but feel that the little fellow was staring down at him from above. Cary smiled and accidentally choked himself. He coughed twice before looking towards the gray cat who was licking its paws and wiping its face, Wheeze, come over here and have a hug. Hug yourself. I couldve eaten all four of them, but because of you I have no choice but to forgive them for now. The gray cat said in irritably. Cillin had specifically told it to put Carys comfort as top priority, and to stop thinking only about feeding. Ah? I beg your pardon for holding you back. He said that, but there wasnt much apology behind his words at all. Cary was very thankful that the gray cat had saved him at a critical time. At the same time, he finally understood what Cillin meant when he said, Maybe itll repay your kindness today by saving your life when youre in danger. How about I treat you to a big meal when Im free next time? You have some tact in you after all. The gray cat said with a tone that indicated that it was only saying this because it was giving Cary face. Oh right, how did you find me? Cary asked. Cillin sent me a sound wave signal flare. It was only after I arrived that I knew that youre the one whos in danger. I shouldve known that with his abilities, Cillin wouldnt have been done in this easily. Wheres Cillin? Hes coming soon. After Cillin dropped the task of finding Cary onto the gray cat, he himself had returned to Dias to check out their situation. The gray cat had a bigger advantage when it came to finding Cary, and Cillin believed in the gray cats abilities as well. Before he left, he even threw down the words, Prove your worth other than your ability to eat and sleep. If you cant even save a person, then you may as well stay here and live together with these alien beasts. The gray cat was so furious back then that it nearly chopped off all the trees at its surrounding area. It didnt take long before Cillin came searching. He shared a special connection with the gray cat, which was why the gray cat had said that it was like they were of the same roots. After investigating Carys health and finding no especially serious or fatal wounds, Cillin finally relaxed. The lieutenant and the others should be with the commander right now. Our reinforcements have also arrived; they flew here directly on an aircraft. I recorded a message and left a signal launcher along the way. This place is very strange, and disrupts signals quite a bit, but as long as they flew at this direction, they should be able to receive the signal within a small range. After learning that everyone was fine, Cary also relaxed quite a bit. Wheeze is great. The gray cat narrowed its eyes and enjoyed Carys chin rubbing service. When it heard Carys words, it let out two purrs from its nose. Cillin cast a glance at the two fellows and shook his head. Then, he arrived beside the red-and-black alien beast that was cut into several pieces by the gray cat. God knows how many there are of these things. Six of them popped out of nowhere just now, and if it wasnt for Wheeze I wouldve been as dead as a dodo. Cary said, No, thats not right. These six beasts arent from the same group that we met just now. Cillin frowned and said. Group? Mm. These beasts are social animals. The ones we met in the jungle are all of the same group. There are many scents in the air, and one of them is the groups territorial scent. However, the scent on this beast does not belong to that jungles. Carys face contorted uncontrollably. He considered his own sense of smell to be quite acute, but he did not smell any special scent in the air at all. Of course, thats excluding the stench of blood. Their intelligence really is quite impressive. At the beginning, the horny skinned beasts were probably feeling out our strength, but its not that those horny skinned beasts were smart. The true masterminds behind all this are the beasts and those flying birds in the air. While speaking, Cillin pointed above their head. It is those birds circling in the air who tossed down the snakes we encountered. The dense branches hid them from view, and the snakes wouldnt die even if they thrown down from the air. These snakes should be pretty familiar with the scent of the horny skinned beasts, and they came after us by tracking their scent in the air. These snakes were also sent after us to measure our strength. Carys mouth opened wide. If what he said was true, then these red-and-black beasts were a little too treacherous, werent they? Then, during the third charge, they drove out even more horny skinned beasts after us in order to exhaust our ammunition. At the same time, they closed in on us in a pigs head formation with the intent of forcing us to the back while they got ready to attack with the horny skinned beasts in front of them. They wanted to drive us to the ledge where there will be vines to obstruct our path. Its like theyre hunting us. They watched their prey struggle and forced them to walk step by step towards the point of no return. Their objective wasnt to feed, but to enjoy this pleasure and learn from the experience. Cary felt chilled from the bottom of his heart. This was the first time he was retaliated at by animals and turned into a prey after being a Hunter for such a long time. Cillin looked towards the sky, turned around and lifted Cary to his feet. Extending a hoverboard, the two men and one cat slowly descended on the aircraft with an opening hatch. Seeing that both Cary and Cillin were fine, Dias suspended heart finally relaxed, Well be heading back to the starship for now. Things are a little complicated this time. Chapter 98: The Disgruntled Cat Chapter 98: The Disgruntled Cat All six vanguard teams had suffered some degrees of injuries, and excluding the teams of Dias and Lu Suo, another lieutenant commander, the other four teams all suffered different degrees of casualties. After returning to the starship, Cary was sent to the medbay to receive treatment. Dias followed Shawton to the main starship, whereas Cillin and his team hung around each other. Thank goodness youre there, Cillin, or we would have lost someone from our team. Xiao Shang smiled at Cillin with both fatigue and gladness on his face. At the time, Cillin hadnt left for long before Shawton showed up on an aircraft with his men, so the remaining few red-and-black alien beasts gave up on the fight before swiftly escaping. Cillin waved his hands, Is everyone okay? Weve all had our wounds treated. Those whore more seriously wounded are still at the medbay, but no ones life is in danger. Wheres Beaver? Hes at his personal workshop. Hes processing the information that was brought back to the ship. A copy of the data was already uploaded to every personnel in the technical analysis team on the Sixth Squadrons main starship. But Beaver was curious about it, and he just had to analyse the data himself. Cillin arrived at Beavers workshop and knocked on his door. Beaver normally disliked people disturbing him while he was working, and his doorbell was set to silent mode. So Cillin had no choice but to knock on his door. Beaver finally opened the door after he knocked on it for a very long time. His eyes were completely bloodshot. It would appear that the data analysis wasnt progressing well. What is it? Beaver said weakly. He exhausted too much energy trying to analyse a mountain of data in a short time, and now his mind was still in a chaotic jumble. He just couldnt shake the feeling that he was missing something. Id like to borrow your analyser to analyse a sound frequency. Cillin did not walk into Beavers workshop. It was Beavers private land, and Dias aside, no one had ever entered inside, not even the Sixth Squads commander, Shawton himself. Sound frequency? What sound frequency? The data Dias group had gathered also included some sound frequencies, although they were all the horny skinned beasts and red-and-black alien beasts. The birds sound frequency. Beavers eyes flashed, Go sit at the room next door for a minute. Ill analyse it right away. Nodding, Cillin walked and sat in the small room next to Beavers workshop. Ceh, look at him being oh-so-mysterious, keeping us cold outside. The gray cat followed Cillin inside and jumped onto the table, requesting Cillin to pour it a cup of fruit juice. After licking it twice with a fussy look, it raised its head and said secretively, Do you want me to eavesdrop next door and see which data hes processing? Eavesdrop? You can hear the data hes processing? Cillin said in surprise. The gray cats head shot up to the air in a pompous manner, Of course! All machines let out a specific sound, and all the data they process are spoken through a specific language. Its just that you guys dont know about it, and can only see the calculation results and some parts of the process on a monitor. Doesnt that mean that if someone invents a machine that can receive and translate this type of machine language, they can eavesdrop wherever they go? Hearing Cillins words, the gray cat cast him a glance of disdain, Ignoring the fact that whether those shitty low level machines can hear them is a question in itself, even if they could, its highly unlikely they could understand them. For instance, do you understand the native languages of those borderline planets? So you mean that a different machine will speak a different language. But why can you understand them then? He agreed with the gray cats statement. Cillin knew that it was difficult to understand this machine language, or GAL wouldve invented an eavesdropping machine like this a long time ago. Cillin also had another question in mind: Beavers workshop had pretty good soundproofing, so how exactly was the gray cat able to hear them? Could it be that this machine language wasnt a kind of sound wave? I dont know, I only know that they are speaking, and that I can understand them. Uh-huh, this is the power of the miracle life of the universe! Cillin rubbed his chin, and just when the gray cat was complacent enough to float on air he caught one of its ears and changed the subject abruptly, Youre hiding something from us, arent you? W what? I didnt hide nothing! Suddenly, the gray cats proud feelings were completely blown away by Cillins words. Trying to cover things up only makes it worse. The second your ears twitch I know exactly what youre thinking in your head. Nonsense Thats not possible! The gray cat worked hard to control its ears and keep it from moving. Look at you, all tensed up looking like Ive hit the nail right on the head. Cillin pressed a button, and a mirror appeared on the wall. In the mirror, the gray cat looked as frozen as it was encased in ice. It was literally so stiff that it could be nothing else but suspicion incarnate. Stupid little guy; cant even lie to save its own life. How dare you even claim yourself to be a cyborg who has lived over hundreds of years! The gray cat opened its mouth and attempted to loosen its entire body. Then, it gave up and curled itself into a ball on the table, ignoring Cillin. Seeing the gray cats disgruntlement, Cillin flicked the gray cats exposed ear tip in amusement, Alright, stop being embarrassed already. This is also a learning process. If you run into some maniac researchers one day, they would scoop everything out of you in seconds and dissect you in detail. Cillin wasnt trying to frighten it. Some GAL researchers really were bat shit insane, and they literally could do anything at any cost or means for their own purposes. As compared to the recorded cyborgs, the gray cat was absolutely an existence that was far more unique and valuable for research, so Cillin hoped that this little guy could live on its own if the day came when no one had the ability to protect it from harm. At the least, he hoped that the gray cat would not be sold without its knowledge. The paws covering the gray cats head loosened a little, but its body was still curled into a ball. Cillin rubbed the curled gray cat roughly, Still unhappy? Youre like a child or something. After a pause, Cillin smiled and said, You found a mineral resource, didnt you? Mm? How did you know that?! The gray cat abruptly raised its head. Cillin smiled and did not answer. He had deduced it through the various simple observations, and he wasnt sure himself if it was true. But if the gray cat had reacted this way, then his deduction was most likely correct. Ive read in some high contribution publications where certain researchers stated that a cyborg will be forced to take a carbon form in certain high energy fields. Its because their machine form will be severely affected in that state. The gray cat gave it some thought before shaking its head, I dont know. I havent experienced that myself. I do feel a little uncomfortable when I was near the mineral deposit, but it was simply a matter of adapting to it. No biggie. Is that so. Its probably the white ball then. Mm. Definitely. Lets forget the white ball for now. About that energy ore deposit. if I can guess it, then those experienced analysts most definitely could come to the same conclusion. Ah? The gray cat froze for a second before crying out loud, Its all your fault; if you havent called me over I couldve mined the deposit all by myself! Now weve made them a profit while receiving nothing! Cillin stretched out his hand and knocked on the cats head once, What them are you talking about! Were in the same Hunter team, you know. If the team finds the deposit, then it will be greatly beneficial for its future development. Whose starship are you going to fly on if there are no mineral deposits? Its not like youre going to do anything but eat them anyway, or am I wrong? The gray cat pondered for a moment and thought that it was true. But it was still a little reluctant and it muttered in a small voice, But I can use the energy ore deposit to repay my debt Alright, stop worrying about it already. Cillin rubbed the gray cats head, You saved Cary and found a mineral deposit, so thats 100 million credits off your debt. Really?! The gray cats eyes lit up. It hadnt been too long before it cleared out one fifth of its debt, had it? It would seem the day it escaped its identity as a debt slave wasnt far away, meow. While speaking, both Cillin and the gray cat noticed the activity in the room beside them and fell silent. Before long, Beaver walked in and said excitedly, The analysis results are out, and Ive figured out some of our problems as well! Cillin, lets go find the lieutenant commander together. This is a very important clue! Cillin did not leave, Its okay, you go on ahead and report it to the lieutenant. Just announce the results when its time. Alright then, Ill be leaving then! Youve done a great service this time, Cillin! Beaver was very excited to be able to come up with greater results than the analysis team on the Sixth Squadrons main ship. Cillin sat back down after seeing Beavers departure. He already knew about the results of Beavers analysis long ago, and giving him the sound frequency was simply a way to tell Dias through Beaver about the data that was missing from the equation. That being said, now that he looked at it, it would seem that those beasts were not the most important thing of it all. Chapter 99: Energy Ores Chapter 99: Energy Ores Dias returned before Beaver could leave the teams starship. After communicating with Beaver, Dias summoned all of the operation personnel, summing up both the analysis teams findings and Beavers findings before explaining them to everyone. Were not facing just one high intelligence species, but two of them working together with each other during the previous operation. A so-called high intelligence animal was determined by an animals standard, and not a humans. While a high intelligence animal might not necessarily be smarter than a human, it was definitely not stupid either. Dias called out the birds and red-and-black alien beasts pictures on the huge screen and said, There are two more photos that were captured from high altitude, and I believe that youll have a more direct understanding once youve seen them. On the screen, there was a stone circle formed from many huge rocks inside a basin, and the horny skinned beasts were captives inside it. There were some red-and-black alien beasts pacing back and forth outside the stone circle. The image cut to a new scene. It was a cave, and its surroundings were filled with those eagle-like birds. They used their sharp beaks and claws to tear apart the horny skinned beasts from their skin before tossing them down into the cave. Their movements were practiced, and it was obvious that they had done this many times before. The team did not know what was deep inside the cave, but they knew that it was a snake den looking at the things that had crawled out of the cave. There were many types of snakes that would not consume dead or still objects, but it was obvious that this particular type was different. They would fall over and fight each other for the mincemeat when they were tossed into the cave. These two life forms do not stand at the apex of this planet. There are plenty of other bigger and deadlier life forms than them. However, these two life forms lived very comfortably due to their mutualistic and cooperative relationship with each other. When the birds encountered their natural enemies, they would escape to the red-and-black alien beasts and seek protection. The birds would also warn the red-and-black alien beasts in advance when large-sized creatures that could threaten the red-and-black alien beasts were nearby. Through a long period of evolution, their interplay grew more and more practiced, and their intelligence grew as well. Dias cut to another new image, This is a scene of them retreating when the commander came to help us. Look at this big fellows eyes when theyre retreating; it is a reluctance that is very much like a humans. An animals intelligence can be determined from their eyes, and the more intelligent they are, the better their learning capabilities are. Dough zipped right behind Beavers pants after seeing those eyes. Its so scary, it looked like it was going to jump right out and eat it. Meanwhile, the gray cat only glanced at it once before yawning and returning to sleep. One must sleep after they eat. Yep, thats the truth of the universe. No wonder it felt like we were being played. Cary, who had finished treating his wounds sighed on the chair. Eudy looked at him from the corner of his eyes, Now you know what happens when a Hunter is stupider than his prey? Carys face contorted as he thought of giving himself a slap there and then. Why had he chosen this moment to speak up? It was like he was asking to be scorned upon. Dias words gave everyone in the team much to think about. It would seem that they would be facing these two mutualistic high intelligence animals in combat, and they knew nothing about their trump cards at all. But if they wished to understand this Rank B planet, then theyd have to face these two life forms. A lot of people were thinking after listening to Dias briefing. Cillin was also deep in thought, but he wasnt thinking about Dias words, but something else. Although his eyes were staring at the huge screen, his attention was placed on the invisible surveillance probes outside the ship. They were sent out to orbit around the planet and monitor certain phenomenon such as images, local weather conditions, energy detection and so on. Cillin had given the matter special attention ever since listening to the gray cat about machine language, and he realized that at the peak of his concentration, he really could hear certain things. He was able to convert them into words and images, and although he couldnt make heads or tails of these scenes at all, it was enough to excite Cillin. He was sure that this was the machine language the gray cat was talking about. The gray cat who was lying there sleeping suddenly flicked its ears and opened its eyes. At first it was looking strangely at Cillin, but then it seemed to understand something and became at ease once more. Then it buried its head and continued to sleep. After explaining things for a little while longer, Dias turned serious. Cillin thought, here comes the real show. Dias cleared his throat and said seriously, Weve talked enough about the animals, so lets talk about the main point now. The analysis team on the main ship deduced that there may be a large amount of energy ores on this planet. Its just that we are temporarily unable to detect it for some unknown reason. Therefore, our latter missions will involve returning to the planet and performing a more in-depth energy reading. The technical team has already modified our scan parameters and optimised our scanners. They will be delivered to us by the morrow, so everyone should take a good rest before the new scanners arrive. Once we return to the ground, we will be facing more than just two intelligent life forms. The instant the gray cat heard about energy ores, its ears flicked upwards as straight as an arrow. Although it was still in the same eye-closing and head-burying posture, its ears had betrayed its current feelings. Cillin sighed on the inside when he saw this. Its a cat alright. Once the team meeting was over, Cillin had just returned to the lounge and sat down when the gray cat jumped onto his thighs, Are we just looking for one type of energy ore? Cillin give it a thought and said, I dont know, but the six teams will split up as before and perform scans at different areas. Its possible that the other teams are responsible for seeking out a different type of energy ore. How many types do you know of? Cillin had seen the images captured by the orbiting observation satellites and a few simple parameters. From these parameters Cillin deduced that there might be more than a type of energy ore on this planet, although the exact numbers were unknown. The data they had were limited after all; the analysis team on the main ship would probably have a more precise conclusion. However, Cillin trusted the gray cats judgment more than the analysis teams. The gray cat narrowed its eyes, I didnt run too far, but I detected two types of energy ores in the area. One is in that jungle, and the other is in that green river. Cillin nodded. Those two places were a little strange. The moment the gray cat thought that so many of its energy ores would be confiscated, it grew a little dejected and dispirited. Seeing that the gray cats discontented look, Cillin pulled its ears and said, If you can find the energy ores before the scanners, then you can eat some yourself first. Really?! I wont be kicked out of the team and left with those ugly creatures on the planet? Relax, as long as you limit your consumption, Im sure the commander and the others will understand. Seriously, who in their right minds would kick out a cyborg? There were plenty of smart people in the B Squadron, and they all knew where their vital interests lay. Hehe, that works for me. I will definitely find the energy ores before those dumb machines first! Im going to eat first when that happens, and Im going to inform you guys only when Im full! Sigh, this guys so proud it lost measure of itself again. Idiot, keep that last sentence to yourself, or youre gonna get beaten for it. Cillin cupped the gray cats head with his hand and said. Mm hmm, keep it to myself. Ill keep it to myself and not say a word. The gray cat was happy now and thus did not mind Cillin messing around with its head. During the time before they returned to the planet, the gray cat was in a highly excited state. It would patrol the B Squadrons starship three times a day, although by now everyone had gotten used to it. Cary even brought food to the gray cat everyday to thank it for saving his life. When the aircraft landed back on the ground, the gray cat was gone the second the hatch opened. Chapter 100: Red-And-Black Energy Deposit Translators Notes: I would like to release more chapters to celebrate our 100th SRH chapter, but I have Qingming to attend this Saturday, so therell only be one extra chapter later this week. P.S. Aircraft shall be corrected to spaceplane. This does not include fighter aircraft. Chapter 100: Red-And-Black Energy Deposit This time, the Sixth Squad had even dispatched fighter aircrafts due to the importance of the energy ores. With spaceplanes and fighters in the air, those birds would not be able to circle above the skies and inform the red-and-black alien beasts to cooperate with them. The red-and-black alien beasts also stayed away and simply watched from a far distance, knowing that things would not end well if they charged forcefully this time. Tang Qiuqiu followed behind Dias while holding a gun in her hand, but her eyes were staring curiously at the plants all around her. She had already seen these strange plants in pictures earlier, but it was a different feeling to see them with her own eyes. Mm, she should definitely take more pictures as memento. This area was the red-and-black alien beasts domain, but none of the beasts had acted rashly despite the stance the humans assumed. It was exactly because they were smarter than every other animals living here that they chose not to act carelessly in face of such odds. Now that the threat from the two alien beasts were temporarily gone, Dias team would be able to spend more effort in finding the energy deposit. Even some technicians were sent to the field, and they wouldve sent in robots as well if it wasnt for the fact that machines grew more disrupted the closer they were to the planets surface, experiencing some confusion in their programming. It was an expected result under high energy field, which was why the teams barely used any laser type weapons at all in the first place. In the end, the suggestion to employ robots was rejected, and they would have to search for the energy deposit through honest manual labor. Still, even after the parameters were modified and the scanners optimised, they still could not point out an exact location. They only showed that there was an energy deposit somewhere. If the team was to excavate blindly, then they could use up all of the power source they brought with them and squeeze out every drop of their manpower, and still not see a speck of the energy deposit they sought for. Eudy held up the scanner nonchalantly. Right now he was just holding the thing to put on the appearance that he was working. From the looks of it, the scanners modified by the technical team were completely useless. They could starve themselves searching and still not come up with any real results at all. Dough lay well behaved on Eudys shoulders. It did not want to be left behind on the starship, and yet its nerves were lacking. It had stuck close to Eudy since the moment they left the spaceplane. Unlike the gray cat, it did not have the courage to roam carelessly about. Eight hours later, Dias let out a sigh. There was still no progress to be made. If the situation continued, then they would have no choice but to ask permission to drill randomly. Both fighter aircrafts and spaceplanes were very costly to pilot. If they could not find a power source, then they would lose out big time in this expedition. They still have quite a bit of time planned in Sector Z, and if they could not replenish their power supply and dug into their power reserves too soon, then they would soon be met with a most difficult situation. Di di di The alarm sounded to indicate that an animal life form was heading their way swiftly. Previous experiences caused everyone in the vanguard team to reflexively fall into combat stance; throwing the scanners to the back of their minds and getting all the firepower in ready first. It endless waves of schemes and traps was waiting in front of them?was an understandable reaction, as the saying goes, once bitten twice shy. Who knows if there would be another round of traps and evil schemes waiting ahead of them? Wait a second, its just Wheeze! Cillin motioned for the others to calm down, It probably found the energy ores already. If the first half of the sentence caused the groups nerves to loosen a little, then the latter half was without a doubt a bomb that grabbed all of their attention once more. They spent eight hours scanning everywhere with the scanner to record and upload precise data back to the starship, so that the scanners could be further upgraded with improved settings and parameter calculations. Moreover, they did all this on foot, had to stay vigilant against the flora and fauna, and pay attention to the tiniest changes on the scanner as well. It was quite literally a most exhaustive task. And yet, after all that, hes saying that the cat who vanished from view the second the hatch was opened what the one who ultimately discovered the energy ore? If that really was the case, then they were practically idiots compared to the cat. A gray shadow flashed by and jumped on top of Cillins shoulders. It was none other than the gray cat, Wheeze. Cillin raised his hands and hovered it beside its mouth. Then, the gray cat spat out a red-and-black crystal about the size of a fingernail to his hand. When he saw the crystals size, Cillin glanced at the gray cat with meaningful eyes. The gray cat turned away and stared innocently at the surrounding landscape. Indeed, the gray cat had eaten quite a bit before it had returned to them. Moreover, despite purposely biting off an egg-sized energy crystal as proof before it came over, because it had held the crystal in his mouth it unconsciously absorbed a portion of it until all thats left was the fingernail-sized crystal. When the gray cat spat out the tiny crystal, everyones gaze was focused on Cillins palm. Cillin handed over the crystal to Dias. Dias carefully received the tiny red-and-black crystal. It was obviously red-and-black in color, and yet somehow, it was so bright that it was translucent, and so dark that it was deadly attractive. Dias slowly approached the scanner with the red-and-black crystal, and when he was about five meters away, the scanner abruptly began to react abnormally. The closer he went, the more rapid and sharper the scanners beeping sound became. After a series of rapid high frequency noises, the scanner finally exploded. At this moment, Dias and the crystal was still three meters away from the scanner. There was no doubting the energy ores power to have caused such a tremendous impact in just less than two meters of distance. What a powerful energy field! Everyones eyes lit up. They would need only a square meter of an energy ore of this quality to be able to cover all the energy they had depleted ever since they entered Sector Z. This reminded me of those red-and-black alien beasts, and the dark-colored hardened skin and bone plate at the front half of the horny skinned beasts body. Perhaps it is precisely these invisible high energy fields generated by the energy ores deep underground that stimulated the alien beasts to develop hardened skins without them knowing it. Their hardened skin had slowly grown complete over a long period of evolution. Other than the animals, the plants inside the jungle are also unusually tough. Perhaps it really is because of this energy ore. If this assumption is true, then we have truly stumbled upon a treasure! Dias said excitedly while staring at the red-and-black crystal in his hand. Every appearance of a new type of high grade energy ore always set off a wave within the industry, and it would seem the Sixth Squads expedition this time was definitely not in vain. As long as they had this energy ore, even if they were to find nothing else during their time in Sector Z, it was more than enough for the Sixth Squad to stand tall and chin up among the Vanguard. You truly are our Squads darling, Wheeze! Haha! Cary tossed the scanner aside and walked over to scratch the gray cat beneath its chin. The gray cat looked like it was enjoying the gesture with narrowed eyes, but Cillin knew that it was simply because the cat was full and pondering about sleeping, and not because of Carys praise or chin scratch! Hey Wheeze, where did you find these things? Is it okay if you take us there to have a look? Dias said to the gray cat in a friend-to-friend manner without any hint of a command behind his tone at all. He knew who special this cat was. The gray cat swiped Carys hand away, cocked its head, scratched an itch with a hind limb, yawned, stuck out its butt and stretched its back, then smacked its lips before finally saying unhurriedly, Sure. It jumped right down Cillins shoulders and began running towards a direction. Follow it quickly! Dias immediately extended a hoverboard to catch up with the cat, and the others followed suit and flew after it as well. Those that did not bring a hoverboard with that went back to the aircraft to follow those who were flying on hoverboards at the front. The gray cat led the crowd through a series of zigzagging paths in the forest. The trees here were densely packed, and the tree trunks were only thicker than the next. The group could only squeeze through them, and those who were fat or with muscles that were too well developed might not even make their way in successfully. When Dias tried to cut off a few branches with his blade, he quickly realised that these trees were at least ten times harder than the ones they saw in the forest, even though they did not look much different from the other! Dias did not order the men to begin logging en masse. His intention was to find the location of the energy ore first before dealing with the situation accordingly later. Just when Dias felt that his bones were about to be deformed from compression, the gray cat turned around to look at him, You cant squeeze through anymore? Thats fine. This place is fine too. There are energy ores beneath this ground. After gasping twice for breath, Dias asked, The energy ore starts from here? The gray cat said with innocent eyes, No, it starts from the spot where your muscular guys cant squeeze through. Dias: Words could not describe the regret in Dias heart, and he was this close from vomiting blood from his mouth and collapsing. The spot the gray cat just mentioned was more than five hundred meters away from where they stood, so it meant that he had squeezed through the forest desperately to the point where his internal organs was almost deformed, only to be told then that more than five hundred meters of his efforts were all for nothing! Why didnt you say it earlier?! Dias seethed through his teeth. Thats because the quality of the energy ores over there arent good. The one Im about to show you is better, although we still have to go a little deeper. The gray cat said without any consciousness of its error at all. Cillin could do nothing but shake his head at the side. This cat might look shrewd, but it was pretty dumb alright. Chapter 101: Absorption, The Chip’s Changes Chapter 101: Absorption, The Chips Changes Dias squeezed back the way he came from and ordered his men to start with an aggrieved look on his face. This wasnt going to be an easy place to perform mining. When Dias thought that they had so many so-called technical professionals, and yet none of them could match up to a dim-witted cat, he could not help but sigh on the inside. As for Cillin, he and everyone else had always thought that the guy was born with the ability to shift his bones and physical appearance however he wanted to. Cillin went further inside after the gray cat, and Dias did not stop him. There was no harm to have someone follow after the cat and get a grasp of the situation. As the one man and a cat walked deeper inside, they reached a point where even the thinnest normal person might not necessarily be able to squeeze through the gaps successfully. Many times, Cillin would slip through the narrow gaps by dislocating his bones before relocating them back to normal. If Dias and the others knew that Cillin could play with the bones inside his body like a jigsaw puzzle, their jaws would probably hit the ground in shock. Aha, this is the place! Not far away, the gray cat cried out from the front. Cillin shifted a couple more steps forwards, and he abruptly discovered that there were no more trees from thereon out. The ground here was covered in a layer of rock, and it looked about the same as the rocks from other areas. Cillin took out a blade and stabbed the ground with it, finding that the rock layer was so tough that he could dig for half a day and not get anywhere with it. He might even snap the blade itself if he tried to force it. According to the gray cat, there was another stratum layer beneath these rocks, and the red-and-black energy ores were right beneath them. Even Cillin could sense that this place was different from others, since a certain factor inside his body was starting to grow restless. If this area was the heart of the red-and-black energy ore deposit, then it was hard to imagine why the strength of the energy field in this vast jungle and its surroundings would be almost identical to each other. The fact that the strength of the energy field generated by the ores was so even over such a wide area only further exemplified its uniqueness. This area of rocks was hidden from its surroundings. Overhead, there were densely packed tree branches that concealed this place completely, which was why the orbiting satellite probes failed to capture a picture of this place. There was a dug hole at the center of this area of rocks. It was the gray cats handiwork. Cillin walked to the edge and looked inside. The stratum was about 15 meters deep, and the red-and-black energy ores were supposedly started after that depth. But that was just what Cillin had gleaned from the cave walls. In this particular hole, the gray cat had annihilated the energy ores between fifteen to thirty meters beneath the ground singlehandedly. Right now, the cat had jumped into the hole and began its meal yet again, chewing on the ores like it was chewing on ice. If Cary saw this he would probably fall into another bout of worship. Even the most intelligent animal in the world would not be able to eat energy ores as food, and with such crunching ease no less, would they? Cillin jumped into the hole and touched the red-and-black walls with his fingers. When the gray cat had spat that small piece of red-and-black energy crystal into his palm earlier, Cillin did nothing to the crystal since there were plenty of watchful eyes around him. In reality, a series of internal changes had occurred inside his body the moment he came in contact with the energy crystal, seemingly desiring to absorb the energy inside the crystal completely into his body. If Cillin hadnt forcefully repressed the change, the fingernail-sized crystal would probably have shrunk to the size of a rice by the time it fell into Dias hands. Cillin could feel the desire for this energy from the agitated factors inside his body. He did not know what would happen after he absorbed it, but he knew that it could only be beneficial to him. When he touched the red-and-black energy ores on the cave, the icy cool touch on his fingers did not last long before it was replaced by a rebounding, scorching heat. Cillin felt as if his body had transformed into a whirlpool that was sucking frantically at the energy contained inside the red-and-black energy ores. The energy caused the chips inside his body to awaken and stimulate the metabolic cycle in his cells. Cillin could sense acutely that the information transcribed by his DNA was different every time even though his original genetic information remained unchanged. This meant that his genetic information would automatically recompile themselves so that the final transcribed information was different during each transcription. The whole process felt like an experiment of sorts, powered by the energy he just absorbed. At the same time, the chips used the energy as a point of contrast so that each experiment result would reach closer and closer to the golden ratio of the energy. Then they compiled it into the chips so that certain recessive zones inside his genes could be stimulated to begin their expressions as well. Right now, Cillin felt like he was being painted again and again as the paint seeped into his body. But it wasnt just his skin that was being painted, but also his internal organs, his tissues and his cells. The strengthening experiment was conducted throughout his body again and again until that optimal point could finally be found. The gray cat who was clinging onto a wall and chewing at energy crystals suddenly sensed something amiss and turned its head. Holy mother of cats! In that instant, the gray cat was so shocked by Cillins condition to the point that it slipped and fell off the cave wall. Luckily, it was a cat, so it simply twisted its body in mid-air and landed steadily on four limbs. Then the gray cat immediately ran near Cillin, but did not approach him. This was because Cillins entire body had turned red-and-black in color, and there was a strange aura surrounding him. Moreover, the color was deepening to the point where it was nearly indistinguishable from the energy ores. The gray cat circled around Cillin twice before lying down helplessly. While holding itself upright, the gray cat stared unblinkingly at the red-and-black Cillin, who was touching the wall with one hand and closing his eyes with a frown. Where Cillins fingers touched, the wall began to depress inward. Then, the hole slowly grew bigger and bigger as it spread towards the surrounding. The gray cat knew that the phenomenon was due to Cillin absorbing all of the energy inside the energy ores. But even the gray cat itself could only eat the ores first before digesting and absorbing them into its body. Its own absorption rate was pretty fast too, but even then it wasnt nearly as fast and efficient as this guy, was it? What happened to him? Why was he using so much energy? After staring at Cillin for some time, the gray cat gradually fell into deep contemplation. Or at least, that was what it thought it was doing. By Cillins standards, it was no different from daydreaming. Pain. Intense pain. Cillin felt as if every cell in his body was being torn apart and rebuilt once more. Cillin had always thought that he might need to improve his physical capabilities or genotype to Rank A in order to activate the remaining chips inside his body, but there was one thing that he overlooked all this time. It wasnt just a matter of increasing his strength in order to activate the last and the most important part of the chips; he also needed a huge amount of energy. But the kind of energy that could stimulate the activated chips to begin their experiment on their own and upgrade their host to the most optimal point must be anything but ordinary. At least, every energy ore had come into contact up to this point except the red-and-black energy ores Cillin, be it the excellent ones or the inferior ones were all unqualified. Chapter 102: Rank A Genotype Chapter 102: Rank A Genotype The chips conducted the experiment again and again inside his body, testing Cillins endurance with wave after wave of pain that only got more and more terrible over time. Cillin was very happy with this outcome, however. He knew that this phenomenon wasnt a bad thing, and that it was the most important opportunity he had gotten ever since he was injected with the chips over a year ago! He did not know how long the pain lasted, but in the end everything suddenly became clear at once, filling him with an instant surge of pleasure. At the same time, the red-and-black color on his body gradually faded until it was gone completely. On the surface, Cillin looked just like he was before. Cillin moved his elbows around for a little. He felt good, very good. Even without tensing up his body, he believed that it could endure even greater blows now. He knew very well about his own condition. Although some of the chips inside his body were activated, just like before, it was an imperfect activation. Still, Cillin was satisfied with this result. After more than a year had passed, this opportunity had enabled him to evolve his genotype yet again. He was now a Rank A genotype! Yes, it was the Rank A genotype that countless people had dreamed of! Achieving Rank A genotype was but a distant dream back when he was still an unwelcome Shadow Hunter in that poor town and backwater planet. But ever since he encountered Horay and was used as a test subject to inject those chips that one time, his genotype had since skyrocketed to Rank B. Now, it had even evolved one step further and became Rank A. But Cillin wasnt completely drunk with success just yet. This situation was only temporary, and it remained to be seen whether the chip was ultimately a boon or bane. Cillin exhaled deeply before glancing at the gray cat, holding up its forelimbs and sitting there staring absentmindedly into the air. He knew immediately that the little guy was woolgathering again. Wheeze! The absentminded gray cat immediately jumped into the air with a puffed back. It was completely caught off guard by Cillins shout mixed with some disruptive sound waves in it. Cillin held back his laughter. The little guy was completely frightened. After the gray cat landed on its feet and breathed heavily for a couple of times, it turned its head away and clung to a wall, biting at the energy ores as if it was venting, and expressing its current feelings clearly C I am mad! It was most likely that the gray cat was catbarrassed to have jumped reflexively in shock to Cillins shout, especially when it knew that it happened only because it was daydreaming. It was why it was in a bad mood right now. Alright Wheeze, dont be angry anymore. Come on, lets go find the lieutenant and the others. Cillin said. The gray cat ignored him and continued to dig in while hugging the red-and-black wall. Wheeze? Its ears flicked once, but the gray cat continued to ignore him. Cillin sighed. Even though it was a cyborg, there was no escaping the fact that it was nothing more than a cat, and cats had always been a little headstrong. It obviously heard him, but it simply refused to acknowledge him and acted like a spoiled child, and lets not forget that cats were more than capable of holding a grudge. Cillin walked over and peeled the gray cat directly off the energy ores before jumping out of the hole while holding it in his arms. Although the gray cat had the words go away written all over its attitude, pointing its tail at Cillin and had to be carried out of the hole like a stubborn kid who was held by the collar, it only put on a token struggle to indicate its displeasure before relenting. Wheeze wasnt stupid; it knew that this wasnt the right time to eat the energy ores without a care for the world. If Cillin would show him the stairs, then the gray cat would very kindly give Cillin face and walk off the stage as invited*. That was what the cat believed at least. *Chinese saying and metaphor of giving someone an excuse to extricate themselves from an embarrassing situation with dignity. When Cillin and the gray cat met up with Dias once more, the man was discussing with the technical staff on how to mine the ores. A half-chopped tree lay at the side with no one bothering to finish it at the moment. Dias and the men were just finished making a decision when Cillin reached them. They would drill a mine shaft from the periphery where the trees were still sparse, then bore underground towards the ores position all the way to the heart of the ores the gray cat had mentioned earlier. When that was done, only then they would begin the large-scale mining project. Otherwise, it would be a terrible loss to get only the inferior ores after spending much effort in the task. There was one more thing that prompted the decision. Dias was worried that chopping off all the surrounding trees would expose the fact that there was a mineral resource in this area. After all, the Vanguard Sixth Squadron wasnt the only Hunter regiment to have entered Sector Z. If by any chance some random Hunter regiment was to accidentally and effortlessly discover this mineral resource before they had a chance to report to the A Squadron, then the Sixth B Squadron might as well run their heads into a wall. Shawton agreed with the plan after Dias had notified him. These energy ores were too special, and it would be in their best interests to conceal them as best as they could. Cillin went over to have a private chat with Dias and told him that the gray cat could eat energy ores. Otherwise, how was he going to explain that huge, empty hole in the ground? Its not like Cillin hadnt thought through this before making the decision. He believed that Dias mustve heard of the gray cat from Cary and knew that it was a cyborg. Since he knew about it, naturally someone as smart as Shawton or Dias should understand exactly what kind of value and potential a cyborg represented. This was the perfect timing for the Sixth B Squadron to work hard at expanding themselves. If it wasnt, they would not have tried to absorb various talents so urgently. However, Cillins own secrets could not be revealed, so he could only ask the gray cat to take the shot for him. Of course, Cillin had discussed this with the gray cat before about using it as a scapegoat, and the gray cat kept quiet and neither said yes nor no because it was still unhappy. Cillin understood that this was in fact a silent yes from the little guy though, and he touched its head and said, When its time, theyll come look for you to seek out a couple more mineral resources. The gray cats ears straightened. Of course it understood the hidden meaning behind Cillins words. It could eat again once it found the resources! Dias team was incredibly excited from mining. The entire team had shaken off the depression from before and became motivated. The discovery had also improved everyones attitude towards the gray cat, since they knew it was extraordinary and that it was thanks to it that their team became the first out of the six dispatched teams to discover a mineral resource and begin mining. Lieutenant, the commanders looking for you! One member came over on a hoverboard and passed a communicator to Dias. The closer they were to the minerals, the stronger the signal interference became. Therefore, it was inconvenient to use any kind of communication equipment in this particular area. If they wished to communicate wirelessly, then they could only fly into the air and keep away from the ground. This was different from the forest when they were getting on and off signals. Here, no signal could get in or out at all. Dias accepted the communicator and flew up to the air on a hoverboard. Before long, he came back down with a smile and said to Cillin, You and Wheeze will go meet up with the other teams; they arent doing too good with the scans as well. An aircraft will come and pick you guys up later. Is that fine? Its perfect! The gray cat answered impatiently before Cillin could say anything. It looked like it was itching to get on with it already. Dias moved closer and whispered beside the gray cats ears, When you eat, make sure to be a little less obvious and alternate between each meal. If anything happens, go look for Commander Shawton. The gray cats round eyes were bright as it answered with a duh tone, Of course! Five minutes later an aircraft came, and Cillin and the gray cat went up with a hoverboard. After the aircraft had left, Beave said in puzzlement, Cillins a little strange, dont you think? He feels different from before. Of course, Dias smiled very brightly, Hes a Rank A genotype now. Cillin had not intentionally hid his strength. Rank As shared a kind of miniature resonance with each other, and this resonance did not exist below Rank A genotypes. As long as the person did not hide it intentionally, and the other party was very sensitive to this kind of miniature resonance, it was possible to detect it. This is good news! Our squad is going to be famous. That guy is already Carys equal back when he was still a Rank B, and now that hes Rank A, tsk tsk. You know lieutenant, I think that Cillin is our squads lucky star. Beaver said. Dias held his head up high, But of course. Who do you think found him? Chapter 104: Green Pearls Chapter 104: Green Pearls Cillin followed the gray cat and swam to the bottom of the river. With his current physique, he could dive underwater without relying on a mask to breathe and endure the water pressure for a long time. Therefore, when some of the people on shore saw Cillin jumping into the river just like that without wearing any protection suit, mask or even utilizing a mini submarine, they were stupefied. This might just be a river, but it was deep enough to stop many people in their tracks. The deeper they went, the lesser the light that penetrated the water. At the beginning, there were still some lush water plants on the stone walls, enabling some plant feeding fishes to forage for food nearby. But as they swam deeper, the water plants grew fewer and their surroundings turned darker. The change in the environment also caused the killing intents hidden within the darkness to become sharper than before, capable of causing both fear and anxiety. However, Cillin and the gray cat felt neither of these emotions. Cillin did not need an underwater searchlight to see. With just a speck of light, he could see everything around him as clear as day, and this light source came from some glowing bivalves attached on the stone walls. The bivalves were utilising this magical-looking light source to attract their preys. It was possible that the energy ores presence in this place was what caused the bivalves to evolve a special sucker to become attached on the walls. It would be a mistake to treat them as normal bivalves. Horizontally, these bivalves could stretch between one to five meters. Moreover, Cillin saw clearly that there were some barbed teeth hidden within the bivalves shells. When a prey closed in on the bivalves, their sharp teeth would sink into the preys body and cling on with deadly persistence. Coupled with the shells clamping force, there should be very few prey who could escape after falling into their trap. Cillin turned his head, and discovered that the stupid cat had gotten itself sandwiched by a bivalve except for its hind legs, a tail and a fat ass. Knowing that there was no one around here, the gray cat immediately turned angry and transformed its entire head into mechanical form C the enlarged type no less C and swallowed up the entire bivalve. Then it transformed back into a little cat once more. Not far away, there was a fish almost ten meters long that was eying this area covetously, ready to sprint in and capture its prey. When it saw this scene though, it immediately turned tail and ran away. Looks like the animals here are all pretty smart. The gray cat shook its head looking very unhappy to be sandwiched earlier. It had only gotten closer because of its curiosity, and just as it thought that the bivalves flesh looked tasty enough to take a bite, it was already caught between the shells. Turning around, the gray cat swam two steps forward, paused, and spat out a green colored bead. It was a thing inside the bivalve. Cillin caught the pearl before it sank to the bottom. A pearl? Cillin looked at the green pearl. While he couldnt sense any energy reaction from it, it felt full of life energy. It obviously could not shine on its own, and yet it reflected the bivalves glow at the side and gave off a fantastical sheen. Whats that? Even underwater, the gray cats speech was not impeded whatsoever. Cillin made a hand gesture. It was a hand gesture that the gray cat was familiar with: money. So he means that this thing is worth a lot of money! Now the gray cat wasnt in a hurry to seek out the energy ores. After closing in on the pearl and giving it a sniff, it undulated its limbs and began searching for the pearls along one bivalve after the other. This time though, it didnt act stupid to approach the bivalves directly. They might do no damage, but it was still very catbarassing to be caught that way. Nothing here, nothing there Oh, theres one here, but its too small Any bivalves with green pearls in them would be swallowed whole by the gray cat directly before it spat out the pearl after the act. Eat bivalves, save precious. Later on, the gray swallowed all of the bivalves with green pearls inside them before spitting out the pearls all in one go for Cillin. These were items that it could use to repay its debt. It didnt take long for the gray cat to finish its patrol. Cillin counted the pearls and found that they numbered twenty or so in total. There were many bivalves that did not have green pearls in them, not to mention that most of these pearls were pretty small. There was only five big ones in total. Cillin kept all the pearls in his leaf-patterned ring. This was the gray cats personal effects, but they were now his after they were used to repay the cats debt. After beckoning to the gray cat, the duo continued to dive deeper towards the bottom. As they dove further, Cillin could feel clearly the energy ores hidden within the rock layer. Perhaps the reason he could sense the energies was because his genotype had evolved to Rank A under the effects of the red-and-black energy ores. Previously he had said nothing, and it was the gray cat who guided everyone to the ores from beginning to the end. But in reality, Cillin himself could sense the energy ores as well. It might not be as clear as the gray cats, but he did have a concrete sense of direction. Not even the gray cat knew about this. The Sixth Squad only needed the gray cat to be the being that could sense the energy ores. This way, the gray cats importance could be made more prominent, and its status within the team could be elevated as well. Ah, its here its here its here! But the quality will get better if we go deeper. The gray cat dove straight down to the bottom. Cillin did not stop either. It was only when he was close to the river bottom that he finally stopped. The quality of the energy ores here was already pretty great, and although there were more deeper down the river, there was no need to go there. Go and absorb them. Ill watch out for you! With its back facing Cillin, the gray cat stared excitedly at the huge, lumbering body swimming towards them from the faraway darkness. This guy here seems pretty tasty! Cillin tore open the solid rock on the outside directly with his bare hands, gradually revealing a palm-sized object that was glowing with green light. Cillin put his hand on it; the factors inside his body already rioting for the ore. The second Cillin unlocked the shackles, the energy inside the ores began to pour madly into his body. The changes that occurred when he absorbed the energy was similar to last time. Whats different was that the green energy ore could incite the chips to generate the best memory point that stimulated the human body to recover its vitality with incredible efficiency. What that meant, was that if Cillins life was in danger, this memory point would become active and trigger his self-recovery to become much greater than before. The effects would also be a lot better. This time, Cillins absorption had ended pretty quickly. When he opened his eyes, there was already a hole where his palm was touching. Sigh. Lets put this blame on the cat as well. On the surface, Shawton read the data collected by the scanner put into the hole that was borrowed by the gray cat and said nothing. However, the fact was that he could hardly contain the joy that was bursting inside his heart. They had finally seen the gentle light after suffering in this stifling stagnancy for such a long time. Splash C A huge dozen meters long fish with dark green patterns on its body jumped, no, was tossed out from the river and onto the shore. When the group got a closer look, they discovered that the fishs tail was missing, or it would have to be at least twenty meters long. The fish continued to toss and turn on land even after it was tossed to the surface, and its wound were bleeding profusely with green blood. The gray cat jumped out of the water and charged straight towards the fish, laying on top of its body and crunching down on its half-eaten meal. As long as the fish was still alive and its flesh was still fresh, then it was going to eat as much as it could before the fish expires (T/N: SAVAGE!). The bizarre scene and distinct size discrepancy of the one cat and one fish caused everyone to feel a shudder up their spines. Everyone had their own guesses as to whether Cillin was the one who tossed this fish into the air or something else, but since the top priority right now was to mine the ores, no one attempted to explore their questions further. Once Cillin went upshore, he explained to Shawton about the situation beneath the river, The bottom of the river is this big fishs domain, so well probably have to utilise some underwater tools this time. Mm. Thank you for the hard work. Get some rest, and well go to the next stop about an hour later. The larger specialised underwater tools were all on board the starship, so Shawton needed to set up some things. Cillin walked up to the large fish. The gray cats feeding speed was like swarming locusts passing through a field. The big fish was no longer struggling too much and was at the brink of death. Cillin cut open the fishs stomach and looked inside it. What are you looking for? The gray cat licked its mouth and stopped eating. If there was time, it was going to go catch another fish and eat it directly in the river before coming back up. Something. Cillin continued to search without lifting his head. Chapter 105: The Planet’s Parasite Chapter 105: The Planets Parasite Cillin used a folding knife to pick through the fishs stomach. By now the big fish was completely dead, and the inside of its body was undergoing a transformation. Mm? Cillins hand paused, and a black shadow shot right out of the stomach. Cillins other empty hand caught it like lightning. It was a strip of something dark green in color and about the length of a finger. It was dark enough to be mistaken as black colored at first glance. A huge mouth opened from its head area, and it let out a shrill cry that caused pain to peoples ears. There were plenty of busy people whose attention was drawn by the thing in Cillins hand. Wah, whats that? It looks like its pretty tasty! The gray cat was planning to run to a side and fall asleep, but after it discovered the thing it came back eagerly to Cillins side. Find one yourself if you want to eat. Theres more inside the fishs body. Cillin said. The gray cat sniffed the worm-like things scent, and with a complete disregard for cleanliness, dove straight into the fishs stomach to hunt for food. Whats that? Shawton came over and asked. This is probably a kind of parasite. Ive read before that some people had found parasites inside deep sea fishes. Although this fish doesnt live beneath the sea, the right conditions are almost all there. Ive heard that the parasites who live inside of the bodies of deep sea fishes are pretty powerful. Cillin observed the struggling parasite in his hand and put its mouth to a rock at the side. Pop A hole appeared on the rock where the parasite had bitten. Everyone who saw this sucked in a cold breath. Could something this powerful really be just a parasite? If it had lived inside a human body, then wouldnt that person be as dead a dodo? There were no human bones tough enough to be gnawed on by it. The parasite actually struggled for a while longer before finally coming to a stop after Cillin had cut off its head with his knife. From this, one could see exactly how tenacious the parasite was. Cillin picked up his knife and began searching inside the fishs stomach once more, but the parasites inside the fish had almost all been eaten by the gray cat. The fellow was a pretty fast eater. Hey, wait up, will you? Leave some of those things for me. Cillin tapped the gray cats head with his wrist knife and said. The gray cat that was just about to bite down on the thing inside its mouth spat, These things are pretty tasty. Of course. These parasites feed on its hosts essences. Cillin picked out many round balls the size of mung beans and stored them inside a special container. These balls were the parasites eggs. Cillin kicked the gray cat who had slipped into the fishs stomach and made a mess of green blood all over itself into the river for a bath. He forbad it to come up shore until it had completely cleaned itself. After he was finished with the arrangements, Shawton again took Cillin and the gray cat to the next teams location. It was a land of snow and ice, and it was also the coldest place in the entire planet. There was ice and snow as far as the eyes could follow. The gray cat found two types of ores in that location. One was transparent, and the other was white in color. The transparent ice ore could be considered a special kind of ore. It wasnt an energy ore, and it could not provide any power whatsoever. However, it was incredibly dense and was made almost completely out of H2O. It was a compressed high density water crystal that would expand to about fifty or a hundred times its current volume if it was converted into liquid form. On the other hand, if it was subjected to an ultra low temperature environment, then it would absorb the surrounding ice into itself, assimilating them and growing bigger slowly over time. One could say that it was a fabulous crystal that could be used to store water, and it was very useful to the Squadrons long journey. The other white colored ore was an energy ore. It could be stimulated to let out a cold beam, and any object that was shone on by it would instantly become frozen. Prior to the discovery, the squad had cold beam guns and airborne cold beam cannons, but no greater cold beam weapons that would fit on a starship. However, the white ores could achieve the level of lethality they were looking for, so the technical team was currently preparing to utilise them and develop a whole new freezing weapon. Excluding these places, the ore deposits at the remaining teams locations were more or less the same. By the end of it, the gray cat could not be bothered to even lick those ores. It was tired of them already. Everyone was excited now that they had learned about the ore deposits locations. However, Cillin did not participate in the mining, and instead returned to the starship and slept for two days straight. Absorbing the energies had caused a huge effect on the chips inside his body. While his genotype had evolved, Cillin also had to seize control and master these changes instead of letting them transform him whenever and however they wanted to. Otherwise, theres no telling if he would transform into a monster. Shawton had already reported the planet to the A Squadron, and the A Squadron immediately responded by sending their people to the charted coordinates Shawton gave them. What the Sixth Squadron needed to do was to keep mining while they were waiting for the A Squadrons arrival before handing over the planet. After that, they would continue on with the mission. The plans they had for Sector Z were not done yet, and although these energy ores were enough to raise their influence within the Vanguard, it was a given to finish what needed to be finished. It must be said that Shawton had made the right choice when he first charted their path. From the moment they began travelling until now, they had not run into anyone of the same trade except at the start of their journey when they were still around the periphery of Sector Z. Moreover, the deeper they went, the less likely it was that they would run into another Hunter regiment, and up to this point, they hadnt run into another exploration team like theirs around this planet. Sector Z was huge. No one could say for sure the things they would encounter, the sacrifices they had to make and the rewards there was to gain in the future. But no matter what lies ahead of them, it was the path they had chosen, and they would tread it to the end. Meanwhile, the logistics team took advantage of the time gap to stock up on food. With energy and food supplies, the latter part of the trip would become smoother. There were technicians who surmised a conclusion based on the variable data: Due to the effects of the energy fields on this planet, there was a limit to how much they could mine from this planet; a break-even point. If they tipped the balance, then this planet would fall into chaos, and humans would become unable to live on this planet for long. If the situation was serious, the planetary habitability of this planet might even fall from Rank B to Rank C, or worse. After sleeping for two days, Cillin once again returned to the planet. Hey Cary, have you seen Cillin around? Beaver asked. The dude who slept for two days straight had suddenly gone missing. That fellows obsessed with parasites recently. He went out to look for more of those things with Enji. Cary could not help but shiver at the thought of those disgusting worms. Right now, Cillin was watching Enji dissecting a crab. This crab was something they encountered by chance beside the green river. It was about five meters width, and it was covered in thick green hair. At the side, the gray cat was currently breaking open its pincer and gnawing happily at its flesh. Enji clipped a worm hidden inside the crabs lungs. Oh, I didnt think that we would actually find one. Enji smiled and pulled it out into the open. Ive seen a parasite inside a normal crab before, but not this one. It should be almost the same, though. We can research it when theres time. This kind of parasite has a high rate and degree of infection. It lives inside the hosts lungs, and it will stimulate and damage the hosts lung tissue, causing coughs and hemoptysis. Some would even invade the brain and cause paralysis. What Enji had just described was just the normal parasites. The one hes holding right now was probably a lot more scarier. Normally, we would not bring a parasite inside the starship easily. It is just too risky, and if we lose control, then everyone on the ship is at risk of losing their lives. Never look down on this wee bit of thing. Cillin and Enjis communicators rang in the midst of their conversation. Cillin turned on the communicator, and Carys huge face filled the hologram above it, Cillin, the A Squadrons here! Chapter 106: Don’t Be Scared, We’ll Cover You Chapter 106: Dont Be Scared, Well Cover You While Cary was speaking, Cillin saw a spaceplane entering the planet from outer space, flying towards Dias mining spot. Cillin, do you want to go and have a look? Enji asked. Before Cillin could answer, his communicator rang. It was Shawton. Cillin, come over for a second. Dias is here too. Bring Wheeze with you as well. Alright, Ill be there right away. Breaking off the connection, Cillin turned his head towards Enji and said, Lets go together. Enji nodded, putting away the tools in his hand. The gray cat ate faster and finished all of the crab meat, and just as it was about to jump up Cillins shoulder, Cillin caught it in mid-air, Go take a bath first. If his guess was correct, the A Squadrons key focus of this trip would be the energy ores, and the gray cat. There were many people inside the Sixth Squadron who either overlooked some of the gray cats performance, or simply had not thought about it due to their lack of knowledge towards cyborgs. But Cillin believed that there were plenty of people in the squad who were guessing towards that direction already. Although Cillin thought that the A Squadrons outlook of the gray cat was positive, they had not actually declared their stance yet after all. He believed that they would know where the Vanguards top management stood in regards of the gray cat during this meeting. Before he led Cillin up the spaceplane, Dias patted Cillins shoulders and said, Dont worry, everythings going better than you think. Naturally, Cillin understood the hidden meaning behind his words. He gave him a smile and and made a got it hand gesture. This spaceplane did not belong to the Sixth B Squadron. Although its structure was similar, the symbol on the spaceplane was not entirely so. It was still a dagger symbol, but there were also additional patterns that were missing from the Sixth Squads. Someone was already waiting for him at the hatch. When the person saw Cillin, he came over and led the way cordially. Cillin did not recognise anyone they ran into along the way, so they were probably people from the A Squadron. These people paid little attention to Cillin before moving their gaze to the arrogant-looking cat on Cillins shoulders. It was a rather interesting sight. Cillin was led to the entrance of a meeting room, This is the place. The man knocked on the door before yelling, Boss, Ive brought your man! Got it. Now get lost! Cillin had never heard this voice before. The man continued to smile ingratiatingly and opened the door for Cillin, saying, Well, Ill be getting lost now. Just go in. Cillin entered the meeting room. It was a small-sized meeting room with a small table seated with three people at the side. He recognised Shawton, but not the other two people. He had a feeling that these two strangers were pretty strong, not to mention that they both had rather distinguishing qualities. One of them had a very long chin. He did not look like a normal human, and his beard was almost long enough to reach his stomach. The other person wore a big, black hat on top of his head, and the hats brim covered nearly half his face. His eyes were hidden just like his emotions were, and his silence and motionlessness only caused greater pressure to the people around him. The only people chatting inside the meeting room were beardy and Shawton. Come here, Cillin. Let me introduce you to these two seniors, Shawton pointed at beardy and said, This is Barthes, former commander of the Eighth B Squadron. Then Shawton pointed at the other person sitting on the chair and said, This is Songba Leruo, former commander of the Second B Squadron. In Hunter regiments, the older generation would often be addressed deferentially as senior. This was because many people of the newer generation were brought up by them, which was why anyone with the title senior had large influence within their Hunter regiments. Good day, seniors. Like hell its good. We travelled all the way here and Shawton isnt willing to even make tea for us. Barthes complained while toying with his long beard. Shawton was familiar with Barthes character since a long time ago, so he directly ignored this line of complaint. Hey, why so shy? Come here and have a seat. Barthes pointed at a chair at the side. Cillin looked at the chair, then at Barthes before walking to a different chair thats not the one Barthes pointed at and sat down. Barthes face immediately contorted while Shawton laughed most cheerfully at the side. Songba Leruo, who had been quiet all this time let out a short laugh and spoke with a deep and low voice, Hey beardy, you bet you pay, so you either pay up or sign me a promissory note right now. I still have loads of Vanguard bills with me anyway. Barthes humphed, Its only two hundred thousand GAL credits, how can I not afford such a small amount of money? Why on earth would I sign something as shitty as a promissory note? With a bang, Barthes slapped a debit card on the table and said, Theres more than two hundred thousand credits in this thing. You two split it among yourselves and return the rest of it to me. This card sure looks familiar. Songba Leruo said, Did you steal Mannys card again? Tsk! How would someone with my morals possibly steal her card?! Barthes folded his arms together and said looking pleased with himself, She forgot her card again during lunch so I brought it for her in passing. She only has so many passwords, so just test them all until you get the right one. Cillin: These people sure have amazing morals! Barthes turned his head and looked at Cillin, Hey brat, you made me lost my bet. How are you going to compensate me? Barthes pointed at the chair that was tampered with. Anyone who sat on it was guaranteed to have their asses blown apart, but most people would not have noticed the trap at all. Only those with incredibly good observation skills or sensory skills would know it. What do you want? Cillin asked. Barthes stroked his long beard and pointed at the gray cat on Cillins shoulder, I want it. Sure, this little guy still owes me a debt. If you can clear out its debt, then you can have it no problem. Cillin nodded. The gray cat stared bright and round-eyed at Barthes. Debt settlement? Thats great! Once its paid it could regain its freedom. How how much? Barthes asked. Cillin showed five fingers, Five hundred million. GAL credits. Barthes put on a straight face and said, Alright, thats enough banter. Lets talk about business! That line of conversation changed pretty quick. It was only four hundred million, you bastard, wait, it was only three hundred plus million! The gray cat slapped Cillins face with its front paw and corrected his mistake. Barthes looked at the gray cat, and his solemn expression immediately blossomed like a flower once more, Hey, little cat, come here and lets have a chat. The gray cat glanced at the guy who had zero intentions to settle its debt at all, walked over with elegant steps and, jump! Under the quartets gazes, the gray cat clung onto to beardys beard and swung back and forth like it was a toy. It even pulled at it as if giving vent to its anger. Ow, be gentler, little cat. Listen here. A person of integrity should pay their own debts, get it? Barthes said. Both Shawton and Songba Leruo looked at him from the corner of their eyes: Integrity? Are you sure you have such a thing? The gray cat cocked its head in ponderment. Hes right. Its just too catbarassing to let someone else pay its own debt, and its beneath its dignity! Releasing Barthes beard, the gray cat jumped back up Cillins shoulder. Hey, dont be angry little cat. If anything happens in the future you can just come to us. Well cover for you. Theres nothing to be afraid of even if its those bastards from the military! Barthes sounded like he was joking, but in truth his words also represented the Vanguards bearing in this matter. Cillin smiled and nodded towards Barthes to indicate his thanks. They didnt ask too many questions and chatted casually for a moment. The only thing that was important was to transmit their stance. Before long, Cillin departed from the meeting room. After Cillin had left, real seriousness finally replaced Barthes cheerful outlook, Shawton, we received intel when we came that Poison Fang has entered Sector Z. Chapter 107: Change of Plans Chapter 107: Change of Plans Poison Fang was a very unusual group. There were Hunters, killers, traitors and even veterans among them. But these people C hailing from complicated backgrounds of their own C shared a common trait, and that was madness. A madness to completely disregard of ones life, be it their own or someone elses. Poison Fangs symbol was a bloody skull, and there were two sharp teeth on the skulls head that gave it the appearance of a devil. Every Poison Fang member would have a bloody skull symbol on their person, and this symbol was made with a certain bone inside their own bodies. Poison Fang originated from Sector V and was a literal compilation of every kind of lunatic. Carrying with them Sector Vs cruelty and bloodthirst, Poison Fang would do anything to achieve their goals. In their eyes, the army or the four great Hunter regiments were equal in the fact they were all targets to kill. If their madness was blind, it would not have been a problem. But whats troubling was that they werent stupid. There was no lack of geniuses among Poison Fang, and even if they were extremely twisted characters, one could not deny that their brains were the real deal. Weapons of mass destruction, highly radioactive nuclear reactions and so on were their bread and butter, and they had all the space in Sector V to test out their new weapons. It was also why half of their numbers were inflicted with radiation sickness. Not long ago, Poison Fang tested out a new nuclear weapon and literally polluted a planet until it deteriorated from planetary habitability rank B to rank C. The people who barely survived the disaster were all tortured and executed as well. In response, the GAL army sent their troops to hunt down Poison Fang at Sector V, but whats strange is that Poison Fang did not fight them head on this time. Instead, they gathered their men, hijacked some warships and fighter aircrafts before leaving Sector V for Sector Z. Some people said that they were forced to leave, But I believe that things arent that simple. Barthes said. Mm. Ill keep an eye on this. Shawton could not be careless if Poison Fang was involved. You are here at Sector Z to complete your mission. But if you ran into them, then escape as far away as possible. This may sound be a bit demoralising, but if you wish to avoid unnecessary casualties, then dont fight them head on. We are not the army, and we do not have so many strict rules. Deal with this flexibly. Do not be like Heavens Birth. Just like Vanguard, Heavens Birth was one of the four great Hunter regiments. A few years ago, a Heavens Birth B Squadron attracted Poison Fangs attention while they were headed to Sector V and fought them head on. While their losses werent big, they definitely werent small either. After all, anyone who could make it as a central fighting unit within the B Squadron of the four great Hunter regiments were naturally elites. It was a loss to lose anyone of them. At the time, while both sides were battling against each other, Poison Fang had thrown five seismic bombs in succession at the location where the majority of the fighter aircrafts were gathered. Out of the thirty or so fighters that were blasted into smithereens, nine belonged to Heavens Birth, and twenty or so belonged to Poison Fang. This was how crazy they were. Naturally, Shawton knew about that incident. If the Sixth Squad ran into Poison Fang now Shawtons head hurt at the thought. My suggestion will be for you to begin your return journey right now and leave Sector Z. After all, youve discovered several unusual energy ores in this place, and this is already enough reason for Poison Fang to go wild at you. The news hasnt leaked out yet, but its still better to be safe than sorry. If you ran into Poison Fang now with your current strength, you may suffer huge losses. Barthes expression was heavy. After a moments thought, Shawton said, I need to discuss this with my lieutenant commanders before coming to a decision. After exiting the spaceplane, Cillin returned to the starship along with Enji. Enji led Cillin to his own workshop, and he found that there were several parasites stored in the room. However, they were all dead specimens. They may be dead, and they left no eggs behind, but their genetic material is still intact. Enji pointed at one of the parasites which he discovered during a cleaning of the starship, Their genetic material is different from a humans DNA, and are not of the purines and pyrimidines humans or some other common lifeforms have. Their genetic makeup is something else. Cillin accepted the document Enji handed to him. This was Enjis research findings that he made while he was free, however it was only some basic researches and not in-depth. After all, Enji wasnt a specialist in this area. While speaking, Cillins communicator rang. It was Cary again. Cillin, where the hell are you lazing about?! Get over here already! What is it? Get over here and help us move these energy ores. The haulage robots went haywire the second they touched them, so we have no choice but to move them ourselves. The commander told us to be quick since theres going to be a different arrangement later. Okay, got it. Im coming right away. Cillin broke off the connection and apologised to Enji, informing that he needed to go to move some ores. Enji waved his hands and said, Its about time the team begin the latter part of the operation. Go busy yourself with your work, Ill be checking the starship in a minute. When Cillin returned to the mining spot on the starship, he saw that Cary was carrying some ores. The red-and-black energy ores caused his entire person to be cast in dark colors. After he carried the energy ores into the transport spaceplane, Cary wiped his sweat and said, This thing is heavier than it looks. Hey Cillin, I heard that our plans are about to change. Hmm? Cillin gave him a questioning look. Cary looked at his surroundings and whispered secretively, I heard this from the lieutenant, although the reason is unknown. They were all summoned for a meeting just now, and its probably to figure out this matter. Seeing no response from Cillin, Cary poked Cillin with his elbow, Arent you curious? With the commanders personality, theres no way he would give up on his original plans easily! Yeah, continue. Cillin rolled up his sleeves and walked up to an energy ore, lifting it up and carrying it to the transport spaceplane. Cary also carried a block of his own, although his attention was obviously somewhere else, Thats to say that there must be some special reason behind it. Why dont you guess what it is? How would I know? Well know when they finish their meeting.Theres no point for you to feel anxious about it now. Cary was going to reply something when Tang Qiuqiu hopped out of an spaceplane and came over. Brother Cillin, brother Cary, let me show you something! Tang Qiuqiu ran over cheerfully, and there seemed to be something pocketed inside her clothes. The gray cats nose moved, Tasty! Tang Qiuqiu carefully unwrapped her jacket to reveal an egg about the size of two fists. There were many white circular patterns on the egg, and it looked very beautiful. Yo, not bad. I guess thats an extra meal for dinner tonight! Cary smiled. I want to eat too! The gray cat gathered over. No way. I found this not far away from where Uncle Lu Suo and the others were mining. See, doesnt it look like cream candy? Tang Qiuqiu was bored and had nothing to do, so she went to all of the mining spots to have a look. While she was idling and digging the ice with her tools for fun and warmth not far away from the mining spot of the land of ice, she found the egg. Normally speaking, Tang Qiuqiu had no special interest towards eggs, but this one in particular looked a lot like the creamy lollipop she loved to eat. The circular white patterns looked just like the rings of cream painted on the surface of a lollipop, so Tang Qiuqiu fell in love with it on first sight. Of course, if the egg had looked average, that it would probably stew in the frying pan. Chapter 108: What Happened?! Chapter 108: What Happened?! What gave birth to this egg? Cary poked at the egg Tang Qiuqiu was hugging and asked. I dont know. Uncle Lu Suo said that they ran into a few types of alien beasts earlier, but he wasnt sure which one this belongs to. Although, Ive recorded all of the alien beasts Uncle Lu Suo told me. Tang Qiuqiu took out an electronic notebook and showed Cillin and Cary the pictures. Hmph, theres no need for such trouble. I only need sniff it once to know what it is! The gray cat said disdainfully. Really?! Tang Qiuqius eyes lit up, I saw that there are some alien beast claws or furs or something that Uncle Lu Suo and the others killed on the spaceplane. Can you really sniff out what it belongs to? Of course! The gray cat raised its head and looked incredibly pleased with itself. While Tang Qiuqiu led the gray cat inside the spaceplane, Cary asked Cillin, What do you think is inside that egg? The alien beasts Lu Suos group ran into were pretty scary. Whichever it may be, It should be pretty dangerous. Its also possible that it belongs to neither of those beasts. Cillin said. When Cillin had analysed its isotopes when he touched the egg earlier. Although there were no accurate comparisons, Cillin could assert that the egg was at least five hundred years, or even one thousand years old. It was even older than the gray cat, and the strangest thing was that this egg was alive. Although the life inside the egg wasnt strong, it was easily detectable in close range. As expected, not long after Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat exited the spaceplane, the young girl wore a puzzled look on her face. The conclusion was, Theyre all wrong. When we go back well put it in an incubator and wait. Maybe well know what it is not long after. Cary suggested. What Cary was thinking right now was that it better not be a second Dough that jumped out of the egg, or he might as well not bother to stock up anything inside his cabinet any longer. Okay. But Ill still visit it often! Tang Qiuqiu caressed the egg in her lap and smiled joyfully. At the end of the meeting, Dias summoned the man for another meeting to inform them that there was a change in plans, and they were to leave Sector Z and be set on a return journey. Going by the GAL Standard Calendar, the Sixth Squad had entered Sector Z for several months now, and by the time they head out, itd be about a year in total. It was a lot of gain to discover a rank B planet and these ores in just a year, but still, there were some people who were unwilling to discard all their original plans and head back so suddenly. Usually, they would not stop here just because they had had a very productive run. But they wouldnt complain about the decision either; naturally, the commander and the lieutenant commanders decision wasnt founded on nothing. When Dias was finished with the briefing, he requested a few core members to stay behind and continued the meeting, briefly explaining the matter with Poison Fang. The moment the group heard about Poison Fang, they immediately understood what was going on. It was no wonder that the commanders would make such a decision. After all, who would want to run into those lunatics at such a time? After loading a portion of the energy ores into the starships energy warehouse, the Sixth Squad left the planet. The A Squadron would take over the remaining duties on the planet, and the Sixth Squad no longer had to do anything any longer. For the return journey to leave Sector Z, Shawton did not retrace their footsteps from the way they came from. Instead, they would return through a different route. This was also the joint decision he and the lieutenant commanders had arrived at after the meeting. While the route had been explored by someone else before, the exploration process was incomplete. Therefore, if they could discover something that the previous explorers missed, then it would balance out everyones feelings and curb any dissatisfactions. They had to say that the planets along this route were pretty great. It didnt take long for them to discover an unmarked and unreceptive planet with planetary habitability of Rank C. Hence, the Sixth Squad stopped by the planet as Shawton sent out the men to explore it. Right now, Cillin, Cary and a few other members were chatting idly at the lounge outside the control room. Cillin, the commanders looking for you! Cary yelled on his chair without turning over. Cillin saw Shawton coming in through the door the moment he turned his head around. He couldve just called him through the communicator, but since he had arrived personally then it probably meant that it was no simple matter. Cillin, I just got wind from Barthes that theres something they need Wheeze to deal with. Luckily, were not too far away from them yet, so it should take you less than two days to reach them in a long distance spaceplane. If there are no problems, then please go with Wheeze meet up with them. Its probably something with the energy ores. Our exploration will probably take another five or six days, and when you come back we may not even be done yet, so theres no need to be too hasty. Shawton said. This planet was huge, and someone had just reported that theyd discovered some energy ores. Although it was just normal energy ores, it was still a good haul, so the squad had sent out more than just a small team this time around. Judging from the current outlook, the exploration would probably be taking some time. Okay. I have nothing to do now anyway. We can depart immediately. Weve prepped the spaceplane, the pilot and other support staff for you already. You will not have to pilot it yourselves. Wait a second, can I go with them? Commander? Cary moved closer eagerly. He was just regretting the fact that he forgot to stock up on food, and he remembered that there were plenty of unique fruits on that planet. If there was time, then he would like to hunt a few beasts and make them into jerkies as well. I want in too I want in too! Tang Qiuqiu jumped over. The egg was already put inside the egg incubator, but Eudy said that they were still missing some parameters. Although these parameters could be calculated slowly, there was no harm to go back and test out a few variables. No problem. Shawton had no objections to their requests. Alright, go pack up your things and get ready to leave then. Cillin informed Cary and Tang Qiuqiu, lifted the gray cat who was bullying Dough, and headed towards the spaceplane Shawton had prepared for them. Although a spaceplanes top speed was incomparable to a starship, Shawtons estimation that they would arrive in two days was not incorrect. When Barthes and the others acquired new parameters and reperformed their calculations on the planet, they had deduced that there might be a few more mining spots on the planet. However, they could only come up with an approximate range, and not a precise location. Even the optimised scanners could only reduce the range by a bit and not determine an exact spot. Coincidentally, the Sixth Squad hadnt left too far away yet, and they ran into a Rank C planet that they needed to stay behind and explore for a time as well. So after discussing with Shawton, he requested for Cillin and the gray cat return directly. The scanners couldnt detect the exact location, but the gray cat solved the problem very quickly the moment it arrived. There were energy ores in these locations, but the deposits were small, and their quality was far lousier than the ones the gray cat had consumed, which was why the gray cat paid them no heed in the first place. Since Barthes wanted them, the gray cat assisted him in discovering all of the mining spots. In return, Barthes purposely gifted the gray cat a huge energy ore of exceptional quality, which the gray cat hugged and bit at occasionally when it had nothing to do. Cary went to hunt a few alien beasts with some members of the A Squadron. He roasted them and made them into jerkies, and in passing, he even acquired some fruits that were stored in an extra large preservation package to be taken back to the spaceplane. Under the guidance of Barthes men, Tang Qiuqiu headed to the land of ice and tested the parameters Eudy said that they had missed, so that the incubator could be calibrated to simulate a more suitable environment. After a days time, the group finished all that needed to be done on the planet. Cillin and the others did not stay for long before they went back to the spaceplane and left the green planet, flying towards the squadron. The round journey and the one day they stayed on the green planet added up to a total of five days. For the Hunters who often fly back and forth between Sectors, this really was just a short time. But it was in this five days that a great change occurred to the Sixth Squad. When Cillin and the others arrived at the squadrons parking spot, the first thing that greeted them was many fighter wreckages floating in space. Wh what the hell happened?!! Chapter 109: Heaviness Chapter 109: Heaviness The scattered wreckages caused everyone on the spaceplane to feel ice-cold all over. What happened? Even though theyd already guessed it, there was still a voice in their hearts roaring in denial of that answer. There was the familiar pattern, familiar color, and familiar symbol amidst the scraps of the wreckages. Theyd all piloted such a fighter once, but now the fighters had turned into many broken pieces scattered amidst this cold and endless space. With the universe as their backdrop, they appeared especially tragic and desolate. Some of the scraps clearly did not belong to the Sixth B Squadron, but exactly who they belonged to could not be confirmed just yet. From the sheer amount of wreckages that entered their eyes, they knew exactly how intense the battle had been. The Sixth Squads main starship was parked quietly at the same spot, with the B Squadrons starship parked right beside it. Be it the main starship or the B Squadrons starship, they were all tattered with nicks, dents and holes. Something had obviously rammed into them fiercely in what was almost certainly a swarm attack. The engineering robots were seen rushing repairs. Cary slowly lost control as the spaceplane gradually approached the starship. He had been sending a transmission to the main starship and the B Squadrons starship all this time, but there were no response whatsoever. Finally, the transmission went through. Shawtons exhausted face appeared on the comm screen, Well speak on the ship. He then cut off communications immediately. Cary then sent a comm request to Dias team repeatedly, but there was just no one to pick it up. Cary ignored what the others were saying in the spaceplane. He just kept pressing comm button. Tang Qiuqiu sat on the chair while hugging her little backpack. She was so quiet it was scary. There might be a lot of things that she did not understand, but she was born on Sector V after all. She knew very well what a battle of this scale meant. Tang Qiuqiu buried her face into a bag, afraid to know the results for the first time of her life. Cillin stared expressionlessly at the scene outside displayed by the image panels. His fingers caressed the gray cats back repeatedly, and the gray cat stayed obediently quiet. The moment the spaceplane landed on the starship and came to a stop, Cary immediately ran out, Everyone wheres everyone? Beaver? Eudy? Wheres the lieutenant?! Cillin followed him slowly from the back. When the spaceplane had entered the starship, he understood that there was no way they could fly out again. Multiple layers of steel had sealed the flight passage behind them. This was probably Shawtons act in fear that they would fly out there impulsively in a fighter or a spaceplane. Afraid that they would act on impulse? Was the situation so grim already? Beaver, Eudy, Little Eight*, Xiao Shang, Dias no one was here. They had come through from the B Squadrons starship. After they entered, the B Squadrons starship docked with the main starship. Normally speaking, every time a spaceplane returned from space, they must be inspected routinely. This was to prevent anyone from carrying a threatening lifeform from outside into the starship unknowingly. The person in charge of the inspection had always been Enji, but today, the person who showed up was Enjis assistant instead. Although the assistant was wearing a protective mask that concealed his expression, Cillin realised that his hand holding a cleaning tube was still shaking. It was silent. It was so silent that it was oppressive; so silent that they could not breathe. After Shawton had his men lead them to the main ship, he began briefly explaining the whole incident. A day after Cillin and the others had left, the Sixth B Squadron encountered Poison Fang. This was exactly what Shawton had been trying to avoid all this time, but ultimately failed to. No one could have thought that Poison Fang would pass through here. They did not hide their tracks, seemingly wanting to tell everyone exactly where theyre entering Sector Z from, where theyre passing through, and where theyre headed at. Poison Fang themselves were surprised that they would run into the Vanguards Sixth B Squadron, but the unexpected encounter also kindled their bloodthirst. Whenever they ran into the four great Hunter regiments, their modus operandi was to fight them without giving any chance of reconciliation. Technically, the Sixth Squad should not have fallen into too much of a disadvantage even though their new energy weapons werent developed yet. But unfortunately for them, when Poison Fang arrived, there were a few teams who were exploring on the planet and thus were cut off from the starship. Therefore, when Poison Fang had unleashed a fighter swarm, the situation was incredibly disadvantageous to the Sixth Squad. Poison Fangs men had attacked suicidally with absolute disregard of the consequences, so it was imaginable just what kind of attack the exploration teams had suffered on the planet. The people who returned safely from the planet were less than half the number. Dias and Lu Suo were seriously injured and were still under observation. The two lieutenant commanders Akai and Wa Qing, and more than thirty members were taken prisoner. As for why they were taken prisoner and not dealt with a different method, Shawton did not say. There were also a few members who returned to the starship with serious injuries and were in critical condition such as Beaver, Eudy, and more. Although Xiao Shang and Ba Dao were hurt, their injuries were not serious. They had been staying on the main ships medical floor. The entire medical floor was filled with hasty medical staff and members who were waiting anxiously outside the emergency rooms. When Cillin came up, he saw Ba Dao and Xia Shang standing outside the door of an intensive care unit. Their expressions were heavy, and their entire beings were enveloped in thick gloominess. After Cary spoke a few lines with them, he lifted his hand and covered his eyes, leaning against the wall. Feeling someone grabbing his hands, Cillin turned his head to see Tang Qiuqiu grabbing her backpack with one hand and his hand with the other. It was as if she was clinging on for life. Up until now, Tang Qiuqiu had not said a word or cried a tear. She simply stared blankly at the sickroom. She could not see clearly who was inside the sickroom, and she was afraid to know who they were. Her legs were rooted as if they were nailed to the floor. Cillin crouched down and carried Tang Qiuqiu. The closer they were, the tighter Tang Qiuqius grip became. Through the transparent screen, Cillin saw the patients inside the sickroom. There was Eudy, Beaver, and a few other people of the same team. They lay quietly inside the ICU, and from the instruments connected to their bodies and the numbers displayed on the monitors, Cillin knew that they had not escaped critical condition yet. There was no telling how long they would stay like this, and who would survive at the end. Wheres the lieutenant? Cillin looked towards Xiao Shang. Hes in that ward. Xiao Shang pointed at a sick room, his voice still shaky and repressed. However, when Cillin saw the sickroom Xiao Shang was pointing at, he let out a sigh of relief. Those sick rooms were for people who had escaped critical condition. While carrying Tang Qiuqiu, Cillin walked to the sickroom Xiao Shang pointed him to and saw Dias through the screen. He lay on a bed, looking like he was asleep. Asiya kept watch beside him, her eyes red and her face haggard. It was only after Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu had entered the sickroom that they realised he lost an arm. Seeing the stable numbers on the instrument, Cillin rubbed Tang Qiuqius head and said, The lieutenant is fine. Hell wake up after a good nap. Stay with lieutenant commander Asiya and keep the lieutenant company, while I go look for the others, okay? Tang Qiuqiu lowered her head and nodded. Asiya got up and pulled Tang Qiuqiu gently over for a seat. Her movements were incredibly light, seemingly afraid that the noise would disturb Dias. Other than Dias sickroom, Cillin asked for directions yet again and headed towards a sickroom in the ICU. The condition of the people in this section of the ICU was even worse than Eudys and Beavers. At the very least, Eudy and Beaver still had a fighting chance, whereas the people here had basically been given the death sentence. Treating them was simply to keep them alive in this world for a little while longer. Non-medical personnel were not allowed into this sickroom because they carried germs with them. Cillin simply stood quietly and watched the person inside it. The person lying on the sick bed and was almost completely covered in medical instruments seemed to notice something, and raised his hand to pull off the instruments above his head. The medical staff at the side tried to stop him, but was pushed away instead. It was unimaginable that he would have this much strength in his condition. Come in, Cillin. *Ba Dao / Eight Claws Chapter 110: There is a Kind of Person Chapter 110: There is a Kind of Person Cillin put on the isolation gown the medical staff handed to him and walked into the ICU. It was only after entering the room that Cillin realised that Enji only had a pair of hands now. The other two were gone. Enji was already thin in the first place, and now he felt even more like a skeleton hanging on to the thread of life and death. The medical staff had told Cillin earlier that Enjis injuries were too serious, and his genotype was not up to par. Even if they prolonged his life as much as possible with the machines, he would not last more than two days. The biggest factor, however, was because Enji possessed no will to live. Cillin walked beside Enji and sat down, leaning closer to hear closely to Enjis words. Enji could hardly even breathe now, and every word he formed took him a lot of energy. However, even though Enjis words were slow and soft, his pronunciation was very clear. Bring me the journal Ill get it right away! Cillin got up and ran out quickly. Naturally, he knew exactly which journal Enji was referring to. It didnt take him long before he presented Chamonidines journal to Enji. The last page Cillin flipped to the last page of the journal. There were a lot of blank pages in between, but there were words on the last page. It was a poem. Enji looked towards a direction. There was a cabinet outside the room, and it was filled with some of the items the patients took with them when they were sent into the ICU. Among them was Cillins small toolbox. Cillin took the toolbox into the room. The medical staff tried to sterilise the toolbox, but Enji waved his hands and said, Its fine! When Cillin raised the toolbox to Enji, he raised his hands and grabbed it tightly. Caressing the toolbox gently, he opened it and swiped his finger once on a small square inside the toolbox. Once it was unlocked, Enji took out a key from inside the small space. It was the key to Enjis workshop. There were very few people who did not use digital code door locks on this ship. Enji passed the key to Cillin and placed it on his palm. He could not feel at ease if the things inside his workshop were left to anyone else but Cillin. Enji thought that Cillin was the only one who understood how precious the things inside his workshop were. Since he had taken off the life support apparatus on his head, Enjis breathing had become extremely difficult. Cillin wanted to put it back onto his head, but was turned down by Enji, If I wear this I wont be able to hear them. Enji caught his breath and pointed at the journal, saying, I remember that you are from Sector X. Do you know the Sector language of Sector X? Cillin nodded. Enjis eyes smiled, Its been a long time since I heard Sector Xs language. Please read me the poem at the back of the journal with Sector Xs Sector language, will you? When Enji said this, his tone was almost flat. Cillin felt that Enji was using the last of his energy to speak. But somehow, his eyes were bright as if he had seen the distant stars. Chamonidine was originally someone from Sector X just like Cillin, and his former dream was to become a free poet. Later on, Chamonidines home was affected by war, and it was then he encountered the Third B Squadrons commander Nata. He was then introduced in the Third B Squadron by Nata and became a member of the Third Squad. But even after he had become a part of the Third B Squadron, Chamonidine still often wrote poems, and every journal and diary he owned more or less had a couple of poems in them. Back then, Enji and a few people in the Third Squad had often listened to Chamonidine reading his poems with standard Sector Xs Sector language. However, those people had all perished in that incident back then. The only reason Enji was saved from that catastrophe was because he was transferred to the Sixth Squad prior to it. But if Enji had a choice, he would rather turn into cosmic dust like them. By an Octopus humans standards, Enji was only at a third of the average lifespan. However, he was already satisfied with his life. Cillin sat beside Enjis sickbed and turned to the last page of the journal. Then, he began to read slowly. Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert, That from Heaven, or near it, Pourest thy full heart In profuse strains of unpremeditated art. Higher still and higher From the earth thou springest Like a cloud of fire; The blue deep thou wingest, And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest. In the golden lightning Of the sunken sun, Oer which clouds are brightning, Thou dost float and run; Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun. The pale purple even Melts around thy flight; Like a star of Heaven, In the broad day-light Thou art unseen, but yet I hear thy shrill delight, Keen as are the arrows Of that silver sphere, Whose intense lamp narrows In the white dawn clear Until we hardly see, we feel that it is there. He spoke with the perfect dialect of Sector Xs Sector language. The medical staff did not understand it, since they were not from Sector X. They only needed to know GAL language for space travel, and they used to think that any other languages that were not native or GAL were difficult and awkward. But when they listened to Cillins voice now, they had a feeling that was like a gentle breeze sweeping across a sandy land, rolling up dust and carrying it straight towards the blue horizon. The light in Enjis eyes was very gentle. Its as if he had met an old friend after many years. Enjis genotype rank wasnt high. An octopus humans average genotype rank was rank C, but Enjis genotype rank was only at rank D. It might be because he was exposed to too much radiation. Moreover, Enji was pitifully thin as compared to the average healthy octopus human. Perhaps the happiest days of Enjis life were when Chamonidine had led him across the galaxy. I see. It has been almost fifty years already As, when night is bare, From one lonely cloud The moon rains out her beams, and Heaven is overflowd When he was finished reading, Cillin closed the journal, stared at Enji, who had closed his eyes with a smile on his lips, and bowed. Godspeed. The heart rate monitor indicated that his heartbeat had already stopped. Ba Dao was standing outside Enjis sickroom when Cillin came out. There was no telling how long he had been there. Ba Dao felt like he did not understand Cillin. Ever since Cillin came to this floor, whether he was seeing Beaver, Eudy and the others inside the ICU, Dias who had escaped critical condition but lost an arm, or Enji who had just passed away, the man was frighteningly calm. Just what exactly what he thinking on the inside? Ba Dao did not think that Cillin was a heartless man. But in comparison to Cary or Xiao Shang, Cillin was so calm that it made his blood ran cold. His face was indecipherable, but somehow his eyes caused Ba Dao to feel an impulse to shrink away. Ba Dao remembered something his seniors told him: There is a kind of person who looks no different from normal when their emotions had reached a level of extremity. They had told him to avoid provoking someone like him, or he wouldnt even know what killed him. Cillin Ba Dao wanted to say something, but he couldnt form a word after speaking Cillins name. How is Eudy and Beaver doing? Cillin asked. His voice was so calm that not a trace of emotion could be heard. The medical staff said that theyre improving. They only need to endure the next two days, but theyre completely on their own. The staff cant do anything to help since the medicine may cause some adverse side effects. Unless it is absolutely essential, no one dares to medicate carelessly. Cillin nodded and walked over to Eudys and Beavers ICU for a look. Dough was stuck on the screen, and it looked like it hadnt eaten for several days. After having a look around, Cillin walked outside. Chapter 111: Ransom Chapter 111: Ransom Shawton sat in the meeting room with his palm pressed to his head and his eyebrows locked firmly with each other. He looked incredibly tired. The only one out of the six lieutenant commanders, Lalo, who was relatively well and safe sat beside him. Dias and Lu Suo were severely injured, and Asiya had been guarding by Dias side all this time. With Akayi and Wa Qing captured by the enemy, Lalo was the only one left in the group. Both Shawton and Lalo had been keeping quiet ever since they entered the meeting room. They werent sure what to say. Should they say something like, put their hopes onto the A Squadron? Shawton wiped his face with his hand. He hadnt slept for a second in the past few days. In the end, the Sixth Squads numbers were just too few. The former Sixth B Squadron commander was an extremely capable person, but he was also very much a loner. In reality, despite their weak numbers, the reason the Sixth B Squadron did not completely fall behind the other nine Vanguard B Squadrons was thanks to the former Sixth Squads commander, Seru. Seru was so individually gifted and all rounded that many tasks within the Sixth B Squadron were carried out by him personally. Since no one could work as efficiently as Seru, and Seru was a person who strove for efficiency excessively, it became a habit for many people within the Sixth B Squadron to rely on him. When Seru was transferred to the A Squadron, and Shawton succeeded him as the commander, the Sixth B Squadrons flaws were finally exposed little by little. Thankfully, they still had Dias, and Dias always had a great eye for people. During this period, Shawton quickly filled up the gaping hole Seru left within the squad after his promotion. Right up to the moment Cillins batch of new talents arrived, Shawton was full of confidence for both the present and future. However, recent events had caused Shawton to become hesitant. If a Poison Fang was all it took to force them into such a disastrous state, then Shawton seriously did not know what he could do to fix the situation. Right now, he did not even have someone who could come up with ideas and share the burden with him. The meeting rooms doorbell rang, and Shawton brought up a holographic screen. When he saw Cillin standing outside the door, he paused for a moment and let out a long sigh. Then he pressed a button and opened the door. Shawton pointed at a chair and said, Sit down. Cillin pulled a chair over and did as he say. After looking at lieutenant commander Lalo and the weary looking Shawton, he asked, Can you tell me exactly what happened? Shawton removed his hand from his forehead and brought up a display screen, moving it in front of Cillin, This is the footage of that time. After that, Shawton fell silent and said no longer. Cillin watched the footage from the appearance of the warships, to the clash between the two sides starships and fighters, and finally the exploring teams emergency return under the fighters cover. The most obvious takeaway from the video was Poison Fangs suicidal ramming. The crashed fighters were like fireworks that blossomed suddenly in the night sky, and it was both a helpless and tragic situation. Cillin could feel what the others were feeling at the time. No one would have had a good time going up against a bunch of lunatics. Their usual tactics and techniques were just plain ineffective against them. The Poison Fang members were experienced, skilled, and bat shit insane. The footage itself was enough to make one disbelieve their own eyes. No wonder the military and Hunter regiments were reluctant to go up against Poison Fang. While Poison Fang could afford to go crazy, they could not. To avoid repeating Heavens Birth mistake, the Sixth Squads fighters kept a good distance from each other so that itd at least be easier to maneuver out of the way in case something unexpected like Heavens Birth tight formation being bombed to hell by Poison Fangs seismic bombs happened. However, it appeared that Poison Fang was not planning to do something like that at all this time, and their men simply attacked at random and rammed suicidally into other fighters. It was an incredibly stifling attack. Later, the lucky ones made it back to the starship, and the unlucky ones were forever left on the planet. There was also a group of people who was intercepted and captured by Poison Fang. Dias, Eudy and a few others were the lucky ones, but even they had to pay a heavy price for their luck. Shawton and Lalo had been observing Cillins expression ever since he began watching the footage. But to their surprise, Cillins expression didnt change much from beginning to the end. There wasnt even any killing intent at all When Shawton had sent the footage to Barthes, they could feel Songba Leruos and Barthes killing intent even through their recorded reply. However, the young man before him was so calm it was scary. After watching the footage, Cillin turned his head and asked Shawton, Why have they taken them prisoner? Those who were familiar with Poison Fang knew that the organization basically never took prisoners, and even if they did, it was purely for the purpose of torturing and executing them. But what was strange was that they hadnt received any news that their people were tortured and executed up till now. Shawton tapped the table with his finger habitually and pondered for a moment, seemingly considering how best to speak of this matter. Poison Fang was going to torture and execute them, but they learned about the energy ores and demanded a ransom. As for how this is going to play out, we are still waiting for their reply. They were Vanguard, one of the famed four great Hunter regiments of the universe. Setting military and politics aside, any other Hunter regiments would have shown them some respect at least. Since when was a squadron of the four great Hunter regiments ever forced into such a terrible state, much less extorted by their tormentors? Shawton felt deeply ashamed at himself for failing his sacrificed squadmates, Dias and others who were still on the sickbed, and the entire Vanguard itself. Cillin understood his meaning. The fact that Poison Fang had learned about the energy ores did not necessarily mean that there was a traitor in their squadron. There were a lot of ways to induce someone who had never received any special training to reveal all sorts of secrets, let alone the fact that they were carried out by a bunch of well equipped lunatics. They would only have crueler methods that could induce the prisoners to reveal all they knew without realising it one bit. Where have they gone to? We dont know. Shawton shook his head. After the disjointed battle, there were simply too many things to process, and the hostages were under Poison Fangs control as well. Since Poison Fang forbad the Sixth Squad from following them, Shawton did not send out anyone to do such a thing. He knew that the second Poison Fang discovered that they were following them, there was no telling how many out of the thirty or so lives would remain. What is your plan, commander? Cillin asked again. Barthes had been notified of the matter, and the A Squadron happened to have some reinforcements heading to the green planet to be stationed there. He told us to standby for now, and once the reinforcements had arrived he would send over some men to aid us. Everyone in the four great Hunter regiments would know that the difference between an A Squadron and a B Squadron was like the difference between heaven and earth. The B Squadrons were where the squad members were tested, and only a selected few would be able to enter an A Squadron. No B Squadron would want to call the A Squadrons for help, since it sent out a message that meant that their B Squadron was incompetent. They would look like a child who needed their parents help when they ran into a problem they could not solve. But for the Sixth B Squadrons sake, Shawton still decided to inform Barthes about their situation. It did not stop Shawton from feeling pained and stifled however, even with Barthes consolation that Poison Fang was a special organization that no ordinary B Squadron could handle. The moment he saw the wreckages floating outside the starship, and the squad members still on the sick beds, Shawton could not help but feel a deep sense of exhaustion. Please inform me if youve received any information about the extortion, commander. Cillin stood up and got ready to leave. Suddenly, the emergency communicator beside Shawton rang, Commander, an unmanned transport is headed towards our direction! Weve also received an unknown signal! Chapter 112: I’ll Go Chapter 112: Ill Go When he heard the news, Shawton immediately brought up a monitor and had his men communicate the exact situation to him. The holo screen stayed suspended above the meeting room table as it displayed a small transport with the symbol of a bloody skull on it. At the same time, the transport transmitted a signal that appeared to be a recorded footage after they accepted the transmission. The holo screen displayed a savage-looking person with blood colored patterns painted on his face. These patterns made up the exact symbol of Poison Fang, and that was a bloody skull. Moreover, this person did not look like the average human since he had a huge mouth and a pair of fangs each protruding from the upper and bottom half of his mouth. He looked incredibly ferocious. Dear sirs and mesdames of the Vanguards Sixth B Squadron, I, the Skull King Carranio, leader of Poison Fang, hereby greet you all a good day on behalf of my poisonous underlings. the Skull King Carranio smiled smugly at this point and stretched his fangs outwards as if he would swallow his prey. In Sector Vs Sector language, Carranio meant skull, so one could guess exactly where Poison Fangs skull symbol came from. However, neither Shawton nor Cillin had ever heard of this name. Perhaps the name Skull King would be more notable. The screen switched to display the thirty or so prisoners captured by Poison Fang. Among them were the two Sixth Squad lieutenant commanders, Akayi and Wa Qing. Although they were trapped inside transparent chambers and had lost their consciousness, they could see that they were still breathing. The sight relieved Shawton from his worries quite a bit. I heard that your squad has recently lucked upon some small fortune? As you know, Poison Fang arent doing too well with the military on our tails and our energy running low these days. So for the sake of my underlings welfare, Ill not beat around the bush with you any longer. These thirty seven lives C oh wait, thirty six, since I accidentally killed one yesterday. Oops. Carranio spread out his hands innocently, There are several containers on this transport, and all you need to do is to fill them up completely. With the Vanguards reputation, We* trust you that will not use fake energy ores to try and fool us, will you? Ka ka ka ka Carranios strange laughter had a shivering quality to it. There is also a contract inside the transport. For fairness sake, you can send a person to guard the energy ores and sign the contract along the way. Of course, personally, I would very much like to meet commander Shawton himself, ka ka ka ka. The footage ended here. Both Shawton and Lalo fell into silence after watching the footage. Surprisingly, it was Cillin who spoke up with the same cool and indecipherable tone, Ill go. No! No! Shawton and Lalo voiced their objections at the same time. In Shawtons case, he thought that Cillin might not survive this journey. Cillin was a rare talent after all, and Shawton was unwilling to use him this way. In Lalos case, he simply didnt trust Cillin. Adding these sentiments to Cillins age, neither men were willing to let a twenty years old kid bear such a task on his shoulders. Im not proposing to you, Im informing you what Im going to do. Cillin said, You cant go, commander. If you go, then the Sixth B Squadron is dead. Lieutenant commander Lalo cant go either. Weve already lost four lieutenant commanders worth of combat strength, if we are to lose another one, then the Sixth Squads morale will drop to the rock bottom. As for the others outside this room and are combat capable, who do you think can keep cool head? Shawton and Lalo were silent. After a while, Shawton stood up, Lets go see the transport first before making a decision. The fact that Poison Fang could send a specialised transport to their doorsteps so quickly spoke a lot of problems. Among them one point was certain, and that was Poison Fang should not be far away from them. They should be able to obtain some answers from the transport. When the trio arrived at the end of the passage, the technician was processing the data. How is it? Shawton asked. The transport was probably set up to follow a fixed navigation path. It has about every kind of scanners installed, and there are monitoring devices at every corner. Plus, most of the systems programming was fixed, and any alterations would result in self-destruction. The power of the explosion is enough to destroy our whole ship. The transport was even fixed with a countdown timer, and judging from the displayed time, it took fifty two hours in total to reach us from its origin point. Right now, theres only sixty hours left on the clock. Even as he listened to the technicians report, Shawton had to admit that these lunatics were ridiculously intelligent. But just the same, it was a damn pain in the ass to have such intelligence grow inside a lunatics head! These lunatics had given them almost no time to prepare at all. In fact, Shawton even suspected the authenticity of the time displayed on the time board, but it did not matter. What mattered was that they had less than eight hours left before the time of departure! With just eight hours left on the clock, the A Squadrons units would not arrive in time to aid them. Without any reinforcements, the only people they could rely upon was themselves. As he stared at the contract with a blood colored skull symbol on it, Shawton sucked in many deep breaths and did his best to cool down his head. He had not been commander for long, and he had never run into such an incident for as long as he could remember. Such a thing never happened even when Seru was still commander! Just what the hell should he do? While Shawton was thinking, there was a beep from his communicator. After reading the text message, Shawton frowned and requested the technician to continue with their analysis. Then he turned a corner at the passage entrance and saw Cillin standing right there waiting for him. Cillin did not go close to the transport. He did not want the monitoring devices on the transport to capture him. Go and prepare the energy ores. Give me five hours. Five hours later, I will present you with a complete action plan. Cillin said. Shawton was going to reply something, but Cillin waved him off, Commander, theres not much time left. After that, Cillin turned around and left the place. When Cillin left the passage and returned to the B Squadrons starship, he took out the key Enji gave him and entered Enjis workshop. The gray cat also went inside before closing the door behind them. No one knew what Cillin had done inside. Shawton was still staring at the data analysed by the technicians, and neither LC Asiya or LC Lalo** could give him any useful suggestions. Dias was still asleep, Lu Suo was still in the ICU, and Eudy and the others were still in critical condition. Xiao Shang, Ba Dao and Cary stood guard outside the sick rooms, and at this moment, they did not know that a transport had entered the main ships port, did not know that Shawton was killing himself over the contract, and did not know that the energy ores they mined were being moved up the transport. Five hours later, Cillin walked out of Enjis workshop and sent Shawton a message. He spoke with Shawton in the meeting room for a whole hour, and the content of the meeting was not known even to Lalo. Lalo only knew that at the seventh hour after the transports arrival, Cillin had gone up the transport. Coincidentally, Dias had awakened the moment the transport left. Both Eudy and Beaver had also overcome their critical conditions. When Cary went to Cillin excitedly to notify him of the news, he discovered that Cillin was already gone. *A way a monarch addresses himself, with capital We. **LC C Lieutenant Commande Chapter 113: I Am Cillin Chapter 113: I Am Cillin Dias lay on the sickbed with many tubes and instruments attached to his body. However, his spirit had recovered quite a bit, and after he awakened Asiya had left his side. Right now, Tang Qiuqiu and Cary were the only ones accompanying him. Tang Qiuqiu pursed her lips and said nothing for a long time. Dias had finally awakened, and both Eudy and Beaver were also out of danger. But Cillin was gone, and whats even more depressing was that both Cary and Dias refused to tell her where he went to. Tang Qiuqiu might be young, but it didnt mean that she was ignorant. Dias sighed once and said, Qiuqiu, Cillin is just out on a mission. Hell return in a few days, so dont worry, okay? Tang Qiuqiu continued to keep her head low, You told me before that a person will look you in the eye if theyre telling the truth. But Cary and the others didnt look at me when they talk to me. At a side, Cary turned his head away to keep Dias and Tang Qiuqiu from seeing the emotions brimming in his eyes. He was in deep regret. While they were busy guarding the patients and drowning themselves in sadness and anger, Cillin had wordlessly picked up that heavy burden. Still lowering her head, Tang Qiuqiu picked at her fingers and asked in a soft tone, He wont be coming back, will he? Cillin is super strong, you know? He took a shot from you and walk away perfectly fine afterwards. Of course hell come back. Dias said with as much certainty as he could muster. Tang Qiuqiu did not show her face, but her tears dripped one by one on her fingers. Come here, Qiuqiu. Dias raised his remaining arm and wiped the tears off her face, Be a good girl, and go take a nap. Itll be okay. Everyone will be here when you wake up. He was just finished when Tang Qiuqiu lay still beside Dias sickbed. Dias had a mini syringe in his hand. He had taken the opportunity to inject her with anesthetic at her neck while he was wiping her tears. Cary, take her to bed, please. Lieutenant, Cillin, he Itll be fine. Cillin is much stronger than you all think. At the same time, inside the transport, Cillin sat on the only chair of the cockpit and had his eyes closed. He appeared to be asleep. He did not need to navigate or perform any tasks on the transport himself. Everything had been preset. There was a map coordinate inside the system, but the technician failed to obtain it safely due to the time constraint. Therefore, the Sixth Squad could neither learn where the transport was headed to, nor follow it rashly. Sector Z was an unexplored zone. Other than the outermost area, there were no long distance cell sites anywhere else in Sector Z, so signal propagation and connection was inconvenient. But this was not necessarily a bad thing for Poison Fang. Cillin knew that every one of his movements were captured and transmitted to Poison Fang through the security monitors. This was so that Poison Fang could understand better the messenger thats headed their way. Poison Fang did not fear death, but they were not idiots either. They knew what the sayings know yourself and know your enemy and to capsize in a drain meant. When an hour remained on the timeboard, Cillin saw through the display window a reddish planet. The most obvious feature of the planet was the gigantic skull on its surface that could be seen even from space. The crisscrossing dark and light red patterns that delineated the contours of the picture showed that Poison Fang had sunk quite the effort into developing this planet. Besides that, the planets location was rather obscure. Either it was never discovered by outsiders, or those who did discover it were all dead. Perhaps this was Poison Fangs true base of operations. To them, Sector V was none other than a hunting ground and a place to absorb recruits. It was no wonder that they showed no restraint whatsoever in Sector V; they cared nothing for any of the planets in Sector V in the first place. As long as this planet in Sector Z remained hidden, then their safety was guaranteed. It was at the same time Cillin realised that Poison Fang never planned to return the thirty or so prisoners alive at all, and this included Cillin himself inside the transport. Poison Fang did not believe in promises; they believed only in dead bodies. But this was something Cillin had guessed earlier, and it was most likely that Shawton and the others knew about this as well. But Shawton would still have sent the ores as demanded, if there was even a thousandth possibility that they might be returned alive. Three spaceplanes and more than a dozen or so fighters flew towards his direction. There was probably someone among them who could control the transport ship, because Cillin discovered that its speed had slowed down accordingly. When a spaceplane had docked with the transport, a few people came through the connected bridge. The leader of the group was a brawny, two meters tall man with his hair braided into a queue. When the man saw Cillin, he chuckled, To think that the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron would send a reckless brat to be their messenger. Is everyone on the ship dead or something? He obviously knew that both sides had exchanged fire not long ago, and that the Sixth Squad had suffered grave losses. There was only one reason he would choose this occasion to say such a thing on purpose, and that was to sound out Cillins reactions and guess his personality from them. Cillin was sure that someone on the planet was watching him this very moment. Cillin stood up and raised his hands to show that he brought no weapons with him. Of course, the transport ship itself had scanners in the first place, so they shouldve known about this a long time ago. Someone came from behind Big Q* and nodded. By that he meant that they had taken all that needed to be taken, and that no abnormalities were detected on the ship. Cillin handed over the contract in his hands, but Big Q had thrown it to the floor the second he took it. He even stepped on the contract twice. Cillin frowned and stared at Big Q. Big Q and the several people around him laughed arrogantly. Then, he raised his hand and pressed a gun barrel to Cillins head. Alright, kid, your missions over. Better say your last words now before its too late for regrets. Big Q loved to watch the personages of famous Hunter regiments, military or great business families begging for his mercy. Their pitiful appearances and despairing looks were always a feast to enjoy. But Big Q did not expect Cillin to continue frowning and staring at him before speaking in a calm tone, I thought you would ask me why the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron would send me over. Mm? Interesting. Big Q chuckled and tapped Cillins head with his gun. Then he pressed it against Cllins face and said, Why, pray tell, have they sent you over then? I am Cillin. I dont give a damn if youre called Cillin or chillin** Big Q was about to give Cillin a big welcome with his gun when the communicator in his hand suddenly rang. When he saw the message displayed on the communicator, Big Q narrowed his eyes and removed the gun barrel from Cillins face. Then he spoke to the people beside him and said, Take this brat away. King wants to see him. Cillin was led onto a spaceplane. The energy ores that were on the transport had all been taken away, and after the spaceplane had flown a distance away, Big Q pressed a button in his hands. Rumble The transport ship exploded into floating scraps in space. If there were any signal devices or people who were hidden on the ship and had not been discovered by Poison Fang, they would all be cosmic dust now. *Here the author chose to nickname the guy with a queue, and I shortened queue into Q. **in the original there is a wordplay on the word Ci or Xi, meaning West. Literally, the dialogue wouldve been translated to West-lin or East-lin, but here I used another wordplay to fit the English language. Chapter 114: Welcome to My Kingdom Chapter 114: Welcome to My Kingdom If Poison Fang could pry out the info about the energy ores from the prisoners, then they must know how the Sixth B Squadron had discovered the energy ores as well. That meant that they must know about Cillin and the gray cat. If the energy ores could attract the Skull King Carranios attention, then Cillins worth would surely fall under Carranios purview as well. When the spaceplane had landed on the planet, Big Q and a few other Poison Fang members surrounded Cillin at the center to prevent him from playing any dirty tricks he might have. Cillin looked around him. Looking at its conditions, it would seem that this planets planetary habitability was at Rank B as well. It was pretty difficult to find a Rank B planet in Sector Z, but judging from the surrounding buildings, it was obvious that Poison Fang had occupied this planet for quite some time already. Cillin didnt get off the spaceplane for long before he was told to pass through a door frame-like device before exiting the port. He had seen this device in all sorts of places in other Sectors. It was a device that detected subspace containers. After the device was activated, the center of the device became blurry and distorted. Cillin stepped into that area. The device beeped continuously during the inspection process, and at the same time, the display monitor at a side indicated that there was a spatial abnormality at a certain body part. After Cillin had passed through the device, Big Q walked towards him yet again. This time he did not use his gun however, and instead lifted a smile that did not reach the eyes and said, Dont do anything dumb. Give it to me. Cillin took off a bracelet from his wrist expressionlessly and threw it to Big Q. Big Q pressed a switch on the bracelet and dumped everything inside the bracelet on the floor. As he stared at the scattered rations and water bottles, Big Q clicked his tongue and crushed the food rations to bits, grinding them twice against the ground. However, he kicked the water bottles to the people beside him. The water could be used if they passed through the inspection. Big Q pushed Cillin and said, One more time! Cillin followed orders cooperatively. The second inspection went through without any problems. Lets go. Big Q beckoned the men at the side and they led Cillin to where Carranio was. Meanwhile, a small, metallic lump that looked almost identical to its surroundings moved away slowly from the bottom of the spaceplane without anybody noticing. It soundlessly sneaked out of its cover and attached itself to the bottom of another spaceplane that was about to take flight. When the spaceplane had taken off, the small lump released some half transparent balls about the size of sesames that were incredibly difficult to distinguish without a closer look. No one at the port noticed the small balls that were rolling along the dust and soil. They continued to talk and laugh loudly about a certain slaughter. Cillin was led to a building over twenty meters tall. It could not be considered grand, but it was definitely unconventional to say the least. The building was painted in a blood-like red color, and the pillars were hung with some large emblems of Poison Fang. Outside the hall, there were three people who were stripped and nailed against the pillars. They hadnt drawn their last breath, but they were just inches away from death. There was no doubt that this was torture. The clothes of these three bloody people were placed beside them. They were the uniforms of the Sixth B Squadron. One of them belonged to a combat personnel, while the other two belonged to the technicians. Cillin remembered everyone he met before, and he recognised these three people as LC Akayi and LC Wa Qings subordinates. Big Q and some of the surrounding Poison Fang members let out pleased chuckles at the sight. Cillin picked up some broken rock shards from the ground and flung them at the trio before Big Q and the others could react. Better dead than to live in such agony. Big Q and the surrounding men raised their guns at once at Cillin. However, Cillin turned his head and spoke to Big Q as if he hadnt realised what he just did and said, Lead the way. Big Q narrowed his eyes, wrinkled his nose and let out a low, animalistic roar. But he quickly calmed down and said, Dont get cocky, brat. When the time comes, Ill skin you alive and nail you to the pillar! Ill cut your flesh out bit by bit and feed it to my adorable pets! Up to this point, Cillin had put on a calm act and did not pretend to be weak or frightened. After all, to do so would be no different from burying his head in sand. Poison Fang might be lunatics, but they were not idiots. They knew that there was no way the Sixth B Squadron would send a weak and cowardly thrash to negotiate with them. To pretend so would only result in the opposite effect and draw even greater suspicion onto himself. Although Cillin had only seen Carranio once through the video footage, he had a feeling that he was a person who desired to dig out your secrets the harder you tried to hide them. This coincided with Cillins own wishes. This way, he could better ensure that things developed the way he planned it to be. Welcome to my kingdom! Carranio the Skull King sat above the main hall, looking down on Cillin as he walked towards him. When he spoke, his fangs stretched outwards and gave him an even more savage appearance than before. Cillin looked at Carranio seated at a high spot and said, I am honored to be able to see the legendary Skull King with my own eyes, and I believe that you have checked as to who I am. So, should we cut straight to the chase? Carranio smiled and pointed at a chair not far away from Cillin, Theres no rush. Come, take a seat first. There was a huge spider beneath Carranios hand, and when Carranio put his hand on its back, it was less than one fifth of its size. There was also an unknown animal lying at Carranios feet with many pairs of legs and covered in a layer of dense scales. Its tail was curled upside down, and two pairs of eyes C one big and one small C stared at him with an ominous glint behind them. This was probably an original species of the planet. The moment Cillin sat down, he said, I can tell you more about those energy ores. But I wish to see my companions first and confirm that theyre alive. Carranio looked to be in a good mood as he turned his head and spoke to the Poison Fang members beside him. Cillin frowned at them. They were not speaking with the GAL language. Cillin had frowned god knows how many times ever since he arrived here, and Poison Fang was very happy to see this reaction. Carranio and his men had conversed using Sector Vs language. After he was finished instructing, Carranio looked towards Cillin once more and said, I heard that you have a talking cat who can search for the energy ores. Ever since he learned about the gray cat from the prisoners, Carranio had been planning to attack the Sixth B Squadron a second time and capture the cat. However, that plan was still in the planning phase, so Carranio had to admit that it was exciting news when he learned that Cillin was the Sixth Squads messenger. From what he gathered, the ore seeking and talking gray cat belonged to Cillin. If he trapped Cillin here, then it would be a lot easier to obtain that cat. Cillin nodded, Yes, I do. But I have not brought it with me for this trip. While speaking, a Poison Fang member carried a man inside and threw him directly on the floor. The person had both his hands and legs cuffed and his mouth sealed. He looked to be still regaining his breath, and his eyes were a little out of focus. But when he finally recovered and saw Cillins figure clearly, he struggled in attempt to climb up to his feet. The person beside him kicked him down on the floor once more. When Cillin saw him, he immediately stood up from his chair and swiftly knelt beside him, saying, LC Wa Qing, are you okay? While caressing the big spiders back, Carranio smiled and stretched his fangs outwards when he saw Cillin letting out an obvious sigh of relief after inspecting Wa Qings condition. King, what have you called me here for?! It was at this moment a young man stepped into the hall. Chapter 115: Explanation Chapter 115: Explanation The newcomer was an average human with long bangs, and he appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He did not have any tattoos, but he had a lot of mini mods on his person. Cillin knew that the mods were deadly even without knowing what their functions were. Although the young man also addressed Carranio as king, his tone was more casual, and not as fearful and reserved as Big Qs. However, it would seem that everyone in Poison Fang was used to his tone and behavior, and even Carranio himself did not express any displeasure as he chuckled at the young man. Come, Emmus, quickly. Let me show you something good. Carranio smiled until his fangs were sticking outwards. Beckoning, he pointed at a chair and motioned for Emmus to sit down. The chair Carranio pointed him at was closer to the throne than Cillins, but Emmus did not head over immediately and instead looked Cillin up and down first before slowly making his way to the chair. Sitting down casually and crossing his legs, he stared interestedly at Cillin and the crowd. Footsteps rang from outside the hall, and before his underlings could announce their arrival, Carranio had already invited them in loudly, Come in! A dozen or so people came in right after his invitation. The three leaders of the entering group were probably around the same status as Big Qs, and they sat at the side just like Big Q after saluting the Skull King. Judging from their looks, it would appear that they were not pure humans. Well, that was to be expected. A chaotic place like Sector V had all kinds of races, and without a stable enough social system and population distribution, multiracial individuals were not an unusual sight. The Poison Fang members who followed behind the three leaders were carrying a few boxes of energy ores with them. They placed the boxes at the center of the hall before retreating to the back and standing still. Unlike the rest of the people in this place, small fries like them had no courage to take a seat without the Kings permission. Eh? Emmus eyes lit up as he swept a glance at the boxes that were still closed. The mods on his person were already reacting to whats inside. Haha, it looks like Emmus is already getting impatient! Big Q laughed. Carranio moved his finger and motioned for the people at the back to open them. The glow of the red-and-black, green, white and translucent ores immediately captured everyones eyes, and Emmus had even darted right off the chair and walked circles around the energy ores. His eyes burned with so much passion that it was as if he had met his lover. This is some good stuff! Emmus touched an energy ore and sighed. Big Q and the others were unable to hold back as well as they got up and caressed the energy ores. They looked like they couldnt wait to hug them all in their arms. On the ground, Wa Qing stared wide-eyed and disbelieving at Cillin before turning to look at the energy ore inside the box. He closed his eyes and shook his head repeatedly. Wa Qing understood that the Sixth Squad planned to use these ores to exchange their lives, but he knew better. Poison Fang never planned to release them in the first place, and not even the messenger who delivered the ores, Cillin, would leave this place alive. There was no such thing as trust in Poison Fangs dictionary. The only things they worshipped were domination and slaughter. King, these energy ores are different from the ones we usually use! A person beside Big Q looked and touched the ores all over while exclaiming in great excitement. Of course they are! Carranio laughed twice loudly before inclining his head towards Cillin, Now, let us have the discoverer of these ores, Sixth B Squadrons Cillin, explain these energy ores so that everyone can understand them better. Wa Qing abruptly opened his eyes and stared straight at Cillin. The aggressiveness in his eyes stated that he would go down with him if he dared say a word. Cillin gave Wa Qing a smile and said, Dont worry, LC Wa Qing. Itll be fine. Like hell I can not worry. Like hell itll be fine! Words could not describe the anxiety in Wa Qings heart. They should not have revealed anything about the energy ores even if all thirty or so of their lives were completely sacrificed in the process, much less bringing them over. Wa Qing himself was wrought with both remorse and shame. Now, this kid was even going to explain to them exactly how the energy ores worked?! Seriously?! Wa Qing consoled himself by thinking that Cillin was probably employing some sort of tactic to fool Poison Fang. What he revealed to them would probably all fake. But Cillin disappointed him. He almost couldnt catch his breath and blacked out upon listening the very first piece of content. This bastard is actually telling the truth! How foolishly young and inexperienced was he! Just why did the commander send someone like him over to negotiate?! Wa Qing made a lot of muffled noises on the ground, but since his mouth was sealed and Cillin did not tear off the tape on his mouth, all he could do was wriggle and groan. In contrast, Cillin was giving the performance of his life as he explained brilliantly and excitedly to the Poison Fang members with spittle flying all over the place. Not even at the Sixth Squad had he seen the kid talk this much before. While Big Q was stretching his neck and listening closely to Cillins explanation, he felt that his thighs were a little itchy and gave it a careless scratch. Then he continued to listen to Cillins explanation. At the same time, the big spider beneath Carranios hand noticed that there were many half translucent little balls rolling towards it. These little balls gave it a very bad feeling, but at the same time they also seemed very tasty. It was a paradoxical feeling. While the spider was still hesitating, the little balls had already rolled to its body and became stuck to its hair. Meanwhile, the little balls had also rolled into the local creatures mouth snoring beneath Carranios feet. Some of the balls were sucked into its mouth while it was breathing. Carranio was listening quite enthusiastically to Cillins explanation and imagining in his head just how powerful his weapons would be if they were powered by these energy ores. To his surprise, the big spider beneath his palm suddenly moved intensely and escaped from his grasp before running off somewhere. If this was any other time, Carranio would have sent someone to look for it. But right now he simply wasnt in the mood with nearly all of his attention caught by the things that Cillin were describing. He was distracted because these energy ores were capable of satisfying his ambition. The information Cillin revealed were easy to understand, and Carranio had learned some of these information from the captives already. However, the minute details that Cillin described had made Carranio even happier, such as the red-and-black ores capable of inducing certain life forms to evolve hardened scales on the skin. Every time Cillin introduced a new type of energy ore, he would give out some examples on how to apply them. Although Carranio had thought up some of these applications himself, Cillins explanation was more vivid and attractive just like a monochrome painting given color. Plus, Carranio was sure that what Cillin had told them was true. It was also why Wa Qings face grew more and more ashen while Big Q and the others grew more and more excited. Meanwhile, Emmus continued to caress the energy ores as he listened to Cillin. His long bangs hid his eyes and kept them from being seen. Chapter 116: The One Who Shot From The Back Chapter 116: The One Who Shot From The Back After Cillin was finished speaking, Emmus then investigated some formulas and parameters with him. They even debated over a formula within a parameter. Big Q and the others were not ignorant to examples, but when it came to stuff like formulas and parameters, they became staunch illiterates. Emmus and Cillins conversation didnt last for long before someone beside Big Q started to complain, Emmus, youre just asking for a beating, arent you? Just cut the nonsense and keep things simple and understandable! Emmus neither got angry nor bothered to address the complainant as he turned his head back around and continued his discussion with Cillin. The Skull King continued to smile on top of his throne and did not stop Emmus. Even if Carranio himself did not understand the discussed content, but it was fine as long as Emmus understood, wasnt it? Emmus was an excellent weapon modder, and his skills were among the absolute best within Poison Fangs technical team. During the time Emmus arrived at Poison Fang, he had created quite the amount of great weapons for them. This was also why Poison Fang was able to run amok at Sector V for a time without fear of the GAL army, the Hunter regiments and the great GAL families. Therefore, the longer Emmus discussion was and the deeper his understanding of the energy ores became, then the more unlikely that the weapons he modified would disappoint Carranio. Ahem, er, Skull King, do you have water here? Cillin paused the discussion and looked at the Skull King. His eyes seemed to say: Ive been talking for more than an hour, and yet youre so stingy that you will begrudge me of a cup of water? Perhaps it was because they were too excited about the energy ores, but when Big Q and the others heard that Cillin wished to drink some water, they too felt a little thirsty and dry. Carranio clapped his hands and personally informed his men to prepare Cillin a fruit tea. The fruit used to make the tea was an local plant on the planet. Cillin watched the blood red liquid inside the cup and gave it a sniff. There was the fragrance of a herbaceous plant, This tea is pretty good. Cillin said after taking a sip. Well, you can always drink it if you want to. Carranio seemed to be hinting at something. Cillin smiled, I will return once I complete this mission. By that he meant to turn him down gracefully. On the floor, Wa Qing sighed in his heart. What a thoughtless answer; hes still young I suppose. Cillin should not have answered like this, for it was no different from cutting off ones last chance of survival. No matter how you looked at it, he should have chosen a more tactful answer at least. After he drank the fruit tea, Cillin then continued the discussion with Emmus. Emmus seemed completely absorbed by the energy ores and did not drink even a drop at all. Seeing that Cillin and Emmus had begun their high level discussion once more, Big Q and the others were back to scratching their heads in confusion. Big Q wasnt sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt a little suffocated. He blamed the disconcerting feeling on Cillin and Emmus discussion. Personally, Big Q thought that it was enough knowing how to fire a gun and pilot a fighter. Just what was the point of learning so many high level problems? Big Q looked down on Emmus on the inside. A person like Emmus only knew how to hide in the backlines and toy with his weapons. In the end, he was still trash on a battlefield, wasnt he? After the discussion, Emmus took out his dedicated daggers. These daggers were not high energy density cutting tools, but a kind of special alloy blended and forged under a certain ratio. It could be used to cut energy blocks within a localised area, and was every technicians favorite tool. This was because a tool like this would not overly wear down the energy inside an energy block. It would seem that Emmus truly was a professional talent. First, Emmus cut a small piece off the red-and-black energy ore. Then, he freed out some fingers to press at a mod covering his other arm to pop up a semicircular item with a small notch in it. Emmus put the cut energy piece into the small notch, closed it and put the semicircular item at the empty space at the center of the hall. Finally, he pressed a button on top of the semicircular item, and a red-and-black energy shield instantly covered the semicircular item inside. Cililns eyebrows lifted. It certainly was an intricate item belonging in the hands of a professional. No wonder Shawton had commented that Poison Fangs equipment were pretty good. It would be stranger if they did not have good equipment with such talent, not to mention that there should be more than one such person in Poison Fang. Big Q and the others self-consciously retreated as Emmus operated the mod on his arm. A launcher appeared, and a white beam struck the semicircular item. However, that item was not damaged in the least. On top of his throne, Carranios eyes lit up. Even Big Q and the others could not help but take a step forwards. Emmus pressed yet another button on his arm and took out four more launchers. There were now five launchers in total, and every launcher was firing three shots in rapid fire. A total of fifteen beams struck the semicircular item, but it was still perfectly intact. Wonderful! Carranio could not stop himself. The energy shields created by these energy ores were just too good! Big Q and the others went forwards for a closer look, King, this thing is just too awesome! With this, we have no need to be afraid of those damn soldiers any longer! Well fuck them all over the next time we run into them! Thats right. When the time comes, we shall show them exactly how powerful Poison Fang truly is! Carranio collected himself and looked at Emmus, Test the remaining ores! Show me their efficacy! Emmus nodded and walked beside the green energy ore while holding his dagger. He was just about to cut it when they suddenly heard Cillin muttering, How how can this be? Everyone turned to look at Cillin, and Carranios pupils shrank. Right now blood was flowing non-stop from Cillin nostrils, and no matter how he tried to wipe it away, it just wouldnt stop. His hands were already covered in blood, and there were a few droplets that hit the floor already. Carranio did not plan to execute Cillin this quickly at all. At the very least Cillin was of great use to him now, so who the fuck poisoned him before he gave the order?! Someone! Heal him this instant! Carranio roared. Cillin seemed to be completely frozen in fear as he pushed away those people who were came forward to examine him. Then he started coughing harder and harder to the point where after covering his mouth and coughing for a few times, he uncovered them to find that they were completely drenched in blood. He wasnt just bleeding from his nose but also coughing blood out of his mouth! Cillin stumbled for a couple of steps and sat down weakly beside the boxes that were filled with the energy ores. He was still coughing when he took his seat. Big Q and the others appeared to be struck dumb by the situation. The guy who looked like he was going to set the world to rights and arouse a new era of knowledge moments ago, had suddenly turned into a serious patient who looked like he would pass through deaths door at any moment. Just what was going on? What the hell are you waiting for?! Carranio walked down from his throne and roared. The examiners quickly walked beside Cillin and began preliminary inspections, King, hes poisoned! But he shouldve been poisoned for two hours at best. Well need to look into this further to know exactly how bad his condition is. Then do it! Carranios entire body was brimming with killing intent as he swept a glance over the people inside the hall. Two hours Cillin was already brought here about two hours ago, but it was possible that he had already been poisoned before he arrived. Just who had poisoned him? King, the captive! Big Q yelled in surprise. Carranio looked over and saw that Wa Qing was beginning to spasm on the ground. Blood flowed out of his nostrils, and he looked like he was trying to cough, but since his mouth was sealed, the excess blood sprayed out of his nostrils instead. What what the hell is going on? Hey, I feel I feel like I cant catch my breath! Me too! While Big Q and the others were speaking, Warning bells suddenly rang in Carranios head as he exerted force into his legs, caused a pair of deep depression on the ground and jumped backwards. But he was still a little too slow. He had been shot at the arms, thighs and the back. Big Q and the others were not so lucky. Both their heads and chests were shot. It was a fatal blow. Someone was shooting at them from their backs! Who was it?! There should not be any other outsiders in this place except Cillin and the captive on the floor. There should not be any outsiders; there should not be anyone at all, unless Thats right. There was one person who could fire so many shots without a word and hit their targets at the same time! Emmus! You traitor! Chapter 117: Who Are You Chapter 117: Who Are You Big Q and the others never thought that Emmus would shoot them from the back. They had always thought that someone like Emmus was most suited for the backlines, where he would be tinkering with technology, making weapons and exploiting resources for their sake. To put it bluntly, they never thought that Emmus would have the courage to shoot them from the back, and thus this contempt resulted in a technician who had never left the bosom of his formulas, parameters and calculations; a man who was no taller, no stronger, and no more imposing than them delivering them the ultimate fatal blow! But where did he get the courage from?! Did he not know what betraying the Skull King meant?! There werent many people inside the hall since Carranio did not like having too many guards around him. However, he did like raising pets, and sometimes he would punish a person by feeding them to his pets. Carranio loved to watch the scene where his pets tore and consumed a person, and the reactions of the surrounding Poison Fang members towards the bloody scene as well. Be it fear or excitement, it was something that Carranio was glad to see. Normally, his pets would be the first to charge out in response to any abnormalities. After all, pets were often more loyal than humans. But something was wrong today. It was only now that Carranio noticed that he was careless. Although his pets would not normally reveal themselves, they were all hiding at a certain corner in this hall. But where were they now? Not a single one of them could be seen except the native beast sleeping beside his feet. Wait, thats not right. How could it possibly sleep through such a big commotion? Perhaps things were already awry from the moment his spider had escaped from his palm. But at the time, Carranio was engrossed in Cillins presentation, and his mind were filled with future plans to realise his ambition. Ultimately, he had been too careless! As Poison Fangs leader, Carranio was a man with true abilities. Moreover, he trusted no one, and even when faced with the demise of an underling who had worked under him for tens of years, he would at best lament the loss of a helping hand. He would not grieve, and he would definitely not commemorate the dead in any way. The first thing Carranio thought after Emmus betrayal wasnt why, but of dodging out of his attack range as if he had planned it all along. Carranio was a person who would find out about his underlings behaviors and be on guard against them, and he was always on guard against the people around him no matter what the occasion. Therefore, even when he relinquished the high ground and stepped down from his throne, he did not enter anyones optimal attack range. This was also one of the reasons why he was able to prevent his vital spots from being shot at. While Carranio was retreating in haste, he activated the shields and backed away to a spot closer to the throne. A metallic wall rose to cut off the throne area from the hall at the bottom. Emmus knew that he no longer had a second chance to kill Carranio after failing for the first time. With Carranios level of caution, he must have prepared a multitude of escape routes for himself. Right now, Carranio had probably retreated outside the hall and summoned his men to attack it. This was also why Emmus did not bother going after him. Instead, he pressed a few buttons on his arm mod before the people outside could charge in and tossed out a semicircular beam shield. A ray of light shot out of the semicircular beam shield and swiftly enveloped the few of them inside. He did not content himself with such a measly amount of defense. Three more semicircular balls flew out in succession as the man skilfully cut a few small pieces out of the red-and-black energy ores and installed them into the balls, reinforcing the shield twice, thrice, four times in total. The series of movements were performed in an extremely short amount of time, and when the people outside noticed that something was wrong and attempted to charge in, four whole layers of shield had already been risen. The red-and-black energy shields had completely enveloped the entire hall. For a short time, the people outside would not have a way to break through them. At this time, Carranio was probably summoning his men and preparing to follow up on the matter. Carranio had no mercy for traitors. Of course, Carranio had no mercy for anyone either. Alright. From the looks of it, there should not be any problems for half an hour, but after that, I cant say. Carranio must be mobilising the heavy weaponries right now, and hes not someone who would hesitate to raze this place to the ground to kill us. Emmus leaned against the boxes with the energy ores and said. They were the only three people left inside the energy shield, and Emmus had no intentions of leaving his back to either Wa Qing or Cillin. Cillin, who looked like he was about to depart from the world just now stood up and wiped away the blood beneath his nose leisurely. The blood was no longer flowing out of his nose, and he looked healthier than a fit person. The same thing was happening to Wa Qing on the floor as his breathing gradually stabilised. Wa Qing stared at both Cillin and the Poison Fang traitor in confusion: Whats going on? Cillin pulled out a gun and fired thrice at Wa Qing. All three bullets landed at the same spot and shattered his handcuffs with a resounding ring. The recovered Wa Qing moved his weakened hands about and accepted the gun that Cillin had tossed to him. Then, he broke the legcuffs too and tore away the tape on his mouth, grimacing in pain during the process. Poison Fang probably never thought of tearing his tape at all, so the tape they used was so sticky it might as well had been a second skin. Emmus eyelid twitched when he saw Cillin pulling out the guns. He could not see where he was taking out the guns at all, and it was most depressing when Cillin pulled out yet another gun for himself after tossing one to Wa Qing, and he still failed to notice where the weapon had come from. Although Cillins side was blocking the view, he must have made some kind of movement when taking out the guns, right? In reality thouh, Emmus could not see any such extra movements at all. The man raised his hand casually, and the gun was already there. Emmus was completely puzzled. Logically speaking, Cillin must have been inspected multiple times before he was escorted to this place, and yet somehow he still managed to carry so many guns on his person after the inspection! Therefore, the threat represented by Cillin just rose a level higher in his heart. Cillin looked once at Emmus indifferently, but he did not raise his gun. Instead, he asked, The reason? Cillin himself did not expect something like this to happen within Poison Fang, and it was only during midway that he had changed his plan. While discussing formulas and parameters with Emmus, Emmus had introduced a code that only a certain number of professional technicians would understand. After he decrypted the code, Cillin discovered Emmus plan to betray the Skull King and hence tweaked his latter plans just a little. This was also why he was leaning against the boxes with the energy ores. The boxes could block beam shots, and Cillin did not fully trust Emmus. He had no intention of being shot at by accident whatsoever. Emmus shrugged his shoulders and said, I want to live, and I want some time to explain myself. In order to save himself from being toyed to death by Cillin just like Big Q and the others, Emmus had detached himself from Poison Fang just in time and expressed his sincerity along the way by killing Big Q and the others before Cillin could. Even before the fruit tea was served, Emmus had already found out that this man, who was even younger than him was beginning to exact his vengeance. If he hadnt installed a special mod on his person, he would have completely failed to notice the things that entered his body without any signs at all during that time. No wonder Cillin had spoken so animatedly just now. It wasnt that he was too naive; he was simply acting to draw everyones attention to him. Even if someone was to suspect that he was intentionally drawing their attention for some nefarious plan, it was undeniable that Cilllins explanation of the energy ores was incredibly attractive and evocative. It was no wonder that Carranio himself had grown careless. Who are you? Cillin asked. Emmus smiled, If I tell you the truth, will you extract the things inside my body? Sure. He understood that Cillin was telling the truth after looking him over once seriously. Then, Emmus made a hand gesture that every Hunter was most familiar with. When he saw this hand gesture, Wa Qing, who had just gotten back on his feet immediately felt cold sweat pouring down his back. Chapter 118: Concerted Attack From Within And Without Chapter 118: Concerted Attack From Within And Without You dont seem to be surprised. Have you expected this earlier? Emmus looked at Cillin in surprise. Cillin appeared as indifferent as ever as compared to Wa Qing. It was one of my guesses. Ive never underestimated the army. Cillin said. When Cillin was still a Shadow Hunter, a rather famous Hunter on Planet Brown Earth who was detained by the local military and sent to jail once said: never underestimate the army, for they might have planted their spies long before you realised it. Cillin did not know if this line was meant for his Hunter comrades hidden amidst the crowd, or simply his own solique. Regardless, Cillin accidentally heard this while he was passing through and had since etched it into his mind. The army was formidable not only because of the Four Heavenly Edict Generals. It only appeared that way on the surface. Cillin tossed a pill at Emmus, Here. Insecticide. Emmus looked at the pill in his hand and asked, You have a subspace container with you, dont you? What do you think? Cillin answered the question with a question. Emmus said nothing. He thought yes, but his scanners did not pick up any abnormalities at all. Keep hesitating. Those things will soon enter a period of exponential growth in another minute and thirty seconds. Emmus face twitched. Everything was within the kids calculations. After staring at the pill for another two seconds, he raised his head and swallowed the pill resolutely. Im not telling you to die. Stop looking like youre going to die a martyr. I must thank you for your mercy then! Emmus said through gritted teeth. He hadnt drunk the fruit tea because he was sure that they were mixed with something as well. He wondered how Carranio was feeling right now. Wa Qing listened to their conversation vacantly, What whats entering a period of exponential growth again? Worms. Wa Qing: Didnt that mean that he was infected as well? Youre fine. Ive already injected the meds into your body. Cillin added knowing what Wa Qing was thinking about. It was only then Wa Qing recalled the moment when Cillin had walked towards his side quickly when he was first brought into the hall. At the time, Cillin wasnt just inspecting his condition but injecting him with meds. No wonder he felt as if his back was stung by something back then. But how on earth did Cillin manage to pull it off? After a pause, Wa Qing said again, Cillin, Akayi and everyone They should be on a spaceplane headed for the Sixth B Squadron right now. The connection he shared with the gray cat informed Cillin that everything was progressing smoothly. He had planned to act separately from the gray cat in the first place. While the cat would act stupidly sometimes, it should not have any problems assessing time as a cyborg as long as everything was planned out properly beforehand. Plus, it wasnt difficult for the gray cat to track down people. By sticking itself onto a spaceplane, it could conduct deep scans and biosign verification to the building complexes beneath it from high altitude. All it took was a spin around the area to know exactly where the hostages were imprisoned at, and even if it failed, it could still analyse and determine the best approximate location. This was without accounting its super sensitive nose. Hows the Sixth Squad doing? Wa Qing had been anxious the entire time; he could still remember clearly how the battle went that day. Youll know once you get back. Wa Qing did not ask further seeing that Cillin wasnt willing to tell more. Cillin was too extraordinary, and to be entirely honest with himself, Wa Qing was a bit afraid of this kid who hadnt even hit the twenty years old mark yet. Emmus looked at the timer on his hand and asked Cillin, What do we do next? Do we just wait for the things you planted to work? Cillin shook his head, That will be letting them off easy. Ive specially prepared them another gift. What is it? Both Emmus and Wa Qing asked at the same time. Bird of Paradise. They did not know what Cillin meant by Bird of Paradise, but when they saw his eyes, they both felt a chill travelling down their spines. It wasnt because that Cillin had revealed some sort of dark emotion, or because he was overflowing with killing intent; in fact, Cillin still wore the usual indifferent and inexplicable expression with eyes that were as calm as the stars of the deep universe, but utterly indecipherable. That was why it was even scarier. Somewhere in a building outside the hall, Carranio injected himself with a kind of inhibitor drug. He did not know how much longer it could suppress the things inside his body, but as long as it worked, it was acceptable. There were plenty of surrounding Poison Fang members who were beginning to display symptoms of discomfort. Moreover, the discomfort only worsened over time, and it was only after a medical inspection that they discovered that a huge number of tiny parasites had appeared out of nowhere inside their bodies and were feeding on their internal organs! The few mad enthusiasts within Poison Fang were already beginning to research it, but surely no good news could be expected within a short time. Therefore, Poison Fang could only inject themselves with inhibitors for the moment and wait. Their virus resistance was good, but they had nothing on parasites at all. They once spread viruses on Sector V, but they had never researched parasites and thus could not endure a parasitic attack. Carranios feelings were really, really terrible at the moment. Right now, he finally understood that Cillin had been planning to delay from the beginning. That was why he purposely acted like he was in a hurry unconsciously at times. The brat was sure that Carranio himself would take the opposite standpoint and conduct the latter business in a leisurely manner, and so he delayed whenever possible, such as when he sent his men to to bring Wa Qing or the energy ores over. Not only that, the brat might not necessarily be ignorant to Sector Vs language! The more Carranio thought, the angrier he became. His let out bursts of low, animalistic growls from his throat. It was fake, it was all fake! Everything about that brat was faked from the start! King, the prisoners are gone! The guards have all fallen unconscious! someone reported. King, a spaceplane had flown away from the planet. The guards tried to focus their firepower and shoot it down, but they received some sort of unknown interferences and were unable to aim properly. It has now escaped beyond the planet. Should we pursue them? another person reported. King, six fighters had exploded for some unfathomable reason Carranio let out a bellow of rage as he listened to the streams of reports from the communicator. The fact that the guards had only fallen unconscious and were not dead meant that whoever did this took measures to preserve their lives, even though they obviously had the opportunity to kill them outright. Just like that Cillin kid, this person was keeping them alive because they wanted to torment them! The GPS system mustve been tampered by Emmus, which was why they could not lock down the enemy from long range right now. If they wanted to attack the hall, they could only physically carry the weapons over now. As for the weapon system aboard the spaceplanes and fightersNow that he thought about it, all these things were more or less related in some way to Emmus. Emmus was probably in cahoots with Vanguard, or there was no way they couldve coordinated so well with each other. The fact that the prisoners were saved meant that Cillin must have a second companion. But they had checked and confirmed that he was the only one who arrived on the planet. So that meant that there was still another traitor in their midst! Carranios mind went wild the second the doubt began. He began to doubt everyone around him. It was a shame that the prisoners had escaped, but the most important thing right now was to sort out the internal strife. At the same time, the gray cat continued to emit the soundless high energy sound waves to affect the spaceplanes and the fighters in air after the spaceplane Akayi and the other prisoners were safely away. Then, while holding mini grenades in its mouth it began playing a game called BANG! and blew things up wherever it went, causing every Poison Fang members to worry both for the parasites inside their body and the mysterious explosions that came without warning. The scanners could not detect the gray cat. When the gray cat rescued Akayi and the other prisoners, it also found some grenades and some good stuff that would entertain it for some time. These little tricks were the only thing it could pull off to entertain itself in order to keep itself from being exposed too quickly. After counting the time once, the gray cat hid itself in a safe place and spat out an oval-shaped ball about the size of a quail egg. The shell of the oval-shaped ball slowly melted after it came into contact with air, slowly revealing the contents inside it. There were many small worms about a centimeter long each. They did not wriggle on the ground and instead moved swiftly by bending their bodies and bouncing forwards. While watching the worms running far, far away, the gray cat stuck up its butt and stretched. Mm, its time to go look for Cillin. Chapter 119: Bird of Paradise Chapter 119: Bird of Paradise Inside the great hall, Emmus watched the live images being projected on his palm. As expected, not only did Carranio chose not to directly launch a long distance attack against them, he did not even mobilise the spaceplanes and fighters to attack the great halls energy shields. This was thanks to Cillins parasites disrupting the combat power of the personnel in this area and buying them more time. Carranio is probably sending his men to acquire the energy absorption weapons from the arms warehouse right now. If the energy absorption weapons are mobilised, then we wont be able to hold out for long no matter how many energy ores we have. Emmus tapped out a control panel from his arm and operated it, Ive disrupted part of the long range weapons and the spaceplanes weapons, but that is all I can do. We have about twenty minutes left on the clock. Where is their arms warehouse? Cillin asked. Emmus reduced the map scale on the projector and pointed at a location, Here, at the scarlet desert area. Scarlet desert area? Mm. Its called scarlet desert because the sand is all red. In fact, the majority of this planet is made up of scarlet deserts with extreme radiation. Even a rank B genotype would not be able to live over 40 years old in such an environment. This was why I refrained from going outdoors, and if I had to, Id spray a layer of insulative paint on my body beforehand. This was also why they looked down on me, Emmus shrugged, No matter how strong your genotype is, theres no reason to take an unnecessary risk. The crazies in Poison Fang may not treasure their lives, but I do, and I fear quite a lot for my life actually. Ive been spying on Poison Fang for a very long time. If you guys could take out Poison Fang, then Id be able to go home as well. What awaits me after this will be a shiny future where I would be promoted to a ranked officer, and maybe even a general before Im forty years old. For the past twenty years or so I havent been able to enjoy life at my leisure, so I have no intentions of being sentenced to death at such a young age. Cillin thought for a moment before saying to Emmus and Wa Qing, Im heading out. Reduce the area covered by the energy shields later and stay inside. If Carranio fails to mobilise the energy absorption weapons to this place, then stay here until the energy ores inside that device is finished. Cillin pointed at the four semicircular objects. The energy ores powering it should be able to hold out for another twenty hours or so, and by then everything should be more or less over. There would be no need to switch to a new power source. Youre going out alone? Wa Qing frowned. He might be a little weak right now, but he could still fight. It will do. Youll only die if the two of you head outside. Cillins words might be a little ugly, direct and hurtful, but neither Emmus nor Wa Qing raised an objection because they recalled the Bird of Paradise Cillin had mentioned earlier. They did not know what it was, but it was probably a lot deadlier than those parasites. Arent you afraid that Id harm LC Wa Qing? Emmus smiled. Its fine. I left you a Bird of Paradise too. Oh dear, please dont. I swear I wont harm LC Wa Qing in any way, so please? Emmus raised both his hands to show his determination. If everything goes well, you can go straight back to the army. This will be a collaboration. Deal! Emmus recalibrated the energy shields and allowed Cillin to go outside. The moment he calibrated the outermost energy shield and opened it, the guards observing outside the energy shields from the dark immediately focused their firepower onto the unprotected Cillin. However, Cillin was faster, and he swiftly vanished into the hall after a few quick dodges. The beam shots struck the outermost shield and caused tiny ripples to appear on it, but the other three energy shields on the inside were perfectly untouched. When Cillin had vanished, Emmus propped his chin and asked Wa Qing, Cillin must be pretty influential in Vanguards Sixth B Squadron, isnt he? Wa Qing said nothing. Ever since he learned that Emmus belonged to the army, he had decided not to say anything. The army and the Hunters had always disliked each other, and it was not uncommon for both sides to try screw each other over in secret. Suddenly, Wa Qings eyes narrowed as his face slowly turned pale. Sweat poured out of his forehead as if he had just seen something terrifying. Emmus followed Wa Qings gaze and immediately felt a chill crawling up his spine all the way to the brain. Although the energy shields were in the way, the distance was not so far that they could not see what was going on in the hall beyond the four energy shields. Big Q and the people who were killed by Emmus were still at the same spot where they were killed. They were not taken away for a proper burial or cremation. This was Poison Fangs brand of cruelty, where camaraderie was non-existent. However, both Emmus and Wa Qing found the tiny worms slowly boring their way out of the mens bodies were far crueler and disgusting right now. Emmus felt his stomach churn at the sight of the rice-sized worms boring out Big Q and the others bodies. It was unthinkable what wouldve happened if he hadnt eaten Cillins pesticide. In fact, now that he thought about it, if he hadnt killed Big Q and the others earlier they would probably still be alive when the infestation happened. It was a kind of destruction to both the body and the mind. The Poison Fang guards on the outside obviously saw the scene as well. They had all been injected with suppressants, but it was not the antidote after all. If the suppressant lost its effect before the antidote could be researched, then they would become just the same as Big Q and the others. It was at this moment indescribable panic truly began to invade their hearts. Poison Fang, was thrown into disorder. Although Emmus, Wa Qing and the guards outside had lost Cillins trail, Cillin had not in fact left the hall yet. Instead, he entered the elevated area that was cut off by thick metallic walls (T/N: Uh I guess it was either unlocked after Carranio left, or Cillin can walk through walls); the place where Carranio escaped had from and where his throne was. The native beast continued to lay beside the throne as if it had fallen asleep, but in reality it had completely lost consciousness. Its resistance was obviously stronger than Big Qs, and it hadnt drawn its last breath so there were no worm boring out of its body just yet. Then, suddenly, the native beast began to tremble all over as the first, second, and third parasite began to bore out of its body Seeing that it was almost ready, Cillin overturned his hand and took out many oval-shaped balls the size of quail eggs from his leaf ring. They were identical to the ones the gray cat had spat out of its mouth. Many centimeter long little worms were revealed after the oval-shaped balls outer shell had dissolved into the air. These were the Birds of Paradise Cillin had mentioned earlier. Although Cillin had named them Birds of Paradise, they were nothing like birds at all. In reality, they were a kind of half parasite that Cillin had modified and created from the parasite found inside the big fishs body deep within the rivers of the green planet. He also added a few cosmos parasite genes into them so that they would better fit his purposes. He had taken the name Bird of Paradise from the title of a poem written in one of Enjis diaries. Cillin left after he had released the little fellows. The Birds of Paradise seemed to smell food and instantly zipped towards the native beast beside them. The Birds of Paradise that had just exited their shells immediately tore the worms boring out of the native beasts body to shreds and consumed them. To these Birds of Paradise, these worms were no different from an extraordinarily rich feast, and they grew bigger and bigger as they cut open the beasts stomach and ate. In less than five minutes, they had grown ten times their original size, and ten minutes later they had started to lay eggs. The native beasts corpse was completely devastated beyond recognition at this point. Chapter 120: Eve of Hunt Chapter 120: Eve of Hunt Two Poison Fang members were holding guns and leaning against a fighter, conversing. Another two fighters descended, and the person who came out joined in on their conversation. You found that bastard whos tossing bombs everywhere yet? Nah. I got yelled at by the boss several times already. I heard that Cuo Fu and the others got fucked up? Cuo Fu was Big Qs name. Yeah, he was ambushed by that traitorous son of a bitch Emmus. While the group of people were conversing, one of them suddenly turned around and looked behind himself. Whats wrong? The person beside him asked. I had a feeling that were being watched. Ceh, youre just frightened by todays events. Maybe Ah! That person let out a miserable shriek, Something something just entered my body! Then waves of griping pain washed through him as a couple more screams followed. The trio beside him noticed a tiny, bloody hole behind his back and were just about to say something about it, when they themselves felt a sharp pain at their back, abdomen and other body areas and saw the same bloody holes. People came to them after they heard the noises. Then, the screams multiplied and showed no signs of stopping as the foreign entities bore into their elbows, thighs, shoulders, necks; any body part that was exposed on the outside. Among these people, there were some who were already greatly frightened by the terrible scene of Big Qs death earlier. Now that something similar had happened, the person thought that the worms were about to bore out of his body and was so scared that hed nearly fallen into despair. He wasnt afraid of death, but he didnt wish to end up like Big Q and the others. Therefore, he raised his gun and pointed it at his own head. Bang! Blood splattered all over the floor. There was another person who lifted his knife and stabbed into any parts of his body that had bloody holes in them, mutilating himself greatly. But even then, hel wasnt able to find the thing that had burrowed into his body. Some people pulled the trigger and strafed the surroundings amidst intense pain. They did not know where this so-called enemy was, but they did it because the sound of gunshots made them feel more at ease. As for whether they would hit friendlies, they were too occupied to care about that while blinded by pain. The blind sweep killed many of their own, especially in places where people were congregated. Panic filled the air, as chaos began to spread. As he watched the scene unfold from a dark corner of a building, Cillin lifted the corner of his lips a little and said, You done? A gray shadow flashed, and the gray cat jumped onto his shoulders, Hehe, of course. Who do you think I am? After Cillin had learned the address of the weapons warehouse, he then notified the gray cat to intercept, throw down a bunch of grenades and swallow the energy absorption weapons whole. Wheeze, why do I feel like youve gotten heavier? Cillin looked at the gray cat licking its paws. Did I? I have no idea. I suppose I ate quite a lot of stuff just now. Besides the energy absorption weapons you mentioned, I ate about three quarters of the stuff inside that arms warehouse. The corner of Cillins eyes twitched. Did it have a black hole in its stomach? How is the scarlet desert area? Cillin asked. The little worms are showing their worth. The guards at the arms warehouse are so busy screaming about being eaten alive that they had no time to care about the weapons at all. So? I did a good job, didnt I? So-so. How can you call this so-so? The gray cat swiped its paws at Cillins face, I spread the parasite eggs further than you did, and I rescued the prisoners perfectly as well! Yes, yes, oh-mighty cat, youve worked hard and done well. Did you leave a message on Akayis spaceplane? The gray cats paw abruptly stopped in mid-air before it withdrew it and curled itself into a ball, refusing to answer. The answers no then. The situation was like this. At the time, since Akayi and the others were unconscious and the gray cat could not wake them, it held them in its mouth and carried them up the spaceplane one after another. Then, after copying the modified navigation program obtained from the transport Cillin arrived on into the spaceplanes autopilot program, the gray cat then watched the spaceplane depart while disrupting the surrounding spaceplanes and fighters at the same time to prevent the enemies from locking onto the hostages. That being said, there werent many spaceplanes or fighters that attacked the hostages in the first place. This was because the spaceplane had already flown sky high by the time Poison Fang realised that it wasnt one of them who was piloting the ship. When a number of fighters finally reacted to chase them, Akayi and the others had already flown out of the planet already. Its not like Carranio issued the order to continue pursuing them either. The hostages were unconscious when they were brought to the spaceplane, and they had no idea where the spaceplane was set to head to. If they woke up later and made a mess of the controls then they would probably get lost. Previously, Cillin had told the gray cat to leave them a message so they wouldnt touch anything carelessly after they woke up. The gray cat had forgotten about it, however. Alright. In that case, we can only pray that Akayi and the others do not wake up too soon. Cillin pulled the gray cats exposed sharp ears and said, Lets sleep here for a while. The hunt will begin in five hours. The reason Cillin chose this place was because that it was safe for the moment. Even if there was danger, they would notice it in time. Right now Poison Fang was in chaos, and their attention was shifted to the Birds of Paradise. Bloodcurdling screams could be heard everywhere, causing those who were aboard spaceplanes and fighters already to stay on air and afraid to return to the ground. From the look of things, the situation on the ground was a lot more severe than on air, not to mention that they would only be landing themselves into a predicament if they landed before the antidote was researched. While clad a protective suit, Carranio led a group of men and entered Poison Fangs research base. There were plenty of people who were working inside. He walked into a laboratory and saw a finger-sized worm through the containment screen. Thats the thing thats been causing all this commotion? Carranio pointed at the worm inside the containment box and said. Yes. A researcher who was also clad a protective suit answered with a mad glint in his eyes, Weve never seen this worms DNA before, not even among species that are similar to it. Their genetic makeup is somewhat special Earlier today, the researchers here were only dressed in standard lab attire. But when the worms bore into two researchers while they were researching them, thus turning the researchers into their colleagues test subjects, every researcher within the research base had begun putting on heavy protective suits. Since they had mostly hung around the research base, most of them were not infected by the parasites. The latter Bird of Paradise breakout had not reached them yet either. As he listened to the strings of incomprehensible professional terminologies, Carranio raised his hands and grabbed the neck of a researcher who was talking incessantly to himself, We are not here to listen to your ramblings! Carranio finally let go of the researcher and set him down after his eyes rolled upwards and his neck was about to snap, How goes the antidote? Cough cough cough cough cough After the researcher had recovered, he answered, It will take around five more hours before the initial analysis can be completed. Carranio let out bouts of low growl. He was obviously very dissatisfied with this answer, What can we do about these new worms? N nothing for now. They move so very quickly Enough! Carranio interrupted him and ordered the men behind him, If they make no progress in the next five hours, then kill them all! Yes, King! The researchers were scared. Carranio was serious this time. Originally, they were planning to obtain a few more infected people as test subjects, but now they had to no choice but to give up their initial plans and work faster. There were a lot of things that could happen in just five hours. Five hours later, the Birds of Paradise had reached a frightening number and hit Cillins estimated exponential phase. When Cillin opened his eyes, they were completely cold. He flicked the ears of the gray cat sleeping soundly in his lap. Wheeze, it is time to hunt. Chapter 121: Cross Field Chapter 121: Cross Field Cillin hadnt been on this planet for even ten hours yet, but it was in those ten hours that the entire planets situation had changed. Right now, the Poison Fang members who were usually unwilling to wear combat suits or hazmat suits had all wrapped themselves within extra thick protective suits that were made in haste. It was undeniable that Poison Fang had a lot of talents. Under Carranios threats, the researchers at Poison Fangs research base had upgraded the suppressant so that it would better suppress the mini parasites growth in their bodies. While the antidote wasnt developed just yet, the fire on their eyebrows* had been extinguished. Moreover, the combat suit could now better protect them from the Birds of Paradises attacks. However, they were still in a tense situation since the tiniest hole in their suits would immediately turn them into the Birds of Paradises targets. It was impossible to keep oneself wrapped in a protective suit for the whole day, however. They could not avoid eating, drinking, shitting or pissing, which was why Poison Fang had set up special isolation units that allowed an entrants entry only after they had been scanned multiple times and confirmed clean of those dangerous worms. A few hours had passed, and the amount of the Birds of Paradise had reached a frightening number. Although Poison Fang had not made a precise calculation, the rough estimation still made them feel infinitely panicked. They had tried a series of countermeasures such as burning, freezing, chemical warfare and more, but none of them were effective. These worms were just too quick and resilient, and the researchers at the research base even suspected that they were very intelligent. If this was true, then the war between man and worm would probably be very disadvantageous for the man. These worms were just too good at seizing the opportune moment. Right now, Carranio hated both Cillin and Emmus to death. He dared say that all this disaster were brought forth by either Emmus or Cillin, and no matter who it was, Carranio was going to make them regret the day they were born! When Carranio learned that the weapons inside the arms warehouse had disappeared without a trace, his already black feelings immediately boiled up like a storm as he murdered the reporting men to vent his anger. Dissent was beginning to happen within Poison Fangs ranks, and there were some people who wanted to mutiny just like Emmus. However, they were all put down mercilessly by Carranio, painting the red planet even redder than before. When Carranio learned that Cillin was not at the hall, he sent out the order to kill Cillin and promised that whoever succeeded would become the next Skull King! When the words spread out, everyone in Poison Fang grew extremely excited. It quelled much of the panic brought by worms as Poison Fang set out to look for Cillin. Inside a warehouse, three Poison Fang members were holding their guns and chatting to each other. They had just finished their patrol and finally got the chance to sit down and rest. Those hopping worms are about to drive me insane! This protective suit is so goddamn awkward to wear. I suddenly feel like a fat pig whos surpassed an entire tonnage. another person complained. Im personally fine with this outfit. It cant be worse than being eaten alive by those hopping worms. While they were speaking, three cold gleams suddenly shot towards the trio. they did not deal any direct damage, but they were more than enough to alert the trio. Who is it?! a person raised his gun and looked warily at his surroundings. Dead were dead What are you talking about, lets find that attacker already! N-no, I mean Our protective suits a-are torn There were no abnormalities and no killing intent. The three cold gleams had appeared out of nowhere and cut their protective suits before they could react. The trio looked at the tiny hole on their shoulders and felt cold sweat dripping down their necks. The Birds of Paradise who had been watching them from the dark began to stir restlessly. The three bloodcurdling screams that tore through the silent warehouse caused everyone nearby to gather towards that direction hastily. Swish. A shadow flashed by so quick that it was near impossible to capture with ones eyes. Naturally, it was even more impossible for the Poison Fang members who were much slowed by the thick protective suit to catch it. A person raised his gun and pointed it towards his surroundings. He looked around and did not find any abnormalities, but all the other members who rushed over suddenly retreated a few steps away from him after they arrived. Everyone was wearing a mask, so he could not see their expressions, but he knew that whatever theyre wearing on their faces could not be good. What happ Ah He hadnt even finished a sentence before a terrific pain came from his back. He understood what this meant. Despair and fear flooded over him. No wonder everyone else was backing away. I, I refuse to accept this. Why are you guys backing away? Why am I the one who got my suit cut? Why should I become those worms sacrifice? If Im going to hell then Im dragging you bastards with me!! Bang bang bang! The person pulled the trigger and fired at the people around him non-stop. Even if the average bullet could not pierce through the reinforced protective suits, the rapid fire of laser beams was enough to riddle them with holes. The excited Birds of Paradise took advantage of the madness and joined the fray. Dusts, curses and blood filled the air. It was like a scene from hell. Meanwhile, on the other side, the plaza Poison Fang used to execute sinners was surrounded by crosses bound with corpses that had expired for many days. Now, the center of the execution plaza was erected with many special crosses under Carranios command once more. These crosses were fire resistant, cold resistant and corrosion resistant. Unlike usual, this time it wasnt the sinners, but the planets native animals that were tied to the crosses. As if sensing the upcoming danger, the wild beasts struggled and howled with everything they got to break free, causing the metallic chains to clang repeatedly. While seated on a high spot, Carranio propped his head and looked at the activity happening below him. There were no mini parasites inside the dead bodies since they could not provide them with good nutrition. The same goes with the hopping worms as well. Therefore, Carranio thought up of a plan that could work as a good way to raise the spirits of his army at present point, even if it was a little stupid. The incessant waves of panic had caused everyone to become somewhat unstable, so naturally the Skull King had to stand up and play the role of a leader. After tying ten native beasts to the crosses, the men swiftly retreated to the spectator stands. Amidst their hopeful gazes, the hopping worms began to converge on the native animals tied to the crosses one after another. Worms of all kinds of growth stages and sizes had appeared on the execution plaza. Since every Poison Fang member was wearing reinforced protective suits, the Birds of Paradise could not bite through the material in a single try. In fact, they might even be caught in return. Therefore, all Birds of Paradise with a certain level of intelligence would only attack those men with holes in their protective suits. But with a few hours gone by, it wasnt so easy to find someone like that. The Birds of Paradise were reproducing way too quickly right now, and there were plenty of worms that did not receive sufficient nourishment around. Therefore, the native beasts released by Carranio were without a doubt a most enticing meal. The native beasts let out torn, anguished wailings. As he watched the worms boring into the native beasts bodies one after another, Carranio felt immense satisfaction and admiration for his own foresight. When he first discovered this breeding ground, he had given it many layers of protection. Originally, he was just thinking of using them as meat provisions, but it would seem that these meat provisions were pretty useful. When he saw that it was almost time, Carranio pressed a button beside his hand. A transparent cover suddenly appeared from the ground and enveloped the entire cross field. *meaning the immediate emergency Chapter 122: Base Desertification Chapter 122: Base Desertification The worms trapped within the transparent cover were beginning to feel fretful, and some that were originally boring into the native beasts bodies had charged out and slammed into the cover in attempt to break through it. Some Poison Fang members saw very clearly the worms biting right through a body part packed with bones and coming right out. Their gaping maws and shrill cries could be heard even through the transparent cover. The ripped flesh and broken bones were incredibly striking, and the Poison Fang members who saw them shuddered unconsciously at the sight. No wonder the people who were bitten by the worms had screamed so wretchedly; no wonder some of the victims had killed themselves unhesitatingly the second they were infected. It was better to die than to suffer such terrible pain. Carranio pressed another button, and a couple of spray tubes appeared inside the cover. Scarlet flame gushed out of the tubes and instantly filled the insides of the transparent cover. Someone moved closer to report what happened at the warehouse to Carranio, but Carranio waved his hand and motioned for the person to wait for a moment. At the same time, he turned on the communicator and said something before reassuming his previous posture, watching the scene below unfold from above. The transparent cover might have cut off any entry or exit, but in reality there were air vents in all four corners of the cover. These air vents allowed air to pass through, but forbad the worms inside from slipping through it and escape. The Poison Fang members laughed arrogantly as they smelt the burnt smell of the worms and listened to their sharp cries. It was the best laughter they had had for the last couple of hours, but they did not know that it was going to be the last laughter of their life. At the same time, Cillin and the gray cat were hiding at a spot close to Poison Fangs research base. The research base must be destroyed if they were to cut off Poison Fangs hope. Cillin knew what kind of place Poison Fangs research base was; it made him recall the short time he spent at the laboratory beneath the slum. They were both cold, merciless, and filled with twisted and crazy people. While lying on the ground and covering its ears, the gray cat stared blankly at the research base not far ahead. It only needed to listen to know that the research bases defenses were pretty strong. If they went in rashly, the defense system would definitely blast them to smithereens. It turned its head around and was just about to ask Cillin what to do when it saw Cillin taking out an object about the size and shape of a lunchbox. The gray cat grew furious, Cillin you glutton, nows not the time to eat your box lunch! Cillin: Youre the least qualified in the entire world to say this, you stupid cat! Box lunch? Who in their right mind would squat at such place in such a situation and eat their box lunch?! Youre the only gluttonous cat who would thought of such a thing?! Cillin pinch one of the gray cats ears and said, Good cat. Now, go dig a hole to the bottom and center of the base, put this there and leave quickly. Make sure to hide and shield yourself from any detection. Got it? Theres no need for question marks for such an easy and simple matter. The gray cat grabbed the small box with its mouth and begin digging into the ground with its forelimbs like a drill. After predicting the range of the underground scanners, the gray cat bore directly to the depth Cillin had informed it earlier before moving towards the base. Once it confirmed that it was at the right spot, it then put down the small box and swiftly ran back through the way it came. The gray cat had just gotten out of the hole and was about to boast about its accomplishments when Cillin swept it into his lap and ran madly towards the distance. He did not forget to throw down a couple of quail eggs along the way. Once theyd retreated out of the danger zone, Cillin stopped and put down the gray cat. What the meow is with that run-for-your-life thing, man? They just updated their scanners to scan for bio signatures just now. Any bio signatures outside the base would be eliminated by the defense system without mercy. Its probably that skull boss work. Normally, the bio signature scan would not be activated because there were guards patrolling the bases surroundings. But the opposite had obviously happened just now. They have a good nose, but lucky for us wed already escaped. I dont think they noticed us, did they? the gray cat looked towards the base. The quail eggs Cillin had left behind just now and several worms in hiding were all completely vaporised by the base defenses. They didnt. Its good that we ran early. We wouldve been found out if we were a second slower. Alls good then. But whats that box all about? The gray cat asked. Something I prepared specifically for laboratories like these. The gray cat flicked its ears and continued to stare at the research base. It very much wanted to see exactly what was this thing Cillin had specifically prepared for the lab. Five seconds later, every alarm within the entire base rang. The bio signature scanners had been shut down! Cillin put strength into his arms and tossed a couple of quail eggs at the labs direction. The labs scanners detected the box beneath the base the second he remote controlled it to start, but since he had added some interference devices onto the boxs shell earlier, it took a much longer time for the scanners system to analyse its danger level. By the time the analysis was finally complete, there werent much chances left for the personnel inside to escape. The gray cat was about to ask Cillin for the reason, when the bases front door became unlocked. A group of people pushed and shoved their way to the front, even as the entire base began to sink behind them. The incessant screams of unwillingness, despair, sadness, fear and more were only louder than the next. The people who escaped had to face the Birds of Paradise that had just broken out of their shells in front them, while death was still chasing them from behind their backs. The gray cat that was at first a little dumbfounded, suddenly froze and puffed up. It watched as the base began to turn into sand from the inside to outside The pincer attack between the desertification and the Birds of Paradise was without a doubt a destructive one. The people who were wearing protective suits werent afraid of the Birds of Paradise, but the thick protection also affected their movements and slowed them down enough to be dragged into the whirlpool and be desertified. The ground within five hundred meters diameter had been completely transformed into sand. As the scarlet desert slowly seeped into the area, it would not be long before this desert was transformed into a part of the scarlet desert as well. There would no longer be a base here. There would only be sand. Cillin was lost in thought as he stared at the desert. It was as if he had returned to that rainy night when he had entered into that underground lab, and was tied to the lab bench and experimented on. These people had imposed their madness onto innocent people and earned fame and glory from it. They might have left their names on magazines of high contribution, but had they ever thought of the countless innocent and restless souls they forcefully dragged to the lab bench and left to die there? Cillin did not have the rights to accuse these crazy researchers. In a sense, Cillin was not much better than them. Who was righteous and who was evil? Who was right and who was wrong? Cillin did not think too deeply into these things. To stay alive, and to live together with the people who treated him well. That was all he wanted. Cillin sucked in a deep breath and tossed the complicated thoughts to the back of his mind while smelling the sands and the blood mixed within them. He turned his head to look at the gray cat still maintaining its frozen and puffed up appearance, before poking its back with a funny smile. MEOW!! The gray cats tense figure immediately jumped into the air. See, it was scared witless again. How dumb. When the gray cat regained its senses, it furiously jumped onto Cillins shoulder and slapped his face with its forelimbs. Alright alright, its my fault, its all my fault. I shouldnt have poked the almighty cat while youre blanking out. I wasnt blanking out, I was contemplating! Contemplating! Right, right, contemplating. After stroking the gray cats fur, the one man and one cat continued to the next step of the operation. Chapter 123: Highest Kill Order Chapter 123: Highest Kill Order At the cross field, Carranios eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper as he stared at the transparent cover. The first time they tied the native beasts to the crosses and lured the worms in to burn them with extreme temperature inside the cover, it was very successful, and it greatly raised his mens morale. However, the trap was obviously ineffective the second time. The worms would pace back and forth at the surroundings, but not go inside. More specifically, they would only linger outside the transparent cover and not go past the line where they would be trapped. These worms were incredibly smart, and this caused Carranio a great deal of frustration. Poison Fang had fought against two kinds of enemies for the longest time, and they were man and virus. Man was something they slaughtered whenever they feel like it, and virus was something most of the Poison Fang members were resistant to after many experiences. However, they had never gone up against this kind of life form before, and Carranio was wanting but incapable of dealing with these worms. He could only hope that the research base would come up with a response plan as soon as possible. Since just now Carranio had had a bad feeling. One might even call it an ominous feeling. He couldnt remember the last time he felt this way since he fought his way out of Sector V alone and created Poison Fang. Suddenly, Carranios communicator rang, and after he accepted the call a terrified trill came through, King, the base is destroyed! The research base has been destroyed! Carranio felt as if a bowl of ice had been poured right down his head. He felt chilled to the very bone. Carranio sucked in deep breaths and did the best he could to find his voice, Didnt I tell you to activate the highest level of security and switch to bio signature scans?! Carranio nearly roared out the last words as the clamorous cross field instantly fell into dead silence. Even the native beasts tied to the crosses seemed to have been scared witless and became as silent as a grave. The entire cross field was abruptly enveloped in Carranios anger and killing intent. Bang! Carranio ultimately lost control after he heard the report and crushed the communicator with his bare hands. His two pairs of fangs were outstretched nearly parallel to the ground, and every Poison Fang member recognised that it was a sign that the Skull King was embroiled in great rage. No one dared to even breathe heavily in his presence. Carranios eyes were filled with a dark haze as he sat on the chair. Keep burning those worms. Once he said that, Carranio got up and left behind his dismayed underlings. When Carranio had left the cross field, he arrived at an isolation room and picked up a communicator. The signal went through. Are the researchers still alive? Carranio uttered a few names. They were main personnel in charge of the small parasites and Birds of Paradises research. However, the report he received completely swept away any wishful thinking he might have. Only one out of the five researchers who were mainly responsible for researching the two kinds of worms had barely survived. The researchers condition was severe in that his lungs was chewed through, and his liver and kidney were both bitten as well. Now one knew how much longer he had to live. The rest of the researchers who managed to escape did their damndest to save him and force out the Bird of Paradise inside his body, but they all knew that without any instruments or the corresponding information stored inside the research lab, it was probably impossible to keep him around for long. The research lab that was used to research the two worms was the deepest and most enclosed room in the entire base. However, it was also the very first to suffer from the effects of the desertification. It was already a great boon that they managed to escape in the first place, but what awaited them outside were hungry Birds of Paradise that had just broken out of their shells, anxious to satiate their hunger. All of the data gathered and research made were not at the final stages, but it had reached a certain point that it was only a matter of time before the analysis was complete. All of that progress had now turned into sand. This was exactly what Cillin wanted: to push them step by step toward the edge of despair and have them suffer their punishment in panic and desperation. By now, Carranio was certain that everything that had happened so far were planned out by Cillin. That young man who looked honest, but was in fact the devil himself had brought upon them disaster. Carranio could not catch Cillin, and he very much wanted to switch targets and attack Emmus and Wa Qing. But he couldnt. With Emmus abilities, Poison Fang would not be able to touch a hair on his body without the right weapons and equipment. They would only be wasting their combat strength. Carranio was sank in deep regret. Poison Fang had been relying too much on Emmus these years. It wasnt obvious before this, but after Emmus was cut off there were only too many things that couldnt be operated smoothly without Emmus. After pondering for a moment, Carranio issued the highest kill order to Poison Fang to set aside everything and hunt down Cillin at any cost. Since Cillin could bring those worms into their planet without harm, it meant that he had a way to deal with these worms. The surviving researcher could no longer be depended upon. Carranio betted his last hope on Cillin and informed every Poison Fang member that the key to exterminating these worms was Cillin. They began to search for him out even harder than before. Right now, the man who bore Carranios deep hatred; both Cillin and the gray cat had arrived at a deserted port. The port had been abandoned by Carranio earlier, and there were a few spaceplanes and fighters parked inside it. These spaceplanes and fighters all have a self destruct sequence and a remote-controlled bomb inside them. Carranio probably has the master control with him. If we try to fly any of these spaceplanes or fighters, we will blow up as brilliantly as fireworks in less than two seconds. this was a trap set by Carranio after Akayi and the others had left on a spaceplane. By controlling the spaceplanes and fighters, he would be able to prevent Cillin from escaping even if he couldnt catch him. The gray cat was just about to pilot a spaceplane for fun before Cillins words repelled it like a physical punch. Right now, the gray cat was fearful of a lot of human weapons, because the more weapons it came into contact with, the better it knew just how many of them could blast an extremely rare miracle of the universe like it into dust. Cillin walked up to a spaceplane after a moment of investigation. The people inside the vehicles had either all escaped or became the Birds of Paradises tasty meal. There was a Poison Fang underling at the passageway who failed to escape the Birds of Paradise and had his body consumed beyond recognition. When Cillin walked to his side, a Bird of Paradise egg had just hatched inside his body. Then Bird of Paradise who climbed out the body grew extremely excited when it saw a living human, but stopped itself in time when it sensed a special aura from the person. The aura was so scary that it made the worm flinch, and yet so familiar that it might as well have been parental. Either kind completely dispelled the Bird of Paradises intent to attack. As for the gray cat, there were no Birds of Paradise that dared to attack it at all. This abnormal life form was just too dangerous. And so the tiny Birds of Paradise obediently crawled out of the body and hopped in search for food elsewhere. Alright, lets go. Cillin said to the gray cat. What did you do? Nothing. I just took the energy blocks inside it. The gray cat came to realisation, I see. Are there anything else valuable in these vehicles? I want to sell them for a good price and pay my debt when we leave this place. Cillin smiled and patted its head, Nah. Come on, lets go to the next one. Hehe, alright, if I found it first its mine! Each to his own. Be careful not to touch any other propulsion devices though. If any of these spaceplanes suddenly activated then I can only erect an extra cross in this place. I got it I got it, you dont need to tell me about machines. the gray cat flicked its ears and began searching for energy blocks in other spaceplanes and fighters. Poor Carranio. This place was supposed to be a trap, but he wouldnt expect that Cillin and the gray cat would squeeze every last drop of value even from this place. Cillin looked at the sky. Going by his original plan, the hunt was about to start. He tore off the skull emblem from the chest of the eaten corpse and walked out of the spaceplane. Chapter 124: Mental and Psychological Stress Chapter 124: Mental and Psychological Stress Poison Fangs underlings began to act after the Skull King Carranio issued the highest kill order. Since Carranio also revealed that Cillin could deal with the worms, the little Poison Fangs searched tirelessly for him as if he was their only hope. However, if Cillin had vanished into thin air, they were unable to find even a shadow. Still, there was proof that Cillin was still operating around the area. King, he took all of their emblems! a person reported to Carranio. Every emblem on the chest of every dead Poison Fang members everywhere had been taken away by Cillin. Carranio said nothing. He knew that this was Cillins way of taking revenge. He was taking away the emblem made from the bones of the owner of the emblem as offering to the Vanguards Sixth B Squadrons members who had perished in that battlefield. Meanwhile, search squads made of a dozen or so people each had their protective suits cut open by Cillin one after another, but even then they were unable to find the culprit who was doing so. They even accidentally hurt a few allies in the process while searching for Cillin using bio signature scanners. However, no one regretted the decision. At the very least, it gave them some peace of mind. Cillin had not attacked the search squads personally. He had installed some traps to do so while he worked outside their scan range. During their search, one of the Poison Fang members accidentally triggered something and caused flying knives to suddenly shoot out of the ground. The knives were all made from special metals, and they were capable of drawing faint scratches on the protective suit even if they could not cut all the way through. It was already enough to cause panic among the search squads. Cillin wasnt aiming to cut open their protective suits in a single try, however. He was just piling up the psychological stress they were enduring. There was no doubt that the Poison Fang members felt like committing suicide as they suffered flying knives, firearms outside the range of their scanners, red-hot smoke grenades and all sorts of other prank-like traps. There was a limit to how far ones nerves could be strained, and when this limit was exceeded, it was inevitable that the person in question would suffer a mental disorder, if they hadnt gone crazy in the first place. After all, while the protective suit might be able to endure the first ambush, what about the second, third, seventh or eighth attempt? It was only a matter of time before a hole was cut on their protective suits. They just didnt know when the inevitable would happen. As the group walked around a corner with strained nerves, someone stepped on something yet again and caused a wide range of flames to shoot up suddenly from the ground. The floor of this area was painted with a kind of chemical substance that was completely harmless on its own. However, the place was also scattered with some tiny balls containing a different kind of chemical substance sharing almost the exact same color as the floor. Therefore, when these tiny balls were stepped on, and its contents spilled onto the chemical substances painted on the ground, an intense combustion was generated within the oxygen filled environment. Naturally, the Poison Fang members tried to jump out of the way in panic, only to step on even more balls and trap themselves in bigger, hotter flames. The surrounding flames burned at their protective suits. While the protective suits could endure the scalding heat for a time, it was obviously inadvisable to stay amidst the flames any longer. The group swiftly ran towards the exit, but since the entire path had been painted in chemical substances, and the soles of some of their feet were drenched in chemical residue from the ball, fire burned wherever they ran to even though there were no balls along the path they came from. In the end, the search squad was able to escape the fire, but Ah A bloodcurdling scream resounded, followed by the second and the third scream Their protective suits had faint scratches on them in the first place, and they finally fell apart and became cracked after they were burned by the hot flames. Seizing the opportune moment, the Birds of Paradise immediately burrowed into the bodies of the exposed Poison Fang members. Just when the Poison Fang members were driven to the brink of insanity, the Birds of Paradise had slipped through the cracks between their protective suits and attacked them. A long while later, two lucky fellows whose protective suits werent cracked yet remained. But before they could even take a breather, a shadow flashed past them and left behind a cut each at the back of their protective suits. After the fires baptism, the scanner had become a little faulty and failed to warn the duo in time. Five minutes later, Cillin slowly walked out of a building and cut open the protective suits covering the Poison Fang members who were being eaten by the Birds of Paradise to the point they were beyond recognition. He took away their emblems. As Carranio listened to one vein popping reports after another, he grew so furious that he broke a couple of chairs. His breathing was rapid, and his twin fangs could be seen protruding parallel to the ground through the transparent screen of his mask. Bring me my pets! Yes sir! His underlings ran out to perform his order like they were escaping. It truly was stressful to face the Skull King. Inside the great hall, Emmus and Wa Qing were chatting on and off with each other while leaning against the boxes containing the energy ores. They were both trying to feel out each other, but since both sides were as cunning as a fox no one was able to gain any useful information. It was at this moment someone walked in and glanced once at the duo inside the four layers of shield. They did not say anything and simply took the chairs inside the hall. What are they doing? Wa Qing asked. If Im guessing correctly, Carranio is probably planning to release his little pets. Tsk tsk, at long last he thought of this method. I guess Carranio isnt so stupid that his IQ is in the negatives. Emmus rubbed his chin with eyes flashing with an enigmatic gleam. Wa Qing automatically filtered out the latter half of Emmus words and asked doubtfully, Little pets? Yeah, Carranios pets have a great sense of smell and are able to track down their targets just like a dog would. Wa Qing was starting to worry. There were many people who said that an animals sense of smell was in fact more acute than a scanner, and the species who were were born naturally with a great sense of smell even more so. Cillin had sat down on the great hall before and left behind his smell, so it would seem that Carranio was attempting to track down Cillin using the smell on the chair. He wondered if that Cillin kid would be safe. While thinking, Wa Qing suddenly remembered something and felt his eyebrows relaxed. There was even the trace of a smile inside his eyes. There was no doubt that Emmus had a keen eye for observation. He immediately caught the smile in Wa Qings eyes and asked, LC Wa Qing, you look like youre pretty confident in Cillin. If you thought of something then why dont you tell me about it? This way I wont need to worry about him. Wa Qing ignored Emmus directly and said nothing. Carranios little pets were not actually tiny, and they were all around one meter tall and two meters wide. They were the native four-legged mammals of this planet, and they had both a great sense of smell and danger. After the pets were fitted with emergency made protective suits, every search squad set out to search for Cillin again with two pets to guide them. They certainly lifted quite a bit of burden off the Poison Fang members shoulders. Cillin had run around many places, and it was impossible not to leave behind a single trace at all. In the end, after many twists and turns, the search squads were led to a single location C the cross field. Chapter 125: There is No Struggle; There is Only Despair Chapter 125: There is No Struggle; There is Only Despair Although they had found the way to hunt down Cillin, fear continued to envelop them. Excluding those who were roaming outside Sector Z, Poison Fang numbered almost one hundred thousand people on this planet. But now, Carranio suddenly noticed that there were only less than fifty thousand people left before he realised it. No one couldve thought that Cillin, a mere kid; a kid who had absolutely no fame in the galaxy at all could destroy more than fifty thousand people on this planet, although of course the majority of that fifty thousand victims had been food for worms. Aside from the Birds of Paradise, after the research base had been desertified, upgraded versions of the suppressant were no longer available. This caused the parasites that were initially spread to slowly grow resistant to the basic suppressants. Therefore, it was plain that the infected Poison Fang members would not hold out for long. The Birds of Paradise were not needed here. An infected person was like a live sack of nutrition who would eventually be sucked dry by those tiny parasites. Plenty of Poison Fang members who chased after Cillin collapsed halfway and never stood up again. With every passing minute, a huge amount of tiny parasites were born in the hosts body through asexual division. The tiny parasites that had developed a resistance were like starved refugees who had suddenly found a table full of delicious foods in front of them. Therefore, the period between weakness to death lasted only a few minutes for the infected, but they would feel distinctly every second of their debilitation as their life slipped through their grasps, as if the devils own hand had gripped onto their souls and led them slowly towards hell. There was no struggle. There was only despair. My research base. The blow was no doubt a stab in Carranios heart; the biggest slap to the face he had ever endured in his life. In reality, there were many factors that contributed to the destruction of Poison Fangs research base. The scarlet desert environment had sped up the speed of the desertification process, and the research base had failed to discover the threat in time. By the time the desertification hit the research base it was already too late to stop it. No one could have imagined that there was a cyborg who could burrow into the ground and block the scan signals of this place. Therefore, Carranio still had no idea how the destruction of his research base couldve happened even until now. However, since what had happened had happened, it was too late to question the cause already. Right now, Carranio was pouring every energy he had into hunting Cillin. Night slowly descended at the cross field. Once, night time was Poison Fangs favorite time of the day. There was nothing more they loved than slaughtering their preys and listening to their fearful and despairing screams under the cover of the night. However, the current situation was far from their expectations. Cillin was like a silent catcher waiting in the dark and pushing them step by step towards the brink of no return. What would happen then when the night had descended completely? The Poison Fang members did not dare to imagine the outcome. The night belongs to the devil. The difference of temperature between day and night on this planet was huge. Although their thick protective suits could keep them warm, the Poison Fang members couldnt help but feel unusually cold; a cold that made their very scalp tingle. Every one of their pores were permeating with cold air, stimulating their nerves to tighten even tauter than it was before. The pets had traced Cillins scent to the cross field, but they halted uncertainly around the edges. They were unable to confirm Cillins position or even lock down a particular direction to go to. This was without a doubt yet another blow to Poison Fang. Fifty thousand people silently gathered around the edge of the cross field and surrounded the place in a circle. However, they were unable to obtain any results at all. No matter how hard they searched for Cillin, they could not find a shadow of him even after they rummaged through the entire cross field once. Like madmen, they searched through every inch of ground within the cross field for Cillin. The failure of their efforts, however, was like a cold joke thats ridiculing their ineptitude. Pu Yet another person collapsed onto the ground. There were people collapsing every passing second on this cross field. The place felt like a demons domain that was sucking at their souls at every moment. Under the dark night, amidst much blood and many crosses, man fell one after another. The sinners who were tied to the cross but not removed for many days, and the native beasts who were eaten by the Birds of Paradise until all that was left was a couple of damaged bones, laughed scornfully at the people around them through the howling wind, seemingly awaiting them to join them in death. One hour later, two was subtracted from five, and thirty thousand men remained. Twenty thousand people had collapsed just like that. There were neither epic gunfights nor bloody slaughter. They had collapsed on the ground just like that. The Poison Fang members had never experienced such a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness. The hands holding their guns shook for the first time in their lives. They had killed and walked through this bloody desert many times as they watched their prey struggle pointlessly against their fates before perishing under their guns and blades. They had thought themselves capable of facing hell without fear. But it was only now they realised that true hell need not be filled with desperate screams or embellished with firearms. The hands of the grim reaper could grip their throats in this quiet land and take away their souls just the same. Half an hour later, ten thousand men remained. The footsteps of death quickened even further. The Poison Fang members who were still standing were without a doubt elites. Their high genotype rank enabled them to resist the infection for a little longer, but in the end, without the suppressants, they were simply slowing down their footsteps towards hell. So what if they had rank A genotype? Defeat was the only option before these tiny organisms that were so small one could almost not notice with ones eyes. The current Poison Fang was no longer an entity that Carranio to control. Poison Fang was an uncontrollable organisation in the first place. Poison Fang was neither an army nor a Hunter regiment. The reason they had gathered as one was purely to kill and enjoy the satisfaction of reaping anothers life. So when Cillin pushed them again and again and again, their taut nerves finally reached a breaking point. The point, of insanity. The remainder of Poison Fang had turned insane. If they were going to die regardless, then they might as well enjoy this last bit of madness. The people flying inside spaceplanes began to open fire towards the ground. Fiery light illuminated the flesh and blood sent flying through the air, and the Birds of Paradise hopping amidst them. The slaughter excited the people as the evil grins on their faces grew increasingly madder. Those who lost their sanity raised their guns and either shot at others, or at themselves. There were perhaps many people who never thought that they would take their own lives with their own hands. Carranio watched the civil war on the land and on air as quietly as an outsider. There were shredded people lying on the ground around him, and he wasnt wearing a protective suit right now. However, no Birds of Paradise dared to go near him. This was the true Carranio. Not even the Birds of Paradise dared to approach them. The Poison Fang members knew that Cillin could repel the worms, but they didnt know that their king can too. Carranio knew that Cillin was watching here quietly from a certain spot. Who was more despicable, and who was more cruel? Everyone who knew Poison Fang called them a bunch of lunatics, but Carranio thought that Cillin was colder, crazier, and more like the devil than Poison Fang. Chapter 126: The True Skull King Chapter 126: The True Skull King Darkness, blood, slaughter, and the cold chill between their pores that could not escape from the thick wrappings of the protective suit all stimulated the madness running rampant inside the Poison Fang members hearts. To kill, and kill even more until they could no longer move a finger. The cross mounted at the center of the cross field witnessed Poison Fangs madness. The ruined cross field, the flesh and blood, the scattering sands, the stone bits, the metallic wreckages and fire In less than fifteen minutes, the clamor died down and only the spaceplane and the two fighters dogfighting in the air were still alive out of the ten thousand people. Cillin and the gray cat watched everything in silence. They were not hiding around the cross field. Cillin had often exploited an animals sense of smell to set up a trap, so from the moment he stepped into Poison Fangs transport, arrived at the great hall, and finally set up the trap at the cross field, he had been purposely leaving behind a special scent that could be retained for a longer time. This was all to lure all of the Poison Fang members to the cross field area in the very end. All of the scanners in the surrounding area had been destroyed, and Carranios pets had been taken out a long time ago. Cillin and the gray cat were now hiding in a place near the cross field and watching Poison Fangs final madness in the sky. Cillin, leave the last three to me. The gray cat had been holding in for a long time already since Cillin forbad it from attacking. It was originally going to show off its prowess, and this restriction disappointed it to no end. No. Were already at this stage, so you might as well just stay here. Go check if there are any survivors on the ground and give them the final blow. Take their emblems as well. Cillin had his own reasons, and he did not wish to expose the gray cat too much. A minute later, both fighters were shot down, and the spaceplane had exploded in the air as well. Everything returned to tranquility once more. After a moments silence, Carranios voice rang. Hehe. Cillin of the Vanguard Sixth B Squadron. You have truly surprised me! Although he was laughing, there was an indescribable chill crawling behind his voice. The Skull King Carranio slowly walked out of a half collapsed building looking as relaxed as if he was taking a stroll. The half collapsed building did not seem to have affected the Skull King in any way. In a little more than two hours, all fifty thousand Poison Fang members on the planet were dead, and Cillin wasnt even directly involved in their destruction. Their deaths were not quick either. It could be said that these fifty thousand men were forced to go through panic, despair, helplessness, and the painfully slow loss of their lives before they were pushed over the brink of no return. If this was in the past, there was no way Carranio would believe that something like this could happen. The second Cillin stepped into the cross field, Carranio immediately locked his gaze on him. His night vision was pretty good, and he stared at Cillin firmly in fear that he would escape again in the next moment. However, Cillin did not plan to escape this time. It was time to end this. To Carranio, the one hundred thousand casualties on the planet werent actually as devastating as one might imagine. Sure, he lost a hundred thousand men, but he could just take a spin around Sector V and gather droves of new members easily. There were plenty of desperate people in the galaxy. One hundred thousand was just a number. Therefore, to Carranio, the most important thing right now was Cillin and not the death of his one hundred thousand men. Carranio was going to obliterate this devilish kid! Swoosh! Carranio charged like lightning towards Cillin. With the help of some scattered flames, Cillin could see clearly a swollen body with curved fangs around its torso and a great black shadow behind Carranios back. It was Carranios tail, a tail with many barbed tips. While he was charging, his tail swayed back and forth to increase both his speed and impact. Cillin knew that Carranio wasnt your average human, but even he did not imagine that his true self would be something like this. Given that the information Shawton provided him did not include Carranios true face, he had to admit that Carranio had hidden himself very, very well. It was likely that not even Emmus who had spied on Poison Fang for so many years knew about Carranios true self. As Carranio approached, a terrific killing aura assaulted his senses from the front. No wonder the Birds of Paradise did not dare to approach him. Cillin now believed that the tiny parasites did not actually affect Carranio by much. At best, the parasites inconvenienced Carranio slightly at the beginning before he killed them all with his own body later. The reason Carranio wore a mask and a thick protective suit was just to put on appearance for other people. In reality, he did not need the equipment at all! This was domination; a true domination that completely exceeded an average human and the abilities of those who were of the same genotype rank. Perhaps Carranio did not belong to a particular race, and had several types of bloodlines flowing inside his body. He had absorbed the merits of each races to become the Skull King he was now. Cillin thought that his own constitution was pretty tough, not to mention that he was in a hardened state right now. However, he could only get a true measure of the Skull Kings strength after he clashed against Carranio, Cillin blocked Carranios sweeping hand and tail and the same time. His arms were numb from the blows. Just what kind of constitution was this?! Cillin bent his body and backed away to avoid the two rows of sharp fangs at Carranios torso biting at his person. To be exact, those teeth was probably some enhanced bones at Carranios torso. Carranio looked huge, but was incredibly agile. His swift attacks and his greater physique C both his arms, his legs, the two rows of enhanced bones at his torso area and his tail C actually prevented Cillin from doing anything to him at all. In a head on battle, Cillin was unable to score any point even with his current strength. Carranio had a rich combat experience, and he knew the human weakness very well. Every one of his attacks were sharp, unhesitating and decisive, aiming to kill his enemies with every blow. As the King of Poison Fang, Carranios aura was so dominant that the common man wouldve lost the courage to resist just by standing in front of him, much less fight him. Cillin retreated step after step while he blocked Carranios attacks. Carranios strength was so massive that Cillin had no choice but to step backwards to neutralise the impact, not to mention the fists and claws that were pouring down on him like a storm or his annoying tail. After parrying away the sharp fingernails that were stretching towards him, Cillin dodged to the side and leaped into the air. He kicked right at Carranios sweeping tail and used the impact to leap backwards. While suspended in mid-air, two guns appeared in Cillins hands as he opened fire at Carranio. The bullets flew towards Carranio from both the front and the sides. While chasing Cillin, Carranio did not dodge out of the way and instead compressed his tail into a cloak-like object that shielded his body. The bullets pinged off his tail repeatedly. The bullets either left a mark or broke through the tails skin at best when they struck the tail. It wouldnt take long for the superficial wounds to heal completely. Cillins eyes narrowed, and he continued to back off when he landed on the ground. This time, he did not shoot bullets, but flying knives at Carranio with more or less the same speed. The projectiles flew towards Carranio from three different directions simultaneously just like before. Therefore, Carranio spread his tail again to protect his body. The flying knives slammed into the tail and shattered against it, but what followed after the noise was the hissing sound of acid. Chapter 127: The Skull King’s End Chapter 127: The Skull Kings End Cillin never fought someone head on knowing that he was the weaker force. That would just be masochism. Cillin had specially created these flying knives before he came here. The flying knife wasnt thin, and a powerful corrosive liquid was wrapped inside its brittle exterior. Cillin even used inert materials to prevent the powerful corrosive liquid from eroding through the flying knives shell. Cillins original plan was to used the flying knives hard exterior to pierce through the enemys skin, and when the flying knives shattered, the corrosive liquid that spilled out would then play its role. The actual outcome turned out the way Cillin had planned it to be as well. Hissing sounds appeared appear when the corrosive liquid was spilled onto Carranios outstretched tail, and the pain enraged Carranio greatly. This brat was cheating again!! Carranio let out a drawn out roar that sounded like he would vent out all of the anger he had stored inside his chest. The sound wave took out and shattered most of the crosses nearby. Not far away, the gray cat who was crouching on top of a cross that lost two thirds of its body jumped down to the floor and flicked its ears. This level of sound wave could not harm it, although it would have to find a new viewing spot to observe the battle now. Carranios roar spread far, far away, alerting even Wa Qing and Emmus inside the energy shields. Thats Wa Qing said in bewilderment. Its the Skull King, I think. Emmus said. Even he could hear the anger contained within that roar. He never imagined that Cillin would be able to push the Skull King to this point. He really was an unbelievable person. According to Emmus knowledge, the Skull King Carranio was someone who would not let out a howl like this even when he lost all of his subordinates. Carranio was really angry, and really mad. He had never felt this sullen except that one year when he was wounded by that man. It was bad enough when he lost a hundred thousand subordinates to this brat. Now, he had even wounded him! Carranio decided to throw all caution to the wind. In the worst case scenario, he would lose a tail that would regrow itself several years later anyway. The pain he had to endure was only temporary. Right now, all he wanted to do was to utterly obliterate this devious and cunning little brat! This fight was doable as long as he did not fight Carranio head on and dodged single-heartedly. As he retreated while the other man pursued, Cillin continued to play out his strategy of backing away once and flinging flying knives right after. By now, Carranios tail had lost an entire layer of skin, and he was numb to the pain already. He refused to believe that Cillin could keep doing this forever! Cillin wasnt in a hurry. Right now Carranio was in a state of fury, and that was a good sign because an enraged Carranio would not spare too much brainpower and think further into things. When Cillin was still very young, he once heard a conversation like this. Do you know why a hunter is superior to his prey? Because a hunter is stronger than the prey. The hunter is strong, and the prey is weak. No. Its because a hunter knows how to lay traps. A hunter is an angler. They would throw down the bait and wait quietly for the fish to take the bait. Those who lived in the forest would use traps to capture large and ferocious animals. Sometimes, when they felt like it, they would even enjoy the trapped beasts final show. They had long since gotten used to capturing their prey while spending the least amount of effort. Both Cillin and Carranio saw each other as their prey. But who would be crowned with the prey at the very end of this fight? When Carranio noticed that something was amiss, it was already too late. The numbness had first started from his tail. Then, it swiftly spread to the other parts of his body. It was only then Carranio realised that the cunning brat had cheated again. The purpose of the corrosive liquid was to erode the surface of Carranios tail so that the poison that came afterwards would act better. It was the same flying knife and the same mass. However, the contents were entirely different. Carranio aside, perhaps not even Emmus would have figured it out until it was already too late. If the knifes mass was different, then Emmus might have become greatly suspicious and guessed that these particular flying knives were somehow different. However, Cillin had considered even this factor from the moment he began making these flying knives. A powerful corrosive liquid, and a concentrated neurotoxin. Cillin had considered both their masses from the moment he began mixing them. However, even if their masses had been different, the current Carranio would probably have overlooked it anyway. The pain on his tail was also a reason why Carranio had consciously ignored anything thats going on his tail, inevitably delaying his realisation long after the first neurotoxin knife had struck him. When he truly noticed that something was wrong, the poison had already spread to the point where there was nothing he could do to stop it. After spying on Poison Fang for so many years, Emmus evaluation of Carranio was that he was a determined, ruthless, and powerful man. However, even though he wasnt stupid, he was still lacking in both smarts and caution. The Skull Kings past successes caused him to overlook too many hidden dangers. He never stopped believing that he stood at the top of the world and had the power to look down on the ants that crawled beneath him. In reality though, he was dragged to the abyss before he was able to truly understand the saying that the one who stands at the top, is lonely. Cillin had collected the neurotoxin of the vines that once caught Cary off guard, and various other neurotoxins from other flora and fauna on the green planet as well. Cillin had prepared this concoction specifically for Carranio. When he was in Enjis workshop, Cillin had bred two types of worms, concocted a powerful corrosive liquid, and synthesised a neurotoxin that not even a rank A genotype could resist. Carranio felt that everything was growing blurry and pulling further and further away from him. He could feel that his sense of hearing, touch, smell and taste were all declining, and every joint in his body rusting away like they were scrap iron. The condition only worsened with every passing second as his movements grew duller and duller. Every muscle in his body began to convulse. His breathing began to turn rapid and erratic, causing Carranio to feel as if he did not have enough oxygen no matter how hard he tried to breathe in. His brain grew murkier and murkier, and the scattered flames in the surroundings felt like they were burning at his eyeballs, forcing him to look away into the darkness. Not far away, on top of a heap of ruins, the gray cat watched the battle unfold with open, round eyes. Right now, it was staring at Carranio with a cocked head, who was treading a drunken S-shaped path and dragging his once nimble and flexible tail lifelessly across the ground even though he seemed so powerful and extraordinary just moments ago. Right now, Carranio looked like a drunkard who was lurching unsteadily amidst the ruins. Cillin stood still a hundred meters away from Carranio as he watched the man taking one step after another towards his direction. However, the neurotoxin had affected both Carranios senses and his mind greatly, so he eventually veered off course and finally collapsed on the ground; the place where he once punished the sinners and witnessed their executions. In the past, he, Carranio the Skull King would sit at a high spot and watch arrogantly and disdainfully at the ants embroiled in either bloody battle or torture on this cross field. But now, the roles had been switched. Carranio felt as if he was lying beneath a gigantic cross, while the devilish young man standing on top of the cross stared indifferently at his embarrassing and silent struggles. His throat could no longer form the right syllables, and the only thing that came out were indecipherable grunts. He really was just trying to utter one simple word C devil. Cillin continued to stand at a distance and stare expressionlessly at Carranio. There was no indifferent detachment, no mocking smile, no joy or relief after having exacted vengeance in his eyes. There was only tranquility. A while later, Cillin took out a small lump that looked like a marble before flicking it towards Carranio in the ruins. The marble struck Carranios body and shattered into many bits all over him. The wind, blew. The remaining Birds of Paradise within the ruins smelled the scent in the air and flocked towards Carranio. Cillin closed his eyes and felt the last disturbance happening on these ruins. It was time to end this. Chapter 128: The Man Who Sits On The Cross Chapter 128: The Man Who Sits On The Cross When the first ray of light sprinkled onto this ruined land, the dust dancing in the air had already settled down. The only thing that continued to drift above the ruins was the lingering smell of gunpowder, flesh and blood. Inside the great hall, the four energy shields slowly thinned and faded away. It was time. According to Cillin, they could now walk out of the building and need not reload a new power source after the energy shields had faded away. Moreover, before they knew it, there was no longer a single Poison Fang member to be seen in the entire great hall. It was one thing to think, and another to act. Neither Emmus nor Wa Qing were unable to take the first step. They were both veterans. The lingering smell in the air had grown even more distinct after the energy shields had died down, seemingly narrating a story about a distant fear and despair hidden within a dark night. Emmus and Wa Qing watched their surroundings warily. Emmus was primed to toss out an energy shield at any moment. One minute passed. Two minutes passed. Five minutes later, Wa Qing inhaled deeply and took the first step. Seeing that Wa Qing had made the first move, Emmus followed suit as well. Both men walked with careful steps. Every monitoring equipment in the area had stopped working, and Emmus could not acquire any images from them. A couple of long dead corpses belonging to Poison Fang lay scattered across the great hall, although their numbers did not extend over ten people. If he were to trust on his hearing alone, Emmus could confirm that there was no one around them. The man activated his scanners, and it also indicated that there was no other living person nearby except for the two of them. Emmus knew very well how many Poison Fang members were stationed on this planet. That was why he was afraid to believe the reality before him. No matter how you looked at it, the great hall was a part of the heart of the base, right? Even if thirty or fifty thousand people was a little stretching it, there should still be at least ten thousand people here, right? But in reality, the scanner did not pick up even a single living body. At best, there were only the occasional worms hopping past them. Both Emmus and Wa Qing held an indescribable fear towards the worms. Perhaps it was because the surprise Cillin left them earlier was too great, but when they saw some worms hopping by they instinctively tried to escape from them. However, the worms seemed to be uninterested in them, which was why the duo finally relaxed after the realisation. The relief did not last long before a hole suddenly burst out of a dead mans chest. The clear sound of breaking bones caused Emmus and Wa Qing to adjust their sights towards that direction immediately. They did not even bother wiping off the cold sweat pouring down from their foreheads as they stared straight at the spot where the sound had come from. It was then the duo saw a worm slightly bigger than the one they saw earlier jumping out of the corpses open chest. After glancing at them once, the worm swiftly hopped out of their line of sight. Neither Emmus nor Wa Qing missed the instant the worm had gathered itself to attack them. However, it stopped itself at the last second and glanced at them once before finally leaving. It was only then the duo was able to connect this occurrence with the events that had happened earlier. Fear, was not instantaneous destruction. It was to take step after step towards a death that was akin to torture. It was to know what horrors awaited you at the front, but could not avoid it. Cillin had carried with him these roots of fear to this planet, and Poison Fang was neither able to escape fear, nor death itself. The duo was silent for a few minutes. Finally, Emmus said, Lets go to the cross field to take a look. There was a large scale battle there earlier. They had heard of the commotion even when they were hiding inside the great hall. Wa Qing wasnt able to contact Cillin, so he did not object to Emmus suggestion. They might have mentally prepared themselves on the inside, but it was still difficult to calm down when they saw the actual scene. It was like an offering; an offering that was padded with flesh and blood and supported with the fire of war. Broken limbs and wreckages were everywhere. There was not a single even place to be found even though the cross field was massive. Once, this was the bloody execution ground where Poison Fang punished the sinners and made amusement for themselves. Now, it was just a land of ruins. Fifty thousand people were buried at this place, but they were unable to find a single intact corpse at all. In fact, some of the corpses were eaten so cleanly that only the bones were left. What happened here?! This was Poison Fang! Sector Vs infamous organisation of lunatics! The duo stood at the edge of the cross field and watched the man at the center of the ruins. Their eyes were tangled with mixed emotions. A lens popped out of Emmus left eye mod. Through this lens, he was able to see clear the situation inside the cross field and record it at the same time. There was a vertical cross about five meters tall at the center of the cross fields, and the bottom of the cross were piled with many Poison Fang emblems. Emmus did not know exactly how many emblems there were, but if they were here, then it meant that every one of its owners were dead. A skeleton lay on top of the pile of emblems. It did not like like the skeleton of an average human, and it even had two rows of enhanced bones at its torso area. Above the cross, Cillin sat there leisurely, holding a book in his hand and reading it at a slow pace. A gray cat was crouching on top of his shoulders with narrowed eyes looking very comfortable. Cillins voice was neither quick nor slow, but it felt like a pleasant, clear wind that swept through the ruins and the scarlet desert, causing ones fretful heart to calm down for some mysterious reason. Emmus did not understand the language he was using, but the translator had translated the text directly for him. It was the standard Sector language of Sector X. Criminals at their deathbeds listening to the honest cries of their heart Nestling down in the universe Amidst the ridiculously beautiful stars Wind and rain usher in a new era Of Birds from paradise Passing through the human world Cillin took no notice of Emmus and Wa Qing, and continued to read at his leisure. Light slowly rose from behind his back, drawing long shadows of a man, a cat, an emblem pile and a cross. There was a saying in GAL that fifty years makes up the achievements of an entire generation. It was now almost fifty years since the glory brought about by the previous generation. Was it time for the next generation to rise already? Emmus smiled. His undercover mission in Poison Fang had come to an end, and if there were no further surprises, then the prime of his life would soon arrive after he returned to the army. Therefore, in this coming dawn, just how many would become the pioneers of this new age? Regardless, Emmus was thankful that he would live in this new age at his prime. Even if he could not become a pioneer himself, he would still be able to witness this new ages glory. In comparison to the Six B Squadrons commander Shawton, and the other B Squadron commanders of Vanguard, Emmus believed that Vanguard Sixth B Squadrons Cillin was the one who was qualified to be listed in the Hunters List! The Hunters List was a list created specifically aiming at Hunters, and only senior level personnel within the army were qualified to learn about the names listed on it. Every person listed in the Hunters List would be given special treatment by the military, even more so than how they treated the Skull King Carranio. Exactly how this preferential treatment would be, Emmus wasnt sure. But he thought that he might find out very soon. By now, Cillin had finished reading the poem, and closed the book. However, he did not jump down from the cross. Youve arrived. - Translators Notes: Since this is going to be long, Im putting it at the bottom of the chapter. First of all, we would like to thank all of you for your continued support. Now we have a couple of announcement we would like to make. The first bit of good is that we are dropping the novel going to do 5 regular chapters a week instead of 3 starting this June. We have been planning this for quite a while, but every time we try to execute the plan, real life hits us with a bat and we delay. Therefore, we decided to make the announcement now so that we no longer have a chance to run away, after all nothing fights better than a cornered beast (welp!). The second bit of good news is that we will revamp our Patreon rewards, and starting June our Cannon fodder class (5$) will get access to a chapter earlier at the end of every week. Our Sentry Class (10$) will always be one chapter ahead the posted translation. Finally the GAL Army class (20$), will have access to our private stash, where all edited and unedited chapters will available for reading. The third and final good news is that from chapter 150 and onward, the author had his chapters VIPed (behind paywall). When he did that, he doubled or tripled the amount of words of many of his chapters. Therefore, once we reach those extra-long chapters, we will have to cut some chapters into 2 or even 3 parts. So for those who love SRH and do not wish for it to end too soon, dont worry, its not. Not for a long while. And thats about it. Both my editor and I suck at composing endings, so we will do the usual and hereby thank you all wholeheartedly for your endless support of SRH! Chapter 129: Lieutenant Commander? Chapter 129: Lieutenant Commander? Emmus and Wa Qing walked towards him. He was still the same brown-haired, honest-looking young man wearing the same smile as before, but Wa Qings feelings towards Cillin now were definitively different. Both Emmus and Wa Qing felt a chill in their hearts at the same time when they faced the current Cillin. In just twenty or so hours, one hundred thousand people were completely annihilated, but the person who caused all this was still wearing his usual expression and reading his poem leisurely in this very unusual morning. It was as if the ruins and corpses beneath his feet were just part of the background. Wa Qing swallowed once and asked carefully, Cillin, about Poison Fang Theyre dead, I suppose. Theyre dead theyre all dead? Wa Qing opened his mouth, but wasnt sure what to say. Should he be thankful that the Sixth B Squadron had discovered such a talent? LC Akayi and the others had gotten on a ship and left earlier, but how theyre doing right now, I cant say. The commander would send a starship over soon, although I dont know when he would arrive. It shouldnt take too long though. Cillin said. Is that Carranio? Emmus pointed at the skeleton on top of the emblem pile. Yes. Cillin nodded. Emmus and Wa Qing both examined the skeleton in surprise. Emmus clicked his tongue in wonderment, So Carranio had never revealed his true face until now. Although Carranios skeleton was the only thing that was left, he was able to distinguish just how different Carranio was from the shape alone. Hey, can I collect some data from this? Emmus asked Cillin. Right now, Emmus was obviously more afraid of Cillin than anything else, and Carranio could be considered to be Cillins prey. It was only right to ask the hunters permission before researching his prey, right? Why not. Give me your price. G give him a price? It took Emmus a long while before he came to realisation and smiled, Naturally, the price is yours to offer. The prey is yours after all. The inert materials Cillin used to build the flying knives to set up Carranio were very expensive, and the corrosive liquid, neurotoxin and other substances all cost some amount of manufacturing expenses as well. Therefore, Cillin had created a list before he even made these items in the first place. After all, he couldnt do this at a loss, could he? Mm, he should add labor cost to the list as well. Cillin stretched out a finger firmly, Ten million. Ten million?! The words nearly escaped Wa Qings mouth. Carranios head might be priceless, but all Emmus wanted to do was just to collect some data from this skeleton. And he was going to ask for ten million? Emmus stared at Cillins eyes for a while and understood that the kid wasnt joking. Alright, but I dont have so much money with me right now. No problem. Cillin took out Vanguards dedicated bill and began writing on it religiously. Then he handed the bill to Emmus and said, Have a look and see if everything is proper. If there are no problems, then please sign your name here. The corner of Emmus eyes twitched as he stared at the bill on his hand. He sighed in his heart. God knows where Vanguards Sixth B Squadron managed to find such a monster. After Emmus had signed the bill, he knelt on the ground and began inspecting the data gathered on the skeleton. After the inspection, Emmus felt a lot better on the inside. It would seem that the data he got was worth ten million credits after all. While it wouldve been nice if he could have collected data on the skin and flesh as well, unfortunately all thats left of Carranio was a skeleton alone. It was truly unimaginable that that arrogant and tyrannical would fall to such a sorry state. However, when Emmus was collecting his data, he sensed that someone was watching him all the time. At first he thought that it was Cillin or Wa Qing, but he changed his mind soon after. When Emmus turned his head, he immediately saw the gray cat crouching on Cillins shoulders and staring at him with its round eyes. The gaze it wore was one that was usually reserved for a thief. Thief? Emmus was bewildered. Youre a cat. What the meow are you staring at me for?! Although Carranio never told Emmus that the gray cat could find energy ores, Emmus had his own network to tap to know such things. Therefore, he knew that this was probably the cat that could find energy ores and speak like a human being. He was surprised that Cillin would bring it to this dangerous place though. Wasnt he afraid that this cat would go on a one-way journey to death? The one man and one cat met each others gazes. The gray cat was now employing a tactic of inactivity versus whatever the enemy was doing or not doing. Since it learned that Emmus belonged to the military, the gray cat had become a lot more careful and did not treat him as casually as the other Hunters. Seeing that the gray cat was reactionless, Emmus did not say anything and turned his head back to collect his data. However Cillin, hes cheating! The gray cat suddenly cried out. Its round eyes stared straight at Emmus with full anger. Emmus spread out his arms helplessly and said, And how exactly am I cheating? Although he knew that the gray cat could speak, he was still caught by surprise by its sudden exclamation. The duo in conversation, Cillin and Wa Qing had also turned around to look at Emmus. If their expressions were to be converted into words, it would say: Hey kid, how dare you try to trick us right beneath our noses? Do you want to join Carranio that much? Emmus was going to say something more when the gray cat pointed its paw at him. Hes scraping the mm The gray cat wasnt sure how to describe it. You mean sampling. Cillin understood its meaning implicitly and followed up. Thats right, sampling! He must pay more if he wants to collect samples! Emmuss face froze. How on earth was he going to collect more accurate data if he didnt collect samples?! Cillin glanced at Emmus once before pulling out yet another bill calmly, Give me your price. Wa Qing, Emmus: Emmus felt like saying: I quit! But he had already signed ten million for this shit. If he gave up now then wouldnt it all be wasted? And so, Emmus signed yet another one million bill. Dont give me that bitter look. I know that you can report these expenses to your higher-ups. Its not like Im taking the money out of your personal bank account. Cillin said while staring at Emmus abused expression. Then he passed over another two bills. When he saw the number on these bills, Emmus eyes went black for a second before he pointed a trembling finger at Cillin, This this is too far! Carranios bones arent worth this much at all! Both bills were written with a ten million credits charge each. Since when did I tell you that these two bills are related to Carranio? Cillin stared at Emmus, Youve collected the worms too, havent you? Emmus froze. He didnt think that Cillin would find out about this. It was true that he had secretly collected specimens of those two worms without being caught by Wa Qing. Still, based on his own personal evaluation, getting the two worms for ten million each was cheap. And so, Wa Qing watched Emmus signed yet another twenty million dollar bill to Cillin. Wa Qing roared inside his heart: A genius has appeared in Vanguard Sixth B Squadron! Five hours later, a Sixth B Squadron starship led by Shawton personally arrived outside the planet. They had come searching by tracking the delayed signal left behind by the gray cat for them. Although a delayed signal was of course, delayed, its advantage lay on its invisibility. It could elude Poison Fangs signal tracking. Along the way, they ran into the spaceplane carrying Akayi and the others. Only three of the passengers were put in ICU, and the rest were being rested in normal sick wards. This outcome allowed Shawton to breathe a sigh of relief. At first, they did not hold much hope for Cillins operation. Cary, Xiao Shang and everyone had even gotten themselves ready for a hard battle. But no one had expected that things would turn out like this. When they arrived outside the planet, they saw bits and fragments floating in space. While people were dying by the droves at the cross field, the Poison Fang members stationed on the starships outside the planet had attempted to escape. Therefore, Carranio pressed a button on his controller that controlled the bombs installed onto the starships. From that point onwards his underlings only had two choices to choose from: They either fight to the death, or they let themselves be killed by the bombs. Cary and everyone stared blankly at the scraps floating outside the planet. At the same time, the signal receiver received a transmission and converted it into a message displayed on the large screen. Cillin told them to stay clear of the planet and to send over a manless spaceplane only. He forbad anyone in the Sixth B Squadron to come near. Although Shawton did not quite understand Cillins instructions, he did as he said. When the spaceplane had returned, Cary gave Cillin a hard punch after seeing that he was fine. He had been holding this grudge ever since Cillin had gone on the operation on his own. Youre not allowed to do this next time! Even if you have to, you must bring us with you! Yeah, take me and Ba Dao as well. Xiao Shang patted Cillins shoulders and said. Hey, whos that guy? Cary pointed at the meeting rooms door with his chin. They had seen the stranger who came aboard the ship together with Cillin and Wa Qing earlier. Cary was going to go forward and check the stranger out himself, but Shawton had pulled that man into the meeting room for a secret discussion before he had the chance do so. Oh, that guy. Hes the enemy of our enemy. Cillin did not utter Emmus name, because Emmus was most definitely a fake name. As for Emmus real name in the army, he would probably not inform them. The Sixth B Squadron did not know exactly how Cillin had caused the utter annihilation of Poison Fang, but one thing was certain: they were all beginning to feel fear towards Cillin. Be it a normal person or the lieutenant commanders themselves, they all spoke carefully when they were in Cillins presence. Cillin had scored a great merit this time. He saved the hostages, recovered the energy ores and even destroyed Poison Fang. Even if Vanguards A Squadron had been here, they might not have performed as efficiently as Cillin. Meanwhile, Cillin also told Akayi, Wa Qing and everyone that without the gray cat, he would only have been able to destroy Poison Fang but not save the hostages. Therefore, it was all thanks to the gray cat that Akayi, Wa Qing and the others were still alive. As a result, the gray cats status in the team had skyrocketed, and every time Wa Qing and Akayi ran into it they would smile about as kindly as you could imagine. This also caused the gray cat to be doted on to the point where its status in Sixth B Squadron had even exceeded the LCs. Shawton did not ask too many questions about Cillins actions on the planet. Cillin said that the planet should be listed as a forbidden area for the next hundred years, and Shawton agreed with him definitively. He ordered that no one in the Sixth B Squadron should set foot on that planet for the next one hundred years, and at the same time he also notified Barthus and Songba Leruo about the order as well. Wa Qing and Emmus did not object to the decision to blacklist that planet either. They knew that the reason the worms hadnt attacked them must have been due to Cillin. If Cillin hadnt left behind some kind of medication or insurance on them, they might have turned into a pile of white bones a long time ago. After the crowd had returned to the main ship of the Sixth B Squadron, Cillin was called over by Dias before he managed to rest. Lieutenant?! Cillin stared at the smiling Dias on the sick bed. This fellow was looking a lot better right now. Nuh uh. Cillin shook his head and tried to walk out of the room. He had been overusing his brain all this time and was feeling sleepy as fuck. However, the door had been shut tight, and pressing the lock mechanism yielded no results. Cillin turned around to look at the one-armed Dias and said, Im sorry, uncle, but are you trying to force yourself on me in that condition? Chapter 130: Return Chapter 130: Return How would I dare? Dias made an innocent expression, At best Im just driving a duck onto a perch*. *driving someone to go beyond their abilities My sincerest apologies then, but I am not a duck. Please hire your duck somewhere else. Sigh, you know it, my arm Dias looked desolate for a second, but he was interrupted by Cillin before he could finish. Its no use trying to feign pitifulness. Ahem, Dias straightened his expression and said seriously, Ive discussed this with Asiya already. Once we get out of Sector Z, the wounded in the Sixth Squad like me would all be transferred to Sector E. As you know, Sector E is most famed for their medical science, so we will be going there to recover our wounds. The problem is that we do not know how long well be there until everyone recovers. Therefore, after thinking it over for a bit, Ive decided that you should be the lieutenant commander of our squad, and if you dislike it then you can hold the position temporarily until I come back for another chat. Dont say I didnt warn you though, I may be recuperating for a very long time. The reason Dias had hurt himself this badly was to protect Asiya, but it could be considered a blessing in disguise since his relationship with Asiya had progressed very swiftly since then. Cillin looked at the hopeful looking Dias and said, Im going back to sleep. Hey, dont leave. Really, our squad normally has nothing to do, and even when there is something, Beavers there to handle it all. Therefore, you can say that Im freer than the other LCs. Its just a title, you know? A hat*. An LC sets out only when there is something important, so this responsibility is actually pretty idle. *a label Dias talked endlessly about the benefits of being a lieutenant commander. If Cillin did not want to manage too many things, then he didnt have to. Its not like Dias did much management himself back when he was the lieutenant commander. He would feel a lot more at ease if it was Cillin who had taken over his job. No one would object to Cillin taking over as the lieutenant commander either. In the end, Cillin agreed to Dias proposal. He had his own considerations for accepting the position. As Dias had mentioned earlier, those who held the rank of a lieutenant commander would be given greater power to learn about certain news and come in touch with certain things. That was to say that he would have a greater chance to learn about the High Tree Fuji Gen Family. Cillin did not doubt in the slightest that the Gen Family was so high up the hierarchy that he would not be able to learn even the superficial information unless he reached that level. At the least, he found no news at all at the current stage. After Cillin had exited the sick ward, he touched the veined pattern on his thumb. Genyas coffin was still inside. Just how long would it take before he could send Genya back home? At the same time, at Eudy and Beavers sick ward. The duo had already escaped critical condition, and they only needed to recuperate for a while longer before they would fully recover. With their genotype rank, their healing speed was much greater than others. Right now, Cary, Xiao Shang, Tang Qiuqiu and others were all gathered inside the sick ward. After having their emotions pent up for such a long time, the group finally felt a lot better. Tang Qiuqiu, who had been quiet for several days, had finally begun to start talking again as well. Eudy was playing an IQ game with Dough on a microcomputer while chatting with the others. Suddenly, the sick wards door opened with a clack. There was no one outside, but if you move your gaze downwards then you would see a gray cat with a raised tail entering the room with light cat steps in full arrogance. The gray cat glanced once at Eudy and Beaver on the sick bed before throwing down a line heartlessly, Look at your sorry selves. You guys are so weak. The crowd: Please dont compare us to you and that monstrous master of yours, thank you! Although Cillin did not talk about what happened on the planet, judging from the images they captured from outer space, the scene could only be described as appalling. They never realised that Cillin had such amazing methods until now. The second Dough saw the gray cat, it immediately jumped out of its seat and ran towards it. On the surface it appeared that it was networking with the gray cat, but in reality it was just casting attention away from itself since it was about to lose the game to Eudy. After it gave Tang Qiuqiu face and ate a sweet she handed it, the gray cat circled around the group once like a leader inspecting its crew. It nodded in satisfaction: everyones looking spirited today! Wheeze, why did the lieutenant call Cillin over? Cary asked. The gray cat jumped to a high spot on the cabinet and looked down on everyone. Then it said very smugly, Dias is leaving soon to recover, and he wants Cillin to take over him as the lieutenant commander. Uh huh, dont worry, as the lieutenant commander it is my responsibility to watch over you lot. If you guys run into trouble in the future theres nothing to worry about. Im here. So, who was going to become the lieutenant commander, Cillin or the cat? Because right now it looked like it was wearing a lieutenant commanders title on its head. The fact that Dias was leaving to Sector E to treat his arm was anticipated by everyone, but they were a little surprised that he would choose Cillin to take over his responsibilities. They had no objections to the appointment though. Cary and the others who were close to Cillin aside, the other members in the Sixth B Squadron would not object to it as well. After the Poison Fang incident, Cillins reputation was pretty sizable. Eudy smiled and said, Thats pretty great. Please watch over us in the future then, elder cat. And he meant it. Everyone had a measure of the gray cats ability in their heads. It had saved Cary once, and now it had saved Akayi and the others. One day they might need it to stretch them a helping paw too. The next day, during the meeting at the Sixth B Squadrons main starship attended by both Barthus and Songba Leruo, Shawton announced that Cillin would take over Dias, the squads former PIC and become a lieutenant commander in Sixth B Squadron. Meanwhile, a new PIC had been appointed for Asiyas squad as well. Her name was Zaya Kasa, and she would take over Asiya as the new lieutenant commander. Asiya herself would be accompanying Dias to Sector E while his arm was healed. At the end of the meeting, Barthus had purposely patted Cillin twice on the shoulder heavily, saying, Well done, kid. Well be waiting for you at the A Squadron. Songba Leruo did not object to Barthus words after hearing it. He was obviously approving of Cillin as well. With Cillins current performance, he absolutely had the ability to enter the A Squadron. However, they had decided to observe Cillin for the moment and not recommend him the team immediately. It would be awkward to take away the Sixth B Squadrons talent now not long after theyd acquired him anyway. If no issues were to turn up during Cillins charge as a lieutenant commander, then Barthus and Songba Leruo would be ready to lift Cillin straight up into the A Squad. The fact that Cillin was acknowledged by both famous personages in the A Squad, Barthus and Songba Leruo, meant that Cillins status had risen imperceptibly in the Sixth B Squadron yet again. The weapons developed based on the new energy ores were officially released and put to use, so this was no doubt a boost to the Sixth B Squadrons confidence as well. After a period of recuperation and consolidation, the Sixth B Squadron finally stepped on their return journey. They had completed their mission, and they had collected enough data on the planets. They had even found many special energy ores and destroyed Poison Fangs secret base at Sector Z. These achievements were enough for their little Vanguard B Squadron to show their face proudly, not to mention that they had only used half of the original five years time limit. Barthus had even told them that the A Squadron was ready to allocate a huge sum of funds to the Sixth B Squadron as reward for their achievements. The additional funds would enable the Sixth B Squadron to better develop themselves. Just outside Sector Z, at a loosely scattered rock belt, there were twenty or so starships parked in the area. Among them were Navigator and Heavens Births B Squadrons. The reason they were parked there was because this particular rock belt only had one passage, and only one squadron was allowed to enter at a time. Any more and accidents might occur. So here comes the question. Before Navigator and Heavens Births arrival, the Hunter regiments were already arguing about who should go through the passage first. Neither were willing to give way to another because they all shared the the same mind: Why the hell should we let you go first? (T/N: wow)(E/N: when the top Hunters of the galaxy have the mentality of kindergartners) Not long after, a Heavens Birth B Squadron and a Navigator B Squadron showed up at the passage almost at the same time. And so the rest of the Hunter regiments shut up, happily watching the B Squadrons of the two of the four great Hunter regiments arguing with each other on the sidelines. Chapter 131: A Glimpse of Extraordinaire Chapter 131: A Glimpse of Extraordinaire There were a few relatively safe gates around the edges of Sector Z. While there were other unsafe zones that were well hidden and similarly allowed entry, they were a lot riskier to use as well. For example, Poison Fang was one of the few who chose to enter Sector Z through the unsafe zones because they were unafraid to take the risks. Barthus and Songba Leruos squadron also came through the unsafe zone, but unlike Poison Fang it was because they had better technology that enabled them to shield themselves from the risks. But those were the exceptions. In general, the four great Hunter regiments B squads and other Hunter regiments would use the safe passages. The gate of every safe zone had a stretch of rock belt, and every rock belt had exactly one passage established by the government. The rocky areas beyond the passage were extremely harmful to a starship and other flying equipment, so normally only a single fleet was allowed passage at a time. In reality, GAL couldve made the passage wider when they were setting it up. However, for ease of management they did not go beyond the planned width. There was a planet at the surrounding of Sector Z. GAL had set up a Sector Z base here so they could supervise the rocky areas. To their surprise, today was a coincidental day where a huge number of Hunter regiments had chosen to gather at this gate at this period of time. The garrisoned GAL troops on the planet were happy to see the Hunter regiments argument. In the best case scenario, these Hunter regiments would fight each other to the death so they could fine them accordingly. When multiple Hunter regiments ran into each other, they often loved to show off their insignia. Therefore, all sorts of Hunter regiment insignias and logos were displayed above every giant starship. It was as if they were afraid that people wouldnt know who they belonged to otherwise. But when Navigator and Heavens Births starships showed up, the rest of the Hunter regiments were obviously inferior. Their insignias alone were enough to intimidate a few Hunter regiments to back off. The great four truly was the great four. Even their B Squadrons were capable of serving as a deterrent to others. Both Navigator and Heavens Births B Squadrons blocked in front of the gate and refused to give an inch to the other party. With so many other Hunter regiments around them, neither side could put down their pride and just give the way either. If they allowed the other party to gain first entry, then it likely wouldnt take long before the rumors spread throughout the entire galaxy (E/N: does the galaxy really have nothing better to do). When that happened, not only would they lose status within their own regiment, their Hunter regiment would lose face on their behalf as well. Since both B Squadrons had taken up half a passage each, if anyone tried to force their way through they would most definitely run into the rocky area. Meanwhile, inside the GAL base on the planet, the people inside the monitoring room were smiling and delighting at the Hunter regiments misfortune displayed on the screen. Suddenly, a supervising personnel reported, Sir, theres a fleet on the other side of the belt requesting permission to come through. Oh? Who is it? The officer raised his eyebrows and asked. Its a B Squadron from Vanguard. The officer smiled. He did not think that three of the great fours B Squadrons would be gathered here today. This is going to be fun. The officer immediately said, Send them a message and tell them that Navigator and Heavens Birth had taken up half of the gate each. Therefore, passage is impossible. Okay! The supervising personnel was also looking forward to the clash between the three titans. Meanwhile, both Navigator and Heavens Birth received a transmission stating that Vanguards Sixth B Squadron was coming through from the other side of the passage, and that the both of them should give way. When the commanders of Navigator and Heavens Birth had heard about the news, they were both angry and amused. Vanguards Sixth B Squadron? Who do you think you are?! You want to come out? Sure, go figure it out yourself how youre gonna pull it off then. In any case Im not budging an inch, and what can you do about that? The transmissions from both sides hadnt ended for long before every Hunter regiment and the monitoring room on the planet realised that there was a fleet coming over from the other side of the passage. They were actually coming their way! The peoples first reaction was that the Sixth Squad had gone insane. Their second reaction was that things are really going to be fun now! Right now every Hunter regiment had received a signal coming from the other side of the passage. It was a signal characteristic of a Vanguards B Squadron which in normal circumstances would have caused any Hunter regiment who received it to maneuver out of the way accordingly. Meanwhile, the actual situation was that all other Hunter regiments except the three of the great four had backed off, and Navigator and Heavens Birth were the only ones who were literally going to meet face to face with Vanguard within the narrow path. One on two? Interesting! No matter which side won, this would be a rare and interesting show regardless for the onlookers. The signal displayed on the screen indicated that both sides were getting closer and closer to each other. Orders had been laid down, and weapons systems had been prepped within the Navigator and Heavens Birth B Squadrons. If the Sixth Squad tried to force things, then they would not mind opening fire right here and then. They were two B Squadrons of the great four after all. Even if you were looking to one versus two, you should at least see who your opponents were first, shouldnt you, Vanguard? In many peoples opinion, Vanguards Sixth B Squadron had acted too reckless this time. If they were to put it a little vulgarly, it would be suicidal. However, this opinion was soon overthrown. Just when Navigator and Heavens Birth were about to open fire, the Sixth Squad suddenly veered off course, that is to say they had flown outside the passage. However, the Sixth Squad showed no signs of slowing down at all. What exactly were they trying to do? There was a white flash, and a combined fleet enveloped in a layer of red-and-black energy shield charged into the open. In fact, they had appeared from above both Navigator and Heavens Birth B Squadron. The rocks that were in the way were frozen by the white flash before smashed to bits by the combined fleet enveloped in red-and-black energy shield. The red-and-black energy shield enveloping the combined fleet appeared even stranger and mysterious than usual in this atmosphere. As the fleet flew out, carrying with it some rock bits frozen by the cold beam, the glints reflecting off the rock bits were immeasurably gorgeous amidst a dark background. At the same time, six stressed cannon-like sounds of a specific rhythm began to appear in the transmission received by every fleet and the bases monitoring room. Each sound was only greater than the next, and the interlayered music that like connecting a chain of beads caused the data and images on electronic displays of some poorly secured starships to beat along the same rhythm. The Hunters who heard this music all had a bewitched feeling that their hearts were beating along with it. The music slowly turned as distant as time immemorial; like a dagger that was interweaved in every space. A massive dagger symbol appeared above the fleet, and although it was just a light projection, it gave off the feeling of an unsheathed blade that had become sharper than before. The number 6 was projected beside the projected dagger. Together, they represented Vanguards Sixth B Squadron! Although they had not attacked the Navigator and Heavens Birth B Squadron, Vanguards Sixth B Squadron had flown out right above their heads while wearing Vanguards defining dagger insignia above their fleet. This was a face slap! A face slap before everyones eyes! The four great Hunter regiments had always wrangled with one another, and while open fights were rare, covert maneuvers were plenty. This encounter was one such example. No one fired even a single bullet, but the outcome was more intense than an actual battle. After the combined fleet had flown out of the passage, it did not attempt to communicate with any parties. The only thing they left behind was the gradually weakening signal and music. Just like a king would depart, they left behind only a glimpse of extraordinaire, and that one instant when people looked up to them. Chapter 132: I’m Back Again Chapter 132: Im Back Again How would the Hunter regiments think? How would the B Squadron of Navigator and Heavens Birth treat this? And how would the garrisoned troops at Sector Z analyse their actions? Vanguards Sixth B Squadron could not be bothered with either of them. The reason Shawton had chosen such a forceful method was mainly due to Barthus words before he bid him goodbye: Be forceful when you should! Songba Leruos assessment of Shawton was that he was excessively cautious and insufficiently aggressive. If he did not improve himself in the future, then the Sixth B Squadron would never improve no matter how big their gains were. Therefore, Shawton chose the more forceful method this time in order to lead the Sixth Squad towards a brighter future. The newly developed weapons gave him a lot of confidence after all. After two and a half GAL years, the Sixth Squad left Sector Z. Perhaps it was because they had some bad experiences in Sector Z, but after they came out they felt like it was heaven wherever they went. There were irregular magnetic fields, constant iom storms, high radiation and aliens everywhere in Sector Z, thus forcing them to be careful almost all of the time. Now that they had left the place, everyone felt that they were breathing easier. They did not make the news that they had eliminated the Skull King Carranio public, but those but those within the circle all knew about it. The four great Hunter regiments, the military, and some great powers all had some knowledge regarding the matter. However, there werent actually that many people who knew that Cillin was the true culprit behind the Poison Fang bases demise. It was Cillins own wish. He did not want to stay in the spotlight for too long, and the less frequent the name Cillin appeared, the better. After all, the name would get on too many peoples nerves, and once those people began to move they were not so easily appeased. After the Sixth Squad came out, according to past convention the remainder period of the five-years mission would be used as holiday for the squad. Some people would return to their hometown and rest for a time before meeting up with the squadron once more. The others would follow the squadron and go to Sector K. Sector K was the four great Hunter regiments gathering spot. It was the only Sector in GAL where Hunter regiments were the majority, and for a Hunter this place was literally heaven. This was also one of the reasons Cillin had joined into Vanguards Sixth B Squadron in the first place. Every time a five-years mission was completed, the B Squadrons would return to Sector K and meet up with the A Squadrons to report their achievements and exchange certain things. In the past, whenever the Sixth Squad went to Sector K and networked with the A Squadron and the rest of the B Squadrons, the Sixth Squad would find themselves incapable of standing tall as they self-consciously tried to make themselves invisible within the crowd. But this time they were confident. If someone like Barthus and Songba Leruo themselves would praise the Sixth Squad, then everyone else should more or less be of the same opinion. Therefore, the Sixth Squads crew was a little excited and looked forward to this trip even as they commemorated the dead at the same time. Other than the energy ores, Shawton had also brought with him the Skull Kings corpse and emblems made from the Poison Fang members bones with him. Carranio could be considered an overlord in his own right, and his death would definitely stir a ripple in the pond. Therefore, the best way to deal with Carranio was to pass him over to the A Squadron. Once theyd processed him, some of the secrets the Sixth Squad did not wish for anyone to know would be wiped from existence. This also coincided with Cillins own wish. Emmus would be taken back to the A Squad at Sector K. There, Shawton and the A Squads men would negotiate with the military for his release. Naturally, the military would have to pay a price to redeem Emmus. It would be up to the A Squad to decide how this negotiation would turn out. The remnants of Poison Fang on Sector Z was a great opportunity for the military to win some of the peoples support. Surely the military would not mind spending a little more to learn more about Poison Fang. Of course, this also fell under one of the Sixth B Squadrons great achievements. Shawton had not forgotten about the development funds the A Squad promised him. Cillin had been asleep ever since he attended the meeting. He had overused his brain; from the start to the end of the Poison Fang incident, his brain had been calculating at full speed almost completely without rest. Therefore, Cillin had only awakened after the fleet had left Sector Z. Shawton verified his plans with Cillin, and Cillin gave the question some thoughts. Although he was now a lieutenant commander, the squad did have two years to rest right now. Time was plentiful, and everyone would be more or less free during this period. Therefore, Cillin decided to visit Sector X and all the other Sectors as well. No one knew that that he was the one who eliminated Poison Fang and killed Carranio anyway, so he might as well treat it as a vacation and get around. He would meet up with everyone at Sector K when the time comes. Shawton did not object to Cillins thoughts. After briefing Cillin on the ways to contact Vanguard, he told Cillin to be careful and not to be afraid to call them if he was in trouble. The entire Vanguard would have his back. This was one of the benefits of joining a Hunter regiment. At the least, there would be a big hand* to support him. *great power Cary was going to meet up with some friends from the other B Squadrons at Sector K. Ba Dao was going to go home. Xiao Shang remained with the fleet since he was born in Sector K in the first place. Eudy and Beaver needed to recuperate, so they also decided stay on the starship and go wherever the fleet goes. Dias had taken the wounded with him to Sector E for treatment. The next time they would meet him, he would be a whole person once more. Tang Qiuqiu decided to follow Cillin, however. She thought that it would be more fun with him. After making his decision, Cillin greeted Shawton and spoke of his intentions with everyone in the team. Then, while bringing Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat with him, Cillin piloted a small spaceplane and departed for Sector Xs transit planet while the fleet was passing by Sector X. After passing through the space ports identity and danger level inspection, the spaceplane then landed on planet X-C100. Planet X-C100 was an important transport interchange and the hub of Sector X. It had special ports that allowed parking for private spaceplanes and other air vehicles, and it offered supervision services as well. After Cillin parked the spaceplane at an empty space, handled the procedures and paid the respective fee, he then joined Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat to hunt for food. Tang Qiuqiu heard that it was here where Cillin had run into Dias, so she requested strongly that they would visit the restaurant near the spaceport. Three years had passed, and the restaurant looked just the same as before. The place was still serviced by both human and robot waiters, but the waitress was no longer the one he remembered, and Cillin himself no longer looked the same as before. Cillin told Tang Qiuqiu how he met Dias that year, and the girl giggled so hard that she couldnt find the time to wipe a piece of ice cream on her nose. On the other hand, the gray cat could barely find a spark of interest in those past stories at all and instead, stared with round eyes the flying cars travelling everywhere outside the window with great interest, thinking about how fun it would be if it could slap them all down from the sky. Cillin was not going to fly a spaceplane to that place. There would be too much paperwork to process, and it was inconvenient as well. After he had finished his meal and taken a walk outside, he then took the flight to planet X-C362. Pets were not allowed to be brought on top an airliner, and even if the customer insisted they had to be placed in a special cabin. However, the gray cat was an exception to that rule. It could roll around at a corner of the airliner and no one would notice. When he saw that familiar planet and the satellite arrays above it, Cillin felt a strange feeling in his heart. Its been three years. Im back again. Chapter 133: Little Garden Chapter 133: Little Garden Planet X-C362 C Brown Earth was just the same as it was three years ago. That being said, after witnessing the prosperity in the ten trade Sectors, even the most high-end zones of Planet Brown Earth appeared mundane to his eyes. As usual, there were plenty of well-dressed, self-important and high-class people walking about the street with arrogant eyes everywhere on the street. They guarded their own territory and lived their own lives. It was not a bad way to enjoy ones life though. Old Devon had opened a small shop at the city, and he also invited people from the slum to help him out. He led a pretty good life these days, and he even had a son now despite his age. A smile hung on Old Devons face the entire time; at the very least Old Devon was smiling very cheerfully when Cillin saw him. Tang Qiuqiu ate happily while holding a huge ice cream in one hand and a lollipop in the other. Occasionally, she would look curiously at her surroundings. Originally, he had planned to take a train, but since the gray cat noisily demanded that they take a flying car, Cillin complied to its wishes and stopped a taxi. After he gave the address, the flying car rose into the airs special roadway and flew away. Cillin forbad the gray cat from speaking carelessly outside, so the gray cat expressed all of its feelings on its round eyes instead as it stared unblinkingly at the flying cars all around the taxi. It could not help but move its paws for a bit. It could not be helped, the sight made its paws itchy and it wanted to slap them. Cillin watched the sceneries outside the window as they passed by the taxi. This planet looked just the same as before. If it was a part of the ten trade Sectors, then it would likely experience a huge change every year; a backwater Sectors development was much slower. When Tang Qiuqiu had finished the ice cream in her hands, they had also arrived at their destination. This might only be the edge of the slum, but anyone would notice the huge distinctive difference between it and the bustling zone at the front. Brother Cillin, is this your birthplace? Tang Qiuqiu asked. In her mind, there was no such thing as a hometown. There was only the concept of a birthplace, and it was a concept that she held no attachments to whatsoever. Yeah. Cillin sucked in a deep breath. The air was per usual mixed with dust and decadence. The gray cat was currently crouching on Cillins shoulders, and on occasion it would let out some hmphs from its nose. It was obvious that the gray cat viewed the place with extreme disdain, and the contrast was only made more obvious since they had just come out from the bustling zones of the city center. It seriously did not imagine that Cillin was born in such a shabby place. The shacks were still shacks, and the garbage heaps were still garbage heaps. There were fewer people though. There were now a few more abandoned houses than there were in the past. While treading the familiar streets in his memory, he arrived at the entrance of a bar. It was the bar Old Devon had gifted Cillin, and it was also the bar Cillin had worked at for many years in. Before he left he had rented it to Er Cheng, the guy who lived in the same shacks as he did. When Cillin checked his original debit card, he noticed that a sum of money would be transferred to his bank account every year on time. Although this sum of money wasnt much to Cillin right now, it was a proof of Er Chengs integrity. Cillin was very satisfied with this. Er Chengs older brother Da Cheng was also a member of the slum. However, Da Cheng was a determined and hardworking man who worked at a high radiation zone and by chance evolved his genotype from rank F to rank E, hence officially becoming a member of the city. However, Er Cheng did not have his brothers courage. He was satisfied with just being able to live his life peacefully. Therefore, when Cillin had decided to rent the bar to Er Cheng, the man had been very happy. Now it would seem that Er Cheng had led a pretty good life for the past three years. Cillin no longer looked the same as he was three years ago. No one could recognise him. The bars business could not be considered good, but it was passable at least. Cillin did not stay at the bar for long before he went to Genyas house. The intelligent robot in the house had been keeping things tidy, so the place wasnt too dirty overall. The Fuji tree hadnt grown at all, and it looked exactly the same as it was three years ago. After surveying around the area once, Cillin contacted an agent and bought all of the abandoned houses. He also sent a home design blueprint to the agent and requested them to reconstruct the buildings according to the plans. At the same time, Cillin paid more than the full sum of the buildings on the spot, causing the agent to be overjoyed and promising repeatedly that they would definitely get the job done well. Cillin used his alternate identity to process the relevant procedures. Once he had acquired ownership or the buildings, he then passed down the remaining tasks to the agent and let them be the one who supervise and urge completion of the buildings. Cillin had some savings, and it was in galactic credits no less. If he were to convert them into Sector credits, the amount he would get in return would be sizable. It would not cause him a problem even if he were to purchase the entire slum with the money. However, Cillin chose to allow the small slum to develop freely on its own. He did not wish to break the towns pace. Cillin had also learned that the reason there were less people in this place was mainly due to a chain reaction brought by a newly developed planet X-C369 not far away from planet Brown Earth X-C362. Planet X-C369 was originally a planet that was much more poor and backward than even planet Brown Earth. Moreover, this planets habitability as only at rank B, and that meant that more supporting equipment was required if a person chose to migrate to the planet. Since these equipment cost a huge amount of capital, it was one of the reason why the planet was of no interest to anyone for many years. But three years ago C not long after Cillin had left planet Brown Earth C planet X-C369 by chance caught the eyes of a surveyor from the GAL famous Feniers Family, and had its development and management rights purchased by the scout. The planets fate was changed since then, and it was given the name, Little Garden. Little Garden was twice as big as planet Brown Earth, and its development required a huge amount of labor force. The one thing that Sector X did not lack was cheap labor force, and planet Brown Earth alone provided one fifth of the total labor force required to develop Little Garden. Of course, the laborers chosen for this task were of a higher class than usual. Even the lowest acceptable genotype rank had started at rank E. This caused planet Brown Earth to lose a huge amount of laborers from their city center, thus giving the people at the slum a chance to prove their worth. Even some healthy F rank laborers was able to find a minimum wage job at planet Brown Earths city center. That was why the slums population had decreased. In just a years time, planet X-C369 had transformed from its near primitive state to a beautiful and colorful garden as its name suggested. Now, under the Feniers Familys promotion, Little Garden had become famous in Sector X, and was one of the more important tourism planets they owned. Every day, there were people from every corner of GAL who came to visit this planet. Do you guys want to go take a look at Little Garden? Cillin asked Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat while holding a Little Garden pamphlet. Yes! Yes! The duo answered in unison with great expectation. The images on the pamphlet were incredibly attractive to both man and cat. Alright. Our next stop will be Little Garden. Lets go see the legendary sea of flowers. Planet Brown Earth had a direct flight to Little Garden, but this time Cillin processed a pet identification for the gray cat. The space inspection center outside Little Garden had tighter management, and while it wasnt impossible to fool them, the gray cat had to appear anyway once they arrived on the planet. To avoid any unnecessary troubles down the line, Cillin decided to process a pet identification for the gray cat. The word pet caused the gray cat ground its teeth in great dissatisfaction though. After some thoughts, it thought: Oh birdy*, its not like Ill be staying too long inside this special pet cabin anyway. Well reach there in a naps time! *same meaning as oh well Little Garden. You know its great just from its name alone! Chapter 134: Realm of Dreams Chapter 134: Realm of Dreams Everybody knew that the Little Garden wasnt small at all. It was twice as large as Planet Brown Earth, but the stream of people that came back and forth the planet was endless. Almost the entirety of Little Garden was covered in people. The Feniers Familys management of their properties was stricter than others in every aspect. Just like Seven Lights, the direct flight passenger transport was parked at the space station outside Planet Little Garden, and they had to verify their identities in the space station before taking a specialised transport into the planet. The passengers grew excited before they even entered the space station. They were already seeing the colorful and dreamlike planet through the cabin windows and display screens, and it was incredibly fascinating. After the inspection was done, Cillin walked into the specialised transport with Tang Qiuqiu with him. As for the gray cat, it continued to crouch inside the transports pet cabin. The moment they landed and stepped out of the transport, the rich but not excessive fragrance of flowers immediately swept across their faces. After they stepped out of the spaceport, the scent changed again and became simple and elegant, clean and delightful. After they came out, the flowery scent changed almost every few steps they took. There were all kinds of fragrance, and all shapes and variety of well trimmed flowery shrubs to be seen wherever they went. There were even some flowering vines hanging in the air. That was so stifling! The gray cat shook its fur, stuck up its butt for a stretch before jumping up Cillins shoulder. Its head twisted and turned constantly as it stared at the surrounding sceneries in surprise. Be it the buildings or transportations available on this planet, they were all carved into flowery shapes or have flowery patterns inscribed onto their bodies, inheriting a flowers diverse forms and colors and filling the planet with the dreamlike colors of a fairy tale. Cillin wanted to rent a means of transport C a flower car. It was an essential tool for any tourist who visited this place. It looked just like a small carriage, except that it was made in the shape of flowers. There were tables and chairs inside it, enabling tourists to eat, drink and chat as they enjoyed the sceneries. The vehicles speed and pathing could all be adjusted, so it was pretty convenient to use. When he arrived at the car rental place and stared at the display screen, Cillin asked Tang Qiuqiu, Which one do you like? The sheer variety of flower cars on the display screen was overwhelming. After pursing her lips and staring for a very long time, Tang Qiuqiu finally chose a lily* car. Just like a lily, the flower car had a bell-like shape and was white in color. It looked very cute. *Lily-of-the-valley Since they were only two humans and a cat, Cillin selected a small flower car for their ride. After he paid, a card popped out beside the instrument. The card served both as the proof of the car rental and as the key to the flower car. At the same time, a lily car about two meters tall automatically drove itself out from inside the station. The car door opened after he scanned the card he just acquired near the car door. The car interior was even filled with the scent of lilies, seemingly seeping right into their hearts. After entering the car and configuring things on the control panel, three sofas and a small round table popped out inside the car. The sofa was very soft, and it looked just like the petal of a lily. Cillin set a short route since they needed to purchase some food and other necessities from the nearby stores. For Tang Qiuqiu he bought ice cream and sweets, and for the gray cat he bought a cod burger and fish biscuits with all kinds of flavor. Cillin had also bought some food that could fill the stomach. They must admit that the locations and services under the Feniers Familys management were impressive. The food was high quality, and it wasnt overly expensive as well. Cillin even purposely bought a palm-sized, flower-shaped camera for Tang Qiuqiu to play with. The duo and a cat took a picture together as a memento. The lily car moved forward while suspended on the road. Cillin had set the speed and route, so all they needed to do now was to eat, chat and enjoy the sceneries outside the car. Eighty percent of the Little Garden were scenic areas, so there were definitely enough sceneries to fulfill any tourists desires (T/N: How small are these planets really? Its Planet Little Garden and not Little Garden City). The scenic areas were overlaid with many crisscrossing, suspended roads, and after the route was inputted the flower cars would travel on these roads and lead their passengers through soothing sceneries. Although they had felt like they were surrounded by flowers from the beginning, it was only after they entered the scenic areas for real that they truly felt like they had entered a sea of flowers. The endless sea of flowers stretched out as far as the eyes could see. There were butterfly bees flying on top of the sea of flowers. They were called butterfly bees, because they looked like butterflies with their large, colorful wings, but worked like bees, knowing how to gather nectar. They would not harm the gardens like butterfly larvae either. The Little Gardens administrators had even built some artificial bee nests for them so that all sorts of butterfly bees would dance lithely and gracefully amidst the flowers, adding much life and energy to this sea of flowers. The colorful world, overwhelming sceneries, and seeping fragrance all ensured that their visitors loitered around at the easiest excuses. Every stops scenery was different. Just when they thought that the previous stop was eye catching enough already, the next stop surprised them again with something new. It was truly an experience that was difficult to describe with words. The display inside the flower car would display the information about the area they passed through such as the types and species of flowers, the name of the scenic area and so on so that the tourists would have a better understanding. The Rainbow Bridge! Brother Cillin, lets go over the Rainbow Bridge! Okay. Cillin adjusted the pathing and set the flower car to drive towards the Rainbow Bridge. The tourists who came to this area would often adjust their pathing to pass through the Rainbow Bridge. The Rainbow Bridge was a arch-shaped passage surrounded by flowery shrubs of all colors. From afar it looked just like a rainbow, and at the same time some suspension devices were also suspended at above and around the Rainbow Bridge to look like white clouds. The water droplets that sprinkled out from inside these clouds only added to the joy further. The kids who passed through here would stretch their hands outside the window and grab the water droplets, and Tang Qiuqiu was not an exception. Their giggles could be heard from far, far away. Tang Qiuqiu even held the gray cat outside the window to be drenched by the water droplets. The gray cat was having a lot of fun as well as it flicked its ears and shook its head, swinging all the water droplets on Tang Qiuqius body before opening its mouth to drink the water droplets that contained the sweetness of nectar. Wah! Look, a cat! A young child about four to five years old poked his head out of the window of the flower car in front of them and pointed smilingly at the gray cat held out the window by Tang Qiuqiu. The gray cat gave the kid face and waved a paw at him, causing the little kid to be so excited that he threw a bag of fish biscuits at the gray cat. The gray cat caught it with a single swipe and smiled until its eyes were thin slits. After they passed through the Rainbow Bridge, a giant effigy appeared at the center of the sea of flowers C it was the Goddess of Flowers; an effigy made entirely from flowers. The girl who was made from flowery shrubs appeared to be both gentle and refined. White flowery shrubs formed the wings at her back, and all kinds of colors adorned her long dress. She looked like she was strolling through the sea of flowers. It was all very beautiful. Tang Qiuqiu was completely absorbed in taking pictures with her camera. Cillin poked her tiny face once before saying, Qiuqiu, they have honey sweets over there. Do you want to try it? Sweets? Tang Qiuqius eyes lit up as she followed the direction Cillin was pointing at. There was a small store not far away at the front selling honey sweets and other honey products. Honey, flowering tea and more were Little Gardens specialty products. After all, it was very difficult to find another tourist spot in GAL that was even better than this place. Naturally, the quality of Little Gardens honey and consequently their honey sweets in such a pure environment was incredible. Tang Qiuqiu bit her fingers while she stared at at the choices displayed on the panel. This was too hard! How was she going to make a choice? Finally, she temporarily selected ten types of honey sweets, planning to buy more in the future when they ran into such a store again. After they bought the sweets, Cillin decided to rest at a rest stop. There was a plaza here that allowed the visitors to park their flower cars and get some air and activity outside. Tang Qiuqiu was sitting on a flower-shaped wood bench and showing Cillin the sceneries she had caught along the way. While speaking, she was suddenly interrupted by a young, angry shout. GET OUT!! Chapter 135: What is the Price Range for the Great Four’s Services? Chapter 135: What is the Price Range for the Great Fours Services? The roar grabbed every surrounding tourists attention. They saw a uniquely designed flying car suspended in the air, and there were a few bodyguard-like characters and an old man who was dressed like a butler surrounding a young boy who was about ten years old. The old man wore a helpless look on his face, but he did not look fed up with the kid. In fact, it looked like he doted on the boy a lot. Cillin knew that anyone who could own a personal flying car in this place must not be a normal tourist. After all, the management on this planet was stricter than usual. Judging from their appearance, these people should be pretty influential. Even if they were not a part of the Feniers Family, they must be closely related to them. The one who yelled get out just now was that little young master. His attire alone showed that he was definitely a young master from a certain family, not to mention that the disdain and arrogance he wore when he looked at the surrounding people reminded Cillin of Pride. Right now the little fellow looked to be full of anger. A bodyguard beside him took a step away, but then he the little fellow glared at him and gave him no choice but to withdraw back to his position and pretend that he was a statue. This was what they called a spoilt boys temper, and it appeared that he was being deliberately provocative as well. After all, one moment ago you were telling your bodyguard to get out, and the next you glared him right back into position again. What exactly do you want? Tang Qiuqiu did not know what the surrounding tourists thought about the situation, but personally she found it unbearable. That being said, she could not find it in herself to care either, so she poked the gray cat with her elbow and pointed at a picture on the camera and said, Lets ignore them and keep looking. Wheeze, what do you think about this picture? Cillin had helped taken this picture when they were passing over the Rainbow Bridge. Tang Qiuqiu had held the gray cat outside the window where the scattered water droplets refracted brilliant rainbow-colored rays. The gray cat pressed closer until its entire head was covering the picture. It was obvious that it loved this picture a lot as well. Youre blocking my view. Move aside a little! Tang Qiuqiu scratched the fur above the gray cats head while smiling. Actually, after the little young master had broken into a yell, the surrounding people had subconsciously turned quiet or spoke with each other in a soft voice. Therefore, the fact that Tang Qiuqiu had not lowered her voice at all made her stand out among the crowd. It was also incredibly obvious that Tang Qiuqiu had completely and utterly disregarded everyone else around her while she monologued to the gray cat. The young master glared at Tang Qiuqiu, but both Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat were staring at the camera and ignoring his gaze entirely. This infuriated the little young master so much that his face had flushed red. He had never seen someone who dared ignore him like this until today! This was literally unforgivable! Wretch! It was just a single word, but it was yelled out with such force that it sounded even more impressive than the get out from before. If any proof was needed to prove that the little fellow was a young master of a great family then this was it, lamented everyone in the surrounding inside their hearts. Unfortunately, it did not look like things would go well for the girl. It was obvious that these people were no one to be trifled with. The crowd looked at Tang Qiuqiu with sympathy behind their eyes. Cillin had been observing the old man from the beginning. Although the bodyguards looked like they were literally acting to the little young masters gaze, the true person in charge here was that butler-like old man. Still, the good news was that the old man had not expressed any ill will towards them. When Tang Qiuqiu heard this rather impressive angry roar from the little young master, she raised her head and cast a glance at him. The meaning behind the glance was very obvious: Shut up. Stop distracting us while were watching our photos. Tang Qiuqius obviously disdainful gaze caused the little young masters face to turn from red to black completely. He was so furious he nearly jumped on his feet. However, the young boy seemed to recall something and felt his anger subsiding bit by bit. Instead, it was replaced with a strange and ill-intentioned smile. The old mans eyebrows jumped a fraction higher. He had a bad feeling about this The little young master lifted his chin high and put on his young master pose, taking one step after another until he was in front of Tang Qiuqiu. At the same time, the bodyguards and the old man mirrored the little fellows actions and did not take half a step away from him. Seeing that Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat continued to treat him like air, the little young master raised an arrogant smile and pointed a finger at her, saying to the old man beside him, Arent we lacking a bodyguard? I want her. Tang Qiuqiu turned off her camera and put a honey sweet into her mouth. She jumped down the bench and pulled Cillins arm, Lets go and watch some more flowers, weve rested enough. She did not want to bother with this crazy little young master. Stop right there! As the young boys voice resounded, the bodyguards blocked in front of Cillin and Tang Qiuqius path. Cillin stopped Tang Qiuqiu from walking forwards and taking a kick at them and looked towards the old man. The old man gave him an apologetic look before walking forwards and introducing himself without forgetting his manners, I am Castella, and this is my young master. May I have the honor to invite you two for an afternoon tea? Tang Qiuqiu looked at Cillin, knowing that she could not speak carelessly in this situation. The other party was going to use force to get what they wanted. Cillin looked at the old man and smiled, saying, I will impose on you then. When Castella was introducing himself, he had purposely revealed an emblem on his sleeve. It was the emblem of the Feniers Family. Since the other party did not make things ugly and even offered them a ladder to climb down stage*, it would only be counterproductive if they turned them down now. Plus, this planet belonged to the Feniers Family. Even if they wanted to quarrel, it was inadvisable to pick on an enemy at their home ground. *same meaning as a Chinese saying mentioned earlier, to give the other party the opportunity to walk away without losing face Cillin believed that the old man before them would not lift a hand against them just because of this matter. Therefore, he agreed to Castellas proposal. The young boy stared complacently at Tang Qiuqiu before beckoning for the flying car suspended in mid-air to come down. The flying car was huge and about the same size as a big flower car. However, its interior was a lot more luxurious than a big flower cars. Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu went in and took a seat. The gray cat jumped onto Tang Qiuqius lap so she could scratch its itch. The bodyguards say down at the back and front row of the car. There were only four people who were seated at the middle; Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu sitting directly opposite to the little young master and Castella. Tang Qiuqiu cared nothing for the feelings of the people sitting opposite of her and frowned as she stared at the gray cat on her lap and scratched its chin. The flying car flew into the air and stopped after a short distance. A small tea table appeared at the center of the room, and Castella lifted a teapot and poured four cups of tea for them. Castella took the lead and stated clearly that this incident was a misunderstanding. They had no choice but to bring Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu to the car, because it would create a bad image if they continued to argue down there at the public. Next, Castella started to say that the little young masters suggestion was a misunderstanding as well. But before he could finish, the little young master forcefully interrupted Castellas words. I already said that I want her to become my bodyguard. Didnt you say that you want to increase the number of bodyguards yesterday? This is perfect then. I choose her. With an odd look on her face, Tang Qiuqiu moved closer to Cillins ears and whispered, Brother Xiao Shang once said that those who let women protect them are all gigolos who live off women. Tang Qiuqius voice wasnt loud, but obviously both Castella and the little young master could hear her since they were so close to each other. That was her intention; she wanted the little young master to hear what she said. The old man barely reacted, but the little young master grew furious. With a bang he slapped a palm onto the tea table in front of him and said, Who do you think you are? Im the one doing you a favor by offering you the chance to become my bodyguard! How dare you insult me?! Hmph, says the wimpy brat who knows nothing. Youre not even as tall as me, shorty!! Gigolo! Ugly face! Both Cillin and the old man watched their kids glaring at each other, banging on the table and sending spittles flying everywhere with their argument. Neither man were perturbed by the situation and said nothing. Bang! Tang Qiuqiu slammed a fist on the table and gritted her teeth. It was all she could do not to jump right over the table and kick the slob off his feet. In the past she basically did whatever she wanted to, and the cases where a bullet was served just because of a slight remark at Sector V were only all too common. Although she had curbed such behaviors after joining the Sixth B Squadron, this guy really pissed her off. Tang Qiuqiu turned towards Cillin and asked, According to the rules, I can accept missions during my free time, right? Cillin thought and answered, Yes. Alright. Tang Qiuqiu looked at the wimpy brat at the opposite and said, If the pay is good and its within my free time, then Ill accept this mission and protect you, gigolo! The little young master stared disdainfully at Tang Qiuqiu, How much do you think someone like you is worth? You overestimate yourself! I may as well hire someone from the great four. The great four referred to the four great Hunter regiments. Tang Qiuqiu paused, seemingly hesitating about something. Cillin took a sip of tea and said, Go for it. If anything happens Im right behind you. Tang Qiuqius lips curled at Cillins words. She took out an item hung around her neck and slapped it on the table, Sixth B Squadron member Tang Qiuqiu of Vanguard of the four great Hunter regiments says hi. Now, my little gigolo young master, do you know what is the price range for the great fours services? Chapter 136: Mission Chapter 136: Mission When they saw Tang Qiuqiu slapping the dagger-shaped emblem with a 6 on the table, the little young master aside, even Castella was a little dazed. First impressions were deceiving. They couldnt believe that they were actually members of the great four! Naturally, Castella could differentiate whether if the emblem was authentic or not, which was exactly why he had let out a gasp of admiration at the duo. He would never have expected Vanguard would have such a young Hunter, and with his knowledge and experience Castella could see from the emblem that the young girl belonged among the core members of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. This this is this is fake, isnt it?! the little young master roared angrily with a flushed face, but it was obvious that his words were lacking some power behind them now. Tang Qiuqiu humphed once and withdrew the squad emblem, hanging it back around her neck. She carried the gray cat back on her lap and scratched the gray cats chin, saying, Some people are just sore losers, dont you think? The gray cat narrowed its eyes and gave Tang Qiuqiu face by meowing in response. It pissed off the little young master on the opposite side so much that he nearly flipped over the entire table. Castella straightened his expression and said, The two of you are Hunters of Vanguard. We have been somewhat impolite earlier, so please forgive us for any slights that we may have imposed upon you. Originally, with Castellas status, he need not act this respectfully towards Hunters of a B Squadron, even if they were one of the great four. However, the main reason he still acted this way was because of the number 6 on Tang Qiuqius squad emblem, representing Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. He had recently received quite a lot of secret reports that were all related to this particular B Squadron, and according to his understanding this B Squadron showed signs of becoming a powerful force in the future. Since you are Hunters of Vanguard, then we should reintroduce ourselves once more. This is young master Tobo Feniers, and I am my young masters servant. Welcome to Feniers Familys Little Garden. Cillin put down his teacup and took out his own emblem, I am the Lieutenant Commander of Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, Cillin. Pardon the intrusion. Castellas eyelids twitched. Lieutenant commander this young man was actually a lieutenant commander of Vanguard Sixth B Squadron! Now Castella had to admit that he had made an error of judgment. This young squad member and young lieutenant commander were truly surprising. The flying car left the scenic area and landed on a manor. This was the Feniers Familys private lodging. Both Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat sat in a reception room while the servants served them all sorts of pastries. Both Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat had a great time eating the food, and they did not pay any attention to the cold-looking Tobo beside them at all. Meanwhile, Cillin and Castella had gone to a different meeting hall. Castella told Cillin about the missions items and answered Cillins questions with explanations. The little young master of the Feniers Family, Tobo was bored and had nothing to do in his home. Coincidentally, he heard from his family about a group of people that was headed to Sector Xs Little Garden to supervise matters, so he asked for his parents permission to follow them to Little Garden and relieve his boredom. Naturally, the little young master must be properly secured on his journey, and they even had a few corvettes escorting them during their travel to Little Garden. However, not long after they arrived, they received a distress message from their family at a different property in Sector X. Half of the security crew had responded to the message and gone over to provide support, and their numbers became insufficient. Meanwhile, the little young master was tired of Little Garden already, but the personnel they sent off did not return in time and missed the original departure time they had agreed upon. With Tobos safety in his mind, Castella did not head home in accordance to Tobos wishes. If they returned now while lacking the number of security personnel to protect them, they might run into trouble. Previously, the reason Tobo had gotten angry was because he was tired of this place, and in a fit of pique went on the flower car to divert his mind. In the end, he was annoyed by the bodyguards around him and ultimately broke into a yell by the plaza at the rest area. Do you think that there is some force at work? Cillin asked. I do. Castella did not hide this, As you know, there are many children of great families who experienced kidnapping at some point in their lives, and this is only more true for the likes of the Feniers Family. Those who dare take the risk to do such a thing are naturally capable people who arent easy to deal with, not to mention that they are still in the dark. Since he had worked together with the current successor of the Douance Family, Aiflon, Cillin naturally knew all about the twists and turns of such incidents. Otherwise, Aiflon would not have sought out Cillin to feign as his son back then. According to my knowledge, a family at Feniers level would normally protect their young children quite well. So why did they take the risk and agree to little young master Tobos travel from Sector F to Sector X? Sector F was considerably far away from Sector X. If anything did happen, the water from afar would not be able to quench the current fire*. Plus, Tobo was still young and only ten years old. He would not have much ability to protect himself. *a slow remedy does not address the current emergency Castella smiled with a hint of proudness at Cillins question, The Feniers Family do view their childrens safety with great importance, but what is equally important is the childrens growth. A member of the Feniers Family cannot be afraid to take risks, and he or she cannot avoid a task simply because there is inherent danger. The children need training, and there is no better time than this age to open their eyes. Cillin nodded agreeably. It was true that a child who was raised in a greenhouse* would only grow up to be a parasite even if he avoided becoming a prodigal. Lung, Ci Jincheng and Knight were good examples of this. They all had powerful backgrounds, but their individual strength could not be underestimated as well. This was a result of their own training. While effort was not always rewarded, it was nonsense to hope for reward without effort. *grow up sheltered How long will the mission last? Cillin asked. If our security crew still does not return in three days time, then we will depart for Sector F immediately. The end of the mission shall be the point where we return to Sector F safely. That is acceptable. There is something I must mention beforehand, though. The only one who will be accepting this mission is Tang Qiuqiu. As for me, well, our kid wants to grow up, so I have to watch over her from the dark. The reason Cillin did not interfere with Tang Qiuqius actions was to increase her experience. As a Hunter, it was only a matter of time before she undertakes a mission on her own. Since Cillin did not participate directly in the mission, Castella only paid Tang Qiuqiu for the mission. The down payment was one million, and another one million would be paid after the mission was completed successfully. Originally, Castella was only going to pay five hundred thousand as down payment, but after he saw Tang Qiuqiu blasting a butterfly bees head to bits outside the manor with a single shot, he increased her pay without hesitation. Castella sighed. This girl deserved to be called a member of Vanguard alright; her gun instinct was just too good. Without needing time to aim and relying on her instinct alone, she could shoot at the first moment and know that she struck her target without even needing to check the results. The mission covered for both accommodation and meal expenses, so this was a huge sum of money for Tang Qiuqiu, who was accepting an independent mission for the first time in her life. Tang Qiuqiu could envision a future of honey sweets ahead of her. Although she was excited, the contract must still be read seriously. Dias once told her that contracts cannot be dealt with carelessly. Otherwise, she could cry all she wanted but nothing could be done if someone took advantage of her. Once shed gone through the contract and felt that everything was in place, she signed the contract and officially began her mission. While Tang Qiuqiu signed a mission contract, Cillin signed a different contract that required him to obey several rules for not participating in the mission. It was night. Cillin lay on his bed while the gray cat lay on its stomach beside him. Due to the mission, Tang Qiuqiu slept in the room next to Tobos bedroom. Cillin, why did that wiener or whatever family hire Qiuqiu as their little young masters bodyguard? Wouldnt it be better if they hired someone else stronger? the gray cat asked while swaying its tail idly. Normally, a great family like Feniers would not hire a Hunter as their bodyguard. As compared to a Hunter, they trusted the people they raised themselves more, so there must be something that that old fox Castella hasnt told us. Still, whatever that may be, this will be a good learning experience for Qiuqiu. Cillin said. Thats true. Plus, Qiuqiu can get two million from this mission. She said that she will treat me to a fish feast when the time comes, hehe. Go to sleep already you glutton. Maybe you can taste that fish feast of yours earlier in your dreams. The gray cat humphed twice, before curling itself into a ball. Then, it hugged its own head and fell into sleep. Amidst the darkness, Cillin opened his palm and let loose a few flying insects. After observing the direction theyre flying to, he waved his hand and withdrew them once more. Chapter 137: Disguised Machines Chapter 137: Disguised Machines Even though everyone knew that Tang Qiuqiu had become the little young master Tobos personal bodyguard, they were all viewing it as a prank played by a disgruntled kid. There were very few people such as Castella who actually knew that Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu were members of Vanguard Sixth B Squadron. During the few days prior to leaving Little Garden, the little young master was as idle as ever. Since he now had a new little bodyguard, he took Tang Qiuqiu out to relieve some boredom while Cillin and the other bodyguards followed not far behind them. Inside the small flower car, Cillin and the gray cat were playing chess. The gray cat saw Dough and Eudy playing chess before, so it felt a momentary interest to play it too and nagged Cillin to play a few rounds with it. Admittedly, a cyborg had incredible computing power, so the gray cats chess skills could be said to be pretty good. However, computing power wasnt the only thing thats required in playing chess, and in comparison Cillins mind was a lot more flexible than the gray cats. That was why the gray cat was forced to play passively all this time. Beep After the gray cat stared at the chessboard with a drooped head for a long time, it shamelessly pressed the reset button. I lost again Cillin looked outside the window and did not bother with the gray cat rolling and tearing its own hair on the table. After the gray cat rolled back and forth and whined for a long time on the table, but did not get a reaction from Cillin, it lifted its paw and pulled at Cillins sleeves. No reaction. It pulled again! Still no reaction. After getting no reaction despite pulling at Cillins sleeves for a long time, the gray cat turned furious and unleashed all of its anger, including the ones it had accumulated when it had lost in chess. It jumped up to the air and landed on Cillins head. Then, it began damaging his hair style. Cillin raised a hand and flicked the gray cats head. Then, he pointed outside the window and said, Look over there. The gray cat spat out the hair in its mouth and looked to where Cillins finger was pointing at. There were people dressed in wedding suits and dresses taking pictures over there. It was nothing special; newlyweds would often visit from faraway places to take pictures here. It had seen quite a lot of such people since the first day. Whats so interesting about wedding photoshoots? Dont tell me that youre thinking about getting married, Cillin? Hmm, if you want to marry then you should find a woman thats rich, beautiful, can bear children and not a wastrel Mm, thats what Cary said. When you see him you can ask him for further details. Cillin pulled the gray cats ears, So stupid, Im not talking about that! Whats what then? Youre obviously pointing at that wedding photoshoot. the gray cat slapped Cillins forehead in dissatisfaction. Lets test your eyesight. Cillin pointed at the people taking their wedding photoshoot, With where the bride stands as the center point, how many butterfly bees are there in a circle of one hundred meter radius? A hundred and sixty nine. the gray cat gave the answer almost immediately, Among them, one hundred and thirty two are carbon-based life forms, whereas thirty seven are machines in disguise. after a pause, the gray cat continued, Out of these thirty seven machines in disguise, there are seven that are monitoring the people taking the wedding photoshoot, ten monitoring the surroundings including us, and twenty around Tang Qiuqiu and the little young master Tobo. While the butterfly bees would all appear to be the same in other peoples eyes, the gray cat was able to identify which ones were real and which werent with just a single glance. Although the disguised machines looked no different from the real butterfly bees, in the gray cats eyes, there is a world of differences between a carbon-based and a machine object. A single glance was all it needed to differentiate them. There were no monitoring devices inside the flower cars. On the surface, it seemed like the Feniers Family placed great emphasis on their tourists privacy, but in reality they just had other ways to monitor them. Not bad. A passable effort. Cillin nodded. Of course, who do you think I am Cillin interrupted the gray cats self-enlightenment, Then did you notice which disguised machines have micro weapons system in them? The gray cat flicked its ears and jumped down to the table from Cillins head. If someone was to pay attention to its eyes, they would notice that its pupils had expanded greatly while it was staring outside the window. I see call monitoring, communications monitoring, genotype rank analysis, laser scan, high-density energy excitation beam the gray cat mentioned the types of systems loaded on those disguised butterfly bees in a row, Holy meow, they even have a self destruct device! The gray cats whiskers moved a little before it looked at Cillin, I didnt notice because I wasnt looking earlier, but there are also a lot of disguised machines among the flowers, and the soil as well! I just saw a machine disguised as an earthworm, and a few machine ants as well! Isnt this amount of spy devices a little excessive? Doesnt this mean that theyre monitoring us this whole time? It is as you say. The Feniers Family has a lot of protective monitoring going on here. But this is not necessarily a bad thing for us. Cillin pulled this gray cats whiskers once and asked, What do you see? It was exactly as he said. While there were disguised machines everywhere monitoring everyone around the area, this made life much easier for the gray cat as well. This was because it was able to tap into the disguised machines monitoring images without being discovered by the Feniers Family. Oh my meow, theyre actually kissing in public! the gray cat let out an odd cry. A young couple was making out with each other in the flower car slightly further than fifty meters away from Cillins. Originally, there was no way they could see them from their cars point of view, but the gray cat saw them through the monitoring images of the disguised butterfly bee. The young couple had thought that no one would be able to discover their activities, but although they could not see anyone outside the window, their every action were known by a certain someone. Yo, the girls skirt is being parted Seeing that the gray cat was growing more and more indecent, Cillin slapped it and said, Go check out how Qiuqiu is doing. Hmm, Qiuqiu is playing a game, and that little young master Tobo is slapping the table and looking very angry. Hes also yelling loudly, although Qiuqiu isnt paying him any attention. Meanwhile, Castella and a bodyguard-like person sat inside a different flower car not far away. Is everything ready? Castella said with half-lidded eyes. It is ready. However, we received news that they might do a little something. Is this not a little too risky? Young master is with us after all. Castella sighed, There is no choice. This is the masters intention, so we can only do our best. If we do not run into those people and everything goes well, then naturally it is for the best. If we did run into them, then we can only keep the young master stays away from the danger zone as much as possible. Please do not worry, we will do our best to protect young master. However, the people from Vanguard That you do not have to worry about. I have my plans. After the many urges of the little young master Tobo, Castella finally ordered his men to be ready to depart. Three corvettes would be escorting them during the return journey. Although it wasnt as impressive as when theyd first arrived, this protection was still on a large scale compared to other people. The three corvettes formed a triangular formation that protected the starship Tobo was seated upon at the center. Cillin was also on the starship. However, in order to avoid arousing suspicion and obeying some of the rules mentioned in the contract, Cillin hadnt come into contact much with Tang Qiuqiu. After all, Cillin had not accepted the escort mission directly. As usual, Tang Qiuqiu held her console and played video game everyday. Tobo had been practicing his shooting skills on the starship ever since he lost to Tang Qiuqiu, but no matter how hard he practiced, Tang Qiuqius comment never changed C so stupid! She had completely picked up Cillins tone and words while he was criticising the gray cat (T/N: and now Cillin is a sinner as well!). The four starships flight was rather peaceful, and they did not run into any incidents during the journey. Their next stop was not Sector F, but Sector H. Sector H was a pit stop they needed to pass through. The Feniers Family had a base there that was also the central administration of the entire Sector H. Castella had said that he had received orders to handle some work over there, and they would have to delay the return journey for two or three days. However, this time the little young master Tobo did not get angry. In fact, he was rather happy. What was the most famous thing about Sector H? Marine products! Chapter 138: The Blue Sector, Zafia Chapter 138: The Blue Sector, Zafia Sector H didnt have many habitable planets, but most of their planets were pretty special. More than fifty percent of every habitable planets surface was covered in water, and some planets at rank B planetary habitability were almost one hundred percent covered in seawater. Therefore, Sector H was also known as the Blue Sector. Cillin had seen quite a lot of marine products from Sector H when he was loitering around Seven Lights trade zone, and he had to admit that their marine products were better than other Sectors. Therefore, there were a lot of business groups or great families who, after finding of a planet of their liking, acquired the planets development and management rights for marine breeding and so on. The Feniers Family was one of them. While flipping through the planet introduction on an electronic star map, Cillin saw a few planets that he was familiar with. For example, the planet called Aquamarine was a planet on Seven Lights used for field work purposes. That being said, since Planet Aquamarine was quite far away from the planet they were headed to, there was probably no chance that he would run into someone from Seven Lights. Their current destination was Sector Hs Planet Zafia. This planet was the central administration of the Feniers Family business in the entire Sector H. Zafia sapphire? Cillin had read and learned a little of the Sector Hs Sector language before he came here. In Sector Hs Sector language, Zafia meant sapphire, and the name alone was indicative of how important this planet was. Unlike other foreign starships, their four starships did not need to go through the space stations security inspection before coming through. After stopping outside the spaceport and docking with a space station, a personal spaceplane escorted Tobo and everyone else into the planet. At the same time, there were many escort spaceplanes and fighters that had flown out of the spaceport and accompanied them as well. Their landing zone was different from other foreign spaceplanes as well. They landed at a different ad hoc landing zone, and someone was already waiting for them on the ground nearby. When Cillin saw the disposition of the forces around the spaceplane, he was somewhat speechless. Did they seriously need to hire a bodyguard somewhere else with this amount of forces? That being said, if the hire was truly necessary, that meant that the attackers came from within their own ranks. Otherwise, how could any outsiders possibly get close to them with the Feniers Familys temperament? Tobo, my beloved little nephew. I am very glad to see you again! An impressive looking middle-aged man walked over with a friendly smile and held up Tobo. Unfortunately for him, the beloved little nephew he spoke of did not have any kindness to share with him. The young boy pushed away his stubbled mouth and said, (Second) Uncle*, you didnt shave again! *Second uncle means your grandfathers second eldest son. In English almost no native speaker will differentiate this, unlike second/third/fourth cousin, but in Chinese there is the distinction. I will be using a bracket like above so that the distinction is clear, but when you read in English you should leave out the bracketed word. Kirk simply smiled and tossed Tobo twice into the air before finally putting him down. Tobo was obviously very used to this greeting ceremony, and so simply scowled and said nothing. After putting Tobo down on the ground, Kirk then nodded towards Castella and said, Thank you for your hard work. Castellas etiquette was perfect, and he returned a bow and said, It is my duty. Kirk Feniers was the name of the man called (Second) Uncle by Tobo, and he was the head administrator of Planet Zafia and Feniers Familys CEO at Sector H. Cillin had conducted a small search on information regarding the Feniers Family before he came here, and Kirk Feniers was someone who appeared more frequently than others in business magazines of high contribution points. Right now, Kirk Feniers did not look as sharp as he was in the magazine and appeared to be a lot gentler, but this gentle disposition was reserved for Tobo and Castella alone. While Kirk wasnt looking at other people with eyes that were excessively severe, he was still giving out an imposing and unapproachable feeling. It was obvious how influential Kirk was in the Feniers Family as the chief of all the family business at a major Sector like Sector H. However, not only did the CEO of this major Sector did not put on any airs in front of Castella at all, he even seemed to hold the old man in deep respect. Cillin saw this very clearly with his own eyes. It looked like Castellas status was not ordinary within the Feniers Family. Eh, who is this little girl? You truly are your fathers son, Tobo, to think youre a womanizer already at such a young age. Kirk winked at Tobo while saying. Tobos father was infamous for his affairs prior to his marriage. Tobos entire face had flushed red, Like anyone would like such a bad-tempered freak! Come on, shes very cute. In fact I think shes much prettier than a certain familys little princess. Plus, she has the blue eyes that I like the most! her supposedly bad temper was even less worth mentioning, since no one had a lousier temper than the little young master himself. Of course, Kirk did not say this, or Tobo would absolutely erupt there and then. However, when Kirk looked playfully towards Tang Qiuqiu, the CEO of a major Sector could not help but surprised on the inside. When Kirk was looking at Tang Qiuqiu, Tang Qiuqiu was also looking at him. However, what surprised Kirk was the near complete lack of emotion in Tang Qiuqius eyes. It didnt look like the eyes of a girl her age at all. Shouldnt a girl at her age be shy at his teasing, or getting awkward in the sense that she was stuck between getting angry and not daring to show it? Although Kirk did not sense any killing intent from Tang Qiuqiu, he had the feeling that the girl might pull out a gun and shoot him instantly without an expression had they been in a different environment and setting. The strange feeling that he should not have felt from a girl this age caused a gleam to flash across Kirks eyes. He immediately stood straight and swept his glance around the surroundings once. Kirks eyes paused on Cillin for a moment before he withdrew his gaze. During this process, Kirk and Castella had a brief moment of eye contact. The fact that they didnt need to exchange too many words and could know each others intent with just a simple eye contact meant that the duo was very familiar with each other. Cillins first instinct was that Kirk was not their target and the culprit who aimed to harm Tobo. His second instinct was that the culprit must be aiming to attack Tobo on this planet! In that case, who was this person who chose to target Tobo at the Feniers Familys Sector H headquarters? The gray cat had no interest in this subject. Ever since it exited the spaceplane, it had been sucking in deep breaths non-stop. There was the smell of fish and the sea in the air this was truly a heavenly place. Kirk led Tobo and the group to a private residence. Just like the one at Little Garden, the residence was a large manor. While it wasnt as colorful and full of flowers like the manor at Little Garden, it was still a breath of fresh air. There were all sorts of colors between light blue to deep blue, and some places were even inlaid with sea shells. The moment the wind blew, they would let out soft, different tones of blowing sounds, and there were wind chimes made from all sorts of seashells that would let out crisp, ringing sounds too. They added a bit of liveliness into the atmosphere. In this unique setup, the entire manor was filled with the smell of the sea. After they entered the manor, Cillin noticed that there were some other guests in the manor a long time ago. The boy and the girl hopping towards their direction looked to be eight or nine years old, Youre finally here, Tobo! Weve been waiting for you for several days! It would appear that the two kids were old friends with Tobo. The scowl on Tobos face this entire time finally turned into a smile. Why are you guys here?! Tobo ran over and joined the two kids. When Cillin passed by the two kids, a gleam of indecipherable meaning flashed across his eyes. Before he entered the house, he looked at Castella walking in front of him, and Castella just happened to be standing sideways and turning his head at his direction as well. After his eyes met with Cillins, Castella lowered his eyelids and continued to walk towards the front. So this is whats going on! Cillin finally understood why the Feniers Family had chosen to hire a Hunter like Tang Qiuqiu as Tobos personal bodyguard, when they had never done so until now. This boosted Cillins confidence in Tang Qiuqiu, however. After all, it was much easier to get familiarised with a game that youd already played once. Chapter 139: Hunters And What Not Really Are Infuriating Chapter 139: Hunters And What Not Really Are Infuriating The manor was beside the sea, so the sea view was available with the push of a window. However, the people who came to Sector H enjoyed being close to the sea more than just watching from afar. The people who arrived at the manor before Cillins group were from the Feniers Familys cooperative partner at Sector H, the Binger Family. Although the Binger Familys influence was incomparable to the Feniers Family in the entirety of GAL, there was no belittling their influence within Sector H itself. The Bingers Family origin point was Sector H, and they were a big player long before the Feniers Family had spread their influence within Sector H. The two families had worked together for several hundred years, and their relationship could only be described as intimate. What was worth mentioning was that Kirks wife was a member of the Binger Family, whereas those two kids was the children of Kirks wifes brother. In other words, they were Kirks nephew and niece. Their age was not far apart from Tobos, and they often played together, so they shared a good relationship with each other. The boy was called Rost Binger, and he was one year younger than Tobo. The girl was called Emma Binger, and she was the same age as Rost. They were twins, and the certain familys little princess Kirk mentioned earlier was none other than Emma Binger. Right now, the three kids were playing at the beach. They used sand to build sand castles, and Emma had even picked up many beautiful sea shells to decorate them. Since the manor was near, the surrounding sea regions were strictly guarded and fortified with tight security. Moreover, the bodyguards were following and protecting the kids on the beach, so normally speaking there should not be any danger. The bodyguards on the beach unfolded a beach pavilion for the kids, but the three little fellows did not appreciate the gesture and tossed it far away after folding it. When they were tired and thirsty after a period of playing, they would call for their respective bodyguards to bring them their towel and fruit juice. Not far away from the three little fellows, Tang Qiuqiu had unfolded a beach pavilion of her own. While lying on a recliner, she pulled out the pavilions tray and placed an iced fruit juice on it. She enjoyed the peace and quiet while playing video games and drinking fruit juice. Emma and Rost had looked several times at Tang Qiuqiu and asked Tobo about her identity. Tobo couldnt be bothered to say much about her, and simply told them that she was his bodyguard and they did not need to pay attention to her. After hearing Tobos assessment of Tang Qiuqiu, both Emma and Rost looked at Tang Qiuqiu with slight disdain and disgust on their faces. There were countless people who approached them to curry favor due to their identity, and their mother once told them that those kind of people only cared about their familys wealth and treated them well for ulterior motives. Naturally, they categorised Tang Qiuqiu as one of those people, since she did not look like a regular bodyguard no matter what due to her age. In fact, she looked more like someone who was just there to leech on Tobo. As for Tang Qiuqiu, she could ignore anything as long as it wasnt a murder-filled gaze. Not far away, Cillin also opened a beach pavilion of his own and was reading an e-book while lying on his recliner. The gray cat had gone hunting for food in the sea. The seaside did not contain anything worthwhile, so it had gone far away into the deep sea. Cillin wasnt worried for the gray cat; he fully believed in that gluttons abilities. Lieutenant Commander Cillin. A voice rang beside him, and Cillin turned his head to look. It was a bodyguard responsible for Tobos safety called Steele. He probably took orders from Castella. Steele might be the main person in charge of Tobos security, but he himself was not a solemn person. Unlike the other bodyguards, he did not wear a stiff face all day long. When he heard Steele, Cillin said, Is there anything, Mr. Steele? Steele unfolded a chair and sat beside Cillin, Why didnt you accept this bodyguard job? You are the Lieutenant Commander of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. Your remuneration would have been be pretty high. Im not interested. Im better off watching over my children* and playing with them. *this time hes referring to both Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat Steele looked at Tang Qiuqiu playing her video game and smiled, Tang Qiuqiu is definitely one of the most special children Ive seen of her age. Steele had witnessed Tang Qiuqius gun skills before, and Castella also said once that not anyone could have a gun instinct like hers. Even experienced killers might not necessarily reach her level of proficiency. Castella even told him to not look down on Tang Qiuqiu just because she was ten years old; the number of people who died before her gunpoint could only be described as numerous. They were all about ten years old, but when Steele looked at Tang Qiuqiu, and then at the little brats playing sand, he could only say: holy shit the difference is huge. Cillin did not express an opinion on Steeles comments. He glanced once at Emma and Rost decorating their sand castles and said, You may encounter great difficulties in your work this time. Oh? a severe gleam flashed across Steeles eyes, What have you guessed, LC Cillin? Guess? Do you alway guess when you protect your charge? Cillin withdrew the e-book and stared at the far away sea surface while putting his head on his arm. Ahh, the sea is so blue. What do you mean by that? Steele stared at Cillin intimidatingly as if trying to confirm if this young lieutenant commander truly had figured out something. Do you want to know? Then give me your price. Steeles face muscles twitched. Give give a price? This was definitely a Hunters style; grabbing onto any opportunity to earn some cash. Since Steele said nothing, Cillin too said nothing. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sea breeze, looking so comfortable that he would fall asleep at any moment. Finally, Steele could hold it no longer and asked, Did you discover something out of the ordinary? Your security isnt done poorly, and youve chosen to monitor the right targets as well. However, I believe that you still have not discovered a certain important point until now. Cillin continued to shut his eyes as he answered lazily. Back then, the fact that Castella had lowered his eyelids then meant that the enemy would most likely take advantage of Emma and Rosts presences to further their own operation. However, Cillin was willing to bet that Castella definitely would not figure out the enemys methods. Steele pondered. They had monitored every person in the Binger Family closely, and they gave special emphasis to Emma and Rost following Castellas orders. After all, Tobo was hanging out with them, so Steele had also monitored the Binger Family bodyguards beside Emma and Rost in secret. The second there was anything out of the ordinary, they would be killed without mercy. That being said, the security didnt have any work up to this point. Although Steele did not doubt Castellas judgment, it was true that they hadnt heard of anything out of the ordinary from any side. Now that he had heard Cillins claims, Steeles mind immediately became disturbed. After pondering for two seconds, he then said, The price should be proportional to the level of importance of your intel, LC Cillin. Cillin opened his eyes and lifted a finger, Ten million, GAL credits. Steele: Could he beat up the guy in front of him? Its okay. Take your time. But its not my responsibility if the intel expires. Seeing that Cillin was going to fall asleep again, Steel clenched his teeth and said, Okay. The second Steele said okay, Cillin immediately took out a bill from his pocket and handed it to Steele. It was obvious that he had prepared it beforehand, Sign here. Steele roared inside his heart as he stared at the glittering numbers: Hunters and what not really are infuriating! Once he put the bill away, Cillin did not waste words and took out his e-book. Once he flipped to the right page, he passed the book to Steele. Steele accepted it. At first, Steele was a little confused as to what he was seeing. But he had been by Castellas side for many years and thus broadened his horizons by a fair amount. The more he read the paler he became, and after dropping a line, Im borrowing your e-book for a while! he turned around and acted to leave. Cillin waved his hands and said, Take it. The book rental is calculated separately, by the way. It would be ten thousand per hour. Steele staggered on his feet and forced the word through the gaps of his teeth, Okay! Since the situation was serious, and he was in a hurry to report to Castella, Steele did not hesitate to accept Cillins request. After Steele left, the gray cat ran over from the sea and shook off the water on its body. It opened its mouth. It looked like it had enjoyed its meal. Cillin, somethings happening inside the sea. Chapter 140: If He Wants Money, Then We’ll Give Him Money Chapter 140: If He Wants Money, Then Well Give Him Money It was rare that the first thing this glutton said wasnt about food. Somethings happening? Tell me. There were neither bodyguards nor listening devices around Cillins beach pavilion. Perhaps it was because they knew that such little tricks were useless on him, so they did not bother to install any listening devices around Cillin. Cillin also knew that it was a show of goodwill from Castella. The gray cat pushed its head into the cup on the tray beside them and drank some water. After it pulled out its head and shook it for a bit, licking its paws and wiping its face, it finally jumped up Cillins shoulder and crouched slowly. There is a particular area inside the seawater that has unnatural dissolved oxygen. While I was hunting for food, the dissolved oxygen there fell faster and faster. Something is absorbing dissolved oxygen inside the sea. The dissolved oxygen was not falling inside a lake, but a sea. It wasnt falling around the coastal waters, but within the deep sea region, and it was a large-scale change no less! There was no way the Feniers Family wouldnt have picked up such a change, but the fact that they hadnt taken any action until now meant that someone was manipulating things behind the scenes. Either the data or the program of the monitoring device set inside the sea had been tampered with, and this tampering was not detected by the Feniers Familys people. The only ones who could do this were people inside the Feniers Family. The gray cat continued to speak, I checked out those devices before. The temperature, pressure, ion density etc were all normal. The only thing unusual was the dissolved oxygen. If too many items were changed, then the chances of discovery would become higher. As long as the tampering on the critical item wasnt discovered, they would have achieved their goal. The gray cat balled its paws together and continued to speak to Cillin with exaggerated secretiveness, I went to the bottom of the sea to take a look and found a few big guys down there. Theyre still sleeping, but theyre probably going to wake up very soon. Big guys, eh Cillin sighed softly. The kind of creatures who could be called big guys by the gray cat would definitely not disappoint. Meanwhile, at a particular corner of the manor and inside Kirks private study, Castella and Kirk were conversing with each other in front of a table. There was a screen beside them displaying every location of every person who came from the Binger Family, and they had tight monitoring on every such location. However, up until this point the reports of their subordinates failed to satisfy them both. Its too quiet. Kirk said while frowning. Yes. This isnt like them. Theyre not someone who can restrain themselves, so they shouldve acted already. Castella placed both hands on his knees while all ten of his fingers moved in a regular pattern, This means that they have acted, but we werent able to detect what. Kirk did not object to Castellas opinion, Thats why Im uneasy. Why dont we summon Tobo back to the manor? If anything happens and we arent able to react in time, then Tobo will be in danger. They originally thought that they would be able to trigger some activities by letting Tobo out to play, but didnt expect to receive no results until now. Yes While speaking, Castellas communicator rang up. This communicator would only be activated by an internal personnel during an emergency situation. Both Castella and Kirk felt their hearts jumped as they matched each others eyes. Could there be something going on?! When the communicator was connected, Steeles image came through. Steele looked to be very anxious. What is it? Castella asked. I have an important discovery to report! Come inside the study first. After Steele had entered the study, he passed the e-book to Castella, This is what Cillin showed me. He said that the enemy has already acted. The book showed an amphibian parasite. This type of parasite falls under the category of external fertilisation*. The male and female would discharge a mature gamete out of the body, and once the sperm and the egg has combined outside the body, a new life would form and automatically seek out the closest host. The fertilisation could happen in air, land, or water In other words, Emma and Rost were both carrying a gamete of this type of parasite on them, and assuming that they had been injected with a certain kind of medicine to prevent the gamete from birthing into a parasite inside their bodies, then the one who would suffer the greatest damage would be Tobo. The close range and lengthy period of contact was no doubt the perfect opportunity. Of course, the parasite injected in Emma and Rosts body was definitely not the kind Cillin had showed them on the e-book. The weather and the humidity of this place were all different from the habitat of the parasite stated inside the e-book. The reason Cillin showed this to Steele was to remind them as to which direction they should be directing their thinking to. Otherwise, when they finally realised it it would already be too late. Fifty years ago, the research on parasites had enjoyed a golden age, but after that time the interest in such researches had gradually cooled down. Currently, the most popular research was still extraterrestrial biological creatures, viruses and related medicines. Therefore, most people would not consider this aspect from the start. After all, a certain fundamental knowledge was necessary to be able to utilise a lifeform like parasites successfully. Neither Castella nor Kirk could have imagined that their enemies actually had such a technology! They had made a miscalculation. While Castella and Kirk was reading the information on the e-book, Steele took out the bill Cillin had written and told them his requests. If its just money, then he may ask, and it shall be given. Castella withdrew his gaze from the e-book and said in a heavy voice. Yes. Steele paused for a moment before saying in shame, We lost the gray cat following Cillin after it left the shore. This was one outcome Castella wasnt too surprised about. After all, there was no way the pet of a lieutenant commander could be ordinary. He waved his hands and said, Its not your fault. You may leave, and do wait for us outside. Okay. Steele bowed respectfully and left the study. After Steele left, Castella inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh, Kirk, do you know how that big thorn at Sector V, Poison Fang was eliminated? Kirk shook his head, I have no idea. the majority of his attention was put in Sector H, and he wasnt too familiar with the happenings of the thirteen backwater Sectors. Naturally, his news in that aspect were slightly late. There was a Poison Fang base, and one hundred thousand people. Theyre all dead now, and the cause of it was parasites. When he heard this, Kirk could not help but inhale and feel the temperature drop around him. Poison Fang was notorious. He didnt think that they would all be eliminated by parasites. The people who took out Poison Fang was Vanguard. Since the news were processed by Vanguards A Squadron, there arent many people who knew about the truth. It was common knowledge that the crucial points of any news that went through the four great Hunter regiments A Squadrons would become severely distorted, and the truth blurred. This was what the great four was capable of. The squad that took out Poison Fang was Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. It is the squad Cillin is in right now. Now Kirk understood. He thought that Castellas attitude towards Cillin was a little strange since some time ago, and now he knew the cause. I know what to do now. Kirk said. Castella nodded, I have a feeling that parasites would be facing another golden age after fifty years. Kirk was just about to send out an order to his subordinates, when Castellas communicator rang again. After he had looked at the display, Castella made a hand gesture towards Kirk, and Kirk immediately put down all the work in his hands. Castella had given Cillin his comm number on this planet. If there werent any important news, or if the situation wasnt critical, then Cillin would not call Castellas number directly. It was just like how he passed the information through Steele just now. While the parasite would affect Tobo, for the moment he was not in any danger. But the fact that Cillin had called his number directly now meant that the situation had grown serious. Castella had no choice but to treat this carefully. When the comm came through, Cillins image popped up. I have news. but Cillin did not elaborate on the exact nature of this news. Give me your price. Cillin didnt need to say anything this time. Castella had asked for his price directly. Chapter 141: The Mermaid Princess, Warsaw Chapter 141: The Mermaid Princess, Warsaw Apparently the old man was a frank and straightforward person. Therefore Cillin, did not waste words and said, Twenty million, GAL credits. Done. Do you want payment by bill or debit card? when Castella said this there was almost no hesitation behind his words at all. This isnt urgent, but I will give you the bill later. I believe that a member of the Feniers Family will not be go back on their own words on this subject, so allow me to tell you this intel first. Cillin straightened his expression and said, There is an area in the sea in which the dissolved oxygen is unusual. That was the only thing Cillin said, but what needed to be conveyed had already been conveyed. He believed that with Castella and Kirks intelligence, they would be able to deduce and predict certain threats and events that might happen in the future. Cillin mentioned that the dissolved oxygen in a particular area was off, and the monitoring device the Feniers Family had set inside the sea did not pick it up, so this meant that someone had put their plans into action some time ago. Castella and Kirk were also well aware with the kind of disaster that could be caused by large-scale dissolved oxygen abnormality. Therefore, after hearing Cillins intel, Kirk and Castella immediately began to commence preparation. The three little fellows who were having fun catching crabs on the beach were brought back into the manor by the surrounding bodyguards. Before they left the beach, Cillin had called out to Tang Qiuqiu and informed her of certain things, reminding her to be watch out for herself. When all was said, Cillin and the gray cat then returned to the manor and entered a guest room Castella had arranged for Cillin. Cillin handed the bill to Steele and informed him to pass it on to Castella. This time Steele did not wear any surprised looks on his face; his attitude was more prudent and his speech was less casual than it was before. After he entered the room, Cillin put a finger on the gray cats forehead, and the gray cat transmitted all of the information it collected in the sea to him. It was a very strange occurrence because Cillin was obviously not a cyborg, and yet somehow he was capable of receiving the messages the cyborg gray cat sent out through a combination of unique signals. While sensing the information transmitted through his finger, Cillin was also analysing the current situation around him. He could see the big guys beneath the deep sea the gray cat had told him as well. If those big guys charged towards the shore at the same time, then terrible losses might be inflicted even if they had the weapons to repel them. Moreover, there was an underwater base beneath the sea near the shore. It would be a crushing blow to the base if it was rammed by the creatures. However, a question plagued Cillin. How would their enemies ensure that the big guys could be awakened and made to charge towards their direction at the same time? While Cillin was analysing the problem, Kirk welcomed a guest from the Binger Family. Warsaw Binger was Emma and Rosts half sister. She shared the same father as them. Although she was a young lady, Warsaw played an important role in the Binger Familys current projects. She also wielded decision-making rights in certain big events, proving herself to be more than what she seemed. She had a head of long hair that flowed like the sea, and a sharp and dignified temperament. Her light blue long skirt dangled just above the floor and drew the outline of a pair of long legs as she walked calmly towards Kirk and Castella. Unlike Emma and Rost, Warsaws mother was a New European, an ancient race who was born and bred in Sector H. Some people said that New Europeans were the descendants of mermaids, since they could switch forms and run on the land as humans, or swim in the sea as mermaids. In fact, Warsaw was even more remarkable than her ancestors. New Europeans did not like to reveal their legs, since the first reaction of many people who saw them was to look at their legs. The fascination was due to a New Europeans ability to transform their legs into a tail when they were changing forms. New Europeans disliked the others prying looks, so over time it became a norm for them to wear long skirts or long gowns to cover up their legs entirely. The people of Sector H would call Warsaw Binger as Binger Familys Mermaid Princess. It explained her outstanding looks and temperament, and her background. This is a surprise. I did not think that the beautiful Mermaid Princess would come over herself. Kirk pulled a gentlemans bow. I am very glad to see you too, Mr. Kirk. My father is sick and cannot attend himself, but at the same time he attached much importance to this incident, which is why he sent me over. Warsaw appropriately returned a ladys curtsey. It would seem that she was used to such shows of etiquette. I am sorry. Emma and Rost have been a trouble to you. Warsaw was talking about the certain group of people who attempted to harm Tobo through Emma and Rost. Although the Binger Family and the Feniers Family would sometimes negotiate certain matters on this planet, no one in the Binger Family had told Emma and Rost that Tobo was coming over. This also meant that someone had purposely revealed the information to the kids, knowing that with they would raise living hell to meet Tobo if they heard that he was coming to Planet Zafia. Dont worry about it. They wouldve tried some other methods even if they skipped this one. If the Feniers Family hadnt agreed to the meeting, Emma and Rost could not have come over either, so in a sense they were both on one mind in this matter. After they had exchanged pleasantries, Kirk then told Warsaw about the current situation. Other than the fact that both Emma and Rost were carrying parasite gametes inside their bodies, he had also told her about the situation inside the sea. After all, Warsaw had inherited the blood of a New European. She would definitely have a better understanding of sea-related problems better than they do. After listening to Kirks explanation, Warsaws sea blue eyes shone with indecipherable meaning. After a moments ponderment, she suddenly said, Is it convenient for me to scout out the sea for a bit? Please. Kirk had no complaints towards Warsaws request. In fact, he hoped that she could discover more information and get a better grasp of the situation. Only then they would be able to act with greater clarity of purpose. Warsaw did not have time to meet Emma and Rost. While bringing a few Binger Family members with her and following the guidance of the people Kirk sent to help her, she rode a spaceplane and arrived at a particular sea region. Kirk had already dealt with the matter of the monitoring device beneath the sea and the relevant personnel. The fact that the monitoring device was tampered seven days ago showed that these people had been planning for this a very long time. Kirk was planning to comb through every person on their territory in Sector H after this matter was over to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Warsaw changed into a new set of clothes and jumped into the sea with a few New Europeans following behind her. After they entered the sea, their arms and legs all grew webbings, tails, and even fins, allowing them to swim much faster inside the sea and absorb some dissolved oxygen through their skin. It didnt take before Warsaw and her men returned to the spaceplane. She then said that she would like to check out the shores. Although Kirk did not understand the meaning behind Warsaws actions, he acquiesced nonetheless. Some people did not think highly of her decision. Warsaw and her people might be New Europeans, but the Feniers Familys defense system covered the shores densely and extensively. How could there possibly be any abnormalities there? When the spaceplane had arrived around the shore, Warsaw dove into the sea with her men just like before. Before long, she returned with a deathly pale face and told Kirk that they were in big trouble. Chapter 142: The Sea God’s Summon Chapter 142: The Sea Gods Summon Whats going on? Kirk was obviously a little anxious on the other side of the communicator. Anything that could be categorised as big trouble by Warsaw was definitely difficult to deal with. Mr. Kirk, I found some echo conches offshore. Please send your men to move them away. The situation is urgent, so please act immediately! There was a hint of shiver behind Warsaws voice, and that made Kirk even more worried than before. Just what was this echo conches that could make the famous Mermaid Princess this flustered? Although there were many things that were yet unclear, Kirk still acted according to Warsaws request and sent hit best men and best equipment to the field. Kirk himself had arrived on the scene to supervise matters. When Kirk saw the footage transmitted by the crew under water, he was shocked. The crew who had dove into the water pulled apart the water plants to reveal six conches about a dozen or so meters long. Other than their unusual size, the conches did not look much different from other conches. But it was these six conches that had driven Warsaw into a panic. These echo conches must not be damaged in any way. If they crack, it is extremely likely that they will let out a sound uncontrollably. If that happens, it will all be over. Warsaw said. Kirk issued one order after another to his communicators, while every Feniers Family personnel around the sea were on high alert during the whole process. The second they discovered any abnormalities or suspicious people, they would kill without mercy. What is an echo conch? Kirk finally asked. When Warsaw heard him, she gave him a strained smile and said, Forgive my oversight. There are very few Sector H natives who knows about echo conches, much less a non-native. It is normal that you do not know about them. After she had adjusted her breathing for a bit, Warsaw continued to speak, As you know, fishes and many ocean species do not actually have ears. The way they receive sound is through their skin. Some sounds contain a number of special sound waves that we cannot hear, but if they reach our eardrums they will cause pain. Warsaw pointed at her head, Therefore, there are a lot of human beings who feel headaches after hearing a certain type of sound. These sound waves may be beyond a humans hearing range and thus are completely inaudible to a human, but they have a profound effect on the living creatures living inside the sea. Have you ever heard of the Sea Gods Summon before? Warsaw asked. I remember that Tobo used to read a fairy tale, and one of the stories mentioned about a Sea Gods Summon. The story said that the sea god will summon the big monsters living deep beneath the sea and punish those sinners. When Tobo was younger, Kirk used to read him fairy tales, and he remembered seeing such a small story. But he had never thought much of it since it was just a fairy tale. It may sound like a fairy tale, but the Sea Gods Summon is very real. It is caused by the crevices at the bottom of the deep sea. When the oceanic crust undergoes a change, due to certain physics or chemical reasons the crevices would let out some sounds. These sounds cannot be emulated even with the most high-end technology. If a human being hears it, they would experience headaches and even instant death in severe cases, but for a sea creature C especially a giant deep sea creature C these sounds would stimulate their skin and excite them, causing them to seek out the source of the sound. As Kirk listened to Warsaws explanation, he began to feel goosebumps all over his body. The communicator Kirk was holding was open, so Castella was also listening to her explanation quietly from the other end of the communicator. He could only sigh at these unknown and mysterious happenings of Sector H. Echo conches live at the bottom of the sea, and they would normally hang around those crevices. Every time the crevices produce a sound, the echo conches would record and replay them every few years. The reason they do this is to attract deep sea creatures to bring them to other locations for reproduction purposes. The environment around the crevices is not suitable for infant echo conches. When the crevices let out the sounds once more, the echo conches would stick onto the bodies of the deep sea creatures and return to the crevices, in order to absorb certain factors discharged from the crevices that are necessary for their growth. Therefore, for an adult echo conch, the deep sea crevices are essential essential for their survival. If they left this environment, they would not live over twenty years. An echo conch will let out one final cry before its death, and it will also be the loudest cry of its life. According to the data of the sea of this planet, there are no such thing as deep sea crevices. Naturally, there cannot be any echo conches on this planet, so the echo conches beneath this sea right now were probably transported over by the Wiesen Family. Since the sea of this planet isnt suitable for breeding, and there are no crevices that would produce sound and summon the sea creatures, these echo conches have been hibernating all this time. However, even in hibernation these echo conches are about to hit their limits. If they were left beneath the deep sea then they would be able to hold on for another three to five years, but there is no doubt that putting them in coastal waters would only hasten their deaths. They are at the point where they would let out their final cry at any moment. Kirk could not help but reminisce about the past. The cooperation between the Feniers Family and Wiesen Family had shut down bit by bit five years ago, and the closest theyve ever worked together was ten years ago. Therefore, these echo conches were probably slipped into the sea about ten years ago. This means that the Wienen Family had been plotting against the Feniers Family since ten years ago. They had set up this hidden bomb on the planet the Feniers Family viewed as their central administration at Sector H, and the joint pressure by the Feniers Family and Binger Family on the Wienen Family for the past two years had triggered the decision to activate this sleeper bomb. Kirk conducted a brief search and did not find any threat logs for the past month. However, if there was an abnormality, then it had to be the dolphins that had appeared at that time. It wasnt unusual for dolphins to appear in groups offshore, and for the past few years similar incidents had happened at at many other coastal waters around the planet. Now it would seem that those dolphins had been trained to carry the echo conches to this place. Since it was just dolphins and sea snails, the defense system hadnt considered them as elements of threat. After all, they had never encountered such an incident, and Kirk himself was not opposed to dolphins and other sea creatures moving about in the coastal waters. But now Perhaps the dolphin gatherings were planned by the Wiesen Family in the first place. I remembered that there are good tamers in the Wiesen Family, and their veteran tamers had always kept a low profile and were unknown to most people. Kirk and Castella also agreed with Warsaws assessment. As long as these echo conches havent reached their final time limit, as long as they havent let out any sounds yet, then this is a simple matter. After we get them out of the water, well throw them to a faraway deep sea and blow them apart. Then no matter how hard they cry, they will have next to no impact to the coastal regions. (T/N: O_O humans are scaaaaaaaaaary) Kirk sighed, I sure hope so. While saying this, he transferred over yet another portion of men to reinforce their guard and prevent any external interference. Inside the manor. The gray cat was crouching on a window sill and looking towards the sea. Cillin was sitting on a chair by the window and was reading a book. The gray cats tail was placed on his arm. The gray cat could see what was happening far away at the coastal zone. It might not be able to see beneath the sea, but it could eavesdrop on the communicators of the spaceplanes flying above the sea area. By eavesdropping on these communications, it could more or less get a handle on the general situation. Everything that was spoken over the communicators was perfectly captured by the gray cat, and the gray cat then transferred these information to Cillin through the physical contact between its tail and Cillins elbow. To an outsider, there was nothing untoward about the man and the cat. Mm? The fishes are coming! And there are a lot of them! the gray cat suddenly said. Chapter 143: The Riot Begins Chapter 143: The Riot Begins When the gray cat said this, Warsaws expression also changed inside the spaceplane above the coastal waters. She told Kirk, Large schools of fishes are headed this way, surrounding us from three different directions. There are at least 300 of them! The sea defense system obviously detected the activity as well, but because there had never been a case where schools of fishes attacked them en masse, the program did not consider it as much of a threat. Kirk thought that he was absolutely going to reconfigure the threat level of attacking shoals once this incident was over. That was then, this is now. One could not help but ponder at the huge number of fishes that showed up at the exact moment they were transporting the echo conches beneath the sea. Why did this happen? Excluding natural causes and other factors, the only one left was human. Kirk mobilised his men to defend against the assault, and the spaceplanes weapons had all been readied as well. A black marlin was on average ten meters or longer. Their sides and back were almost as black as ink, and they had dorsal fins that were as big as sails. They moved much faster than a normal marlin, and at top speed they swam just as fast as a bullet. Moreover, their front jaw and nasal bone that formed their sharp, boney bill could easily pierce through a steel plate. Black marlins normally lived in remote oceans, and no one had ever seen them near the coastal waters. However, these big, remote ocean, well trained marlins were now splitting into three different groups and flanking them, and it was obvious they were old hands judging from the speed and reaction in which they dodged the bullets. It was as if they had practiced this for hundreds and thousands of times. This meant that the black marlins had all been trained before! There are more shoals coming from the back; these black marlins are just the vanguard. Mr. Kirk, I believe this is the act of Wiesen Familys mysterious tamer. Warsaw said. Warsaw had heard about tamers from the elders of her family. There were now very few true tamers in Sector H. As new technology arise and other advanced civilisations spread, the ancient tradition where one swam with fishes gradually walked towards its decline. The so-called reputable tamers these days were simply people who performed vaudevilles for the entertainment and amusement of audiences. A true tamer could command hundreds and thousands of ocean fishes or other greater sea organisms for their own use single-handedly. That being said, ancient tamers were practically unknown entities in this developed Sector these days. There were two such tamers that Warsaw knew of. One of them was in the Binger Family. This person normally kept a very low profile, and there were many within the Binger Family who werent even aware of his existence. The other one was Wiesen Familys tamer, who similarly kept a low profile and was unknown to most people. But now that the Wiesen Family was pressured by both the Feniers Family and the Binger Family, this tamer had finally risen to the occasion. Warsaws elders also told her that there was in fact still many ancient tamers in Sector H. Its just that nobody knew where they were right now. They could be living away from the world, or they could have joined them and became a normal part of the society. They couldve walked right past her once upon a time, and they could have been a human waiter or waitress at a certain restaurant or a high official at a certain Sector administrative. Nobody knew. As a New European, Warsaw could communicate with some greater fishes*, but her abilities were absolutely incomparable to an actual tamer. This was the first time in her life she saw a tamer at work. *As in bigger and smarter fishes One might rate this tamers work as a result of perfect training! Right now, over three hundred black marlins were causing problems for the defenders while dodging shots coming at them from above and beneath the sea. Since the defenders were carrying the echo conches, the defenders hands were tied, and they could not fully deploy some of their weapons. Adding that to the black marlins speed, dodging ability and difficulty in stopping them due to an underwater environment, Kirk had the distinct feeling that they were being pushed around as the enemy pleased. This was without mentioning the waves of assault that would soon follow the back of these three hundred or so fishes. Where are the men at the underwater base? Why havent they responded?! Kirk roared angrily at the person beside him. He had attempted to contact the underwater base earlier so that they would coordinate their attacks with them, but he didnt think that there would be no reaction at all after a few minutes had passed. Boss, the underwater base is under attack. They are unable to reinforce us in time! a subordinate of Kirks summoned a comm image and passed it to Kirk. There were more than three underwater bases in this area, but not one of them had arrived to assist them. They were all under attack by shoals right now. These shoals were all aggressive fishes from remote sea regions, so it was understandable that they could not afford to help them for the moment. Kirk did not plan to transfer any more men from the manor. He was afraid that the Wiesen Family would play a diversion tactic. While the defenders were busy defending themselves, an explosion had happened at a certain location inside the manor. It was rather far from Tobo and the kids lodgings, but the three little fellows were caught off guard by the explosion. After the trio had been brought back to the manor, they had received a so-called sterilisation treatment from Castella. Although they did not know what the medicine sprayed on them and the light rays shone on them was all about, the treatment was a compulsory request from both Castella and Kirk. Not even Tobo could go against the decision. After the three little fellows were sterilised to the point they were completely drained and very sleepy, they were just about to take a nap when the loud explosion had woken them all. The bodyguard came in to tell them it was just a small accident and that they had nothing to worry about. They would be guarding right outside the premise. Meanwhile, Tang Qiuqiu had gotten even more excited after the explosion. Setting her game aside, she began to pay full attention to her surroundings. Cillin told her that these enemies were targeting Tobo, so they would definitely think of a way to bypass the bodyguards and attack Tobo. Therefore, the moment the riot began, Tang Qiuqiu should pay attention to the surroundings. Even in this room protected by many circles of bodyguards and defense systems, Tang Qiuqiu would not let down her guard. Cillin told her that her target might not necessarily be a human being. Right now, Castella was commanding the guards inside the manor. Since the explosion had happened outside the manor, it meant that the attackers who had sneaked their way to the manor were unable to approach the heart of the manor at all and by extension, Tobo. Therefore, they could only create a confusion outside the manor and attract their attention in order to seek out an opportunity to slip into the heart of the manor. This was why Castella had not loosened the defense at the heart of the manor. He instructed the guards to keep their eyes wide open, and guard and observe through the monitoring system every bit of activity inside the manor. The riot has begun. inside the guest room, the gray cat crouching on the window sill appeared to be incredibly excited. While narrowing its eyes, it sucked in a deep breath and said, Wah, its the smell of fishes, Cillin! When are we going to act? the gray cat looked eager to get started. Lets wait a bit longer. The key players havent shown up yet. Cillin said while looking outside the window. Alright. I feel like somethings special about to come. the cats ears were fully straightened, and if someone was to look at them closely they would realise that the hair inside its ears were shivering lightly. The cat was receiving all kinds of information in the form of tiny sound waves inaudible to the average person. At the coastal waters, Kirk finally heard the news he wanted to hear after defending against wave after wave of shoal attacks and interruptions. Boss, the echo conches have all been transported into the spaceplanes! a subordinate reported. Alright, well do as we planned earlier and blow them up in space! Roger that! It was only when he watched the spaceplanes ascending into the air and leaving the planets atmosphere that Kirk finally felt the heart at his throat relax. Mr. Kirk! Warsaws voice appeared to be very urgent. What is it? Kirks heart rose to his throat once more. Those deep sea big fellows are probably about to show up Chapter 144: Song of the Mermaid Princess Chapter 144: Song of the Mermaid Princess Those big guys in the deep sea? Can the tamers control even them as well? Kirk said in surprise. Although Kirk didnt know much about tamers, the thought that those overlords of the deep sea coming under the tamers control was truly chilling and too monstrous. No, they cannot control the deep sea overlords, but they can control the other fishes and alter the sea environment, driving the deep sea overlords to act. Youre saying that the reason Wiesens people altered the dissolved oxygen in that area was to better herd those deep sea overlords to move along the path they planned? Kirk remembered the unusually low dissolved oxygen in that particular sea region. Kirk could not find the tamer behind these shoals. Up until now, he still hadnt received any news about the tamer at all. Although tamers could not control the big guys, they could rouse them from their sleep. Right now, the shoals were still rushing towards their direction, and when the roused deep sea overlords needed to hunt for food and discovered that the food in their surrounding was lacking and the dissolved oxygen around them was extremely low, they would be forced to swim to a better environment with more food. The tamer had created a fake environment and misled the the deep sea overlords to think that there were good underwater environments and abundant food to be found in their direction. Warsaw had her subordinates fly a Binger Family spaceplane over and said, Mr. Kirk, I may be able to delay those big guys for a moment. Please use this opportunity and find that tamer during this time. If all else fails, then we will have to use WMD*. *Weapons of Mass Destruction This planet was very important for the Feniers Family, but if they were to use those high energy weapons frequently it would have an extremely severe effect on the planets environment and marine ecosystem. The destruction of the overall system would cause the Sapphire to lose its shine. After all, the sea wasnt just a fish pond. This was not the outcome Kirk wished to see. Therefore, he could only act according to Warsaws plan. Both Kirk and Castella did not imagine that a tamer could be this capable. No wonder the old men of the Feniers Family said that every Sector had their own primal power, and it would be best if they could avoid clashing against them. After Warsaw had entered her familys spaceplane, the vehicle then flew towards the distance. After the spaceplane had exited the coastal waters, a round platform popped from the vehicles front end. Warsaw was standing right above it. Deep beneath the sea, a few giants were currently moving towards the coastal waters. There were more giant shadows coming one after another from the distance. While staring at the borderless ocean, Warsaw began to chant many high-pitched verses from her throat. No one could understand what she was singing, but Kirk realised that the shoals near the shore had eased up quite a bit. The interference resistant scanner indicated that the dots swimming towards them from the deep sea had slowed down as well. The reason Warsaw did not dare to sing when the echo conches were being carried out was because she was afraid of achieving the opposite of the intended effect. If the echo conches came into contact with this sound wave and decided to join in the ensemble then it would be game over. Now that the echo conches were no longer an issue, Warsaw was free to do what she wanted. This was also a good opportunity to create controlled fear among the Feniers Family people and increase her own influence among them, not to mention putting the Binger Family in a better light in Kirks eyes and bringing greater interest to the Binger Family. The mysterious language and high pitch chants were like carols of the deep sea. It was abstruse, distant, and filled with an ancient aura. This was the song chanted by the blood of the ancient race, the New European of Sector H. It enabled the New Europeans to communicate with the greater life forms beneath the sea. The higher the evolutionary grade of a sea creature, the smoother the communication would become. Therefore, while the shoals attacking the coastal waters had simply eased up after listening to the song, the big guys of the deep sea understood better the meaning that was being conveyed by this voice. While looking at the display in his hand, Kirk discovered that the detectors set up around Warsaws sea region could not transmit any data back to the HQ. The sound wave interfered with the magnetic field in that area, and disrupted the transmission of energy and signals. No wonder Warsaw insisted on using their own specially made spaceplane. It had been built specifically for Warsaw and was capable of resisting these sound waves. If it was any other spaceplane, it might have lost control and fell a long time ago. Now, Kirk thought that he might have to reevaluate the Binger Family. Although there were not many New Europeans in the Binger Family right now, and they had only one Mermaid Princess, but they were a family who originated from this Sector. How much more strength they kept hidden, Kirk couldnt actually tell. Take Warsaw for example. Based on individual martial strength alone, Warsaw was at best a normal rank A genotype. But if the ability of her bloodline was brought into question, then Kirk dared say that his trained subordinates would hug their heads and roll on the floor the moment they came in touch with these sound waves. No wonder Warsaws status was so high within the Binger Family. Her individual strength was also a major factor beyond her work capabilities. The places near the coastal waters and the underwater bases were all under attack by the shoals, and even if Kirk wanted to transfer more personnel to his aid hed have to think through the decision seriously. Right now, this place had the highest amount of guards, and if he was to transfer any more men from other places then something bad might happen. He could not use the people on the space station outside the planet because it was the planets most important defense line. That was why Kirk hadnt transferred any more men to his aid. Still nothing? Kirk asked a subordinate beside him with a very unpleasant expression. Kirk had the feeling that the tamer was hiding somewhere nearby. That was why he had ordered his subordinates to look for that tamer. However, they hadnt come up with anything up to this point. This made him very displeased and wary of the ancient power of the Sector his elders told him. At least Warsaw was expressing her abilities in plain sight, but this tamer was hiding in the dark and was the one that was more difficult to deal with. Im sorry boss, but theres nothing yet. Kirks subordinate bowed his head and said. Try harder! Right now they were in a race against time, and Warsaw herself had said that she had no idea how much longer she could delay the inevitable. It might be a few days, or it might be the next instant. She herself could not be sure. Roger! Cillin continued to look at the sea through the window. Although they were so far apart, he could hear the Mermaid Princess chant all the same. But this wasnt the time to be impressed by the mermaid princess abilities. The number of people who could infiltrate the Feniers Familys territory was definitely few. Since Castella had cleaned out a group of people based on some clues earlier, there should be even lesser people who remained. Right now Cillin was waiting for the most special one or several people within the group, namely the tamer who could command the remote sea fishes to show up. At the manor, inside the room where Tobo and the others were staying in. After the explosion, the three little fellows had completely lost their sleepiness. Since the bodyguards forbad them from exiting, and they were bored out of their wits doing nothing inside the room, Tobo and Rost began to play chess while Emma watched from the sidelines. While the two boys were clashing against each other on the chess board with clenched teeths, and Emma was cheering them on noisily, three crisp pops drew their attention to the side. Three penetrated crabs lay not far away from them. It was the three crabs they had captured from the beach purely for amusement purposes. Tang Qiuqiu held her silencer and no longer paid any attention to the crabs. Her eyes were gleaming, however. In another room inside the manor, Castella had received a report. A number of live marine products that were stored in the kitchen and marine storage warehouse to be made into food later had disappeared. Chapter 145: Fish That Flies Chapter 145: Fish That Flies Castella sighed when he heard his subordinates report. They were careless! Since the enemy had sent a tamer after them, then be it the fishes that lived in the sea, the ornamental fishes or the fresh marine products, they could all be controlled by the tamer. This also alerted Castella to an important information, and that was the trainer must be very close to the manor already! Otherwise, there was no way those sea creatures that were used for food and ornamental purposes could have acted the way they did. After all, they managed to avoid some of the manors eyes and ears. This wouldve been impossible with their normal IQ. While Castella was issuing one order after another, Tobo and the other two little fellows were looking at the shot and immobile crabs on the floor and staring angrily at Tang Qiuqiu. They did not know how the crabs managed to climb out of the box they were in, but the trio who were already dissatisfied with Tang Qiuqiu in the first place grew even angrier. Tang Qiuqiu, what is the meaning of this! Emma was the first one to jump out and roar at Tang Qiuqiu, pointing, It took us so much effort to catch these crabs, how dare you open fire at them?! This is practically unforgivable! Tang Qiuqiu did not paid her any attention at all. This was because Cillin had told her that the enemies who planned to kill Tobo might not necessarily be human beings. Therefore, Tang Qiuqiu had acted completely on instinct and killed off anything that could threaten his life. In that instant just now, Tang Qiuqiu suddenly experienced an extraordinary feeling before noticing the crabs that were acting differently than usual. It was just three crabs; Tang Qiuqiu had watched Tobo and his friends capture the crabs, and at the time the crabs gave her a somewhat mechanical feeling. In short, they were something that could be used as food. However, she had sensed a killing intent C a very obscure killing intent that could not be picked up by the bodyguards staying outside the room at all C in that very instant. If it wasnt for the fact that she was brought up in the chaotic zone of Sector V and hence, capable of capturing that obscure killing intent, she would died hundreds and thousands of times at Sector V already. Rost was of course biased towards his own family and joined Emma in denouncing Tang Qiuqius wicked conduct. However, Tobo simply frowned and stared back and forth between Tang Qiuqiu and the crabs. Naturally, there were monitoring cameras inside the room, and the observers were afraid that these little ancestors would throw a tantrum and cause trouble after Tang Qiuqiu had opened fire. Plus, the Tang Qiuqiu kid was carrying a gun with her. So when the bodyguards outside opened the door and came in, the Binger Family bodyguards especially had blocked around Emma and Rost because they were unfamiliar with Tang Qiuqiu. However, after the two person in charge of the Feniers Family and the Binger Familys bodyguards glanced at the three crabs and matched each others eyes once, they ignored Emma and Rosts complains and gestured for their subordinates to inspect the room. Just now, Castella had informed them to pay attention to anything relating to sea creatures. Be it prawns, crabs, fishes, sea snakes and so on, they must all be given high attention since they might very well have been controlled already. When the two PICs saw the three crabs that were shot by Tang Qiuqiu, they both sighed to themselves. Thank goodness this little girl had noticed the abnormality, or god knows what kind of consequences would have followed. At the same time, the Binger Familys PIC was still guessing at Tang Qiuqius identity, wondering if she was someone with true skill or just a blind cat that accidentally ran over a mouse*. *blind luck Meanwhile, the bodyguards had discovered yet a few more prawns and wiggling sea born mollusks in several concealed air vents. By now even Emma and Rost had noticed that something was wrong. After all, they did have a little bit of sense of danger, and could connect this incident with a few dots in their heads. Therefore, they stopped complaining and quietly watched the bodyguards inspecting everything inside the room. Tang Qiuqiu paid no attention to the bodyguards at all even though they were investigating the room and observing her at the same time. After feeling that there were no longer any threats around them, she sat back to her chair and played her game once more. She never gave Tobo a straight glance, pissing off Tobo so much that he nearly flipped out again. What the cameras could see, naturally the gray cat could see as well. Therefore, both the gray cat and Cillin knew about the incident. Qiuqiu is an excellent Hunter. At the very least, shes stronger than those bodyguards. the gray cat said, Her side should be fine now, right? Probably. The Feniers Family and Binger Family bodyguards arent incompetent. As long as their sights are set on the right direction, then those sea creatures would not be able to approach them. Cillin looked at the sea outside the window, Since this hidden shadow is able to control these low intelligence animals inside the manor, I believe that he or she is about to show up. Although Warsaw had managed to delay the deep sea giants, the attack of the shoals around the coastal waters had only grown fiercer and fiercer. There was literally a sea of fish corpses floating above the sea, and many fish bones buried beneath the sea as well. The excessive amount of compact fish bodies affected the Feniers Familys movements greatly, and the underwater bullets with low penetration power were basically useless. But they did not dare to use the more powerful torpedoes either. If it affected Warsaw then it would be bad. They would be facing not just these shoals, but the deep see overlords as well. Right now Kirk was very worried and uneasy. Even though they knew that the tamer was right around them, they were unable to flush out that cunning bastard. It wasnt a good idea to allow the situation to continue like this, and he knew that at the manor they were probably put on the very defensive. Right now the one thing he regretted was underestimating the Wiesen Familys abilities. If he were to think negatively, then Tobo was probably not the only one who would come under threat by this attack. Feniers Familys entire arrangement on this planet would be severely affected. There was nothing he could do about all habitable planets in Sector H were mostly covered in sea. What a headache! While Warsaw was cautiously delaying the deep sea overlords, Kirk was wracking his brain to come up with a plan, and Castella ordering the manors men to increase their defense, many flat figures lay low near the bottom of the sea and swam towards the shore under the cover of the shoals. Therefore, when the spaceplanes in the air and the submarines in the sea were coordinating closely to resist against the shoals, Kirks alarm system had suddenly rang. This was the first time the system had rang this intensely after he had reprogrammed the monitoring program. Whats going on? Kirk froze when he looked at the display. He never thought that he would see such a scene after holding an important position in the Feniers Family for so many years. What was the difference between a bird and a fish? One flew in the air, while the other swam in water. This was what Kirk and most people had thought to be true. Right now though, what Kirk was seeing had completely overthrown his previous view. Who said that a fish that lives in water cannot fly? Kirk would be lying if he said he wasnt shocked when he saw the flat figures bursting out of the sea surface. Kirk did not know what type of fish they were. They were all at least five meters long, and some even exceeded ten meters. Their exterior made them look a little like manta rays, but they were flatter and lighter than them. Their specialised pectoral fins were elongated like wings, enabling them to burst out of the sea surface and fly in low altitude. If there was only one of these things then it wouldve been a non-issue. But there were hundreds and thousands of them, and their numbers looked to be increasing still. Fearlessly, the creatures rammed towards the spaceplanes in the air, severely disrupting the spaceplanes ability to obstruct the shoals beneath the sea. At the same time, they were so numerous that some had seized the opening to charge towards the shore. Chapter 146: The Tamer Appears Chapter 146: The Tamer Appears Stop them! Kirk knew that their target was the manor. If they allowed the enemy to get close to the manor then it would mean trouble. The situation at the manor was already murky in the first place, and it could only go worse from there if the flying fishes were to join the fray. The shoals beneath the sea could not make their way upshore, so no matter how hard they tried they would not be a serious threat to the manor. That was why Kirk was going to maneuver the defense teams inside the sea and switch to other targets. But he didnt imagine that he still underestimated the threat posed by these sea creatures. Boss, sea snakes!! Kirk was just going to issue an order to the underwater teams, but had to glance at the screen when the subordinate beside him interrupted his actions. A bunch of sea snakes had relied on their nimbleness and slender bodies to avoid the shots and began climbing ashore. The sea snakes patterns alone were enough to chill Kirks heart. The venom spat out by these sea snakes was extremely corrosive, and it had without a doubt made the defensive battle even more difficult than before. His subordinates had even told him that there were bigger sea snakes and other terrestrial sea creatures beneath the sea, causing Kirk to feel as if he could not breathe. A battle where both hands and feet were bound* was just so goddamn stifling. *cannot act to ones wishes Thankfully, he had many years of experience to aid him through the crisis. After Kirk swiftly collected himself, he began issuing the orders once more. A group of people retreated back to the seacoast and began targeting those sea creatures that had made their way ashore. The other group of people attacking the flying fishes in the air had to protect Warsaw at the center and could not move While Kirk and Castella were hard pressed by the enemy, Cillin slapped the gray cats head and said, Pay attention to those flying fishes. I have a feeling that that tamer is on one of those creatures. The people outside the manor were given not the slightest chance to take a breather at all. If it wasnt for their higher ranking genotype, they wouldve collapsed a long time ago. Meanwhile, the people inside the manor were on full alert. No one had been expecting to face such a massive battle between fish and man. The good news was that a fish was still a fish, and it could not fly as high or be as agile as an actual bird. Therefore, it was still relatively easy to shoot them down. There was no way the Feniers Familys manpower in other locations of Sector H could arrive immediately, so they dragged the battle as long as they could. Once reinforcements arrived, the situation should then improve. The shields around the manor were raised when the flying fishes had appeared. However, it didnt take long for them to realise that something was wrong with the shields. The emergency repair personnel discovered that the faulty locations were littered with several prawn and crab corpses. It was obvious that they had died from touching high energy circuits. So this was where the disappearing marine products that were supposed to be served on the table as dishes had gone to. Their most important objective wasnt Tobo, but the defense shields. While watching everything that was happening inside the manor, Castella could finally get a sense of how powerful the influence of a tamer truly was. With just one persons strength alone, they had caused an entire planets sea creatures to go crazy Hmm? An entire planet? Suddenly, Castella trembled from head to toe. Thats not right! Theres no way there is just one tamer! It wouldve been way overpowered if a single tamer could command so many shoals and be at so many places at once. If the ancient tamers truly could pull of such a feat individually, there was no way they would have declined in Sector H. Castella had received news that the coastal areas were under attack by the shoals, and that the controlled shoals were spread at nearly every important seacoast areas of the entire planet. They would not have failed to mobilise the manpower otherwise. Although Warsaw said that the Wiesen Family had only one ancient tamer, but if by any chance they did have more than one ancient tamer The fact that so many areas were attacked by controlled shoals indicated that there was more than one ancient tamer in the midst. But why this place alone? It was true that the Feniers Familys little young master Tobo, the Feniers Familys Sector H CEO Kirk and the Binger Familys men were all at the manor. However, this manor was just a private residential area, and the several real central administration zones responsible for the Sectors businesses were all someplace else. If those zones were to be damaged, then their management of Sector H would fall into trouble. If the goal was to strike at the Feniers Familys business at Sector H, then there was definitely much to be gained by attacking those places. But why spare those places and simply delay reinforcements if they truly had more than one ancient tamer? It was self-contradictory! Castella knew that this wasnt the time to think about such things, but once the thought began it was hard to stop it. Castella felt the blood in his body running a lot cooler than usual. Which other Family had stuck their foot into places it didnt belong to?!* *the English idiom would be sticking ones nose into someone elses business If there really was a fourth Family involved in this battle, then the situation was no longer as hopeful as he thought before. That being said, from the look of things this fourth Familys attitude was a little too ambiguous. Although they had decided to help the Wiesen Family to strike at the Feniers Family, but they made sure not to go overboard and did not stand completely on the opposite side. It should not have turned out like this according to Castellas understanding of those families who held grudges against the Feniers Family. The gray cat had been paying attention to the flying fishes in the air ever since it was reminded by Cillin. Slowly, it zoomed in on one particular fish. Cillin, its that one! When the gray cat uttered this, Cillin had obviously made the same discovery as well. While staring at the flying fish that had pretended to be shot down from the sky, he patted the gray cat and said, Lets go. Lets have a look at this legendary tamer! Cillin and the gray cat jumped directly out of the window. The monitoring crew reported Cillins activity to Castella, and Castella sent a few men to follow behind them. He knew that with LC Cillins abilities, he mustve made a discovery. It must have been something important too. The flying fish that pretended to be shot landed not far away from the manors garden. Its belly faced upwards, and it appeared unremarkable amidst many other flying fishes that were shot out of the air. However, not long after it landed on the ground, it spilled a pool of something sticky out from the back that was touching the ground. The color of the sticky substance was very similar to the flying fishs back, and adding that to the fact that it was stuck to the flying fishs back earlier, it was no wonder that the abnormality could not be spotted easily while the flying fish was flying in the air. Under the cover of many flying fish corpses, the sticky substance began slowly shifting its way towards the manor. Cillin did not act immediately. Instead, he pulled the people Castella sent to follow behind him to a stop. The men tailing behind him did not appear to be too surprised or embarrassed to be caught by Cillin. However, what Cillin told them later was definitely a shocking blow. Cillin pointed at the general direction of sticky thing and said, The tamer is right there, but you need to inform Castella first that there are many flying fishes on the ground that are still capable of moving. Tell him to send some men and deal the final blow. The flying fishes that had plummeted to the ground were gravely injured and looked to be bloodied all over. But they were still alive. If someone were to scan them using a life detector, they would discover that one third of the flying fishes that had fallen to the ground still had life in them. If they were made use of by the tamer again before they were completely dead, then the manor might suffer quite a blow. It was like a beheaded snake. Even with only a head left, a snake could still attack out of reflex. Naturally, the group of men knew about this as well. After hearing Cillins explanations, they immediately reported the news to Castella. After Castella had heard it, he immediately put his men into action. This was the Feniers Familys business. The reason Cillin was interested in the tamer was not only because of their mystical ability to control sea creatures, but also the flying fishes themselves. Cillin had not read about this type of flying fish while he was going through some books about the special fish species in Sector H. Cillin suspected that these fishes were genetically modified and secretly bred by either the tamer themselves or the Wiesen Family. The pool of sticky fluid seemed to notice that it was found out, so it condensed into a human shape and revealed its true form. He could move a lot more nimbly in human form. A shapeshifter! The tamer was actually an extremely rare shapeshifter! It took a lot out of the Feniers Family to find the tamer, so naturally they spent a huge amount of manpower to deal with them. While the Feniers Familys men were battling against the tamer, Cillin and the gray cat continued to collect data from not far away (T/N: a Hunter to the cell, man). Cillin realised that he sensed something familiar from this tamer. Chapter 147: Tamers are All Freaks Chapter 147: Tamers are All Freaks The tamer controlled the fallen but still alive flying fishes and the rest to attack the manor, but Castella and Kirk had already made the appropriate deployments. Although the manors shields could not be activated because they were faulty, the tamer wasnt able to do anything to the manor for a time as well. The repair crews who were repairing the defense shields in a hurry estimated that the process would take about ten minutes, and the Feniers Familys reinforcements from other planets would also be arriving in ten to fifteen minutes as well. If the tamer continued to make no progress within this ten minutes, then he would no longer have the chance. Excitation light bullets and alloy bullets rained on the flying fishes whether theyre flying in the air or struggling on the ground, and the Feniers Family members did not stop unless the creatures had completely stopped breathing. The counterattack of a dying flying fish would bring trouble to the defenders, so they must be nipped in the bud. Castella stood at a room inside the manor while watching at the situation unfolding at this place. He was silent as he read the reports coming in from his subordinates. Castella did not need to conduct the battle personally. All he needed to do was to briefly explain the direction of their deployments before leaving the rest to the guards and the person in charge of the bodyguards to sort out by themselves. They were talented people whom the Feniers Family had spent much effort to train after all, so there was no way they needed Castella to tell them how to fight. The guards coordinated quite well with each other too. The superiority of talents cultivated by a big family stuck out in this critical moment. Had they been the guards on Planet Brown Earth, the situation wouldve been a total mess. Since the tamer was a shapeshifter, normal metal bullets and cold weapons* did not have any substantive effect. Therefore, the Feniers Family guards had chosen to use excitation energy weapons instead. *weapons that are non-firearm i.e. swords, spears, bows etc. In order to avoid affecting Warsaws control, no one used high energy density weapons in combat. But judging from the current situation, it was definitely possible to drag the battle for another ten minutes. The tamer themselves did not think that the opposite side would discover him this quickly. The overall plan had appeared quite well, but the echo conches were discovered ahead of schedule, and the Mermaid Princess Warsaw with the blood of a New European had delayed the deep sea giants. No progress was being made in regard to Tobo either. Even if the tamer could control thousands and tens of thousands of fishes, they only had so many helpers on land. The sea snakes, prawns and crabs that had climbed ashore were being held back by a Feniers Family group and were unable to offer him any assistance. They understood that they would lost all chances of success if the situation were to drag out any longer. The tamer began to grow irritated. These are strange spectrums. crouching not far away, the gray cat said while watching the battle and collecting information. Cillin also sensed that spectrum vaguely, but right now he was more focused on that bizarre feeling of familiarity. Cillin was certain that he did not recognise this tamer, but it was just as undeniable that this tamer gave him an indescribable familiar feeling. Unfortunately, he was unable to make sense of it. This familiarity was a real thing and not an illusion. Cillin dared to bet that he had met someone who gave him the same feeling as this person. Whats strange was that despite his obviously exceptional memory, he wasnt able to capture this nostalgic feeling at all. It was like a hazy light dot that flashed and disappeared repeatedly. It was as if he could catch it in his hand, only to find nothing when he opened his palm. The thing that gave Cillin the familiar feeling wasnt the strange spectrum or the tamers racial identity as a shapeshifter*. It was the vague aura created by the tamer. *apparently, there is a shapeshifting race. Awesome! Where had he seen such aura before? Since he could not capture that fleeting feeling, Cillin decided to toss it all to the back of his mind first and paid close attention to the tamer. But the more he looked, the odder he felt. Judging from the tamers current condition, Cillin believed that they were not holding themselves back. Otherwise, they wouldve been shot into sieves a long time ago. But it was definitely strange if he was to assume that the ability the tamer was currently displaying was their peak. From some of the spectrum data the gray cat transmitted to him, and the frequency changes of the mini magnetic field created by the tamers aura he had collected himself, multiple operations and matrix analysis revealed that the tamers maximum effect field was not as wide as first imagined. The current situation was that beyond the zone of the effect field Cillin had calculated, the shoals were still being controlled to attack and attract the Feniers Familys firepower in a well planned and well organised manner. This meant that there was another tamer within the area who was controlling these shoals. They had to be at the coastal waters at least. If someone learned that Cillin had managed to calculate such complicated equations in such a short time with his human brain alone, they wouldve been so shocked that their molar teeth would fall off. A human brain that could do this was comparable to a machine already. Wheeze, there is another tamer around the area! Cillin told the gray cat beside him. Since the gray could could receive these spectrums, naturally it had noticed the abnormality as well. Hearing Cillins words, it switched its focus to seek out the other tamer hidden within the area. There were too many interferences, and the scan was severely impacted. Moreover, when the gray cat attempted to make a comparison between the data on this shapeshifting tamer and another tamer, it discovered that he did not have a similar match in its database. After adjusting the parameters to the average human and a few other races the gray cat had seen before, it cross analysed the data yet again but still could not find a match within the predicted scope. This meant that the hidden tamer was very likely of a race that the gray cat had never seen before. It could not be helped. The amount of people the gray cat saw on the hunting planet it lived in were very few, and it had only broadened its horizons after becoming a two-man team with Cillin. However, the amount of races the gray cat had encountered was still few when compared to the other Hunters within the Sixth Squad. It was no wonder that the gray cat would bump into walls constantly due to limited data. Of course, the gray cat grew even more expectant about meeting more races and more life forms in the future. I cant find them. The amount of racial data Ive collected are too few. I cant get a match. the gray cat sighed dispiritedly. Cillin looked at the situation around and above the sea and asked the gray cat after a moments thought, Can you capture the spectrums in each area? Including the ones in the air, the land and the sea. Cilins analysis of the spectrums became much weaker the further away they were, so he could only rely on the gray cat. Yep. in this aspect, the gray cat had absolute confidence. Thats good. You dont need to list out the shapeshifters racial parameters and make a comparison. Basing on the spectrums and changes in the mini magnetic fields in every area, use cross elimination to find that fellows location The gray cat began its second search attempt after hearing Cillins words. Since the gray cat and Cillin were close to one another, the gray cat could share some of its information with Cillin. If this disturbance zone was to be put on a map, then every time the gray cat calculated a data, a color marked zone would shrink on said map. After several calculations, the color marked zone that was at first nearly overlapping with the entire map had shrunk by a lot. Ten seconds later, the gray cat and Cillin became roused at the same time. Found you! A colored mark lay quietly at the coastal waters on the gray cats analysis map. Cillin and the gray cat charged towards that direction with great speed. Although Cillin and the gray cat had concealed themselves well, the tamer was obviously extremely alert. The moment they discovered that their position had been exposed, they immediately swam towards the distant sea with a whoosh. The instantaneous exertion of force had even caused the area they left behind to form a vacuum area, followed by a whirlpool right after. One could see just how strong they were. Both Cillin and the gray cat swore simultaneously as they watched the fellow escaping beneath the water like an artillery shell. Fuck, tamers are all freaks! (T/N: the two of you have no rights to say that LOL) Chapter 148: Meowfucker! Chapter 148: Meowfucker! Cillin and the gray cat dove into the sea to chase after the tamer. Although they only had a glimpse of their rear view, both Cillin and the gray cat knew that they werent an average human C after all, since when did the average human have tentacle limbs? Moreover, the tamers speed it was just like a sea born fishs. The tamer was not slower than the black back marlins from before. Since the tamer escaped to the distant sea after realising that they had been exposed, they no longer bothered with the shoals and thus, the shoals at the coastal water immediately fell into disorder. These shoals began to fight each other without needing the Feniers Family members to act. Thousands and tens of thousands of fishes of different species and factions began to attack each other as the coastal waters was thrown into a shoals war for a time. After the tail Castella sent to follow Cillin and the gray cat had reported Cillins movements, and combining that intel with the chaotic shoals at the coastal waters, Castella guessed that Cillin had probably discovered that hidden tamer. He sent his men to follow behind Cillin and the gray cat and pay attention to their whereabouts, but told them not to act recklessly. Kirk told the men stopping the shoals offshore to stop whatever theyre doing and switch their focus onshore; to aid with the effort to capture the other tamer. After all, the flying fishes over there were controlled by the shapeshifting tamer. That tamer was the key. Cillin and the gray cat chased closely behind the figure at the front, but they were unable to shorten the distance in a short time due to their opponents physical advantages. What surprised Cillin was that the tamer was escaping towards the deep sea giants. Above the sea, Warsaw continued to hang on strenuously. While watching the dense masses of giant shadows, Cillin thought to himself: what is this tamer trying to do? He quickly knew the answer. As the tamer approached, the great sea beasts that were initially quieted by Warsaw had begun to stir restlessly. Above the sea, Warsaws voice on the spaceplane suddenly cut short as she took two steps backwards with a pale face and only barely managed to halt herself by grabbing the handrail at the side. Seeing Warsaws appearance, the Binger Family people immediately came forth to support her and hand over a specially prepared liquid. Warsaws panting subsided a little after she drank the liquid, but sweat continued to pour continuously down her pale face. After holding on for such a long time, one could say that Warsaw was about to hit her limit. Therefore, she could no longer hold on when the tamer had suddenly charged over and made a mess of things. She told her subordinates to bring over the communicator. When the line went through, Warsaw said urgently with unsteady breathing, Im sorry but I cant hold out any longer. A tamer affected them, and I can no longer hold them back. You must deploy a response to this situation immediately. Just now, Warsaw discovered that the stable sound wave had suddenly been severed at a certain point by an unusual wave band. This also caused the sea beast who corresponded to that particular point to grow restless. At her peak Warsaw could deal with this situation nonetheless, but right now it was difficult for her to even speak. If there was one, then there was also two. The chain reaction caused the other sea beasts to break away from their calm state one after another. Right now Warsaw could no longer suppress them, so it would seem that a good outcome for todays incident was a foregone conclusion. The low dissolved oxygen inside the sea was already recovering slowly under the effects of certain instruments, and the fishes in other areas of the sea were beginning to move there slowly as well. After all the sea was huge, and although the tamer had controlled a portion of the shoals, they were nothing but a small character with regards to the entire sea. If only they could lure these deep sea giants to the distant sea, then the situation would become much easier to handle. The problem was that the deep sea giants seemed to have set their eyes on this particular area of the sea. If they came any closer, then Kirk would absolutely order his men to activate the weapons of mass destruction, and as a woman with the New European bloodline who grew up in Sector H, it was not something Warsaw wished to see. But a wish was one thing, and reality was another. What else could they possibly do now? Warsaw ordered her men to fly the spaceplane higher just in case the sea beasts suddenly attacked the lower altitude. Back to Cillin. Cillin was chasing after the tamer before him when the gray cat cried out after a slight tremor, That fellow is controlling the sea beasts! The tamer at the front quickly slipped through the gaps of those large bodies, and the big sea beasts would immediately move their bodies to block off the gaps after they passed through them. Therefore, Cillin could only find a different gap to slip through. For a tamer, the only way they could draw any visible effect from the giant sea beasts was from close range and on one target only. Moreover, they could only create a thought inclination so that the big sea beasts would be induced to think in a certain way in that one instant, and not control them completely. Therefore, while this kind of control might not work one hundred percent of the time, it was an opportunity for the tamer the second even one of them worked. Take what happened just now as an example. Previously, the sea beasts did not react when the tamer had passed through some gaps. But now, the sea beasts had acted according to the thought inclination the tamer had created and cut off Cillins pursuit path when the tamer was passing through this particular gap. If Cillin were to find a different gap and continue the pursuit, then he must waste a certain amount of time. However, the tamer could continue to escape and pull further ahead. The big sea beasts paid no attention to either Cillin or the gray cat. As the overlords of a certain territory in the deep sea, their tempers were naturally not that good. Previously, when the overlords were gathered they had ignored and chose not to fight each other temporarily, or rather Warsaw had appeared before they could begin to do so. But now, Warsaw no longer had the power to hold out and placate them. Adding that to the fact that the tamer from before had the intention of angering these big sea beasts, if even one of these deep sea giants was successfully enraged to attack the other sea beasts, then the waves raised by the angered deep sea giants would be enough to form tsunamis that could flood the manor on the shore. There were a dozen of so deep sea giants in the area, and after the disturbance some of them had half surfaced above the sea to reveal their peak like dorsal fins, and some myriapoda-like sea beasts flung their thick and long limbs above the sea surface. Tall wave crests were raised on top the sea surface. The shoals at the coastal waters were either dead or scattered. The other tamer had already been captured as well. Without the tamers control, the sea creatures no longer attacked in an organised fashion. In fact, they couldnt wait to escape as quickly as possible. Kirk recalled his men and ordered his subordinates, Attack immediately if those big fellows passed through the coastal waters warning line. The people Castella sent to tail after Cillin did not even manage to get close before the sea beasts had gone crazy. Left without a choice, they could only stay away for the moment and act later. The gray cat who was pursuing the tamer along with Cillin accidentally got whipped by the thick limb of a big sea beast. Not only was it whipped far, far away, it even spun in midair like a spinning top. Meowfucker! You go ahead, Cillin. Im going to teach this blind fellow a lesson! the gray cat who swam back in the blink of an eye said. Up until this point, the gray cat had always thought itself to be someone who put the interests of the important above all else. But how could it not be angry when something had literally whipped it with a whip? Dont let them get close to the coastal waters, Qiuqiu is still inside the manor you know. If you can, draw these big fellows to the distant sea. Cillin knew that the gray cat knew had its own measure of things, so he did not add anything further. The tamer at the front was escaping further and further away. Chapter 149: The Fourth Power Chapter 149: The Fourth Power The clash between giants raised many waves that impacted the shore repeatedly, scraping off the sand and stones layer by layer. Right now Kirk was gladdened by the fact that the giant beasts had not approached the the coastal waters. Otherwise, the manor itself wouldve been flooded by seawater. The giant beasts roars were as heavy as muffled thunder, or as sharp as whistles, and they caused wariness among the people on the shore. Their voices alone were capable of bringing tremendous pressure. This was the true difference between a deep sea giant beast and other fishes. Even a large group of shoals would not be able to maintain their formation under one gigantic roar. But this was only true for the shoals and human beings. For the gray cat, it meant something else. They are too arrogant! The gray cat thought, these fellows are so arrogant they saw no man C no, no cat C above them at all! (E/n: one ring to rule them all) The gray cat did not transform and maintained the form of a kitten. However, long knife claws elongated from its paws instead. The average blade or firearm could not threaten these big fellows in any way, but there were seriously not many beasts that could come away from the gray cats claws unscathed. Its scythe-like knife claws had cut open the giant beasts body surface directly, but because its skin was too thick the claws failed to harm its insides. The gray cat narrowed its eyes as the knife claws on its paws became much elongated and enlarged once more. In comparison to the eight knife claws, the gray cats little body appeared much, much tinier. From a certain angle, the gray cat was even invisible to the naked eye. All a person would be able to see was eight brandishing huge knife claws. When its skin surface was finally cut open, the nerves of the damaged area transmitted pain to the giant beast and upset them, causing the clashes and attacks to grow even more intense than before. What followed was even bigger sea waves and all sorts of roars that resonated throughout the world. The fishes who failed to escape in time had died from shattered organs caused by shock, and there were no living fishes at all within a wide sea region. The Feniers Family and Binger Family members had all retreated above the shore and activated a counteracting sound wave to protect themselves from the shock. Another thing that deserved rejoicing was that the manors defense shields had been repaired a few minutes earlier ahead of time, so the activated defense shields were able to block off most of the sound wave attacks let out by the sea beasts. Although the sound wave attacks were reduced, the people inside the manor could hear the terrifying roars clearly all the same. The sound waves shook everyone until they felt cold from the bottom of their hearts. Every hair on their bodies were trembling along with the roars. Tang Qiuqiu was far more composed as compared to Tobo, Emma and Rost. She continued to play her game and hold a lollipop in her mouth as before, causing Tobo and the duo to shower her with strange looks. The monitoring devices and equipment within the coastal waters had all been affected and malfunctioned. There was no way for Castella and Kirk to know what kind of battle was going on on the sea. One by one, as the gray cat clawed the sea beasts and caused their wounds to increase non-stop, the sea beasts roars grew louder and louder, and their actions grew more and more violent as well. Some sea beasts had their limbs bitten off, and others had torn fins or large sections of scales ripped off their bodies the scene was as stunning as it looked. Cry, cry, what the fur are you guys crying about! So noisy! The gray cat was already in a bad mood in the first place, and now the roars disturbed it so much that even its whiskers had turned taut. Quit being so noisy! The gray cat opened its mouth. Amidst these messy roars, a single beast roar suppressed nearly all other voices and impacted the sea beasts that were in close range to lose chunks of flesh from their bodies. All of the monitoring devices within the coastal waters that were already malfunctioning due to the interferences were blasted to bits by the shockwave, and on the shore those who remained on land fainted right away after hearing the roar. Meanwhile inside the spaceplanes, control panels experienced system failures, and the screens of dashboards and monitoring panels exploded. The vehicles were forced to land on ground. Inside the manor, every screen on every electronic panel were displaying static lines, and more than fifty percent of electromagnetic equipment were in a near catatonic state. And this was the result after the gray cat had exercised some restraint upon remembering Cillins words. Otherwise, none of the equipment inside the manor couldve survived. What on earth happened? This was what everybody upshore was thinking about. It was also the cause of their irritation, anxiety and unstable emotions. They had never encountered such a situation in Planet Zafia until today. Warsaw and the other New Europeans felt stifled for a moment, whereas the captured tamer had almost fallen into a stupor. Warsaw and the tamer were familiar with deep sea beasts, and they both knew that there shouldnt be any deep sea beasts that had reached such heights of power on this planet. Although the giants on this planet could be categorised as overlords of the deep sea, on a few other rank B planets in Sector H where their surface was almost covered in sea, they could only be considered as small fries who went on stage simply to go through the motions. The owner of the voice that caused system failures across electromagnetic devices was definitely comparable to those true overlords. Originally, the gray cat was planning to chase these fellows to the distant sea by force, but it did not expect that these big fellows would actually slip away like the meek fish they were; they were escaping from their natural enemy after just a venting roar. To these big fellows, the only place that could give them security was their home territory, so they were now going back where they came from. When the gray cat saw that the sea beasts had all dragged their maimed bodies and slipped away, it shook its ears and withdrew its claws. When the gray cat saw that no one was sent over from the shore, it then swam towards the distant seas to chase after Cillin and the tamer. Returning to Cillin. Cillin had been chasing after the tamer for quite a distance, and at first the distance between the duo didnt shrink by much, but the tamer did not manage to shake Cillin off either. Then, gradually, the tamers stamina fell off. Controlling the shoals had already expended a portion of their strength, and now they were doing everything they could to escape. Their stamina gradually lost steam. However, just when Cillin pulled closer and closer to the tamer, a few thorns were suddenly shot towards him from the front. They actually have companions! There are more than two tamers! Cillin avoided the thorns, but what followed after was round after round of attacks, and black marlin groups and other speed type fishes swimming swiftly towards him. The huge number of shoals had cut off his pursuit path, and by the time Cillin charged through the shoals the tamer had already disappeared. Cillin did not continue the pursuit. Now that a new tamer had appeared, it meant that there might be a fourth, a fifth or even more tamers in hiding. To think that so many tamers who were considered relics by other people would appear all at once. Just who on earth did the Feniers Family offend? Regardless of whoever the Feniers Family had offended, Cillin did not plan to probe further into this matter. The current situation was that he was alone with no backup, and if the opponent could mobilise so many tamers then they must have more hidden strength somewhere. Regardless, this was a matter of the Feniers Family and the Binger Family. Cillin did not plan to meddle any longer. The twists and turns between big families were too complicated, and previously it was because he was too curious about tamers and fortunately grasped onto chips that could be exchanged with the Feniers Family for rewards. But judging from the current situation, it was time to stop. Cillin knew where to draw the line. The opponent was obviously prepared, and if he were to probe deeper into the issue then not only would he not be able to resist with his lone strength, he would suffer a major loss as well. Cillin turned around and went back decisively. He didnt swim for long before he ran into the pursuing gray cat. Eh? the gray cat looked at Cillin and did not see the tamer, You lost him? They had a friend to come to their rescue. So I had to let them go. Cillin floated out of the water and looked at the sky. It would seem that it was late, Lets return to the manor. Alright, lets go back. Those big fellows had all escaped. All I did was roar once, thats all. the gray cat hummed. It was obvious from its tone that it was showing off. Okay, cool your jets. Were you discovered? Of course not. At the time the giant beasts were battling each other, so all the people beneath the sea had escaped upshore. Plus, with the surrounding monitoring devices all damaged and those big guys as cover, theres no way Id be found out. the gray cat said affirmatively. Thats good then. Lets go back, and think of a way to shake a bit more money off that old fox Castella. Of course. Weve put in our efforts, so we must get paid for it no matter what. Right, I saw some dried fish on the manors table. Do ask for more once we get back to the manor to hustle when there was a chance was the philosophy Dias instilled in his Hunters. In reality, Castella had taken the initiative to express his will to increase his remuneration before he could open his mouth. Cillins contribution in catching the shapeshifting tamer of the Wiesen Family was undeniable, even if he did not participate in the capture himself. Besides that, even if Cillin failed to capture the other tamer, he had at least acquire the information that there were at least three or more tamers in this operation. After the commotion, there were still a lot of things waiting for Castella and Kirk to deal with. Meanwhile, Warsaw and her men were breaking their heads over which deep sea giant beast had let out that final and absolutely dominating roar. Everyone was very busy. But that was none of Cillins business. After obtaining the signed bills from Castella, he returned to his bedroom. He had overused his brain today, so it was take a nap before everything. Tang Qiuqiu continued to uphold her responsibility as Tobos bodyguard, but there was nothing much for her to do right now. The surrounding bodyguards were watching over him tightly. On the other side of Planet Zafia, a few figures were gathered at a sea surface where no one was noticing. Among them was the tamer who was chased by Cillin. These people had been scattered at different places and controlled shoals to attack the coastal waters and the Feniers Familys underwater bases, delaying their reinforcements so that they could not assist with the situation at the manor. There was no way Warsaw and Castella could have imagined that there were this many tamers hiding on the planet. The Wiesen Family failed. What about it? I saw that coming a long time ago. Like a trash at their level could ever make a comeback. Yeah. Its fine as long as we complete our mission. Have you guys finished the mission summary? If you did then submit them to me in one go, I need to report to the young master ASAP! Aw hey, my kidney hurts and now I have to write a mission summary report? I hate this kind of thing; my nerve endings experience a delayed reaction when it comes to this stuff. No problem. You can keep delaying all you like. Pah! I have no intentions of being stripped and tossed into an aquarium for show by the young master! These people were obviously not from the Wiesen Family, so as Castella had imagined there was a fourth power in play. But if that was the case, then who was this young master these people spoke of? Chapter 151: Representing Everyone in Seven Lights to Beat The Shit Out of You! Chapter 151: Representing Everyone in Seven Lights to Beat The Shit Out of You! Inside the manor on Planet Zafia, Kirk barely had some free time to lay down and get some shut-eye after spending much effort to wrap up the matter. The incident this time gave Kirk a wake up call. He had underestimated a tamers ability all this time. It didnt matter how much limitations were applied on a lone tamers abilities, because it was a fact that the Feniers Family had been forced to fight passively this time at least. The crabs and prawns that were supposed to be served on the dining table had paralysed their defense shields for a dozen or so minutes. A dozen or so minutes was enough for a lot of things to be done, and for the defenders who were fighting against the shoals, even a second longer was pure torture, much less a dozen or so minutes. There were also the matter of the three crabs inside Tobos rooms. No one knew the full extent of the damage that couldve been caused by these three crabs. It was fortunate that the young Hunter girl had killed them all in the earliest moments. Another thing that was fortunate was that the person the Binger Family sent over to help them was Warsaw, the Mermaid Princess. Otherwise, they might have no choice but to use WMD to conclude the battle against that number of shoals plus a dozen or so deep sea giant beasts. No family would normally be willing to use such WMD on a planet that they had set up as a base in a major Sector. Who would want to fire cannons at their own doorsteps if not as a last resort? Sector H was a Sector where that relied mainly on sea. It could not be measured by the standards of other Sectors. He would have to perform a full upgrade to every aspect of the defense system in Planet Zafia, and rethink their strategic deployments. While thinking, Kirk continued to relax and rest. But just as he entered a state of restfulness, his communicator rang. It was the communicator dedicated to official businesses no less. Whats the matter? Boss, Berzett from Andrea requests to talk with you. Kirk felt his heart jump. Berzett? Kirk knew that there was no one in Planet Ouroke who did not recognise that small and seemingly unremarkable old man. He was a smiling tiger* in the Andrea Family, and god knows how many people had fallen prey to his fangs. *a person who appears amiable on the surface but harbors ill intentions on the inside To be honest, Kirk really did not want to get tangled up with the Andrea Family right now. The Andrea Familys influence in Sector H was among the top three of major Sectors. They were bigger than the Feniers Family and the Binger Family who first prospered in Sector H. However, previous attempts at to collaborate with the Andrea Family had all failed, and nothing good came out of them at all. But what was the meaning behind that old man Berzett come looking for them of his own accord now? Anyway, Cillin had not awakened ever since he returned to the guest room and fell asleep. In his dreams, his consciousness was performing an in-depth dissection of a tamers control methods and spectrums while controlling the analysis of data. He was impressed by how extraordinary they were. Every change in frequency was an order, and this order needed to be received and understood by shoals, or form an inclination for the shoals to follow. These spectrums of sound frequencies transmitted information like codes, and were extremely complicated. At the very least, right now Cillin could not decode these codes with the amount of information he gathered. He opened his eyes and stretched his body. He looked at the gray cat who was curled into a ball and sleeping soundly beside him before he turned over and got off the bed. He was hungry. Time to hunt for some food. After he had placated his stomach, Cillin went to Tang Qiuqiu. However, it would seem that Tang Qiuqiu wasnt feeling any pressure at all. She continued to play her game and ignored Tobo and the others even though they tried to talk to her by their own accord. She was busy getting through a stage; where would she find the time to bother with unrelated people? When Cillin returned to the guest room, he discovered that Castella was already waiting for him inside. The gray cat continued to sleep and ignored Castella entirely. What is it that needs you to set out personally? Cillin smiled and asked. Theres something I need to explain to you. We are going to head to the capital of Sector H, Planet Ouroke. Kirks going there to negotiate a contract, and I have to go take a look as well. Once the contract has been negotiated, we will depart from Planet Ouroke and head directly to Sector F. Sure, I dont have an opinion on that. Might as well go take a look at the Capital of Sector H, Ouroke along the way. Thats good. This matter is a little urgent, so we will be departing by the morrow. Sure. Cillin did not have much to pack anyway; he could leave at any time he was notified of. He had heard of Sector Ourokes reputation since a long time ago, but he had not gone there personally. It so happened that this was an excellent opportunity to do so. Plus, the Feniers Family would cover the cost for both food and accommodations, so why not? After Castella left, the gray cat opened its eyes, raised its butt and stretched. It shook its fur and jumped up the table. The dried fishes Cillin just brought back was up there. Oh, Cillin, I just heard Kirks conversation over the communicator. the gray cat said while chewing the dried fishes. Is there anything important? Cillin sat on a recliner, opened his book and asked. Its just collaboration. Nothing important. Although, I did pick up a new family name. This time, the partner the Feniers Family is going to discuss collaboration with is the Andrea Family. Kirk called the other guy on the communicator Berzett. Judging from his voice, hes an old man. The gray cat was unperturbed when it said this, but Cillin nearly fell off the recliner. His face twitched again and again. The Andrea Family Although he did not wish to meet them right now, Cillin could not leave Tang Qiuqiu behind. Plus, he had already promised to head to Ouroke with them. Sigh. Never mind. Its something I have to face sooner or later. Although, I may not necessarily run into them since. The Andrea Family had a lot of properties after all. I wonder if wed fight if we meet each other. There was absolutely no chance it would occur to Cillin that young master Lung was already preparing his boxing gloves. Seeing that Cillin was silent, the gray cat asked, What are you thinking? Cillin smiled slightly, I remembered a few friends. Hmm? Friends? Which Hunter regiment? Are they as famous as Vanguard? the gray cat cocked its head and asked. It was no wonder the gray cat thought this way. After all, from the moment the gray cat had left the hunting planet T-H036 until now every friendly it had met was a Hunter. People like the Feniers Family was their bankrollers, and people like Poison Fang were all preys to be hunted. Therefore, everything that fell under the category of friends should be Hunters as well. No, they are not Hunters. Not Hunters?! Cillin nodded, Although I havent known them for a long time, they are very much deserving of close friendship. while scratching the gray cats bottom chin, he slowly talked about the things that had happened at Seven Lights. The next day, the group went on the starship and headed to Planet Ouroke first thing in the morning. While looking at the data on Planet Ouroke in his hand, Cillin felt rather complicated on the inside. The big business focused families such as Andrea, Douance, Binger, Feniers, Fei Lin and so on all had branches on this planet. There were a lot of familiar families. However, Cillin was very different from who he was three years ago. They might not be able to recognise him even if he stood right in front of them. There were several huge spaceports outside Planet Ouroke. All spaceships were parked inside the port, and all spaceplanes that were going into the planet were required to go through a strict inspection to prevent the carrying of infectious viruses, parasites and so on into the planet. All spaceplanes who did not have a passport were not allowed into the planet. Big families like the Feniers Family had all applied for and prepared the relevant passports already. The people who did not have the qualifications to apply and prepare a passport could only enter by taking the public transport prepared by the officials. The military had also set up garrison on the planet, so on the surface public security on this planet was relatively good. Of course, there were plenty of waves surging behind the scenes, and no one who could set foot on this planet was truly skilless. If honest means did not work, then it was time for the dishonest. There was no lack of bodies that were tossed into the sea to feed the fishes everyday. After the starship was parked at the spaceport and left to the defense and management of the guards the Feniers Family had assigned there, the rest of them changed to spaceplanes and entered the planet. The Feniers Familys branch here had a spaceplane landing zone, and before Kirk and the others spaceplanes arrived the spaceplanes, airplanes and other vehicles on the field had already been cleared out for their arrival. Some of the high level managers belonging inside the Feniers Familys tall building had already come out to welcome them, and bodyguards assuming their respective positions. Under a grand welcome, Kirk, Castella and everyone else entered that tall building. Just like before, Castella had ordered his men to prepare a guest room for Cillin alone. After some simple unpacking and the urgings of the gray cat, Cillin greeted Steele and left the building. He could not find Castella probably because the man was busy right now, so he had Steele to pass on the message instead. In reality, Tang Qiuqiu really wanted to come out and have fun as well. However, she was on a mission and Tobo was informed that he was not allowed to leave the building. Therefore, she could only play games indoors. However, Cillin agreed to bring back some sweets. It was only then Tang Qiuqiu felt a little easier on the inside. Where do we go first? Cillin opened the map of Planet Ouroke. Lets go to Eternal Square. Its the biggest. the gray cat slapped at a spot on the map with its paws and said. Sure. Lets go to Eternal Square first then. After hailing a flying car, a man and a cat entered the ultra highway and headed towards Eternal Square. Eternal Square was the biggest public square on planet Ouroke. It was neither situated at the business-District, nor at the territory of many big business families. The building that was closest to Eternal Square was the sky scraping twin towers of Sector Hs coalition government. If one had to choose the most eye-catching thing at Eternal Square, then it would most definitely be the statue of the sea god. Beneath the gigantic statue, everyone else looked as small as ants. While standing on the square and looking at the big statue at the center of the square, the gray cat asked, Why is the sea god in the shape of a human? Because this statue is erected by a human. Humans have always been self-centered. Cillin answered. The dolphins around him look so stupid. Thats because those are statues and not living dolphins. Why is he holding a fork? Is it to stab the fishes? Thats called a trident. Lets go to the statue. I want to climb on top of the sea gods head! Cillin had been feeling a line of sight trained on his body for a while now. He turned around and looked. There was a person sitting beneath the statue. Singlet, beach pants, flip-flops, a pair of tawny colored spectacles that covered nearly half his face and a pair of boxing gloves the size of pumpkins on each hand These gloves are actually for king-kongs, right? The big boxing gloves on each hand banged loudly against one another. Lung watched the person walking closer and closer towards him through his tawny colored spectacles. He wasnt sure earlier, but when Cillin turned around to look, Lung immediately knew that it was that death faking bastard! Cillin was a little surprised. He didnt think that he would meet Lung here. Previously, he thought that he would encounter Lung at the business district even if they did run into each other. Cillin? Lung uttered. Although it was voiced as a question, there was certainty in his tone. Cillin did not deny it. He knew that Lung had already recognised him. He smiled and nodded, Long time no see. Lung stood up and twisted his neck. Then, without wasting anymore words, he jumped and kicked towards Cillin, as his cracking knuckles beat towards him as well. Cillin, your daddy represents Knight, Ci Jincheng, BPT, Hard, Sird, Pride, Sir Mo, and everyone in Seven Lights to beat the shit out of you! Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 1] Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 1] Logically speaking, fighting or having a brawl at Eternal Square was a serious incident. Moreover, Sector Hs iconic government building C the twin towers C was not far away from Eternal Square. Wasnt fighting in front of the government buildings doorsteps purely an act of looking down on the Sectors political power? Right now the time was midday, and there werent many people on the public square. However, there were still occasional passers-by, and they all stayed far, far away from the fight. No one was stupid enough to do something like mediate the quarrel, and even more people preferred to find a cool spot and watch the show. They believed that it would not take long before public security would arrive and arrest this people. Unfortunately for these people, they were fated to be disappointed. One minute passed, two minutes passed more than five minutes had passed since then. The fight continued fiercely and in high fighting spirits no less, but not even the shadow of the security team could be seen at all. Even the so-called one-track minded environmental robots did not react to the commotion. In the past, anyone who acted rough or swore profanities on Eternal Square would draw the environmental robots violation ticket, and anyone who refused to pay would be electrocuted as punishment and forced to cough up. But whats with the current situation right now? Two hundred meters away, an environmental robot gave a person who broke into a profanity just now and refused to pay a violation ticket, all the while pointing at Cillin and Lung and defending himself noisily a ruthless electric shock. The dark blue light of the electricity caused some of the bystanders watching the show to shudder involuntarily. After all, most of the people here had similar experiences, and they literally felt as if they were reliving their past, man! Inside the security building beside the public square, a squad of soldiers watched the scene unfolding on the display. Captain, do we really need not to deal with that fight? Would it be a bad influence? No need. the public security captain pointed at Lung wearing a pair of beach pants and flip-flops, dragging around two pumpkin-sized boxing gloves and getting busy, saying, This person. As long as he doesnt bombard the coalition governments twin towers (E\N: too soon), just let him do whatever he wants. Oh~ the rest of the squad evidently understood what he meant, The Outer Circle Plan! The reason the environmental robots looked like they were completely oblivious to Cillin and Lungs brawling incident was because Lung was a member of the Outer Circle Plan. There were several types of setup within the environmental robots program settings. On Planet Ouroke, a small number of people were considered under a different set of rules beyond the standard programming. As long as these people did not do anything that threatened the planet itself, then every other action they took could be overlooked. This was the Outer Circle Plan. Since this small number of people did not fall under Planet Ourokes normal jurisdiction, therefore they were called people outside the plan, so to speak. They were personages who enjoyed special privileges beyond regular jurisdiction. Obviously, Lung Andrea was a member of the Outer Circle Plan himself. After entering public security for so long, this is the first time I saw someone of the Outer Circle Plan brawling and fighting on Eternal Square. How arrogant. a public security squad member said. Normally, a personage of the Outer Circle Plan wielded high status and enormous influence. Why would anyone like that come to blows with someone else in public for no particular reason? Plus, look at his attire. What self-restraint, what poise, what etiquette? They had all been goddamn tossed into the sea. Who could possibly relate such a person to a member of the Outer Circle Plan? Meanwhile, Cillin and Lung were fighting each other enthusiastically. They looked like they want to brawl out all three years worth of brawls. The gray cat did not pay them any intention. It jumped onto the statue and began to climb. Mm, it would sit on top of the Sea Gods head and overlook all life in a moment! An hour later. On the stairs beside the public squares fountain, Cillin and Lung sat there while holding a large cup of red wine ice cream each in their hand. The bill was footed by Cillin. Both mens faces were blue and black, and their hair was a total mess. Lungs tawny-colored spectacles had long since died a horrible death and was currently lying inside the the robot cleaners stomach. The pair of pumpkin-sized boxing gloves were set at a side and looking tattered. Lungs slippers had also turned into something that looked like cotton wadding. You sonuvabitch How dare you fight back! Lung licked his ice cream very vulgarly while speaking. You said it yourself that you would represent Knight, Ci Jincheng, BPT, Hard, Sird, Pride, Sir Mo and everyone in Seven Lights I pinched a count, and there were just eight representatives. So I conceded eight hits in total. Fuck! Youre just as scumbaggery as ever. Thank you for the praise, I feel just the same. Lung raised his leg and rocked the cotton wadding thing hanging off his legs and said, This pair of slippers is my precious treasure, you know. I bought it from a babe with a super hot body. When I bought it she had even pressed a fiery red kiss on it. I went to get it back tirelessly even when Berzett tossed it into the sea. Look at what you did to it. How are you going to repay this, huh? Cillin gave it a moments thought before finishing up the remaining ice cream in his cup. Then, he tore the box that held the ice cream made of degradable fiber into a slipper-shaped thing and tossed it to Lung, Here. Theres even the fragrance of red wine. Lung: Bing bang boom. Another spell of fighting noises followed. How are Knight and Ci Jincheng doing? Cillin washed his face using the water from the fountain and asked. You have the nerve to ask that question. Knight nearly took apart the hospital back then Lung slowly told Cillin what happened in the past three years. When Cillin faked his death and left Seven Lights, Lung and Knight finished all of their credits in half a year and applied for graduation directly. Knight was dragged back home by his father. He had joined the army and would often participate in certain missions, although Lung did not know about the details. The level of secrecy within the army was too high. However, during the last time they talked Lung learned that Knight had already risen to the rank of first lieutenant this year. He wasnt satisfied though; Prides brother Ji Feihang had already risen to the rank of captain. Rank promotions within the GAL army were not easy, and Knight had obviously paid a lot of effort to rise to become a first lieutenant so quickly. Knights plan was to become a ranked officer in two years, and in most peoples view this plan was extremely difficult to achieve. However, Cillin believed that with his abilities Knight could definitely achieve his expected goal. And this was to say nothing of Ci Jinchengs achievements. He was already a specially recruited student in the first place, and from the moment he entered Seven Lights he had already owned a research topic of his own and often ran back and forth between all sorts of research bases. In comparison, he enjoyed a larger degree of freedom since a specially recruited student like him was judged by different standards and was not limited by credits. Although he had a deep background, Ci Jincheng had relied on his own abilities and completed several research achievements of more than seventy contribution points. One could see Ci Jinchengs image in academic publications above seventy contribution points, and due to splendid results Ci Jincheng now held a post in GAL Research Institute under the combined recommendation of several scholars. Exactly what Ci Jincheng was researching, Lung did not know. However, he heard that his achievement could be published in Code if it was successfully researched. This meant that the achievement was worth at least ninety GAL contribution points. With Ci Jinchengs current age, if he could show his face on Code then he absolutely deserved to be called a genius among geniuses. Seven Lights senior mentors and upper level practically treated Ci Jincheng like a treasure. If he needed anything, Ci Jincheng only needed to ask verbally before the permission was given directly by the universitys upper level. There was no need for him to go through the application process. Research funds, experiment equipment, base access. As long as Ci Jincheng asks, there shall be no obstacles. If the research finishes smoothly, I believe that guy can rise immediately as a one star scholar on the side of science and technology. In my impression scholars are normally small old men, but that guy is an exception. Lung said while smiling. A scholar was looked upon as the most excellent elites of science and academic authority. GAL Research Institute was the only body in the entire GAL that had the qualifications to confer the title of a scholar. Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 2] Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 2] GAL Research Institute was the highest academic institution in terms of science and engineering in GAL, and it was the integrated research and development center of the latest and most high-end technologies in the entire GAL. It was also the academic institution with the highest reputation and consultation rate. In academic terms, they were the absolute authority and magnate. Mo Heng himself was one of them. As a senior authority in academia who had been immersed in engineering technology for many years, Mo Heng was already a four star engineering scholar. This was also why so many people were respectful and in awe of Mo Heng. The scholarly titles conferred by GAL Research Institute were differentiated into five ranks from the initial one star scholar to a five star scholar. As the people continue to contribute to GAL, they would accumulate contribution points and increase their star rank. Only those who possessed the title scholar could be said to have truly set foot into this circle of authority. At twenty years old or so, Ci Jincheng was already taking a shot at the title of scholar. Such a case was extremely rare. That fellow truly is impressive. Cillin agreed. Tsk, it was exactly because there was Knight and Ci Jincheng to make a comparison with that I was forcefully captured back home by my father to manage businesses. He even froze my private accounts. Im poor now man, dont you see that this is the only attire I can afford now? Bullshit, the reason youre dressed like this is completely due to your own twisted taste. Cillin knew that this was just Lung making a grumble. If he really did object to the act, who on earth could freeze all of Lungs private accounts so easily? What about you, Cillin? How does it feel to be a Hunter? Lung never planned to hide the fact that he had investigated Cillin. Its not bad. What did you find out about me? There was too little time. I only knew that youre a Hunter and that youve accepted a mission from the Feniers Family. I did not accept a mission from them. The one who accepted it is the kid whos with me. I was just earning some leisure cash along the way. It seems that your treatment of that little girl is pretty well. I wonder what Ling Lung would think if she knew this. Lung said while rubbing his chin. Cillin raised a leg and kicked him once, Get out, you bastard. So much nonsense coming from you. Lung chuckled and dodged out of the way, Hey, speaking of which, your strength has gone up again. Youre rank A now, right? Mm. Cillin nodded. No wonder you were able to find out Pascado. Oh, I forgot to tell you, but I am the one who sent the men to stir the pot at Planet Zafia. The person you found out is called Pascado. Before this, he had never been found out when he participates in the action, but he didnt expect that he would capsize* in front of you this time. Hehe. Contrary to one might expect, Lung did not feel any embarrassment and thus voiced the matter on his own accord. *capsize in a drain, also means to fail when one least expects it or in their most confident task So thats how it is! Cillin abruptly recalled the true nature of the familiarity he felt when he saw the tamer back then. Back then, when they had participated in the Sector Championships integrated warfare competition, Lung had caught and knocked out the Second Military Academys Boen inside the lake. When Lung lifted Boen in front of Cillin, he had given him a tamer-like feeling back then. However, Lung didnt manage to completely conceal his presence probably because he had just exited the lake. Still, that feeling had lasted for only a fraction of a second, so the impression it left Cillin was both short and blurry. Youre a tamer of the legends! Surprised, arent you? Your young master is a legendary tamer who inherited the legacy of the sea god! Lung said proudly before coming to a pause. Then, he asked in an exaggeratedly mysterious manner, Which Hunter regiment are you in right now? Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, Lieutenant Commander. Holy shit! Thats one of the big fours, hmm? Wait a second, the Sixth B Squadron Lungs mouth turned into an O shape, The squadron that took out the largest terrorist organisation Poison Fang in Sector V? Cillin nodded. Lung lifted a thumb. When he heard of the news back then he already thought highly of the Sixth B Squadron. Perhaps in the not-so-far future, the Sixth B Squadron could become the number one squadron in Vanguard. After stretching his back and moving his arms around for a bit, he raised his eyes and saw a certain cat above the statue. The cat was standing on top of the statue of the Sea Gods head and looked to be revelling in the emotion where it was looking down arrogantly at the entire world. Whats going on with that cat? Its undergoing self-enlightenment at the moment. The reason Lung and Cillin could chat here without the slightest scruple was not without reason. There was a device developed by the Andrea Family in Lungs pocket that ensured that no one beyond two meters of range could hear any content of their conversation. This was because the sound waves were put through distortion processing beyond two meters so other people could only hear some static noises. Come and take a seat at my place? Ill show you my dearest sofa! Lung stood up and pulled Cillin towards outside the public square. Cillin beckoned for the gray cat to come back. While Lung was pulling Cillin towards outside the public square, an extra long flying car was slowly driving towards the Sector governments twin towers behind them. Suddenly, it came to a stop. Inside the flying car, a girl wearing a fashionable sunglasses looked outside the window. What is it, miss? a bodyguard beside the girl asked. Nothing. I just saw an old friend. the corner of the girls lips curled beautifully. She did not need to see the front. She only needed to watch his back C even if that back was completely different from the back in her mind C to know, that it was that person. Lung pulled Cillin all the way to the suspended parking area beside the plaza. He then summoned his hot dog* of a car in sea blue color and headlights that looked like red phoenix eyes. *picked up from urban dictionary as a slang for show off. Correct me if Im wrong. After driving out of the public square, Cillin asked, Why were we in such a hurry to leave just now? Yoho, you found out? Lung shrugged, Do you want to meet up with Ling Lung? Cillin smiled bitterly, I actually am not prepared for that. After Cillin had faked his death and left Seven Lights, the Galois Family had suffered a little bit of hardships. Aiflon told him that Ling Lung was the one responsible for it. Therefore, lets avoid her for now. But Cillin, Ling Lung really is a remarkable woman, but you know, she really seems to be interested in you. Lung said while making winky eyes. Cillin threw a slap right over, Drive your car! Lungs flying car was driven directly into the floor where Lungs office was in the Andreas building. It wasnt far away from the door to the office, and the bodyguards outside the door were currently standing still with a serious expression. The fierce light in their eyes were in full display, and they appeared incredibly intimidating. The gray cat crouching on top of Cillins shoulder glanced at the bodyguards with a cocked head. Then, it raised a hind leg and scratched its ears before letting out a sigh, They look even stupider than the dolphin statues beside the sea god! Lung echoed with profound understanding, Yeah, they look stupid as hell! The bodyguards faces twisted, and they roared in their hearts while wishing that they could flip a table: We know this looks stupid, but what can we do, Grandpa Ber is the one issuing our salaries! Lung showed off his dearest shell sofa to Cillin. Cillin expressed his extreme disdain towards it. Meanwhile, the gray cat was now transfixed by the aquarium within Lungs office and scooped the fishes while it crouched above the aquarium. Feeling that it hadnt enjoyed itself fully, the gray cat jumped directly into the aquarium and teased the fishes, causing the poor things to all holed up at a corner and tremble like a leaf. Lung exclaimed repeatedly at the sight, This cat is truly outrageous. Now that he knew that Cillin was in Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, it would be a lot easier to find him when it was necessary. Before you return to the Sixth Squad, you can seek out the manager of any company under the Andrea Family if you need to contact me or get help. Just pass this to them and itll work. Lung took out a card and passed it to Cillin. The word Lung was written in twenty or so languages on the card. Cillin accepted the card. With this card, Cillin would be able to seek help in any places where the Andrea Family was involved. This was a sizable help for a Hunter who travelled and drifted between the line of life and death often. This is for you. Cillin raised a hand and tossed Lung a green, round ball. It was one of the five huge green pearls he had acquired from Sector Z. This is good stuff! Lung held it in his hand and exclaimed. With his observation skills, naturally he could deduce the green pearls value, This is too valuable. Thats what he said, but Lungs expression was something else: You better dont turn back on your word, you bastard! Ill never return it even if I die! Cillin couldnt hold himself back from giving the bastard another kick. When Cillin and the gray cat had left the Andrea Familys building, Berzett walked over and watched his young master staring at the green pearl in his hands like he was staring at a treasure. He frowned and asked, Why? Berzett was asking why had Lung brawled with Cillin at a public area like the Eternal Square. With Lungs intelligence, he shouldnt have so recklessly created an embarrassing commotion like that. Nothing much. Im just tell a certain people that I know this guy and were quite well acquainted with each other, and that they should moderate the dirty tricks they have in their minds. Youre not afraid that he will expose us to the Feniers Family? Nope, I am not afraid. He wont. Seeing that Berzetts frown hadnt dropped, Lung gave him a smile and said, Berzett, do you know that back at Seven Lights University, our accommodation was called the sickest accommodation in Seven Lights? Lung Andrea, Knight Feigler, Ci Jincheng and now Cillin. How could a person who was thought highly by the first three people be weak? Is it worth it? Berzett asked. Its worth it! Lung turned around and looked at Berzett, What, you dont believe me? Berzett smiled and shook his head, I believe you. Everyone of you Andreas are a bunch of weirdos. But you guys havent met each other for three years. Shouldnt you chat a little more with him? If youre willing, young master, you can invite him a couple more times as a guest. Our negotiations with the Feniers Family will last another two days. Its fine. He has his own matters to deal with, and I do not want that woman Ling Lung to knock on my door either. Plus, I believe that we will be cooperating with each other very soon after this. Berzetts eyes flashed, Young master, you mean the matter at Sector S? Yeah, its been fifty years. It is time to begin. Chapter 153: The Triphibian Flying Car Racing Competition of Acallela [Part 1] Chapter 153: The Triphibian Flying Car Racing Competition of Acallela [Part 1] While Lung and Bezett were talking, the communicator in the office outside the lounge began to ring. Moreover, it sounded like it was going to get out of control. Lung covered up his ears and rolled back and forth on his shell sofa, It must be that Yu Linglong. I refuse to take her call even if I get beaten to death. If you dont, little princess Yu would probably come right up our doorsteps. Bezette said with certainty. I dont care, Im not seeing her even if she comes here. Would I be suffering if she could summon one tenth of her courage to see Cillin? The second he recalled how Yu Linglong turned from a dangerous and highly intellectual woman to a gentle and harmless little sheep immediately when she talked about Cillin, Lung couldnt help the goosebumps that kept falling off his skin. Bezette sighed, But the Andrea Familys business would be affected like this. If that happens, who knows how long youll have to stay in this place. Lung had been forcefully dumped onto Planet Ouroke to manage the Andrea Familys business, and the master had arranged some goals for him to achieve. If Lung did not meet the standards the master had set, he would have to stay here indefinitely. When he heard Bezettes words, Lungs shameless roll of defiance on the sofa abruptly froze as he jumped onto his feet and rushed towards the office. You can take this opportunity to fight for the development rights of that planet between the H and the U District. Bezette reminded him from the back. Of course! only an idiot among idiots would not negotiate terms when they could. Cillin had no idea about Linglong and Lungs distress. After he left the Andrea Familys building, he bought some sweets on the way back. He had promised Tang Qiuqiu after all. Planet Ouroke was filled with money, authority and desire everywhere. High class flying cars could be seen anywhere he looked. People who dressed themselves in ways that were only neater and prettier than the others boasted their own capital* ostentiously. When he walked on the road, he noticed that the workers who were passing by him in haste were wearing expressions that were similar to a mask on their face. Their hearts were a blur. A high tempo lifestyle made the people too busy to relax as they grew more numb to the fact with each passing day. Before they knew it, they had already gotten used to putting on a disguise. *meaning worth or value When he returned to the Feniers Family, Castella and Kirk were staring at him with odd looks in their eyes. LC Cillin, you are friendly with the young master of the Andrea Family? Castella asked. Yeah, I became acquainted to him in the past. We havent met in several years, so we took the time to get in touch with each other today. Cillin did not hide this. He knew that the Feniers Family had sent someone to follow him, so they must have known what had happened on the public square. However, Cillin did not plan to explain more than this either. Cillin did not care about what Castella and Kirk thought, and Tang Qiuqius current mission was more or less about to finish. After conversing a line or two, Cillin then sought out Tang Qiuqiu and passed the colorful sweets and denture cleaner he bought on the way to her. Cillin did not know that his status in Castella and Kirks heart had risen to yet another level, however. Not everyone could share such a good relationship with young master Lung, and even the discussion for collaboration this time was probably built on Cillins face. That was why Lung had given the quota for collaboration to the Feniers Family. It would seem that the discussion for collaboration this time would go a bit smoother. In terms of influence in Sector H, the Feniers Family and the Binger Family combined might not necessarily match up against the Andrea Family still. This was also why Castella thought higher of Cillin. They probably did not imagine that it was also young master Lung who had caused them the huge trouble they encountered on Zafia not long ago. For the next two days, the collaboration discussions with the Andrea Family went rather smoothly as Castella had imagined. Both sides signed the contract, and whatever came next was under Kirks responsibility. Castella still needed to escort Tobo back to his home. The gray cat was rather happy to leave this planet since it did not like it. Of course, the aquarium in Lungs office was an exception. They stepped onto the starship once more and left the most gorgeous planet in Sector H, heading towards Sector F. This particular flight went very smoothly, and they did not encounter any other obstructions or troubles. When they approached Sector F, they immediately ran into the Feniers Familys escort corvettes that were waiting for them under orders. With these escort corvettes around, Tang Qiuqius mission could now be considered finished. They did not follow Castella and his people back to the Feniers Familys headquarters. When they were passing through the transit planet of Sector F, Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu rode the spaceplane Castella had arranged for them and landed on the transit planet. After acquiring the two million remuneration of this mission, Tang Qiuqiu was so excited that she could not sleep properly for several days. She had been thinking on where to play next all this time. In a restaurant on the transit planet F-C100, Tang Qiuqiu flipped through the materials in her hands repeatedly. The materials were all about the well known scenic spots of Sector F, and Tang Qiuqiu could feel her eyes spin just looking at them. If possible, she really wished that she could visit every one of them. Unable to decide, Tang Qiuqiu pushed the materials to Cillin, You choose, brother Cillin. I dont know where we should go. Cillin took over Tang Qiuqius materials and gave it a look. He paid primary attention to the distinguished planets between F-C District because one, it was closer to where they were and two, they were less involved with the Feniers Family. How about this one? Cillin pointed at one of the introductions and said. It was a relatively famous planet in F-C Sector C Acallela. In Sector Fs Sector language, Acallela meant flying car. As its name suggested, Acallela was famous for its flying car competitions. Every year, there were many people who went to Acallela to watch its fly car competitions. There were plenty of places in Sector F that live broadcasted the contests, but if the circumstances were right, there were even more people who were willing to attend and watch the contests personally. Unfortunately, the Acallelas championship wasnt due yet, so if they went now they would only be able to see the knock-out competitions. This was something that Cillin felt was unfortunate. Thats pretty good. But brother Cillin, what does the triphibian of the triphibian flying car racing competition means? Tang Qiuqiu asked curiously. The gray cat who was busy struggling against the roasted fish on its plate had also raised its ears. The flying cars that can drive normally under the three conditions of water, land and air are called triphibian flying cars, and a competition where triphibian flying cars only are competing is called a triphibian flying car racing competition. The competition site ought to involve all three environmental conditions of water, land and air as well. Cillin explained. Triphibian flying car racing competition was a sport that was loved by many people in the galaxy, and it started many business activities; among them was car racing gambling. Back at Planet Brown Earth of Sector X, Old Devon had often gambled in car racing. Cillin had also helped him win some money through car gambling, thereby improving his life. It sounds very interesting. Lets go to Acallela then! Right now, the Acallela championship is far and away. If we go now, we would only be able to watch the knock-out competitions. Thats fine too. I just want to see what a triphibian flying car racing competition is all about. Tang Qiuqius eyes were bright and yearning. The name triphibian flying car racing competition alone sounded full of passion. An exclusive race spectating tour group was also mentioned beneath the introduction of Acallela, but neither Cillin nor Tang Qiuqiu were willing to register. They preferred the freedom to act even more. After finishing their meals, the two people and a cat roamed the transit planet at will before boarding on the passenger airplane to Acallela. The gray cat seemed to have gotten used to the pets cabin, and once it entered the cabin it switched into sleep mode right away. When they exited Acallelas port, the peoples first reaction was C there are so many cars! There were all kinds and shapes of flying cars around, and there were even large electronic signs at the exits of the port displaying the news of the recent triphibian flying car racing competitions and replays of classic episodes. They attracted many people to stay and watch. After they had stocked up on food and equipment, Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat rode on a passenger flying car and headed to a nearby city. Chapter 153: The Triphibian Flying Car Racing Competition of Acallela [Part 2] Chapter 153: The Triphibian Flying Car Racing Competition of Acallela [Part 2] The native population of Planet Acallela were few in numbers, and compared to other planets of the same bulk, their population size was pitifully small. Many of the people who came to race here were people of other planets, just like the ruler of this planet who was also transferred over from another planet. Therefore, the status of native Acallelans was basically on the low side. The biggest reason behind the decline of Acallelans population was the planets geography. Of course, its geography was also why it was famous in the first place. Its unique geographical terrain caused this planet to become famous for its triphibian racing competitions. There were more and more flying car enthusiasts who came here to participate in the race. Since there was a huge influx of foreigners every year C and not just limited to Sector F; the people from the Sectors around Sector F would also visit for its fame C therefore everyone spoke the GALs common language on Acallela. Many of them carried accents from their own Sectors, however. As for the natives of Acallela, they too spoke the common language of GAL. Their speech might not be up to standard, but it could be understood at least. The passenger flying cars windows were all closed due to the strong wind. Other than the triphibian flying car racing competition, the people also said that first time visitors must not miss out on the wind of Wind City. Wind City was not a city, but a huge zone formed by a dozen or so cities that covered over several millions of square kilometers. It was called the Wind City District, or abbreviated as Wind City. Meanwhile, the cities situated inside the Wind City District would often use the prefix Wind City before their city names, which was why one could often hear from other people speaking of Wind City XX. They were talking about a certain city in Wind City District. Wind was a feature of this place. It did not have a fixed direction. A minute ago it might blow from the front, and the next it would blow from the back. The cars driven all across Acalella had undergone special modification to enable them to find their balance amidst the irregular airflow. The uninhabited regions of Wind City had the distinct landform of an arid region. The wind had an erosive effect. Due to the constant wind erosion, wind formed canyons and deflation hollows gradually separated the land into flat-headed small hills in the shape of isolated islands, which then evolved further into rock pillars or rock blocks. Looking from afar, the scene gave off the impression of an ancient city. The crisscrossing wind formed canyons, rock pillars and rock blocks looked just like building complexes built alongside a street. Every time a strong wind arrived, yellow sand would cover the sky. The wind would cycle within these building complexes wildly, creating mournful, whistling noises that sounded like ghost wails or wolf howls, striking extreme fear into peoples hearts. Therefore, some people also described this zone as the Devils City. Due to thousands and tens of thousands of years of wind and sun exposure, the flat sandstone stratum on the earths surface of this area formed all kinds of landscape such as rock arches, mushroom rocks, sandstone pillars, rock pedestals, yardang and deflation hollows, mogotes, castles and so on. The sceneries were magnificent, scoring sighs of wonder from everyone. There were also some unusually shaped and sized dunes and mounds at this place. The mounds were both hard, dry and neatly compressed. Every time a clouds shadow passed by, or a soft wind lifted light sands, the dunes or the mounds would drift gradually like a ship setting sail or a school of big fishes travelling. The scenes were impossible to unravel and invoked infinite imagination. If the stratum was near water level and alternated between hard and soft stratum, the soft stratum would be eroded easily while the hard stratum would protrude in contrast just like eaves. Here, such a scene could be seen everywhere. Wah, brother Cillin look quickly, it looks like a crawling snake! Tang Qiuqiu cried out excitedly while sticking at the car window and staring outside. Cillin followed the direction Tang Qiuqiu was pointing at, and where she pointed one end of the sand was scraped by the wind to form a long and winding mark, even as the other end was being gradually covered up and smoothened by the sand once more. Since the beginning end of the mark continued to cut against the wind into the sand at the front, at first glance it looked just like a huge snake crawling on the sand. The gray cat crouched on top of Cillins shoulders and stared round-eyed at the scene happening at the sand beneath the car and outside the window. Its paws moved unconsciously, and judging from its looks it really wanted to go down there and let itself loose. Eh, theres a rock ball over there! Its so big! Tang Qiuqiu said. The video camera in her hands had never rested since the beginning, Was it carved by someone? No, it is formed naturally. Cillin explained, When a rock is exposed on the surface, it will be eroded by the wind. Since it has well defined corners, it is easier for it to suffer from wind erosion. The tip of the rock would be eroded from three directions, whereas its edges would be eroded from two directions. Its facet would only be eroded from one direction, however. Therefore, as time passes, the corners of the big rock will gradually decline under wind erosion, ultimately trending towards a ball shape just like that big rock ball. Oh, I see. Tang Qiuqiu memorised Cillins explanation in her heart. This was also knowledge. Theres a racing circuit right at the front. someone blurted out. The crowd looked at the direction he pointed. There were two tall and towering rock mountains, and in between the mountains there was a corridor that looked like a narrow tube. The passage was one part of the racing circuit during the contest period. When air entered, the narrow tube caused an effect that sped up the airflows movements. Therefore, strong winds would often be formed at this place, and adding this to Wind Citys already irregular winds and winding turns of the narrow passage, the slightest lapse in attention would cause the driver to run into the rock mountains. It could be said to be an incredibly thrilling experience. Although this narrow passage was very thrilling, it was just a small section of the full circuit of the triphibian flying car racing competition. According to the description on the materials, the circuit of the triphibian flying car racing competition went around almost the entire globe. Moreover, this one round of circuit did not miss a single arduous region on this planet. One of the most commonly used circuit was the Wind City C Seven Joined Lakes C Stone Forest circuit. Although the wind at Wind City was huge, it was possible to drive temporarily on the sandy grounds if a driver was forced to land. However, they would need to avoid instantaneous gales as these gales would flip a car over. Experienced racers would use the miniscule changes in the sand to judge where instantaneous gales existed and when the strongest gale would be formed, hence commencing evasive actions. The second major section of the circuit was Seven Joined Lakes. Seven Joined Lakes was a passage established under seven great lakes that was then joined together to form one underwater circuit. The lake waters were very deep, and there were basically no light that could penetrate down to the underwater passage. It was very dark, and there were some underwater flora and fauna that poses as disruptive elements as well. If by chance something were to happen to the energy system, the flying car would sink to the bottom and into the silts at the bottom of the lake. Adding this to the entanglement of water plants, you could only exhaust your oxygen reserves while you wait for the rescue teams arrival. If your oxygen reserves werent sufficient, or something went wrong with your oxygen supply system, then death was not too far away. There were also other obstacles beneath the lake, although it wasnt stated clearly in the public version of materials that Cillin was holding. It didnt take much to figure out that those obstacles could only be harder, and this was accounting for environmental factors only. The level of danger need not be said when you considered the factor of drivers playing dirty and stabbing each other in the back. The third major section of the circuit was the stone forest. The stone forest was full of tall and straight mountains. The peaks of the mountain were conical, tower-like, cylindrical and so on. The surface of its landscape were clints, grikes and so on. The stone forest had incredible toughness, and if a flying car was to fall into the stone forest, there was basically no chance that it was climbing back up again. There was also the possibility of car crashes, or the slightly better getting jammed between the rocks of the stone forest. Even if they could take flight again, the damage to the flying car would greatly impact their performance during the latter half of the race. A circuit like this greatly tested a driver not just in terms of skill, but also their mentality and adaptability. Of course, experience was indispensable as well. It was exactly because of the danger, the high fatality rate and the high crash rate that flying cars enthusiasts were excited for the race. However, Cillin was thinking: How would a flying car driver who could race well in a competition like this fare if they were to pilot a fighter instead? There was no time to think further; he had already reached his destination. Cillin was going to get off at the stop Wind City Vento. Acallelas natives may be few in numbers, but the foreigners were plenty. Therefore, inns and other such buildings were always filled to full capacity for the whole year. In Acallela, if a towering, gorgeous building were to show up suddenly within the city, then it absolutely had to be a hotel. The costs of these hotels were shockingly expensive, and yet they were always saturated to the point where one might not necessarily get a spot even if they booked reservations three months ahead of time. Therefore, to Cillin who had made the snap decision to come to Wind City Vento (E/N: sounds like ghetto), the city with the most backward living conditions without a doubt presented a greater chance at locating an accommodation. One must understand that camping outdoors in a place like Wind City was pure masochism. Even if they ignored the low night temperature, there were still strong ravaging winds and sands in the area. If they were to camp inside a tent, the tent might get blown away with them in it. In the Wind City of Acallela, most of the native civilians lived inside stone houses built from sandy soil or rocks. As compared to the tall and gorgeous buildings at the central area, these civilians gave off an ancient feeling of having gone through great changes in life. This feeling was without a doubt inferred even stronger in Wind City Vento. The high class hotels at the city center of Wind City Vento and all of the housings of the surrounding area had been filled with people. Since there was a limited number of hotel rooms, some private housings would clear out some rooms to rent and earn some rent revenue as well. In reality, there were many native citizens who relied on rent money to make a living. If one day the triphibian flying car racing competitions were no longer held, and foreigners no longer came to pay for lodging, they would probably find it difficult to preserve their livelihood as well. However, after walking a long way, they did not find even one available private house! The gray cat laid on top of Cillins shoulders with a weak appearance. What the meow! Not only is this shithole expensive as hell, the most infuriating thing is even at that price theyre all full! Are they catshitting me or what?! The day gradually turned darker, and when Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu continued to look for accommodations along the street, a series of toot toot toot sound suddenly came from behind them. It gradually approached and stopped beside them. It was a flying car, and a very old one. It was the kind of old, shabby car thats loud all over except its horn. The gray cat cast a glance at the junk-like thing before dangling its eyelids once more. There really was nothing to look at all, in fact a second glance would only give it the impulse to end its life at the age it deserved. Are you guys looking for an accommodation? the top lid of the car opened up to reveal a young face covered in dust. Chapter 154: The Young Man Who Chases The Wind [Part 1] Chapter 154: The Young Man Who Chases The Wind [Part 1] Cillin looked at him. The young man before him was obviously only seventeen to eighteen years old, but he exuded a maturity that exceeded his age. It was slightly similar to the feeling of change of this city, but the good thing was that he did not sense any ill will from him. Yes, we are looking for a place to stay in. Do you have any recommendations? The young man looked at them and raised a gloved hand, sticking out one finger, One hundred a day, GAL credits. If you agree, then I will take you to check out the room. Sure. Cillin nodded. This price was still reasonable compared to the private housings at the city center. The young man pointed at the faded, old cloth spread out as a seat C there was only the drivers seat at the front C and said, Come on up. This flying car looked worn-out, and when it flew it was very thrilling as well. The shaking made them wish that they could shake out what little was left inside their stomach, and it felt as if the flying car would fall apart with the wind at any moment. When they reached their destination, Tang Qiuqiu was carried out by Cillin. She was shaken by the car so badly that she became absent-minded, and for a short time she couldnt even find her balance. Cillins condition wasnt that serious though. On his shoulder, the disdain in the gray cats eyes as it watched the shabby car worsened. The ride had proven his point C this car was a pile of junk. The place the young man mentioned was his own house. It was a small two story house built with rocks at the edge of Wind City Vento. Looking at the stones, it was probably built not too long ago within the past five years. There was a small courtyard. There were some old flying car parts piled up at the corner of the small courtyard and covered up with a cover, so as to prevent the wind from blowing them away. After the car was parked at the courtyard, the young man walked over and pointed at the second floor of the house, You guys can go in and take a look first. If there are no problems, then you may pay the rent and sign an agreement right away. Cillin nodded and walked to the second floor while carrying Tang Qiuqiu. There was only one flight of steps in the courtyard leading up the second floor. The gray cat had already jumped on the stairs and scuttled into the house. The space inside the house wasnt huge, but it had a distinct lay out of one room, one living hall and even one simplistic toilet. The bed inside the bedroom could be split into two smaller beds. First, Cillin put Tang Qiuqiu on the bed so she could rest. The gray cat had already patrolled around its domain once and even took a dump in the simplistic toilet along the way. It crouched on top of the window sill and looked towards sandstorm at the distance, wearing the expression of the profound thinker. Inside the courtyard, a woman with her head wrapped in a kerchief stood beside the young man. She was probably the young mans mother. She was wiping the young mans face with a moistened towel. Seeing Cillin descending down the stairs, the young man asked, How is it? Its passable. Hearing Cillins answer, joy leaked out of the womans eyes. The young man passed the contract that had been drafted a long time ago to Cillin. After Cillin had given it a look and found no problems with it, both sides then signed the agreement. Cillin paid five days of rent in advance right away. He would pay more if they needed to stay longer at this place. Besides that, the water bill was also billed separately by the volume used. Night had already arrived. After Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu lay down and rested after they had eaten a simple meal. Tang Qiuqiu quickly fell asleep. Cillin finally got to experience the devils sound of Wind City people were talking about as he listened to the high and low pitched whistling sound of the wind. Suddenly, the gray cats ears shook once, and it jumped up like a spring while its eyes shone with hidden gleam, Cillin, something came out from inside the desert. Im going out to hunt for a bit! Go. Dont cause too much commotion. I know! the gray cat impatiently jumped up to press the door lock before rushing outside. When the door had closed automatically, Cillin opened his eyes and sighed once. This place was even worse than the polarisation on Planet Brown Earth. The difference between the luxury of the city center and the old fashion of the ghetto was literally day and night. Although the sandstorm outside was pretty big, Cillins quality of sleep was pretty good tonight. However, Cillin had picked up a beating noise at midnight. It wasnt too obvious when mixed within the chaotic sounds of the wind though. The gray cat came back when it was almost daybreak. It looked satisfied, and it even brought back a snake about two meters long to enrich Cillin and Tang Qiuqius diet. Oh right Cillin, I saw that guy at the sandstone area. the gray cat lay sideways on the bed while licking its paws, saying, It is still that same junk car hes driving shaking all the way as it flies. He even purposely picked the places where there were plenty of rock ledges. He sure isnt afraid of death alright. Hes practicing his driving. Hes a flying car racer. Earlier, Cillin had already noticed that the young mans arms and wrists were very strong. His constitution was very good as well. At the same time, the young man wasnt as impatient as his peers. When he encountered Cillin he had examined him calmly, probably analysing if a person like Cillin would make a good renter. Did you know? It was incredibly taxing to control the steering while driving at high speed under the effects of air pressure. This was especially true when turning a corner, since powerful arms were even more necessary when a racer attempted to maintain their flying car on course. Therefore, a pair of strong arms and wrists were necessary in a long distance race. During a flying car race, the formidable lateral centrifugal force would cause the blood in a racers body to flow towards one side. However, a racer needed to have a calm mind to be able to face the next corner and potential dangers ahead during this moment. Furthermore, the difference of heart rate during the start of a race and in the middle of a race was pretty huge. Thus, a racers heart and lungs must be stronger than the average person. That wasnt all. Physical endurance was also important to a racer. In a race, even the shortest course of a race ran more than ten hours. However, the amount of body fat and water exhausted in a race that lasted over ten hours was more than ten kilograms. The racers must replenish their body water and attend to the surrounding dangers at the same time. Severe dehydration would cause the body to go into shock, and the moment a racer became absent-minded and made a mistake, it might just be a devastating outcome for the driver. Besides that, although the cockpit had a temperature control instrument, it was inevitable that it would suffer from damage during the course of a race. If a temperature control instrument failed, the temperature inside the cockpit would rise up to twenty degrees higher than the body temperature. Therefore, an accident might happen if a racer did not have good tolerance and endurance. Therefore, a tough constitution was an insurance for a racer. The gray cat had only paid attention to the worn out car and not the young man. It said disdainfully, A flying car racer in that piece of junk? Cillin patted the gray cats head, Go to sleep already. Its almost daylight! For the first two days they arrived at Wind City, Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu did not venture too far away. They only traveled within Wind City Vento for a bit since the race in Wind City was still three days away. The races at other regions were too far, and Tang Qiuqiu did not want to venture too far. Plus, the races of different regions really werent that different from each other. They could decide later after watching the race in Wind City. During the two days he stayed here, Cillin had gained a little bit of understanding about his landlord. The young man was called Udoze Vento. Vento was his surname. Normally speaking, in GAL the big families who had compound surnames loved to put their surnames at the front as a show of respect to their families*. Therefore, on the flip side, there were plenty of people who would automatically categorise someone like Udoze into the ranks of common poeple just based on his name alone. *Apparently I screwed up when I introduced Pride, Knight and Lung; it should be Andrea Lung, Feigler Knight and so on. For now we keep the arrangement as it is. The arrangement of Udoze Vento was correct, however. In the Sector language of Sector F, Udoze meant chase. It would appear that Udoze loved his own name a lot. He heard that Mrs. Vento once thought of getting him a new name, but was turned down by Udoze. Mr. Vento had passed away when Udoze was still very young. It was a physical problem. Mr. Vento was prone to sickness since he was born, and so when he was sixteen years old, his parents had married him to Mrs. Vento, who was ten years older than him so that he could leave behind an offspring. Mrs. Vento was the woman he once met inside the courtyard. However, after Mr. Vento had passed away, his brother chased out Mrs. Vento and Udoze, who was only two years old at the time. Thus, the orphan and his widowed mother lived at the edge of the city. Oh right, one thing. The Vento Family had a larger flying car model shop at the center of Wind City Vento. Later on, the shop was purchased by outsiders and had its name changed. However, it was growing better and better right now, so the other members of the Vento Family all enjoyed a significant income. In comparison, Udoze and Mrs. Ventos lives were much bleaker. Udoze worked in the racing team of Wind City Vento. His income wasnt much, but it was enough to maintain the mother and sons life. Besides that, there was rent money as well. In the past, the house didnt look like this and was basically made of sandy soil completely. It was after Udoze had earned some money in the car team that he rebuilt it as a stone house after flattening the former sandy soil house. Since Udoze spent the majority of his time constantly on the move, he worried about leaving his mother alone in the house if he rented out the house. After all, not all renters who came here were easy to get along with. Therefore, Udoze would seek out his renters personally every time. He would seek out those who were reputable and looked like they could get along well. If he couldnt find a suitable renter, then he would rather not rent out at all. Chapter 154: The Young Man Who Chases The Wind [Part 2] Chapter 154: The Young Man Who Chases The Wind [Part 2] Mrs. Ventz did not have other jobs. All she did was take care of her renters, wash clothes etc, and make some handicraft to sell for some small change. After all, in a world ruled by high technology, handicrafts were just too cheap. The product of a machine was more precise, more beautiful, less time consuming, low cost and highly efficient. However, the advantage of handicrafts lay on their creativity. As long as the creator had good notions and ideas, then there would be people who would purchase them. Although it could not be sold at an ideal price point, it could at least fill up some living necessities. It wasnt Udoze or Mrs. Vento, but the surrounding residents who told them this on their own accord. The people around them basically relied on rent payments for their livelihood, and when there were no flying car racing competitions they would spend the majority of their time chatting. Therefore, Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu who just came to reside in Udozes home became their best tell tale partner. It was night time. Tang Qiuqiu was laying on the bed and looked at the racing teams description, Brother Cillin, which racing team does Udoze belong to? The uncle around the street corner last time said that hes in Storm. Storm, huh Tang Qiuqiu flipped through the materials, Oh, theyre pretty good. Theyre number four in the entire planet! Alright, read less at night and sleep earlier. Cillin knocked on Tang Qiuqius head. Fine, I got it, just five more minutes, no, fifteen more minutes and Ill sleep. Cillin shook his head while smiling. He looked towards the pitch back window outside. No one knew what he was thinking. The gray cat had gone out to hunt for food again. For the past two days, this fellow had been living quite comfortably. Other than the fact that this was a place abundant with food resources, the main reason for its high spirits was because it had encountered a few high level pets that were trained well enough to talk in the city area. Although they had seen some talking high level pets that were raised by rich people at Ouroke, it did not think that it would run into high level pets here too. From this fact, one could see that this was a place where rich people came to amuse themselves. Ever since it saw the few talking high level pets, the gray cat grew a lot more relaxed. From time to time it would speak on the road and enjoy the shower of attention of passerbys. At the same time, it was very pleased with itself because the GAL language spoken by those few talking high level pets had thick accent in them. Again, the gray cat was undergoing self enlightenment in this regard. After Tang Qiuqiu had fallen asleep, Cillin turned off the rechargeable lamp. He closed his eyes and laid on the bed, but he had not fallen asleep. It was midnight. The beating sounds at the courtyard started once more. Udoze was sitting inside the drivers cockpit and getting ready to leave. However, he heard a knocking sound turned his head. Then, he was so surprised that he nearly jumped on his feet. Cillin had stood beside the shabby old flying cat before he knew it, and was knocking on the car lid. Cillin made a hand gesture and motioned for Udoze to open the car lid. Although he was unwilling, Cillin was his renter after all. He was the supplier of his rent money, and judging from the past two days Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu were pretty good people. Therefore, Udoze ultimately opened the car lid and allowed Cillin to sit at the back seat. I cant sleep and felt like going out for a spin. I know youre practicing your driving skills, but you dont mind me hitching a ride, do you? Cillin did not look embarrassed in the least at all. Youre in the car already, would you move even if I do mind? Sure. As long as you can take it! Udoze gritted his teeth and said. It was pitch black at night, and Udoze did not even turn on his car lights. However, he flew the shabby old car out of the courtyard with great familiarity and left Wind City Vento, entering the uninhabited area outside. The shabby old car was as shaky as ever, not to mention that Udoze had purposely made the car shake so much that it could toss a person out of his car. However, Udoze noticed that the person behind his back continued to sit steadily on his seat despite not wearing a seat belt. His eyes were closed as if he had fallen asleep. Udoze was surprised. Just what kind of weirdo was this guy? Shaking his head, Udoze removed his attention from Cillin and officially entered his own practice time. Sand dunes, rock ledges, narrow passages the shabby old car was always able to smoothly pass through these places while shaking. Its speed wasnt slow either. Of course, there was no way it could reach the flurry speed of a racing flying car. After all, this shabby all car was using a rechargeable battery. Here in this area, solar energy and wind energy were the two main sources of energy. These two energies were converted into stored energy and kept inside the rechargeable battery, so that it could provide for electrical appliances such as rechargeable lamps, some household electric appliances, flying cars and so on. A rechargeable battery was obviously incomparable to an energy block at all. However, energy blocks were considered a luxury goods in this place. Only the racing cars of racing teams would use energy blocks, and people of Udozes circumstances could not afford energy blocks at all. Therefore, he could only rely on rechargeable batteries to power his flying car. Although it used rechargeable battery, the speed of Udozes worn out car was much faster than other flying cars that were powered by rechargeable battery. This was because he utilised the wind to his full advantage. He was calm and composed despite driving at an extremely challenging and dangerous place like this. Udoze entire being seemed to have merged into one with the flying car. He did not need to rely too heavily on the airflow balancing meter, and he was able to deduce the next move just by relying on the miniscule effects of the airflow on the cars body. This person felt like he should be living in the wind since the moment he was born, free to fly anywhere. Here in the uninhabited zone, the people carried a sense of foreboding towards the wind and kept away as far away as possible, but Udoze felt unusually close and dear to the wind instead. He could feel the power the wind brought him. The wind seemed to be telling him: You can be faster, better; go faster, faster At this moment, Udoze forgot about Cillin at his back seat and became completely absorbed in himself, his flying car, and the world of the wind. Whlie he was turning a corner, Udoze controlled the cars body proficiently, utilising the airflow around the corner and the whistling wind to enable him to complete this turn with better perfection. However he had not considered Cillin at the back seat. An extra person meant an extra weight. It was an extra factor that was out of his control. Therefore, when he manipulated the car just like he used to hundreds and thousands of times before, he abruptly discovered his carelessness as a protruding rock on the mountain wall grew closer and closer. However, Udozes reaction was very swift. With even greater hand speed he adjusted the control wheel, turned the steering, and slanted his body at a certain angle to match the cars movements. The series of movements were completely in an extremely short amount of time, and the car practically went around the turn while touching the edge of the rock. After going around the turn, Udoze did not continue to drive along the narrow tube. Instead, he drove the flying car out of the tube and landed behind a large rock mountain, popping out clasp nails to cling tightly onto the large rock mountain and prevented the flying car from being blown away by the wind. After the flying car had come to a stop, Udoze lay on top of the steering and panted. Yo, you made a mistake. Cillin opened his eyes and said. You shut up, if it wasnt for you how would I have run into that kind of situation?! Udoze roared out. His forehead was all sweat, and his back was seeping with cold sweat too. That turn just now was way too thrilling and had exceeded his expectations. Thankfully, it was still within his control, or the two of them would have died here today. You cannot put the blame of your own carelessness on another person. After all, you already knew that I was in the car beforehand, but you forgot about it at the time and fell into the habit of familiar controls and familiar mindset. This is undeniably your own fault. Udoze no longer said anything. He himself knew where his mistake lay. This was a lesson to be learned. He was too confident, so confident that he had overlooked a critical factor. Your control just now was pretty good though. At the very least, you did not panic. If your reaction time was 0.1 second slower, then we would have no choice but to enjoy an explosive contact with the rocks. Udoze suddenly noticed something. The man sitting at the back seat was too calm; so calm that he was like an observer. Are you a flying car racer as well? Udoze said heavily. In Wind City, there were a lot of taboos between racers. Competing athletes did not like to expose their control habits to another person. It would be very detrimental to him. No. I piloted more fighters than I drove flying cars. Cillin said. In the Sixth Squad, fighter piloting was a mandatory course among combat personnel. What fight could they put up if they couldnt even pilot a fighter? Udozes eyes lit up when he heard about fighters. But it dimmed in the next instant. Do you want to pilot a fighter? Cillin asked. Ill be lying if I say I dont want to. But that thought is too ephemeral. Udoze buried his head between his arms and said unhappily, Do you know what my job is? I only know that you work in a racing team. Hehe, work Udoze smiled self-deprecatingly, Do you know? There is a kind of person called body double in a racing team. Chapter 155: Flaring Spectator’s Grandstand [Part 1] Chapter 155: Flaring Spectators Grandstand [Part 1] A so-called body doubles job is to race on behalf of the racing stars brought up by the team. This is an open secret among all racing teams. The trophy cup will never have a body doubles name, and naturally the award money even less so. The award money won by the body doubles are completely turned over to the racing team, before the person in charge of the racing team rewards them based on their personal feelings at that time just like a donation. If you win then you at least get a donation, but the unlucky ones who lost their lives directly gets nothing. They can only vanish in a puff of smoke and dust amidst the spectators ridiculing boos. Udoze lay on top of the steering wheel and said unhappily. Although people like them obviously possessed superb racing skills, they could only live in secrecy. When they headed out, they wore helmets so that their real faces could not be seen clearly, just like the shadows of those bright stars. The ones the crowd saw and cheered for were always the racing stars who could stand on the platform and hold up the trophy while laughing and throwing air kisses at them. They did not know that the people who finished the race in their cars a moment ago were the gray and boring native citizens whom were regarded as inferiors, and were so poor that they could only stay in their humble stone built houses. Countless native racers were buried in a race fighting for fame and glory that did not belong to themselves. As compared to the official racers of those racing team, they, the body doubles neither owned a car of their own, nor a competition that belonged to themselves. They could only ever add bricks and tiles to another persons life. They were both humans. Life was cheap, and that was all there was to be. In Acallelas flying car racing competition, there was once a body double who had died from an accident. However, in the medias report they only mentioned that that racer was severely wounded and survived by chance of luck. Not long after, the racer had appeared again in a bombastic fashion. It was just that he had gotten a new body double. As for his previous body double, if they were lucky they would get a sympathetic burial fee. Otherwise, they would get nothing at all. Udoze let out a rough smile that was not much better than a cry, The most funny thing is that these unfair slave contracts were signed by no one but ourselves. In fact, there were many people who sharpened their heads and did their utmost to show off their skills to those people, hoping to get a slave contract. It is because even a pact as unfair as this one will met us several times higher the wage than some labor work. I heard that a competitions profit can reach up to several hundreds of millions. Cillin said. Yeah, it is several hundred millions. Even if they lose, the racing team will still have tens of millions of income, and if they win the money will be more. Several hundred millions is a common thing. The racers will get a few hundred thousand, and the lucky ones will get close to several millions. As for those racing celebrities, they will get several hundred millions of income. But for people like us? Several thousands or ten thousand probably on a good day. Udoze raised his head and looked outside the car window. God knows how many bodies were buried beneath those sand, all of them scapegoats. You never thought of leaving? Cillin asked. Sure I do, but I couldnt leave. If Im going to leave Im definitely bringing my mother with me, but according to Acallelas law, a native citizen must submit five hundred thousand credits of processing fee each to leave. That five hundred thousand for one person, and one million for two people. This sum is seriously not much to those official racers, but it is practically impossible for us body doubles. We may even lose our lives to get that kind of money. I heard that there are bets for racing competitions. Have you never tried it? Those are aimed at foreigners; a native citizen would be fined if they were caught betting. But we do use fake identities to win some small sums of money in secret. Do you know about Hunters? Cillin changed the subject and asked. Sure I know! Udozes eyes shone brightly, I once saw a bounty hunter before. He was really strong! I also know some Hunter regiments; last year there was a Hunter regiment who came to Acallela to check out the triphibian flying car racing championship. Those racing team managers who normally looked at people with their nostrils all acted cautiously in front of them. The investors of the racing team Storm were acquainted with that Hunter regiment. They are a very famous Hunter regiment, and I heard that they were ranked among the top five in Sector F. You must have heard of them before! Oh? What are they called? Cillin asked full of interest. Theyre called Golden Rose! Cillin raked through the information inside his brain, and he went through even the latest top 100 names in GALs ranking in the authoritative publication Hero. Then, he said affirmatively, Ive never actually heard about them. Come on?! Youre a little too uninformed now arent you! Udoze blurted with a look of disdain, Thats the top five Hunter regiment in Sector F, you know. I heard that every one of their hunters were veterans of a hundred battles, and they had gone to countless planets and seen countless fantastic things of every description. They had killed quite a number of alien beasts too! In fact, there is a big statue in our racing team that is provided by them. At night, the statue would glow with dazzling five-colored light Five-colored light and you arent afraid that the level of radioactive elements would go past the limit? Cillin laughed involuntarily. When Udoze talked of Hunter regiments, his depression just now was tossed to god knows where. He even made his descriptions with body languages, making threatening gestures and looking very excited. When Udoze had finished talking to himself, he noticed that Cillin had already closed his eyes and fell asleep at the backseat. While staring at the guy at the back seat, Udoze had the feeling that he was playing the lute to a cow*. He curled his lips and said, What a strange person. then, he started the flying car and shook all the way back to the courtyard. *meaning to preach to deaf ears When Cillin got off the car, the horizon was already starting to glow with hazy light. Patting Udozes shoulders once, Cillin said, Do your best. Well go and watch the race the day after tomorrow and cheer you on. Udoze tugged at the corner of his lips and said nothing. After locking up the top lid of the car, he then headed inside the house. Shadows who lived in secrecy like them would never hear their own names from the crowds cheer. When he returned to the house, Tang Qiuqiu opened her eyes wide and stared at Cillin in dissatisfaction. She complained, Brother Cillin, how dare you go out and play on your own. What can I do, dont tell me you want to sit in that shabby car of his? Tang Qiuqiu shook her head strongly, That guys technique is too poor! Too poor? Not at all. On the contrary, his car handling skills are very good. Have you seen anyone else who can drive a shabby car with a calcium deficiency style Charley horse like that and go around safely? That is true. Lets go watch that guys competition the day after tomorrow. Okay. Tang Qiuqiu let out a yawn, rolled up her blanket and continued to sleep. The next day morning Cillin was gargling water when he heard a sweet cry from downstairs, Miss~ Sus~ Ven~ To~ Cillin immediately spat out the gargle water in his mouth and shook the goose pimples on his body once. What kind of madness had gone over that stupid cat again? When Cillin went downstairs, he immediately saw Mrs. Vento working on a handiwork at the first floor. Meanwhile, that stupid cat was crouching by the side and staring unblinkingly at her work. Mrs. Vento was truly a handicraft veteran with many years under her belt. With just a piece of cloth, a pile of fine sand, a needle and a thread, she was quickly able to sew something that looked pretty good. Right now, a cat shaped doll filled with fine sand was being made quickly in Mrs. Vento hands. The shape of the doll was the gray cats appearance, and even the cloth itself was gray in color. This type of gray cloth was considered low quality cloth and was found very commonly at this place. Every family here had a lot of it. In the past, Mrs. Vento made her handiworks with colorful or bright colored cloths. This was because those colors could attract buyers, and the amount of dolls that were made from gray cloth was pitifully few. Even if she did make one, no one would buy them. However, the gray cat just happened to see Mrs. Vento making handiworks when it returned from hunting today. Suddenly, an idea popped up on the cats head, and it pretended to be cute asking for her help to make a cat-shaped doll for it. No wonder it had cried out so sweetly just now! The doll did look quite good, however. Although this type of cloth was coarse to touch, it was also tough. Wind City also had a special kind of fine sand that very soft to touch, so after the doll was filled up with fine sand it had a very solid feeling to it. It was made at a 1:1 ratio too. Moreover, Mrs. Vento had very patiently sewn the eyes, the mouth and so on onto the doll. Normally, the eyes of a handmade doll like this was either stickied with different objects, or drawn. In comparison, the outcome was much cruder than a sewing machines. However, Mrs. Vento had obviously invested a considerable amount of effort into this cat doll. She had sewn the features of the cat thread by thread. Knowing that the work wasnt easy on Mrs. Vento, Cillin paid her a hundred GAL credits for the doll C the rest of Mrs. Ventos doll were only priced at ten GAL credits. Mrs. Vento tried to turn down the payment, and Cillin stuffed the money directly into the cloth basket and said, Please accept it, Mrs. Vento. This cat is very troublesome. I have to thank you for your patience. Mrs. Vento smiled and waved her hands, No, its very smart. This is the first time Ive seen such an intelligent cat that even knew how to talk. While speaking, Mrs. Vento took out a fist-sized little cloth ball. Fine sand filled the inside of the ball, and the outside of the ball was sewn together with a few layers of cloth. It would not hurt even if it was tossed onto a persons body. Mrs. Vento gifted the cloth ball to the gray cat as a toy. The gray cat lifted the ball with a sweep of its tail, before tossing it into the air and played with it directly with his tail. This drew cheers from Mrs. Vento. The relationship between the upper floor and lower floor had obviously improved by a lot for these few days. At first, it was just the gray cat running downstairs often to freeload on her food. Later, Mrs. Vento told Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu to have their meal downstairs directly. It would save her the effort from making a different portion later. Cillin did not eat without pay. He took out some jerkies, and Tang Qiuqiu gifted some sweets to Mrs. Vento. These were things that could not be bought at this place. Both Cillin and Tang Qiqiu had also enjoyed a novel taste of the local food of Wind City. In the blink of an eye, the day of the race had arrived. Chapter 155: Flaring Spectator’s Grandstand Chapter 155: Flaring Spectators Grandstand The triphibian flying car competition uses a point scoring system. First, there was a knock out competition. Within a set number of competitions, racers must accumulate enough score points to rank among the top ten before they could enter the championship. If they did not have enough score points, then they could only wait for the next season. Only the top five of every competition would score points. Number one would obtain five points, number two would obtain four points, number three would obtain three points, number four would obtain two points, and number five would obtain one point. Today, Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu had arrived at the spectator grandstand as early as they could. They had purchased their tickets a long time ago, and Cillin had even placed a bet for himself and Udoze in passing as well. Udoze had savings of about a hundred thousand or so credits. It wasnt easy to run into a highly trustable person like Cillin who was able to help him, so now that he did, Udoze bit down on his teeth and took out a hundred thousand from his savings directly. If he won this competition, he would be able to triple the amount. Udoze was rather confident in his own abilities, so he was really going to go all out this time. The spectators grandstand was spread out in the shape of a circle. There were two exits, the start line and the finish line. They were in the shape of an inverse trapezium that stretched really high up into the air. There was a huge holographic projection at the center of the circular spectators grandstand, and the media would also broadcast the competition live as well. Some people would think: if they could watch the competition live, and at the spectators grandstand they would be watching a holographic projection anyway, then why were there still so many people who were willing to purchase an expensive ticket to enter the spectators grandstand? The first reason to that was atmosphere. At the spectators grandstand, the crowds roars and passionate emotions were infectious. The roars that echoed inside the circular spectators grandstand felt like they could shake the entire venue. The loud roars spurred the competitions atmosphere into action, and that speed and passion brought about by surging hot blood was incomparable to watching live in ones home. Waving flags, flickering light screens, racing fans roaring the names of their favorite racers hysterically to utterly drain out their own emotions. As long as you were an audience on the spectators grandstand, then you would be infected by this kind of atmosphere and could not help but let out a throaty roar as well. Tang Qiuqiu was obviously one of these people as she held up a megaphone and began to roar, DO YOUR BEST, UDODO! She didnt call out Udozes name directly because it would bring trouble to Udoze himself as a body double. Udoze had told Cillin the flying car of the racer he was going to be replacing for, so when the fiery red and extremely dazzling flying car made its appearance, the atmosphere reached a level of climax. That racer was extremely popular. Of course, with the racer on the outside and Udoze on the inside, they combined to become the star racer in the audiences eyes. One should know that here at the spectators grandstand, one must use a megaphone even for normal speaking. Otherwise, it was difficult to make out the other partys words over numerous other roars. Therefore, Tang Qiuqiu had been holding up a megaphone all the time. Whats funny was that there was a big man who was also holding a megaphone and roaring a few rows to the front. After he heard Tang Qiuqius roar, he turned around to roar at her, asking, WHO IS UDODO? Tang Qiuqiu roared back while holding the megaphone, UDODO IS A REAL MAN!! Cillin: Someone tugged at Tang Qiuqiu beside her, Little girl, which car is Udodo? Tang Qiuqiu blinked, I dont know. I just feel that its pretty exciting to roar like this! once she said this, she began roaring once more. The thing that made Cillin felt like weeping without tears the most was that the gray cat on his shoulders was also pulling at the megaphone, roaring right after Tang Qiuqius roar. And so, such a voice appeared inside the venue. Childish baby voice: UDODO! Then it was followed by a strange mew: MEOW Another baby voice: A REAL MAN! Another mew: MEOOW And that was how the loop went. As the roar continued, Cillin realised that more and more people in the surroundings were joining in on this faction. For a time, Udodo, a real man and man-made meows that sounded like the people were possessed by a cat demon filled the spectators grandstand. Someone asked the person beside them after they heard this, Whos Udodo? Fucking hell how would daddy* know! *meaning I, but in a slangy way Then what are you following them for?! Didnt you hear, its exciting to roar like this! So why were there so many people who joined in on the roar? Number one, they did not see a person named Udodo in the racing drivers list, so following the cat meow at the back, they took it for granted and assumed that Udodo was a modal particle in some Sectors language. Number two, the roar a real man was applicable in almost any type of situation and could be roared by anyone. Number three, the strange howling mew that sounded like one was venting their emotions was rather suitable to drain out ones emotions. And so, Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cats roars had become popular. Inside the flying car, Udoze sweatdropped. When he had heard Tang Qiuqiu and the cats peculiar roars, he was still thinking: Who taught them this? Then the main crowd joined in, and Udoze felt the impulse to tear up. From just the people around Tang Qiuqiu, to one tenth of the people, and then one third of the people, and finally the entire spectators grandstand of people roaring in unison and in rhythm. The people did not know what Udodo meant, but Udoze himself knew about this. This was the first time so many were calling out to him, even if they did not know that Udodo meant him, the body double in the shadows, and that they could not call out his full name. But it was enough. Udoze was already satisfied. The wind grew stronger. Sang began to fly. Very good. Udoze closed his eyes and sensed the miniscule movements of the car within the wind. Di A prolonged hoot resounded. More than fifty flying cars assumed their respective positions at the start line from bottom to top according to the positions they had drawn earlier. Pop! A rapid blast officially set off this tide. Amidst the crowds shouts, flying cars flew out of the starting point while striving to outdo one another. Ancient lands, young winds, soaring passion, hot blood and sweat. Listen to the crowds whistles, shouts and cheers, set off, and go fight like a true warrior! A sandstone region, row upon rows of sand dunes, uneven mountain rocks and absolutely unrestrained wind and sand. In this kind of circumstances, the fiery red flying car was like a leader who pressed forward courageously at high speed. Was he chasing the wind, or was the wind chasing him? The car seemed to have merged into the wind itself, sometimes even flipping into the wind. However, it was always able to nimbly avoid any obstacles. Udozes strength lay in his foresight and ability to judge. Although he did not have the prerequisites to drive a high class flying car, he had always been driving that shabby old car that looked like it would pass away at any moment to dance along with the wind. That way, he grew more and more familiar with the mastery of the wind. The shabby old car could not automatically balance the airflow like an official racing car, so the racer must rely on himself to drive, control, and make the decisions. That was why Udoze had better understanding of the temper of these winds, utilising its power to complete high difficulty maneuvers and even predict future obstacles and make a decision prior to it. It was exactly because he was able to make a decision before other competitors that many times, when they were met with a difficult situation, they would refer to the movements of the red flying car Udoze was driving to surpass it. Bang! A racer estimated wrongly the height of a rock ledge, and the car scratched against it before flipping a couple of times in midair and falling into the sand dunes. The rest of the racers would not stop for the sake of this unlucky fellow, even if the person who fell into the sand dunes was at his last breath. The spectators at the spectators grandstand would not sympathise with the driver, and they would only pay attention to the other cars still competing in the race. The media would not give a car that had been disqualified a camera shot either, because that car and its driver were losers. The hologram at the center of the spectators grandstand was split into three different images. The best viewpoint of the hologram was reserved for the foremost cars, whereas the worst viewpoint was reserved for the cars at back. Inside the image of the best viewpoint, the fiery red flying car was like in a league of its own as it cast off the flying cars behind it further and further away. The racer of the car ranked at second place had wanted to refer to Udozes responses, but he was unable to achieve Udozes level of skill. The racers could not utilise the winds power to flip around and pull off a super flexible movement. The red shadow of a car was like a masterpiece made with the help of gods. While flying along a near perfect median line, it sped through those extraordinarily difficult corners at high speed. The spectators grandstand boiled up entirely. Chapter 156: The Wolf King of ‘Dance Night’ [Part 1] Chapter 156: The Wolf King of Dance Night [Part 1] Who was superior and who was inferior was obvious at first glance. There were people on the spectators grandstand that were shouting the name of the racer Udoze replaced loudly and waving his hologram. The so-called experts nitpicked the scene just now, and they showered that racer with even greater praise. None of these were known to the racers who were competing right now. They only knew to put all of their concentration on the competition, for even the slightest misstep meant a horrible death. The circuit of sandstone area had almost been finished, and the next circuit was the Seven Joined Lakes. As usual, the red flying car was the first to plunge into the lake. The underwater monitoring devices recorded the race beneath the lake as it was. Some medias also had stake out points underwater to analyse and report the race in greater detail. Although there were no sandstorm beneath the lake water, but factors such as drag, buoyancy, water pressure and so on would affect a flying cars travel. The drivers had to prevent their oxygen supply system from being damaged as well. Every circuit required the racers to mull over problems from different angles, and employ different responses to them. Look, a water monster! a kid pointed at a long creature that looked like a green anaconda on the screen and screamed loudly. Yes, not only were there annoying water plants inside the lake, there were also all sorts of living creatures living inside it. If a flying car accidentally got tangled up with them, it would not be easy to pull free. Worse, they might even become food for these underwater creatures. However, it was obvious that the racers were used to this already. There were only very few racers who got played or became a little too careless and ran into trouble. Udoze continued to take the lead. Outside the water, he could rely on the wind to make judgments, and inside the water, he could utilise the water flow itself to make judgments. The lake water of the Seven Joined Lakes would not be in a completely still state, and the presence of the underwater creatures and the flying cars would cause quite a bit of commotion. Moreover, the water flow of the connecting passages between the lakes would be faster, so they could all become a helping hand if them used it right. There were plenty of people who could not imagine just how exactly the racer inside the red flying car had managed to perform to this extent. It was just like how they could not imagine that the true driver of this flying car was in fact a seventeen years old boy who was cast to the edge of the city, and could only practice using an old, shabby car. Day after day he underwent practices that were almost harsh, and he did not let down his innate gift. He utilised all external forces he could utilise to create even more miracles. The critics were looking at the time. In past records, the shortest time used to finish the sandstone area was five hours and twenty one minutes. However, Udoze did not use even five hours at all to complete that part of the circuit. His time was more than twenty minutes shorter than the current record holder. Even a second shaved could make people go crazy, much less twenty or so minutes. Right now, everyone was waiting for him to break the second record. And the result did not disappoint. The time he used to complete the Seven Joined Lakes circuit was sixteen minutes shorter than the record. When the red flying car burst out of the lake, the people even thought that it would rise straight into the sky and be free of any external forces. The third circuit, stone forest. The wind in the stone forest was not much better than the sandstone area. While it wasnt as violent as in the sandstone area, it was definitely as strange. Winds that lacked any specific orientation could even blow towards you from a certain part between the stones while you werent paying attention, disrupting the cars balance and causing it to crash or fall from the air. The saying that those who were inexperienced were not suited for Acallelas competition made sense. It was because the act was no different from suicide. The red cars body was a clear contrast against the white stone forest in the background. The last part of the circuit was almost entirely the red flying cars solo performance. The cars behind him had already been shaken off far, far away, and the three holograms at the center of the spectators grandstand which had the best view angle were reserved for this red figure alone. It looked like a soul that led the way of an era. The car rolled within the stone forest looking like it could not find its balance, and every time the viewers thought that he would crash, they would see him smoothly avoiding a rock pillar in the next second. The cars body was just centimeters away from the rock pillar. Even as observers, the people were unusually nervous. Sweat appeared on many peoples forehead, but they were not from fright, but from excitement. In the end, there were many people who noticed that the racer of this car only looked like he was in a difficult situation. In reality, he was handling the situation with ease. The waves of shouts were only louder than the last. The racing team Storm was already starting to promote that racing star and selling souvenirs. The many large images were all filled with that racing stars appearance. The existence of a body double was even more saddening when compared to the bright brilliance of a racing star. By now, Tang Qiuqiu had lost the impassioned emotions she was feeling earlier. She felt that Udoze was very pitiful. This was because the entire circuit was on the same latitude. Therefore, they would return to the spectators grandstand that was also the finish line once they they had gone through a full circle. When the red flying car burst through the finish line and entered the spectators grandstand, the entire place boiled over as the spectators stood up and roared the racing stars name. The flying car entered Storms specially prepared workshop. Udoze got off the car and passed the seat to the fully equipped racing star. He ignored the person in charges you ran well, Im raising your salary bullshit, took off his jacket, changed into casual clothing at the dressing room, tossed down the clothes that did not belong to him and walked out of the racetrack. The racetrack continued to heat up as usual. The cheers of crazed racing fans could be heard from afar. Udoze let out a long sigh and raised his head, walking towards the distance. However, when he saw the debit card Cillin raised in the air, Udozes depression subsided by a lot. Cillin waved his hands, Todays rewards is pretty good. Lets go make a transfer! Okay. Udoze moved his arms for a bit to make his tensed muscles relax. Udodo, you won a lot of money this time. Tang Qiuqiu giggled. She had also invested a portion of her money from the free mission into the bet this time, but the reward was a tremendous pleasant surprise that she had not imagined. Three hundred thousand, right? Its enough for me to participate in a lot of races. Udoze sighed. No, you missed an order of magnitude. Udozes walking movements abruptly froze. He turned around stiffly and looked at Cillin, Didnt you bet that the red car would win? Yeah, I did. But I also bet that it would break records. Cillin said smilingly. So so that means Udoze swallowed his saliva. He was so nervous he almost bit his tongue. He wasnt this nervous even when he was competing in the race. It means, the payout is multiplied by thirty times. Tang Qiuqiu gave him the answer directly. Thirty times meant that the final sum of the payout was three million! Udoze panted hoarsely for a very long time. Then, he suddenly crouched on the ground, hugged his head and cried. Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu, the gray cat: Cillin knew that they could not understand Udozes feelings. All of his grievances, all of his unwillingness. What he thought was an unattainable dream the day before, when he had almost sunk into numbing darkness, he realised that the sun was behind him all this time, and hope was within reach the second he turned around. Udoze had not cried even the time he crashed into a mountain rock, suffered grievous injuries and almost died. At this moment, he suddenly felt that everything was worth it! So he had no fame, no trophy cups of his own and all of his efforts botched by his racing teams PIC with insignificant bullshit So what! After he was done crying, Udoze raised his arm and wiped his snot and tears away with his sleeves, Im treating today. No one is going to snatch the bill with me, get it! You dont say! the gray cat said with a matter-of-fact tone. Hehe Udoze had walked airily almost all the way to the city center of Wind City Vento while smiling like an idiot. It was there Cillin transferred Udozes won bet to him. Since the money was transferred through Cillins hands, the government would not find out that Udoze had participated in the gambling even if they were to investigate his account. Udoze was absolutely certain and assured on this point. After staring adoringly at his card like C no, more than he would stare at his lover for half a day, Udoze finally recovered his wits. However, he still could not withdraw the smile on his face. Suddenly, he thought of something and scratched his head. He told Cillin, Its still early. Ill bring you guys to a great place tonight, but before that I need to visit a person. Oh right, maybe I can introduce you guys to each other. He is a medicine maker. A medicine maker? Cillin said in surprise. Mm, he is a really great medicine maker! Udoze wore a look of infinite adoration on his face. Lets go together then. Lets have a look at this great medicine maker of yours. Cillin was rather curious about the person Udoze spoke of. Chapter 156: The Wolf King of ‘Dance Night’ [Part 2] Chapter 156: The Wolf King of Dance Night [Part 2] The group of three followed Udoze to an unremarkable house at a different city district falling under the outskirts of the city center. Most of the buildings in the city center were built from alloy, but this house was built from stones just like Udozes house. However, this house was much bigger than Udozes house. The courtyards door automatically opened after Udoze had pressed the doorbell. There were some unnamed flowers inside the courtyard, and there were some sort of drug ingredients left out in the sun on an exposed table. When Cillin stepped into the courtyard, his footsteps came to a momentary pause. His eyes were filled with deep ponderment as he stared at the house. This place truly was filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons*! *meaning to say talented individuals in hiding Sorry to bother you, big brother Rikulab. Udoze said. Creak The house door opened to reveal a man almost thirty years old with half open eyes wearing a sleep robe that hadnt been washed for god knows how many days. His messy hair and rather depressing-looking stubble gave him the wholesome appearance of a drunkard in dire states. Right now, this mister drunkard was leaning against the door and holding a wine bottle, and after he downed a mouthful of wine he looked at the people walking into his house. However, his pupils shrank indiscernibly when he swept a glance over Cillin. Neurotoxin? Rikulabs voice was hoarse and low having not spoken for several days. But his tone was very certain. Enhancement drugs? Cillin looked at Rikulab. Good eye. You too. Udoze did not know what Cillin and Rikulabs dialogue meant, but the gray cat did. Cillin was carrying with him a dagger wiped with neurotoxin on the blade, whereas Rikulabs body carried the scent of a drug; a kind of enhancement drug. Both the neurotoxin on Cillins body or the enhancement drug on Rikulabs body were self-made and had never been made public. However, both parties had noticed the drugs on each others body and identified their functions at first sight. Not even specialists might necessarily be able to do this. Rikulab tugged the corners of his lips for a bit before turning his gaze to Udoze. Udoze looked a bit anxious as he passed a bottle of wine worth ten thousand GAL credits to Rikolab, Thank you for your help all this time! Rikulab accepted the wine bottle without bothering with any courtesy whatsoever and gave it a look, Yo, you earned money from your race? Cough, yeah. Udoze continued to scratch his head and said embarrassedly. He believed that Rikulab would not betray him, but it really wasnt something to be talked openly. Rikulab did not appear to have the intention to ask further anyway, and he waved his hands and said, Alright, Im taking this wine. You may leave; I still have some Zs to catch. Er, big brother Rikulab, youll be going to Dance Night tonight, wont you? The answer Udoze got was the sound of a door slamming against its hinges. However, Udoze paid it no mind and actually led Cillin and the others out with a smile on his face. Hes a drunkard! after that left the house, Tang Qiuqiu said with certainty. Big brother Rikulab just loves to drink wine. Hes still a very good person though; at the very least he would not look down on us natives. Hes not from Acallela? Cillin asked. No, he came here more than ten years ago. He would lend money to poor people, and although he takes interest, the rates arent high and are very humane too. He sells medicines on credit, unlike the city hospitals that needed to see money on the table before anything else. Also, when my mother and I were in the direst straits, it was big brother Rikulab who gave us material assistance. There was a time when my mum was terribly sick, and my skills werent that good yet, we were hard pressed for money and could not afford to see a doctor. It was Rikulab who helped us. In that case, that drunk uncle is a pretty nice person. Udoze let out a mysterious smile, You guys will be surprised by the place I bring you to tonight! Ceh, cliffhangers! Tang Qiuqiu pouted and said. E/n: wouldnt it be nice if we had a good cliffhanger I suddenly recalled that that place isnt suitable for kids. Udoze said with a bitter face. Tang Qiuqiu glared, Im going! In the end, Udoze could not withstand Tang Qiuqius glare and took the trio to a place at the city center when night arrived C the Dance Night. Dance Night was a nightclub; a place that provided people with entertainment. Here, it was always overcrowded. First timers would find themselves a little intimidated, just like an outsider who had suddenly barged in. The entire place was permeating with an unrivaled atmosphere of madness and ambiguity. This was absolutely not a quiet place, nor was it a place where one came purely for the drinks. Here at Dance Night, something must happen before the people could be satisfied. Those who did not have powerful heart and lung capacity, or are animals who had to rely on drugs before they could set themselves loose should stay away. When they walked into Dance Night, the extraordinary air that assaulted their senses caused them to experience a split second of absentmindedness again. Inside, the seats and the dance floor were mingled as one so as to facilitate fantasies among the customers towards the dancers who were dancing on the dance floor in close range. It also made it convenient for people to express themselves freely when they were tipsy. Here in this place as far as the eyes could see, everyone was dead gorgeous and ridiculously beautiful. Here, even the sharpest of bright colors or exaggerations to the point of excessiveness would not draw too many showers of attentions. There were plenty of lady-killers and hot babes in every small circle dazzling everyones eyes. People who enjoyed liveliness or desired to vent could sway and turn to their hearts content. It was an extreme madness that exceeded even the madness of the racing fans at the spectators grandstand. The races dancing inside the explosive music that could burst ones eardrums were mostly from outside Planet Acallela. People wearing all sorts of strange clothes twisted and turned their bodies, painting a picture of ghosts and demons dancing in riotous revelry*. *while normally meaning evil people acting wantonly in the political scene, in this case, just take it at face value Some young girls were even dressed in leopard furs, accentuating their sexiness with a bit of charm and adorableness. Every and any one of them would give you the impulse to commit a mistake. Those depressive feelings could only be transformed into discontentment or roars, roars that could only be contained by a wide space. The wide public venue enabled everyone who came here to howl in joy and madness, drawing out long rhymes as if they had been possessed. The essence of the music from all kinds of races and all kinds of cultures were being played at the venue. While carrying within it the power to bring heat, it drew people into a mad spree of phantom sounds like a spell, turning them into animals that had lost all sense of reason. As a result, everyones eyes were bloodshot under the effects of the music and alcohol, sweeping their gazes greedily over everything within the dance floor before twisting their bodies and squirming through the crowd. They were all playing the simple game of hunter and prey with each other. In such an environment, it was nearly impossible to sit down quietly and drink wine. With music of different styles and of different eras, the passionate and untrammeled musical feast would fully stir up ones fervor. Be it blues, arousal, dynamic, psychedelic or passionate, they all challenged ones ear nerves and self-restraint. There was also another area at Dance Night that was slightly quieter than the rest. There were retro fashion, soft and comfortable long sofas, and psychedelic aromas. When the people were done hunting at the dance floor, they would come here to enjoy their prey. Hence, relaxing music resonated beside the ears; pure, sweet, fine wine and attractive desserts were sprinkled lazily across the long sofas as your body, and your prey could not help but grow more and more restless The story of this dream-like place was both simple and marvellous. Feasting and pleasure seeking, merry nightlife, sensual pleasures, luxuries and indulgences, and all sorts of brilliances left the people unable to stop themselves. Be it the good or the bad, you would feel as if you had gotten everything you wanted in this narrow and mad little world. It would force out the devil in your bones and turn you into an animal who continuously sought for stimulation and primal pleasures. It would put you in a trance and make you think that you live for the nightlife, and that you couldnt wait to get drunk even harder than you already were. Cillins group found a small private room at the top floor that was slightly further away from the dance floor. The transparent partition allowed them to see the scene beyond the private room in the dance floor. The music could clearly be heard as well. Tang Qiuqiu did not like this place. She couldnt help but feel uncomfortable. Cillin did not allow her to see the sceneries outside, and he ordered some desserts for Tang Qiuqiu. Tang Qiuqiu herself was happy with this arrangement While looking at the madly twisting bodies on the dance floor outside, the pandering dance movements and unbridled kissings, Cillin let out a sigh. They really shouldnt have brought Tang Qiuqiu to this place. However, just as Tang Qiuqiu finished her desserts and looked a little drowsy, the lights on the floor abruptly turned blurry. Then, a kind of suppressed excitement and restrained patience emerged from the entire dance floor. Then, with a pop, they boiled up entirely. In that moment, the lights were running, the music was running, and every area and every segment was running all over the place. The whole visual effects gave off the impression of a grand feast. The crisscrossing lights all gathered on one spot, and there stood a man carrying and merging both flamboyance and reservation into this seemingly demonised place at the same time. If say that a love song and a bouquet of flowers would be enough to win over a womans heart, then this man could win a dozen hearts with a single movement. While accompanied by the music and the lights illumination, and striding with rhythmic footsteps, he mixed a glass of wine for himself and downed it in one gulp. Then, he put down the cup without any reluctance and walked step by step into the dance floor like an arriving king. The people in the dance floor automatically opened up a path for him. They opened up the stage that belonged the the Wolf King of Dance Night. Chapter 157: The Two Scourges: Dance Night ‘Wolf King’ VS Cyborg Cat [Part 1] Chapter 157: The Two Scourges: Dance Night Wolf King VS Cyborg Cat [Part 1] Unlike the dispirited person they had seen during the day at that stone house, the current Rikulab looked like he had changed into a bright new husk. His hair had been put in order, and although it wasnt exactly tidy, there was a trace of wildness amidst his unkempt appearance. The tip of a few shoots of hair looked a bit mysterious under the lighting, and an infinite amount of confidence and vigor gushed out of him to the point where it was almost visible. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Dance Night had been pushed by Rikulab C the Wolf King C to a new height. As he strode and swayed his arms according to the musics beat with wildness and unruliness, he felt just like a dangerous and lively wolf king striding across a grassland, ignorant to all of the heated gazes cast over by the many dancers around him. When a tall, round platform slowly rose from the center from the dance floor, Rikulab instantly discharged an aggressive air that scattered his restlessness from before. He appeared extraordinarily dazzling on this stage that belonged to him alone. Beneath the round platform, the people on the dance floor screamed, shouted and yelled as if they had gone mad. In the next moment, their cries were all buried by a new blast of music. He tossed down his jacket, and his shirt appeared disheveled as he danced. The top three buttons of his shirts had vanished before anyone realised it, and the open collar manifested masculine charm. His dancing postures and movements were the only things that were fully visible. His eyes forever carried within them unexplored mysteries. His body twisting, his movements pandering and suggestive, and his moves were full of class despite seeming casual beneath the dazzling lights. Beneath his feet, beneath the round platform were fans who had been stirred up by music and alcohol to the point of insanity. The women beneath the round platform screamed and shouted, well rounded bodies tossing seductive flying kisses from hot red lips. Their twisting waists, alluring curves, and sexy bodies swayed nimbly like a succubi. They all wore intoxicating smiles as dancing hair strands swept across other male dancers along with their moving bodies. But they did not care if the people beside them had been aroused by the hair cutting across their skin and stimulating their nerves. This was because their eyes never strayed from the man who had not looked anyone directly in the eyes on the tall platform. The women could only feel a kind of vague impulse abruptly invading into their bodies. Rather than infatuated following, it was more like the product of fully unleashed hormones and atmosphere dyed hearts. In an instant, it put a lid on ones reason and gave free rein for emotions go wild. The hormones in this place were full to bursting. Inside the private room slightly far away from the dance floor, Udoze was subconsciously swaying along with the music. Tang Qiuqiu was going to use the big headphones she was wearing to block off all of the noises from outside, but when her eyes swept across the tall platform that wasnt there before, her eyes instantly turned round. I is that uncle drunkard? Cillin gave her an affirmative glance. Why does it feel like he has worn a completely different skin after just a few hours? He does look handsome after tidying himself though. From this we can see just how important personal hygiene is! Tang Qiuqiu commented with a straight face. However, as Tang Qiuqiu watched on, she too felt an inclination to succumb into this pretty and flirtatious world. Her hands was still holding the big headphones Cillin had found for her, but she did not look like she was going to wear them.. This place was a dye pool. It would dye every newcomer just off the boat. Hmm? Cillin turned his head and looked at the gray cat that was crouched by the transparent window, currently watching and twisting its body along with the beat. He felt a little astonished. This cat even knows how to dance? As if wanting to prove Cillins thoughts, the gray cat felt very dissatisfied with the atmosphere inside this small private room and turned around to speak to Cillin, Im going out to have some fun! once said, it scuttled right out of the door and vanished. Where is it going to have fun? Tang Qiuqiu asked. She looked at the dance floor that looked like they were filled with dancing demons and confirmed that she did not like this place. However, she had to admit that there was a driving force behind this atmosphere. Just when Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu made guesses as to where the gray cat went to steal some food, Cillin suddenly detected something and looked towards the tall platform. A gray figure had scuttled up the pole that was so smooth it was reflective and onto the platform. It even slipped in mid climb. Cillin: Take it easy, sir cat! For the longest time, Rikulab had always felt that he was born to fit the life in this place. He did not need too much alcohol, and he did not need too much supportive drugs. He was satisfied as long as he could step into this deafening venue and onto the platform that belonged to him and him alone! He seemed to have turned numb, drunk, and muddleheaded. He was simply moving according to his wishes and shedding sweat wantonly. He seemed yearning to boil up the blood that had already cooled through this method. This was his heaven where he had no need for words or speeches. Right now at this moment, no one would care about his background or his past. He needed to vent, to go crazy. He did not mind the strangers clinging and kissing beneath him, nor did he mind the the fervent gazes of the followers imitating him slavishly. He only wanted to make himself happy. It was a very simple wish. Rikulab seemed incapable of tiring, and like a ferocious beast who had just awakened and struggled out of its cage; he sucked in fresh air madly and enjoyed his freedom with greed, unwilling to ever turn back. Suddenly, Rikulab noticed something peculiar just like a king whose domain had just been invaded. His eyes immediately turned sharp, but when he noticed that the fellow who was twisting its body along with the beat and sharing his platform was a rather average-looking cat, the sharpness in his eyes was gradually withdrawn. He glanced once at the gray cat with a kind of interest, and the gray cats fur exploded when it saw that Rikulab was looking at it with the eyes of a man looking at a foolish animal. Unlike before where it would use force to solve situations that made its fur stand, the gray cat stared without any show of weakness right back at Rikulab with obvious provocation. There were even some scorn and disdain in its eyes. Yoho*, this cat is interesting! *I dont think I ever explained this properly, but it has the same context as Oh in English. A dance battle? Alright, since you want it Ill take you for a spin! Rikulab raised a hand and snapped his finger once; his action changing the music indoors. The style of the music was extremely dazzling with clear, bright beats and an emphasis on intensity. The sweeping lights were changed, and the scene on the tall, round platform was displayed on the biggest projected screen in the venue. The man and the cat battled each other through dancing without the slightest show of weakness at all. Although it was a cat, the people who saw the gray cat actually thought that it was even more extraordinary than a human. The eyes, the trembling ears, the curving movements that could not be imitated by man; the teasing tail, the rhythmic footsteps that brought about a different kind of cadence; and finally the gaze that was cold and indifferent, but also both lazy and infinitely proud that it would look down upon everything and anything, knocked on the onlookers hearts beneath the tall, round platform bit by bit as the music beat and the gray cat danced. Cillin put a hand to his forehead and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He sighed amidst Tang Qiuqius cries and cheers for the butt twisting cat that seemed to have completely forgotten itself above the platform: Sir cat, you truly are omnipotent! You truly are the monstrous product of a cyborg lifeform! A music full of cadence and rhythm, skillful and nimble dancing bodies that were contracting and relaxing along to the rhythm, and inimitable dance steps and freedom to sway to ones desires. The unique pair of dancers had drawn every attention in the entire Dance Night to themselves. The atmosphere on the scene soared along with their dances, and no one was dancing on the dance floor any longer. They were all looking at the tall platform and projection and erupting in claps and howls that were so loud it seemed capable of flipping the auditoriums rooftop. The whistles, the screams, and the fiery atmosphere challenged every new limit it reached, and pushed the atmosphere in the entire Dance Night over a peak again and again. Escalate, escalate, and escalate some more. Right now, Rikulab was no longer immersed in a proud and aloof dance with himself. In this circular domain, he could feel a contending power and a unique charm that was not inferior to any other dancers. Who couldve possibly imagined before that a cat could display the glamour of dancing? The man was like a king who led the crowd, occasionally tossing indifferent, lazy and composed glances beneath the platform. But somehow, his eyes contained a deadly charm that kept them chasing after him blindly, almost wanting to prostrate themselves in worship. The cats flowing rhythm contained a trace of inseparable love. Intimacy and alienation that were like a paradox that battered at the crowds reason with unsurmountable intensity! Chapter 157: The Two Scourges: Dance Night ‘Wolf King’ VS Cyborg Cat [Part 2] Chapter 157: The Two Scourges: Dance Night Wolf King VS Cyborg Cat [Part 2] Cillin suddenly frowned. The brilliant performance by the one man and the one cat on the tall, round platform was slowly but surely forming a hypnotic effect. He turned around and saw that Tang Qiuqius breathing rhythm was already starting to show signs of abnormality. He took over the headphones in Tang Qiuqius hand and put them on her head. After the headphone was put on, Tang Qiuqiu slowly came back to herself. She was both baffled and puzzled. Her memories seemed to be slightly out of order just like those hungover people mentioned in books. What happened, brother Cillin? Tang Qiuqiu asked. While saying this, she could feel that her breathing was still a little rough. She even thought: Was there something wrong with the noodles here? Cillin shook his head and pointed at the one man and one cat on top of the tall, round platform, You were too engrossed watching them and fell into a trance. Just listen to some soothing music and itll be alright. This was the first time Tang Qiuqiu had come to such a place, so her resistance was definitely incomparable to those old foxes. Oh. Although Tang Qiuqiu did not quite understand why something like this had happened just from watching a performance, when she glanced at Udoze at the side and saw that his breathing was growing more and more irregular, she resolutely played the music in the player. On the inside Tang Qiuqiu thought: This place really is too scary!! Although she was no longer as repulsed as when she had first arrived at this place, there was still some trepidation in her heart. As Udoze had said earlier, this place was for adults only, wasnt it? The people outside and beneath the tall platform had no idea about the distorted strangeness in this place. They continued to cheer passionately. On the dance floor, the peoples gazes were now stuck as they imitated the man and cats movements until their heartbeats were almost beating on the same wavelength. The segmented cadence and the changes caused by every beat were tightly held by the two dancers above the tall, round platform, so when the strong beats of the tune landed on unexpected segments of the cadence, the man and cats movements became unusually stimulating and exciting. Although they were obviously dancing as they pleased, there was a complexity within their simplicity, and strength coupled with gentleness within their movements. Their next move could never be fathomed or predicted. The people were unable to catch up to their rhythm, even as they chased closely and unconsciously after it. The people who were concentrating their attention on the moving duo on top of the tall platform slowly felt as if they could not catch their breaths. At first they thought it was just a misperception. After all they had fun in Dance Night for many years. What kind of madness had they not seen before? They had not experienced the same symptoms back then either, had they? But as time passed minute after minute, there as finally someone who could not catch his breath and fell to the ground, fainting. Then there was a second person, a third person, a fourth person These people felt as if the flow speed of their blood had increased, and yet the blood flow was severed when it turned around a certain corner. Hence, the circulation of bodily fluids became disorderly and uncontrollable. Since the people were unable to control their emotions as they wished to soothe this circumstance, they were slowly dragged into darkness by a pair of invisible, psychedelic hands. In the past, there had been dancers who fainted from overly intense beats or excessive excitement because their heart and lung functions were unable to keep up. There was a group of security guards in Dance Night who specifically paid attention to the state of affairs indoors. If there was a scuffle they would discreetly appear, but if a fainted person was discovered then immediate action was demanded. Blackouts could not be treated casually since one one knew exactly what kind of factor had caused the person to faint. The security guards were physically much stronger than the onlookers of weaker constitution on the dance floor though. At the very least, none of the security guards had experienced a blackout when the onlookers on the dance floor began to faint one after another. At most, they felt that their breaths were a little unsteady, but it was a natural reaction to such an atmosphere. No one would think deeper into it. Of course, it was exactly because there were blackouts in the venue that the security guards were forced to look away from the two performers on stage. This ultimately prevented them from suffering the same fate as the onlookers inside the venue. On stage, the two dancers continued to dance as if they had forgotten themselves, looking like they would not stop until the victor was decided at the very end. Off stage, one fainted onlooker after another were being carried out of the venue. When the managers finally took notice of the situation, they discovered that one third of the people in the venue had vanished before they realised it. Judging from the irregular ear and breathing rhythm of the remaining people, they could not hold on for much longer either. But they couldnt interrupt the two dancers either. This was a situation that no one had ever run into in perhaps a millennium, or even ten millenniums. At the very least, they had not seen any such reports in official publications. Is this a business opportunity? This is the scoop of a lifetime! There were foreign businessmen and managers of reputable electronic publications at the back of this night club. Therefore, with almost no discussions at all both sides had sent down the same order by chance to send the fainted people to the first aid room and keep the dance floor going as it was. Every camera was pointed at the man and cat on top of the tall, round platform. The duo paid no heed to the people who were collapsing one after another beneath the platform because of them, or rather they never cared about the people below in the first place. They continued to dance to their hearts content and were unaware if the people below were collapsing. Time arrived at midnight before anyone realised it. It then continued to tick away. There were now less than half of the people still standing on the dance floor. Another hour passed. There was now only one quarter of the people still standing on the dance floor. When blurry light was slowly starting to emerge from the horizon, there was only one tenth of the original number left on the dance floor. These people were indeed of extraordinary constitution, or they could not have held on until this point. Rikulab had never enjoyed dancing to the full as much as today. So the sigh of regrets he experienced when standing on this stage in the past was due to the lack of an opponent. However, Rikulab seemed to have slowly forgotten the fact that his opponent was a cat. It was true that this was an extraordinary cat, but still, it was a cat. The music was starting to lose its charm. Without needing to communicate with words and as if their hearts were linked, the man and cat both decided to end this contest. Thus, just when Rikulab was preparing to take a perfect curtain call, a rueful event happened and made Rikulab wish that he could spit out a mouthful of blood C there seriously was a fucking cat beyond a man*! *The literal translation of the original Chinese idiom is: mountain beyond mountain, man beyond man. It warns that there is always someone better out there, and in this case, it was a cat. A meow that gathered every emotion and agitated the nerves to the extreme killed the remaining one tenth of the people on the dance floor instantaneously! Cillin looked at the people who had fainted on the dance floor and felt great pity for them. Look at them; because they hadnt fainted earlier they were now instakilled by this meow instead. Hence, their conditions were a lot worse than the people who fainted earlier. Perhaps they would not even remember this night when they finally woke up. Perhaps they would even suffer from sequelae in the future. Every time they heard a cat meow their bodies would reflexively twitch to it. Of course, the twitching would be over after several years, but who could tell exactly how many years that might be? Udoze had been chopped down by Cillin with his palm and fainted a long time ago. He could at least save his brain nerves from some poisoning. Before they left, Cillin looked at the man and cat playing at curtain call performance on the tall, round platform and curled his lips C these two scourges! There were many people who were fated to be at a loss tonight. When Cillin dragged Udoze and led Tang Qiuqiu back to their accommodation, the lights at the first floor was still lit up. The lights at the front yard were lit up as well. Mrs. Vento hadnt slept and was sewing dolls inside the house on her chair and was waiting for them. Although they had informed Mrs. Vento earlier that they would be having fun outside tonight, they hadnt thought Mrs. Vento would sit here and wait for the entire time. Udoze was a very lucky man. He had a great mother, and a great mother was something that many people would never have. When she saw Cillin and the others had returned, Mrs. Vento put down the work in her hands and wore a gentle smile on her face, Youre back. while speaking, she stood up and got ready to take over Udoze. Cillin shook his head while smiling and pointed at Udoze on his shoulder, He was too excited and drank some alcohol today, so hes pretty heavy. Allow me. Mrs. Vento led Cillin to Udozes room and brought out the soup that could relieve the effects of intoxication to Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu (T/N: Why TQQ?? She didnt drink did she??) she had prepared a long time ago. Then, she prepared hot water and told Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu to wash themselves and rest. She would tend to Udoze. Cillin did not object after seeing Mrs. Ventos determination. After thanking her, he went up the second floor with Tang Qiuqiu. He hadnt gone upstairs for long before the gray cat returned cockily from outside. It held its head high and generally looked like someone who was full on the success of its first battle. Adding that to Tang Qiuqius praise, right now the gray cats tail was about to soar into the sky. Hmph hmph, there were some people who tried to follow I, but I have taken care of them directly! the gray cat rubbed its whiskers and wore a look that said: see how great I am? You ate them? Cillin asked. This guy might be a cat, but it was fully capable of eating humans. The gray cat shook its whiskers disdainfully, No way. I just slapped them out of consciousness. Cillin fell silent. The fate of the people who were slapped out of consciousness by this cat would be worse than those who were instakilled by its meow. He wondered if those people could even remember such a cat after they woke up. After a moments thought, Cillin asked again, What about the footage and records in Dance Night? I destroyed them all of course! there were some things that the gray cat could take care on its own now without relying on Cillins instructions. Good job. Cillin gave it a rare praise. I know~ the gray cat seemed to have thought of something, because its face suddenly turned serious even as it eyes shone brightly, Cillin, I have an idea. When he returned home, Rikulab was still somewhat absentminded. Earlier, he had wandered around the city of desires and danced about in both satisfaction and loneliness. Now that his excitement had cooled, he was feeling something like desolation after prosperity. Rikulab tossed himself on the bed and felt depressed. His body should be very tired after such a long period of dancing, and yet the nerves in his brain kept stimulating him and preventing him from sleep. Keeping his eyes open, he felt like a severe case of insomnia. Suddenly, a little bit of despair crept over him. Rikulab felt just like a fruit who had been forgotten on the ground. No one paid attention to it, and it slowly fell into darkness and rotted to the core. Just when would this fruit core re-enter a new land, sink its roots and grow once more? What Rikulab did not expect was that rebirth would arrive far quicker than he had imagined. Chapter 158: The Fourth Young Master, Shi Huajing [Part 1] Chapter 158: The Fourth Young Master, Shi Huajing [Part 1] As Cillin had expected, the people who fainted at Dance Night the night before all experienced memory confusion or memory loss. Their memory of a man and a cat having a dance battle on the tall, round platform of the dance floor were either too vague or just gone entirely. Perhaps they would recall some faint shadows after they recovered not long after, but that was also all they could remember. Every time they danced, some faint images would flash across their minds until they completely forgot about them entirely. Of course, there were people who remembered that night. Although their memories were incomplete, they did know that Rikulab wasnt the only one dancing on the tall, round platform that day; there was also a gray cat. Perhaps some people would view the gray cat as a monster or a special specie, but it was none of Cillin or the gray cats business. After the night was over, Dance Nights senior management went through every recorder and found that all of their recordings had turned into mojibake that could not be restored. If they tried to restore it forcefully, then the records would automatically disappear. They surmised that their system had been hacked into and all their records and programs tampered by high tech personnel that did not belong to Dance Night. They had reported this to the higher-ups, and the results they got from the GAL government was to forget about the matter. The upper level of Dance Night understood that this incident must have involved people that they could not afford to offend. As compared to the dance battle that night, they were more worried about their own statuses and careers. Therefore, the senior management of Dance Night all experienced a memory loss after they received the secret message from the higher-ups. There were media people who continued to investigate into the matter, and they were met with forceful hindrance of unofficial forces or forceful intervention from the government. In the end, they had no choice but to give up. This was because they knew that they might not live to report the news even if they did learn about the truth that night. This planet itself contained countless numbers of wronged souls already, and the anguished wailings of these wronged souls amidst the sandstorm reminded the people of this planet constantly that there were eyes hidden in a certain dark corner. Rikulab would only go to Dance Night every once in a while. Therefore, after he went back home last night, he had returned to his usual decadent lifestyle and laid on top of his bed, sleeping. He did not even eat breakfast and lunch. However, when Rikulab woke up to drink some water, the hand holding the cup suddenly paused and moved to pull open the door instead. He immediately saw Cillin sitting on the living rooms sofa and reading a paperback medical book. The gray cat was taking a stroll everywhere and sniffing at some medical bottles from time to time. When the gray cat saw Rikulab, it raised its head and tail high and greeted him with an air of complacency, saying, Yo, you woke up, loser! The corner of Rikulabs eyes twitched once as he recalled the meow of rapture during the final curtain call once more. It was that meow that made it clear to him that he had lost to this spirit-like cat. Rikulab pulled over a chair and sat down. He finished the water in his cup, put it down and stared expressionlessly at Cillin on the opposite side and the gray cat making proud circles beside him. I remember locking all the doors. How did you two come in? Rikulab asked. In reality, Rikulab had locked more than just the door. Every time he went to Dance Night and got his kick, the moment he returned to his dwelling he would shut all the doors and windows tight and activate the security system to the max. The security system would annihilate even a bug that had crawled into his dwelling, and even if it couldnt, it would sound the alarm. He might be asleep, but Rikulab did not believe that he would sleep so soundly that he could not hear the alarm. That meant that everything was normal. So how on earth did this man and cat enter his house when everything was normal? The gray cat crouched on top of a tall cabinet and looked down from above. It was loving this feeling of looking over from a high spot more and more now. After casting a disdainful glance at Rikulab, it said while looking immensely pleased with itself, Hmph hmph, do you seriously think that shabby level of security is enough to stop us? Cillin had not said anything all this time. Since it was a proposal that the gray cat had brought up on its own, there was no harm in allowing it to give it a try. Perhaps it might turn out for the better. When Rikulab heard the gray cats words, he lifted an eyebrow. The security system of his house was on par with a planetary governments, and yet this level of security was categorised as shabby in the eyes of this cat. Who are you people? What are your objectives? Rikulab asked with a heavy voice. From the last time Udoze brought these two fellows over to his house, he already noticed that the person sitting on his sofa right now had hidden his blade well deep. He even suspected that the reason he could detect the neurotoxin was because this man had intentionally let him. Hey loser, you wanna change into a new living environment? Something like working for us? Dont worry, Ill protect you. Im very strong you know. the gray cat spoke in the tone of a boss speaking to its underling. Rikulab tugged the corner of his lips noncommittally. He looked towards the reactionless Cillin, but he discovered that Cillin hadnt even lifted his head as he kept his gaze on the open book in his hand. Not interested. Rikulab said. Hmm? You refuse? The gray cats whiskers straightened as it narrowed its eyes at Rikulab. Anyone could sense that the cat was feeling not so great right now. After all, it had made the guarantee to Cillin to Rikulab that it would definitely be able to convince Rikulab. But who knew that this guy would turn him down so bluntly! Yeah, this is fine. Im very satisfied with my current state of life. Rikulab poured himself a cup of tea to freshen up. As for the guy on the opposite side, he had already finished a few cups of tea already without his consent. In fact, he was using the high grade tea leaves he collected in the cabinet. It must have been that bastard cat who rummaged through his stuff! This is fine? the gray cat sized Rikulab up and down and looked around him once just like when it was looking at Udozes shabby car, You look just like a wretch right now. A wretch It was a word that he hadnt heard for a very long time. Rikulabs eyes instantly turned sharp, and the killing intent that had poured out of him instantly caused the indoor temperature to fall by several degrees. However, neither Cillin and the gray cat reacted to it much. What, I exposed your shame and now you wanna silence a cat? Your sir cat can take out one of you a paw each Before the gray cat could finish, a surgical knife plunged deep into the cabinet right next to its paw. Cillin lifted his head to take a look. Then he refocused his attention back on the book. The few strands of hair above the gray cats eyebrows shook once, and with a humph the gray cat lifted its seemingly meaty paws, extended its claws and cut the surgical knife from top to bottom into ribbons as if it was cutting tofu. If there wasnt a biting noise, if Rikulab didnt know what kind of material the surgical knife was made of, he absolutely wouldve suspected that the knife was made out of wood. The gray cat did not stop after it had cut the knife into ribbons. As if it was trying to establish its power, the gray cat lifted the the remains of the knife with a paw, opened its mouth and bit it. It ate the knife bit by bit as if it was crunching a biscuit. When it had fully eaten the knife, it mumbled to itself, This tastes bad. Pooh. A metallic ball was spat out of its mouth. It looked like it was melted in high temperature and made into a ball. Rikulabs pupils shrank as he felt a sudden wave of powerlessness wash through him. No wonder he had lost to this cat; it wasnt something that a man could match against at all. He sighed. He knew that he was not the cats match in terms of martial force, and even if he were to use drugs, Rikulab had no confidence that he would be able to win against them. The living room was filled with drugs, and there were several types that were colorless and odorless. Anyone who stayed here for long would eventually show some symptoms. However, both Cillin and the cat did not look unwell at all despite having stayed here for quite some time. This was the first time in many years Rikulab felt as powerless as today. A day earlier he was defeated by this cat in a dance battle, and now he could not even beat it through martial force. Even the chemical compounds he was confident in had no effects at all. What Rikulab did not realise was that his chemical compounds werent actually useless. Its just that Cillin and the gray cats constitution was just too special and hence, would not react to his drugs at all. The gray cat grew angry after seeing Rikulab staying silent and not speaking. It would appear that it had to change its tactics. Clearing its throat pretentiously, the gray cat said, Rikulab Fan. You came to Planet Acallela eighteen years ago. Although I do not know what kind of relationship you share with the planetary government, it must be a good one. If you are worried that they will cause you trouble and prevent you from leaving, I can take care of this for you. Chapter 158: The Fourth Young Master, Shi Huajing [Part 2] Chapter 158: The Fourth Young Master, Shi Huajing [Part 2] Rikulab wasnt surprised that the gray cat would know about this, it was something that could be found out with a thorough investigation. Plus, there were plenty of people of the upper class who knew that he had relations with Acallelas planetary government, and there were plenty of things that could be settled with the help of the government. Otherwise, it was impossible that the ten years old Rikulab could have established himself on this planet of harsh conditions so easily back then. The gray cat shook its ears once and began to feel impatient, I only know that you dance pretty well, and you are the only dancer that was pleasing to my eyes ever since I got out. Cillin said that your pharmacology is pretty good, and that youre burying your talents in this place. But I dont care about all these things. You humans always like to waste time on foolish thoughts, act slovenly, overthink everything and even mutilate yourselves. Never mind, I dont know how to convince people. You have two days to consider. Lets go, Cillin! Once it was finished, the gray cat jumped down from the cabinet, cast a glance once at Rikulab before heading outside without ever looking back as if it was peeved. Cillin put down the book in his hands and stood up, Opportunities exists to be grabbed. The universe is very big. Cillin also left after he placed a small bottle on the table. Just like how theyd arrived earlier, they did not alert the security system in the slightest. Rikulab stared at the small bottle on the table with unfathomable eyes. The neurotoxin he detected from Cillin last time was stored inside this bottle, and based on the information he had learned, the raw materials required to concoct such a neurotoxin were very likely to span across several Sectors instead of just one. Although Rikulab had never gone outside of this planet since he was ten years old, but the information he absorbed from books and electronic publications were definitely not few. But no matter how much information he absorbed, it did not change the fact that he had no raw materials. There were many occasions when he was inspired but was unable to act to it. Rikulab walked to his bedroom and took out a book beneath his pillow. It was a record of all the inspirations he got but was unable to implement. Leaving Rikulabs residence, the gray cat was very angry and said that it really was unsuited to persuasion. Are you going to give up if his answer is no two days later? Cillin asked. No way, if that happens Im coming back to use force! Ill let him know the price of offending a cat! the gray cat showed its sharp fangs and evil grin. Back at Udozes little house, Tang Qiuqiu was helping Mrs. Vento in preparing dinner. As compared to the previous dinner, todays was a lot richer than before. However, there was a new member at the dining table. It was a two years old boy called Talo, and he was Udozes little cousin. Talo was the child of Udozes aunt. However, she had passed away not long after Talo was born. A year ago his uncle had married his second wife and neglected Talo right away, sending him to a childcare center and paying a small fee every month. Then, his uncle tried to pack and run away due to heavy debts caused by business related problems, but someone took out his flying car and he died from that. That was not long ago. Since Talos child support payment had lost its provider, the childcare center contacted Mrs. Vento. This was because no one related to Talo was willing to take over this burden. It took god knows how much money to raise a child into an adult, and they could not feed even their own children. Naturally, they cared even less about another persons child. In the end, it was Mrs. Vento who took over Talos custody and brought him back home. Udoze wasnt been sure how to break the news to Mrs. Vento ever since he won three million credits. Later on, when Mrs. Vento brought Talo back home and sighed about how they would have to live a little stringently from now on, Udoze finally couldnt hold back and told her his plans. Since they had the money, they could now leave Planet Acallela and find a peaceful planet with a better environment to settle in. The processing fee for two people was 1 million, and if they counted Talo in it would be 1.5 million. The remaining 1.5 million or so credits would sustain them for a very long time even if they did not work. After a moments thought, Mrs. Vento agreed to his plan. In order to express her thanks to Cillin, Mrs. Vento had purposely prepared a rich dinner, so when Cillin and the gray cat had returned they immediately saw a tableful of varied dishes. Udoze was teasing the two years old Talo, and giggles filled the interior of the house. At night, Mrs. Vento took Talo to bed, and Udoze sat inside the shabby old car at the courtyard, caressing the old fashioned steering that was soon to be retired. When he heard a knocking sound on his car lid, Udoze lifted his head to find Cillin outside the car. He smiled and opened the car lid to allow Cillin to come in. After Cillin had sat into the backseat, Udoze asked, You interested to go out for a spin? Sure. The old shabby car shook its way out of the city and flew towards the sandstone area. After he parking the car behind a large mountain rock, Udoze looked at the flying sand covering the stars and fell silent. Although he had already made up his mind to leave this planet, he couldnt shake the somewhat empty feeling inside him. After he left, he would never have the chance to race without a care ever again, would he? When are you ready to complete the procedures to leave Acallela? Cillin asked suddenly. As soon as I can I suppose, in case of any hiccups in the future. although he felt a little regret, Udoze was very resolute in leaving this planet behind. Cillin nodded, Sure. When the time comes, we may even be able to leave together with you. It is about time we leave this place. Oh right, Cillin, whats your occupation? this question had been held in Udozes heart for a very long time now. He kept having this feeling that Cillins background was not ordinary, and no ordinary person would carry a talking cat with him. Also, Udoze had seen that little girl Tang Qiuqiu playing with a gun before. It was a absolutely a real gun. What do you think? Cillin threw the question back at him instead of answering. Udoze said tentatively, Could you possibly be a Hunter? Cillin nodded. Wah, youre really a Hunter! Have you guys joined a Hunter regiment? Udoze said excitedly. He had always rather admired Hunters, and he had dreamed to become one as a child. However, life had forced him to racing later on. We have joined a Hunter regiment. Cillin said calmly. Which Hunter regiment? Udozes eyes were shining, I know a lot of Hunter regiments in Sector F! I see. Cillin took out a dagger shaped badge with an unperturbed look, Do you recognise this then? Udozes mind turned blank for a moment after he saw the dagger. Then, he asked with a trembling voice, Er, can I, look at it a little closer? Cillin passed the badge over directly. Udoze wiped his hands on his clothes before accepting the badge, and after a long time later he finally said, This isnt fake, is it? When he saw Cillin looking towards him, Udoze immediately said, No, I mean C cough C you know, I collected the images of the badges of the four great Hunter regiments, and what I saw didnt look like this, er, I mean, it looked a little different. Oh my god Im so nervous. Udoze felt as if every word had fallen out of his mouth while shaking. Oh, that. Its probably because the badge you saw belong to normal members. it was the same flat tone as ever. Then yours Is a lieutenant commanders. Bang! Udoze abruptly stood up and banged his head out of sheer excitement. He didnt even attend to the bump on his head, S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-seriously? Mm. Qiuqiu also has a badge which is for normal members. It should be identical to the one you mentioned. If Cary was here, he wouldve rushed forwards and punched Cillin: You pretentious bastard! You obviously want to recruit him, and yet you pretend like you dont have a clue at all! After he had returned the badge to Cillin, Udoze drove the shabby old car back home in a daze. He was so distracted that he nearly ran into a mountain rock midway. After the shabby old car had flown away, a small figure appeared behind the big mountain rock. It was none other than the gray cat hunting for food. Cillin truly is a shadowy bastard! At the same time, there were two men sitting in an office at the upper level of the planetary governments government building. One of them was Rikulab. The other person was a man who appeared to be forty years old. Youve decided? the person asked. Mm. If I keep this up this place truly is going to rot. Rikulab pointed at his own heart. Then youve a plan? the man appeared a little worried. Rikulab nodded, but he did not have the intention of revealing it. Instead, he said, You think you owe a debt, but after so many years it has been all but repaid. There is no need to blame or wrong yourself any longer. There will be an election over the next year. With your abilities, it should not be hard for you to get elected. Your experience and track record are also sufficient. Fourth young master no matter how he spun it, it did not change the fact that happened because of what he had failed to protect. Rikulab made a stopping gesture, Shi Huajing already died eighteen years ago. He has been taken to hell along with his beloved mother. Therefore, the pronoun Fourth Young Master no longer exists. Seeing the man sitting opposite to him biting his lip, Rikulab sighed, Back then, mother did not have any will to live at all. Even if you did manage to save her in the end, she still would have found a chance to drag everyone around her to hell with her. It is not anyones fault. Then will you be going back, young master? No. Take this message back to that old man. Tell him that if he dares to interfere again this time, then I will destroy every seed he planted because of his love affairs! Rikulabs eyes were filled with ice-cold killing intent. After Rikulab had left, the man finally relaxed and lay down on the chair. His back was already drenched as he stroked his face and smiled, Young master is still young master. he had always thought that young master knew nothing, but it was he who was just lying to himself. Chapter 159: A Familiar Face at Sector K [Part 1] Chapter 159: A Familiar Face at Sector K [Part 1] Right now, Udoze was feeling very conflicted and at a loss. Ever since Cillin told him that they were members of the Sixth B Squadron of the Hunter regiment Vanguard, Udoze had thought about a certain thing even in his dreams. However, he could not put down his mother and his two years old cousin either, so he was extremely conflicted by the dilemma. Conflicted feelings aside, Udoze could not hold himself back from showing the emblems and pictures of many Hunter regiments he treasured to Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu. However, he did not know how he should express his own notion. He heard that the requirements to join the four great Hunter regiments were pretty high. Udoze felt a little sense of inferiority. Mrs. Vento knew her own son the best, and seeing that Udoze was so conflicted that he was practically foaming from his mouth, she called him into the house for a chat. Since the moment it began, the chat lasted for five whole hours. Five hours later, Udoze walked out with red eyes looking like he was on the verge of tears. However, his eyes also shone with the light of hope. He finally forced some courage into himself and told Cillin about his notion to join the Sixth B Squadron of the Hunter regiment Vanguard. Cillin ultimately nodded after Udoze suffered through a period of restless finger twirls. However, Cillin stated that he could only recommend Udoze, and that it would be up to Udozes own performance whether or not he would be acknowledged by everyone in the B Squadron. In reaction to Cillins words, Udoze wore a foolish smile on his face and floated downstairs. Borrowing the gray cats words, that look was literally more foolish than when he learned that he had won three million credits. Its been two days. Cillin flicked the gray cats ear. The gray pushed away Cillins hand with its leg, arched upwards to stretch its back and moved its claws for a bit, Alright, lets go meet that loser. When Cillin and the gray cat had arrived at Rikulabs residence, Rikulab was already sitting inside the living room and waiting for them. Rikulabs decision did not need to be said seeing that the display cabinets and the medicinal bottles on the table had all been cleaned up and tidied. Today, Rikulab had tidied himself quite nicely. Although he didnt look as dazzling as he did at Dance Night, he still looked a lot more refreshed that the decadent appearance he had before. His moustache was also shaved. Seeing Cillin and the gray cats entry, Rikulab pointed at the chair beside and said, Sit. The gray cat jumped right up the table without any trace of politeness and walked proudly towards Rikulab with a straightened tail, Hows the consideration? Rikulab did not answer the gray cat directly. Instead, he asked, First, I would like to know which side you belong to. Of course, my demands arent high. As long as you dont belong to the military or the government, and it is a group that I can accept, then I am okay to go. The gray cat raised its chin, Alright, listen well, boy. We are the Hunters of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. Cillin is the lieutenant commander of the B Squadron. Rikulabs eyebrows were lifted. Although he had guessed that this guy was a Hunter, he did not think that the Hunter regiment they belonged to would be one of the four great Hunter regiments. In reality, even if Cillin was in a small and unknown Hunter regiment, he still would not have turned down the offer. Rikulab was a lot more cool headed as compared to Udozes excitement. He asked after nodding his head, Dont you think you should look into my background? Cillin had answered this question instead of the gray cat. Our commander said this: as long as you dont betray us, we have no reason to question your past. However, there is one thing that I must bring up beforehand. As the lieutenant commander of the squad, I have the power to recommend a potential recruit to the squad. However, whether or not you can fight for the position of regular or core member still depends on you. Of course, I dont think this will be a problem for someone of your abilities. You sure are confident in me. Rikulab smiled. I would not have let you join otherwise. Cillin spread out his hands. Right now, the Sixth B Squadron was in a growth period and desperately needed some new talents. When he parted ways with Shawton, Shawton had already told Cillin to capture any good talents he might find so that they would not fall into anothers hands. So youre saying that you agree to join us then? the gray cat said while crouching on the table in front of Rikulab. Yeah, from now on were teammates. Rikulab stretched out a hand. The gray cat looked at Rikulabs outstretched palm and slapped on it with a paw of its own in satisfaction. When are we departing? Rikulab asked. There will be a flight headed for the transit tomorrow afternoon. We will meet on the plane. Cillin said. Alright. Rikulab understood Cillins meaning and agreed easily. They needed to get rid of some small troubles, so they must prepare a fake ID and so on. However, with the gray cat around, even if they did register their true identities a final log check would reveal that it wasnt the same ID information they entered before. The next day, when Udozes jaws fell open when he encountered Rikulab on the passenger transport. When he knew that Rikulab was also joining the squad, he grew even more excited than before. Mrs. Vento smiled at Udozes shining eyes. Udoze had already grown up, and there were wider skies outside the world. He should not be shackled as he was before. At Acallelas government building office. The young master has left, hasnt he? Mm. Although we do not know exactly which flight hes on, but the young masters data did not show up on any flights. The people you asked to keep an eye on did not leave behind any records either. They are all remarkable people I see! Oh well, if young master does not wish to be known then there is no need to continue the investigation. Even if we did, nothing will come out. Report this to the higher ups. My mission is almost finished. Speaking of which, after Cillins group had once more arrived at Sector Fs transit planet, they inquired some information and found a pretty good planet for Mrs. Vento and little Talo to re-register their certificate of residence. There was a child care center and a primary school near the new residence they bought. Public security around the area was very good, and the neighbors were pretty friendly and werent xenophobic either. It was a more suitable environment for Mrs. Vento and little Talo to live in. Little Talo was brought to the child care center during the day, and Mrs. Vento found herself a relatively idle job. Its pay wasnt much, but it was relaxing. With more than a million credits of saving to work as their base, it was enough to get along. Udoze did not carry a single cent on himself. He left behind all the money to his mother and his little cousin before leaving the planet with Cillin. Since he was bringing Udoze and Rikulab with him, Cillin stopped sightseeing everywhere with Tang Qiuqiu. Those plans could wait until after he had brought the two new recruits back to the squad. If there was still time, then he could come out again and enjoy himself later. Chapter 159: A Familiar Face at Sector K [Part 2] Chapter 159: A Familiar Face at Sector K [Part 2] Sector K, also named the Sector of Kings by Hunters, was the treasured land of the Hunter circle in GAL. It was the gathering spot of the four great Hunter regiments, and it was also the only Sector in GAL where Hunter regiments were the main entity of the Sector. It was rumored that the deterrent that was the military could not be compared to the deterrent that was the great four at all. Here there were four kings, and they were the great four. The closer they got to Sector K, the more anxious Udoze got. Of course, there was excitement as well. This was the great four were talking about. Once upon a time they were just a faraway delusion, but now they felt right within reach. He wondered what their fleet looked like. The transit planet of Sector K lay at the outermost periphery. Beyond this planet, the world belonged to the Hunters. The various communication department of the Hunter regiments could be found on the transit planet, and the great fours communication departments were buildings that were grander than even the planets government building. No Hunters who arrived on this planet would dare to behave atrociously before the great fours communication departments. This was because the government would not look into the case even if the people of the great four were to kill someone without any reason. As long as they did not cause a commotion big enough to wreck the entire planet, the government was disinclined to get involved at all. Neither political groups or the military were inclined to bother with affairs between Hunters. However, those of the commerce districts do frequent the Hunters often. After all, businessmen and Hunters did cooperate with each other a lot, and this was especially true for some big business families such as the Douance Family and so on. After checking the location of Vanguards communication department on a navigation device, Cillin then led the group towards it. Here on this planet, there were no restrictions on firearms. Therefore, people carrying all sorts of firearms and even shoulder rocket launchers were a common sight on the street and nothing to be surprised at. Unlike the other planets, the people who came here often carried with them a strong air of valiance. This was because Hunters were the majority in this place, and the aura they carried on their person was very strong. One must not think that the good, gullible, or those who appeared so fragile they would be blown off by a gust of wind at small restaurants or bar counters to be easy pickings, for they might very well be the seniors of your seniors. It was just that they had kept their aura in check after they had retired from active duty. There was a saying called come full circle, and this was what it meant. If you really ruffled their feathers, they would crush your throat before you could take out your gun. You might not even leave an intact corpse behind. Although the consensus was to have a meal at Vanguards communication department C the logistics units of many Hunter regiment communication departments had excellent preferential policies C Tang Qiuqiu happened to see an ice cream butter cup on a display window. While the ice creams name ended with a cup at the end, it was almost the size of a small pail. Moreover, it had an excellent outward appearance that very much attracted the attention of sweets lovers, and Tang Qiuqiu was one of those people whose eyes were caught at first glance. Since Tang Qiuqiu had her own savings plus the money she won from the flying car competition, one might say that she had a small wealth of her own. After she bought an ice cream butter cup for herself, Tang Qiuqiu bought Cillin and everyone else a cup of fruit juice. The gray cat got a cup of milk tea. Here, most shops preferred manpower over robot servants. After all, robots were not as useful when dealing with certain disputes. If it was broken during a conflict then it was just so. Robot repairs were pretty expensive, so manpower was still the better choice if the shops priority was to cut costs. The owner of the small dessert store was a woman. Since the shop wasnt big, naturally there werent too many customers. They did not know if she had hired any other waiters to help her, but for now she was alone. The female owner looked to be over her thirties, but her real age was unknown, and no one would ask for it either. After all, it was rude to inquire about a ladys age. The female owner did love the little girl that was Tang Qiuqiu, so she purposely gave her a big sized ice cream cup and added some extra fruits and honey juice on it too. Tang Qiuqiu did not forget to thank the owner in return. Basic courtesy was necessary, and Tang Qiuqiu did not dislike the feminine owner who had a very amiable smile. They were not in a hurry anyway, so Cillin and the others decided that they might as well finish their drinks in this small store before leaving. Qiuqiu, what do you think about this planet? Cillin asked. Its pretty good. I can shoot freely. Tang Qiuqiu was very satisfied in regards to this. Cillin could not say anything. Udozes anxiety was much quelled after a cup of fruit juice. However, the excitement and slight anxiety in his eyes were still fully exposed. This truly is the heaven of Hunters! Udoze sighed. Here, there were many Hunters who enjoyed pinning their regiments insignia on their body. When a higher rank Hunter regiment encountered a lower rank Hunter regiment, they would carry themselves even higher than before. Slowly, pinning ones insignia became a trend and a way to compete with one another among Hunters. This was also why a certain unwritten rule was formed: My Hunter regiment is better than yours, and so am I. Bullying the weak was commonplace here. There were many conflicts, but no one would interfere with one. They would simply stand by in a circle and watch. Every Hunter regiment had their own standpoints. While talking about the situation on this planet, Cillin caught the glimpse of a familiar figure. That person also felt his gaze and turned his head over to look. Yoho! Its you, kid! And so the people following behind Barthus saw their respected senior happily rushing towards the small dessert store like he saw an old friend and not a junior. Senior Barthus. Cillin got up and pulled a chair over for Barthus. Barthus did not restrain himself with pleasantries and sat down right away. Barthus slapped his big hand repeatedly on Cillins shoulders with strength, and he laughed until his long beard shook non-stop. When the people who followed after him saw this, they rethought their evaluation of Cillin once more. It was obvious that this guy was a young junior, so how did he cause such a reaction in senior Barthus? Could he be a descendant of the A Squad? But that couldnt be right either, since with his temper Barthus would not have acted this way even if he was facing those descendants. Escherley, my dear, do give me a glass of sweet liquor, will you? On the rocks! Barthus beckoned towards the female owner of the small store. Judging from his tone, the duo obviously knew each other. Escherley cast a glance at Barthus, took out a bottle of sweet liquor from the cabinet and tossed it right at him, Dont you dare buy on credit this time! Hehe, I wont. Just put it under this kids bill. Barthus pointed at Cillin. Escherley leaned on top of the counter with her well-rounded breasts covering nearly the entire surface. She lifted a slim finger and pointed at Tang Qiuqiu, who was busy digging into the ice cream butter cup and smiled, The one who footed the bill this time is this little girl. Are you, an old man seriously going to ask a baby girl to foot your bill? Barthuss old face blushed red, and he was just about to speak when Tang Qiuqiu looked up and asked, How much is a bottle of sweet liquor? Ahem, theres no need One thousand, GAL credits. Escherley cut off Barthus words and smiled with a propped chin. Tang Qiuqiu cocked her head, bit her spoon and thought about it for a moment. Then she nodded and told Escherley, Its not too expensive, so add grandpa Barthus bill under mine. Aiyo, my little sweetheart Tang Qiuqiu youre so cute! Barthus grabbed his long beard and swept it across Tang Qiuqius little face, causing the people behind him to feel a wave of chilly goosebumps. Before Tang Qiuqiu could push it away, the gray cat leaped upward, grabbed it and began swinging on his beard. Hehe, little Wheeze, youve gotten heavier again. while saying, hie raised a hand and began caressing its fur. The mouths of the people behind Barthus turned O-shaped, whereas Escherley narrowed her eyes and glanced at Cillins group meaningfully. It was known that Barthus treasured his beard a lot. If anyone else were to touch even a single strand of his beard, he would immediately argue with them. However, not only did he use his beard to tease Tang Qiuqiu, he even caressed the cat that was playing swing on his beard with affectionate care today. What the hell was going on? That wasnt all. The gray cats mouth was stained with a bit of milk tea after it finished its drink, and it had wiped it directly on Barthus beard. But even then Barthus only smiled and said, Youre such a naughty little fellow! causing the jaws of the people behind him to nearly drop to the floor. While holding a sweet liquor bottle with one hand and caressing the gray cats fur with the other, he swept a glance across the slightly fidgety Udoze and calm Rikulab, New recruits? Cillin nodded, I brought them over to recommend them to the squad. Would you like to test them for a bit? Aiyo, like anyone you recommend would be poor, Cillin? Barthus evaluation of Cillin was unexpectedly high. He asked again, What are you two little fellows called? Normally speaking, a member who had not yet been officially recognised as a part of the Hunter regiment did not have the qualification to be introduced to an old senior of the regiment. That was why Cillin had no introduced both Udoze and Rikulab to Barthus all this time. However, Barthus had asked them a question on his own accord, so this meant that he had acknowledged their new identities in advance. Therefore, even if the other decision makers of the B Squad had a different opinion on the matter, they would have to consider if refuting Barthus, which was their old seniors face, was a good choice. Of course, neither Udoze nor Rikulab knew about this hidden rule. However, this caused Barthus men to look at Cillin with even stranger eyes. Just who on earth was this kid? Udoze and Rikulab introduced themselves briefly. About their former occupations, Udoze said flying car racer whereas Rikulab said medicine maker. Udodos flying car driving skills are awesome! Tang Qiuqiu said while licking her ice cream spoon. Tang Qiuqiu had long since categorised Udoze as one of her own, and Tang Qiuqiu was very protective of the people on her side. Mm, Rikulab may not compare to me, but he is passable. the gray cat also said while looking pleased at himself. Barthus made a sound of acknowledgement as an expression of his satisfaction. While digging at her ice cream, Tang Qiuqiu looked at the people standing behind Barthus. They should all be members of Vanguard. Although they could not be completely categorised as one of their own, they did share a connection after all. Therefore, she asked, Why arent you guys sitting? Yeah, do you know how oppressive you guys are being standing there? Barthus said in a blaming tone. His men complained inside their minds at the same time C who would dare sit carelessly without your command?! Seeing that theyd all taken a seat, Tang Qiuqiu asked again, Do you guys want to drink something? Ill foot the bill as long as its not too expensive. Its fine, its fine! Were not thirsty. I dont eat sweets that much. The group of people waved their hands repeatedly. Its just embarrassing to have a child foot their bill. None of them had skins as thick as senior Barthus! Ignore them. Barthus rubbed Tang Qiuqius head before looking at Cillin, The regiment has something for you. Its a mission. A pretty difficult one. I think your holiday is about to come to an end. A mission? Cillin frowned. What kind of level this mission was to alarm someone like Barthus? Mm. Ill contact the commander as soon as possible. Actually, Shawton doesnt have the clearance to know about this. Anyway, youll know once you get back to the squad. Barthus finished the rest of the liquor in one gulp before setting the bottle aside, Im going back now. I came back this time because there was something urgent. If I dont go back, big hats gonna grumble again. Cillin knew that Barthus was talking about the few types of energy ores extracted over Sector Z, and that big hat referred to Songba Leruo and his wide brim hat. Is everything going well over there? Yeah, its going pretty well. Youll even get a portion of the reward when you come back. Alright, I need to leave. Think well on this mission, okay kid. After giving Escherley a flying kiss, Barthus then left with his men. Cillin pondered as he shook the fruit juice in his cup. What kind of mission was it? Looking at Barthus, it would appear that this mission really wasnt easy this time. Chapter 160: Interaction [Part 1] Chapter 160: Interaction [Part 1] After finishing their cold drinks and resting for a while, Cillins group then bid Escherley goodbye. Escherley had even purposely gifted two boxes of biscuits to Tang Qiuqiu and a discount card, telling her to come over in the future whenever she had a chance. Cillin extended his hoverboard after leaving the dessert store. Previously, Udoze was unfamiliar with hoverboards. After all, there were only far too few places that were suitable for hoverboard riding on Planet Acallela. Moreover, Wind City was constantly covered in sandstorm, so to ride a hoverboard there was just plain suicide. Therefore, Udoze had literally never came into contact with a hoverboard prior to leaving Acallelas Sector. However, since his balance was great and he was quick to learn, it did not take long before he grew familiar to it. Rikulab on the other hand, had used hoverboards frequently before arriving on Acallela. Therefore, this wasnt too much of a problem for him. Extending their hoverboards, the few people flew up to the level of hovercraft channels and headed towards Vanguards communication department. The four great Hunter regiments communication departments were scattered at four places on this planet. They were pretty much the dominant forces of these four pieces of land. There would then be subdivisions of smaller Hunter regiments that shared a better relationship with them scattered around the four communication departments. Vanguards communication department had some suspended dagger-shaped emblem holograms, direction and range indicator to guide the way since a long way back. Although its surrounding Hunter regiments also had smart road signs to guide the way, they were a lot smaller than the Vanguards. This was the advantage of a large Hunter regiment. They did not need to rely on map or inquiries to make their way at all. They could easily find that magnificent building just by following the smart pointers. That building could be seen from very far away. Overall, the building was in the shape of a sharp dagger just like their badge. There were also some low level buildings around it used for other matters. Tang Qiuqiu took out her pinned badge. Cillin also pinned his lieutenant commander badge in the open. This was the usual practice, or they couldnt blame anyone if they were to be injured by accident. The looks on the people around them improved slightly after the duo had taken out their badges. However, their expressions were mingled with curiosity since Tang Qiuqiu was way too young to be an official member, and Cillin just so to be a lieutenant commander. They could not help but express their doubts. There was a main service desk at the center of the first floor hall of Vanguards communication department. The Hunters who frequented the hall mostly wore Vanguards badge on their bodies. Not many people paid attention to Cillins group when they first walked into the hall. However, when someone accidentally noticed the badges on Tang Qiuqius and Cillins bodies, they gradually began to whisper among each other. Also, although it was called a whisper, in reality the volume of the whispers wasnt quiet at all. Even in this noisy environment, anyone from ten meters away could hear them. These people had voiced out their doubts directly. However, they wore strange expressions when they saw that they belonged to the Sixth B Squadron. After all, the Sixth B Squadron had shown up big time not long ago, and the A Squad issued them all the rewards and so on. Although some people were unconvinced, they had no say in the reward result the A Squad had announced in the end. But while they could not say anything on the surface, things were very different in private. As long as the important figures of the A Squad werent present, they would basically say whatever they want to. Worst comes to worst they would get into a brawl. If you win then sure, Ill admit that youre capable. If you lose, then excuse me, but I dislike you and Im going to beat you up everytime I run into you. The higher ups of Vanguard simply viewed this as scuffles between the members of the B Squadrons. Quarreling improves health, and competition promotes progress, right? Therefore, the higher ups would turn a blind eye as long as the commotion wasnt too big. The commanders of the B Squadrons would especially remind their team members this: as long as you win, your commander will take all responsibility! Therefore, many people in the hall were disgruntled by the sight of the lieutenant commander badge on Cillins body. The few other lieutenant commanders wearing the same badges were practically rolling up their sleeves: WTF, I spent a dozen or so years to finally climb my way up to this position. With what virtues or abilities did this rash and stupid-looking kid qualify for this badge? While thinking, some people had already made their way towards them. They did not hide their thoughts from their faces either. Although they were wearing smiles, their smiles looked like deserve a fist no matter how you looked at them. Yo, whys there a little baby here? Youre about ten years old, arent you little girl? a brawny man over two meters tall walked over while saying loudly. There was also another guy who was slightly shorter than him, but looked just as difficult to deal with beside him spinning the boomerang darts in his hands with great fervor. When he saw that Cillins group had paid him no heed and continued to proceed forward while ignoring him utterly, he stuck out his lips and swept a disdainful glance across them. His eyes turned, and he took out a big lollipop (E/n: just what kinda of adult has lollipops on hand) and said, Hey little girl, heres something tasty for you. Do you want Bang! The brawny mans words were cut short. The people who were about to laugh loudly at his words found their laughter stuck in their throats and became stupefied as well. The stick of the big lollipop that was originally in the big mans hands was snapped at where his fingers were holding. The mans fingers were not injured in the slightest, whereas the part where the sweet was had flown high up into the air due to shock and applied rebound force. The lollipop spun towards Tang Qiuqiu and finally landed accurately into her hand. The bullet ultimately ended in the trash can and did not hurt anyone along the way. Tang Qiuqiu tore the wrapping of the lollipop, leaned forwards to give it a lick and crunched it in her mouth before commenting, It tastes okay! Is is she seriously just a kid about ten years old?! There were many people who were shocked by this sight. Number one, how dare this little girl open fire in the Vanguards hall? They had never actually seen someone who dared to do so in the past. Although they had heard of such incidents in the past, they absolutely counted among the few. Plus, not everyone had the guts to behave so unscrupulously. If something went wrong, then even their lieutenant commanders would be dragged into the mess. There was no problem if Vanguards men wanted to fight each other, they could just settle it on the spot. There was no problem if they wanted to compete shooting skills as well, but most of the time they would go to the communication departments shooting range to settle the score. However, this was a kid who wasnt even at lieutenant commander rank yet opening fire in a place like the first floors hall without a second thought. Where did she get the courage to do such a thing? Moreover, not a single one of them had detected any killing intent from her. No, they did not even detected that instantaneous moment where she should be locking on to her target before firing. Number two, this kids shooting skill was just too good. She had snapped the lollipop stick, hurt no one and ensured that the bullet was ultimately fired into the trash can. There was no doubt to her shooting skills, not to mention that she had caused the lollipop to fly into her hands after shooting the lollipop stick. She had intimidated her opponent and obtained her material benefit at the same time. One had to say that this was a most beautiful play. Number three was the point where many people were at a loss with. Tang Qiuqiu had fired a trick shot*! It meant that the bullet had ricocheted a couple of times before hitting its target. It was a devastating blow to many people to see a kid so young easily pulling off a trick shot. *This means a ricocheting shot. I stole the term from Atlas Reactor, where a character named Lockwoods normal attack skill is a ricocheting shot. The reason Tang Qiuqiu had used a trick shot was because a straight shot could not achieve the effect she wanted. Even if she did a curve shot, there was a limit to how far she could curve the bullet, and it still wouldnt achieve the effect she wanted. Finally, Tang Qiuqiu chose to use a trick shot. Based on what Cillin had said earlier, the building materials of Vanguards communication department must be different from norm, and after she walked into the hall and observed the situation around her, she had been entertaining certain thoughts in her mind. The results werent bad. She had managed a trick shot and gotten a lollipop at the same time. Tang Qiuqiu was very satisfied. In reality, Udoze and Rikulab were even more amazed than the people around them. Usually, the Tang Qiqiu they saw acted no differently from a normal little girl. She would complain, she would hold little grudges, and she would be excited by the new and odd things around her just like any other kid. She was also a little fellow who loved to eat sweets. But now they knew that no one with that badge were pushovers, even if said person was just a little girl about ten years old. Thank you, uncle! Tang Qiuqiu did not forget to express her thanks after licking her lollipop. The expression was purely formal without an ounce of actual gratitude behind them at all, but no one would care about such a thing at this point. Chapter 160: Interaction [Part 2] Chapter 160: Interaction [Part 2] Haha, I guess I did underestimate you. No wonder you can become an official member at such a young age. Well done! the brawny man smiled and lost the disdain he had before after snapping out of his daze. Then, he continued to walk towards Cillins group. Meanwhile, the person beside the brawny walked directly up to Rikulab and looked at him from top to bottom. Since the beginning, he had found Rikulabs appearance very unpleasant to the eyes. So you want to act cool, huh? While spinning his boomerang dart with one hand and slapping Rikulab with the other, he said with a smile that did not reach the eyes, That being said, it would see that this guy here did not have an badge. Could it be that youre not one of us Vanguard? Sigh, theres no need to feel down. Although the little girl qualified even though shes so much younger than you, but theres no need to be too discouraged, yeah? The strength he used to slap Rikulabs shoulder was stronger than one might expect, causing a loud pop with every slap. However, Rikulab stood firmly on his feet and did not shift a step. The man was going to praise Rikulab seeing that he was able to endure this level of strength, but when he saw that Rikulab was still wearing the same annoying look where he could not even be bothered to be bothered, his anger immediately surged up once more. He put his hand on Rikulabs shoulder and increased his strength, saying, Youre a new reserve crew, arent you? As a Hunter, you need to learn the courtesy necessary when facing your seniors! Cillin curled his lips. What was the courtesy necessary for Hunters? It was actually four words in a nutshell C the strong is king! Although the brawny guy from before looked a lot stronger than this person, in reality the brawny guy was absolutely incomparable to him in strength. The first impression this person gave was that he was an agility type, but the truth was that he was a strength type. Therefore, when Rikulab had shown that he was able to endure the persons force earlier, some of the people around him had already acknowledged him in their hearts. However, they did not mind watching Rikulabs reaction from the sidelines after that person had increased his strength. Reality exceeded everyones expectations. From the start Rikulab did not show any reactions at all. He did not even change his expression. The one who showed a reaction was the other person. The persons hand that was placed on Rikulabs shoulder began to expand rapidly. What was obviously a steely and powerful hand with five well defined fingers swiftly transformed into a fat and thick meat palm in just a couple of seconds. His five fingers had lost their original forms, and the appearance of them joined together with the meaty palm was pretty comical. More importantly, the person did not feel any sense of pain at all. It was as if the nerves in his hand had been paralysed, or the receptors had been cut off. Thus, the true feelings of his hand could not be transmitted to to his brain at all. The changes on his hand was just the beginning. As his palm continued to swell, his wrist were slowly starting to turn thick before spreading up to his arm as well. It was as if there was an air pump pumping air into his arm continuously. When the swelling spread up to his shoulder, the man gradually lot control of this arm as it drooped powerlessly towards the ground. The surrounding people subconsciously touched and felt out their own arms when they saw this scene. They were all afraid that the same thing would happen to themselves. Hey you, kid! The brawny man took a huge step towards Rikulab, but found himself stopped by Cillins arm. The brawny man tried to push Cillins arm away from his path, but then realised that he could not move it an inch no matter how hard he pushed. By now the brawny man understood that they had ran into a real match this time. No one who could wear the badge of a lieutenant commander would be weak, and the other thing he learned today was that age had nothing to do with whether one could possess the badge of an official member, or assume the seat of a lieutenant commander. The brawny man sucked in a deep breath and lifted his eyes to look at Cillin. However, he saw that this young lieutenant commander was wearing a faint smile that was neither alienating nor cordial. The good news was that he did not see any malice or disgust in Cillins eyes towards their provocations. This was a good sign for the brawny man. My brother, we have made an error in judgment this time, and this is our fault. We apologise. Please help cure my, ahem, brothers* condition. *just to clarify, but brother is a common Chinese term used to indicate intimacy. It is a term used to indicate a friendship thats close enough to be compared to real brothers. Cillin looked at Rikulab, and Rikulab shrugged, Its fine. He will recover very soon. It wont affect his body. Cillin turned around and said to the brawny man, Then I guess its no big problem. Its just a little prank, so relax. Relax? Like hell we can relax! Can you stay calm if it was your hand that was turned into a balloon? The brawny man and the other person grumbled. What kind of a prank was this? They were absolutely running as far away as possible if they met him in the future. However, Cillin actually had seen someone who could still laugh and fool around despite having a ridiculously swollen hand due to allergy. For example that fool young master Lung of the Andrea Family. It was as Rikulab had said. The persons swollen hand were confined only to his shoulder and his arm, and when two minutes had passed the swelling began to subside slowly. Five minutes later, his arm had already returned to its original form. Although there were initially still some wrinkles left on his skin, even those quickly faded as well. The person looked over his arm and glanced at Rikulab with very odd eyes, You cant be an honor student who specialises in pharmaceutics or something, can you? Seeing that there were no petty resentment in the persons attitude C in fact, he appeared rather undisturbed C Rikulab also stopped giving him an attitude and smiled, No, I havent even received intermediate level education yet. Thats even scarier! The crowd thought. A guy who could reach this level completely on his own without even receiving an intermediate level education was either a genius or a monster. Wouldnt he become even greater than he was now if he finished higher education and filled up the blanks then? Or maybe he could just not receive higher education and keep working on his own, and who knows, maybe he could even publish some kind of achievement in some high contribution points medical type electronic publications. It appeared that Sixth B Squadrons individual abilities were pretty good this time! Dammit, how did the Sixth Squad find such amazing talents? While everyone was harboring their own thoughts, the woman over twenty years old who had been holding up her chin and watching from the main service desk all this time smiled and walked towards them. Her firm butt wrapped in her short skirt swayed rhythmically along with her footsteps, but the Hunters around her hurriedly turned their gazes away instead when they saw her. They randomly picked a topic and began to talk bullshit, looking like they had not noticed the commotion at all. The brawny man and his companion also escaped like the wind after giving Cillin and the others an awkward smile. Before he left, he moved his mouth said soundlessly, Watch out! It would appear that this woman here had special status and was not easy to deal with. But contrary to everyones thoughts, the woman who walked over said while wearing a cordial smile, You are Cillin, Wheeze, Tang Qiuqiu, Rikulab and Udoze, am I right? Senior Barthus had told me to treat you well. Your meals have been prepared at the restaurant, and please tell me if theres anything else you need. Allow me to lead the way. once finished, she made a welcoming gesture. When the surrounding people saw the boss lady of the first floor who appeared to be a babe from a distance but was in fact a fearsome bandit at close range treating Cillin and the others with such courtesy, their jaws nearly fell off in shock. Since when was their tyrannical bandit girl this polite? There were also some people counting their fingers and realising that the boss lady had said five names in total. However, there were only four people present in the group right now. So where was the last person? In reality, the gray cat had felt drowsy ever since it had its fill at the dessert store, and was sleeping on Cillins shoulder all this time. As long as it wasnt something big, mister cat could not be bothered to lift even an eyelid. Cillin thought that this woman was rather interesting. Despite having been notified by senior Barthus beforehand, she still watched them being provoked by the surrounding people from beginning to the end before finally showing up. As expected, this was how Hunters interacted with each other. The woman looked at the gray cat laying on top of Cillins shoulder and sleeping, and smiled, Weve purposely prepared some fishes as well. Steamed, saute, cooked, deep fried, roasted; we have everything Mm, fish was important business. Therefore, the gray cats ears captured the eligible keyword and awoken unhurriedly. Then, it stretched its back and yawned, Im hungry. Lets eat. The woman hid a smile behind her hand, saying, What do you think of this place, Wheeze? Think? the gray cat said lazily while scratching its ears, I dont know, I was asleep. Everyone: As expected, they were utterly ignored. After the woman had brought Cillins group to the restaurant, someone pulled her when she came out and asked carefully, Hey boss, just who are those people? This boss of the first floor was never this courteous even when she was facing a B Squads commander. The woman spread her arms helplessly and said, What can I do? Senior Barthus himself told me to receive them well and not cause too much trouble. The person came to realisation. So it was senior Barthus; no wonder their boss didnt cause any trouble today and ended things after just watching a show from the sidelines. Cillin directly connected with the Sixth B Squadrons main control room and reported his return and the two new recruits he would like to recommend to Shawton. Naturally, Shawton was very happy about this, but when he looked at Cillin, there was some measure of worry in his eyes. He told Cillin to meet up with them as soon as possible, and that there was something important they needed to discuss. After ending his conversation with Shawton, Cillin pondered about Shawtons worried gaze for a moment. It was obvious that it hd something to do with the mission Barthus had told him about. After a moments ponderment, contacted again the control room of his squads* starship. *Not the B Squadron, but the small team hes in like Cary and the others. The first thing that showed up on the screen was Carys huge face when the connection had gone through. Cillin, your bro misses you so much! No wait, let me try this again. LC Cillin, we miss you so much we could die! Cillin had the impulse to throw a kick right into his face. Before Cillin could speak, Cary continued to get high on his own from the other side, Also my beloved Wheeze and my cute Qiuqiu, you bro misses you all so much I could die! Someone was pushing Cary by the side, and judging from his voice it was Xiaoshang. Dough seized the opportunity to jump in front of the communicator before it was grabbed by the tail by Cary in an attempt to throw it away. Dough hugged onto the communication panel and refused to let go as Cary continued to yell in excitement, Qiuqiu, your egg has been hatched! Really?! Tang Qiuqius impatient face nearly filled up the entire communicator. Chapter 161: Sector S, Joint Mission With Lung [Part 1] Chapter 161: Sector S, Joint Mission With Lung [Part 1] Yeah, hey Eudy, roll that fur ball over quickly! Cary turned his head and roared to the side. Not long after, they could see that Cary holding a white fur ball the full size of a soccer ball and giving it a squeeze. The fellow appeared to be still sleeping, and it had curled itself up into a ball like a porcupine. After it was harassed into wakefulness by Cary, it slowly recovered from its ball shape. Its entire body was snow white, but its eyes were silver color. Its mouth and nose were fleshy faint pink, perhaps because it was still at infancy. It opened its hazy and unfocused eyes and let out a big yawn. It looked towards the communicators projection panel and lifted its drooping, round ear, letting out a whine. The gray cats whiskers shook once: This guy; it didnt need a second glance to tell that it could sleep even harder than it. Also, its so fat Tang Qiuqiu stared excitedly at the white ball thingy. Right now she really wanted to return to the squad. Qiuqiu, this little guy is a glutton, so you need submit an expense account for food expenses when you come back. Buy some food along the way, this fellow can eat anything. At the side, Udoze and Rikulab sweatdropped. Can a glutton with a wide scope of diet not be fat?! Alright, I will buy a lot of things! Tang Qiuqiu immediately answered. Oh right, this little fellow doesnt have a name yet. Its just waiting for you, its true master to give it one. But before it has an official name everyone calls it Qiu Er*. *Er is an affectionate word that you put behind a persons name to address someone. Its kind of like a nickname. Strictly speaking the character means son, but it is perfectly fine behind a girls name too. Tang Qiuqiu frowned. Why did it sound a little strange? Okay. Ill use this two days to think up of a name. Once they were done speaking, Cillin then broke off the connection. Otherwise, Cary being Cary might hold up the communicator on the other side and talk for the whole day. Faster faster, lets set off right now. Hehe, my egg has hatched, its finally hatched! Earlier, when Tang Qiuqiu had followed Cillin and parted ways with the squad, Eudy had said that it might take up to more than half a year or over a years time to hatch it. Therefore, Tang Qiuqiu had not carried the egg with her and put it inside the incubation room. But she did not think that the egg would be hatched even before half a year was fully up. This really gave her a pleasant surprise. However, following Tang Qiuqius loud cries, some of the surrounding people were looking at their direction with odd eyes. They even scrutinised Tang Qiuqiu carefully, seemingly checking if she was the average human being. It could not be helped, since Tang Qiuqius words were way too ambiguous. What do you mean my egg has hatched, they couldnt help but think of non-mammals because of that. Due to Tang Qiuqius impatience and Shawtons words for him to return ASAP, the group of people adjusted their schedule at the last moment. Their schedule was now tighter, and they no longer had the free time to travel about. Tang Qiuqiu did not hold back on spending. Even a hundredth of the money she earned from the mission and race bet was enough for her to buy a large quantity of food. The communication department had a starship that specifically flies to their base of operations, so after registration was complete, Cillins group then got up the spaceplane headed towards the space station where the starship was at. Cillin, who had been listening to the gray cat criticising that fat fur ball noticed that Udoze and Rikulab hadnt spoken up all this time. Udoze was fine, Cillin could see that he was just anxious. But although Rikulab did not clearly express his thoughts, Cillin could more or less guess what was going in his mind right now. You are thinking that this is all there is to Vanguard, one of the great four of legends, arent you? Cillin looked at Rikulab smilingly. When Udoze heard Cillin, he too looked at Rikulab. Personally he had no such opinion, but what exactly did Rikulab mean by this? Was he regretting getting on board? Rikulab simply shook his head and said nothing to answer Cillins question. In truth, this is nothing but a small scuffle for a member of Vanguard. They may have expressed their disdain or despise with their eyes, but if they were facing other Hunter regiments, then it would have been true hostility and malice. Also, these people are just the grassroot units of Vanguard, and the members of B Squadrons no less. The A Squad wouldnt have the time to hang around at their leisure at all. There were also a few veterans in the hall just now, but they havent joined in and simply watched by the sidelines. Otherwise, those people would not have ended things with a small scuffle just like that. They wouldve definitely pulled you into a fight on the spot. In reality, Rikulab did think that this was all there was to the great four of legends after experiencing that scuffle at the hall. But after he listened to Cillins explanation, he found himself understanding Vanguard a little more. He remembered Barthus, a guy who gave him a powerful and strong impression even while he was laughing and teasing the gray cat and Tang Qiuqiu. Although the woman at the first floor hall of the communication department also left him a strong impression, she was still miles away from Barthus. Perhaps this was the difference between the A Squadron and B Squadron. Cillin, when its time lets head to the A Squadron as well. the gray cat said while wiping its whiskers. Cillin patted the gray cats head and said, Its not as simple as that, and we have to accumulate military accomplishments as well. Also, it was thanks to Dias relinquishing his seat that I became LC, you know. Upon speaking of Dias, Tang Qiuqius constant excitement dimmed a little, I wonder how big brother Dias is doing. Hes fine. Cary and the others look pretty spirited, so his treatment over there should be going well. Cillin said. Only then Tang Qiuqiu smiled and said, Mm, he said that hell definitely be fine with sister Asiya around! I cant believe you believe such nonsense Cillin smacked the gray cat before it could finish, enraging it so much that it jumped on top of Cillins head and smacked him randomly. Since they hadnt reached their destination, Cillin took the opportunity to explain to Udoze and Rikulab some simple things about the Sixth Squad so they would have a more concrete understanding of it. However, he did not go into the details. Some things could not be said temporarily because they hadnt yet been officially acknowledged. It was only after they had acquired official acknowledgement and received a badge that they could be told more in-depth information. This was the rule, just like how Cillin still wasnt qualified to know certain things about the A Squad. The A Squad Cillin recalled Barthus and Shawtons words. Could it be that this matter involved the A Squad as well? If even Cillins immediate superior Shawton wasnt qualified to ask, didnt this mean that the decision-making power lay in the hands of someone even further up? Chapter 161: Sector S, Joint Mission With Lung [Part 2] Chapter 161: Sector S, Joint Mission With Lung [Part 2] Vanguards base was on a planet called Planet K-J100. One only needed to look at its code to know its importance, and as Vanguards base the planet was also called Planet Vanguard. In reality, the entire J-District of Sector K was the Vanguards domain, and Planet Vanguard K-J100 was set as the heart of the district. After the starship arrived at the space station outside Planet K-J100, the people would take different spaceplanes to head to different locations on the planet. The majority of the area on Planet K-J100 belonged to the A Squad. The people of B Squadron were not allowed to enter this area unless they had been given permission or notified. The areas beyond this area belonged to the B Squadron, and every B Squadron was allowed to operate freely within their own areas. Cillin was going to to take the spaceplane to the Sixth B Squadron together with Tang Qiuqiu and the others. However, they were stopped the second they stepped off the starship. There were people sent by the A Squad to receive Cillin and the gray cat. Perhaps the higher-ups had briefed them beforehand, but their attitude towards Cillin could be considered okay. At the very least, they did not look at him with contempt or attempt to provoke him. Instead, they were looking at him curiously. Left without a choice, Cillin could only request Tang Qiuqiu to lead Udoze and Rikulab to the Sixth B Squadron. After all, Tang Qiuqiu was the only out of the trio who had a badge. Sometimes a badge was also a very effective passage permit or the two permitless people, Rikulab and Udoze, would have been thrown into prison before they could explain anything and would be served with cruel punishments at this Vanguard base. Cillin followed the people, rode a spaceplane and descended at the mouth of a roadway belonging to the A Squad. The second he got off the spaceplane, he immediately saw Shawton waiting for him. There wasnt much joy on his face, and his eyes were even filled with worry when he looked at Cillin. Commander. Cillin raised a hand and greeted. Shawton smiled and said, I heard you found two very good recruits for the squad. Good work. You work pretty efficiently. The people who escorted Cillin here bid him goodbye before another group of people replaced them. They led Cillin and Shawton up towards a modified flying car, and then headed towards a particular building. Shawton said that it was a slightly special building used for discussing matters. Even those in the A Squad could not enter without a certain level of qualification. Cillins mouth twitched on the inside. I guess I have to thank them for treating me this highly. When they were walking into the building, Shawton sighed and said in a soft tone, Dont accept this mission if you do not want to. I know. Cillin motioned for Shawton not to worry. When they arrived in front of a meeting room, Shawton was blocked from entry. Cillin and the gray cat were the only ones who could enter. Shawton told him that he would be waiting at the lounge around the corner. Cillin nodded. The door automatically opened when he walked up to it. Cillin lifted his foot and walked in. Shawton experienced mixed feelings when he saw the shut meeting room door. It took much hardships before the Sixth B Squadron had finally found such a great talent and an opportunity to develop itself. He really did not wish to see any mishaps befell upon their talents, and Cillin especially so. Dias once said that Cillin would lead the Sixth B Squadron to a new, glorious height. That was why Shawton had figured that it might be a mission related to that place even if he did not have full understanding of the matter. The problem was, that was no place for a LC of a small B Squad to be at at all! Their eyelids twitched the second Cillin and the gray cat walked into the meeting room. Why is this fool here?! Standing on top of Cillins shoulder, the gray cat stared at the tidily dressed fellow drinking tea with a serious face while putting on the airs of a gentleman that was not without unyielding sharpness with an open mouth. It severely doubted that the gangster-like dude it met earlier was this persons twin brother. Upon seeing Cillins entry, young master Lung nodded with a smile that was just perfect with a straight face. Both Cillin and the gray cat could feel their hair standing on its end. Hes gone crazy, hes totally gone crazy There were a few other people they did not recognise sitting beside the table of the meeting room. However, judging from their badges he knew that these people had a lot of say within the A Squad. Cillin and Wheeze, right? Take a seat. No need to be nervous. one of them let out a friendly smile and pointed at an empty chair. Mm, this time the chair wasnt tampered with like the time he met Barthus and Songba Leruo. Well, he shouldve known that not everyone in the A Squad was so idle that they would use a juniors performance to make a bet at any time like Barthus. Neither Cillin nor the gray cat were people who would get nervous. After giving his Hunter seniors a salute, he calmly walked over, pulled a chair and sat down. Meanwhile, the gray cat jumped up the table, sniffed at the tea in front of Cillin before licking it with its tongue. After pondering over it for a bit and finding its taste to be pretty good, it ignored the surrounding people directly and licked the cup of tea to the bottom. Once it was done, it raised its head and looked at its surroundings, Is there more? I didnt get a chance to drink any water while we were on the way. The Vanguards people smiled and requested someone to refill its cup. Then, they took out another cup and put the entire tea pot right beside it. Judging from their expressions, they fancied the gray cat far more than they fancied Cillin. Cillin didnt mind this, however. The more they fancied the gray cat, the more its safety could be guaranteed. At the very least, Vanguard would put on a hard-line attitude when faced up against the military or some crazy research organisation. After all, Cillins current abilities could only bring him so far, and he could not influence the entire Vanguard Hunter regiment at all. He could not even acquire certain information he needed. Sigh, he had a heavy burden and a long road ahead of him. Young master Lung had not spoken up all this time. He kept twirling the cup in his hands and playing at being deep and mysterious. After the leading person in charge on Vanguards side briefly spoke, he then passed an electronic notebook to Cillin. The rough introduction and description of the relevant mission were all listed on top of it. Cillin accepted the electronic minute book and began swiftly swiping through the pages with his finger with great speed. The speed at which he was swiping through the pages surprised the people present. They did not think that this kid actually did have some abilities of his own. What they did not know was that Cillin had purposely lowered his reading speed. Otherwise, if he were to give it his all, the shock might jolt off their front teeth. When he saw the phrase Sector S on the electronic minute book, Cillin immediately recalled the things Enji mentioned in his diary. Yes, it had been fifty years. Sector S was the prison sector that made everyones faces pale upon talking about it. All infamous criminals of the galaxy were imprisoned there, and many of these criminals were figures who had a good time for a while at a certain sector. Since Sector S was the byword for prison and criminal, it was also regarded as the darkest place in GAL. Sector S wasnt big, and it had very few habitable planets. However, every planet in Sector S was like a hell of its own. Some people said that the place was constantly engulfed in ghoulish screams and filled with countless vengeful ghosts and evil spirits. Among the prisoners who were locked up in Sector S, there were Hunters, traders, and key participants of governments and the military. The army stationed at Sector S was in fact a different kind of army, and thus the GAL militarys influence over them was much smaller than other places. Cillin remembered that Knight once told him that these people could not even be considered servicemen. The reason why so many innocents died in the prison was because the people stationed at the prison planet or the prison guards who had attacked them directly. Unfeeling, numb, and slaughterers. These were words used all too often to describe the people who guarded this prison. The reason why some people of great forces, great business groups, great families, influential politicians and big shots in the army could survive despite being sentenced to imprisonment in Sector S was because they all had some measure of influence in Sector S. One of the major reasons why Sector S was called special was due to its level of complexity. Once, there was someone who said that they saw a person who was sentenced to jail several dozens of years ago actually become a prison guard after their sentence had ended. There were also such people among the army that was garrisoned there. Every force kept an eye over their own people in the prison. It was common to suppress another force, or even scheme against and assassinate another person. Everyone in that place was strong, veterans on the battlefield, and wielded his own respective abilities. Only death awaited the weak who entered that place. It was no wonder Shawton would worry, since Shawton himself had no guarantee that he could preserve his own safety in that kind of a place. However, when Cillin had finished reading through the data, he was surprised to find that the mission had been suggested by the Andrea Family. Moreover, they had specifically picked out Cillin and the gray cat to accept this mission. If Cillin agreed, then the transaction was complete. If he turned it down, then Andrea would not seek out others among Vanguard either. The fifty years of prison term was about to come to an end. It was about time the members of Vanguard imprisoned inside Sector S were freed, werent they? The A Squad had probably made up their minds already, but the ones to head there would most definitely be elites and not Cillin. It was not unexpected. Of course the Vanguard members who were imprisoned at Sector S would order the A Squad to send out the elites they had great confidence in to receive them, and not someone like Cillin whom in their eyes was still a soft shoot. Their confidence in Cillins ability was still at the doubtful level, and this matter was of the utmost importance. It was highly unlikely they would allow a new command to follow them. The A Squad had a different opinion about the matter with the Andrea Family. While they would not pass their own squads mission to Cillin, Cillin could accept a mission issued on someone elses behalf. There were both advantages and disadvantages. However, since Cillin didnt rank high in Vanguard yet there werent many people who objected to this appointment. They could also use this opportunity to see just how capable the person both Barthus and Songba Leruo had recommended together was. When Cillin returned the electronic minute book back to the other party, he did not agree to the mission immediately. Instead he said, About this mission, I would like to talk with the Andrea Family in private before deciding whether I will accept this mission or not. The person in charge on the Vanguards side did not object to this request. There was a small meeting room connected to this big meeting room that was specifically prepared for those people who needed to have a separate discussion. Seeing Lungs nod, Vanguards person in charge pressed a button, and a small door appeared on a wall that looked almost identical to its surroundings. Both Cillin and Lung entered inside the room. There were a few other people on the Andreas side who wanted to follow Lung into the room, but were stopped by him. Among them was Berzett. But although he did not go in, Berzett shot Lung a glance before the door was closed: Dont act too undisciplined, and watch out your own image. Lung pretended not to see it at all. The second the door was closed Lung immediately revealed his true form, kicking his shoes aside and tossing his jacket away while half laying on top of his chair panting like he ran a marathon, Im so tired I could die! Look, my toes are about to blister. Slippers are still the best Lung did not talk business from the start. Rather, he complained and vented his full stomach of grievance for a dozen or so minutes while showing no signs of ending. Cillin threw him a kick, Get to the point already! Lung scratched his head, Didnt we talk about the point outside already? Like hell you did! Alright alright, ask me whatever you want. Lung crossed his legs and sat very vulgarly on the chair. Is someone in your family imprisoned there as well? Cillin asked. Yeah. Hes a senior who was put into the slammer fifty years ago. Your high and mighty young master volunteered himself to rescue him so that he wouldnt get killed right after he got out of prison before he left the Sector. Its fifty years ago, huh. Cillin frowned. Just how big was that incident from fifty years ago that it involved so many people! While rubbing the sole of his foot, Lung cast a glance at Cillin before saying, The mess from fifty years ago was too big and involved too many people. The four great Hunter regiments, some giant business families, the military and some politicians etc. were dragged into it. after a pause, Lung continued, Didnt you realise that your life as a Hunter up till now had been relatively peaceful? Even that suddenly emerging Poison Fang or something that you guys destroyed, and some other fellows who unqualified to show their faces on stage but was arrogant as hell did not cause much of a splash. None of the big forces or even the military took very strong measures against them, because they are just too weak in comparison. That was why they were left around to season things up a bit, not to mention that the strong ones hadnt made a move yet. Let me give you an example. Did you not realise that youve only see three out of the four Hunter regiments until now, and that one remaining Hunter regiment had been keeping a low profile all this time? Chapter 162: Ready to Go [Part 1] Chapter 162: Ready to Go [Part 1] I guess we cant say that theyre the only ones who are keeping a low profile, since in reality everyone was keeping a low profile. Its just that they were extremely low key even when compared to the others. For the past fifty years, there hasnt been any unusually huge conflict between the four great Hunter regiments, the great four and the military, and the business, political and other circles as well. This was a buffer everyone had agreed to by chance. Lung continued to say. Cillin did not say anything. Ever since he joined Vanguard, Cillin had been paying constant attention to the movements of the four great Hunter regiments. On the whole, the four great Hunter regiments were just like an indicator whose movements were more or less followed by the Hunter regiments in GAL. However, as he came to understand more over time, Cillin discovered that the current great four werent nearly as dazzling and flamboyant as they used to be. It could be said that they were acting a lot more low-key than the historical records stated. Now that he thought about it, it might really be due to the influence of that incident fifty years ago. If he hadnt seen the content of Enjis diary, he might not know even now that there was an incident fifty years ago so huge that it influenced the entire GAL. However, what Cillin still did not know was what exactly had happened fifty years ago that caused even the great four to withdraw their claws? In GAL, the incident from fifty years ago was not brought up be it in electronic networks or physical records. Perhaps some of the old people who lived through that time would know something, but were all afraid to talk about it. Have you checked out Blue Butterflys communication department when you were at the transit planet? Lung asked. Blue Butterfly was the one out of the great four Lung spoke of who had been keeping a low profile all this time. Blue Butterfly was slightly special among the great four in that their numbers might not even reach a tenth of numbers of the three other Hunter regiments such as Vanguard. However, their average strength was also a lot higher. Looking at the ranking of GALs Hunter regiments, the great fours overall strength did not differ much from each other, and it was difficult to differentiate exactly who was more superior to the other. However, Blue Butterflys average individual combat power was publicly known as the strongest out of all Hunter regiments in GAL. Moreover, B Squadrons did not exist in Blue Butterfly. This was what made Blue Butterfly was special. Every Blue Butterfly member had a butterfly-shaped tattoo on their bodies. There were demon butterflies, swallowtail butterflies and all kinds of other patterns, and underneath these major categories, everyones tattoo differed according to the person. Cillin shook his head when he heard Lungs question. He had headed straight to Vanguard the moment he found the coordinates. He had not paid attention to the situation of other Hunter regiments communication departments. Blue Butterflys communication department never had too many people, and even if you went there you would only find some grass-roots units. However, no one knew where the core forces of Blue Butterfly were since they had vanished more than forty years ago. at this point, Lung let out a sneer and said, But this time, it is likely that even the most low-key Blue Butterfly would return. In fact, they would return in force. Do you know what happened fifty years ago? Cillin asked. Lung made an apologetic gesture and said, I only knew some matters that are related to our family, and a rough impression of the other forces. Although everyone was involved in the incident fifty years ago, their objectives and needs all differed from each other. Did no one in Vanguard tell you about this? But I guess its only natural since its a public secret. If I wasnt the first young master of the Andrea Family, I would not have the qualification to know about the things that involved the family back then as well. Never mind then. Cillin expressed his indifference, Lets talk about this mission. What are your intentions exactly? My intentions? Didnt I say them pretty clearly before? Im requesting your cooperation in completing this mission. Speaking of which, this mission is beneficial for you Vanguards as well. That electronic minute book only talked about a mission at Sector S, but it did not specify exactly what were going to do there. Lung used the hand he used to rub his leg earlier to scratch his head, Er, to put it in simpler words, that Andrea Family core mission of ours absolutely wont fall into my lap. My dad would not let me do something as leading the charge and breaking through the enemy lines right now anyway. He said that my abilities are lacking, and I havent left a seed behind to continue the family line. Its the pits if I went there and did not return, so instead I applied an extra mission on my own accord from my dad C arson! Arson? Yeah. If theyre fighting mad at the front yard, then well go set the back yard on fire. Itll serve as a kind of a distraction, and a chance at toughening ourselves. There are no hardline victory conditions, and there are no hardline objectives. This is purely entertainment with a high degree of freedom. The place you choose for pure entertainment sure are special. A step in the wrong direction and well lose our little lives away and be miserable all the same. Lung said excitedly, Itll be fine. Not even my dad turned down the idea after the difficulty level was lowered. This is a rare opportunity, and I have a feeling that when the time comes Sector S will be pretty chaotic, so why not take the chance and make the waters muddier. Well just be a spectator of the whole thing. Cillin gave it a thought. It was not like he had anything to do, and it wasnt an opportunity that he would let pass by. When he saw the phrase Sector S, he had already decided against foregoing the mission. That being said, it was still better to get answers for zome questions. Why fifty years? Something happened fifty years ago, and then a bunch of people were all given fifty years sentences. That doesnt sound right. Excluding the heavyweights, the small fries were either dead or sentenced to prison terms of varying periods between ten to fifty years. There were people who had been released and returned from Sector S, but the ratio of people who returned safely from Sector S were less than a thousandth. In fact, at a certain period of time the people who were released from Sector S were utterly annihilated. The ridiculously low safe return ratio was one of the reasons why everyone had made their respective preparations to safeguard the heavyweights return. As for why that mission only resulted in fifty years of prison term, we had the disagreements between the military and political groups to thank. The people in academia who had decision making power also reached some sort of underground deal with everyone, which was why everyone worked together to reduce everyones sentences to fifty years. I see. Cillin recalled a number of things. It wasnt that the Hunter regiments did not have any achievements on Glory or Code, they had simply became someone elses achievements. These were all part of the deal. Therefore, Lung approached Cillin with shining eyes, Lets go stir up a row. Cillin raised his eyes and glanced at Lung once, It cant be that the reason you volunteered yourself and applied for such a mission from your dad was because you were fed up with the matters at Sector H, can it? Bullseye. Lets go lets go, when the time comes Ill tell you secretly some of the secrets back then. I didnt say that Im not going. Haha, then its a deal! Lung bounced right up and ran towards the door, but just when he was about to open it he stopped and walked back with a bitter look on his face. He put on his shoes, tidied up his clothes, and straightened out the flew clumps of hair he scratched out of order until everything was perfect. Finally, he cleared his throat and opened the door with a profound appearance. They returned to the big meeting room, took a further step deeper into the negotiation, discussed about remunerations and other matters, signed the contract, shook hands and bid each other goodbye. But because Cillin requested to rest here for several days, Lung and the Andrea Family people also stayed behind at K-J District. Vanguard had arranged temporary lodgings for them. Of course, there was no way they would allow the Andrea Family people to stay long term at Planet Vanguard, so they had arranged their lodgings at another planet at the rim. However, Lung lost his patience after just staying there for a day and took his men directly to the transit planet for fun. He told Cillin to find him there after he had rested sufficiently and dealt with all his matters. Shawton did not comment anything about Cillins choice. He simply told Cillin to rest well during the few days he was at the Sixth B Squadron. Chapter 162: Ready to Go [Part 2] Chapter 162: Ready to Go [Part 2] After getting out of the A Squads domain, Cillin and Shawton took a spaceplane and departed towards the Sixth B Squadrons domain. The gray cat laid lazily on top of Cillins shoulder and moved its tail from time to time. It had not interrupted when Cillin and Lung were conversing earlier. It did not matter since it would have fun wherever they went anyway. Of course, the gray cat was very willing to go to an unfamiliar and dangerous place; preferably the kind where it could turn everything upside down. You look like youre feeling pretty good. Cillin poked the hair above the gray cats ear. The gray cat flicked its ears and patted Cillins hand away with a paw while letting out a humph, The weapon loadouts at the A Squads domain are pretty good. Their signal protection is stronger than our squads too. But? Cillin raised an eyebrow and continued along the lines this fellow was headed to. Hed allow it to have a moment of self-enlightenment this time. As expected, But! I can turn that place into a mess all the same, hehe meow. the gray cat raised its chin and said proudly. Alright enough, when we get to Sector S youll have the chance to go wild. Of~ course~. For the sake of the mission later, I want extra meals for the next few days! The main point is at the last line, isnt it? Although this was the first time he visited the Sixth B Squadrons base, Cillin still felt a lot more relaxed. Perhaps that big emblem with the number 6 alone was enough to soothe his feelings. With Shawton leading the way, Cillin and the gray cat were able to go wherever they wanted unimpeded. Previously, the Sixth Squad had all operated on the starship, and now that they had all been transferred into the base. The many connected buildings looked just like a fort. Lets go, everyones accommodations are over there. Shawton led Cillin towards one of the buildings. However, before Cillin could enter his own room, Cary intercepted him and gave him a bear hug. Then it was Xiao Shang, Eudy and the others. Tang Qiuqiu came over while hugging a white fur ball; the thing that had hatched out of its egg. Still, other than slightly larger ears, why did it look a little like a bear? While a bear was a mammal, this particular fat bear had most definitely jumped out of an egg. Cillin scoured the information in his head for a bit and confirmed that he had not seen such a specie on that planet. Brother Cillin, I named it Snowball! Tang Qiuqiu said clearly while hugging the fat little fellow. Snowball. Thats a good name. Cillin said. It was a good name, since both the owner and the pet had the word ball* in their names, unlike a certain gray cat who once called itself Whebeze. Now it was called Wheeze, wasnt it? So it would seem that names were defined by the people around you. No matter how much you disliked a name initially, given enough time youll eventually get used to it. *The Chinese word a.k.a Qiu also meant Ball. Cillin asked Tang Qiuqiu to give Snowball to him for a hug. The little fellow had awoken from its sleep since it was noisy with so many people around it. According to Eudy, this little fellow slept eighty percent of the time. The rest of its time was spent on foraging, excreting, and being rolled around like a ball by everyone for fun. Little Snowball opened its silver eyes and looked at its surroundings in a daze. It did not struggle despite the unfamiliar surroundings, and after moving its little nose once it narrowed its eyes and let out a yawn. It then turned its gaze to the gray cat crouching on top of Cillin and patted it with a paw. It let out a whining cry that sounded like it was buttering up to the gray cat. The gray cats whiskers shook once as it said with a serious expression, This guy seems to be older than me! The clamorous group who were chatting and laughing with each other fell silent at once. Wheeze, this little fellow hasnt hatched out of its egg for much time. It hasnt even been thirty GAL calendar days yet. I can guarantee this! The rest of the people in the Sixth Squad can be eye witnesses as well. The gray cat rubbed its whiskers and continued to ask, When do you start calculating its age? When it took form after the ovum was fertilised? When it was an egg? Or when it hatched out of the egg? Er, for creatures that hatched out of eggs, of course we start counting since the moment they were hatched. Oh, I see. Then its okay. the gray cat lifted its paws once more and touched Snowball. It now felt a lot more elated, So its still just a baby! If they really counted its age since the moment the egg was born, this little fellow might as well be a demon already*. *Chinese lore often say that animals who cultivate for a thousand years can become a demon, or what you may imagine as an elite, power wielding version of the animal. Hence the above. Dough, who had been clutching the wall and watching the scene was unhappy when it saw everyones attentions were focused onto Snowball. It swiftly moved its four limbs and charged towards Cillin, climbing up his pants all the way up to his shoulders. It then stuck close to the gray cat and gave it a rather disproportionate sized hug. Yo, you came out, Dough. Cillin loosened a hand and gave Dough a rub, You seem to have grown bigger, little fellow. Dough grew even more pleased when it heard Cillins words. Its wide open mouth seemed to indicate that it was smiling. The gray cat cast a glance at Dough beside it before looking down at its own completely unchanged body. It lifted a foot, and whack! Sometimes cats really were petty minded. At the very least, Dough had been kicked off Cillins shoulders as a result of the gray cats own disgruntled feelings. That being said, with Doughs abilities it would be perfectly fine even Cary grabbed it by the tail and flung it against the wall. The few people gathered together and talked a little about the things that had happened during the period of time. Earlier, Tang Qiuqiu had already shown everyone the photos she took with her camera, and shared some souvenirs with them. The trip to Little Garden especially had Zaya Kasa C the girl who replaced Asiyas position in the squad C claiming that she must take a stroll at Little Garden when she had the time. It was such a fantastic place. Bee honey can nourish ones skin, and the bee honey of Little Garden was old several times its original price outside. This further fortified the decision of some of the females in the squad to form a group and take a vacation at Little Garden. Cillin inquired about the situation over Dias side since Dias and the others who had gone to Sector E for treatment had not yet returned. Apparently things were going well, and they were undergoing recovery treatment. After all they were all Hunters, and no Hunter would wish to be incompletely healed. In a battle of life and death, an incompletely healed affliction was like an invisible bomb that could not be seen, but could explode at any moment and rob them of their lives. However, he also heard that they would be able to return after another half a year. Dias would often send some videos back to the squad, and in the videos everyone looked pretty healthy. This also caused the Sixth B Squadrons morale to recover by a lot. Where are Udoze and Rikulab? Cillin looked around but did not see the two people. They went to deal with the enlistment procedure. LC Akayi and Lu Suo are responsible for it. Cary said. Cillin was a little surprised by this. After all, back when he joined the squad he had to go through the joint voting of the commander and the LCs before a decision was made. So why was the decision made so quickly when he, the LC, had not showed up until now and Shawton was with the A Squad? But after giving it another thought, Cillin found the answer on his own. Senior Barthus himself had agreed to the enlistment, and Cillin himself was the one who brought the two new members on board. Naturally, the rest of the people would not object to the enlistment. Shawton might be dealing with some work at the A Squad, but he should have been informed a long time ago. Therefore, the decision to admit Udoze and Rikulab into the squad had become much easier to make. The moment the topic of the new recruits were brought up, Cary immediately grew excited, I heard from the brothers at Second Squad that you guys showed off pretty well at Vanguards communication department on the transit planet! What do you think of them both? Cillin looked at Cary. He did not believe that Cary had not given both Udoze and Rikulab a show of strength, just like how Cary had wanted a handshake the first time he met him. He had to test their level of skill after all. Xiao Shang interrupted laughingly before Cary could say anything, That Udoze guys driving skills are pretty impressive. He took out Cary at least. Eudy also added, Its just like the time you dueled fighters against each other on the virtual platform! Carys face had been trained to become much thicker than before, so he simply chuckled at the jabs. He really wasnt that embarrassed to lose five out of ten matches against Udoze. Plus, he had to admit that Udozes adaptability and driving skills were amazing. During the ten versus matches, he had won the first five and lost the last five matches. In fact, he had only lost faster and more decisively with each passing match. A talent like Udoze would be able to contribute a lot to the squad when they engaged in dogfights in the future. As for Rikulab, the guys at the medical team talked a lot with him. Sometimes they would skip meals altogether when they discussed. Cary said. It would appear that the duo had blended quite quickly into the squad. After returning to the squad and resting for two days, Cillin got ready to head to the transit planet. For the past two days, they had drunk, dueled, and gave both Udoze and Rikulab a welcoming party in passing. The one who ate the most at the feast was the gray cat, and the fat Snowball came in second. It truly was a creature that had jumped right out of its egg, not having even a nursing period. Although it did drink milk, it ate even more of other things. Therefore, the two greatest gluttons in the Sixth B Squadron became famous since that day. Both Cary and Xiao Shang were rather disappointed when they heard that Cillin had a mission yet again. Originally, they were going to drag him to a few famous places of entertainment at Sector K. it would seem that Cillin could only join them after his mission was complete. When Eudy heard that Cillin had a mission to perform even during such a time, a flash went across his eyes. He passed a note to Cillin when the others werent paying attention, and after he read it, Cillin destroyed the note and gave Eudy an OK. He did not need to worry about Udoze and Rikulab. Right now, Udoze had access to fighters and received fighter training everyday. While this might be tedious and exhausting work to someone else, to Udoze it was something to take pleasure in. Meanwhile, Rikulab had also begun to attempt realizing some of the few inspirations he had in the past with the aid of some people in the medical team who were well versed in pharmacology. After bidding the Sixth B Squadron goodbye, Cillin and the gray cat stepped onto the starship headed for the transit planet once more. Although they had not yet officially departed, he could obviously detect an unusual atmosphere during the few days he spent on the bases planet. The atmosphere around the B Squadrons was still okay; it was mainly the A Squadrons spreading their tension and restlessness to their surroundings involuntarily. A few days after they had reentered the transit planet once more, Cillin had purposely gone to the Blue Butterfly Hunter regiments communication department to take a look. It was as desolate as Lung had told him, but something else laid beneath this surface of desolation. Cillin did not head to Vanguards communication department, and instead went directly to the place Lung told him to go. Lung was still sleeping when he reached that place. The same sight of a singlet and a pair of beach pants, slippers tossed randomly at the side and saliva flowing along the edges of the bed and onto the floor greeted him. When Cillin saw the process of Berzett waking Lung from his sleep, he sighed: the actions of those who hail from great families were truly beyond the imagination. What Cillin had not expected was that Berzett, the butler who had stayed by Lungs side like a nanny all this time actually wasnt following them along the trip. The only passengers on this trip really was just him, Lung and a cat. Even if the starship they were on was small-sized, it still had quite a large amount of space. However, everything else around them except them two and a cat were machines. Suddenly, Cillin thought that a road of hardships lay ahead of him. Chapter 163: Aurelio’s Cage [Part 1] Chapter 163: Aurelios Cage [Part 1] The starship the Andrea Family had prepared for Lung could be called a mini type, and it was a lot smaller than your average starship. It was spindle-shaped and appeared harmless from the outside, but in actuality the starship was installed with the latest Sentinel defense system in GAL, cannons, high density energy particle beam launchers and more. Not only were these weapons concealed beneath its harmless appearance, the quality of all of the energy blocks utilised were also the absolute top tier. The moment it encountered danger, the starships attack system would raise up its thorns like a curling hedgehog and attack the enemies at all directions. The starships interior design wasnt flamboyant, but a closer look would reveal that every detail had been meticulously designed, installed and put in order. It gave off the impression of low-key extravagance. Inside the starship, there was a weapons storage room not far away from the control room and the lounge. All kinds of weapons ranging from cold weapons to energy weapons were stored inside it. Just in case they encountered a mishap that they could not react to in time, the control room had been specifically modified so that they could rest inside it directly when they were tired. Since the only passengers of this starship were Cillin, Lung and a cat, and that there were no beautiful girls on board, Lung purposely set the exterior of the robot servants on the starship into the shape of all kinds of beautiful girls. Eye candy and all. Inside the starship, Lung was lying on top of a recliner inside the control room while eating the roasted meat served by the robot servants. Bored, he sighed for the fifty sixth time of the day. Cillin did not even lift an eye since he had gotten used to it. He was the one who applied for this mission himself, and yet hes been sighing for the entire day like a resentful housewife due to sheer boredom. While staring at the gray cat entertaining itself on top of a table at the side, he said faintly, Look at it. The life of a cat is so nice. It can happily play with its own tail for half the day. If its hungry after playing itll fill its own belly before falling asleep, and when it wakes up it can play with its tail again if its bored. Cillin raised his eyes and looked at the duo, Actually, youre about the same as it. The only difference is that it is playing with its own tail, and youre playing with your own legs. Lung put his feet back down from the recliner and shook once, Im bored! Then go to bed. If you cant fall asleep naturally then enter the sleep capsule. Wake up only when something shows up. How can I possibly do something that boring? Lung said disdainfully before falling into thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he said to Cillin, Cillin, do you want to listen to some gossip? Whose? From fifty years ago, of course! Lung controlled his recliner to move beside Cillin, So, you wanna hear about it? Cillin took a glance at Lungs ask me beg me expression before moving his gaze back to the book in his hand, saying nothing. Lung scratched his head, Alright, Ill assume that you agree since youre not making a sound. The moment the gray cat heard that they were going to talk about some secrets, it gave up on its tail and jumped off the table, climbing up Cillins body and sitting down on his shoulders. It straightened its ears and began to listen. But a long while later, Lung failed to force even a fart out of his ass. Hey, start speaking man! the gray cat urged. Oh you know, the first step is always the hardest. Im thinking where to start will be the most appealing! Lung said righteously. And? Its been ten minutes. Are you done? Almost. Ahem. Lung cleared his throat and immediately fell into form. He asked with a tone of excessive enigma, Do you know about Aurelios Cage? The gray cat cocked its head. It actually had no idea about this. Cillin answered uncertainly, You mean the one from Genesis Mythos? Lung nodded. Genesis Mythos wasnt any profound reading material, but a story book for children. The stories in the book were simple, easy to understand, and short. Aurelios Cage was one of the many stories in Genesis Mythos. In this story, in order to test humanity, God imprisoned five objects that could help men realise their dreams. The prison was the hand of God itself, with each of his five fingers being a lock of the prison. The prison can only be opened by five corresponding keys, and the objects imprisoned by Gods five fingers are called Aurelios, which meant dream in ancient language. Aurelio was the byword of dreams in the legend. Those who found the keys, unlocked the cage and obtain the Aurelios inside it would find their dreams realised. It may just be a childrens fairy tale, but no one knows if Aurelio actually can realise a persons dream. However, there were plenty of people who would jump at the opportunity to seek out and obtain Aurelio. The struggles from fifty years ago were caused exactly because of a key. While listening to Lung, Cillin abruptly recalled that a key had been drawn at the end of the poem in Chamonidines diary. He hadnt paid it any attention back then, but now he realised what it meant. Ah? Does a God really exists? the gray cat said in shock. Cillin, Lung: Youve gotten the wrong point, sir cat. Cillin scratched the gray cats head and said, Of course there are no God, its just a fairy tale and it isnt real. Also, the focus of the story is on Aurelios Cage, and not God. Oh, I see. But if God isnt real, then how did Aurelios Cage come to exist? the gray cat continued to ask. Both Cillin and the gray cat looked towards Lung. Lung shrugged, That I dont know. It seems that the stories related to Aurelios Cage have existed since a long time ago it was probably a thousand years ago. A thousand years ago, the story of Aurelios Cage had suddenly showed up, and a couple of large forces joined hands to seal off the news. Therefore, there are very few people who knows about Aurelios Cage in GAL. So thats how it is. Continue. Both Cillin and the gray cat wait for Lung to continue. Lung proudly crossed his legs and instructed the beautiful robot girl at the side to bring him a glass of fruit juice. He was thirsty after talking a lot. Then he said, There is a corresponding star map for every key, and for the past one thousand years these five star maps had already been broken into many pieces. Only by locating these pieces and putting them together could the keys be found. A jigsaw puzzle. the gray cat mumbled to itself. It sounded like a pain in the ass. The jigsaw puzzle itself wasnt troublesome, but locating these pieces, was. In fact, if you obtain even one piece of the star map and then travel all around the universe, you may be able to find other pieces of the same star map since the pieces can detect each other. Do not compare a star maps pieces with broken glass or something. A star map would not have more than five separate pieces, and some may have pieces as few as two or three. Lung explained. Thats not too bad. If we get even a single piece then itll be easy, wont it? the gray cat looked eager to start looking. Lung rolled his eyes at the gray cat and said, The problem is that many people did not even have a piece to begin with, or how could a single star map piece possibly spark a commotion that big fifty years ago? Fifty years ago, a certain people collected the star map pieces, obtained a complete star map, and acquired information on one of the five keys. However, the news were leaked, thus causing a conflict of many sides. And these certain people are? Cillin asked. Who else can it be but those three old foxes on the GAL parliament? Theyve gotten a piece each and put them together to form a completed star map. However, the news of their success leaked and triggered the uproar of many forces. However Lung rubbed his chin, I suspect that those three old bastards had purposely leaked the news so they could sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight*. *watch in safety whilst others fight, then reap the rewards when both sides are exhausted How so? Do you know that the keys location isnt the only thing that would appear after a star map has been completed? The keys name was also revealed, and the name of the key those three old bastards discovered after the star map was completed was White Night. Chapter 163: Aurelio’s Cage [Part 2] Chapter 163: Aurelios Cage [Part 2] White Night? Cillin frowned. In Genesis Mythos, one of the Aurelios represented courage, while White Night could turn darkness into light. White Night is one of the five Aurelios. In Genesis Mythos, it is said that to give light to the people in darkness, but in reality White Night means energy, and in the explanation provided by the star map, White Night is the best omnipotent power source. I do not know how much energy this type of power source can provide, but the fact that it can drive so many people to risk their lives meant that it must quite big. Moreover, those three old bastards arent that interested in power sources. Relatively speaking, I think that they enjoy watching people risking their lives and fighting over something even more. Thats why there werent many government officials who were involved fifty years ago, but there were plenty of armies and Hunter regiments. Now Cillin understood what Lung meant earlier when he said that everyones desires were different from each other. Different characters had different objectives. Out of the five Aurelios, some might be suited for Hunters and some might be suited for traders. Those in academia, the military and the government all had their own respective objectives as well. They might be similar, or they might be different. While talking, the scanner suddenly let out an alarm, Energy signal detected ahead! Energy signal detected ahead! Lung immediately grew excited as his chair spun, Activate invisibility mode! Invisibility mode engaged. Deep scan! Five minutes later, a scene was displayed on the screen. It looked to be a battle between two forces. There was a giant-sized starship and many spaceplanes and fighters around it. Wreckages could be seen everywhere, and the exchanging of firepower was pretty intense. Alright, we got something to do! Lung rubbed his palm eagerly. After watching the scene for a moment, both Cillin and Lung had discerned some of the issues on that ship. The battle was either caused by internal strife, or spies and traitors in their own midst. A huge hole had been blown from inside to outside at the side port of the starship, and from time to time fighter spacecrafts consisting of both sides would fly out from it. It would appear that battle had been engaged inside the starship, and it might not necessarily be any less intense than the battle outside. What are you going to do? Cillin looked at Lung. Right now the guy looked like he had injected himself with chicken blood* and was full of enthusiasm. *heres a repeat of something Ive explained in the past, but basically its your ancient Chinese equivalent of drugs for medical purposes. Usually its used as an idiom in the context of get high. Are we going to rush over? the gray cat worked its claws and looked full of expectations. But Lung shook his head, Our opponent is too strong. Compared to that starship our starship is practically a harmless child who hasnt finished puberty yet. Harmless child like hell that is true! Although the size difference was huge, but combat strength wise Cillin was absolutely certain that the starship they were on could take out that big fellow. Dont you see that theyre having a good time. What we should be doing now is of course to watch the show! Lung snapped his fingers, summoning his beautiful robot girl to serve up tea and freshly baked biscuits. However, just because theyre watching a show and doing nothing didnt mean that they werent using their brains. After watching for a moment, Cillin had already figured out which side were the rebels. While chewing his biscuit and not bothering to wipe the crumbs off his mouth, Lung said, Cillin, I have an idea. Cillin did not object after listening to Lungs idea, As long as you arent afraid that those fellows might break some things inside here, then sure. Heh, then its been decided! Lung spun around on his chair once before laying down a voice command, Exterior transformation, ball shape. Exterior transformation engaged. The entire ships exterior began to transform as the smart systems voice resounded. It transformed from its original spindle shape into a round ball shape. Even the color of the ships surface had changed into an arrogant white color, and a white ball sparkling with white light should be pretty eye catching amidst this darkness. Since some people were also flying towards their direction, the two sides quickly pulled close to each other. Deactivate invisibility mode! Lung instructed. Invisibility mode disengaged. Just when the smart system had finished saying that, the fully transformed starship in the shape of a white ball appeared before the peoples eyes. Andrea Familys technology was publicly recognised in GAL. The fact that the starship could get so close and still not get detected by the other partys counter surveillance system meant that its invisibility unit was just too good. Meanwhile, the people on the other side were startled by the white colored ball shaped object that had suddenly appeared. At that moment, both engaging parties had become slightly absent-minded. However, when a line of words was displayed on the surface of the ball shaped flying object, the people on the other side finally began to react towards it. The words appearing on the ball-shaped starship was: Come up, well take you away. The side that was being hunted down and was almost driven into a final struggle immediately adjusted their flight path the second they saw these words. They flew towards the ball-shaped flying object. This is the Hunter regiment Heavens Jail. Who are you? We are purging our ranks of traitors, so please do not interfere! Cillin and Lung straight up pretended that they were both deaf and mute as they watched the starships words displayed on the screen. They had heard of the Hunter regiment Heavens Jail before. It was a Hunter regiment that often operated around Sector S, and they were largely related to the people of Sector S as well. Seeing that the other party had not responded to their transmission, the Heaven Jail members on board that starship grew angry and directly ordered a full scale attack. However, the attacks were all blocked by the energy shield surrounding the ball-shaped starship. The ship was perfectly unharmed. At this moment, the first four fighters and the spaceplane that had escaped the farthest ahead had already arrived near the ball-shaped starship. Five corresponding passages opened up on the ball-shaped starship, and the energy shields surrounding this five passages were extinguished. On the starship, a person in the control room slammed a fist onto the table with a loud bang, Which forces do they belong to?! Maybe they were here to rescue them? someone said. Sector S had been growing more and more chaotic as of late. There were quite a number of local Hunter regiments who were severely damaged by unknown figures, and the reason traitors had appeared within their midst was also due to the involvement of those outsiders. It used to be the local Hunter regiments riding roughshod over people in Sector S, but now they were pushed to the brink of mental illness one after another. What on earth was going on?! What should we do now, commander? Chase after them at full force! Yes sir! But when the five fighters and the spaceplane had entered the ball shaped starship, it immediately raised its speed and entered invisibility mode at the same time. Before long, it had thrown off the Heavens Jail Hunter regiment. After they had entered the ball-shaped starship, the people inside the five fighters and the spaceplane walked out of their cabins. At first, they thought that someone had been sent to rescue them, but after they walked out they discovered that that was not the case. Wherever they looked there were only robots, and not a single one of them was holding a gun either. They gave off a very friendly impression. The leader of the group was a man with a big beard, a slightly crooked back and an obese figure. However, when he walked he gave off a very graceful impression. Big Beard looked at the surroundings and motioned for his subordinates to stay calm and act carefully. When he stared at a robot and walked closer towards it, the robot had not brandished a weapon. Although these robots looked rather friendly, and many of them in the shape of beautiful girls that were almost exactly the same as your average human, it was very easy for Hunters who often roamed around Sector S like them to distinguish an average human from a robot. There would always be people of bad taste with their high-end robots set in the shape of beautiful girls. The leader of the beautiful robot girls walked in front of Big Beard and revealed a sweet smile on her face. She said politely, Hello and welcome aboard, our guests. My master would like to invite you all to meet him. Oh. I wonder what your master looks like? Big Beard didnt seem to be worried. Master will offer good hospitality. Master once said that all visitors are guests, and that we should receive them courteously. Sure. We also have the master of this ship to thank for saving us, haha! Big Beard led his dozen or so subordinates and followed the beautiful robot girl out of the passage. Inside the control room, Lung sneered as he looked at the footage on the screen, What a poor act. He looks very calm on the outside, but in reality hes so nervous he could die. Lung pointed at Big Beards stomach on the screen and continued, This guy has more than a pair of hands. In fact, he has a few pairs of hands all hidden inside here. Hes probably holding a weapon in every hand, and the second he detects anything amiss he will shoot. How did you know that? Its a guess! Big Beard really was caught off guard when met the two men and a cat before him. At the same time, a plan was formed inside his mind. He put on a wide smile on his face and said, Thank you for saving me and my subordinates! My name is Pillar. We are former members of the Heavens Jail Hunter regiment. We have left our Hunter regiment due to some disputes, and the reason that a battle was engaged was because they refused to allow us to leave. Thank you for extending us a helping hand, or we may not have left the battlefield alive. We are very glad to see you, Mr. Pillar. We just happened to be passing by and decided to lend our aid, so dont mention it. Come, come and taste the freshly baked biscuits of our beauty Lisa. Lung said while looking like a fop. Pillar and the rest of his men could see that the wine on top of the table were all high class goods. Even the wine glass was made of top grade materials. It was obvious that this guy was a young master of a rich family, and judging from his sloppy and indulgent appearance, it would appear that he had never suffered any hardships in his life. Er, and you are Pillar asked. Lung winked while holding his wine glass, Let me tell you a secret. Me and my little buddy here had secretly ran out from our homes. We heard that something big is probably going to happen here, which is why we couldnt hold our curiosity to come over to have a look and join in the party. Hehe, as we expected, the moment we arrived at Sector S we immediately found you guys in the middle of a scuffle. You call that a scuffle? Its a fight with our lives on the line, okay! Pillar and the others criticised on the inside. While listening to Lungs explanation and combining it with their surrounding decor, Pillar and the others were beginning to believe somewhat that these two youngsters had truly ran away from their homes in secret. There were no servants, no guards, and all robots. They actually came to Sector S as two people only! Should they say that these two were innocent and ignorant of the cruelties of the world, or should they say that they were fools with a screw loose in their heads? Regardless, either scenario worked to their advantage. While Pillar looked down upon this foolish young master of a rich family on the inside, he still kept his patience and talked just about everything with Lung as they felt out each other. Cillin had been sitting on his chair and saying nothing all the time, reading his book. Lung had not been able to con someone for a long time, so he was just going to let him con all the way to his hearts content. The gray cat lay on top of Cillins shoulders and licked its lips from time to time. Chapter 164: Blood Colored ‘Hell’ [Part 1] Chapter 164: Blood Colored Hell [Part 1] Right now young master Lung was very happy. This was something both Cillin and the gray cat knew with their eyes closed. In short, young master Lung hadnt stopped laughing ever since he started conning Pillar. The drinks served by the robots were plenty, but there were none of young master Lungs wine collection and mostly plain water. It was probably because he thought that it would just be a waste to serve them the good stuff. While Cillin was flipping through some of the information of Sector S, the gray cat was licking its mouth more and more frequently. The light in its eyes was too obvious, so to prevent suspicion Cillin had it close its eyes and pretend to be asleep. On the surface, it looked just as harmless as a normal cat pet. The more he talked with Lung, the more Big Beard Pillar was certain that he had run into a foolish rich young master who had came out for an adventure. Pillars thought right now was more or less the same as his subordinates. They looked at Cillin and Lung and felt that they were not a threat. On one hand there was a foolish rich young master with a simple mind, and on the other there was an honest-looking simpleton who didnt know how to socialise. Adding to that a cat of boring gray color, they seriously did not appear as a threat at all. While Big Beard Pillar continued to listen to Lungs brags while wearing a smile on his face, he made a seemingly careless hand gesture behind his back. The people who were sitting at the table and drinking their served drinks also gave each other meaningful looks. Big Beard Pillars smile grew more and more sinister, but as if he had noticed nothing Lung continued to talk to himself without being affected at all. It was only until Pillar took out his gun and pointed it at Lungs skull that he finally came to a stop. He blinked at Pillar, seemingly asking what exactly did he mean by the gesture. When Big Beard Pillar took out his gun, the rest of the people also took out theirs and pointed them at Cillin and the surroundings robots. They had thought that the robots would react to them, but against expectations the robots never brandished any weapons and never shedded the sweet smiles on their faces. The robots holding trays did not put down their trays as well. What should I say, young master? Pillar clicked his tongue and sneered as he kept his muzzle trained towards Lung, Its just too wasteful to leave such a nice starship in the hands of two naughty kids. Er Mister, what are you doing? We did save your life you know. Lung said with an innocent expression on his face. On Cillins shoulders, the gray cat rolled its eyes at Lung. Lets see how long you can keep this act up. Yeah, we thank you for saving our lives. So in order to show you our thanks, why dont you relinquish your lives. This starship only listens to my order. Lung declared his own value. But Big Beard Pillar obviously did not plan to leave behind any survivors. Just as he was about to shoot, an isolating cover rose from the bottom of the ground and trapped him inside. The people around Pillar were also trapped in isolating covers one by one. Cillin never moved. This was a game Lung had thought up to pass the time in boredom, so he wasnt going to stop him from having his fun. However, after the isolating cover had risen the gray cat abruptly jumped down from Cillins shoulders. It stretched its limbs and began to run towards the passage. There was one remaining prey that had hidden himself there and hadnt shown up. This amount of trapped people should be enough for Lung to enjoy himself, so he had no need to snatch the remaining prey from it. While watching the gray cat running out of the room, Lung waved a hand for the robots do their own things. They did not look like a threat at all. Standing up from the chair, Lung stretched his body and looked at the people trapped inside the isolating covers while standing on his slippers. Someone opened fire at the isolating covers, but the energy had rebounded back to their own bodies instead. Three people were killed by the rebounding energies of their own guns. Pillar had obviously seen something similar before and thus had not opened fire carelessly. Seeing the death of his three pioneering subordinates, he gave up on shooting and pondered on another way to break out of the situation. At the same time, he called out to Lung to contend with him. When Pillar and the rest had walked down from their spaceplane and fighters and passed through the passageway, the scanner had ordered them to put down the weapons with high offensive power such as grenades etc. They were only allowed to bring their guns and some other small tools. Judging from the current situation, it would appear that this young master was prepared. Lung was obviously not as friendly as they had first imagined. With a harmless smile, he walked before one of Pillars subordinates, took out a controller and pressed a button. Water began to pour into the isolating cover until it reached the persons neck. There were also a few thin strips of tiny insects that had flowed into the cover along with the water. It was a kind of blood sucking insect. When they smelled the scent of blood, the thin insects appeared to be incredibly excited. It swiftly clung onto that persons skin, and they could not be removed no matter how hard he tried to wipe them off his body. The only choice of removal was to shed a layer of skin. As the thin insects continued to suck in blood, the persons resistance gradually began to weaken. His face turned pale white and bloodless, and he even looked like he would shrivel up like a prune. The thin insects now looked several times thicker and completely red. The rest of the people trapped inside the isolating covers panicked. But no matter what they said, no matter how loud they begged, and no matter how high the price they offered for mercy, Lung showed no signs of changing his mind at all. Once the first person was sucked dry, the second person followed, the third The fifth person began to tremble when he saw Lung standing in front of him, and when the isolating cover became filled with water he shot himself right away. If he was going to die regardless, then he might as well die quicker. At least he wouldnt need to experience the fear of having his life being slowly sucked dry. The insects did not give up even though he killed himself though. They stopped only when the body had been sucked dry. Lung did not immediately press the button when he stood in front of the sixth person. Instead he said, Im giving you a chance. If you can make me happy, then I will let you go. This young master never goes back on his words. What what do you want to know? the person said with a trembling voice. Some unofficial news of Sector S, for example. This is the first time we arrive at Sector S after all, and we heard that Sector S is going to be pretty lively this time. That person told him a lot of things, but there was not even one truly valuable information. Sigh, Im so sorry. Lung pressed the button. The interrogation continued over ten or so people, but he discovered that the useful information he obtained was just too little. He only learned that they had turned against Heavens Jail due to a certain box. Someone had offered a high price for that box, going as far as to pay half the rewards in advance. This was also why Pillar was able to convince so many people to rebel with him. However, Pillar was the only one who knew who the buyer was. The rest of them simply followed according to his plans. As for the box, Pillar was the one who had been holding it all the time. The rest of them did not know where it was. Where is the box? Lung stood in front of Pillars isolating cover and asked. Its on the spaceplane. Pillar said with a heavy voice. Seeing Lungs disbelief, Pillar tore his own jacket and revealed some tentacle-like things looped round and round his torso. When the long tentacles were extended, his obese figure suddenly pulled thin to reveal his original size. There was nothing there. It would seem that the box really wasnt on his person. Cillin stared at Big Beard Pillar. Heres another non-average human being that he had never seen before. However, Pillar might not specifically belong to a particular race either, since there were all kinds of bizarre people in the entire galaxy. What puzzled Cillin however, was that he kept feeling that there was something on Big Beards body. Lung glanced at Pillars open tentacles and said disdainfully, I cant believe you have the galls to show off such low grade tentacles. You better be telling the truth, or your death will not be pretty. Its your choice whether to believe me. Big Beards eyes were dark and gloomy. Lung walked towards outside as he juggled with the controller for fun. He was probably going to where Pillar and his crew had parked their spaceplane. While Lung was walking towards outside, Pillar glanced at Cillin who was still sitting on his chair and paying them no attention. He hesitated for a moment, but determination quickly reentered his eyes and filled them with ruthlessness. Each of the two tentacles hidden deep inside his pants were holding a tube-shaped object. When the objects touched the isolating cover, the head of the two small tubes suddenly sprayed out red light. It was the light of high intensity cutting energy. Peng! The isolating cover was broken, and Pillar swiftly pounced towards Lungs direction. But before he could open fire, he had already taken a shot to his head. The beautiful robot girl holding a tray continued to smile as a gun barrel at her elbow slowly withdrew back into its compartment. Soon, she looked just like before. Lungs footsteps never stopped. He never turned around to look at Pillar. Chapter 164: Blood Colored ‘Hell’ [Part 2] Chapter 164: Blood Colored Hell [Part 2] Cillin frowned as he looked at Pillar lying on the ground. Speaking of the one subordinate Pillar left behind on the spaceplane, he was one unlucky fellow. Like a mouse, he was toyed with by the gray cat until he was half dead. Lung only saw a hole on the spaceplane when he reached it. Its door was obviously locked behind multiple encryptions. Instead of wasting his energy decrypting them, he ordered his robot to cut it open directly by force. An ear-piercing alarm resounded on the spaceplane. When Lung saw the gray cat and the last remaining person, said person was about to go insane. He shrank back into a corner and muttered gibberish non-stop. Seeing that the gray cat had lost its interest, Lung ordered his robot to drag away that fellow and dispose of him. He then began to perform a search on the spaceplane. What are you looking for? the gray cat crouched on the back of a chair, licked its paws and asked. Im looking for some good stuff! Good stuff? the gray cat probed around once more, but there really wasnt anything else worth its attention other than the energy blocks. However, even these energy blocks were just your average energy blocks and far incomparable to those special energy blocks the Sixth B Squadron found. Therefore, the gray cat simply let out a yawn and said lazily, Well, good luck. When he heard the gray cats words, Lung came to a pause and looked at the gray cat walking away with a raised tail. He stopped looking and followed the gray cats exit. Why have you stopped looking? the gray cat asked. There probably isnt anything too valuable in there. When Lung and the gray cat returned to the control room, the men who had their blood sucked dry were shot out into space along with their isolating covers, followed up by a gorgeous explosion. However, Pillars dead body was left behind. What is it? Lung asked. He had instructed his robot to dispose all of the bodies here. But why had they left Pillar behind? I told her not to dispose Pillar yet. Cillin put down the object in his hands and walked over. What did you find out? I dont know. I just feel like there should be something to be gained. Cillin had just finished speaking when the gray cat let out an Eh of surprise and went closer to Pillar, sniffing carefully, Theres something in here! While speaking, the gray cat immediately plunged a paw into Pillars stomach and fished around. Then it took out a small, round black ball about the size of a dove egg. What is this thing? Cillin asked. I dont know. Lung examined the object left and right and took out a scanner to give it a scan. The display indicated that it was a rock unique to Sector S. However, if it really was just a rock, then Pillar most definitely would not have acted so secretively. Could there be something inside it? Lung grabbed over a table knife and attempted to cut it. There was not a single trace on the surface of the black round ball at all. Its really tough! Lung looked at the nick on the table knife and tossed it away. He was just about to get a high energy cutter when the gray cat scooped it over with a paw. While bending the sole of its feet, the gray cat lifted the round ball to its mouth with its paws. It opened its mouth, and bit. Crack! The small round ball shattered following the sound. A small fragment glowing with deep blue light fell out. The gray cats nose moved. Now the scent had become even thicker than before. However, as long as it had memorised this scent, it would be much easier to find something similar in the future even if they were sealed behind stones are other objects. The reason the gray cat didnt noticed it earlier was because it hadnt been paying any attention at all to this scent. An Aurelio piece! Lung exclaimed in surprise. Aurelio piece? Lung picked up the small fragment and gave it a look. Then he passed the object to Cillin, Here you go. This is good stuff; it will be of great use to you when the time comes. Cillin looked at the small, blue fragment in his hand, So this is the fabled Aurelio star map piece. while saying this, he looked back at Lung and asked, You dont want it? Lung said carelessly, This Aurelio star map piece is useless to me. Just dont be stingy if you find a piece that I need in the future. I went through a lot of hardships looking for it, you know. And the one you need is? The Gods Tear of the five Aurelios! Lungs eyes shone brightly. Cillin did not know what the Gods Tear Lung spoke of looked like, but obviously the piece in his hand was not Gods Tear. Otherwise, Lung would have paid it a lot more attention. It could not be the White Nights piece either, since White Night had already been fully collected. The fragment in his hand must be one of the remaining three. Keep it. No matter what it is, itll be useful to you Hunters. We of the Andrea Family cared only for Gods Tear, and my old man said that we should not pay too much heed to the rest of the pieces. He said that if we could not find Gods Tear, then we should not bother with the remaining pieces. Plus, if you havent kept this big beard dude around, he wouldve been blasted to dust a long time ago. Okay. Ill keep this piece with me for now. If I find an Aurelio star map piece in the future, Ill show it to you and see if its what you need. Heh, my good bro! Lung patted Cillins shoulders before instructing the robot to clean out Pillar on the floor. He did not think that he would obtain an Aurelio star map piece so soon. With the flip of a hand, Cillin withdrew the piece into his leaf-shaped ring. Still, it would not be easy to collect the pieces of the star map you have, Cillin. Depending on the situation, there will probably be at least three pieces and may even reach up to five in total. It is definitely troublesome. Lung said. Then he smiled and stretched out a fist, I wont release this news, but if I find other pieces in the future youll have to trade with me! Alright! Cillin raised his hand and matched fists with Lung. Although Lungs temper might appear very strange and unstable to outsiders, he treated those that he acknowledged and was willing to know very well such as Cillin, Knight and Ci Jincheng. Quoting a phrase from his old man, The Andrea Family has its own brainless manner of conduct. Lung ran a check on the genetic information he collected from these people. Pillar was a convict in the Sector Ss grade two prison, whereas his subordinates were all convicts in grade one prison. This truly is Sector S. Even convicts could become Hunters. Lung joked. Sector Ss prisons were divided into five grades. Grade one was where the most minor criminals were imprisoned, whereas grade five was almost completely filled up with influential and important figures. That level was the objective of many forces this time. The large majority of places at Sector S forbad the public entry of Hunter regiments. However, it was in this small, free territories where a large group of valiant and ruthless Hunter regiments had appeared. Many of these Hunter regiments were tied to Sector S defense army and prison guards, and many of their members had served a sentence in the prisons of Sector S. There were even some low grade convicts who had not yet fully served their sentences among them. In reality, no foreign Hunter regiments were allowed in this place. If you were to lodge an accusation towards a local Hunter regiment, they would simply say that they were on a prison reform exercise. This was a covert form of ignorance by the officials. In order to fully utilise their resources, Cillin had modified Pillars spaceplane and fighters for a bit. This way, the spacecrafts would not look the same as when Pillar and his subordinates had piloted them earlier, and it made Cillin and Lungs latter operations more convenient. Afterall, they could not possibly pilot their own starship and roam everywhere they wanted brazenly. Moreover, taking into consideration certain matters that required them to descent onto a planet, these local spaceplane and fighters were still the better choice. In comparison to Pillar and his subordinates spaceplanes and fighters, the spacecrafts equipped in this Andrea Family starship were pretty unconventional. It was best to be low-key. Of course, they used some of the Andrea Familys stealth equipment. They were top grade stuff after all, so itd just be a waste not to use them. After he was done with the modification, Cillin returned to the control room and laid down. Not long after, the system indicated a planet with a detailed label on its coordinates. Its Hell! Lung said excitedly. The outer fringes of planet Hell was surrounded by some gray, misty stuff and was obscured from view. Hell was an abandoned planet. This planet wasnt called Hell at first, but a certain number of factors ultimately triggered a calamity and caused the planets crust to move actively. Extended stay on this planet was impossible. Legend says that Hell is red in color; blood red! Lung said in a strange voice. Poison Fangs planet was also red in color. the gray cat said with an unconvinced tone. Red colored planets did not seem like much to it. But Wheeze, this planet wasnt red in color in the first place. It was dyed red in blood! Lung continued to speak in a tone that suggested he was telling a ghost story. The gray cats eyes slanted, Do you seriously believe such a retarded saying? I cant help but believe it, for I heard that this planet had undergone an apocalypse. Since then the planet lost its former vitality once and for all and gradually turned into its current accursed appearance. You should know that this planet once boasted a Rank A planetary habitability! But now? It is looking to decline from Rank B to Rank C, and it may ultimately reach Rank D in the end. How did it turn out like this? the gray cat asked. Just how much did it take to plunge a planet from Rank A to Rank B, C and D? The reason this planet had turned out this way was all thanks to its inhabitants. Originally, there was a huge research institute on this planet; a research institute that specifically used convicts to conduct researches on the human body. Later on, the situation slowly went out of control, and the very planet itself seemed to have gotten angry. Earthquakes would happen frequently later on, and the mountain peak you see today may turn into a flat plain tomorrow. It was that savage?! Yeah, it was. Lung wore an enigmatic smile, Let me tell you a secret. According to my knowledge, there were hellhound guards inside Hell. I wonder if these hellhounds still exist to these day are you interested to go take a look? Of course! T/N: And now we know the collapse of planet Earth JK. Chapter 165: The Final Protectors [Part 1] Chapter 165: The Final Protectors [Part 1] When they neared planet Hell, they could see the planet clearly from the large display. The outside of the planet was gray and blurry. Lung fired many probes to test various parameters of the planet. Although the level of air pollution exceeded acceptable limits, Lung, Cillin and the gray cat could still handle it without putting on a protective suit. Looking at the footages transmitted back by the probes, the planet had undergone a big change. However, it wasnt entirely the bloody red color Lung had mentioned earlier. It was simply a brown yellow background mottled with some bloody red color. The pictures from several dozens of years werent like this. Back then there was more blood red color than there is now. The planets current appearance is probably caused by the movements of its crust. Lung said. Eh, whats that?! the gray cat couldnt hold itself from jumping off Cillins shoulders and onto the control panel. The machine was closer to the display. Looking at the footages transmitted back by one of the probes, an unknown animal with thick black fur over ten meters tall suddenly scuttled out beside a mountain rock. Its sole was shaped like a hoof, and it bared a mouthful of sharp teeth when it bellowed. There were traces of blood on its body, but it was blue in color instead of the usual bright red. This ferocious beast ran with all its might as if there was something it from behind. Suddenly, a shadow flashed by and knocked down the ferocious beast with great impact. A dog? the gray cat cocked its head and said uncertainly as it stared at the new creature. The thing that had knocked down the ferocious beast looked like a dog, but it wasnt an entirely accurate description. A careful look revealed that it had a lot of traits that differentiated it from a dog such as its claws, its face etc At any rate, it just gave off the feeling that something wasnt quite right. The dog bit at the ferocious beasts neck the moment it was knocked down and did not let go no matter how hard the beast struggled. When the beast finally shook it off, the dogs mouth was holding a large chunk of meat. As the ferocious beast bled more and more, it lost its initial speed and vigor and was bit again by that dog not long after it attempted to escape. More and more wounds appeared on its body as the dog tore mouthful after mouth of flesh off the body of the ferocious beast that was three times its size, seemingly wanting to shred its prey into pieces. The bluish blood scattered all over the place. Gradually, some smaller sized carnivores began to show their heads. None of them hastened forwards because the dog was still there, however. By now the ferocious beast had stopped struggling and died completely. After confirming that the ferocious beast was completely dead, the dog finally panted as blue blood dripped off the sides of its mouth, and its body covered in sticky blood. No longer paying attention to the big fellow that was mangled beyond recognition, it lifted its feet and left, leaving behind a trail of bluish footmarks. When the dog had left, the small carnivores that were stretching their heads and looking about finally rushed forwards to enjoy their completely effortless and delicious meal. That is a hellhound. Lung said. Cillin summoned the footage of the dog-like creature from before, This is them? They are created by humans, and are not pure canis. Lung lay back on his chair and said slowly, These creatures have both human genes and the dog genes in them. They may be dogs that were injected with human genes, or humans who were injected with dog genes. Sometimes a wolfs gene would be used as well, but in the end those people discovered that dog genes are more effective than wolf genes because wolves are too wild and hard to control, whereas dogs are easier to control. Before the planet has experienced its calamity, these fellows were used to watch over other lab creatures such as the convicts that are to be used as test subjects, or other animals. They could memorise the scent of each test subject, and its not just the surface scent but the scent of their very gene. No matter where these test subjects escape to, they will always be able to track them down. They will track their targets for an eternity until they meet their own death. Later on the planet met its calamity, and a large scale earthquake and violent crustal movements caused nearly all of the original defense web to become paralysed. Volcanos erupted and caused the whole world to become gray and blurry. The viruses inside the research base leaked out, and the test subjects escaped. The rampant viruses and test bodies completely changed this entire world. Later on, the rulers of the planet would find that this planet was no longer habitable. Given enough time, the viruses and test subjects could have been resolved. But the same cannot be said to the increasingly frequent crustal movements of the planet. In the end, they abandoned this planet and left behind an entire planet of viruses and monsters that had escaped from the research labs. There were also these dogs that took upon hunting down these escaped monsters as their eternal objective. Later on, the planet earned its name Hell, and these dogs were known as hellhounds. They are also the final protectors of this planet. So youre saying that some of these creatures are actually humans who were genetically modified into this horrific appearance that is neither a man nor a dog? Cillin said. Yeah. Lung switched scenes and selected a slightly unclear footage from a number of footages transmitted by the probes. There was too much flying dust in that particular area, and it caused some parts of the scene to become blocked. However, the critical part of the footage was still relatively clear, That is a hellhound whose original form was human. Cillin and the gray cat looked at the creature together. Unlike the dog from before, this one had a shape and a face that was closer to a human beings. However, its entire body was covered in long fur just the same and dragged a tail behind its back as well. Its ears were slightly sharp, and it ran like a wild animal using both its arms and its legs. It no longer walked with its legs only like a human being. Some of its bellows could be heard from the footage as well. Other than the fact that it looked a little like human, Its lifestyle and its habits were no different from a wild animals. These test subjects had been raised this way from the moment they were genetically modified and created. This meant that the people of the research base did not treat them as human beings from the very beginning. Some of the hair on the gray cats tail stood up on its end. Suddenly, it wondered what might happen if it was caught by those crazy scientists? Oh my meow how scary! We going in? Lung arranged the parameters collected from the planets environment on the panel so that Cillin and the gray cat could have a more comprehensive read. Were already here, so of course were going. Cillin wasnt afraid of these things. Moreover, he was curious if the research bases left behind any valuable information after the calamity. Plus, the amount of viruses on this planet was bountiful, and if these ferocious beasts could survive these viruses then he should be fine with his constitution as well. Plus, it was easier to find some things that were buried deep underground at a place with frequent crustal movements. Since the planets outer atmosphere were gray and blurry, Cillin and Lung decided against site specific teleportation and initiated entry by piloting a spaceplane that was modified by Cillin instead. The starship was set to invisibility mode just in case someone came and attacked it while they were still on the planet. After passing through the gray, blurry strip, Cillin then saw the planets landscape. It looked about the same as the footages transmitted back by the probes. They quickly found a place with high sea level and parked their spaceplane there after scanning around and finding no large ferocious beasts in the area. The moment he walked out of the spaceplane, Cillin immediately sensed the restlessness of this planet. He took out a small syringe about the width of a finger and pressed a button beside it. The syringe began to absorb the air. There were a couple layers of filters inside the interior of the syringe. The filters would perform different absorption processes according to the physical and chemical characteristics of the viruses. After he was finished collecting the sample of microorganisms in the air of this place, he put the syringe away and looked towards the near distance. The gray cat had long since ran out to tease the small animals hiding inside their underground holes. Lung took out a round metallic ball, and after activation several tentacle-like objects stretched out of the deep recesses of the ball. The ball hovered in midair as the tentacles pointed towards a particular direction. Lung beckoned, Hey Cillin, theres water around here! Places with water would have a much greater variety of species. Perhaps they would be able to see even stranger lifeforms. Time to go, stupid cat. Alright, right away! the gray cat chased after Cillin and Lung after stretching a paw inside the hole and grabbing around once. Chapter 165: The Final Protectors [Part 2] Chapter 165: The Final Protectors [Part 2] They hadnt walked for long before they discovered a stream. It was probably formed by the snow high above the mountains that had melted into water. There were some animal bones beside the stream, and they looked like they had been there for quite some time. They were probably hunted and killed when they came here to drink some water. Cillin looked at the deep bite marks around the neck bones and surrounding skeletons and said, This is probably the work of a hellhound. Yeah, they normally hunt down fugitives only and will not eat them. These bodies only benefited other animals. Lung played with the water of the steam and answered. Should we look around? Lung nodded in agreement, This mountain was probably formed due to the crustal movements just a hundred years or so ago. Maybe we can find some ancient fossils in this place. These are all money, man! The facts proved that their trip was worth it. Lungs detector discovered the fossil of an ancient creature. Of course, there was no way young master Lung would dig out the fossil by himself. He ordered the robots to bring over the necessary tools with a long distance remote control and tossed the fossil right up the spaceplane once all the processes were complete. Cillin had also taken the opportunity to obtain some samples. The samples of ancient creatures were too expensive, and there werent many people who were willing to spend money to buy them. Naturally, Cillin did not let such a golden opportunity pass by. While Cillin and Lung were busying themselves with the ancient fossil, the probes they sent out earlier sent back a transmission. Looks like weve found the location of that former research base. Lung looked at the transmission and said. Looking at the transmission sent back by the probe, the research base wasnt too far away from where they were. Therefore, Cillin and Lung extended their hoverboards and flew towards the place directly. The research base was buried a long time ago, and it was impossible to find an entrance on the grounds surface. Cillin and Lung scanned out an underground map and chose a spot to dig a hole into the place. The spot they chose was one of the many passages of the research base. They would quickly find the passage after they went down the hole they dug. Since this place had been buried for too long, there were plenty of volatile gases made of deadly poison in the air. Therefore, both Cillin and Lung had put on a mask. As for the gray cat, this fellow wasnt afraid in the least. I heard that people were dispatched in search for this research base many times to see if there was anything good left behind in the past. However, they found nothing either because they never found the base, or because it was too buried too deep when they did find it. At the time, the base was probably buried deep underground due to crustal movements. It had only risen back to the surface level after many crustal movements later. We are lucky, or we would not have been able to enter this place. Who knows when the base will be buried deep underground again after this. Lung said happily. There were suspended energy lamps at the front of the passage, lighting the many corpses on the floor in clear sight. Judging from the skeletons they did not look like humans, but that was only appearance wise. It did not meant that they were not once humans. There were plenty of convicts in this Sector, and it was common practice to select some humans who fit the standards of an test subject for experimental purposes. After they walked out of the passage, they saw some rooms they were either tightly shut or opened. However, judging from their appearances these rooms were used to store basic tools and materials. After venturing deeper into the base, they began to find some isolated research labs and some places were used to preserve research specimens. Only two of the liquid tanks used to preserve the research specimens were still intact. The rest were broken. Inside the intact liquid tanks were two modified monsters who were so beyond recognition that they were unable to identify even their eyes. One of the monsters was probably an adult test subject, but the other monster was an unborn infant. A severely deformed infant. These chosen convicts would be given specific food to consume, and some successful research subjects who went through all of the experiments would be used to reproduce offsprings. If their offsprings were excellent, then they would be used further as a work parent* with a wider range of research value this is especially true for lifeforms at infant stage. Lung said. *basically, it means that theyll be used like a tool to produce more offsprings. Both Cillin and Lung knew very well the madness of mad scientists. These were a kind of people who were unrestrained by both laws and morals. For the sake of their research, forget unborn infants, newborn infants or young children, they would use even themselves as a research subject. They were ruthless towards others, and even more ruthless towards themselves. The specimens in the next storage room were the hellhounds. Some of the research subjects sealed inside the liquid tanks looked like humans, and some looked like dogs. In reality, one could find the traces of both lifeforms on every research subject. It might be their noses, their eyes, their mouths, their ears, their claws There were quite a number of newborns among the specimens. They were probably failed subjects. The most classic failed subjects would also be sealed off as a research record. I heard that there arent that many hellhounds in the first place. Out of the successfully researched hellhounds, the excellent ones would be picked out to breed the next generation. The same process of reproduction by excellence continued to the third generation, the fourth generation and so on before the calamity, all hellhounds were born by excellent parents. At the time, excellent hellhounds would be sold to other prisons to watch over the prisoners. However, a hellhounds function was much diminished at the prison zones, so some of them were used as tools of entertainment by the prison guards. The prison guards would have them kill each other, so the fates of these hellhounds were either to die or be crippled. Therefore, true hellhounds only exist in this planet Hell. Lung said while staring at a baby that was neither man nor dog who had not yet even opened its eyes sealed inside a liquid tank. Dont they know how to resist? the gray cat asked. Resist? Lung gave it a smile, All those who resist are dead. It doesnt take long for the researchers to identify which specimens may possess rebellious traits after they were born, so they killed any specimens like that right away. The gray cat shivered. As it thought, it was best to stay far away from a scientist or something. After looking at a few other rooms, they arrived at the place where the research subjects were imprisoned. The sealed cage was filled with all kinds of corpses. The life support system was still functioning normally, so the test subjects trapped here had probably killed each other. Some were torn to shreds. When there was no food, the companions beside them could be turned to food too. The other cage held some of the more troublesome test subjects. They could only imprisoned separately, and they had to be tethered with special chains. Some of these tethered test subjects were either hellhounds or something else. Regardless of whether their skeletons looked like humans or animals, judging from the locations they were imprisoned in and the chains that were used to tether them, these fellows all wielded powerful abilities. Hmm? Cillin noticed a fellow that looked like a dry corpse. Its body was tethered with special chains, and the undulations of breathing were absent. It looked just like a dead body. The gray cat swayed its tail as a hint to Cillin: This fellow is alive. Cillin and Lung exchanged a glance before they approached carefully towards it. They opened the cages door, but the dry corpse did not move at all. The chains used to tether the fellow were all snucked at a collar, and its length could not be determined since half of the chains were blocked by its body. They looked at the scratch marks on the floor. There were a lot of scratch marks within a certain area, but beyond this area there were no scratch marks. The chains on the earlier research subjects werent too long, and it was about the same range as these scratch marks. When Cillin approached the research subject, he suddenly felt that something wasnt quite right. Lung did not continue to walk closer either. Right now they were still more than two meters away from that line of scratch marks. Cillin looked at the fellow that was like a dry corpse once more. Suddenly his eyelids jumped, and he grabbed Lung and retreated backwards abruptly. At the same time, the fellow who was crouched at the corner like a dry corpse opened its eyes and pounced towards them. Its forelimbs abruptly stretched out, and its outstretched claws were almost two meters long. The activity scope of the fellow that looked like a dry corpse had exceeded the scratch marks on the ground by more than a meter! This was a well planned trap! The scratch marks on the ground were done on purpose. It was to fool its prey into thinking that they were outside of its activity scope, when in reality they had already entered its predatory area. The body that was like a dry corpse erupted with unexpected power, and Cillin did not doubt in the slightest that this fellows claws could easily cut them into many ribbons. Even though they were wearing masks, they could still sense the rot and stink that was rushing towards their face. Its movement was very quick. It had acted the moment Cillin decided to retreat. Cillin raised his gun while in retreat and fired three times. He shot two bullets into its eyes, and one bullet into its head. Pak! The head of the fellow that was like a dry corpse exploded and splattered gray blood everywhere. Looking at the now dead and headless fellow, and then at the chains that had been broken, Lung exhaled slowly, From now on, if we run into something like this in the future, we shoot immediately! Shoot first talk later! And were not getting close to it no matter what! (E/n: guess who didnt play dayZ) The gray cat walked close to the fellow that had its head exploded, looked at it and sniffed, What a strange scent. I dont know what species it belonged to. Its probably a mix of genes of several types of ferocious beasts, and specifically those creatures with strong endurance. Otherwise, theres no way this fellow could have lived until now. Lung said. Cillin looked once at the place where the chain had been pulled loose. The fellow had bitten a small hole on the chain before this, or there was no way it could have pulled free so easily. However, the fellow had blocked this hole from view earlier. It knew how to set traps, and it knew how to block the hole on the chain from view. Everything it did was planned. Are all these research subjects this intelligent? Cillin asked. Im not sure, but since theyre successful research subjects, they should be pretty formidable. Dididi While talking, the alarm on Lungs hand began to ring rapidly. Both Cillin and the gray cat had noticed the abnormality as well. Chapter 166: Little Fellow [Part 1] Chapter 166: Little Fellow [Part 1] The originally tranquil underground base began to stir. The bases defense system that had been dormant all this time reactivated after it had detected the energy waves from Cillins shots. The power that had been stagnant all this time also began to operate as well, causing many places to become filled with light. However, they were all warning lights. A mechanical voice rang, Outside threat detected. Please enter voice command! Fuck, why is there a thing like voice command in this place! Lung cried out. Voice command is incorrect. Please reenter! Lung fell silent and looked at Cillin. Cillin gave him a I have no idea either expression. They had not imagined that the defense system in this place had not become completely paralysed despite being buried underground and subjected to crustal movements for so many years. A moment of silence later. The mechanical voice rang once more, Repeat. Outside threat detected. Please enter voice command! Cillin looked at the gray cat, and that fellow was also crouching there in a daze. Lung toyed with a device in his hands and did not say anything. The mechanical voice rang for the third time, No effective voice command detected. Terminal command initiated! Terminal command? What terminal command? Lung asked. Suddenly, Cillin recalled the research lab beneath the slums back then. If these mad researchers were all similar, then Run quickly! The bases self destruct program has been activated! Cillin pulled and Lung and charged towards outside along with the gray cat. Self destruct?! WTF, how could they bear to part with all this?! Lung complained while running. Less bullshit, more running. I have no intentions of turning into a fossil! Cillin charged at the front. I dont either! The two men and a cat ran along the way they came from like they were flying, but the passage had been shut off a long time ago. Lung summoned the scanned layout of the base and was about to search for other passages. Theres no time. Tell your robots to dig on the spot! Cillin cried out. But this isnt the passage entrance, and the walls are too tough. Itll take a long time to penetrate it, not to mention that excessive force will cause the place to collapse! Lung said while ordering his excavator robot to dig the ground. In reality, the situation was just as he said. Because the underground base was rather complicated, Lung did not bring many robots with him. He had brought only the pathfinders and excavators. The small excavator robots looked just like frisbees when they were folded up, and when they dug into the ground they would extend several metallic pieces put together at a certain angle to drill apart obstacles before them like a drill. However, much effort had obviously been spent on this underground base, and the non-passage walls were reinforced by multiple layers. They would need high energy cutting beam to drill this type of wall apart, but time waited for no one. After seeing the digging effects of the excavator robots, Cillin said to the gray cat, Wheeze, go! Be the vanguard! And then Lung watched the multiple reinforced walls his robots were struggling against using high energy cutting beams being penetrated in two seconds by the cat. With this hole, the expansion of the hole became much easier. With the gray cat was drilling at the front, and the excavator robots were expanding the hole behind it, Cillin and Lung climbed up the dug hole. Whats that sound? Lung asked. Desertification. Fuck! Lung personally thought that his math was his weakness, but even he could count that at this speed they were totally going to be desertified ten seconds later. The good news was that there werent too many of these multiple reinforced walls. After the walls had been penetrated, getting through the stones and soil layers on the outside became much faster. The shashashasha noise behind them conjured far greater pressure than a rattlesnake could have. Five seconds, four second, three seconds They could get out in time! The moment the duo burst out of the ground surface, they swiftly extended their hoverboards and jumped on it. Cillin scooped the gray cat into his arms and flew towards the distance on the hoverboard. The second after they left the ground surface, the hole they had just burst out from had already been desertified. In fact, the desertification was still expanding towards the surroundings. That, that scared me to death! Fuck this underground base, that was way too clo Lung didnt manage to vent out his emotions before a loud explosion cut him off, and the expanding shockwave threw the two hoverboards that hadnt flown too far off yet into the distance. Peng, peng. Cillin and Lung crashed on the ground one after another. Peh! Peh! Lung spat out the sand in his mouth repeatedly. He had no time to spare for complaining since his mouth was filled with sand and soil. The duo were completely covered in dust and sand. They both cut an incredibly sorry figure. Those maniacs sure are ruthless. I had thought they would leave the base intact so they could one day come back and walk the memory lane, but who wouldve thought that they would desertify it outright plus one massive explosion Cillin cast a glance at Lung. Even at such a time, this fellow had the spirit to chatter away incessantly. When he recalled the scene inside the base, the final few cages at the place where the research subjects were imprisoned were all empty. This also meant that the important research subjects had either all been transferred, or had escaped a long time ago. The rest of the research subjects were either abandoned, or lacked the ability to escape. As for the most precious research subjects among them, naturally the researchers would not let their efforts go to waste. How could they possibly not take away the things they had spent much effort to research? Fuck, time was too short. There was no time to acquire any info at all. Lung said regretfully while staring at the message displayed on his device. The device in his hands had seized the opportunity to hack into the system for useful data when the bases defense system had come online. However, the final results were not good. Cillin moved sideways and lifted the gray cats head towards him. A flash clearly went across its eyes. Tsk, still as terrible at lying as usual. After raising his eyelids once, Cillin no longer looked at the gray cat. It would appear that when the defense system and other power installations had started automatically, the gray cat had also seized the opening to hack into the system and steal some information. In fact, it was much faster than Lungs device and had reaped quite a sizable amount of data. However, the gray cat was also quite shocked by the information it received. The molecular biological experiments conducted on animals and humans were just too terrifying to the gray cat. Cillin stood up and kicked at Lung, who was covered in sand, sitting on the ground with spread legs, and patting at his device while sighing, Get up and lets go. Who knows if there might be more troubles. Well, I guess theres nothing left here anyway. Lets return to the starship right away. Lung summoned the transmissions sent by the robots he had scattered at various places. The work at several important sampling points had all been completed, the fossils had been selectively dug up, and the spaceplane should have enough space to store all the items. Cillin nodded and took a few steps. But he stopped again when he saw the gray cat looking. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. Something is looking at us. The gray cat looked towards a direction. Chapter 166: Little Fellow [Part 2] Chapter 166: Little Fellow [Part 2] It was normal that there were some beasts in the surroundings. As long as the beasts hadnt attacked them, they would not purposely hunt them down. A large majority of these beasts were modified creatures whose primitive genes had been altered a long time ago. Strictly speaking, they did not qualify as food, which was why neither Cillin nor Lung had the intention of hunting them on their own accord at the moment. However, when Cillin followed the direction the gray cat was looking at, he saw a small half a face. Yes, a face. It was a young and tiny face. It looked almost like a humans face. Its just that dust had blurred its original appearance. The red fur above its head was very obvious. Right now Lung had noticed the creature as well. The fellow was hiding behind the rock of a shot hill not far away, revealing the upper half of its face. Its eyes brimmed with curiosity. Seeing that all three pairs of eyes were looking at it, the fellow hiding behind the wall quickly withdrew its head. However, it poked out of its cover once more after just a few seconds. Hey, little fellow. Where did you come from? Cillin asked. Seemingly sensing no ill will from the owners of the three pairs of eyes, the little fellow slowly walked out into the open well, despite the fact that it was walking on two hands and two feet he supposed it still counted as walking. Its ears were sharp, and the edge of its ears were also covered in fur. It also had a tail behind its back. The tail swayed around once, and its gaze seemed to indicate that it possessed no ill will. Cillin and Lung looked into each others eyes. A hellhound! But why was there such a small hellhound? Was it given birth to by the hellhounds who had been abandoned at this place? They knew that the ones with excellent genes had all been taken away by their researchers when they left the research institute. The ones who were left behind were all slightly inferior. However, this little fellow seemed to be a success if they were to view it as a research subject. It was just like two rank B genotype humans giving birth to a rank A genotype baby. There were some wounds on this little fellows body. The wounds were very fresh and still bled. Looking at the soil and sand attached to its body, it was probably hurt by the explosions shockwave just now. Cillin took out a sack of jerkies and tore out a hole in it. He then tossed the sack over to the little fellow. If he walked to it directly, it would most definitely escape. Upon sighting an unknown object being tossed at its direction, the little fellow trembled and backed away several steps. However, it was quickly attracted by the fragrant smell of the jerkies and walked carefully closer to give it a sniff. Sensing no problems, it then swallowed the whole sack of jerkies that had yet to be unwrapped into its stomach. As Lung used a humans standards and watched this fellow who looked like a six or seven years old kid swallowing a whole sack of jerkies along with the sack messily in two gulps, he suddenly felt that his throat was a little tight. Just what kind of monstrous construction was this fellows esophagus? After the little fellow had finished eating the jerkies, it licked its lips while wanting for more. It stared at Cillin with bright eyes, and the tail behind its back was wagging at a larger angle than before. Cillin was just about to toss another sack of jerkies to the little fellow when its eyes suddenly changed. It changed from its original innocent and harmless look to one that was filled with murderous intent. In that instant, both Cillin and Lung could sense clearly its strong intent to kill. Pop! Claws more than ten centimeters long stretched out of the little fellows hands, and with a push of its feet it charged towards a particular corner of the area. It ran on all fours like an animal while letting out low roars from its throat. At this moment, it finally and truly looked like a protector hound of this Hell. Lung summoned the footage he captured with the probes in the air. Inside the footage, the little fellow was charging towards a ferocious lion-like beast that was more than ten meters tall. Its speed and attack strength was completely different from before. This is a hellhound, even if it is still just a child. Their reactions towards lifeforms that arent prey could be considered friendly, and they would not attack on their own accord. They would only react this way when they are facing a prey. Lung sighed, My old man once said that hellhounds are slaves from the very bottom of their genes. Either they or their offsprings were completely slaves. They will forever remember their masters words only, and they will never think from their own sake. Even if they look like human, their humanity has already disappeared. The order was implanted into the very bones of even the offsprings of a hellhound. It was like nature to fully replicate a kind of memory from its parents and memorise the scent of the preys it needed to hunt down. This scent born of their preys very genes would cause them to chase after them forever from birth to death. Lets go. Lung patted Cillins shoulders, This planet is just an example of the entire Sector S. There are thousands and tens of thousands of similar planets. In fact, it is not just Sector S, but also other Sectors that are experiencing similar situations. There are quite a lot of places where such experiments are conducted. Naturally, Cillin understood Lungs words. Wasnt that underground research lab at planet Brown Earth back then the same? It had been there for several dozens of years without being known to anyone. If Cillin hadnt accidentally broken into the place, the darkness would have persisted. Lung could not be bothered to collect samples in person. The robots he sent out had completed the task especially around areas with an abundant amount of water such as lakes. Those were the key areas of the task. When Cillin and Lung rode their hoverboards back to the spaceplane, the robots Lung sent out was just moving the collected items up the spaceplane. The robots had also attended to the protection and care of some big-sized skeletons very well and were in general much more reliable than Lung himself. This was probably one of the reasons his father had sent so many robots to come after him. The wind is starting. Lung looked at the gray, blurry sky, A gust of wind at such a place may turn into a storm. Lets leave quickly. I have no intentions of experiencing a storm in Hell. Lung sat inside the control room of the spaceplane while ordering the robots to work faster. They would take off immediately after the final few samples were carried up the vehicle. Cillin did not stay inside the control room like Lung and instead stood outside the spaceplane. Looking downwards from where he stood, he could see the changes that was occurring around this area. The early signs of the formation of a storm, the air pressure and the temperature etc were all very obvious. Those animals started to worry and set off to look for shelter. Suddenly, a small shadow entered Cillins field of view. It had lost its earlier liveliness and became much slower. Its entire body was covered in wounds, and one of its hind legs was twisted and propped on the ground. Its arms had different degrees of wounds, and it was trembling unsteadily while it was supporting itself on the ground. It limped towards Cillins direction just like that. Its drooped tail at the back gave it a terribly pitiful appearance. Cillin, its time to go! Lung cried out from inside the spaceplane. Now that all of the items had been carried into the spaceplane, Lung could not wait to leave this place immediately. He just felt uncomfortable all over staying at this place. The gray cat walked closer and asked hesitatingly, Should we help it a bit? Cillin shook his head, Dont go there. he then turned around to look at the little figure before stretching out five figures, exclaiming, I will count down from five. If you can come over, then I will take you away from this place! Cillin had a feeling that this little fellow could understand his words. The time Cillin gave out was just enough for the little fellow to make its way here with its current abilities. If it hesitated for even an instant, it would not be able to make it before Cillin in time. In that case, Cillin would absolutely turn his head and walk away. But what gladdened them was that the little fellow had quickened its footsteps after Cillin had finished saying his words. Its eyes were bright. It dragged a trail of blood droplets along the way it walked. The trail was quickly buried by the increasingly strong wind and dust. The little figure wobbled left and right amidst the wind, but its footsteps were incredibly firm. It headed towards Cillin direction in a straight line without the slightest decrease in speed at all. Lung saw this scene from the screen inside the spaceplane. He adjusted the image captured by the probe, and discovered that the ferocious lion-like beast the little fellow had pounced onto earlier had been torn into many thick pieces of flesh and skin while lying motionlessly on the ground. It was even being eaten as a delicious meal by other weaker carnivores before the storm. Yeah, if a hellhound were to set out, then either it dies, or its prey dies. But why had the little fellow chased after them? Still, looking at this little fellows wounds and this storm, it would probably not be able to hang on if no one helped him. The little fellow watched as Cillins five outstretched fingers became four, three, two Faster, faster! Even an adult would find it hard to endure with such wounds, wouldnt they? When Cillin put down his final finger, the little fellow collapsed on the ground before Cillin. However, it wore a smile on its face and revealed two sharp fangs. After lifting the little fellow with him, Cillin and the gray cat leaped up the spaceplane. Leave now, the storm has arrived! Dont rush me. Now you know how to hurry?! Lung motioned for the robots to pilot the spaceplane and take off. They swiftly flew away from this place. As the spaceplane flew higher and higher, the sceneries on the ground surface became covered in gray once more. However, the ring of the storm was incredibly obvious. After they had made it out of the planet, they looked at the lightning strikes beneath the gray clouds as Lung summoned the footages captured from the probes that were temporarily left behind on the planet. It was hell on earth, no, it was hell on hell. The wind blew and the rain poured. The earth shook and the mountains trembled. A gigantic hurricane that spiraled down from the sky snapped a protruding mountain in half, and it was at this moment the crust actually began to move once more. Anything that survived such a disaster was only deserving of admiration. Be it those seemingly weak animals or the large ferocious beasts, anyone who could survive this was a capable being and a victor. There was no right or wrong in survival. While they were on the spaceplane, Cillin gave the little fellow a simple treatment of its wounds. He would give it proper care once they returned to the starship. After all, the medicine on board the starship was more complete. However, judging from the way the little fellows wounds healed, it would survive with just a little bit of help. After Cillin had finished treating the little fellows wounds and had injected it with a syringe of nutrient fluids, he gave it space to rest. As long as the nutrients were kept up, it would probably recover very quickly with its animalistic constitution alone. The little fellow laid sideways on top of the operation table. Its broken leg could not be moved yet after it was repaired. Right now, the little fellow was bending its two arms and putting its head on them. Its eyes rolled everywhere as it watched its surroundings. The gray cat that was walking back and forth before it attracted the little fellows attention. After circling the little fellow on top of the operation table twice, the gray cat moved closer for a sniff and shook its whiskers, You smell like dogs. The little fellow responded with two whining cries. There was no telling if it understood the gray cats words. Perhaps it was too tired before, but now that it had relaxed it quickly fell into sleep. When the gray cat saw this, it too let out a yawn, raised a paw to scoop over the little fellows furry tail, wrapped it around its own body, closed its eyes and slept. When Cillin was done dealing with the little fellows wounds and had returned to the control room, Lung was frowning and staring right at the screen. When he saw Cillin walking in, Lung cast a glance at him, Youre done? Mm. What are you looking at? Cillin pointed at the full screen of garbled codes and asked. Its a transmission code that Ive just now intercepted. Its encrypted, and the analysis system failed to solve anything. This full screen of garbled codes is the result. It gives me the headaches. Bring up the original code. Let me give it a try. Lung relinquished his seat and returned the transmission code to norm. He stood expectantly beside Cillin. Five minutes later, both Cillin and Lung stared at the huge butterfly image on the screen and fell silent. Chapter 167: The Out Of Place Convict [Part 1] Chapter 167: The Out Of Place Convict [Part 1] They might not have found the correct passcode, they did get a rough direction from the results of their decryption up to this point. Blue Butterfly. This was the first time Cillin had clear contact with something related to the Blue Butterfly. The blue butterfly on the screen kept flapping its wings, and the symbols that made up the butterfly was the message inside this original code. No wonder the system couldnt decrypt it. Its a message from the Blue Butterfly. Lung sighed. The decryption system he brought with him was the latest decryption system developed by the Andrea Family. However, Blue Butterflys data was the only exception since they knew too little about Blue Butterfly. They were not familiar with their communications. Blue Butterfly was already a special case in the first place, and it was very difficult for non-Blue Butterfly personnel to acquire an in-depth understanding about them. Even the core members of the other three Hunter regiments did not have the confidence to identify one tenth of the core members of Blue Butterfly. This was because Blue Butterfly members only had codenames and no names. Once a codenamed member had passed away, the next person would inherit their codename. For example, Blue Butterflys leader was codenamed Blue Butterfly. Every person who had served as leader of the Blue Butterfly was called Blue Butterfly. Practically no one knew about their real names, or if they knew they were already dead. Hey Cillin, are you sure you can decrypt it any further Lung said reluctantly as he stared at the blue butterfly on the screen, It has been so many years since we heard anything from the Blue Butterfly. Im feeling real excited suddenly seeing this image, you know. Ill give it a try. Still, this encrypted message is seriously troublesome. Even if I were to decrypt it further, we may not necessarily arrive at the right conclusion. Ten minutes later, the symbols that made the blue butterfly on the screen transformed into one thousand and twenty four kernels. For afar it still looked like a blue butterfly, but with its base altered. Cillin rubbed the space between his eyebrows and pointed at the butterfly image on the screen, saying, This is as far as it goes. This is the final result of the decryption. However, we do not know exactly which dot contains the real message. In fact, every one of this kernels contains a full message. However, they were only covering for the real message. You mean that only one out of all one thousand and twenty four of these messages is authentic? That what are we going to do? Go through every message one time? Lung could feel his eyes turning a little dizzy. That is exactly what I meant. Cillin moved his fingers, opened and read through all one thousand and twenty four messages. The messages flashed across the display one after another, and when he finally read through all of the messages one time, Cillin pressed a hand to his head. Theyre probably using code words, so I dont know which message is the real one. I cant filter them out. Lungs mouth fell open, Not only did they use over a thousand messages to conceal the real message, theyre even using codewords? In this case, there seriously was no way to figure out the content of this Blue Butterfly message. Cillin couldnt do anything about it either. He knew far too little about Blue Butterfly, and he had no idea what diction or grammar their habitual codewords contained. Therefore, even if he was able to decrypt these codes, he could not obtain any definite information from it. We may not know exactly what kind of meaning this Blue Butterfly message is trying to transmit, but the fact that they have started communicating with each other meant that they have begun their operation a long time ago. Lets pay attention to the recent news in the media. There should be something relevant going on. Theres no way Sector S media will report the truth. Lung operated a little on a nearby control panel, There are a few GAL electronic publications that follow this more closely than the norm, but their efficiency will be poor. We can only rely on leaks. What Lung brought up was the Andrea Familys own information network. In relations to the matters of Sector S, Lung had shared access to this network with the other members of the family. They would also report the latest news to this network. There are only some messy and non urgent news in here. Theyre all below grade three prison, and theres nothing at all on grade four and grade five. Lung said while he went through the info on the information network, If the forces are already on the move, but there arent any abnormalities at the grade four and five prisons yet, then this means that everyone has been keeping their movements under tight wraps. After all, it is the elites who are being sent here. Perhaps those people in grade four and five prison had been switched out without anyone noticing. I recall that their objective is to safeguard those important targets safely out of the prison, right? In that case theres no need for them to attempt a jailbreak. Cillin said. Some people would switch out the people inside just to be safe. After all, anything can happen inside a jail, especially in dangerous places like the grade four and five prisons. You gotta know that going by a Hunters standards, even the lowest ranking guards in there are commander level characters. Plus, these forces arent all here just to save people. Some are sent in there to assassinate someone. Cillin let out a long sigh. He was right. Those hibernating experts were all true masters. The storm was about to arrive. Never mind, lets not think about those things. When the riot erupts, lets just seize the opportunity to burn up a few spots and stimulate those Sector S guards a bit. Lung himself wasnt that moved. He wasnt here to fight those monsters head on after all. Since the old man said that he wasnt up to par yet, then he might as well wait and see just how powerful these capable people truly were. Oh, right. Hows that pup doing? Lung asked. Its sleeping I guess. Its wounds are healing pretty quickly. You really are ready to take that little fellow with you? Speaking of which, that little fellow is rather special. Logically speaking, a hellhound wouldnt leave that planet. After all, they havent finished the order they have to obey for their entire lives. If it was the same as the other hellhounds, I wouldnt have brought it with me. a one-track minded hellhound would just be a burden to him, and as a Hunter additional burden meant additional danger. No one would endanger their own lives for no good reason. Lung nodded agreeably, That little fellow had the ferocity of a hellhound, and its abilities are pretty strong as well. However, it also has a self-awareness and isnt as inflexible as the rest of its kind. If you can absorb it into your team, then the Sixth B Squadron would gain yet another powerful helping hand. That depends on its choice. What choice? The choice of becoming a dog, or a man. Lung fell silent for a moment before actually getting onto his feet and heading out, Lets go see which kind that little fellow belongs to. When Cillin and Lung arrived in the medbay, they stared at the two fellows on the operation table in dumbfounded silence. The gray cat had pushed the little fellow to the corner of the operation table. While scooping up the little fellows tail for its own use, it lay spread legged and even stepped on the little fellows face with a hind limb. There was no image to speak of. Since when did this cats sleeping posture turn this ugly? Lung hurriedly capture a photo of the scene. It was rare to find someone with a worse sleeping posture than him. Proximity to pitch makes you black.* *meaning that environment determines character. Hes insulting Lung by saying that he is the one who taught the gray cat bad sleeping posture. Chapter 168: ‘Little Flying Snake’ Qi Geyou [Part 1] Chapter 168: Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou [Part 1] How is that possible?! the young man exclaimed in alarm. The young man had remained calm and casual ever since he arrived on this grade three prison planet. He had never been this surprised until now. He could not be blamed for his surprise either. Even the current generations Devil Butterfly, Zero, was ruthlessly shocked when he saw that person who was emanating with peace and calm and was very much incompatible with his surroundings. The lone wolf Hunting Knife Jiada was one of the most famous lone wolves, his reputation falling behind only to that one solo Star Rank Hunter. Even the veterans of Vanguards A Squadron had to pay the utmost care when going up against the Hunting Blade Jiada. While the Hunting Blade Jiada wore a peaceful skin on the outside, he was ruthless and pitiless on the inside. Otherwise, he would not have been known as the Hunting Blade. Jiada was well versed in blades, and there were no lack of reputable people who had died under his blade. A lot of these people were on par with Barthus, and this was was one of the reasons why people were afraid of Jiada. His tracks were already indeterminate as a solo Hunter, but indeterminate tracks did not mean that he had completely vanished without a trace. Even though there werent many news on formerly famous lone wolves, they would still appear from time to time to prove their own existence. Later on, ever since that conflict from fifty years ago was over, there had not been any news on the Hunting Blade Jiada for a very long time. No Hunter related electronic publications reported anything on Jiada. This disappearance lasted for fifty years. Those who knew a little about that incident back then did not think that Jiada had participated in that incident, not to mention that the list of people jailed back then did not include the lone wolf Hunting Blade Jiada. Otherwise that would have been a most stunning news no less impactful than the relevant great fours important personnel being jailed. Some people had even conjectured that the Hunting Blade Jiada might have died somewhere in a corner of the galaxy, but Devil Butterfly never imagined that he would meet that lone wolf in a mere grade three prison. Originally, he did not need to complete this grade three prison mission himself, but since he happened to be passing by he took over the job for Devil Butterfly Seventeen. Devil Butterfly Seventeen was the young man who spoke up just now. A coincidence allowed Ghost Butterfly Zero to meet the Hunting Blade Jiada who had disappeared for fifty years. How can someone like the Hunting Blade Jiada be imprisoned in a mere grade three prison? the young man appeared a little uneasy. This name brought him great worry. With someone of the Hunting Blade Jiadas skills, how could a mere grade three prison hold him? Could it be, that he is grievously injured? the young man asked. Hes very fine. He still looks the same as before, and he is still as strong. he still was the same devil wearing a gentle skin too. The young man walked in circles on the same spot uneasily, What about the operation? Let us continue. Ive discussed this with them already. As long as we dont anger that fellow, it should be fine. Zero, say how many other people like the Hunting Blade Jiada do you think are hiding in Sector Ss earth grade prisons? I dont know. During this time, both Cillin and Lung intercepted quite a lot of secret transmissions. However, the useful information that could be decrypted wasnt much, and those few important players were not mentioned within these decrypted messages. However, through these scattered bits of decrypted messages, Cillin and Lung both felt at the same time that the turmoil had already been brewed to completion, restless and stirring. All it awaited was a certain fuse. However, no one knew that this fuse was just a mere grade one prison brawling incident. Today, Cillin and Lung arrived at a district in an unimportant zone of Sector S. This zone was a little bit of a mixed bag, and there were plenty of grade one prison planets in this zone. After all, the amount of people locked in grade one prisons was the greatest. There was an unwritten rule in Sector S. The convicts who were locked behind grade one prisons were either the hooligans of Sector S, or subordinates who were disliked or punished this way as a means of discipline by some slightly reputable figures among Sector S prison guards or grade one garrison. Other than grade one prisons, most grade two prisons were also like this. There were only an extremely small amount of people who were from other Sectors. I didnt imagine that there would be so much enjoyment to be found in grade one prisons. Lungs fingers swiped across the screen as he propped up his chin. He was reading through the recent incidents in this zone. Ninety percent of the news in this zone were about the things inside the prison, such as how many casualties were inflicted during the gang fight in xxx Prison, or how many forces were involved in the conflict between xxx Prison and xxx Prison etc. Gang fights between grade one prison planets and grade two prison planets were a common thing. This fell under Sector S internal state of affairs, so it wasnt convenient to interfere even for the relevant governments of other Sectors. Of course, they could be involved in the incidents, secretly adding fuel to fire and buying manpower etc. If we were to choose the most anti-foreigner Sector out of all Sectors in GAL, even Sector V had to admit defeat since the number one spot absolutely belonged to Sector S. Sector S people were ruthless, pitiless and fierce. They could only be better than the people in Sector V. As a person of Sector S, you could cooperate or hire someone from outside Sector S, but you must never become a vassal to a force belonging to a foreign Sector. Otherwise, the other forces in Sector S would send out their killers to kill you. If it wasnt for this philosophy, Sector S matters would not have been this difficult to deal with. Oh, look at this. Two days ago there was a riot at the S-O District of a grade one prison planet. Two large factions had clashed against one another, and casualties reached up to several thousands of people. Holy crap, several thousands of people man, it should be quite a large scale fight. Even the prison guards and relevant garrison forces were involved as well. That being said, there were plenty of people in grade one prisons in the first place. There was definitely some people who were willing to see so many cleared space. while speaking, Lung summoned a few more versions of the same news, This ones called the Double Spy Incident. This was actually a big messy fight caused by spies. Say, Cillin, do you think their shadows are behind this incident? Cillin was also reading the relevant news on another screen. He knew who Lung meant by their shadows. It may be, but it may not be either. If its two large factions, then not even the great four would have an easy time slipping into their ranks. A riot this big can only mean that it absolutely involves something at the heart of the two large factions. Thats true. But those observers must have feasted their eyes quite a bit. It was a big messy battle, man. Lung sighed regretfully. Since it involved the two large factions of Sector S, the relevant footages were not publicised. The critical parts of the incident were blurred out as well. Sector S grade one prison. While convicts could not leave the prison during their prison terms, there was a relatively huge gathering place inside the prison. The convicts were allowed to settle things through force inside this gathering place, and all they needed was to go through the motions by submitting an application form to the prison manager. Of course, if the application was made by someone not of Sector S, then it would almost certainly be rejected right away. It was differentiation treatment. While listening to Lung sighing regretfully by the side, he suddenly noticed something out of the ordinary on the scanner. Somethings up! Upon hearing Cillins words, Lung stood up and moved before the big screen, staring at the image scanned out by the scanner. An escape pod? Lung made some adjustments on the control panel, and the results of the new scan was displayed on the scanner once more, There are three people. Their life signatures are all weak. Looking at Lungs shiny eyes, Cillin knew that this fellows curiosity had been piqued once more. However, looking at that escape pod, Cillin kept having the feeling that they were getting close to a certain something. Chapter 168: ‘Little Flying Snake’ Qi Geyou [Part 2] Chapter 168: Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou [Part 2] They dragged the floating escape pod into the starship then walked towards it. The escape pod was hit before, and its power system experienced a little malfunction. It had probably relied on its backup system to ultimately escape its predicament. Moreover, the escape pods life support system was also malfunctioning and not supplying enough oxygen. Right now the three people inside the escape pod were displaying signs of deep unconsciousness. Tsk tsk, what a sorry sight. said Lung as he observed the trios condition through the transparent window of the pod. The trios condition inside was pretty bad. These people had probably experienced an intense fight prior to entering the escape pod, and they had not even treated their wounds. Adding that to spent stamina and lack of oxygen, their condition had no doubt worsened. Lung instructed the robots to open the pods door and to carry the three people into the medbay next to the little fellows. The medical robot began to rescue and treat the three unconscious people. Speaking of which, Cillin hadnt originally planned to attend to the hellhounds wounds personally. However, the little hellhound bit at the medical robot every time it got close to the little fellow, causing one of its arms to be bitten off directly. After that, Cillin had tended to its wounds personally. But no matter how alert these three people might feel towards outsiders, they could only allow the medical robot to do whatever it wanted since they were deeply unconscious. That being said, these peoples constitutions werent bad. One of them in particular had a powerful constitution, and looking at the data displayed on the instrument after treatment, they learned that this fellow had amazing recovery abilities. While it did not compare to the little fellows recovery abilities, it was not far behind. Flying Snake tattoos?! Lung exclaimed in pleasant surprise. When the robot stripped the three peoples clothing in the process of treating them, the tattoos at their backs had also been revealed. It was a snake with wings, and although it was just a tattoo the snakes eyes gave people a cold and dark feeling. Cillin, were pretty lucky. Its a member of the Flying Snakes! Lung immediately began to query the relevant information on this Sector S local force Flying Snake. This was because the riot in the grade one prison not long ago was caused by none other than the two organisations Flying Snake and Mad Owl. In Sector S, the two organisations Flying Snake and Mad Owl could be considered one of the few major forces. If these two great forces had clashed in the grade one prison, could they have clashed intensely at some other places beyond the prison too? Otherwise, theres no way the condition of these three people wouldve turned out to be this terrible. Although these information took a little effort to acquire, the end result of the query made Cillin and Lung felt that it was worth it. Eight hours later, the man with the strongest recovery ability and that had a flying snake tattoo at his back that was obviously different from the other two men woke up. Yo, you woke up pretty quickly. You truly are the Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou. The moment Qi Geyou opened his eyes and abruptly sat up, a frivolous voice immediately rang before he was able to observe his surroundings. Qi Geyou felt his bodys current state for a bit, and saw his two subordinates lying down on tables not far away. The instrument beside the tables were displaying all kinds of bio characteristics and data. Qi Geyou raised his eyes, and the pupils of his amber colored eyes were shaped like sharp ends instead of the round shape of the average human being. When narrowed, they were in a slender shape that looked just like the cutting edge of a blade. Although he and his two subordinates were rescued, Qi Geyou did not let down his guard, Who are you people? since the other part had already learned about his identity, Qi Geyou did not plan to beat around the bush or speak excessively. Even though he was sitting on the table, even though he had just awakened from serious injuries, an extraordinary aura emanated from him the moment he spoke. Sigh, not even a thanks I see. while speaking, the medbays door opened to reveal a standing robot beauty. She was carrying three sets of clothes, or more accurately speaking three gowns. Lung did not have many clothes that did not fit his size. Qi Geyou glanced at the smiling robot beauty standing at the entrance of the medbay before getting off the table. After a momentary daze, he quickly readjusted himself and took over a gown to put on himself. There was also another robot beauty waiting outside, and when she saw Qi Geyou walking out, she raised a hand and said very politely, Please, this way. Without too many words spoken, Qi Geyou followed the robot and arrived at the control room. Originally, he thought that he would be brought to a meeting room or some other places, but he did not think that he would be brought directly to the control room. These two people were pretty bold. Werent they afraid that he would snatch the control authority for himself? Their ages actually didnt look to be that far apart. After looking at Lung and Cillin, Qi Geyou quickly formed an opinion at the bottom of his heart: both of these men were difficult opponents. One guy looked frivolous and dim-witted, whereas the other guy looked simple and honest, but in reality they were complete fucking cons. The screen beside Lung was even displaying the information related to the Flying Snake. There was no intention to avoid sensitive topics here at all. Qi Geyou walked over, pulled a chair for himself and sat down, Speak. Why did you save us, or should I say what is your purpose behind saving us and what kind of reward do you want? We thought we saw your life pod floating outside so we just grabbed it along the way, and we learned about your identities because we saw the tattoo behind your backs. As for the reward Cillin cast a glance at Lung lowering his eyes and seemingly thinking hard and thought: Please, you finished thinking about the reward a long time ago. Lung slapped his palm, Aiya, I got it! But before we get to that, I need to ask. Were you guys escaping from Mad Owl? Qi Geyous eyes darkened as the surrounding air seemed to freeze around him. However, Cillin and Lung maintained their normal expressions and remained unmoved. You angry? What the hell are you getting angry for? Everything he said was the truth. Qi Geyou let out a smile, but his eyes were completely chilled, For now. Since Im alive, then that battle hasnt ended yet. Lung lifted a leg and kicked Cillin, look at this guy, hes full of imposingness even though hes been beaten to such a shape! He truly is the Little Flying Snake, man. Cillin could obviously feel the air pressure around Qi Geyou growing even lower than before. That being said, Qi Geyou did reveal one information from his words earlier. He planned to make a comeback, and logically speaking this presented an opportunity for external forces to put a foot into the situation. After all, Flying Snake was still pretty influential in Sector S. However, Cillin and Lung were obviously not what Qi Geyou had imagined. Cillin slowly let out a yawn. He hadnt been resting well lately, so he should replenish himself with a nap given the opportunity. Lung was twirling around on his seat, seemingly uncaring for Qi Geyous words. Qi Geyous slender pupils shrank like a snakes. When the silence lasted for a few minutes, Qi Geyou straightened his sitting posture. He understood that he was the one who was in need right now. If he did not speak frankly, this duos answers were absolutely going to piss him off. Alright, I need you to send me to a place. Tell me what kind of reward you want. Are you talking money? Lung spun his chair left and right, Im very sorry, but right now Im not interested in money. As for energy ores, Im not interested either unless its the very special kind. What can you give us? Qi Geyou fell silent. He wasnt afraid about being requested of something, because he could at least know what the other party was pursuing that way. But now After a moments thought, Qi Geyou said, I do not know you people. I do not even know which forces you belong to. Therefore, I do not know what you need. I can give you many things, and I cannot give many things as well. What you can give and what you cant, huh Cillin and Lung matched eyes. They understood what Qi Geyou was implying. If you go back, what do you think the success rate would be? Cillin asked. I cannot guarantee anything. Qi Geyou said, But I will fight. Blood must be repaid with blood. There were too many things that were involved in this matter, and it was related to Qi Geyous status and authority he possessed in Flying Snake as well. Plus, Qi Geyou was planning to fight with his life on the line from the very beginning, but the unexpected appearance of a traitor had caused his plans to be disrupted completely. At first, he thought that his life would end just like that in reluctance, but he did not imagine that he would be rescued instead. Since he was still alive, then he would continue to fight. Some things could not end without death. Qi Geyou sat very quietly on his seat after he was done talking. However, the killing intent emanating from his body was thick. Alright, we can send you to the place you speak of, but you should know that favors are very difficult to return. Weve saved you and your companions, and we will be sending you back also we gave you a chance at vengeance. Therefore, value wise this reward is pretty hard to decide. Lung said in a giggly tone, But I guess being able to watch the show is worth the price. I hope that you wont disappoint. You wont be. When they were done speaking, Lung arranged a place to rest for Qi Geyou. As for Qi Geyous two other companions, theyd have to wake first before any arrangements could be done. Although Qi Geyou still thought that Lung and Cillin were a little unreliable C after all, a trade like this was just too damn weird. All you want for saving our lives and sending us back to fight for a comeback is to watch the show? Are you screwing with us or what?! C for now Qi Geyou could not figure out their true intentions either. In that case, he might as well put this to the back of his mind and think about it later when he had returned to his domain. Moreover, Qi Geyou did not know who Cillin and Lung truly were. After all, a foreign force that arrived at Sector S couldnt possibly be made up of two people only, could it? Of course, that was if they excluded that cat and that half-man-half-dog fellow. The place Qi Geyou told them about wasnt too far away, but just to be safe Qi Geyou pointed out a roundabout path that would allow them to avoid some attention and minimise potential accidents. Therefore, if they were to fly following the roundabout path they would have to spend another two days on this starship, and these two days were practically hell for Qi Geyou and his two subordinates. The trios conversation with Cillin and Lung was a case of okay if they didnt talk, and oh my god Im going to go berserk the moment they did. How could there possibly be such infuriating people? Right now Qi Geyou and his subordinates situation were like people whose feet were sunk in a swamp, whereas Cillin and Lung were the people who extended them a helping hand. However, while these helping people were pulling them out, they were also constantly trampling over their faces repeatedly while a cat was flinging cynical remarks left and right from the sides. Chapter 169: Counter Attack [Part 1] Chapter 169: Counter Attack [Part 1] Speaking of Qi Geyou, he seldom met any formidable rivals among his peers except for those few people he could count on one hand as ones of the new generations candidates to succeed Flying Snake. He believed that others could not compare to himself, which was why the people around him were basically all subordinates. This thinking also nurtured his behavior of treating others from the position of superiority. However on this starship, Qi Geyou had been humiliated more than one time already. In just two short days, he would find himself choked off every time he attempted to feel out Cillin and Lungs depths. The two other people who were rescued along with Qi Geyou from the lifepod were called Snarker and Serpenter. They fell under the category of diehard loyalist, and Qi Geyou trust in them grew even more after this incident. If in the future, Qi Geyou was able to take over Flying Snake successfully, this duo would not doubt stand very tall in the hierarchy as well. Cillin and Lung paid no attention to the way they interacted with each other. What interested Lung was how they were beaten into their sorry looks and nearly lost their lives in the process. He even analysed the question on their behalf using words that could drive people crazy, hitting the nail right on the head and caring absolutely nothing for their faces at all. Every time Qi Geyou was so angry he wished that he could just murder the two fellows C no, three, since that butt shaking cat had chimed into the conversation too. Hey little flying snake, you better not lose this time! Weve invested capital on you you know! Lung said while stick one leg over the other. What capital? Capital what? Veins popped on Qi Geyous forehead, but he restrained himself and did not burst into anger. He had never held himself back like this back at Flying Snake, but borrowing Cillins words, beggars cant be choosers. When Cillin said this the gray cat on top of his shoulders had even added with pretentious seriousness, Young man, be calm, do be not impatient. Go eat shit with your impatience! Qi Geyou wanted to practice out of sight, out of mind, but it was necessary for him to sit down in the control room and lead the way. He was the only one more familiar with the more hidden parks of this area. If he were to pass the task completely to Lung, there might be a potential hiccup. He absolutely must be careful with his current opportunity. During the previous incident, Qi Geyou had lost a group of people and nearly lost his own life. Naturally, he couldnt be feeling too well no matter what the circumstances were. At first, he did lose his patience and attacked Cillin and Lung after suffering their sharp and blunt remarks, but when Cillin had grabbed his snake spear barehanded, Qi Geyou knew that he absolutely could not compare to Cillin in terms of individual strength. When Snarker and Serpenter saw this their hair almost stood on the back of their heads. Qi Geyous snake spear contained high voltage, and if it were them, they would have succumbed to the attack already. However, Cillin was able to take the high voltage without a change in his expression at all. Although Qi Geyou had only unleashed two levels of snake spear C the sharpest blade and snake fang were not yet unleashed C his attack still wasnt something that any ordinary person could grasp. Snarker and Serpenter also wanted to test their hands against Cillin C it was an itch they often felt when they met someone who could fight C but Cillin immediately threw a line at them, You want to fight before your bones are healed? Did shit get into your head? In the end, Lung gave out an idea. It was the childish arm wrestling. Cillin won by a short margin. Lung said that friendship grows from exchange of blows, so he took out his wine and celebrated for a bit. After Qi Geyou had downed a few bottles of wine he then sat at the side and watched the group of four get wildly drunk and sing. Every person was louder and more off-key than the next; it was as if they were competing to see who could be the most off-key of them all. After they were done playing bacchanals, they began to play cards with great vigor. In view of their terrible drunk disposition earlier, everyone cheated, played dumb, acted shameless and fooled around until they all fell asleep. Although Qi Geyou were so infuriated by Cillin and Lung that the blue veins on his head had grown a size thicker, he had to admit that he acknowledged them in his heart. Courage alone wasnt enough for two people to enter Sector S on their lonesome. Without true abilities, they could not have survived this place for long. As for character, while the duo had very cheap mouths that spouted very sharp remarks, they were also all truths. Of course, the fact that might be totally doing it on purpose wasnt ruled out. Qi Geyou could not figure out both Cillin and Lung. The elders at Flying Snake once said that if they had encountered people like them, people who appeared unreliable on the surface but had in fact concealed their true abilities well within themselves, then they should not offend such people recklessly. Qi Geyou himself had no intentions of making powerful enemies for himself, especially at such an occasion. They quickly arrived at the planet mentioned by Qi Geyou. This planet was Flying Snakes headquarters, but it was a very important place. In a few days, there would be a meeting in Flying Snakes domain on this domain. This was something that had been scheduled in advance a few days ago. Originally, this meeting was just routine work and not all that important, but the Double Spy incident caused Flying Snake to suffer a blow, lose a group of elites and even Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou, who was currently MIA. Night befell the dark side of the planet. The streets were red with lanterns and green with wine*, the night life was rich, and everywhere one looked there were groups of youngsters who were riding on hoverboards or driving modified flying cars. Many of them were less than twenty years old. They hooted amidst speeding air in search of stimulation and excitement. *means feasting and pleasure-seeking A small motorcade flew by with the appropriate lights on, and the people who were originally hooting wildly and flying at random opened up a path on their own consensus. Moreover, some people would join the motorcade on its way; flying cars following right behind them and hoverboarders withdrawing their hoverboards with practiced motions before dropping directly into the cars with open roofs. The flying cars roofs would slowly fold up after the people had come in. It was as if they had cooperated like this for a very long time. A teenager with spiky hair about fifteen to sixteen years old spoke to the guy sitting at the drivers seat, Are there any news about the boss yet? The driver controlled the steering with one hand and gripped a cigarette with the other. When he heard the teenagers question, he sucked in a mouthful of smoke and frowned, Not yet. For a time, the atmosphere within the car was a little stifling and oppressive. The teenager produced a cigarette, lit it and smoked. He completely curbed his brash behavior when hoverboarding with others and appeared unusually silent. Kids shouldnt smoke this. It affects the bodys growth. the driver said. Im about to turn sixteen right away. the teenager retorted while flicking his cigarette, Ive fought so many fights with you guys already. Dont treat me like a kid anymore. Say it, what are we going to do this time? The driver stopped twisting himself with the smoking problem, sucked in a deep mouthful and flicked the unfinished cigarette into an opening. The cigarette was sucked into the small opening when it flew over it. The small opening closed. We will bring this up during todays meeting. What if those people finds a reason to delay it again? the teenager asked. Then well do it ourselves. his words were extremely harsh. Youve gotten the firearms? Yup. the driver let out a mocking smile, Black Snake wants to use us to eliminate those people from Mad Owl and create an incident along the way so we cant come back? In his dreams! The driver opened the cars roof once more. The smoke inside the car was instantly blown away, and the men inside the car were awoken a little by the wind as well. The size of the people gathered around this motorcade grew bigger and bigger. In the end, it became a large motorcade of several hundred people. If the people inside the car were to be included, then they numbered were well over a thousand. The motorcade arrived beside a wide building. There were already people waiting for them there. The people parked their flying cars and came out. You guys came! the people waiting at the building said. Chapter 169: Counter Attack [Part 2] Chapter 169: Counter Attack [Part 2] These are all our numbers. The rest are either bogged down by other stuff or are afraid to come. Those cowardly bastards, Ill kick them to death sooner or later! Lets talk about this later. Has the meeting begun? the one who asked this was none other than the smoking driver. The teenager was following behind him. It has begun. I heard that the higher ups are having a fierce quarrel. Black Snake slandered boss quite a bit. What about the rest of the people? Theyre the same as ever While they were speaking, another motorcade had arrived. As compared to this motorcade, the newly arrived motorcade was obviously a lot more noisier. While letting the music flow out of their windows, they were even whistling and shaking their bodies cockily for a bit. Yo, Gold Ring. Why are you standing here? Cant get in? the fellow who walked out of the car with a hair that was done like a broom said with a sloppy appearance. While smoking, he even purposely puffed out a few smoke rings. Before they could answer, the guy behind Broomhead sneered and said, Could it be that you guys are here to snivel to the elders because your little boss died and no ones here to support you? Of course it is, do you even need to ask! Look at those sullen faces, sigh, it truly is an entirely appropriate punishment! The people this side got angry when they watched the people on the other side answering their own questions in a ridiculing and cocky manner. Fuck, you want to fucking die this badly? Your daddy can fulfill your wish! How do you want to die, huh? Spit it out! I spit on your ancestors. Nothing will happen to boss even if black snakes been cooked! Even if boss isnt here, you seriously think that wretched Black Snake can take over? Peh, even pigs are better than him! There was a rule since a long time ago to watch out one owns words and actions before this building, which was why the two small groups had in fact restrained their speeches quite a bit despite the disharmonious argument and current situation. Otherwise, anything couldve popped out of their mouths. Hey stop it, both of you. Do you know where you are right now! a middle aged man walked out from inside the building. This person might not be part of the higher ups of Flying Snake, but he was the principal manager of this place. Therefore, logically speaking both parties should have given him face and stopped right there. However, the flames on both sides had only grown stronger and stronger. They were slowly starting to lose control and itch for a fight. An alluring twenty years old or so woman walked out from behind the middle-aged man and pulled his sleeves, Its better if you dont interfere. Neither side will think anything about your opinion at all. Let us report this to upstairs and mobilise a group of men along the way to guard this place just in case their fight gets too intense and affect the people inside. Earlier, Black Snake had already told this woman not to interfere if these two sides of people started arguing with each other and let them do whatever they wanted. Black Snake had already sent his men to add fuel to fire in secret. It would appear that Black Snake was going to use the Double Spy incident to clean out Little Flying Snakes subordinates as well. Seeing that the two sides arguments were growing so intense that they were practically seconds away from pulling out their weapons, Gold Ring raised his hands and pulled the two people at the front, getting ready to say something. Suddenly, a terrific sense of danger assaulted him, and he reflexively moved his body sideways. He was still shot, however, although thankfully he managed to avoid getting shot at a major organ. Fuck, motherfucker they actually shot us! This time the situation was full to bursting. Both parties took out their weapons and fired immediately. But they hadnt managed to shoot more than twice when an angry roar nearly pushed the sounds of both parties gunshots. Stop right now! When the people who were so angry they could spit blood heard this voice, they fell silent before exclaiming in shock, Boss! Meanwhile, the faces of the people at Broomheads side distorted like they had just eaten a mouthful of shit. They froze, not because they couldnt move but because they did not dare to. The second they heard this voice they immediately felt a tremendous pressure. Gold Ring held his stomach and looked towards the sky. Three people on hoverboards slowly descended from above. The leader of the trio was none other than the main subject of the topic that had triggered this conflict, Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou. Even though it was night, the sparkling orange lights of the lamps still complemented his sword-like pupils and gave it a most bizarre feeling. It even caused the surrounding temperature to fall by several degrees. Boss, Snarker, Serpenter! some cried out in pleasant surprise. Qi Geyou walked down from the hoverboard with a dark expression. Both parties consciously opened up a path for him. No one dared to act wantonly in front of Little Flying Snake. Ignoring Gold Ring and the others exclamations, Qi Geyou continued to walk his own way. However, no one was bothered by the slight because Qi Geyous return was already the best news they could have. Qi Geyou was walking close to the group of people around Gold Ring. He walked and walked, and suddenly, before anyone could react, Qi Geyous snake spear suddenly flashed out and extended all the way up to its third level right away. The long and sharp snake fangs went right between several people and nailed into the body of one person. The parts where the snake fangs had penetrated swiftly turned black and rotted. The nailed person tried to cry out, but the only thing that escaped his throat was an indistinguishable hoarse sound. His eyes were filled with fear and despair. Boss, you A person at the side was just about to say something before he recalled something and stopped himself. Qi Geyou glanced at him and nodded satisfactorily. Qi Geyous temperament meant that he would not kill carelessly without good reason. Therefore, his subordinates should not question his decision even if they had doubts because he was the boss of this organisation. This was something everyone on Qi Geyous side knew, which was why the person who spoke shut up upon recalling this. He pulled out the snake spear. The front ends of the snake spear drew back as the weapon returned to its original form. Theres nothing I hate more than traitors! When Gold Ring heard this, his eyes narrowed, Boss, youre saying that that bastard is the guy who shot me! I knew there was a traitor in our midst when I was shot, but there was no time to find out who it was just now. Now I think that death is going way too easy on him. Drag him out and chop him up a couple more times then. Snarker said. The current Snarker was not as casual as he was when facing Cillin and Lung. Right now Snarker was also wearing a dark expression and appeared incredibly imposing just like Qi Geyou. Although Serpenter didnt hold a face of ice like the other two, the gleam that glowed between the thin slits of his eyes appeared dangerous no matter how you looked at it. He looked just like a poisonous serpent who was about to deal its prey a fatal blow. Qi Geyou stopped looking at the traitor and turned to cast a glance at Broomhead. Then, he slowly walked towards him. Seeing that Qi Geyou was walking towards them, Broomhead and the others unconsciously retreated backwards. Why are you retreating? Did I give you permission to retreat? Qi Geyous voice was very level when he said this, but those who knew him well knew that it was his usual expression before killing someone. Bo Boss Qi Geyou, misunderstanding its all really just a misunderstanding, this Broomheads words were swallowed right back into his throat before they were sprayed out along with his blood. The deep slash marks in Broomheads throat nearly cut off his entire head. However, Qi Geyous attack was done skillfully so as to avoid several important nerves. Therefore, Broomhead had not lost consciousness and died right away. Instead, he was able to feel his blood flowing out of his throat and experience the fear and despair of life flowing out of his body. Qi Geyou gave a sideway nod and said, Teach them a lesson. After he said this, he stopped paying attention to the matters here any longer. Snarker and Serpenter led the men and charged towards the other party. A lesson was something that could not be memorised unless it was profound. Qi Geyou walked into the building. When the mobilised and full armed men inside the building who were just getting ready to charge into the fray and stop the conflict saw Qi Geyou, they immediately withdrew their weapons and opened up a way for Qi Geyou to come in. You can forget about the situation outside. Itll end very soon. Yes sir. the leader of the squad answered respectfully. When Qi Geyou walked through the inner door, the full armed squad wiped the sweat off their body. He is Little Flying Snake alright; his aura is getting rounder and rounder lately. Is that killing intent just now? How terrifying. I felt like I was being watched by a huge snake. No wonder the higher ups look so highly upon Qi Geyou. Black Snake is far lousier compared to him. Tsk, Black Snake? If he didnt have a good daddy, he wouldve been crushed by Qi Geyou a long time ago. That being said, the fact that he survived that kind of situation meant that Qi Geyou truly has some real skills. Never mind this. We gave Black Snake face because of the rumor that Qi Geyou had died and because of that person up there. But now that Qi Geyou is back, Black Snakes face should be all gone. in the sky not far away from the building, Cillin and Lung were sitting inside a flying car and watching the scene unfolding down there. Right now, Cillin and Lung were wearing the camo face mask newly developed by the Andrea Family. It would be very difficult for anyone to detect their true faces unless they were put through an in-depth investigation. As for the gray cat, it was teaching the little fellow how to read in the starship outside the planet. The now invisible starship was parked at a place not far away from the planet. Tsk, he deserves to be called Little Flying Snake alright. Pretty imposing, aint he? Im so envious, he looks so cool man! Im jealous, ah, Im jealous! Lung complained. Is this the so-called internal strife in gangs? It seriously is cruel. They kill their opponents directly without so much a word. Cillin sighed ruefully. It was obvious that the gang rules of Sector S were much crueler than the internal affairs of a Hunter regiment. No wonder someone like Qi Geyou was nurtured. Cillin, I want to enjoy the thrill of being a boss too just like Qi Geyou. It feels like itd be pretty enjoyable and much cooler than just bringing a bunch of bodyguards around. Mm, Ill lead a huge group of people wearing black windbreakers and sunglasses, each holding an assault rifle in their hands while their waists While Lung was talking dreamily, Cillin rudely cracked down on his dream and said, Old Berzett would die from anger. Lung covered his face and wailed in anguish, Can we not bring up that terrible old man? Gentleman etiquette is a trap! Cillin and Lung waited for Qi Geyou directly outside the building. Qi Geyou once said that he would pull out the thorns behind his back after this meeting, then come up with a new arrangement to make a comeback and take revenge. Cillin and Lung had expressed that they would participate in their planned mission at the grade one prison. Therefore, it was best that they waited until Qi Geyou had finished his meeting before discussing the relevant matters. Of course, since theyd arrived on Flying Snakes domain, as the master of this place Qi Geyou had to receive them properly, not to mention that they were his savior too. Three hours later, Qi Geyou came out. After talking a little with Snarker in a low tone, he left along with the long motorcade. Then, while the people were distracted, Snarker seized the opportunity to lead Cillin and Lung to another place that belonged to Qi Geyou. Chapter 170: Change in Prison [Part 1] Chapter 170: Change in Prison [Part 1] Logically speaking, Snarker was a strength type fighter whereas Serpenter was a speed type fighter. If they wanted to do something, then Serpenter and his speed was without a doubt the more convenient choice. However, it was also exactly why more people would place their attentions onto Serpenter. If Serpenter were to disappear from Qi Geyous side, those people would definitely think: Did Qi Geyou send Serpenter away to do something secretive again? That was why Snarker was able to bring Cillin and Lung to Qi Geyous domain more secretively while Qi Geyou and Serpenter were attracting more attention onto themselves. Little Flying Snakes place is pretty good. Lung circled around the room Qi Geyou had arranged for them and said. They called it a room, but in reality it was pretty close to a garden villa already. There was also a swimming pool as well. When Lung saw the swimming pool, he stripped off all his clothes and jumped right into the swimming pool to enjoy himself. Cillin thought: Thank goodness Berzett wasnt here, or he would be so mad that he would lose hair again. The purpose of the so-called etiquette was to be forgotten. Naturally, Cillin knew that Qi Geyou was very busy. After the big meeting, he had to gather his subordinates for a small meeting, plan for ops and settle the internal strife in his organisation as well. As the leader of this small organisation and as the main target of study and choice to succeed Flying Snake in the future, naturally Qi Geyou needed to analyse the problem better and fight a comeback war after experiencing his first defeat. Shawton once said that in a Hunter regiment, the development of a B Squadron was based on individual strength, opportunities, and network. Compared to the other B Squadons in Vanguard, the Sixth B Squadron was severely lacking in terms of network. It had nothing to do with individual strength and foresight, and the main reason their network had fallen to such a state was because the former Sixth B Squadron commander was way too much of a loner. This caused the Sixth B Squadrons development to fall off in a straight line the moment Seru had left their Squadron. With more network, there would be more development branches and trading channels. Only then could the Hunter regiment develop faster. Just the same, Cillin needed to find out certain things that were not known to the common people even if he was currently away from the Hunter regiment. Not only did he need to travel around the galaxy, he also need to acquire a wider channel such as the local forces of Sector S to learn more news. Since fate had brought him and Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou together, after a period of association he found that Qi Geyou was a thread that was worth grasping. Obviously, a member of an influential merchant family like Lung understood this even better. Your elders might have existing channels to share with you, but they were in fact not suitable for you. After all, the other party had given you access for your seniors sake and not yours. If one were to rely on his seniors forever, then it was only a matter of time before they were stepped on by others. Cillin took a bath, filled his stomach, grabbed a bottle of wine and lay on a sofa, drinking and watching the local news of this planet. He had to say that the TV shows here were pretty fancy, less restricted and spoke blatantly. No wonder the people here matured earlier than usual. While watching, a communicator beside him rang. It was a communicator Qi Geyou instructed Snarker to prepare for them. This way they would be able to communicate easier on this planet. After the line was connected, Qi Geyous image appeared on screen. He looked very tired, but his eyes were just as bright. It was obvious that todays meeting was met with pretty good results. How is it? the place is pretty good, isnt it? I havent ill treated the young masters, have I? Qi Geyou was fairly confident in the place he arranged for the duo. This place could be considered a luxurious zone even in the entire planet. Its pretty good. But the walls of the training room arent tough enough, and the swimming pool isnt wide enough Two choices. its either there or on the streets! I guess Ill stay here then. Alright, if theres anything, call me directly if you cant find Snarker or Serpenter. They are capable of handling some of the matters here at least. You guys just rest for the day. Were in the middle of planning a countermeasure right now, and well come back to you once were done. Oh right, do you guys need any weapons? We can sell you for a cheap price Were fine with weapons. Go have your meeting. Take care not to get hunted to a lifepod again. Cillins words obviously upset Qi Geyou again as he cut off the comm with a beep. After cutting off the connection, Qi Geyou looked beside him and said, What do you think of them? There was an old man holding a crutch and sitting beside Qi Geyou. The exterior of the crutch was shaped like a snake. Both of the old mans hands were placed on the snakes head of the crutch. They are not our enemies for now. It is good as long as they are not our enemies. Then Ill be proceeding with the original plan. Mm. Work well. Two days later, Qi Geyou came over to inform Cillin and Lung about the time of the operation and the rough itinerary. Of course, the specifics of the ops of the Flying Snakes internal division were not told. Alright. Just get us the prisons map layout, and well work separately once we reach our destination. Relax, we wont hold you back. Lung laid at the edge of the swimming pool and said, We do not need you to supply us any equipment of whatever either. Its such an amazing deal, right? Qi Geyou overlooked Lungs final line directly, Alright, thats it then. I will have Snarker receive you when we depart. Qi Geyous schedule was pretty hectic, and he did not have much time to communicate with Cillin and Lung. After explaining several important items, Qi Geyou then left in a hurry. Lets go and tidy up the equipment. Cillin kicked Lung who was lying beside the swimming pool and not feeling like moving at all, Its time to test your familys new products. Inside the room. Lung opened a box and took out two sets of clothes from inside. There was also a face mask that was so thin it was also transparent. The clothes, pants and face masks are all part of a set called the Copy Set. It can copy up to hundreds of clothing material and style. Its controlled using brain waves, and it is not suitable for people who dont use their brain. While speaking, Lung put on one of the Copy Set before opening the wardrobe in the room. He spread out the clothes that were hung on the hangers and stood in front of a formal suit. Then, Cillin watched as an identical formal suit slowly appeared on Lungs body. Moreover, it automatically adjusted to the wearers size and appeared very fitting on his body. Then, Lung turned on a small projector as the head of a stranger was displayed. At the same time, Lungs face swiftly transformed and became exactly the same as the face on top of the projector. Cillin gave it a close look and nodded, Its good. How much is this Copy Set on the market? Its still at the testing phase and hasnt made it to the market yet. However, its very difficult to buy something like this without the appropriate channels. Lung said while tidying his attire and looking at himself in the mirror along the way Ive decided to experience the life of a prison guard and a convict for a bit. Although this is just a grade one prison, if all goes well we may be able to try it out again in a grade two and three prison. Cillin chose a few guns that suited him well, whereas Lung began loading stuff onto his own body like he was loading a treasure box. The stuff were probably prepared accordingly to Lungs character before he came to Sector S since there were more tricky weapons than direct ones. Strictly speaking, the variety of weapons were more leaned towards hidden weapon types, although these hidden weapons were a little too destructive. Are you seriously going to blow up the prison? No. But this is a rare trip, and Ive got to leave some memories behind, dont I? Who knows if it may come in handy. Lung continued to load up the micro remote bombs. Cillin shook his head. This fellow was the perfect candidate to stir up a row. Originally, Lungs objective was to take a look around the prison of Sector S and seize the opportunity to stir up a mess and entertain himself. However, Cillin had a feeling that their gains this time might be pretty huge. Fifty years ago, some of the famous figures had all vanished without a trace at the same time. Cillin thought that he might be able to find the answer in Sector S prison. The great hermit retreats into the city*. *the translation of the full idiom would be, the little hermit retreats into the wilderness; the great hermit retreats into the city. In brief, it means to say that a person who has attained true enlightenment would not be disturbed by their environment, and be able to live life the way they want to. Would they find some people in a grade one prison? Cillin looked forward to it. The day of the operation quickly arrived. Chapter 170: Change in Prison [Part 2] Chapter 170: Change in Prison [Part 2] This time, Flying Snakes men were split into several group for the operation. Cillin and Lung were secretly arranged by Qi Geyou on a spaceplane that was headed towards the grade one prison. From outside space, the majority of the grade one prison planets face looked like it was enveloped in fortress-like prisons. It was filled with a heavy and oppressive feeling. However, the people of Flying Snake were feeling different. The closer they got to the prison planet, the more excited they became. Today, a group of people would finish their sentences and be released from prison on this planet. Flying Snake and Mad Owl had all sent a group of men over. The last time it was a riot in prison, but this time it would be different. This time they were ready to fight both in and outside the prison. Firearm attacks were forbidden within a certain area around the prison, and anyone who broke this rule would be attacked by the prisons defense system decisively and without distinction. However, the places beyond this area were where the convicts often took care of their problems. The prison guards had installed plenty of monitoring cameras in those areas. While the convicts were fighting heatedly on the other side, the prison guards would watch the show happily inside the monitoring room. This was literally better than watching TV. It was a fight in the flesh! Not only was it live, it was free as well. After the spaceplane had descended, Cillin and Lung then split ways with Flying Snakes people. Their objectives were different, which was why their itineraries were different too. A large transport slowly flew over from the prisons direction before descending at the edge of the garrison. A prison guard walked out from the transport and looked at the spaceplanes parked in the area. There were obviously several forces currently present. The prison guard smiled to the point where his cheeks trembled after sweeping a glance across his surroundings, Looks like the lineup is pretty big this time. the bigger the lineup, the more intense the fight later would become. He had to get back soon to watch the live battle. While thinking, the prison guard shouted two lines to his back so that the people inside could come out quickly. The people inside the transport came out and walked towards their respective belonging forces. The eye interactions and secret signs between the convicts and their companions had already begun. While walking, the convicts moved their bodies so that they could return to top form as soon as possible. The bloodthirst and excitement in their eyes were insuppressible, especially the ones from Flying Snake. This time they would mount an impressive counter attack. Once the released convicts had all walked away, the prison guards returned to the transport and piloted it back into the prison. There were thirty or so prison guards among the escort. When the transport flew into the warehouse, the people inside the prisons monitoring room began shouting even before the guards came out, Quick, its started its started! Fuck, what impressive firepower! This time the fireworks are huge! The prison guards of the escort hastily quickened their movements, charged out of the transport and rushed towards the control room. However, they did not notice that there were another two people wearing the same prison guard uniforms coming out together with them. Cillin and Lung operated separately. While donned in the prison guard uniforms, they calmly walked into a passage. Looking at the time, it was almost the time Qi Geyou had mentioned. The riot inside the prison was also about to begin. Bang bang bang! Noises began to resound from the other side of the prison. There were plenty of convicts imprisoned in that place. Fuck, theyre fighting inside as well! a prison guard yelled. Lets watch both sides together. Bring up the monitoring footage inside the prison now! Tsk sk, looks like the commotion this time is pretty huge. I guess Flying Snake wants their revenge this time. Should we go take a look? What do we do if it gets too big? a prison guard asked with slight worry. Who cares, if it gets big the fines are paid by the people behind them and not them. If theyve gone blind and went over to the forbidden zone, then they cant fault us for taking measures against them. another prison guard pressed a red button while speaking. It was the button of the prison rooms defense system. After the button was pressed, the status of the system was changed to Grade A. It also meant that any convicts whose fight went beyond the allowed area would be killed instantly. Cillin left after listening in on their words. There were basically no prison guards inside the passage. Right now, they were all sitting in their respective monitoring rooms and watching the live battle. They had left all the defense work to the defense system. Perhaps they had done this for many years, but they could never imagine that today was a special day. While walking towards the prison rooms, Cillin suddenly stopped and looked behind him. There were still no one there. After looking for a bit, Cillin turned around and continued walking. When Cillin turned around, a small shape abruptly protruded from the walls of the pipe-shaped passage and moved towards the direction Cillin was headed to. After Cillin had gone through this section of the passage, he did not continue towards the prison rooms and instead, took a bent and walked down a different passage. This passage did not lead towards the prison rooms but the warehouse. Along the way, he encountered several prison guards of the area, but they were all out here to pee and take care of their physiological problems midway. After giving Cillin a hasty greeting or a simple nod, they immediately ran back to the control room to watch the show. Cillin had copied his face from a prison guard, but that prison guard was still some distance away from where he was now. Therefore, he wasnt at risk of being exposed just yet. While listening to the prison guards loud discussion, Cillin thought: the scale of this fight is quite big, but Cillin raised his head. Another prison guard walked out from the warehouse. Cillin smiled and nodded towards the prison guard before brushing past him. After Cillin had took a turn around the corner, the prison guard turned to look at where Cillin had disappeared. A red light flashed past his pupils as stretched out his tongue and gave himself a lick. This was nothing unusual, except for the fact that his tongue was deep blue in color and extremely long. It could almost touch his on forehead. The smile he wore was full of cruelty. When Cillin walked towards the warehouse, he had raised a communicator that looked nearly the same as the prison guards on his wrist. In reality, this was a modified communicator. Of course, this modified communicator did not have voice communication functionality, but it was also more stealthy. It could swiftly deliver a coded message to a person on another planet. After entering a few brief messages, Cillin withdrew his communicator and raised his head, looking towards the warehouse. He smiled. On the other side of the prison, Lung turned on his communicator and looked at the message Cillin had delivered to him. He replied with a roger that before continuing on his way. There was a mark that looked very much like a pool of water stain beside him, and if someone were to pay it close attention they would find it sticky and was composed of about the same substances as blood. At the same time, on another planet, Qi Geyou who was fighting alongside his subordinates discovered that the communicator on his hand had vibrated once. The frequency of the vibration allowed him to know that it was Cillin who had transmitted this message. If Cillin had transmitted something to him at such a time, then it was probably very important. Therefore, after cutting down a person who had jumped at him, Qi Geyou extracted himself from the battle and motioned for Serpenter to take over for a while. Once he was got out of the battle zone, Qi Geyou looked at the message displayed on the communicator. It wasnt elaborate, but it had clarified out all of the important issues. When he saw the message on the communicator, Qi Geyous face changed abruptly. After explaining himself briefly to the people behind him, he swiftly returned to the spaceplane and activated several communication channels at the same time, sending out various orders to each of them. At the grade one prison outside the prison zone where Cillin was at, the clashing personnel received a message from their PICs, Hurry up. We will evacuate in ten minutes! Inside the prison, the Flying Snake men who were fighting a messy battle in the prison rooms also received their orders and altered their movements to fit the new operation plan. The closer Cillin got to the warehouse, the more obvious the stench of blood became. Judging from the smell of this blood, it was probably a human. The time of death wasnt long, and it was only several minutes at best. Cillins fingers moved when he recalled the person who had earlier brushed past his shoulders. A blade had appeared soundlessly between his fingers. Other than this warehouse, the doors of the remaining warehouses were all closed. The stench of blood had spread out of this open warehouse. The stench of blood grew stronger and stronger, and there were bits and pieces of chewing sounds coming from inside as well. Judging from the sound, there were likely a lot of them. He soundless appeared beside the cabin door and hid his presence. Although the interior of the building wasnt lit, Cillin could see clearly the state of the man inside. The prison guard had been chewed almost down to bones, and he was surrounded by a dozen or so feeding mice-like creatures. They looked like mice, but they did not have hair. Instead, their exterior was covered in a layer of metallic like armor. Its limbs were thicker, and its sharp claws could draw many deep marks on a persons bones. The barb on its long tongue scraped layers of meat off the bones again and again as they fed. Pak! A soft sound surprised the feeding fellows inside. Amidst darkness, they looked outside the cabin door with scarlet eyes that shone with the light of madness and bloodthirst. Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh! Before those things could leap on their feet, Cillin had already tossed out the blades in his hands. These flying knives were all made of special materials, and they were about the same as the ones that had killed the Skull King back then. However, these new ones were smaller, and the shape of the knives had been modified as well. The toxin inside the knives was also changed to a different kind. The five knives struck five of the creatures directly. While those things had tough exterior armor, it wasnt at the level where the flying knives could not penetrate their bodies. The creatures that were struck by the flying knives slowly turned into a pool of something that looked like water stain as they died. It was just a little stickier than usual, and the creatures armor had long since melted along with its main body as well. After taking out five of the creatures at once, Cillin raised his hand and popped out a half length wrist blade. The blade flashed around repeatedly, but the actual sound of split air was very thin. It was only when the blade struck those creatures that there was a slightly louder noise. The several creatures who leaped towards him had all been slice in half cleanly. There were three creatures that had tried to escape, but they were nailed on the spot by Cillin with three flying knives and turned into water stains. After he was done dealing with these creatures, Cillin then turned his head and looked towards a nearby corner of the passage. Before Cillin could say anything though, a person had walked out of the corner. The person appeared to be a little petite with a pair of small slanted mustache and a head wrapped in a scarf. Very sorry, I didnt do it on purpose. the persons tone seemed to say sorry, I totally did it on purpose. The soft noises from earlier had been created purposely by this person. Their objective was to attract these creatures attention so that they would attack Cillin. Chapter 171: Another Weirdo [Part 1] Chapter 171: Another Weirdo [Part 1] Cillin did not say anything. He simply stared at the little mustached guy as his blade leaped from finger to finger, reflecting cold gleams under the illumination of the wall lamps. Alright. Little Stache raised both his hands and flipped his hands around to show that he wasnt holding any threatening weapon and that he was harmless, I express my sincere apology for what happened just now. But I do not regret doing it. Seeing that Cillin hadnt turned resentful and attacked him because of his words, Little Staches eyeballs rolled once before he continued, I have my own objective. You met a weirdo when you came over just now, havent you? Mm Right, he was wearing a guard uniform. I wonder if you noticed? Cillin indicated for him to continue while he stared at him. Little Stache pointed at the sticky liquid on the floor and said, He created these things. He was the one who killed the patrolling prison guard in the warehouse too. I dont know who he is, and I dont know if hes even a human. At any rate, hes a dangerous fellow. The person touched his little pair of mustaches before showing Cillin a helpless expression, At first, I was here only to watch Flying Snake and Mad Owls battle, and perhaps benefit myself and cause a little bit of destruction if the opportunity presented itself. However, the moment I entered here I immediately noticed that something was wrong. Thank goodness I escaped quickly and avoided danger by hiding in this side of the warehouse. That weirdo did not notice me. So er, I was just testing your skills for a bit. If youre strong, then I think we can cooperate with each other. If you cant even deal with those little things, then theres no need. If I cant deal with those little things, then I most definitely would have ended up like that prison guard in the warehouse. But if they strained me somewhat or greatly, then you would have killed me, wouldnt you? Although he had phrased it as a question, Cillins words were strong with certainty. Little Stache did not put up a denial. He simply shrugged and curled his lips. There are two unknown forces that had arrived at this prison this time. They are not from Sector S, and with their abilities they should not be showing up in the lousiest grade one prison right now. Theres no reason an important person would be imprisoned in a mere grade one prison, much less someone at their level of strength. Every one of those people could become a core member of the few famous forces in Sector S. However, according to my observation of these peoples movements and targets, there is an important person inside this prison. Its just that no one knows about it. Little Stache rolled his shoulders for a bit, You can consider me as a member of a certain force as well. After I came in here, I was forced into hiding and seeking shelter. Ive been waiting all this time for a chance to leave this place. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Therefore, lets cooperate with each other. Cillin did not answer his offer to cooperate immediately. Instead he asked, Youre saying that there are another two unknown forces in this place, and that theyre both pretty powerful? Little Stache nodded, Theyre super powerful! I think that anyone of them is at least at the level of a grade four prison convict. I suspect that their objective this time is to destroy this prison, so its better if we cooperate, hurry up and get out of this place! Please find someone else to help you. I am not ready to escape just yet. What!? Little Stache glared, Youre just committing suicide! Do you not understand what is going on right now? Do you want me to help you analyse things for a bit? Little Stache took two back and forth steps, causing the pigtail wrapped in his scarf to shake around. His footsteps came to a pause as he looked up at Cillin. Then, a gun appeared in his hand following the movement of his wrist. However, Cillin did not attack him for the action because Little Stache did not have the intention to shoot at him. He was aiming the barrel at the passage wall. Pupupu! He shot three times in a row. The gun had been modified, and the gunshots were very soft. In fact, even the impact of the bullets had become much softer. However, its destructive power was not weakened in the slightest, and in fact it was quite the opposite when compared to some other firearms. A normal gun would at most cause a small dent when it was fired at the passage wall, but Little Staches gun had opened a deep hole in the passage wall directly. Although the gun and its destructive power were very eye catching, what Cillin needed to pay attention to wasnt this but the defense system. Normally speaking, the energy waves caused by gunfire would immediately be detected by the defense system. Anyone who opened fire at a non shooting zone, be it the prison guards or someone else, would trigger the defense system to sound the alarm and take defensive measures to suppress the internal threat. However, the passages defense system did not react at all even though Little Stache had opened fire three times in a row. Little Stache withdrew his gun and said, As you can see, the defense system here has been modified. Its not just the warehouse; in every location those people passed by, the defense system had become ineffective as well.. That is why I deduced that they may be aiming to destroy the whole prison at the end considering how big their movements were and how they killed without mercy. Cillin did not answer him and brought up the communicator around his wrist instead. The display stated that there was no connection. BOOM! A loud explosion resounded from afar. This is bad this is bad, its started already. Hey, lets escape already, why are you still hesitating? Our lives are first priority! Little Stache got anxious and jumped where he stood. He wished he could just drag Cillin over and forcefully alter the thoughts in his mind. Cillin wasnt hesitating. He was sensing a kind of sound wave that did not belong to a normal human being hidden within the explosion. The gray cat once said that anyone who was familiar with sound waves could sense a persons strength through the sound they make, and Cillin had made up his mind after he felt the sound wave hidden within the explosion. Right now, he really wasnt strong enough to get mixed up with those two mysterious forces. Flying Snake and Mad Owl had probably figured out the new situation through the local forces inside the prison and all sorts of other channels by now. The chaos over at the side of the prison rooms had become bigger and bigger. About Lung, according to Cillins understanding of his personality, he was a smart guy who would never put his own life at risk. In fact, he would even seize the opportunity to toss in a few explosives of his own for fun. Now that he thought about it, the micro bombs Lung had carried with him would actually come in handy right now. Lung probably hadnt expected the existence of two such forces, but he had always been a guy who acted according to his instincts. Cillin then glanced at Little Stache, who was looking left and right and seemingly sensing if there was danger nearby. This fellow was capable, and his hiding skills were pretty good. Otherwise, he would not have been able to avoid that weirdo. As for which Sector S force he belonged to, Cillin did not have the time to question him closely. Its not like he would tell the truth with his behavior anyway. However, Cillin knew that this fellow did not belong under Flying Snake, Mad Owl or those dangerous forces. That was enough. For now, this fellow would not be a threat to him. Little Stache was holding up his ears and listening to his surroundings. Suddenly, he felt that someone C Cillin C was watching him and took a step backwards. Then he thought it was the wrong move to take and glared back with wide open eyes. He took two steps forwards and said with a rough voice, Hey, how long do you need to make a decision? What a coy and hesitant person. Are you a man or not! Cillin did not say anything. He walked towards Little Stache directly. You Im telling you, dont you think I wont dare to fight you right now. Im not so weak I cant do without you as a partner. I can just find another one Little Stache was very anxious. He could not figure out Cillins depths since he had taken out those little monsters too cleanly. One thing was certain though, and that was the fact that he would not necessarily be able to defeat Cillin if they truly fought each other. Even if he could win, he would have to pay a huge price. At any rate it wasnt worth it, and considering the current circumstances he seriously did not want to fight Cillin right now. But as Cillin walked closer and closer, Little Staches gloved hands felt a little sweaty. When Cillin was two steps away from Little Stache, and Little Stache was about to open fire at him, he spoke. Girl, youre in the way. (E/n: its a trap) Chapter 171: Another Weirdo [Part 2] Chapter 171: Another Weirdo [Part 2] The bucket of bloody accusation* fell on her head, drenching her messily in utter and complete defeat. Little Stache felt that her expression was kinda falling apart. *an original metaphor from the author, probably improvised from a bucket of cold ice/water Cillin went around Little Stache and walked towards the passage behind her. After freezing for a moment, Little Stache immediately chased after him. Hey, about that, how did you know I am a female? Little Stache touched her own face. For so many years no one had been able to identify her true gender, not to mention that her disguise had been done by her own master! Cillin did not explain. Its not like he could tell her directly: Girl, I checked your sex chromosome and found that it was XX, could he? Seeing that Cillin had fallen into silence once more, Little Stache knew that he had no intentions of giving her a reason. Therefore, Little Stache stopped wasting time and asked a different question instead, Why are we walking through this passage? Were getting farther and farther away from the exit. Its a detour. The passage i came from earlier had been locked down by the prison guards. Theres a heated battle happening there right now, and if we went there we would be directly involved in it. Cillin asked. This time Little Stache wasnt stupid enough to ask how Cillin knew what was going on down that passage. Instead, she paid careful attention to her surroundings, gripping her gun and preparing to shoot directly if there were any abnormalities. Cillin was very satisfied with Little Staches reactions. Setting aside the matter of her strength, a person like her would at least not cause too much trouble. A smart person would take stock of the situation and react accordingly to it instead of wasting time asking about fruitless questions. The faraway rumbling noises were growing more and more frequent, and the prison guards had all lost their interests in watching the show inside their monitoring rooms. Everyone in the entire prison had been dragged into the mess. It probably wouldnt result in the worst outcome if they did not resist the two mysterious forces directly. The people of those two forces had clear objectives coming to this prison, so they would not waste their time taking out other people unless absolutely necessary. However, if they did resist the two mysterious forces directly and caused them trouble, then be it Flying Snake, Mad Owl or other forces native to this Sector, the prison guards or the prisoners of other Sectors imprisoned here, they would all end up dead. Although Cillin had only brushed by that guy who was disguised as a prison guard, he already had a rough estimation of his strength after that brief moment of contact. The prison guards had no lack of capable and ruthless personnel among their ranks, but it wasnt hard to imagine the final outcome of a head on clash between two sides judging from the fact that the two mysterious forces had easily made their way into this place. Right now Cillin was walking very quickly, but his soft footsteps were extremely soft. Little Stache was obviously an expert in this aspect as well as they traversed quickly through the passage, but made no noticeable noises at all. Suddenly, Cillins footsteps came to a pause. Little Stache took a step backwards and entered a state of alert after Cillin had stopped. The wall lamps of the passage began to blink following a certain rhythm and regulation, creating visual illusions that could draw someone into a daze just like hypnosis. However, both Cillin and Little Stache were obviously no normal people. They were capable of resisting against the effects. One second passed, two seconds passed Suddenly, a person suffused with metallic luster suddenly charged out of a location three meters away from Cillin. His face was unclear; they could only see that the assailant had a human form. When they charged towards Cillin, a sharp thorn emerged from the persons palm and was thrusted swiftly at Cillins face. When the person had emerged from the passages wall, Cillin had also popped out his wrist blade. Qiang! The flying sparks of clashing metals were incredibly eye catching beneath the blinking wall lamps. After thrusting out the thorn, the person had stretched out his fist and attacked Cillin in the next moment. Putting strength into one length and borrowing the force from rebounding wrist blade, Cillin twisted forward and staggered the attacking fist instead. He swung his own arm and smashed it down onto the assailant fiercely. There was a dull bang, and the persons body was forced downwards for a bit. Before they could raise their body, Cillin followed up the attack with consecutive strikes, not giving them the opportunity to get up at all. As the hits continued, the persons center of gravity got closer and closer to the ground. However, this did not mean that that person had fallen into disadvantage. In between the attacks, the man sent a sweeping kick towards Cillin at a bent that nearly exceeded the physical limits of the human leg. Fuck, hes trying to kick the lower half of my body! Cillin pressed down his arms to block the kick. He took the opportunity to jump, and while twisting in midair kicked towards the assailants other leg that was stretching towards him. When he landed on the floor, he abruptly bounced forward and clashed directly against the assailant fist to fist. Bang! That person was knocked back several steps. A pair of bizarre looking pupils that looked like electricity swept across Cillin and Little Stache. Then, with a swing of the arm, the person shot a hail of flying nails directly at the two of them. Cillin used his wrist blade to block the nails shot at him, whereas Little Stache dodged rather quickly out of the way. Since the nails were mainly targeted at Cillin, she was able to safely avoid all of them. After swinging out the nails, the person then entered directly into the passage wall and went away. So this was a fellow who could melt into and walk inside the passage walls. In the end, were they human, or not? Little Stache was seriously regretting coming to this prison as she looked at the nails deeply embedded into the walls. If she knew that so many unknown forces and so many elites would suddenly show up in this prison, she would never have come and put her insignificant life at risk. Although that person had only exchanged blows with Cillin for a very brief moment C the whole fight lasted not more than a few seconds C Little Stache could already the see the gap between herself and them. Even if the gap wasnt big, she absolutely was going to lose horribly if she didnt use her final ultimate attack in a real fight. It was only when he sensed that the person had truly left that Cillin finally withdrew his wrist blade and moved his fists for a bit. That persons fist was extremely tough, and although it looked like the assailant was the one who had lost the fist clash just now, Cillin knew that their fist wasnt hurt in the least. Even after he solidified his own fist, he still wasnt able to hurt the enemy. Just what kind of constitution did the enemy possess? This persons physique was obviously not of the same category as the gray cats cyborg physique, but it was also drastically different from a normal human beings as well. When he touched his opponent during the fist clash, Cillin had immediately analysed their DNA. He discovered that their DNA wasnt shaped like the double helix form a normal human possessed. Their DNA was shaped in a more complicated helix format. Genes like this had resulted in that persons special abilities. Right now Cillin was seriously thankful that his side wasnt the target of his enemies. The assailant had appeared and vanished quickly and decisively. It was obvious that that person did not wish to waste too much time here. If they had really fought with all their strength the battle could have gone on for a while, and Cillin believed that he would not lose during this period. Of course, Cillin knew that that person had a trump card of their own, but since they both had trump cards and the assailant themselves were in a hurry, they made the decision to leave right away. Killing intent. The enemys killing intent had came at him swift and fiercely, but when they left it vanished decisively and completely too. A person like this Cillin thought to himself. Was it a hitman? Cillin had made the effort to learn about all of the hitmen organisations that were on the list of some authoritative publications. Moreover, he had also learned about some of the methods and preferences from some of the seniors within the Hunter regiment. However, Shawton once revealed to him that the top class hitmen in GAL were not on the list. This was because these authoritative were incapable of estimating their true fighting strength and thus, did not try to rank them. Those who had hidden themselves from the world were the most dangerous. Who was that person? Are they human? Are they from the same group as that weirdo? Little Stache asked after letting out a long sigh of relief. Theyre human, but I dont know which of the two forces they belong to. Cillin asked. Little Stache pressed the passage wall and confirmed that the walls were perfectly normal. She seemed surprised that that person was able to directly penetrate it. Ive heard of such people before, but I never thought that Id be able to see one with my own eyes. Little Stache sighed. Alright lets leave already. If we run into a bad tempered enemy later they may decide to use their ultimate attack and eliminate us directly. Little Stache touched her mustaches after listening to Cillins words. This was her habit after putting on a disguise even though she wasnt truly a mustached person. Ultimate attack, huh to be honest, if my own life isnt at stake I seriously would like to watch their fight. This is a fight between true masters! Little Stache said. Cillin was just the same. But they had to be able to survive after watching the fight. If they saw any important secrets then the outcome would not turn out as genial as before. They would ultimately be faced with certain death. What on earth were the two mysterious forces looking for? Take that person he fought against earlier. They were just one person belonging to one of the two mysterious forces. If the people of both sides were all made up of special races just like the assailant, and considering the fact that the assailant wasnt the strongest fighter of the two forces, just how strong could they be if the two forces were to be added up together? Cillin did not know how high their combined combat strength would be. But he did know that a combat strength at that level could easily destroy this whole prison. Cillin sighed. As he thought, he was still too weak. After Cillin and Little Stache had left, an eye suddenly appeared on the passage wall where they hung around just now. After looking round for a bit, the eye closed and vanished once more. The sound of gunshots and explosions were happening continuously everywhere in the prison. Flying Snake fared a little better since Qi Geyous orders allowed the Flying Snake members inside the prison time to prepare and stop fighting against Mad Owl. The second they discovered something was off, the PIC of the small teams inside the prison decisively evacuated every member within the prison. It was an acceptable outcome even if they had to return and sit in jail for several more years. Right now, the most important thing was to preserve their own lives. Inside a monitoring room in the prison, there was a person was standing in front of a monitoring display. His face was unclear since he was wearing a mantle and a hat. The prison guards on the ground who had stopped breathing slowly melted beside him. Chapter 172: Fuse, The Beginning of Chaos [Part 1] Chapter 172: Fuse, The Beginning of Chaos [Part 1] The person wearing a cape quietly watched the images on the display. It was the monitoring images if the prison rooms. Right now the prison rooms had fallen into disorder, and the original riot had risen in intensity. Perhaps they themselves did not know why things had turned out this way. Its just that things somehow veered away from the original plan while they were fighting. They could not control themselves, did not wish to stop fighting, and could not stop fighting. At this point, all the convicts had killed until their eyes were all red. The floor was completely covered in blood, and the people who hadnt gasped their last breath on the ground yet were trampled on repeatedly. Almost all of them had died from being trampled on. They were like a bunch of madmen who felt no pain. Their self consciousness was gradually being replaced until all thats left was the bloodlust to kill, and kill some more. The virus had invaded since a long time ago. The virus would cause people to grow excessively excited, crazy, and blood thirsty. The sounds of explosion and the stench of blood especially excited their nerve cells even more. Mantle guy stared at the images on the display monitors and appeared to be searching for something very seriously, not letting go of every minor detail on the screen. Suddenly, an eye appeared on the wall of the monitoring room. Then, a human form slowly extricated itself from the wall. Just like the weirdo Cillin had run into earlier, this was another person who could move inside walls. However, unlike the other person, this man only had one eye. Have you found it yet? mantle guy said. No. Merciless members are very cunning. They do not seem to be in a hurry to find Secret. noticing mantle guys silence, the one-eyed man continued, While pursuing them, I discovered two rather special people. They probably do not belong in this prison, but they were able to hold off a member of Merciless for a bit. Ignore the others and keep looking. Waste no time if they are not under Merciless. Yes sir! Once he was done reporting, the one-eyed man melted into the wall once more and went away, leaving behind mantle guy who continued to watch the displays inside the monitoring room. Cillin and Little Stache continued to wander around inside a passage. According to Cillins understanding of the prisons layout, they should find an exit once theyd walked through this passage. However, the passage was extremely long and shaped like an arc. There would be a byway leading towards the prison room. The most dangerous section of the passage was also that place. I had a feeling that we were being watched just now. Little Stache said while staring carefully at her surroundings, But that feeling is gone now. Cillin also had the same feeling. He already sensed that there was a fourth person watching from the sidelines while he was fighting against the weirdo earlier. It would seem that the reason the weirdo earlier had wanted to leave quickly instead of continuing battling against Cillin was also because of the presence of this observer. Now that he looked at it, the weirdo and the person watching them in secret belonged to two separate forces. However, looking at their behaviors, they did not seem to be looking for a straight up brawl. Just what on earth were they trying to do? Once they got to the front, they would be approaching the byway of the passage. Cillin already detected that someone was headed their way. Little Stache had already taken out her gun and readied herself without needing Cillins direction. The footsteps grew closer and closer. They knew from the sound alone that it wasnt the footsteps of those weirdos but the convicts inside the prison. Right now, the prison room area had fallen into complete chaos where explosions were followed by more explosions. It was not strange that the convicts would run away from there. However, when Cillin saw the convicts he immediately realised that something was wrong. The convicts with bloodshot eyes holding sticks, knives and even guns wore crazed expressions on their faces. The second they saw Cillin and Little Stache, they immediately charged towards them. He had no idea how these convicts managed to acquire so many knives and guns. Was the prisons management this bad? It really wasnt farfetched when he thought about it though. They were all people of the same Sector, so the prison guards turned a blind eye on things. Cillin avoided the hail of bullets and cleanly took out a pouncing convict. Cillin noticed that the back of several convicts were engraved with the Flying Snakes tattoo. Cillin only knocked him out because of Qi Geyou, but if the convict were to struggle excessively then Cillin would not hold himself back. When Little Stache noticed Cillins movements, she also changed what wouldve been a killing blow into a kick that knocked out her opponent. Little Stache thought: So this guy was originally a member of the Flying Snake. She wondered since when did the Flying Snake have such a powerful person in their group? She knew all the prominent figures among her peers, and she had made an effort to learn about the somewhat famous Little Flying Snake and Black Snake among the younger generation in Flying Snake. However, she was sure that she had never seen the young man beside her before. Although Cillin had disguised himself, Little Stache was sure that Cillins age was more or less the same as hers. That being said, it was best to make friends with a person like Cillin, not to mention that theyre in a cooperative relationship right now. She had to give him some face, so she chose to beat the convicts just a little lighter than she would have. At the very least, she would not kill her opponents if she could. He should thank me for doing this, shouldnt he? Cillin looked at the Flying Snake convict Little Stache knocked out, and then at her. Little Stache used her thumb to stroke her mustaches and lifted her chin, meaning: See, Im such a good face giver! If it was just the convicts, Cillin couldve taken care of them with relative ease. What Cillin was paying attention to right now were the viruses carried inside these convicts bodies. A person of stronger constitution could resist this type of virus. However, they must have a firm will, or they would be invaded by the viruses while they were idle and before their bodies had fully generated the antibodies, then become as crazy as these convicts. This madness would keep them excited, and the excitement would consume a large amount of stamina and would continue until every energy inside their bodies were spent. Ka! Little Stache broke the neck of a Flying Snake member directly charging towards her with a kick. Looking at the force she used, the poor guys head wouldve parted ways with his torso if she had put any more force into her leg. The people that came after her before this guy though did not belong to Flying Snake, and she had subconsciously killed them without any thoughts of mercy. However, looking at the bodies they were all killed with a bullet to the head. Cillin glanced at Little Stache. It would appear that she was also starting to show some symptoms as well. Her eyes were starting to look red. When Cillin glanced at Little Stache, her expression changed for a moment. She seemed to be regretting her attack just now. She had kicked that guy directly before she realised it. Originally, she was planning to conserve a bit of energy, so why had she killed him with the kick instead? After grabbing a gun from a convict and killing the few people in front of them, Cillin seized the opening to tell Little Stache, Theyve been infected by a virus. This virus would cause a person to go mad and stimulate their killing instincts. Watch out and dont let yourself become fully infected! (T/N: I dont think thats how viruses work but okay) When Little Stache heard Cillins words, shock leaped up in her heart as she hurriedly adjusted her emotions and suppressed the blood thirst and excitement inside her brain. The closer they got to the byway, the more convicts they ran into. Here, the passages were littered with the bodies of convicts who had mutilated and killed each other. However, it would appear that the convicts had just reached this place. They would have to hurry up now, or things would become difficult when the main bulk of the convicts would arrive. Dealing with one or two convicts was okay, but dealing with several hundreds was just masochism. Boom! There was yet another large explosion. Unlike before, this explosion wasnt far away from where they were. A sense of extreme danger suddenly assaulted Cillin. This wasnt something he could deal with. Run! Cillin roared. Chapter 172: Fuse, The Beginning of Chaos [Part 2] Chapter 172: Fuse, The Beginning of Chaos [Part 2] Cillin sped up. Right now he could no longer care to check which forces was standing in his way C anyone who does, dies. How could he be bothered to check when his own life was at risk? Plus, its not like every Flying Snake member was Qi Geyous subordinate. Qi Geyou should have ordered his men to evacuate this place, shouldnt he? And even if they were Qi Geyous men, the fact that they hadnt left in time basically meant that they had little hope at survival. After all, they had failed to resist the virus and began slaughtering the people around them, and the elites of the two forces were still around too. They hadnt encountered a single prison guard up to this point, so they were probably all taken out already. Although every prison C even just a grade one prison C had pretty powerful people, since as the saying goes, however strong you are, there is always someone stronger, the two forces who came here seriously werent something they could deal with right now. He could not expect anything from the prison guards now. He could only rely on himself.. Earlier, the sound of a faraway explosion made Cillin feel much more settled. That explosion was caused by Lungs microbomb, and judging from the sound Cillin could confirm that Lung was probably near an exit. If he still failed to escape with these conditions, then he would not be a member of the Andrea Family. When Little Stache saw that Cillin had increased his movement speed, she hurriedly chased after him. She took out a folded long blade and killed every convict who stood in her way. If Cillin himself did not care who was standing in his way, then naturally she cared even less. The sense of crisis grew stronger and stronger. Cillin did not understand why he would feel this way. Although he had not seen his opponent, he knew based on feelings alone that he was absolutely no match for his opponent right now. This wasnt a distance that could be closed with a gun or two. Almost, theyre almost at the byway! Boom! A sudden explosion cleaned out all convicts around the byway of the passage. This was no normal bomb, and the center area of the bomb was covered in flames. Even the byways walls were slowly deforming under the flames. Thank goodness Cillin had not arrived at the byway yet, and during that one moment they sensed the abnormality both Cillin and Little Stache had paused their swift footsteps and retreated instead. Otherwise, they most definitely wouldve been engulfed by the flames too. The explosion and flames excited the convicts beyond the area further. They charged towards the duo from the surrounding passage of the byfork. Cillin and Little Stache had not time to loiter around this place. They locked their eyes onto a particular passage and ran over to it. The passage leading towards the prison rooms direction at the byway was also where the explosion had originated from. Blue lights that were as straight as blades appeared from the flames before a figure slowly walked out from inside it. It was a blue skinned woman whose eyes looked about the same as the blue blades in her hands, cold, icy and emotionless. The flames did not seem to affect her. The woman swung the blue blades in her hands when she saw the convicts charging at her. She easily slashed through the charging convicts entirely. The woman did not seem to be paying any attention to these convicts at all. Her eyes were staring right where Cillin was. When else should they run but now?! Cillin charged into that passage, and Little Stache was right behind him. They were running for their lives; it was obvious that that woman was no easy picking at first glance. Of course they were running since they were no match her! That woman ran faster and faster. The convicts blocking her way were like pieces of tofu that were easily cut down without even the slightest noise. Right now Cillin seriously hated the convicts for how soft they were. Suddenly he felt a chill behind his back, and Cillin put strength into his legs and jumped to the sides. At the same time, the wrist blade on his arm popped out. Crack! The five hundred thousand credits wrist blade heralded by Cary as rare goods broke in response about as cleanly as you could expect. Fuck! The five hundred thousand credits wrist blade did not even hold out for more than half a second! He dodged away from the blue blades slashing towards him. It looked like a special energy excitation type weapon, but Cillin had never seen one like this before because the weapon was fully attached to the womans hand even though she obviously wasnt a robot. Right now Cillin did not have the time to ponder this problem though. The woman had painted them as targets. After they backed away, Cillin and Little Stache stood still two steps away from each other and faced the woman chasing after them together. The woman did not look behind her as she cut a charging convict in half. Then, she took one step after another towards Cillin and Little Stache. Cillin and Little Stache exchanged a short glance with each other. If they couldnt get away, they they would fight. They had no other choice. Just when Cillin was about to act, the alarm suddenly started with a series of beeps. It was the alarm of the prisons core defense system. Logically speaking, this alarm should not be sounded even if the defense systems instruction program had been tampered with, unless the prison had already reached a critical state that resulted in the final instruction activating. That instruction must not be tampered with, for the the whole prison would forcefully activate its self destruct program the second that it was. Therefore, the two forces could not have triggered the final instruction while they were still inside the prison. Since it wasnt the latter, the former explanation had to be the reason why the self destruct program had been activated. Just what kind of power could put the entire prison in a critical state? There was no time left for Cillin to think. The exit connected to that passage had entered countdown and was about to close! There was no need for words. Cillin and Little Stache used nearly all of their strength and charged towards that passage. The woman had paused on her feet momentarily, and this short pause enabled Cillin and Little Stache to charge to the exit. The countdown on the exit had also just reached zero at this moment. But just as Cillins charging footsteps hit the ground, a terrific attractive force suddenly pulled at him. It was as if a giant hand had forcefully pulled him back into the passage. He could not resist at all. No matter how he struggled, it was futile. A whip entangled itself around Cillins wrist when he was being dragged back into the passage. Little Stache tried to pull him into the exit, but the attraction force was so powerful that she was being pulled back into the passage instead. However, as the exit closed the whip was cut off as well. Little Stache stared blankly at her broken whip for a bit. Then, she glanced at the closed door with a complicated expression. Although she hadnt cooperated with this guy for more than an hour, her impression of him was pretty good. If this man managed to get out, she would absolutely invite him to Fire Phoenix as a guest. Fire Phoenix was a great force at the same level as Flying Snake and Mad Owl. It was just that this area didnt belong to Fire Phoenix. Little Stache had slipped out only because she wanted to watch Flying Snake and Mad Owl fight. Who knew she would run into such a troublesome matter and nearly threw her life for it. Little Stache sighed and turned away. The prison was not long away from destruction. Back to Cillin. When Cillin was sucked back into the passage by the attraction force, it was not the end but just the beginning. Everyone in the passage including the woman holding the blue light blades were being forcefully pulled to the other end of the passage. However, an even bigger counter force suddenly appeared in the next moment, and Cillin was sent flying like a ball who had been thrown to one side before being slapped back where he came from with great force. The two combined force and terrific impact caused Cillin to fly out like a ball that ran into a bat. He could even hear clearly the cracking sounds resounding from his own body. His bones were broken. As for how broken they were, Cillin no longer had the energy to check. He only knew that this time, he was in deep shit. Not only did the change in pressure and impact around his body in that very instant caused every bone in his body to crack, and blood to pour out of his nose, ears and mouth, his skin was also cracking up like a dried land as blood poured out from it. After he had crashed heavily against the exit door, Cillin collapsed powerlessly to the ground. Every miniscule movement felt like it would take incredible effort to execute. When Cillin turned his head with great difficulty and looked at the woman who were sent flying just the same as he not far away, a cold shock rolled over his body. Although they had both suffered the same blow, he was half dead whereas that woman had only spat out two mouthfuls of blood before settling down into a combat stance and heading towards the other side of the passage. His head seemed to be hurt as well. Since he was lying sideways, the blood also flowed in that direction and into his eyes. How did he feel? He didnt know. Right now Cillin was feeling numb. He wasnt sure if his nerves were damaged since he couldnt feel any pain at all. Its just that everything before his eyes was red. The air seemed to have become heavier. It was difficult to even breathe. Cillin knew that the symptom was caused by his damaged lungs though. Lungs aside, his internal organs were probably pretty hurt as well, right? Am I going to die? Cillin did not close his eyes. He kept staring at the end of the passage. His vision was really blurry; so blurry that he could only see the flickering blue light blades. Who was the woman fighting against? He could not see clearly. He truly could not see clearly. Cillin had done his best, but he discovered that even the blue light blades slowly disappeared to leave behind only darkness. Cillin could neither see nor move, but he could vaguely hear some sounds. It was the sound of the battle just now. There was a momentary silence after a bang, followed by another bout of intense battle and another pause. Just when Cillin thought that the people were all gone, two voices rang beside him. Cillin could only vaguely hear some broken tidbits. Still breathing, leave, explode The whole prison had not undergone its final destruction sequence yet, but it was heavily damaged and already looked more like an abandoned refugee camp than a prison. Inside the prison, blood stains were everywhere be it the passages, prison rooms or monitoring rooms. Less than a hundred prison guard out of several tens of thousands were still alive. Moreover, none of these people had seen anyone from the two forces at all. Perhaps that was exactly why they had survived. Who could have imagined that the grade one prison that was regarded as a native force of the area, a place that considered both convicts and prison guards to fall under Sector S personal affairs, was almost completely destroyed. This matter affected the many great forces of the Sector that regarded Flying Snake and Mad Owl as their leaders. Every prison guard in Sector S was alarmed by the news. If almost every prison guard in this prison was eliminated, then who could say that they wouldnt be next on the chopping block? Meanwhile, the garrison of Sector S began to move. As the incident ended, all forces began to take their own respective steps. A reorganisation began to roll through every prison in Sector S starting from grade one to grade five, but a series of incidents were bound to happen during such sensitive times due to the reorganisation. It was this grade one prison incident who played the role as a fuse and ignited the beginning of chaos in Sector S. Chapter 173: The Chip Reactivates [Part 1] Chapter 173: The Chip Reactivates [Part 1] Outside of this grade one prison planet on board Lungs spaceship, the gray cat had lost all mood to teach the little hellhound fellow to talk. Right now, unusual impatience was the only thing it was feeling as it paced back and forth repeatedly on top of the table of the control room. The little hellhound fellow laid on top of a chair and stared wide eyed at the pacing gray cat. It did not know what happened, but it could feel the anxiety emanating from the little cat. Therefore, it obediently laid where it was and said nothing. If it didnt act tactfully then it would probably provoke a merciless paw strike. The gray cat had slapped it often with its claw while teaching it to recognise words when the little fellows performance wasnt enough to satisfy the gray cat. The good news was that the little hellhound fellow had good IQ and fast learning capability, and the effects of education under its paws were rather good. But just now, the gray cat had suddenly lost the mood to teach and charged to the control room instead, pacing back and forth. Something bad happened. Something bad must have happened! Lung did not close off the control room, allowing the gray cat to enter and exit as he wished. Plus, there was a large group of robots here, so Lung wasnt worried if anything would happen here. After walking around in circles for a while, the gray cat came to a pause and seemed to have made up its mind about something. It then crouched down and faced towards the control panel. The cats eyes began to turn green, and unlike the kind of green present in the little hellhound fellows eyes, the green color in the cats eyes was like a pair of bright green lights in darkness. There was also some near indiscernible twitches that looked like a combination of codes and programs. As the green in the cats eyes appeared, the buttons on the control panel before the cat began to flash. An image jumped into in the display as the picture of the planet grew larger, and larger, and larger The gray cats whiskers trembled once when it saw the prison that was devastated beyond recognition. Then, it continued to zoom in the image as it began its search by performing deep scans and life detection. But what disappointed the gray cat was that there were corpses everywhere inside the prison, and most of them were deformed. There were convicts and prison guards among the bodies, and judging from the prisons degree of destruction, it wasnt just caused by mere explosives. Moreover, judging from the wounds on the dead people, they were killed by a group of very powerful people, but these people were absolutely not Lung and Cillin. The gray cat knew Cillin very well, and it could see from the wounds that it was not done by Cillin. Different images flashed across every display in the control room almost instantly, but the gray cat looked incredibly serious as it watched the displays. If someone had seen this scene, they would definitely have suspected that it was just pretending. Not far away, the two robot beauties were looking at the situation going on in the control room. They were still wearing perfect smiles on their faces, but their eyes were flashing just the same as they recorded everything happening in the scene before them. The gray cat knew about the robots surveillance but did not stop them. It did not have the heart to stop them now anyway. It had lost contact with Lung and Cillin. Both Lung and Cillin had brought with them an emergency contact device before departure, and they had the Andrea Familys latest GPS system too, but now Hmm? The gray cat finally found a GPS coordinate, but it did not know why its signal was so incredibly weak. Although the signal was very weak, the gray cat knew that it belonged to Lung. Moreover, looking at the signal reflection and movements of the coordinate, it would seem that Lung was still alive. However, Cillin still could not be found, and there were no GPS signal reaction anywhere. The reason it could detect Lungs position but not contact him was probably because the contact device on Lung was broken. It was at this moment the gray cat noticed that some spaceships and spaceplanes were flying towards the planet. They did not belong to the government but the native forces of Sector S. Every spaceship and every spaceplane had a logo on it, and one of them was the Flying Snakes logo. Right now, the forces were not causing each other trouble, and they did not have the heart to pay old grudges any mind.They too had noticed the crisis of chaos in Sector S. Previously, they had thought that as long as the forces of foreign Sectors kept out of their own Sectors business, it wasnt necessarily a bad thing to turn a blind eye and even cooperate with them when the necessity arised. However, the events on this planet had exceeded their predicted development. One whole prison, hundreds of thousand of convicts, and tens of thousands of prison guards. Less than a hundredth people managed to escape the place alive, and the high defense prison system was almost completely paralysed. The defense systems weapons system was destroyed before it barely managed to put in any effect at all, and the special made prison walls and passages were destroyed beyond recognition. This was just a mere grade one prison. It should not have been infiltrated by foreign forces, but it had suffered such serious damages all the same. What about the other high grade prisons? If every prison planet in Sector S was to suffer such heavy losses, then how much of an impact would it bring to the native forces? At the very least, they would feel like there was a fish bone in their throats that had to be removed. All monitoring devices within the prison were destroyed, and all monitoring records were obliterated without any chance of recovery. The barrels of the cannons of the defense system were either broken in half or melted by high temperature. Even if there were prison guards who wanted to reactivate the weapons system in this area, the weapons would not be able to play a role. But how could the weapons of the prisons defense system possibly be twisted and melted so easily? Who was the one who had done all this? Regardless of whether these invaders had relied on their own abilities or used special weapons to do this, it all pointed towards the fact that they had come prepared. All the forces in Sector S could no longer be bothered by their internal strife when faced against a prepared, unknown force. They were now united against a common enemy. The higher ups had ordered Flying Snake and Mad Owls men to put down their strife for now and make clear the situation as soon as possible. The higher ups would be sending some men to help them. While Qi Geyou was leading his man and fighting against Mad Owl, readying himself for one final sweep, he suddenly obtained the news from the prison and the order from his higher ups to cease fire at the same time. This wasnt a suggestion but an order, said the old men from above who had done nothing to help with their internal affairs in recent years. Qi Geyou might be reluctant, but he had to obey all the same. Qi Geyou too felt that something exceptionally serious must have happened at the prison, and when he connected this order with the news delivered by Cillin earlier, he immediately called for his subordinates to stop whatever they were doing and led his men to prison planet. Since Cillin had sent delivered them a message earlier stating that there were unknown forces inside the prison, and that they were so strong that they had attacked even the prison guards, Qi Geyou immediately called to everyone inside the prison to be cautious and to evacuate the second they spotted something abnormal just to be on the safe side. This was also the main reason why Flying Snake had managed to evacuate the most men out of the prison. After arriving at the planet, Qi Geyou inquired about the situation for a bit. The alert zone was nothing but a mere title right now, and there were all sorts of forces searching for survivors inside the prison. Qi Geyou then asked about Cillin and Lung, but no one knew what happened to them. However, it wasnt long before two Flying Snake members carried Lung to him. Lung did not look to be in good condition, but he still had some spirit in him. Hey, Little Flying Snake, did you have any news about Cillin? Lung asked. Qi Geyou shook his head. Lung was lifted to the medbay inside the spaceplane, but Lung did not allow the medical personnel to perform an overly in-depth inspection. After treating his wounds for a bit, he arrived beside Qi Geyou once more. After Lung had exited the prison, he didnt manage to run far before he was knocked out by a strange shockwave. His feet was a little unstable even after he woke up, and when he had requested Flying Snakes men to send him over after he saw them. He was feeling a lot better now though. Right now Qi Geyou didnt have much information in hand. The amount of useful information he could get from investigating the interior of the prison was little. Lung sought out some of the rescue situation going on inside the prison, but apparently not a single survivor had been found yet. Right now, the people around Qi Geyou were busy contacting the people of all places who had arrived at the prison to understand what was going on around here. However, each message they received was more terrifying than the previous one. Right now Lung was also incredibly annoyed. The camouflage suit he had given Cillin would absolutely give out a return signal if even a tenth of it remained intact, but right now he could not detect any signal at all. Lung believed that Cillin was still alive, however. Just when Lung and Qi Geyou were discussing the matters inside the prison, the people who were busy communicating around them suddenly discovered that the communicators signals had all been severed. Whats going on? Qi Geyou turned around to ask. The communication signals are suddenly severed. I cant get a connection. Same here! Chapter 173: The Chip Reactivates [Part 2] Chapter 173: The Chip Reactivates [Part 2] However, the loss of connection only happened to the people within ten meters radius. The communicators further away were still fine. When Qi Geyou was about to send them slightly further away and see if the communicators would recover, the communicator in their hands suddenly let out a rhythmic buzz at the same time. It was the followed by an angry and impatient voice. Lung, speak up! There was only voice and no image. Qi Geyou thought that the voice was a little familiar. It was when he saw Lung hastily picking up a communicator from a nearby person that he recalled that it was the gray cats. Wheeze, do you have anything on Cillin over there? Lung hastily asked. Meowf*cker! How would I know when Im so far away?! At any rate theres no GPS signal at all, not even in the slightest! the gray cat roared. The people holding communicators nearby hurriedly moved slightly further away from the area. I couldnt find his GPS signal from here either. Lung wiped his face agitatedly. Tell your robots to send me over. Ill look for him! Lung was surprised for a moment upon hearing the gray cats words. He quickly regained himself and laid down an order to the robots on the starship. After performing a long range verification of Lungs identity, one of the robot beauties in the control room then carried the gray cat towards a small spaceplane. It did not reject the little hellhound fellow when it wanted to come along. Right now every person was an extra helping hand. It wasnt that the gray cat looked down on the rest of the people on the planet, but that their abilities never satisfied the gray cat in the first place. How could it possibly expect people that were so weak that they could be killed in one slap like a chick to do anything? It shouldve followed Cillin at the time. What a regretful mistake. This was the first time the little hellhound fellow saw so many unfamiliar humans. Although they did not have the scent of its prey, the little hellhound fellow was still extremely wary. It had bared its fangs and let out low growls from its throat out of habit almost the instant it smelled the large group of unfamiliar scents outside the ship when the cabin door opened. However, it didnt get to growl more than twice before the gray cat smacked it to a stop, The meow are you growling for! Follow me! The little fellow raised its nose before it tentatively walked out of the spaceplane. It was walking on all fours as usual, but it was now wearing clothes and looking slightly better than before. Cillin had even opened a hole in its pants so that its tail could be let out and fit the little fellows standards. The combination of one cat and half dog-human attracted plenty of attention when they came out. However, since they were all Flying Snakes and Qi Geyou had notified everyone in advance, there would not be too big of a commotion. The gray cat did not dilly dally. The moment it saw Lung, it had straightened its tail and gotten ready to run towards the prison. In the end Lung borrowed a flying car from Qi Geyou and took the two fellows towards the prison. Since they did not know exactly which area of the prison Cillin was at, he did not park the car upon arriving at the prison. Instead, he drove the car around the prison. With the gray cat and the little hellhound fellows nose, he believed that this way of moving would be more effective. Cillin did not know what was going on outside. Right now, he was in a very special state. He was very familiar with this state. It was just like when he was tied onto the lab bench back in the underground laboratory beneath the slums of Planet Brown Earth, Sector X. It was the familiar pain that went all the way down to his bone marrow. His entire body was twitching, and every blood cell in his body was moving erratically. The limits of his nerves were challenged at every moment, and his mind was almost scattered by it. However, Cillin would always work hard to regather his thoughts after the short period of blank outs. He knew that if his mind was scattered and his thoughts were cleared out, he might never wake up again. Cillins nerves were assaulted by greater pain and impact at every moment. Every time he would do his utmost to regather his mind. His mind and his thoughts could not disperse. It was over if they dispersed. The familiar pain and experience made Cillin recall that spinning knob on the control panel; that spinning knob that had been turned 350 degrees at the time. If he were to calculate the chips activation degree at the time, then it was probably pushed beyond 97% at the time. Now, Cillin could clearly sense that the activation degree had gone even higher. The chips injected by Horay were easy to activate at the beginning, and gets increasingly difficult near the end. At the time, 97% forceful activation was Cillins absolute limit of limits already. Although his genes had evolved and his constitution had become much stronger than before, it did not mean that he would be able activate much of the remaining chips. Cillin tried to touch that so-called limit. Where would his new limit lay with his current constitution? It was as if Cillin could see the chips themselves while he was in the process of trying. He captured, zoomed in, and analysed the current activation state of a group of chips. These chips had already become embedded into his own genes, and they reproduced and acted in sync with his genes. However, after acquiring a form they would automatically degrade and deactivate themselves. They would only become active when they were inside Cillins body. Cillin could see the action of every molecule of the chips that were almost the same as his genes, breaking up and connecting with each other. He could also see the intermolecular force between electrons from the molecules. The changes of the chips embedded into his genes caused the chemical and non-chemical bonds of his original DNA to undergo a series of changes. Originally, these intermolecular forces were the factor behind the double helix structure of human DNA. But due to the change in these intermolecular force, the double helix structure of Cillins DNA was slowly transforming. A sudden thought appeared in Cillins mind when he recalled the DNA helix structure of the weirdo he had analysed earlier. Although his DNA structure would not become as complicated as that weirdos, the chips activation had caused the helix structure of his original DNA to undergo some changes. Although these changes werent too acute, was there the possibility that a special ability would be born from this changes? Limit. Cillin could finally sense his limit. When he saw that the chips changes were no longer stable, he knew that he had reached the boundary point of this activation already, If he were to continue further, not only would he fail to activate the chips, he would even lose his life. Wake up. It is time to stop. Cillin abruptly opened his eyes and breathed in and out rapidly. He was like a drowning person who had finally found air. The pain in his entire body was still incredibly obvious, but it wasnt like the pain caused by broken bones or internal injuries. It was very much like the sensation when the activation experiment had ended many years ago. His condition was more severe than that time however, and he wasnt even able to get up immediately upon waking up. And so Cillin laid on the ground just like that, opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. It was still the same passage as before. He was leaning on the exits door. It was very dark inside the passage, and every wall lamp inside the passage had been extinguished. However, there were pointing arrows inside the passage that used light storing substances to indicate a path, enabling someone to find the direction towards the exit even when there was no electricity. Logically speaking, there should be plenty of such arrows inside the passage, but in reality that was not the case. It would seem that many of the light energy contained in the light storing substances had been absorbed. There was only a little bit of light left on the arrowhead closest to the door. With this little bit of light alone, Cillin was able to see clearly the situation inside the passage. Unlike the passage he recognised prior to his unconsciousness, the passage looked like it had been forcefully widened and compressed. The cracks and creases on the passage walls all indicated that something had happened when Cillin was out cold. Right now the ceiling of the passage was just half a meter away from Cillin. He would hit his head if he even tried to sit up. The dozen meter or so passage was like a pipe that had been compressed from top to bottom, sealing off the way completely. Oh well. He might as well lie down like this until his strength had recovered. Since there were cracks in the passage walls, the passage wasnt completely sealed off. There were still specks of air seeping into the passage, and although they were few, they were enough. After all, Cillin was the only person inside this small section of the passage. The camouflage suit he was wearing was extremely tattered too. Cillin closed his eyes and ignored all this stuff. He began recalling the blurry sounds he heard and sensations he experienced before he completely blacked out. At the time, there was an extremely acute change in magnetic field and air pressure. The temperature had risen above fifty degrees in one second, before dipping below zero degree in the next. At the time, he could not see anything and could only hear some fighting noises. There were also strange sounding gunshots. Every gun had their own defining traits when fired, and in the case of bullets they would have their own special shockwave. The excitation type projectiles would have their own unique energy wavelength as well. At the time, Cillin thought that the wavelength he felt was very strange since it was something that he had never sensed before. It didnt fall completely under the category of bullets, nor did it fall completely under the category of excitation type projectiles either. Although he was already half unconscious at the time, he had etched the memory of the types of wavelengths touching his skin deep into his mind. Now that he had woken up, Cillin played back the memory for a bit. If he encountered the same wavelength again in the future, he would definitely be able to identify it. Cillin had also memorised the two talking voices. Who knows if he would get a chance to see these people in person in the future. Right now, the gray cat noses twitched above the flying car outside. Then, it jumped down from the flying car and raced towards a particular direction. Lung hastily drove after the gray cat. When the little hellhound fellow saw that the gray cat had jumped down from the car, it followed suit and raced after the gray cat on all fours. Every step it took would draw a claw mark on the roof of the prison. Chapter 174: Departure, Scarlet Wind [Part 1] Chapter 174: Departure, Scarlet Wind [Part 1] The gray cat moved incredibly swiftly and without pause. It ran straight towards the same direction until it arrived at a tear in the prison. A hole was blown on top of the building because of a big explosion. The gray cat jumped inside, and the little hellhound fellow followed closely behind it. Lung also followed them hastily after parking the flying car at the side. The electric power source devices inside the building had all been destroyed. After they entered deep into the building, everything in the surroundings were covered in darkness. Lung fished out a few floating energy lamps. The surrounding sights were revealed clearly under the lamps illumination. There were dead people everywhere. More than half of them were convicts since there werent many prison guards in this area. Lung looked and checked how some of these people died. Some had died from mutual conflict, whereas some were killed in a single, clean blow. It was very likely that the men of the two forces had dealt the single blows. Lung let out a sigh. Of all times, why did they have to run into those two forces now? If he knew that they would appear at this place he absolutely would not have come for an adventure. But then again, who wouldve expected that those two forces that were high up in GAL would come to a mere grade one prison? After making a few corners, the gray cat jumped down to the lower floor and sniffed again. Then, it continued to run once more. It wasnt just the gray cat. The little hellhound fellow had also caught Cillins scent. Wheeze, how is it? Lung asked while running behind it. I can smell Cillin. But there is also some foreign smell; a very strange smell. the gray cat replied without looking back. Not long after, the gray cat arrived at the warehouse and let out a sneeze abruptly. What a disgusting smell! the gray cat shook its whiskers and said. The little hellhound fellow obviously shared more or less the same feeling. It frowned, bared its fangs and circled around a puddle of sticky water not far away before shaking its head and leaving. Ive ran into these things before. Lung said. It was the trace left behind by that mouse-like beast creature after it died. The gray cat ignored Lung and looked at one direction of the passage. Cillin had come over from this direction, whereas a most disgusting fellow had also departed to this direction. Therefore, Cillin had probably encountered that disgusting fellow. The little hellhound fellow walked to a corner and let out a low growl from its throat. A woman. the gray cat sniffed and said, This woman had left together with Cillin. A woman? Seriously, Cillin They went that way! the gray cat spread out its four limbs and ran down the other direction of the passage. Lung brought up the prisons layout. According to the displayed layout, Lung also figured out roughly Cillins escape path. The gray cat had paused at a certain part of the passage. This was the part where Cillin had fought against the weirdo who could melt into walls, and where that single eye had appeared. Although Lung believed that Cillin was alive, he was still very anxious. After all, running into the two forces head on was no joke. One slip of the mind would be fatal. Thankfully, they did not find Cillins blood at this place. The gray cat continued to search for Cillin following his scent. Gradually, the amount of dead people began to grow numerous. This was especially true at the byway of the passage, and many of the bodies were cut in half in a single strike. The gray cat had also talked about catching several special scents in the air. Special scents meant special people. They were not your common and average human, and this meant that the people of the two forces had shown up once more. Hmm? Lung looked at the surrounding dead bodies. Every bone in these dead bodies was broken, and this was especially true for those who were already dead and those who had no power to resist at all. Almost all of their bones had been completely crushed, and their muscles were torn off. These dead people lay on the ground like many pools of glue, their bodies deformed. Upon closer inspection, it would seem that they had been affected by a certain force after their deaths. If it wasnt for the skin wrapping around their flesh, they would have hardly been able to maintain human form. Lung had instructed robots to capture photos of everything they had seen along the way. He would analyse them once they got out of this place. This was an important piece of intel, and he would upload it to the other Andrea family members who had arrived at Sector S. Excluding these discoveries, Lung also noticed that the gray cat and the little hellhound fellows fur had puffed up. It wasnt that they had sensed any present dangers right now, but that there were some incredibly powerful people here before. The gray cat locked down its sights onto a particular passage and ran into it, Hes here! At first they were pretty exhilarated, but they didnt run too far before they realised that the passage had become narrower and narrower. In fact, at one point the top and bottom of the building had been compressed together directly. Cillin, give me a meow if youre still alive! the gray cat roared from the other side. In reality, Cillin had noticed the gray cat and the others arrival a long time ago. He could hear their footsteps, and the cats footsteps in particular was way too familiar to his ears. There was also Lungs and another creatures footsteps that made sounds like claws scratching against the floor. It was likely that little hellhound fellow. When he heard the gray cats call, Cillin very respectfully responded with a meow. The gray cats ears twitched. Cillins meow was very unpleasant to the ears, but it was fine as long as he was alive. Plus, judging from his voice, he wasnt hurt too badly. Lung was finally at ease as he sat down not far away from the ruin. The reason he didnt go over was because this side of the passage was too narrow. Im going to dig in directly. Is there a problem? the gray cat asked again. It was worried that it would cause a collapse or something if it dug strongly. Just go at it at full force! Cillin said. Cillin could now move his arms, but he was still feeling somewhat lethargic. Plus, he couldnt stand up in such a small space. The gray cat began getting rid of the surrounding walls using its claws. The little hellhound fellow followed suit when it saw this. Lungs mouth twitched as he watched the two fellows working before looking at his own hands. He shook his head and sighed: This disparity! It wasnt long before a hole appeared in the compressed passage. When the gray cat dug over to the other side, it took a look at Cillin and sniffed his body once. After patting Cillin with its paw and confirming that he had not suffered a fatal wound, the gray cat then jumped on top of Cillins head and began scratching his hair. See, I knew you couldnt get by without me around! the gray cat slapped Cillins face hard while messing up Cillins already disheveled hair even worse than before, venting. Cillin smiled and raised a hand to scratch the gray cats chin. Then he pointed at the closed door beside him and said, Come on, be good. Theres still a door in the way. Keep digging. The gray cat humphed once before slowly walking before the door with a highly raised tail and began digging. The little hellhound fellow had enlarged the hole the gray cat had dug earlier so that both it and Lung could pass through it. When Lung came in through the hole and looked at Cillin on the ground, he pushed at the debris and said, Brother, its way too small in here. Lets get out quickly. Cillin looked at Lung crawling over to him and said, Give me a moment. I dont have strength right now. Well rest for ten minutes then. There shouldnt be any danger for now. Lung turned around and lay on his back. He gave Cillin a kick and asked, Hey, the cat said that you were with a woman. Wheres she? Cillin pointed outside the door, She went out. Wheres the comradeship? This is no good, the woman you found cant be trusted! Your eye for woman just cant compare to mine. while Lung had said this smugly, a killing intent was permeating through his words. Its not her problem. At the time we had both rushed outside the door together, but I was dragged back into the building by a kind of force. She wanted to drag me back outside, but it was too late. While saying this, Cillin pointed at the snapped stretch of a whip beside the door. A kind of force? Lungs attention was diverted, Was it someone of those two forces? How did you know that its two forces? after a pause, Cillin asked again, You know who they are? Lung let out a long sigh and put his arms behind his head, If my guess is correct, that these two forces should be the two finest hitman organisations who had never appeared on the hitmans table of ranking, Mist and Merciless! Chapter 174: Departure, Scarlet Wind [Part 2] Chapter 174: Departure, Scarlet Wind [Part 2] Cillin had guessed that they were hitman organisations, but he did not know of Mist and Merciless that Lung talked about. Lung himself expressed that he didnt know much about them, They did stop showing up for fifty years. After that incident fifty years ago, the two top hitman organisations actually lay low as well. The decision really was quite puzzling, since they were apparently not involved in that incident. Of course they could have participated in it, its just that no one knew about it. Oh right! Lung asked Cillin excitedly, Did you encounter several people from the two forces? Cillin nodded, Their target wasnt me however, so we never really clashed against each other. That blue-skinned woman in the end did try to kill us, but something happened at the time. It was probably the arrival of someone from another force. Theyre really strong, arent they? They are! Cillin closed his eyes and recalled the scene at the time, briefly explaining what he encountered back then. The gray cat and the little hellhound fellow also straightened their ears, lay on the ground and listened to him. We could not fight against that blue-skinned woman at all. We could only escape. However, even that blue-skinned woman was hit by that final strike, so there was obviously someone even more powerful in there. You know, Ive always thought that I could take at least a blow or two, but when I was dragged back into the passage back then it felt really bad. Lung understood what this really bad meant. One second you thought that you had escaped the quagmire, and the next you were dragged even deeper into the abyss without being able to resist at all. It was an undisguised blow to ones spirit. Its fine. At the very least, you survived the incident. Plus, you look like youre doing pretty good other than a little bit of lethargy. Lung knocked Cillin once with his elbow. I am much better now, but at the time a lot of my bones were broken, and my internal organs were severely damaged. If I was unable to endure it, I wouldve died just like that. Lung stopped saying anything. Perhaps not even his father had expected that Mist and Merciless would appear at such an unexpected place. If he knew, he absolutely would have dragged Lung back into his home and locked him in, forbidding him from getting involved in Sector S without needing Lung to say anything. If the other forces who arrived at Sector S were about the same strength as Mist and Merciless, then just how big was the probability that they would be able to return home safely? But even if he knew that he was still leagues apart from the elites, even if he knew that those people were very strong, Lung wasnt actually afraid right now. Fifty years equalled a generation of men, and as an active representative of the current generation Lung did not want his contact to become too limited by surrounding matters and people. He was still young, and youth itself was a kind of capital. What he lacked was experience and opportunities, and he had to say that every time he hung around with Cillin he would run into something special. There were plenty of prison planets in Sector S, and there were at least hundreds of grade one prison planets, but somehow the incident just happened to happen where they were at. Opportunities Cillin, what are you going to do next? Lung asked. Cillin touched the door at the side, Are you scared? Scared? A little I guess. But I suddenly feel really fired up too. Lung rubbed his palms, Lets go find a grade three prison planet to play with once we recover. Alright. Cillin tugged the corners of his lips. Bring me together with you next time! the gray cat also said. Cillin pinched its ear, If nothing unusual happen then Ill bring you all with me. Cillin had used the words you all, so he meant that the little hellhound fellow was included as well. The little fellow seemed to understand this and wagged his tail real joyfully. Ten minutes later, Cillin climbed out of the big hole the gray cat had opened up on the door. He had recovered much of his strength, and walking was not an issue. When they found an exit, Lung took out the car key and pressed it. The flying car automatically flew towards their direction. When he sat on the flying car, Cillin suddenly recalled a matter and asked, Did you guys feel anything strange when you came searching for me? Lung felt his own body for a bit before confirming, No, I didnt. Cillin looked at the gray cat, and the gray cat shook its head, I didnt notice anything unusual. The little hellhound fellows ears drooped. How sad that it didnt know how to talk yet. Cillin leaned against the seat, Lung, you probably noticed that there was something wrong with the convicts in the prison rooms, didnt you? Now that Cillin had reminded him, he did recall that they were acting quite strange. At the time, he had put most of his attention on guarding himself against Mist and Merciless. Something was wrong those people, its like theyve gone insane or something. But I thought that it was done by one of the two forces and didnt think deeper into it. Its a kind of virus, but those viruses have now disappeared. Could theyy have been destroyed by the other force? No, that cant be right. Those viruses were probably ineffective against someone at their level, so naturally they didnt need to waste energy to eliminate them. The surviving people inside the prison had all escaped, so logically speaking no one had the time to tinker with those stuff, did they? Lung asked. They were not destroyed by someone. Cillin rubbed his face, It was probably something specifically researched by the force who spread out the virus in the first place. The viruses were injected with programmed death genes, causing their Median Lethal Time to be shrink greatly. The timing was just right so that most of the viruses were dead by the time they were finished with their business. Now, the viruses are basically all gone. This meant that these people also knew how to cause trouble using ways other than participating themselves. Although the virus used this time was very simple and not fatal, what about next time? What kind of virus would they spread? A hitman organisation that was well versed in viral weapons was even scarier than norm. Thank goodness it wasnt parasites. When Cillin saw Chamondines diary back then, there was a line written in broad point pen, In the near future, parasites would replace viruses to become an even deadlier weapon. This is because that not only parasites could act as a carrier of viruses, they also possessed intellect. Never mind. Lets stop thinking for now. Cillin rubbed his head. It would be counterproductive if he thought too much right now. He should consider the matters at hand first. When Qi Geyou saw Cillin he was quite happy. It was a rare case for someone to be able to walk out from the site. This was also a reflection of power, and Qi Geyous attitude towards powerful people had always leaned on the better side, not to mention that Cillin and Lung had saved his life once. Cillin and Lung didnt say too much before their little group got ready to depart by spaceplane. There would be all kinds of forces of Sector S arriving on this planet one after another, and Qi Geyou himself was quite busy. Cillins group also had their own plans to make. However, before he left Cillin had revealed a bit of information to Qi Geyou. Right now, any bit of extra information was a great aid to Qi Geyous influence in Flying Snake. Lung also cut off some footage and presented it to Qi Geyou. He patted Qi Geyous shoulders and gave him a I have high expectations for you look. Grab the real power in your hands soon. Well cooperate with each other when that happens. Qi Geyous eyebrows rose. The fact that Lung could say such a thing meant that his background ran pretty deep. He smiled confidently, Alright, cut the nonsense and get out already! If you dont get out now itll be difficult later on. It was true that Cillins group would find it difficult to leave once the higher-ups of every force had arrived. When Cillins group had departed on a spaceplane, Qi Geyou instructed his subordinates to deal with a certain number of things. If what Cillin and Lung said was true, then the information he obtained would be enough to draw the higher-ups attention. There was no one who knew about this incident better than those who had lived through it, and other than those two forces, those who had the experience were basically all dead. This also reflected just how valuable the information Cillin and Lung had supplied him was. The moment they returned to the spaceship, they immediately flew away from the area just in case they were discovered when the visitors number grew. Cillin made a fist while lying on a chair. Although he could obviously sense the change in his genes, and the helix structure of his DNA had changed a little, right now he hadnt discovered any special abilities in himself yet. However, his constitution had improved quite a lot, and his strength had grown bigger as well. Lung went to sleep after enjoying a fulfilling meal. He had exhausted quite a bit of energy this time, and he would replenish them as soon as possible. The gray cat was crouching on four limbs while teaching the little hellhound fellow how to speak. The little fellow could now say some simple words, although full sentences were still impossible for it. Even if it did manage doing it, its intonation was still incorrect. Cillin had to doubt the gray cats ability to teach. Wheeze, just teach him the most basic literacy. Once he knows how to read, tell him to watch some educational videos on his own. Ive taught him the basics a long time ago. the gray cat said proudly. Thats good then. Cillin picked up a headphone and put it on the little hellhounds head. Then, he brought up some basic educational videos and gave him time to watch them. The videos would teach him the most correct intonation, and some smart daily dialogues would be conducted at the background of the video. The video Cillin chose for the little fellow was quite attractive, and it no longer needed the gray cat once it began watching the video. The gray cat happily lay on top of Cillins thighs and had him scratch its chin and tell it in detail what happened inside the prison. It wasnt satisfied with the rough explanation from before. While talking, Cillin suddenly heard speaking coming from the side. The little hellhound fellow was speaking one word after another according to the guide within the video. They were all basic terms. There were terms of weather, and there were terms of color. There were also terms of some commonly seen objects and etc. The little fellows intonation grew smoother and smoother after he got past the initial shakiness. Suddenly, the little fellow appeared to have thought of something as he came to a stop, took off his headphones and turned to look at Cillin, Scarlet wind The gray cat shook its ears and cocked its head, Whats that? The little fellow pointed at himself and said, scarlet wind Youre saying that youre called Scarlet Wind? Cillin had told the little fellow once that he would give himself his own name once he had learned the language. He didnt think that he would come up with his name so quickly. He had probably made the decision after seeing the word scarlet that represented the color red within the terms of colors, and the word wind within the terms of weathers. Since the wind was very fast, the little fellow probably thought that he could run as fast as the wind. Seeing the little fellow nodding, Cillin walked over and rubbed his head, saying, Alright, from now on your name is Scarlet Wind. Chapter 175: Which Force is It? [Part 1] Chapter 175: Which Force is It? [Part 1] Cillin regarded Scarlet Winds problem as a matter of great importance. He had said earlier that he would give Scarlet Wind two choices to whether become a man, or a dog. Different choices meant different ways of training. Right now Scarlet Wind was nearly a blank slate excluding its current abilities and nature brought by its genes. He would pass the choice of which development path to follow to Scarlet Wind himself. If Scarlet Wind were to regret it in the future, he could only blame himself. One would be encouraged to make progress only if the decision was their own. Scarlet Wind had self-learned very quickly, and his intelligence was obvious to all who saw him. The genes and brain he inherited gave him quite the sizable amount of talent that many people did not possess. Even if he had started slow, he would be able to catch up pretty soon. Man, or dog? The gray cat looked down on Scarlet Wind from a high ground as the latter practiced conversing with a smart learning machine. In reality, the gray cat wasnt all that interested in Scarlet Winds choice to develop himself as a man or a dog. From the point of view of a cyborg, neither man nor beast made much difference in its eyes. It was fine as long as Cillin was with it. Whether the others were men or beasts was no concern to it. They were just extra companions. In fact Scarlet Wind himself did not quite understand why Cillin wanted him to make such a decision in the past. However, after understanding the different orbits of life of a man and a dog, Scarlet Wind chose to become a man without hesitation. Dogs gave emphasis to domestication and loyalty, whereas men gave emphasis to autonomy. The reason Cillin decided to bring Scarlet Wind with him back then was because he liked Scarlet Winds autonomy when compared to the other hellhounds. Scarlet Wind had not obeyed blindly the twisted and single minded responsibility of a protector hellhound. Although Cillin had predicted that Scarlet Wind would choose to become a man, he was still very happy when Scarlet Wind had made his choice firmly. Since Scarlet Wind had chosen to become a man, then he would have to teach Scarlet Wind using a mans standards. Cillin instructed Scarlet Wind to start walking on his feet instead of all fours, and to start using his hands when he ate his meals. Right now Scarlet Wind was still unfamiliar with the use of his claws, no, hands. Sometimes, his five fingers were too stiff. While they were pretty agile when tearing a prey apart, wielding tools was a different story. In fact he had accidentally crushed many tools because he could not control his strength properly. However, Cillin paid no heed to this. It had been many years, so there had to be a process for his habits to form. The good news was that Scarlet Wind often saw Cillin and Lungs movements and learned fairly quickly. He still wasnt quite used to walking on both legs and could not run swiftly, but walking was no longer a problem. Some of his hair had been shaved too, since the description ungrown hair could not be applied to Scarlet Wind. The little fellows hair was way too thick since he had a dogs genes. Although it was not as obvious as a dogs, his hair was still rather offensively conspicuous compared to a normal human being. After shaving the hair on his face, hands and other places, giving the small clump of hair on his head a cut, and putting clothes on him, Scarlet Wind looked more or less like a normal kid if one were to ignore his sharper-than-norm ears and his furry tail at his back. Today, after Lung had awakened from literally several days of sleep, he circled around Scarlet Wind several times and admired his appearance. I cant believe that little dog kid from back then actually looks decent now. Lung said at the dining table. It was a small dining table with four seats. Scarlet Wind was holding a spoon with his hands and scooping the food inside the bowl. His long nails had long been withdrawn back into his fingers, and he looked rather harmless with his grinning, childish face. The gray cat would scoop up the broiled fishes in its plate from time to time with its paws, first nailing it with its claws before lifting it up like a fork and delivering it to its mouth. After teasing Scarlet Wind for a bit, Lung said, Cillin, have you figured out which planet you want to go to? Before he slept, Lung had told Cillin to consider the latter part of their journey. Since they had decided to head towards a grade three prison planet, they must first decide on exactly which grade three prison planet to head to. Lung himself did not care where they were headed to, and he had passed the decision making power directly to Cillin. He was going to fly straight towards their destination after he woke up. The reason they chose a grade three prison planet was because there were too many Sector native forces in grade one and two prison planets. These forces had become even more anti-foreigner after the grade one prison planet from before had suffered a devastating blow. High grade prison planets were too difficult for them since those places were the main focus of firepower right now. Most of the large forces outside of Sector S had all set their sights on these high grade prison planets. After calculating the risks for a bit, a grade three prison planet was the most suitable target for them. If after the journey they felt like they hadnt enjoyed themselves fully yet, then they might go take a look at high grade prison planet depending on the circumstances. Those planets were not places they could cause trouble whenever they wanted to, however. Bravery did not equal asking for trouble. If he had to make a choice, then Cillin preferred putting at least some thoughts behind the choice. He chose a planet after looking at the star map. This grade three prison planet wasnt too far away from where they were right now, and it wasnt the closest grade three prison planet to the grade one prison planet earlier. Lung agreed after giving it a look. He inserted the coordinates of that grade three prison planet as the target destination of the starship and travelled towards it using the robot-assisted auto pilot. Now that there was a new talking companion, Lung teased Scarlet Wind like he was teasing a child. Scarlet Wind gave Lung face and did not express dislike towards Lungs talkative mouth, however. They received a secret transmission before arriving at their destination. It was a transmission from the Andrea Family. After Lung had inserted the decryption program, the message revealed itself to the duo. The Andrea Family might not have participated much in that incident fifty years ago, but several of their seniors were sent to Sector S prisons prior to it. Therefore, the main reason they sent their men this time was to protect the safety of those few family seniors. After all, there was no telling if someone would seize the opportunity to assassinate them under the current circumstances. Now that Mist and Merciless had come out, and Blue Butterfly of the great four was growing restless as well, who wouldnt take the utmost caution? Lung also shared the secret transmission with Cillin after looking through it. There werent much secrets contained in the message, and it was useful for their latter operation anyway. A devastating catastrophe? Cillin muttered after reading the message. Lung scratched his head, Isnt that way too much an exaggeration? Even if that group of people you said came to Sector S, saved and killed some people, it couldnt have triggered a planetary catastrophe, could it? An apocalyptic catastrophe no less? In reality, no prison planets of Sector S were at planetary habitability rank A. They were all either rank B or rank C, and the higher a prison planets grade was, the lower its planetary habitability was. The rank A planets in Sector S were mostly controlled by the forces native to Sector S. But even a rank B or C planet was still valuable. Wasnt it a pity to destroy it just like that? Cillin sighed, Of course they dont care since its not their own planets. It was a true statement. The reason Sector Ss forces were anti-foreigner wasnt just because they hated foreign forces interfering with their own businesses, but also due to worry that a foreign force would ignore the circumstances of a Sector and destroy some good planets. After all, even a rank B planet was difficult to find these days. When they recalled what happened on that grade one prison planet, both Cillin and Lung had fallen into silence. To some people, destroying a planet was only too easy. It might just be a grade one prison, but it was destroyed all the same in less than half a day. No one could tell if the other prison planets would follow its footsteps. A grade one prisons defenses were relatively simpler than others, so it did not take both Mist and Merciless much to break through it. Earlier, they used viruses to create confusion. The other forces may use a similar method as well. Cillin said. Just like how Cillin had used parasites to nearly turn the planet Poison Fang was garrisoned on into a graveyard, there were only too many methods to destroy a planet and send it into an apocalyptic catastrophe. Sometimes, people complained that GALs military and government were too powerful and hypocritical, but it could not be denied that the places governed by the GAL army and alliance government had much better law and order compared to other places. In Sector S, the only ones who would be having a headache after the destruction of a planet there were Sector S forces. GALs military and government wouldnt give a damn about it. Lets be more careful once we get there. Now that even grade one prison planets are unsafe, we might run into some trifle in a middle stage grade three prison planet. Thats all we can do. The situations not so bad that we have to give up, is it? Lung yawned and when to the armory to prepare the stuff. This time, they would have to make even more preparations so that they wouldnt be put in the passive too much if anything were to happen. When they were almost at their destination, Cillin hesitated whether to bring Scarlet Wind with them. After all, the gray cat had made up its mind to follow him no matter what, and the little fellow looked very unhappy to be left alone on the starship. He had been staring pitifully at Cillin and Lung for the whole day, going so far as to make whiny sounds and putting on a pitiful appearance. Just bring him along. the gray cat licked its paws and wiped its face, Its not like hes weak. Lung also agreed to bring Scarlet Wind with them. After all, even if they wouldnt be operating together, he might be able to help them with his beastial talents. Due to something that happened later, it didnt take long for Cillin to give his consent. Chapter 175: Which Force is It? [Part 2] Chapter 175: Which Force is It? [Part 2] Coincidentally, the grade three prison planet Cillin chose just happened to be the planet Ghost Butterfly had hung around earlier. GAL time, six hours ago. Inside the prison of this grade three prison planet. Due to a major accident that had happened on a certain prison planet, every prison had strengthened their defenses, increased the frequency of patrols, and checked the defense system C especially the weapons system C every once in a while to prevent being invaded without noticing it. Since a grade three prisons management wasnt as loose as a grade one prisons, the convicts basically never even exited their prison rooms. Naturally, the confusing situation of a group brawl wouldnt happen either. What set the prison guards at ease was that the prison had been very calm lately. Other than the rise of tension among the prison guards, nothing abnormal had happened inside the prison. But their relief was way too soon. Some convicts grew restless and anxious. There were plenty of convicts who went crazy during the norm, so their change did not appear too obvious when mixed among the other crazy convicts. Some convicts began to show nausea, vomiting and other symptoms, whereas some had fainted right away. Some convicts discovered that their limbs were heavy, and their muscles were somewhat withered, without strength and even paralysed. Some convicts discovered that their eyesight had fallen off sharply, and their joints felt painful and swollen. One convict discovered that some unusually rugged skin ulcers had appeared while he was washing his own face. The area of the ulcer was even spreading. Some convicts discovered that they were scratching clumps of hair off their heads when they scratched their own heads impatiently. Even their eyebrows and facial hair were starting to fall off. The sudden and terrible fear caused the convicts long suppressed emotions to erupt at once. They began hammering the walls and screaming in despair. Even when they were isolated, they could feel the restlessness of the other convicts stirring around them. In reality, some of the prison guards themselves were facing similar problems. Since they had made all sorts of preparations beforehand, they swiftly took measures to counter it after the situation had happened. They had prevented the viruses, but they failed to prevent radioactive materials. Since when were these radioactive materials smuggled into the prison? Why did the radiation detectors in the prison failed to warn this in advance? The prison guards were busy rescuing themselves while checking the defense system. The convicts were wailing anguishly inside the prison. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen did not have the time to go crazy with the other convicts. Upon noticing the abnormality, he had taken out the thing Ghost Butterfly Zero left behind for him and opened the door of his prison room. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen was none other than that big man with an unkempt beard. The surrounding reactions were different from to the plan Ghost Butterfly Zero had explained beforehand. The situation had happened one day ahead of time. This meant that it wasnt Blue Butterfly who had done this, but someone else. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen did not wish to stay in here any longer. The radiation wouldnt affect him too much within a short period of time, and he had not wasted his time when he spent these years inside the prison. He was much stronger than he was before. It wasnt just Ghost Butterfly Fourteen and a few other Blue Butterfly members who had walked out of the prison. There were also a few figures of certain forces who had done the same. It was obvious that someone had acted again during this period of time without anyone realising it. In order to create enough confusion to escape this place, the people who exited their prison had released the other convicts as well. Fourteen, go get Seventeen quickly. The situation has changed, and we dont know if hes still safe. The amount of radioactive materials is growing bigger and bigger. Leave quickly! one of the Blue Butterfly members said. I know. You guys go ahead. Ill catch up right away. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen arrived at a prison room and opened the door. The person inside the prison room was sitting on his chair and reading his newspaper calmly. He was not affected by the situation going on outside, nor was he panicking in the slightest in face of the radioactive materials. He was still emanating with the gentle and cultivated aura of an academician. Jiada did not raise his eyes to look at Ghost Butterfly Fourteen for having unlocking his door. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen was not dissatisfied in any way either despite Jiadas cool disregard. Instead, he saluted Jiada as he was someone junior to him. Many people would salute Jiada when they saw him, and even Ghost Butterfly Zero had to take the initiative to greet him as a way to show respect. Ghost Butterfly Fourteen left and acted with his companions once he saluted Jiada. After Ghost Butterfly Fourteen had left, several crazed convicts came into the room. These convicts had nearly lost all of their self consciousness and were no different from a madman. When they entered Jiadas prison room, they pounced towards him with a cruel smile on their faces. Pupu! The two convicts who entered the room collapsed directly on the ground without a wound on their body. However, a closer inspection would reveal that their hearts had shattered. Jiadas movements never changed throughout the entire process. He finished drinking his water and set down his tea cup as the old newspaper in his hands flashed with the old images from a dozen or so years ago. He folded the old newspaper tidily and put it on top of the table. Jiada patted his pants and slowly walked out of the prison room. The convicts that were crowding in the surrounding were forcefully pushed away by a kind of force. Anyone who was too adamant would be killed straight away. The prison rooms defense system had already become paralysed. Despite the prison guards and the technicians best efforts, they were unable to change this fact. He did not need to deal with the monitoring cameras around him. They were already useless. Before he walked out of this floor, Jiada glanced towards a particular corner. There was an invisible person in that corner, but it wasnt Ghost Butterfly Zero. When that person saw Jiada looking at him, he showed that he meant no offense and tensed up his whole body. He was still a little shocked when he saw Jiada earlier, but now that Jiada was looking at him he hastily threw that shock to the back of his mind and expressed his standpoint. Jiada was feeling good, so he paid him no heed and walked away from this floor. Interesting. These hibernating fellows had all come out of their nests. The prison guards were busy handling the escaped convicts. Since they had made preparations earlier, they werent completely helpless against the situation. Booming noises resounded from many parts of the prison. The convicts of a grade three prison werent completely fearless in the face of bullets, and there were plenty of killed convicts on the floor already. When Cillins group had arrived around their destination planet, they already noticed that something unusual was happening on it. It would appear that even the satellite scanners orbiting the planet had malfunctioned. At the very least Lung got no response when he tentatively transmitted a signal at it. What do we do? It seems that the riot inside the prison has already begun. Lung said. Prior to arriving at Sector S, Lung had been preparing himself to create some riots of his own. But after he arrived here, he realised that he wasnt needed at all. There were already more brilliant people who had finished his job beforehand. Cillin did not say anything. Instead, he stared at the satellites orbiting the planet. He kept feeling that something was going to happen with these satellites. Lung brought up the scanner and the scanner page. The energy fluctuations on the planet were pretty widespread already. There were not only energy fluctuations inside the prison, but outside the prison as well. The amount of people exchanging fire were quite large, and the escaped convicts were also clashing among themselves. It was common sight for someone to seize the opportunity to take out a thorn in their side. While staring at the image on the screen, Cillin pointed at the satellites outside the planet just when Lung was about to say something. Some smaller satellites had become separated from those satellites, and Cillin knew what this type of satellite was. These satellites would fly to every corner of the planet and form a gigantic network of defense and offense at a specific position from a specific angle C it was a microsatellite array! It would appear the management of the prison had been pressured to take extreme decisions. A network like this would cause more destruction to the prison, so they would not have activated a network like this if they werent pushed to a certain extent. It wasnt that the scanners did not react to Lungs foreign signal, but because it had no time to spare to react to it. Right now, the controller of the satellites had probably set the formation of the satellite array as top priority. However, this microsatellite array did not manage to play a role before white beams shot out of a couple of mother satellites and swept past where the microsatellites were. A series of dazzling explosions happened. All of the microsatellites had been exploded into smithereens. Whats Lungs mouth opened, that? I dont know. Cillin said, But the planets external defenses are all gone. Some kind of device was apparently installed on those mother satellites. That being said, this was the first time Cillin a microsatellite array being destroyed in an instant too. Just which force was it who had developed such a technology? Do you want to go down and take a look? Cillin said. The planet was in chaos and easier to invade now. Of course! Lets use site specific teleportation. Alright. Chapter 176: ‘Grim Reaper’s’ ‘Godfather’ [Part 1] Chapter 176: Grim Reapers Godfather [Part 1] Cillin chose a temporarily unmanned place that was slightly further away from the prison and used site-specific teleportation to appear there right away. As for the starship, it kept a low profile and stayed invisible while hanging around in a certain area around the planet. Cillin and Lung did not split up this time. Last times lesson taught them that every prison planet in Sector S was deadly. They would not be able to rescue the other party in time if they were far apart. As for the gray cat and Scarlet Wind Wheeze, your main task this time is to bring Scarlet Wind around and familiarize him with a battlefield environment. Dont act recklessly, and put concealment and observation as top priority. Cillin said. Observation?! the gray cats whiskers straightened as it got ready to express its opinion, but when it thought of something, it said reluctantly while turning its ears backwards, Alright. Teach some of your battlefield techniques to Scarlet Wind, especially regarding electronics and firearm equipment. The former environment he lived in did not have any of these. This shouldnt be a big problem for you, right? No problem. the gray cat answered with ears hanging downwards, No problem. Cillin pinched the hair at the back of its neck, lifted it to eye level and said, Promise me you wont act recklessly! I promise! After briefing Scarlet Wind with two simple lines, he told them to put their own safety as their priority. If they were to die here he would ditch them, and if they caused any trouble they could forget coming together with them in the future too. They finally split up after acquiring their promises. As Cillin watched the two swiftly departing figures, he sighed, I cant help but feel that those two are going to cause trouble. There shouldnt be too much problems as long as they dont attack first in such a chaotic environment. Plus, the two of them arent weak Lung patted Cillin in the back, Come on, lets go see who we can run into this time. The people appearing in Sector S this time werent people they could meet anytime they wanted beyond Sector S. They were always able to obtain some very important information during every thorough examination they conducted, and that was one of the reasons why Cillin and Lung had still chosen to come despite knowing the risks. Cillin and Lung slowly infiltrated their way towards the prison. There were some people embroiled in a messy fight at some of the buildings near the prison. They were basically all convicts who had escaped from the prison. Their targets were beasts functioning as watchful guardians and robot guards. The prison guards were currently busy dealing with the internal matters inside the prison and could not be bothered with what was happening outside. The duo carefully avoided the firefight between the convicts and the guards. A guardian beast discovered them along the way, but it was shot in the brain and killed by Cillin before it could manage a growl. Good shooting. Lung smiled. Good gun. Cillin withdrew his gun and continued to move stealthily. The gun he was using was provided by Lung. The gun specially created by the Andrea Family was not something a normal gun could compare to. The stench of blood was spreading everywhere. There was human blood, beast blood, and destroyed robots making sizzling sounds along the way. Compared to the previous grade one prison, the defenses here were a lot more complicated. However, the collapse of the main defense system had nearly taken off the figurative arms of the prison. This made the prison guards task to control the situation a lot harder. Cillin was walking towards the prison when he suddenly paused his footsteps and looked up sideways at a particular spot. There were no overly tall buildings on a prison planet, but there were plenty of two to three storeys buildings. They were not normal civilian building, but rent buildings that were rented out at a high price to those people who came to visit the convicts, and temporary residence for material handlers. However, it wasnt the time to resupply yet and there werent many visitors on the prison planet. Most of the buildings were empty, and right now they were completely trashed by the convicts, robots and guardian beasts. Cillin made a hand gesture at Lung before moving towards a particular direction. There was a locked bathroom where he was headed. Opening a lock like this was childs play for Lung. He took out a decoder and, with a beep, quickly unlocked and opened the bathrooms door. Cillin saw a young man drenched in blood inside the bathroom. Many parts of his body were penetrated, and they did not look like they were pierced by sharp weapons. I cant believe hes still breathing with a wound like this. Lung said after taking a look. This persons internal organs C especially his stomach C were severely injured. This was obvious upon sight of the wounds and the mucous membrane and small bits of flesh flowing out along with his blood. However, despite this degree of injuries the persons life force was preserved and even looking to trend towards a recovery. The rate of his recovery was extremely slow, but it was recovering all the same. He doesnt look like a convict here. Cillin looked at the persons equipment, Eh? Since there were many holes in the persons body, Cillin saw a tattoo beside a bloody hole at his stomach. Cillin extended a hand and pulled open the clothes covering his stomach. The tattoo was mainly etched around the persons waist. It was the tattoo of an extremely sinister and eerie-looking butterfly with wings of flowery patterns. Ghost Butterfly! Cillin and Lung matched eyes in both astonishment and puzzled. They were astonished to find a Ghost Butterfly member appearing at such a place, and they were puzzled by the identity of mysterious assailant who managed to hurt him. This person should be pretty strong judging from his constitution. While Cillin and Lung were puzzled, the young man sitting against the wall suddenly opened his eyes. The killing intent that erupted in an instant caused the surrounding temperature to drop sharply. However, the killing intent quickly faded as the man stared doubtfully at Cillin and Lung. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen? Lung spoke up. There was the number seventeen inside the ghost butterfly tattoo. It also represented his identity. This young man was none other than the Ghost Butterfly Seventeen who had acted along with Ghost Butterfly Zero. After Ghost Butterfly Zero left, he had been lying low in the surroundings and waiting for the operation to begin. What he did not expect was that he himself would fall into trouble. Seeing that Cillin and Lung hadnt shown any killing intent despite knowing his identity, and that they did not look like convicts who had escaped from prison, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen nodded in response but said nothing. Right now he did not have the energy to speak, and the fact that he was barely starting to recover was a boon already. It doesnt look like he can speak. Lung frowned, His vocal cords arent damaged though. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face twitched. Sure my vocal cords arent damaged, but my lungs and other organs are! Ghost Butterfly Seventeen glared at the duo. His eyes might not have had killing intent, but they did not look like they were going to help him either. And so both parties glared at each other. Not even the gunshots and sounds of fighting outside caused the trio to break eye contact. Finally, Cillin moved his gaze and looked at Lung. When he saw Cillins gaze Lung clutched his chest and said, With an animalistic constitution like his a normal one is enough! Its way too wasteful to use high grade medicine on him! Alright, my normal medicine it is then. Cillin crouched and looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen, Lets make a trade. I can give you this booster med, and it will boost your recovery rate. But in return, youll sign an IOU and buy this for one million credits each and tell us whats going on around here. What do you think? Nod if you agree to this. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face was a little stiff. One million for one normal booster medicine??? If this isnt a fraud then what is?!! But Ghost Butterfly Seventeen did not have a choice in the matter. His life was on the line, and the battle outside was fierce. If he didnt run into Fourteen and the others, then he was absolutely going to die with his current recovery rate. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face that was already pale from blood loss turned paler. He nodded while gritting his teeth and thought: Once I recover Im gonna beat the two of you to death! Cillin searched for the item before he finally took out a bottle of medicine, This may be small, but its effects are pretty good. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt like committing suicide when he saw the tiny item in Cillins hand. Wasnt the volume of a normal booster medicine one milliliter cube? Since when was it just ten microliters?! That being said, while the medicine was little, its effects were pretty good. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was obviously recovering much faster after consuming the medicine. Two minutes later, his wounds had already turned into scabs. Lung couldnt help but comment, This truly is an animals constitution! Ghost Butterfly Seventeen rolled his eyes at the duo before standing up and taking in a deep breath. He felt a lot more comfortable now. All my equipment has been destroyed, and I do not have one million with me right now. Whats your name, and how do I contact you? Ill send the money to you later. I was going to make you sign an IOU, but we can skip that process. With your identity as Ghost Butterfly Seventeen, I believe that the Blue Butterfly should be trustworthy. They are one of the great four after all. Cillin said with an expression of great tolerance while tossing him a nutrient pill. The man had exhausted too much strength after a boosted recovery, and he had to replenish his energy somewhat. Thanks. he swallowed it after accepting the pill. He was extremely strained right now. Not at all. That will be one hundred thousand credits. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens eyelids jumped again and again, Fine, Ill cough out your dough. When he saw Cillin and Lung looking at him with a face that clearly said, are you an idiot?, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt as if his IQ had degenerated alongside his injuries. Chapter 176: ‘Grim Reaper’s’ ‘Godfather’ [Part 2] Chapter 176: Grim Reapers Godfather [Part 2] Deciding not to confuse himself with this issue any longer, and considering that the people making a din outside had subsided a little, Ghost Butterfly told the duo about his encounter. Originally, they had planned the starting time of the operation. Once the clock started ticking, the convicts would break out from inside the prison while Ghost Butterfly Seventeen provided them support from outside. There shouldnt have been a large commotion if everything went according to plan. However, this confusion that had suddenly erupted completely screwed up their plans. After receiving Ghost Butterfly Fourteens news from inside the prison, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen got ready to provide him support. However, along the way he encountered a person, got beaten into the state he was in, and some of his equipment had been destroyed as well. If he hadnt escaped quickly he wouldve died there and then. After he escaped, he then hid himself inside this bathroom. Whos the guy who hurt you? Cillin asked. I dont know. He was invisible. He was very strong. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen answered. Im surprised. You Blue Butterflies are imprisoned in just grade three prisons? Lung rubbed his chin and said. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen obviously did not plan to talk further on the matter. He was now feeling a lot more spirited, and he expressed that he was going to find his companions and leave after wiping away the traces inside the bathroom. Oh right, since youre already here, let me tell you something. before he left, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen said, There is a VIP in this grade three prison. He has probably come out by now. Take care and dont offend him. Who is it? Cillin and Lung looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen at once. Hunting Blade Jiada. After parting ways with Ghost Butterfly Seventeen, Cillin and Lung switched a new relatively hidden location to hide under and pondered about Ghost Butterfly Seventeens words. What are you thinking? Lung asked. Theres no blood. Cillin said. Ah? You remember the time when we went looking for him? There was no blood on the ground. He did not bleed when he was escaping, and had only started bleeding when he was inside the bathroom. This meant that he could control the bleeding of his wounds. The bathroom door had also been processed. There are other scents that covered up the scent of blood. Not even a guardian beast could have sensed it. Someone from Blue Butterfly truly cannot be underestimated. after a pause, Lung asked again, What are you going to do about Hunting Blade Jiada? Lets just go with the flow. Hopefully we wont run into him, but even if we do, he shouldnt raise a hand against small fries like us as long as we dont offend him, right? While supporting his own head, Lung stretched his fingers through his hair and scratched, thinking, I really didnt think that other than Blue Butterfly, Hunting Blade Jiada would be here as well. If we were to query the convict data, we probably wont find his records in it. Actually, Im guessing that Mist or Merciless had a VIP hidden in that grade one prison from earlier too. Cillin said. It really is unexpected; to think that Sector S prisons had become their hiding spots. Are we still going in then? After all, youre the employer of this mission to come to Sector S. The choice is yours. Cillin looked at Lung. Dont you think itll be a huge shame to leave just like that? Lets go. We have to clarify some things now that were already here, and even if we couldnt, it is still very important for us to get some information. Boom! There was another explosion over at the prison. Come on, nows our chance! Cillin and Lung seized the opportunity of the chaos created by the explosion to enter into the prison through a hole in the wall. The second he stepped into the prison, Lung suddenly felt discomfort all over his body. Cillin pulled Lung into an empty office. There was no one inside. The prison guards had all gone out to deal with the convicts. Whats going on? Im feeling discomfort all over my body. Lung looked at the scanner and confirmed that there werent any other life forms around them. But he just couldnt help but feel uncomfortable. Radioactive substances!! Upon hearing Cillins words, Lung hurriedly looked at the mini detector on his hand, There are some radioactive rays and particles, but they are not within a threatening level. My detector wouldve sounded the alarm a long time ago if it was very serious. Cillin felt the substances in the air around him before shaking his head, There are radioactive substances in the air, and quite a lot of them too. However, they had gone through multiple radioactive decays and are no longer at a threatening level. The threatening period had already passed. Lung looked at the elements and degree of radiation displayed on his detector, Youre saying that theyd mostly undergone radioactive decays already? A radioactive substance that had gone through a decay would transform into another kind of element. No wonder the data displayed on the detector was strange. But how did it decay this quickly? Its understandable if its just a small amount, but from what you say this is a huge amount of radioactive substances! I thought that the precise timing of decay of radioactive elements could not be estimated? Godfather! Cillin said the name directly. Lungs entire body shuddered once, and with a gaping mouth he stared disbelievingly at Cillin. Then, he squatted on the ground and covered his face, Cillin, whys our luck so darn good?! Godfather was a person. Twenty years ago, he discovered a method to control the time of decay of radioactive elements as a four star scholar in GAL research institute. He was able to manipulate the activity in a radioactive elements nucleus and cause the decay time to go according to his plans. At the time this research affected the entire GAL academic circle, but there were plenty of academicians C especially from GAL research institute C that voiced out different opinions. Later on, when Godfathers research claimed the lives of many innocent research personnel during the research process, the research was put under control. Godfather would escape along with his technology later and join the organisation Grim Reaper. Since he had always been an authority in the research of radioactive elements and decay, he was later given the title of Godfather. Godfather affected a lot of people. Good or evil aside, in terms of the research of elements the people greatly admired this Godfather for his work. There were no longer any news about Godfather after he joined the organisation Grim Reaper. Since Godfather had brought with him his technology and research findings and joined the organisation Grim Reaper no less, what couldve won him a space on the publication of absolute authority, Code, was waved away just like that. If they were to talk about Godfather, then they had to talk about Grim Reaper as well. Grim Reaper was an unconventional organisation. There was no such concept as good or evil in their dictionary, and they did not belong under the category of Hunters, adventurers or hitmen. Although the government labeled them as a menace, they still had plenty of supporters in GAL. The reason for that was their power C their absolute power. Although Blue Butterflys average individual combat strength was the highest among all Hunter regiments, they could only submit in defeat when compared to Grim Reaper. That being said, not everyone within Grim Reaper had incredible individual combat strength. For example, Godfather had poor combat strength since his expertise were leaned towards academics. Overall, every person in Grim Reaper had their own familiar field of expertise and absolute authority there. It was just that they applied this authority with real action. Radioactive decay, system hacking, destruction of defenses and an unknown combat strength. Grim Reaper was even more of a headache to both the government and the military when compared to Mist and Merciless. At least Mist and Merciless were simpler to define C hitman organisations, right? C but this wasnt the case with Grim Reaper. They could roleplay a hitman, a Hunter or an academician too. However, the amount of activities from Grim Reaper had been pitiful as of late. Cillins generation and his fathers generation had only heard of Grim Reaper as an entity in legends. But now Thats it. It has to be Grim Reaper. The instantaneous destruction of the satellite array earlier was probably their work as well. Cillin sighed. Ever since he arrived at Sector S, the amount of sighs he let out had obviously increased. Why did Grim Reaper come here? Who knows? Just like how no one wouldve expected that Mist and Merciless would appear in a mere grade one prison, all those people who should be appearing at grade five prison planets were all popping up at unexpected places. Cillin sent a message to the gray cat. Since the situation on this planet had gotten even more complicated than before, he had to warn them one more time. The gray cat quickly replied his message. They had found a food storing warehouse, and there were still some fresh food in it. They were currently eating Lungs mouth twitched upon seeing the gray cats reply. Screw it. Were not returning empty handed at least! Lung adjusted the parameters of his mini detector and said, Lets go rob a profit while its chaotic! What are we robbing? Energy blocks! The amount of energy needed to maintain the defenses of a grade three prison was quite a lot compared to a grade one prison. Therefore, the amount of energy storage here should correspond accordingly as well. The fresh food supplies on the starship are getting low too. After we got the energy blocks, well go to Wheezes location to collect some food supplies, just in case we get delayed by whatever that might happen later and couldnt find food. Nutrient pills were seriously unpalatable. There was absolutely no way Lung would want to live his life eating them. After making their plans and enlarging the scan to acquire the prisons overall layout, Cillin and Lung picked a route and headed towards the storage room containing the energy blocks directly. What was strange was that the closer they got to the energy storage room, the fewer the people they encountered along the way. This was because most of the people who survived long enough to come here were dead. There were plenty of dead people lying on the ground of the passage leading towards the energy block storage room, but no fatal wounds could be found on the surface of their bodies. All of the wounds that were visible had been inflicted by them upon each other. Chapter 177: ‘Grim Reaper’s’ Star Net [Part 1] Chapter 177: Grim Reapers Star Net [Part 1] Logically speaking, the energy storage room should be pretty well defended. Other than the interior of the prison and the main defense system, the energy storage room also had a separate defense system and was specially built to prevent energy leakage. This was because its potential threat value was higher. After all, if certain unstable factors caused large amounts of energy blocks to become destabilised, then the explosion they caused would be big enough to destroy more than half of the prison. However, they did not encounter any robot guards along the passage towards the energy storage room. The energy storage room was categorised as high radiation area, so normally there should be certain robot sentries guarding the paths leading towards it. However, other than a number of convicts lying dead on the ground, they did not find even one robot sentry. Lung checked the display of his life scanner and shook his head at Cillin, indicating that no life forms had been detected in this area as of now. No other life forms? The way these convicts died didnt look like a robots work. After looking at his surroundings carefully, Cillin crouched down and put his hand on a convict who had no wounds on the surface of his body even though he was dead. His heart is crushed. Cillin said in a heavy tone. He then checked a couple more convicts with no wounds on their skin and found that their conditions were the same as this convict. The large majority of the convicts inside this passage had died this way. A human had done this and not a robot, but both Cillin and Lung were puzzled. Just who on earth had the ability to easily crush these convicts hearts without wounding their skin? Was it someone from Grim Reaper? Or was it someone else? Cillin and Lung walked towards the energy storage room with even greater caution than before. They did not dare to overly rely on the life scanner since machines sometimes would lie too. The energy storage rooms door was open, and there were no signs of any forced entry. The thick custom made cabin door was obediently opened, and some energy fluctuations were emanating from inside the energy storage room at the same time. These energy fluctuations werent big. You could even say that it was very docile. But this was exactly why Cillin and Lung had become even more nervous. The were only docile energy fluctuations coming from inside the energy storage room. There was nothing else in there; not even the breathing sounds of a human. Was it really a robot? Cillin and Lung arrived near the door, but did enter immediately. Lung released a small, ball-shaped detector, and the object flew towards the entrance of the energy storage room. However, when detector reached the front of the door, its program instantly became disrupted and ran away about as fast as one could imagine. Lung: Cillin made a hand gesture. He was going to go in and check things out first. When he shuffled carefully to the entrance, Cillin could obviously sense the change in magnetic field surrounding the storage rooms door. No wonder Lungs scanner had experienced a disruption in its program. This was probably why there were no robot sentries around here. However, when Cillin saw the person inside the room, he no longer had the mood or thought to consider the robot sentries and the change in magnetic field. It was actually a human being! Lung swiftly moved over to Cillin when he saw him standing there with a taut body, but had not suffered any kind of attack. He looked towards the storage room. When he saw the person inside, Lungs pupils also shrank in an instant. The boxes containing the energy blocks had already been opened, and the mans back was facing towards them. One of his hands was placed directly on the energy ores. Unlike the energy blocks inside small-sized home-use electrical appliances, these energy blocks were one meter tall and stacked in a bunch. However, Cillin could see clearly that the energy blocks beside the man had already been depleted. The man was absorbing energy! He could actually absorb energy directly from the energy blocks without any mediums at all?! That being said, Cillin recalled that he himself seemed to have done something similar. The man never moved or turned around, maintaining his body posture and appearing as if he hadnt noticed Cillin and Lungs arrival at all. However, Cillin dared wager a bet that that man had absolutely noticed the two of them since a long time ago. This person could not be detected before he was seen since he lacked too much presence. However, those who really saw him they would experience a feeling of absurdity instead. He was like the amalgam of contradictions. Cillin and Lung tacitly understood each other and did not disturb the man from absorbing energy. They did not attempt to attack and rob the energy blocks while he was busy either. However, if they left this place immediately, there was no telling if they would be killed right away. At the very least, Cillin had a feeling that the man would murder them to the last if they tried to do so. There wouldnt be so many dead convicts around the area otherwise. Cillin gave Lung a look, indicating that it would be best if they didnt act recklessly. It wasnt long before there were other convicts who came over to this place. When they saw the energy blocks, they all wore greedy looks on their faces. Cillin and Lung had ducked into a corner of the storage room and avoided meeting the convicts in a head on conflict. Meanwhile, the convicts who made their way over obviously painted the man absorbing the energy blocks as their primary target. Several convicts raised their guns and fired rapidly at the man. The guns were all forcefully taken from the prison guards. The prison guards sign on the guns proved this. It would seem that the prison guards were doing extremely poorly too. Bang bang bang! However, the fired bullets looked like they were met with great resistance when they approached the vicinity of that man. When they reached half a meter away from that man, their velocity dropped down to zero directly. After a few gunshots, the convicts understood that this man wasnt someone they could deal with. There was a person who got ready to take out a booster type high energy weapon, but had collapsed immediately before he could do anything with it. Cillin could feel that the persons heart was crushed just like the convicts at the passage. No one saw how he killed the person. In fact, he never made any extra movements at all. But the convict more than twenty meters away was killed all the same. The rest of the convicts wanted to escape, but they collapsed directly just when they had escaped to the entrance. Lung gulped and looked at Cillin. What are we going to do next? Lets maintain this deadlock for now, Cillin thought. More people came in the middle of the deadlock, but the outcome was always the same. By now, there were more than twenty people lying dead at the entrance from the same cause. Five minutes later, the energy fluctuation slowly subsided calmly, collectedly and unhurriedly. By now, the energy blocks inside the box were already dim and lightless. The man withdrew his hand, turned around and looked towards Cillin and Lung. There was no killing intent of displayed malice. In fact, the man was even wearing a faint smile on his face. He gave off a gentle and cultivated feeling, but it was this person who had killed so many without a sound at all. Both Cillin and Lung could only feel every hair on their body standing at the back of their end when they were gazed upon by the man wearing a faint smile that was somewhat polite and cordial. The more he acted this way, the more dangerous he was in their eyes. In his mind, Lung had already thrown this man into the freak category directly. Those people whose outside and inside were joined by an absolutely twisted nature were all freaks among freaks, not to mention that this freak was the kind who killed with a smile on his face. When the convicts had died, they probably didnt even sense any killing intent coming from this person. Jiada glanced at the two little boys standing not far away from him. That was what he thought of twenty year olds from his standpoint. He had discovered Cillin and Lung since a long time ago. A layer of electrical charge had been imbued to the top, bottom and side walls of the passages stretching outward from the storage room. Jiada was capable of sensing anyone who entered into this area. He could even determine how powerful the intruder was from these electrical charges. Jiada was curious when Cillin and Lung had entered his domain. He hadnt killed them immediately and instead, watched their reactions while he was absorbing the energy. Obviously, the duos reactions hadnt incited his killing intent. Who are you, little boys? Jiada asked. Even his voice was gentle. Little boys Cillin and Lung wanted to roar: Is this guy a super old freak or something? Chapter 177: Grim Reaper’s ‘Star Net’ [Part 2] Chapter 177: Grim Reapers Star Net [Part 2] In reality, Jiada looked like he was just approaching middle age. Therefore, when he suddenly called them little boys both Cillin and Lung felt a muscle cramp on their faces. Suddenly, Cillin recalled his awkward teacher. Sir Mo had even called him a child back then. Now that he thought about it, this person before him was probably over around a hundred years old, wasnt he? Ahem. Hello, I am called Lung. Lung bowed and saluted him. His usage of the etiquette Berzett taught him was pretty impressive; the form of his salutation was perfectly standard. He did not give out his surname directly since there were plenty of people who disliked a member of the Andrea Family. Judging from your salutation, youre probably a member of a certain big family, arent you? Jiada said. At the same time, he returned a corresponding salutation of his own, looking much more like a gentleman than Lung was. Lungs face cramped yet again. A single salutation had exposed his identity. Er, yeah. My full name is Andrea Lung. he did not lie. Lung thought that he would absolutely be found out if he attempted to lie with his own abilities. The man before him was an old freak after all. Oh, so youre the descendant of that old fox. Lung lamented inside his heart: Ah, my beloved grandfather, your title as a fox truly is widespread! However, Lung did let out a sigh of relief on the inside when he heard Jiadas answer. At the very least, Lung had not sensed any malice during the instant the other party heard the name Andrea. Youre okay. You have better prospects than your father. Jiada commented before looking at Cillin. I am called Cillin Gen. he did not salute like Lung did. He simply performed a very commonly seen salutation done when a junior Hunter encountered his elders. Lung cast a glance and thought on the inside: since when are you called Gen again? You are a Hunter? Jiada knew that Cillin was a Hunter the moment he saw the salutation he performed. Yes, I am. Are you a solo Hunter? Or are you with a Hunter regiment? Im with a Hunter regiment; the Hunter regiment Vanguard. Jiada nodded. Nothing else could be seen from his countenance. Jiadas reaction made Cillin felt a small twinge of disappointment. He had purposed given out the surname Gen to see if the man before him would react to it. The results however, were a little disappointing. After looking at Cillin and Lung, Jiada waved a hand and shifted two large boxes containing energy blocks inside several meters away before Cillin and Lung. He said, Take these two boxes with you. The rest is mine. Both Cillin and Lung sighed seeing that the other party did not plan to look into their intrusion any further. The fact that he gave them two boxes of energy blocks was respectful of him already. After thanking Jiada, Lung then withdrew the two boxes of energy ores into the subspace container on his hand. Energy blocks could not be put inside subspace for a prolonged period of time, so he had to take them out the moment they returned to the starship to prevent the conflict between energies causing the subspace to destabilise and collapse. When you go back, do greet that old fox Fergus and that old man Ji Feng for me. Jiada said. Lungs grandfather Fergus wielded great influence within GAL, his sphere of influence extending over to business, politics, military and so on. As for Ji Feng, he was the leader of Vanguard and one of the Six Stars of Hunt C a Star Rank Hunter! If Jiada had only mentioned Fergus, Cillin and Lung would not have been as surprised. After all, Fergus activities span over to quite a number of places, not to mention that there were plenty of people who knew and dealt with Fergus. Ji Feng was different, however. If this man was able to say Ji Fengs name directly and talk about a Star Rank Hunter with such a tone, then Jiada! Cillin looked towards Jiada, Are you the Hunting Blade Jiada, senior? The honorific used among Hunters was senior, and Jiada did not deny it either. He waved his hands and beckoned Cillin and Lung to leave, You have one full hour of time left. Grim Reapers Star Net would be activated in one hour, and with your current level of strength, you wont be able to survive it when that happens. Star net? they knew that the Grim Reapers are here, but what on earth was a Star Net? Jiada did not give any additional explanation, You will know when the time comes. This is an experiment to Grim Reaper. When he was finished, Jiada turned around and did not bother with Cillin and Lung any longer. He continued to open a new box and absorb the energy inside. Cillin shot a glance at Lung to transmit the message that they should leave first before doing anything else. After leaving the energy storage room, Cillin and Lung did not waste time entangling themselves with the unsolved mysteries and instead, rushed to where the gray cat was. According to their calculations, they should reach that warehouse in ten minutes time. After they had collected the food, they would then leave this place and return to the starship. If there were no mishaps, then they should have ample time. This time, Cillin and Lung did not conceal their presences on purpose. Instead, they moved faster and hurried along the way. There werent many people left in the passage leading towards the food warehouse, and if Cillin and Lung were to spend time conducting an in-depth scan they would discover that there werent much people left inside the prison. Most of them had ran outside. When they passed by a junction, Cillin saw a person leaning at that junction. Yes, he had definitely seen them. Cillin could see them him even though that person was obviously in a state of invisibility. He couldnt identify their face. There was just a blurry approximation where the face should be at. The person simply looked at them and did not attack when Cillin and Lung ran past him. Even though they knew that Cillin could see them, they did not move and simply watched Cillin and Lung run right past him. When Cillin and Lung had ran far away, that person let out a soft laugh, This generations youngsters sure are interesting. As compared to that Ghost Butterfly Seventeen they encountered earlier, the person actually thought that these two young men were more interesting. Even though they obviously could see him, neither of them had actively attacked him like Ghost Butterfly Seventeen did. Their guards were pretty high too. They were guarding against them even though they had ran far, far away from them. After they had gone far away from that junction, Lung said while running, There was a person in that junction just now. I know, but they did not look like they intended to attack us. The person who wounded Ghost Butterfly Seventeen is them, isnt it? Even if theyre not, they are not allies. A Grim Reaper. Thank goodness they did not have any intentions of attacking us, or neither of us would be having a good time now. Cillin and Lung were in a hurry right now, and leaving aside whether they could win against that person if they had actually fought, even if they could they would have wasted a lot of time. After listening to Jiadas words, the duo simply wanted to get to the warehouse, store up some food and leave as soon as possible. They did not know what the Star Net was, but since the word came from Jiada both Cillin and Lung believed that it existed. Along the way, they ran into convicts in groups of twos and threes. They were basically all in a confused state, and the second they saw Cillin and Lung they charged right at them. However, they were all quickly taken out by the duo. When they arrived at the warehouse, they saw the gray cat hugging a fish and making loud crunching noises as it bit the fish head. The fish that was almost a hundred times bigger than the gray cat was eaten to the point where all that was left were bones. Beside the gray cat, Scarlet Wind was chewing a beef jerky. The gray cat had told him to eat as much as he wanted, so he wasnt giving any quarters either. Cillin and Lung selectively collected some food supplies from the warehouse. They still had plenty of food on the starship, so their main priority right now was to find some fresh food supplies. The fresh food supplies around several other connected warehouses around here were all taken away by Cillin and Lung. Cillin looked at the emptied warehouses and checked the time, We still have forty minutes. Lets leave. We should hurry up. Lung said. Time to go, gluttons! Cillin turned around and called out to Scarlet Wind and the gray cat. Seeing that Cillin, Lung and Scarlet Wind were heading outside, the gray cat held the fish head it had half consumed in its mouth and ran out. Even though half of the fish head had been consumed by the gray cat, it was still a lot larger than the gray cats current body size. In fact, the fishs pharynx and the sharp teeth inside its mouth were all exposed because half its head had been chewed off. It was a rather ugly sight as the teeth swayed rhythmically as the gray cat held it in its mouth and ran. There was nothing that impressed Cillin more than the gluttons ability to eat while running. It ran and ran, and the half eaten fish head went into its stomach just like that. Since Scarlet Wind wasnt too familiar with running on two legs just yet, he dropped back on all four after taking for a few steps forward. He would not be able to catch up to the others otherwise. The amount of people outside the prison had increased by a lot. When Cillins group ran out of the prison, they were met with a sizable amount of resistance. Some came from the prison guards, and some came from the convicts. When Scarlet Wind encountered these men who were obviously harboring malice and killing intent towards them, he had instantly transformed from an obedient darling into a wild animal just like how he originally was when he was hunting preys on his origin planet. The way his claws plunged deep into the enemies bodies and tore them apart directly with impressive brute force caused Lungs stomach to churn. The gray cats behavior was a lot more moderate, however. It had simply kicked and left deep hind claw marks on those peoples faces. After all, Cillin said that they were in a race against time, and it was feeling sleepy after eating till it was full. Thankfully, the resistance hadnt persisted the whole way. The firefights were mainly concentrated at the port where transports and spaceplanes were parked. The convicts wanted to snatch a ship and escaped this place, and the prison guards absolutely refused to let them succeed. Therefore, both parties were engaged in intense combat at that location. The place Cillins group chose was far away from the port. After arriving at a temporarily empty location, Lung lifted his hand and popped out a dashboard from his wrist, performing a remote control. At the same time, the robots piloted the starship and flew it towards them. After the starship had locked onto their position, Cillins group then teleported back to the starship. After returning to the starship, the starship did not depart from the planet immediately. Instead, it maintained its invisibility and watched from a nearby spot. After putting the energy blocks into the storage room and the food into the warehouse, Cillin and Lung then watched the scenes unfolding on the control rooms displays. Two minutes was left on the clock when they checked the time. The lucky convicts managed to grab a spaceplane and flew out of the planet. The satellite defense network at the perimeter of the planet was paralysed since a long time ago, so these spaceplanes were able to leave as they pleased. Perhaps these lucky convicts could not have imagined what was going to happen next on the planet? When one hour was up, a web that looked very much like the light rays of electricity suddenly appeared outside the planet. It had enveloped the entire planet. Is this, Star Net? Chapter 178: Leaving Sector S [Part 1] Chapter 178: Leaving Sector S [Part 1] Although there were a lot of gaps between this large electrical network that enveloped the entire planet, not a single spaceplane could be seen passing through between them. A lot of spaceplanes slowly lost control and either crashed or exploded when they approached this network. The energy drive equipment of these spaceplanes had become destabilised due to the effects of this network. The serious cases had exploded right away. There were also some spaceplanes who noticed their predecessors downfall and did not go close to the web. Instead, they activated the weapons systems and opened fired at those webs. However, the network persisted despite the missiles coming into contact with the light webs and exploding. They could see from the footage captured by the monitoring devices Lung left on the planet that an obvious change had taken over the planets surface. The battle between the convicts and the prison guards had already stopped, but what came next was an even bigger problem. There was an obvious layer of electrical light flashing across the surfaces of objects such as metallic fences and metallic walls. A convict who was kicked against a metallic wall was electrocuted into a charred remain because he failed to stand up and get away in time. Even without touching these metallic substances, the convicts still felt like they were trapped in a space full of electric charges. Every hair on their bodies was standing on its end, and the guns, knives and other weapons etc they were wielding had already been tossed aside. Right now, they were all looking towards the sky above them in fear. Through the monitoring devices continued to transmit sets of gauge data to the starship, both Cillin and Lung could imagine what was happening on the planet right now. As the density of electric charges continue to increase, the situation on the planet would only grow more and more severe. As for the rest, Cillin and Lung could only speculate based on the images they saw on the screen and the analysed data. The coverage and density of the network was gradually increasing. At first, Cillin and Lung could see see some of the changes happening on the planet from the starship. However, the dense web formed by the electrical lights gradually covered the entire surface of the planet, and the gaps were also slowly covered up by a layer of light film after the gaps had become smaller. They had lost connection with the monitoring devices Lung left on the planet, and they could guess that the signal must have been affected to the point it was severed completely. Before long, many electrical lights shot out from the network and hit straight towards the ground. The entire planet became enveloped by lightning and was filled with electrical light. Cillin could not see exactly what was happening on the planets surface, but he could imagine the outcome of an outpour of lightning strikes at this level of strength and density. No wonder Jiada said that they were incapable of surviving under Star Net with their current abilities. The people who were trapped on the planet might not be able to see it clearly, but Cillin saw it very clearly from outer space. This electrical network had originated from the mother satellites outside the planet. The satellites that were scattered at different orbits and some objects that were probably launched by Grim Reaper had joined together to form the initial networks. Then, these isolated networks began to branch out and reconnect with each other. Just like a spider web, the bases were fixed in place before a dense web was swiftly developed from these few bases. The planet beneath this web looked like it had been ravaged by an intense electromagnetic storm. What followed after was an omnipresent thunderstorm. Cillin did not need to watch further to know that after todays incident, when the Star Net was withdrawn, this planet would be utterly riddled with holes. The prison, buildings and so on would no longer exist as well. Perhaps there might be a small number of survivors after the Star Net had passed, but that number would have to be extremely small. The rest of the people, buildings etc would all be annihilated under the electrical light. Cillin and Lung had witnessed the destruction and the ending of a planet. Right now, they were feeling rather complicated on the inside. Jiada had said that this was but an experiment for Grim Reaper, but why had they chosen this planet as the site to conduct their experiment in the first place? Was it because GALs governmental jurisdiction in Sector S was weak? Was it because of the same reason Cillin and Lung had chosen this planet? Or was there another reason? Cillin didnt know. What he knew was that there were still a lot of powerful people and forces in GAL. The destruction of a planet might just be something that happened in the blink of an eye to them. It was very difficult for humans to see themselves clearly without a frame of reference. Perhaps it was because too many people had forgotten those people and forces who had risen to fame in the past after fifty years of time; those once familiar names that lived in a previous era. Fifty years had passed, and the new generation had not grown up in an environment like theirs. Now that these veteran forces had surfaced once more, would the new generation be able to withstand the pressure and continue fighting? Mist, Merciless, and Grim Reaper. Every one of these forces were no weaker than the four great Hunter regiments be it in terms of technology or individual combat strength. After this Sector S incident, GAL would be welcoming a wholly new era; an era where both challenges and opportunities exist as one. Lets go. Lung exhaled and began operating on the control panel. Cillin nodded. There was nothing else to be gained by staying here any further. No one knew how long Star Net was going to last, and no one knew what kind of result Grim Reaper was expecting from their experiment. Right now, the most important thing to Cillin and Lung was to protect their little lives. Right now they did not have the ability to resist Grim Reaper, and the gap of between them was simply too huge. Sure, that invisible person from earlier had no intentions to fight them, but what if they felt like fighting now? Even Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was beaten to the sorry state they were in, and neither Cillin nor Lung had any intentions of following in his footsteps. Leaving now would be the wise decision to make. Surely I could hide if I could not fight you, couldnt I? The energy blocks they carried with them were sufficient for them to leave Sector S, not to mention that they had acquired two big boxes of energy blocks from inside the prisons storage room earlier. Their food was sufficient as well. As long as they did not run into anything unusual later, then all was fine. However, with Sector S current situation, nowhere was safe. They hadnt left that grade three prison planet for long before Lung received some messages from the Andrea Family members at other places. Right now, both grade four and grade five prisons were in a complete mess, although no one over there was an easy picking. Any random person over there was at the level of a commander of a four great Hunter regiment B Squadron, not to mention that there were a large number of hidden elites, coupled with new technology and weapons. The four great Hunter regiments and a few other Hunter regiments who were slightly weaker than the great four, but were overall pretty strong in the entire GAL had all appeared. The GAL military themselves had dispatched a group of men in secret. Hitmen organisations, adventurers and a few other big families had also showed their shadows as well. In comparison, all local forces in Sector S had announced a cease fire to their civil war and became united as one to resist against the foreign forces. What greatly excited the big forces was that there were news of the star map pieces of Aurelios Cage. Cillin suspected that these people had already guessed that the star map pieces would show up from the beginning, which was why they had appeared one after another. What did surprise Cillin however, was that Mist and Merciless had become quiet ever since they had made their appearance at that grade one prison planet. In fact, they had not even participated in the competition for the star map pieces later. If Cillin hadnt experienced the assault himself, he would not have known at all that the two veteran hitman organisations who had kept a low profile for dozens of years had actually shown up in Sector S. Leaving aside Mist and Merciless, Grim Reaper also hadnt participated in the battle for the star map pieces despite having made a high-profile appearance. Im guessing that theyre just not interested in the appearance of the star map pieces. Not all of them are interested in the five Aurelios. In Genesis Mythos, the five fingers of God that locked down the five Aurelios each represented courage, nascence, paradise, redemption and evolution. In reality, the five corresponding star maps also represented five different objects. The Aurelio that represented courage in Genesis Mythos was White Night in reality. It was an omnipotent energy and the desire of many Hunter regiments, adventurers and military armies who often travelled around the universe. Meanwhile, the Aurelio that represented redemption was the Gods Tear Lung and his family needed. Now then: which star map piece exactly had appeared in Sector S? No matter which it might be among the remaining three Aurelios, neither Mist, Merciless nor Grim Reaper had joined the battle for it. This meant that they were uninterested in this new Aurelio, and it also meant that they had the star map pieces they needed. Cillin did not know which category the star map piece in his possession belonged to either, but right now he did not have the ability to participate in this competition. Lung adjusted their course and made up his mind to leave Sector S. Sigh. At first I thought that at worst the great four and some families would show up and make a riot, but who knew that the veteran forces that had stayed low key for dozens of years would all show up. Lung mumbled to himself while lying on his chair. Other than the great four, some adventurers and the military, there werent that many people who participated in that struggle fifty years ago. So why was it considered the dividing line of an era? Cillin asked. Lung swirled the wine inside his glass and said slowly, I once asked my beloved grandfather fox the same question. He said that it was a coincidence. A coincidence? Yes, a coincidence. Although this is just my grandfather personal opinion, I actually agree with him now looking at the current situation. Every force is as sly as a fox, and they had all made latter plans after the coincidence. They are all forces who are well versed in hibernating, and once these veteran forces had hibernated the once smaller forces all grew up to become stronger. Naturally, the new forces couldnt help but be brash and even arrogant with their power, when in reality they might not be able to withstand a single blow once the powerful veterans that had come out of their seclusion. Just watch, the forces in certain areas are going to be purged clean once we got out. Cillin did not care to ponder about whether other forces would be facing a purge now. When he head back, he would still have to continue bearing the responsibility of a lieutenant commander. At the very least, he must ensure his growth as quickly as possible. His strength was still insufficient. Cillin rubbed the curled leaf pattern on his finger. Back in those days, he was just a lone, powerless stranger who knew little about GAL. But even after he joined Vanguard, took up the burden of a lieutenant commander and met many powerful people, he still had nothing on the Elder Tree Fuji Gen Family. Now that he looked at this from a different point of view, Cillin decided that he still needed to continue developing himself, see more place and meet more people. So Jiada didnt know about the Gen Family. What about the others? One of those veteran forces who had existed for hundreds and thousands of years in the galaxy had to know something, right? The lieutenant commander rank was far from sufficient. He needed to enter the heart of the Vanguards A Squadron before he could come in contact with wider information. Chapter 178: Leaving Sector S [Part 2] Chapter 178: Leaving Sector S [Part 2] On the way away from Sector S, both Cillin and Lung were making their own plans. After Lung was done making his own plans, he loosened up by a lot once more. He was just about to order his robots to prepare some fine meals to reward his own brain when he raised his head and saw those two idiots not far away from him. Since Scarlet Wind was self-learning, some relaxing music was being released from the educational video. The sound wasnt loud. Scarlet Wind cheerfully wagged his tail while listening to the music, whereas the gray cat was swaying its fat butt following the rhythm. Yo, Wheeze. You dancing or what? Lung smiled. The gray cat continued to dance without even turning its head around, Yeah. You all look as depressed as a rock. If this continues then youd really become a rock. It was referring to Cillin and Lung not exactly holding their heads high and talking much due to harboring certain thoughts after the events they went through. The gray cat was feeling pretty resentful when it got back. Alright. We should be leaving soon going by the plan. Ill take you guys someplace and fully entertain ourselves once we got out of this Sector. Lung said generously. Theres no need. You simply need to pay off our compensation. Weve accompanied you and journeyed through Sector S for this mission, and this mission should be considered complete once we got out of the Sector, right?We should be paid in full soon after the mission is finished, right? Lungs eyebrows rose, You guys joining me on a visit to Sector S may as well be a holiday trip. You guys also picked up a companion, used and ate my stuff on the starship for free, and speaking of consumption youre the one who ate the most out of our fresh stock. You sure have the nerve to say that when what you ate a full sum of several tens of thousands credits! The gray cat didnt care about these, Ive seen the contract before. You said that youd be covering all of our basic needs, and you did not put a limit on consumption level either. Dont forget, you should bank in our money as soon as possible. Interest will be added if you delay payment! Lung paused for a moment before saying, Wheeze, why dont you come to the Andrea Family and help me? We can go earn money, a lot of money, and when it is time Ill install a large aquarium for you. The aquarium will be holding the fishes you love to eat, which you can eat whenever youre feeling hungry. Mm, a big villa is also necessary. It will be filled with beautiful queens*, and *female cats The gray cats whiskers were straight at this point. It turned around to glare at Lung and interrupt him, How dare you think so vulgarly of my taste! The corner of Lungs mouth twitched non-stop as he listened to its reply. Im sorry, just how noble did you think your tastes truly are, sir cat? It so happened that Cillin had just finished his activities inside the training room and walked into the control room, and so Lung told him, Cillin, your cat is just too outrageous. Cillins eyes stated and you only realize that now? then he said, You havent seen its more outrageous moments yet. The moment Cillin recall the cat battling Rikulab to a dance-off at Dance Night, he would experience a ah, this monsters Dao is so deep moment. Cillin, that kids trying to renege on his debt! the gray cat raised its chin slightly, lifted a forelimb and pointed its paws at Lung. Cillin poured a bottle of water down his throat and answered, Let him. According to the agreement, we can roll up more interest if he reneges. Without another word, Lung took out a bill and scribbled a series of numbers on it. Once he was done, he slapped the bill onto the gray cats head and said, This young master has nothing except one thing: hes so poor all he has left is money! The gray cat pulled the bill off its head with its paws and gave it a close look. Scarlet Wind also came closer for a look, and the gray cat took the opportunity to teach it how to read a bill. Reading bills was the first skill the gray cat learned when it first encountered Cillin. It was a thing that affected the cats entire lifetime. The gray cat nodded in satisfaction after it saw the numbers on the bills. In fact, it even checked the bills digital barcode and secret orders, pissing off Lung so much that he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. This motherf*cker actually suspected the authenticity of his bills!! After the inspection, the gray cat help the bill in his mouth and jumped onto Cillins shoulder. It raised a paw and patted Cillins head, I want to buy fish biscuits once we get the money! Sure, do it! Cillin nodded. Hehe. the gray cat was so happy that it leaped onto the table and continued twisting its fat butt while humming a small tune rhythmically. Lung walked over to Cillin and tapped him once with his elbow, Your cat has turned into a demon. Its also a glutton too. Cillin answered with a smile as he cast a glance at the cat. Are you going to push for the Sixth B Squadrons strong development once you get back? Lung asked. I am a lieutenant commander right now, the majority of the work is still done by the commander. I still have to increase my own strength as much as possible. Youve risen quickly enough already. Sigh, to think that I am the lousiest out of the four of us now. Ci Jincheng is actually one hell of a dark horse, you know. There was one time we competed shooting skills and I lost a million credits to him. Since then Ive decided that I would not compete shooting with him ever again. Its no different from gifting him the money outright. Lung complained. Cillin gave Lung a kick, Keep talking. Youre not much better than him when it comes to being a dark horse. Unexpectedly, Lung did not object to Cillins statement, Sigh. What can I do? Im the Andrea Familys first young master. Keep up your low profile. Of course. Lung had never revealed his true strength. Outsiders knew that young master Lungs family produced a lot of high-tech product, and this was obvious from the items he used in his daily activities. However, it was also these high-tech products that had obscured everyones vision and acted as a shroud that hid Lungs true strength from prying eyes. Cillin knew that Lung was in fact very strong, but this guy would not easily expose his strength unless absolutely necessary. His identity as the future successor of the great business family, Andrea, was obvious for anyone to see, so the more strength he managed to conceal from prying eyes, the greater his chance of survival. Just like how it was back at Seven Lights, there were many things that did not need to be said out loud. It was fine as long as they knew it inside their hearts. Since the route they chose to leave through went around the hot zones, they safely exited Sector S despite spending a little bit more time. The conflicts in Sector S would probably continue for a while, but they were no longer within Cillin and Lungs considerations. Right now, they all had their own respective plans to fulfill. A spaceplane left the starship. This spaceplane was robbed and not a property of the Andrea Family, so after they bid Lung goodbye Cillin took the gray cat and Scarlet Wind on the spaceplane with him and flew out of the starship. Cillin, are we returning the Sector K directly? the gray cat looked to be in a good mood. Yeah. Weve hung around Sector S for quite some time already. Once we got back, the B Squadron would probably undergo a consolidation before continuing onto the next phase of the plan. This could also be considered as a new a start for the Sixth B Squadron. We also have new squad members such as Udoze, Rikulab and Scarlet Wind. The rest of the B Squadron commanders will also be introducing some new squad members too since supplies need to be replenished every time a consolidation is done. Our B Squadron is the strongest! the gray cat said with a lot of pride. Cillin smiled, Yes, we are the strongest. Along the way, the gray cat talked about some of the B Squadrons members under Cillin to Scarlet Wind. The people he talked about were strictly limited to Tang Qiuqiu and a few other familiar faces. As for the rest? It never noticed any of them at all. Scarlet Wind was feeling a little apprehensive and nervous, but the bigger part of his emotion was still eagerness. Cillin turned his head back and continued to pilot the spaceplane after casting a glance at the duo. Manpower and talent; combat strength and technology were absolutely necessary for the development of the squadron. As for Sector S, he would come back and revisit it if he had the chance in the future. Chapter 179: Stay-at-Home Dad Cary [Part 1] Chapter 179: Stay-at-Home Dad Cary [Part 1] At the hall, Cary was emanating with anger, resentment and low pressure as he sat there with an ashen face. There were four fellows crouched in front of him. From left to right, they were the gray cat Wheeze, Scarlet Wind, Snowball and Dough. The gray cat was licking its paws and wiping its whiskers, cleaning up the dredges of food around its mouth. It paid no heed to the low pressure surrounding Cary at all. Scarlet Wind wagged his tail somewhat nervously, keeping his head bowed and casting a glance at Cary from time to time. He looked like he acknowledged his errors slightly. Snowball looked charmingly naive, and on the outside he looked simple and honest. In reality, everyone who knew this white fatso understood that it was just a front, and that it had a bellyful of evil tricks up its sleeves. It learned from Dough and was getting naughtier and naughtier. As for Dough, the chameleon was long since hardened by many similar experiences. It would play pretend or grovel when need be, looking more innocent than even Cary himself. The moment Cary saw their appearances, the blue veins on his head bulged and pulsed. He had only gone out to race fighters with Udoze for a short while, but when he came back he discovered that his storage cabinet was three kinds of empty C eaten, drunk, and carried away completely. Words could not describe his fury when he swept a glance across Snowball. Recently, this white fatso had learned how to store food like a hamster. Cary thought that the reason this white fatsos mouth had become so big was because it was stuffed with food. While holding his forehead, Cary said in a heavy tone, Tell me, why the hair are you guys always targeting my storage cabinet? Xiao Shang, Ba Dao and Beaver had plenty of food in their storage cabinets too, hadnt they? You think Im easy to trifle with, huh? Dough blinked. It did not know how to speak, but this little devil was the origin of it all. It continued to feign innocence. Who opened the lock? Cary asked. Ever since he came back to Sector K he had changed the lock three times already. He had even purposely acquired a so-called high security lock from the A Squadron not long ago, or he would not have let down his guard in recent days. As a result, the sight that greeted him when he returned was an empty storage cabinet. He was wrong, he truly was. He should not have let down his guard especially after this gray cat had returned. When these fellows were gathered as one, they were literally no different from scourges who found the backing of several organizations! The trio on the right looked at the unperturbed gray cat at the leftmost corner in unison upon hearing Carys question. The corner of Carys eyes jumped at the sight. He knew that it would be the cat. Cary loved and hated the gray cat at the same time. It did save its life once, but god if this fellow wasnt infuriating. Cary thought for a while before asking, Wheeze, I gotta ask. Did Cillin abuse you and not feed you? No. the gray cat was very calm and undaunted. Then why are you emptying out my storage cabinet with them?! Thats because Dough and Snowball said that you have specialty food from Sector K. I havent eaten much specialty food from Sector K; at the very least I havent eaten the stuff in your storage cabinet before. the gray cat said without any self-consciousness that it had committed a mistake at all. Carys eyebrows jumped. He stepped right onto the tail of Dough who was just about to escape, before grabbing onto Snowballs big face, You two Dong! Dong! Cary gave each pet a chop to the forehead. Snowball clutched its head with its fat palms and looked aggrieved, whereas Dough slowly slid down the wall as its flat body began to recover in pitiful fashion. Enough with the old tricks! after Cary gave Snowball and Dough a good fixing*, he turned towards Scarlet Wind and advised patiently, Scarlet Wind, you mustnt learn from these two naughty fellows. Let me teach you a saying called proximity to pitch makes you black. Breaking into someones cabinet and stealing their food is wrong! You should not do it! *basically means beat up Scarlet Wind wagged his tail and cocked his head. He seemed to be digesting Carys words. After the gray cat had licked its paws, it looked at Cary and asked, Cary, why are the stuff on this planet so expensive? Isnt this Vanguards headquarters? How can they treat their own members like this? On this planet, the prices of a lot of food were doubled or even multiplied many times, so the gray cat felt miserly after it saw the food price. The amount of allowance Cillin gave it was limited, and it really wasnt worth spending on these items. That was why these fellows had gone to rob Cary at the beckon of Doughs tail. In reality, every B Squadron was expected to prepare its own food and etc, and only medical and some other facilities fell under public use. The lay in of supplies and wealth were all a test to the B Squadrons. The general census is that capable B Squadrons are self-sufficient and able to maintain a relatively abundant amount of wealth. Those who arent self-sufficient would have no choice but to pay an even greater price in exchange for their needs. I see. How stingy of them! the gray cat said with a flick of its ears. This isnt stinginess. If you wish to buy large sums of food, the best way is still getting on a spaceplane and buying it from someplace outside. Ten squads couldnt feed someone with your appetite, you know. Although these four fellows looked pretty small, they were in fact all ravenous gluttons. Doughs food intake was three times its own weight, whereas the gray cat, Scarlet Wind and Snowball were all beings of great metabolism. Right now Snowball was almost sixty centimeters in height when it stood upright. Its growth could be said to be extremely speedy. Cary had already gone out on a spaceplane midway to shop for supplies, but he did not factor in the appearance of the gray cat and Scarlet Wind. Right now Scarlet Wind was in the process of growing, and his food intake was evenly matched with Snowballs. Cary pondered and thought that he might have to go out on a big shopping spree again. Suddenly, a strange look flushed over Carys face as he gave himself a slap. F*ck! If Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu themselves did not care about their pets, then why the hair am I putting so much thought into this? Doesnt that make me a stay-at-home dad?! Scarlet Wind looked at Snowball and Dough and figured that their words were pretty accurate. Stay-at-home dad Cary was pretty easy to deceive, although there seemed to be a slight problem with his psyche. He didnt think that Cary would slap his own face. When Cary looked at the four fellows interacting with each other through their eyes, he waved his hands helplessly and said, Get out of here already, my stomach aches every time I see your faces. Scarlet Wind, Snowball, the exam to test your level of your culture is about to arrive. If you fail it your salary will be deducted, and considering that your salaries are already in the red, hmph hmph, when the time comes there wont be my storage cabinet for you guys to empty out. Scarlet Wind and Snowball had been learning about culture as of late. Although they hadnt learned for long, they improved pretty quickly. An exam would be prepared for them in a few days, but the standard of the exam would not be reduced just because they were beginners. The exams difficulty was at the level of intermediate education, and it was also the reason why these two rather intelligent creatures had had their salaries deducted to the negatives. Vanguard members were not without pay even during the recovery period of their five-year mission, and every official member was paid a steady salary. The only two members in the entire Sixth B Squadron whose salary were deducted into negatives were Snowball and Scarlet Wind. The exams level of difficulty was set by Cillin himself. He believed that they would be able to catch up very soon judging from the level of development of their brains. Cillin had been feeling a sense of urgency ever since the trip to Sector S, and there was a necessity to integrate these two fellows into the squad as soon as possible. Otherwise, a hiccup might arise when they were out on a mission later. Snowball and Scarlet Wind went to the study room to study. The gray cat and Dough also followed after them: one to teach, and one to enjoy where the crowd was. After the four fellows had left, Cary got up and went out to inhale some fresh air and exhale the stale air in his chest. He felt as if he had gotten old having to face these little bastards every day. To his surprise, the second he got out of his room he saw Xiao Shang, Beaver and the others coming back from outside. Yo, stay-at-home dad! You done lecturing the kids? Xiao Shang said laughingly. Cary felt the string known as rationality in his head snapping with a dull noise, Youre a stay-home-dad! Youre all stay-home-dads! Your whole life and your past life and your future life have been stay-home-dads! Hey, isnt it good that theyre close to you? You should know that Snowball and Scarlet Wind are already very strong even before they grow up completely. Once they do, your backing would be most impressive. Mm. Speaking of which, Scarlet Wind is starting to feel more and more like a human. Just yesterday I saw him unlocking a retro lock with impressive smoothness. Beaver said. The corner of Carys eyes twitched yet again. Opening a lock? I have a bad feeling about this Chapter 179: Stay-at-home Dad Cary [Part 2] Chapter 179: Stay-at-home Dad Cary [Part 2] At the researching building of the Sixth B Squadrons base. Cillin and Rikulab were conducting a research. Cillin had brought back a lot of good stuff from his journey this time. The alien bacteria he brought back from another planet had already undergone a colony expansion, and there was also the bacterial strain he brought back from the grade one prison planet. Although they had perished extremely quickly in that prisons environment, Cillin had frozen and preserved them through a special method and brought them back to the B Squadrons research lab. Ever since they discovered the special energy ores at Sector Z, Shawton had gained some confidence when standing among other squadron commanders. However, that merit alone wasnt enough. Right now, the only person whose good news could give him a pleasant surprise was Cillin. The recruitment of both Rikulab and Udoze greatly pleased Shawton, and now Scarlet Wind had joined the party as well. That little mixed blood fellow had unusually strong attack power. The duo roughly discussed about the squadrons situation, and Cillin also learned some news about Sector S from Shawton. Its not just Sector S. The undercurrents of several other Sectors are turbulent as well. Just the day before a top ten hitman organisation on the ranking board had been taken out without leaving a single man alive. Vanguard had sent someone to confirm the news, but no one knows what the real situation is. This was a wake-up call to everyone, reminding them that they had gotten too used to the easy and comfortable days for the past dozens or so years. It was mortifying for the new forces to realise that they did not even have the ability to retaliate when the veterans show up. While Vanguard didnt fare that badly, it is necessary for us to preserve a level of caution. So it is chaotic outside now? Cillin asked. No, not really. Only a certain number of forces C a few small hunter regiments and hitman organisations C were struck by calamity. The great four are still doing okay. Cillin suddenly recalled something and said, The men at Dias side have almost fully recovered, but dont you think we should send someone to get them looking at the current situation? The major treatments had already been completed, and they would be spending the rest of their time on recuperation. Considering the situation is somewhat complicated right now, it may be better if we take them back into the squad. Dias and the others were just treated not long ago, and they had not fully recovered just yet. No one knows if an enemy of Vanguard would attack them where they were. Shawton thought for a moment and replied, Thats fine. Discuss this with the rest of the lieutenant commanders and just report the results to me later. Got it. After breaking off the connection, Cillin stood at the corridor and watched the faraway sceneries instead of returning immediately to his house. They had failed to set a fire at Sector S, and had returned after just wandering around for a bit. The fact that he was unresigned with this result was a matter of course. The combined strength of Lung and him was just too weak, and their thoughts were far too simple compared to the two veteran hitman organisations Mist and Merciless, and that special organisation that was a headache even to the government, Grim Reaper. It was only when they had actually visited Sector S that they realised the places they could interfere with were far too few. When they had visited the grade one prison planet they nearly threw their insignificant lives away, and when they had gone to the grade three prison planet they were told to leave quickly before they managed to do much at all. Both the development of the veteran forces overall combat strength and new technology were at an incredibly rapid state. More often than not they would stun the world in a single brilliant feat. Now, he was back at Vanguards base, resting and recuperating. Going by the squadrons plan, some of the inessential distant voyage missions were stopped temporarily until the situation stabilises. However Practice was necessary if he were to grow strong as soon as possible. Cillin sought out the other lieutenant commanders and explained the situation over Dias side briefly. Although the lieutenant commanders all agreed to his plan, they were hesitant when the topic of who to send to pick them up were brought up. Moreover, this matter was considered an issue within the Sixth B Squadron themselves, and going by the rules, the A Squadrons would not lend them a hand. This meant that they had lost the big protective umbrella that was the A Squadrons, and the situation had become a lot more dangerous. Every commander had some elite units of their own, but no one wanted to head out and test the waters themselves knowing how messy the situation outside was right now. They had spent a lot of effort to preserve this group of elite units, and they were reluctant to set them loose and risk losing them. Cillin had predicted the lieutenant commanders reaction from the start. He tapped the table with his finger and said, Actually, I already have a list of candidates in mind. All thats left is to pass the decision. Cillin, who are you going to send to pick them up? Zaya Kasa asked. Zaya Kasa was more on the conservative side in regards to this matter. Although she also wanted Asiya and the others to return safely as soon as possible, she was hesitant when it came to appointing someone specifically for this task. After all, she hadnt been appointed as a lieutenant commander for too long, and some of the decisions she made in some matters just could not be considered bold. I will be leading a team myself personally. A big number of personnel isnt necessary; my team alone will be enough. There arent many people who are still in treatment at Sector E right now, and they number about fifty or so people. A middle sized spaceplane will be sufficient for the task. That being said, the armaments and the allocation of fighters of this spaceplane must be high level. Of course the spaceplane must be given high level equipment. Akayi said, However, dont you think that just the few of you are It wont be a problem. If even we cant handle it, then it wont matter even if we add more people into the mission. after a pause, Cillin smiled and said, The truth is I find my team a little too idle these days, and I plan to take them out to get some fresh air. We may not necessary run into trouble if we head out either. The news brought back by the A Squadrons came from many different Sectors, and they appear extremely serious only because they are gathered together. There shouldnt be a problem if we are just picking up our men from Sector E. Judging from the current information they possessed, Cillin thought that Mist and Merciless were mainly targeting a number of hitman organizations, and Grim Reaper so far had continued to maintain radio silence. As long as these three organisations didnt pop up, he did not believe that the situation would become too dangerous for Vanguard. Besides that, Cillin thought that this was an opportunity to train his team members even if they did run into some trouble. In this era where the strong come and go constantly, they would only be left farther and farther back if they could not catch up with the times. This was not what Cary and the others wanted as well. In fact, Cillin had noticed that Cary and the others werent doing too well these days. Tang Qiuqiu would fall asleep at the shooting range, whereas Udoze would habitually put his finger on the attack buttons multiple times while piloting a fighter. These were all reflections of their true thoughts. Fledglings had to leave their nests eventually. After the lieutenant commander meeting was done, Cillin summoned the combat personnel in his team and confirmed the list of participants on a mainly voluntary basis. Cillin would be leading the 10 man team consisting of Cary, Beaver, Eudy, Xiao Shang, Ba Dao, Tang Qiuqiu, Udoze, Rikulab and Scarlet Wind. Dough would absolutely appear where Eudy was, Snowball would absolutely appear where Tang Qiuqiu was, and the gray cat would absolutely appear where Cillin was. Cary thought on the inside: at least the food Ive recently stocked up in the bases storage cabinet would not be emptied out this time. Inside a building within the domain of the A Squadrons base. I knew it. It is that kid. He is the only one who has some drive in him out of everyone else in the Sixth B Squadron now. Chapter 180: The Angel in White Who Eats Beautifying Pig’s Trotters [Part 1] Chapter 180: The Angel in White Who Eats Beautifying Pigs Trotters [Part 1] For the trip to receive Dias and the others, Cillins team kept a very low profile. They did not put any representative signs on the spaceplane, and the badge Udoze polished brightly every day was strung up with a chain and worn inside his clothes just like Tang Qiuqiu. It was not that they were afraid. It was just better to minimise as much conflict as possible at such a time. We need to keep a low profile this time. this was what Cillin had told them before they departed. Although they were going to execute this mission with a low profile, Udozes excitement was palpable since this was his first time participating in a mission. Rikulab had originally planned to continue researching antibiotics at the Sixth B Squadrons base, but since Cillin and the others were heading out he too decided to put down his research temporarily and visit Sector E along the way. So many years had passed by. How far had the Sector known for its medical science developed? Scarlet Wind was dressed in a very cute childrens clothing. These were the clothes Cary had purchased along the way while he was buying new clothes for Tang Qiuqiu. Scarlet Winds height was almost the same as Tang Qiuqiu, and since the clothes looked rather nice he just bought them along with Tang Qiuqius. they did look pretty suitable on Scarlet Wind after he wore it. One had to admit that had Cary had the tendency to become a stay-at-home dad. Currently, the two little fellows wearing childrens clothes, Scarlet Wind and Tang Qiuqiu were talking to each other. Tang Qiuqiu was telling Scarlet Wind about Dias with Snowball hanging behind he back. It would see that it was well familiar with this posture considering that it hadnt fallen off her back yet. They had already informed Dias, and once they arrived Dias would probably have gathered the men together already. The operation plan looked fairly simple, but no one could see if they might run into some bad luck. Cillins team arrived at a district planet of Sector E following the coordinates Dias had provided them. This was not the most central part of Sector E. Although Dias had received his treatment at the central zone, he was transferred to this planet after his core treatment was complete. This also meant that they avoided some of the complications that might have arisen had they gone to the central zone. After all, Dias was the former lieutenant commander of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. With Asiya, another former lieutenant commander by his side as well, they might haven ran into bigger complications if someone who had enmity with Vanguard were to think maliciously towards them. They might as well find a quieter place to receive their treatment and recuperate in peace. After parking the spaceplane at the parking zone of the port and paying the security fee, Cillin led the team towards the place Dias had mentioned. The second Rikulab got off the spaceplane, he frowned, What a strong chemical smell. Udoze shrugged and said, I dont smell anything, but I do feel a little cold. In reality, the sunlight was pretty strong today. But for some reason, they couldnt help but feel a little solemn, oppressed and cold despite the good weather. This is how Sector E is. It is just like a huge hospital, and you have just stepped through its front door. Cillin said. Cary and the others subconsciously shivered at his words. They hated hearing the word hospital the most. It just didnt feel right. (E\n: Are they 5 years old?) This planet was slightly quieter than the few planets they passed by. There werent many hospitals on this planet, and most of them were subsidiaries of some large and reputable hospitals. They were mainly focused on aftertreatment. The planets main hue was white and green. It was the white of cleanliness, and the green of life. After exiting the port, the group became a lot quieter. No one knew if it was because of the planets atmosphere. In reality, this planet was much better than the other planets already. Partings and reunions could be seen everywhere on those planets that were mainly focused on core treatments and emergency rescues. There, death filled every nook and cranny at every moment. Those people who were screaming in pain and helplessness would affect the mood of others around them. True to its medical environment, the food here paid stronger emphasis on nutrition and recuperation. Although their taste might not necessarily be great, the important thing was that they were healthy. Some additives were not allowed in this place. They took a circle line train and got off at a station. They only needed to walk for the rest of the road. All flying cars except hospital use vehicles were forbidden from entering the aftertreatment area. At first, Scarlet Wind was a little nervous. After all, he thought that he was somewhat different from the people around him. He gradually calmed down, however. Although some people found Scarlet Winds appearance a little novel, they did not pay him any extra attention. After all, there were plenty of different races in a place with better development like this one. No one gave Ba Dao six exposed arms a second glance, and there were countless people who had a tail behind their backs. Although the average human was the dominant human population on this planet, no one would give a stranger too much attention as long as they didnt look too unusual. Scarlet Wind began to grow lively after he realised that he wouldnt be treated as a monster. He curiously stared at the surrounding buildings, and those white single function robots and the flying cars in the air. Oh, its here. Cillin pointed at a big door and said. The door plate on the door was labeled pretty clearly. It was none other than the subsidiary recovery center Dias had pointed them to. Dias and a few others were having their aftertreatment at this place. Cillins group entered the recovery center after they had scanned their identities. Still, isnt this recovery center a little too big? Xiao Shang stared. A wide lawn stretched as far as the eyes could see. Buildings were scattered sporadically across the land. There were bamboo racks, forests, wooden benches and gardens etc. When the patients were bored, they would come out to relieve their boredom and exercise a little. It looks like those patients are all feeling pretty great. Xiao Shang said. Ba Dao cast him a glance, You can come here often in the future then. In that case, never mind. Following to the minute address Dias had provided them, after Cillins group had learned the distribution of the buildings from a navigation robot, the robot then led them to the Area 16 Dias was staying in. The recovery center had plenty of areas, and every area had a corresponding setup of sick wards, personnel and so on. In reality, the areas were only partitioned by some small fences. They werent too enclosed, and sometimes people from different areas would gather together to interact with each other. The recovery center was a rather monotonous place already, so it could get boring if there was no one around to chat with. The navigation robot left after taking them to Area 16. Cillin searched the room with the door plate number Dias had provided him, but found no one inside. After he asked the people in charge of this area, they said that he had probably gone out for business or hadnt returned yet from their outdoor trip. Here in the recovery center, patient rules were not strict as long as the patients were out of danger. The patients also enjoyed a lot of freedom at this place, although of course they must all return by night time. Lets go out someplace and take a seat. We can eat something while we wait. Cillin checked the time and said. The group agreed, but did not look like they have much appetite for food. After all, although this place was just a recovery center, they were not completely unaffected by it. They couldnt help but feel oppressed by their surroundings. Area 16 had a specialised cafeteria, but there werent many people in it since it wasnt lunch time. Cillins group found a large table near a forest and ordered a few meals to enjoy during the meantime. The group hadnt chatted for too long before a person came to a small, round table not far away from them. Specifically speaking, this person was a tall and slender beautiful woman. Her long hair were casually tied together at the back, and her countenance looked a little abstruse. The small, upward tug at the outer corner of her eyes made her look like she was smiling all the time, and she carried with her a heroic spirit instead of the delicacy of a common female. Her bearing was pretty strong. She wore a white medical use coat and looked more like a doctor than a nurse. Wah, an angel in white! Xiao Shang said like he was hiding a great secret. She has a pretty good figure. Cary and the others also echoed his words. The angel in white on the other side raised her head and cast a glance at Cilins group. Without an expression, she withdrew her gaze and sat down on her seat. She stretched a hand into her pockets and fondled around for a bit, taking out a tiny, palm-sized white rabbit. The rabbits ears were drooping. It was probably bred this way. Chapter 180: The Angel in White Who Eats Beautifying Pig’s Trotters [Part 2] Chapter 180: The Angel in White Who Eats Beautifying Pigs Trotters [Part 2] The rabbit looked a little dazed even after it was put on top of the table. It had probably just woken up. After the angel in white had put down the little rabbit, she then ordered some meals from a service robot that came flying to her direction. Before long, the service robot had served her meals. In reality, only three plates served on top of the table. There was a plate of fresh carrots, white radishes, red carrots etc and many other types of radishes that formed a radish collection. There was also a simple plate of steamed wheat buns. Finally, there was a large plate of beautifying pigs trotters that did not belong here. They did not know what kind of pig it was, but a single trotter was as large as a watermelon. There were at least eight trotters in the plate, and they were all sprinkled with sauce. The dish was supposed to be very aesthetically beautiful, but Cillin and the others couldnt help but feel a little ache in their stomachs. The little rabbit grew spirited after it saw the radish collection. It happily jumped next to the plate and started eating and grinding its food with its small teeth and iconic three-lipped mouth. It was eating very energetically. Meanwhile, that angel in white picked up a steamed bun and swallowed it in one go. Then, she picked up her knife and fork and began eating that jumbo beautifying pigs trotters of hers. One must admit that the angel in whites fingers were very beautiful, and the way she used her table knife was an art in itself. Agilely, she cut the meat off the big pigs trotter with the table knife before picking the meat up with the fork and delivering it into her mouth. There were many people who did not use table knives when eating pigs trotters because they found it more troublesome than not. However, the way this angel in white used a table knife to eat them looked pretty pleasing to the eye, giving off the impression that this was how people were supposed to eat pigs trotters in the first place. Of course, this would not be the case if she was a different person. The reason that this scene was filled with aesthetic beauty was due to the person using the table knife. The group basically busied themselves by watching the angel in white and her little rabbit eating their own meals. Their own meals on the table were barely touched. Half an hour later, the whole plate of beautifying pigs trotters were cleaned out and fully eaten. The angel in white gracefully picked up a napkin, wiped her mouth and began drinking the drink served by the service robot. On her opposite side, the little rabbit hadnt finished one quarter of its radishes yet, and it would probably be done by the time she finished her drink. Hi, pretty! Xiao Shang was pretty straightforward, and he greeted the woman the moment she turned around to look at their direction. However, his greeting was incredibly frivolous. Hi, handsomes! the angel in white replied with a smile. Although it was obviously a similar type of greeting, her aura was so overbearing that Xiao Shangs smile was a little stiff. Good knife skills. Cillin raised his cup in toast and finished the alcoholic beverage inside in one go. The angel in white simply smiled and took a careless sip of her drink in response. Cillin did not mind the gesture, and instead looked towards Rikulab. He knew what Rikulab was thinking right now. It would seem that the so-called recovery zone wasnt as peaceful as it seemed. Youve just finished an operation? Rikulab asked. He frowned slightly instead of smiling, Why is an emergency rescue operation like this still necessary in the recovery zone? The angel in white looked at him with a somewhat surprised expression after she had heard Rikulabs words. She could glean from the groups expressions that Cillin and Rikulab had guessed correctly that she had just finished an operation, whereas Cary and the others were surprised by the revelation. The angel in white nodded, Yeah, in reality there are no such things as absolutes even in the recovery zone. Although theoretically speaking a patient here is considered to have escaped danger, and they only need to undergo late stage supplementary treatment and rehabilitative exercises, nothing is absolute in this world. The outcome depends and varies according to the person. That means that you are a very good doctor. Cillin praised. Although the woman had changed a new coat, the odor of chemicals were still present. The odor revealed that the surgery she performed was the kind that belonged under major surgery procedures and emergency rescue operations. Moreover, an operation like this was extremely exhausting and could not be taken over by robots. It was no wonder that the woman had eaten such a large plate of food after the operation. However, Cillin guessed that this woman was probably the surgeon of the operation. Even if she wasnt, she would be a very important assistant. One must say that it was very rare to find a person with such abilities at such age. She was literally brimming with talent. The angel in white did not act modest and nodded at Cillins praise with a small smile on her face. Then, she continued to drink her beverage. By now Cary and the others were feeling more impressed than anything. Although the group was unwilling to hear words like doctor and so on most of the time, they really were impressed by her abilities. Plus, as combat personnel they were often hurt in battle, so they knew even better just how precious a good doctor was. Cary, Xiao Shang and the others made meaningful glances at Cillin. Lets get her over to our side, LC! Shes a talented person, and right now were sorely lacking in talented people! Although Rikulab would sometimes roleplay as a doctor, his real occupation was a medicine maker. Surgeries were something he seldom performed. That was why he very much agreed that they should absorb a doctor into their ranks too. There was a problem, however. Even if she was a very experienced doctor, whether she was willing to give up her work here and join Vanguard, and whether her moral standing was in the right place were very important questions to consider. A good doctor with shrewd hands could take a life without anyone noticing it. They could also make the death look like an accident and exclude themselves completely from the circle of responsibility. Naturally Cillin knew what was at stake here, and the same goes with Cary and the others. That was why they hadnt pushed the matter further. It was at this moment a clamor came from nearby. It was quite obvious that several youngsters were attacking an old man and a young kid. The leader of the youngsters were pointing at a stain on his sleeves and speaking loudly and domineeringly. The obscenities flying out of his mouth were so smooth that he probably said such things quite often daily. The youngsters were beating down on the old man on the floor. The old man was protecting a child in his lap, and the child was choking on his sobs already. No one came out to mediate the fight even though many people saw what was going on. They did not even dare to match eyes with the young man who led the group and left hurriedly. F*ck, how can there be such a terrible person! Cary got up and was about to head over. Xiao Shang and the others got ready to stand up as well. I advise that you do not head over and cause trouble, or more people will suffer because of this. the angel in white said. Why is that? Cillin asked. Anyone with a discerning eye would know that the incident was really trivial. It was probably the kid accidentally kicking a ball at the young mans sleeves and dirtying it as a result. That was why he was met with a terrible beating. If you dont interfere, the incident will pass after he vents on them. No lives will be threatened, and in fact that old man and the young kid will get even better treatment than before. However, if you interfered, not only will you fail to save that old man and young kid, you will attract quite a lot of trouble to yourself too. Cary was so troubled by this that his eyebrows had become knitted together. He had never liked such twists and turns. Cillin patted Carys shoulder to make him sit down. Xiao Shang and the others had also taken their seats once more as they stared in dissatisfaction at the event developing over the other side. The angel in white glanced somewhat in surprise at Cillin. She did not think that an incredibly young fellow like him would be leading these people, not to mention that he was far calmer than anyone else in the group. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something as she scrutinised Cillin and the others closely to the point they began to feel uncomfortable. Ahem, er, who might that bastard be? Cary said to divert her attention. The white dressed beauty withdrew her gaze and smiled contemptuously, He is the prince of this district. He fooled around with women too much outside to the point where he reeked of trouble, and his father sent him over to take refuge. Well, he took refuge and was safe from his troubles alright, but the people at the recovery center suffered as a result instead. If I was his father I wouldve choked the life out of him a long time ago! Cary said mercilessly while moving his fingers about as if he could actually feel that bastards neck. There are plenty of people who wants to choke him, but none has succeeded. the angel in white pointed at the robots hovering about in midair. Some of them were service robots, and some were navigation robots, At certain times, these robots would turn into zealous bodyguards. After all, this recovery center was established by his father, and he is very protective of his beloved son. Moreover, they share a lot of connections with the higher ups of that famous large hospital at Sector E this hospital is a subsidiary to. Therefore, as long as he doesnt kill someone, those people would not say a word. Doesnt that mean that theyve already eavesdropped on our criticisms? Beaver looked around and found the eyes of the service robots in the restaurant were shining with light. However, their attention were mainly focused at the clamor on the other side and not on the people at the dining tables. Its fine. As long as you dont act then nothing will come. There are countless people who backbite him. In that case, why are there still so many people who came here to undergo recovery treatment even though they obviously knew about his moral standing? Cillin asked. For the patients, the fee here is cheap. For the doctors, the salary here is high. the white dressed beauty answered. It was a very pragmatic question. For those people who were lacking in funds and qualifications, this place was without a doubt a very good choice. Isnt there a saying that evil has its retributions? Tang Qiuqiu spoke up. This was an idiom that she had learned after she came to Vanguard. Although this idiom would make a lot of people turn up their noses, she remembered it very well. Evil has its retributions? the white dressed beauty smiled as her eyes sparkled with unfathomable meaning. She said in a low voice, Perhaps. The beating on the other side was finally over, and the old man and young kid was carried away by a few medical personnel. According to the white dressed beautys words, these people would be getting better treatment for free. The young man who led the group continued to swear while talking, and he accepted a glass of water from his subordinate and abruptly poured it down his throat. However, because he drank the water too hastily, he had choked on the water instead. He couldnt stop the moment he started choking. In the end, the choking had turned so severe that he was hurried into the ICU by medical personnel. On top of the white dressed beautys dining table, the little rabbit flicked its drooping ears and jumped down to the chair. Then, it jumped down onto the ground and cast a glance at the white dressed beauty. Finally, it left the scene. The white dressed beauty stared at the leftover radishes in the plate and ignored the little rabbit who had jumped away from her. However, the corner of her lips had curled up a bit, and her eyes were serene and hidden in depth. Cary was just about to say something as he watched the rabbit. Cillin caught his attention with his eyes and shook his head. He then continued to eat his meal. Five minutes later, a disturbance broke out from the other side. Everyone, be it the doctors or the nurses all wore expressions that looked like they were facing the end of the world. Meanwhile, the little rabbit had returned before they knew it, jumping up the chair and the table before cleaning up the rest of its radishes. Chapter 181: Tico and Her White Rabbit [Part 1] Chapter 181: Tico and Her White Rabbit [Part 1] There were plenty of doctors dressed in white work uniform rushing over from other areas of the recovery center. Despite the sweat all over their heads they did not even bother wiping it and simply charged straight into the ICU, looking a lot more rushed than they normally would when performing an emergency rescue. Some nurses had even broken out in tears due to sheer anxiety. The building was probably filled with people. Some of the doctors and nurses who failed to force their way in were all walking circles with an anxious look on their faces. From time to time they would look inside and inquire the situation inside from the surrounding people. What happened over there? Cary asked. They all turned to look at the white dressed beauty. The question was directed at her to begin with. However, the white dressed beauty spread her arms and expressed that she did not know as well. Cillin and others looked at the strange expression on the white dressed beautys face before turning to look at the rabbit that was nibbling its radishes. They couldnt shake the feeling that they knew what was going on. The gray cat stared at the white rabbit not far away on the table. It could confirm that this little white rabbit was almost the same as a normal rabbit. Its constitution could only be considered as healthy, but it was not as special as Snowballs. Moreover, it could not detect any unusual energy fluctuations from the rabbit at all. To sum it up, this was just a normal miniature lop. However, it was this fellow that looked no different from a normal rabbit that gave the gray cat a strange feeling. The gray cat could not tell what this strange feeling was, but it felt absolutely strange regardless. Cillin was also staring at the rabbit on top of the table. If his eyes werent mistaken earlier, the rabbits eyes were slightly reddened when it returned. It was only when it jumped up the chair that they slowly returned to black. This rabbit was definitely connected to the incident going on the other side just now, but since the white dressed beauty wasnt willing to admit anything, they would not probe into this further. A spaceplane flew over ten minutes later. No one said anything even after it knocked off a corner of the building. Then, a long-shaped object was carried out from inside the building. Cillin and the others could only see that the container-like object was carried up to the spaceplane, but because there were a lot of people in the way they could not see exactly what it was. Whats that? Xiao Shang asked. The white dressed beauty did not explain. Rikulab took the lead instead. Commonly speaking, it is a device that could seal off a near dead person inside, but preserve the state of the person prior to the sealing. Sometimes the place a wounded was at lacked certain necessary life saving medicaments or equipment, and the doctors were incapable to do anything to save a life. In that case, they would seal the wounded inside a container like that one and transport them to another place with the proper qualifications to perform a follow-up rescue. So, you mean that container is holding someone whos about to die? Cary said. Rikulab looked at the departing spaceplane, It can be someone whos about to die. It can also be someone whose heart had just stopped not long ago. That could it be thats Xiao Shang saw the service robot who had left earlier returning and thus, did not voice out the latter half of his sentence. Instead, he gave everyone a meaningful glance. They all knew who Xiao Shang was going to say. He was referring to that arrogant young man who choked on water and was rushed into the ICU. While speaking, Cillin caught the glimpse of a figure. Dias is coming over! Where? Where? Cary, Xiao Shang and the others stopped discussing upon listening Cillins words. They hurriedly looked at their surroundings. Two people was walking over to them from afar. It was a man and a woman holding onto each other. They were none other than Dias and Asiya. LC ahem, big bro Dias. Cary called out to Dias the usual way out of habit, but then noticed that he had made a mistake. He hurriedly changed the way he addressed him, got up and ran towards Dias. Cary, Beaver and the others went over to greet Dias. Cillin ordered a few more meals that were suitable for recovering patients and added a few extra stools to the table. Long time no see! Dias came over and gave Cillin a big hug, We went out on a walk and missed you. His ripped arm had completed its process of directional induction and differentiation. He was recovering well too. There were a couple of ways to regain a ripped arm. One could perform a tissue culture using a specific tissue on ones body, and reconnect the arm with an operation once the arm was fully grown in vitro. One could also choose to perform a localised mono clone* and so on. However, these choices were all in vitro induction. Dias chose the most painful method of them all so that he would acquire the most perfect reconstruction of his arm, and that was the directional induction and differentiation of cells from his own body. *referring to the adjective monoclonal for those who are interested. I cannot find a noun to monoclonal so I did the next best thing that preserved the original wording. The directional induction and differentiation of cells would be performed where Dias had lost his arm during the core treatment. During this process, anesthesia could not be injected in order to accurately induce and mold the patients arm into full growth. The main body would have to endure all of the pain brought by the induction, and it wasnt a kind of pain that anyone could endure. It was also why more people were willing to accept in vitro induction and molding. However, the advantage of directional induction from ones main body was that the regrown arm would be more compatible with the main body. As a Hunter, it was obvious that an arm that was induced and regrown this way was more beneficial for Dias. Cillin gave him a thumbs up, You are a true man! Cary, Beaver, Xiao Shang and the others also echoed in agreement, A true man! however, their gazes looked as vulgar as one might imagine, sweeping back and forth repeatedly between Dias and Asiya. The men grew slightly more serious only after Asiya put on a stern face and glared at them. However, there was an obvious blush on her face, and her stern face was no longer as imposing as it was before. While Asiya wasnt paying attention, the men winked at Dias with a we completely understand expression. Aiyo, my beloved little Tang Qiuqiu, I miss you so much! Dias held Tang Qiuqiu and tossed her up into the air. Eh? Wow, this here is actually a real bear. Here I thought it was just a bear-shaped backpack. Dias looked at Snowball behind Tang Qiuqiu as he rubbed its head strongly and gave its round ears a pinch with a chuckle. Mm, the bear feels pretty comfortable to touch. God knows how much it ate to grow this fat. Snowball grinned while wearing a simple and honest face and said, Hello, big bro Dias! This time both Dias and Asiya were surprised. Even the white dressed beauty was staring at it curiously. This bear could actually speak! Their reactions caused Snowballs grin to grow even wider. Dont be fooled by this fellows face. In reality hes just a naughty kid thats as bad as Dough! Cary snorted. Dough opened its mouth wide and hopped once on top of Eudys shoulders, seemingly rebuking Carys claims, to which Cary had ignored directly. Therefore, when Cary had attempted to scoop a meatball with his spoon, Dough intercepted and stole the meatball with its long tongue in a flash. After swallowing it down his throat, Dough had even smacked its mouth and hid behind Beavers neck, poking its head out and showing off to Cary. May diarrhea claim your life! Cary said angrily. However, Dough was one of the most unusual variants among chameleons. It literally could eat anything be it cooked or raw, or it would not have instigated the gray cat and others to raid Carys storage cabinet so often. Cillin then introduced Udoze, Rikulab and Scarlet Wind briefly to Dias. Dias was very satisfied with their recruitment from the bottom of his heart, and to Beaver and the others, the fact that these people were able to satisfy Dias made them feel like that had eaten a pill of reassurance*. *it means what it says; very reassuring. Alright alright, come take a seat before we continue talking, boss. Im treating today, so just order anything else that you want, big bro, sister-in-law. Cillin smiled and said. Yeah, what do you guys want to eat, big bro and sister-in-law Cary failed to finish his sentence before Asiya made him swallow the rest of his words with a red-faced glare. Although Cary did not say anything further, the smile didnt fade from his face. Chapter 181: Tico and Her White Rabbit [Part 2] Chapter 181: Tico and Her White Rabbit [Part 2] Dias and Asiya did not sit down immediately. Instead, they looked towards the white dressed beauty. In reality, Cillin had noticed Dias and Asiyas attitude towards that white dressed beauty who had been sitting calmly at her seat and cared nothing about arousing suspicion at all since just now. The fact that Dias had expressed nothing about her presence informed Cillin that they actually knew each other. As expected, Dias smiled and pointed at the white dressed beauty and introduced her to Cillin and the others, This is Merzenich Tico*. She is a very impressive doctor. It is thanks to her that my arm healed this quickly. after he said this, Dias turned to Tico and said, Lets join tables, Tico. *In case you guys have forgotten, the reason her surname is in front of her actual name is because powerful families like Lung or Knight normally have their surnames at the front. Tico a.k.a that white dressed beauty looked at the white rabbit that was nibbling its last radish and answered, Its okay. You guys should go ahead and enjoy your meals. Once Little White is finished Ill be heading back to my place. Ive just finished a big operation and I need to rest. Well talk after youre rested then. Okay. Tico scooped up the white rabbit that had finished its meal and put it back into the big pocket of her white work coat. She left after telling Dias and the people around his table to take care. Wow, big bro Dias, is that beautiful lady really that good? Xiao Shang came closer and asked. This is all your bastards think about, isnt it!? Dias let out a laughing abuse and glanced meaningfully at the same time. Well talk later once we get back. That was why they had had only talked about Dias recovery status and how the others were doing at the dining table. The atmosphere of the dining table was rather relaxed once they heard that everyone was recovering quite nicely. After dinner was done, the small group gathered at Dias sick ward. They might call it a sick ward, but in reality the sick wards of this recovery center were pretty much the size an apartment. It didnt feel cramped even though there were a dozen or so people inside. After they sat down, Dias said, I heard some rumors when we returned earlier that the young master here was met with a mishap. They said that he was sent to the main hospital for treatment. Mm. We were all watching the incident unfold. Cillin retold the situation at the time to Dias briefly, We and that Dr. Tico were watching throughout the whole thing. However, Dr. Ticos rabbit ran out once midway. The moment Cillin brought up the rabbit, Asiya, who was smearing ointment on Dias body and giving him a massage raised the corner of her lips. That white rabbit doesnt look like its anything special. Cary said. His thoughts were mainly focused on the rabbits appetite. That plate of radishes wasnt plenty at all, and it wasnt even enough to fit in the gaps between the gray cat and Snowballs teeth. However, the rabbit had taken unusually long amount of time to finish it. This should be the normal appetite of a rabbit, right? The others were also paying attention to the conversation. If that is the case, then theres no way that young master will survive. Dias said with certainty. Oh? Cillin was very curious about this. Just like the gray cat, he could not figure out exactly what was strange about that rabbit. Constitution wise, the rabbit was not an alien. It probably couldnt even jump over a meter, and it could not endure weapons as well. But for some reason, Cillin couldnt help but think that the rabbit was very strange. After falling silent for a moment, Dias said, You all know that Im an atheist, but there are some things that science could not yet explain in this world. It may be because that our current technology hasnt reached the level where it can be explained just yet. Regardless, some of the stuff regarding that rabbit is pretty difficult to explain. Its that supernatural?! The crowd grew even more curious. The gray cat sat up on top of Cillins body and listened to Dias with straight ears. Dias did not explain immediately, Instead, he asked, You all know about the Watchers mentioned in Genesis Mythos, dont you? Cillin nodded. However, Scarlet Wind, the gray cat and Snowball did not know about this, and judging from Udoze and Tang Qiuqius expressions, they had no idea about the Watchers either. Therefore, Cillin explained to them, The Watchers of Genesis Mythos would stand guard beside the souls of those people of great sins and snatch away their souls, so that they will never be able to commit evil again. You you mean Cary felt a slight chill behind his back. Of course, its not nearly as supernatural as what was stated in Genesis Mythos, but the outcome of that rabbits appearance was about the same. Just as you guys have mentioned earlier, how could that young master possibly have choked on water and passed away just like that, and was irredeemable despite having so many medical instruments and experienced doctors around him? If its not soul snatching that what is it? Xiao Shang shook off the goosebumps on his body and asked. A coincidence! Coincidence? Yeah. When that rabbit is around, there would always be all sorts of coincidences. Normally, these coincidences would not seem like anything, but when they are all gathered in one place, you would notice that the rabbits influence was far bigger than one might expect. It may be a problem relating to ones windpipe, throat, lungs, heart or something else. It may also be the bodys drug resistance or allergic reactions. Regardless of the factors, when all these coincidences came together as one, the person involved would not be far away from death. Isnt that rabbit a little too strange? Should we go pay our respects to the gods or something too? Cary said. I remember a phrase at the back of Genesis Mythos: An materialistic world, an idealistic man. Cillin spoke up. Dias gave him a helpless smile, That is true. We do not believe in ghosts, but there are certain things that we really cant say for sure. It is just like how people love to emphasise about luck, and that virtue has its rewards and evil has its retributions. That is why Asiya and I were quite conflicted when we first learned about that rabbit. That rabbit really didnt do anything? Cillin asked. Asiyas massaging hands around Dias elbow paused once before continuing its work. Dias continued, Let me tell you guys a story. This is something Asiya and I had seen with our own eyes. It was also a night that day, when Asiya and I had walked to the winding corridor beneath the bamboo frame outside because we couldnt fall asleep. We talked about the Sixth B Squadron. The scenery of the night sky was great, and the planets were plenty and bright. While we were enjoying the nightscape, Asiya suddenly caught the glimpse of a white figure. Then, we saw that little rabbit climbing from the eaves of the first floor to a window on the second floor. It just stayed there until a series of alarm rang from inside the room. The alarm sound was the alarm systems automatic response when the patient inside the sickroom was met with life threatening danger. The little rabbit left after that, and it didnt take long before the news that the person inside the room had accidentally slipped on their feet, knocked their head and died while they were heading to the toilet at night. That rabbit had zero contact with that person at all throughout the entire process. After that, we grew more and more familiar with Tico and learned a little about that rabbit. Even Cillin felt a wave of assaulting chill after listening to Dias words. That really was a just a rabbit; a weak rabbit that anyone could kill with a simple squeeze! But still, wasnt all this a little too supernatural? So, was the person inside the room a bad person too? Cillin asked. They do very much deserve to die. Asiya said. If even the normally silent Asiya had said this, then this person must be unusually terrible. Erm, big bro, as you know people like us have god knows how much blood on our hands. Do you think that wed attract that rabbits attention? Cary felt that even the hair on his body had turned stiff. Dias said amusedly, Arent I the same? But Ive never seen that rabbit showing anything after such a long time. Cary and the others all let out a sigh of relief. Thats why I thought that this rabbit has its own judgment and standards, just like the demonic beast in Genesis Mythos. Demonic beast? Carys face was odd, Ive never seen a demonic beast, but I know several that look almost like one. Cary seemed to be hinting at something. The gray cat, Dough, Snowball and Scarlet Wind turned to look at Cary in unison. Cary felt that the hair on his body had turned even stiffer. Lets talk about something else for now. Cillin redirected everyones thoughts away from the rabbit and asked Dias, Big bro Dias, you gave us these prep talk is for a reason, isnt it? Dias nodded with praise and said, The reason I tell you guys these is so that you will understand Tico and her rabbit a little better, and not act flustered or say something thats ill-timed. Barring no accidents, Tico would soon become a member of our squad too. Awoo! Our squad is finally going to have a new beauty! Xiao Shang let out an odd cry. Everyone was pretty happy to hear Dias declaration. It wasnt just because they had a new eye candy in the squad, but also because this beauty was a doctor; a young but very experienced doctor. This was good news for the entire Sixth B Squadron, since a good doctor was even harder to find than a combat personnel. Logically speaking, Dr. Tico should be earning quite the high salary with her abilities, isnt she? Why did she want to leave here and join a Hunter regiment? Cillin asked. They had always believed in Dias insight. Dias insight on people was in fact one of those things that couldnt really be explained by science. This was because Dias had an exceptionally good eye for people despite the fact that he would sometimes get lost on the streets. In reality, Cillin wasnt interested in Ticos reason for joining a Hunter regiment, but that didnt mean that the rest of the squad wasnt interested to know. He only asked this so that the answer would clear up some of their doubts and facilitate their future interactions. She just doesnt want to stay here anymore, thats all. Weve discussed about this in detail after we came here, underwent recovery treatment and came to know Tico. Ill skip some of the details in-between. The point is that she seems to be a little tired of this place, and she expressed that she wanted more to become a Hunter instead. However, Tico said that she wanted to give this a trial run before making any commitments, and if everything was fine then she would join us officially. Isnt our squad lacking a doctor? Rikulabs main profession is a medicine maker, so itll be even better with Ticos participation. Speaking of which, what is our little squads current combat strength? Were doing okay. Everyone is improving, and we have new recruits joining us at the same time. Plus, that white fatty isnt a good-for-nothing glutton, so itll be stranger if our combat strength hadnt gone up. Cillin said. I knew you would be more suited for that position than I am. Dias patted Cillins shoulder and said sincerely, With you around, my life is made much easier! When he was the lone lieutenant commander of the squad, Dias had spent the majority of his time being gloomy and depressed. In reality, he knew that he was unsuitable for the position not long after he had assumed the role of a lieutenant commander. He had also been searching for a suitable replacement until Cillin joined the Sixth Squad. Hey, Cary, what on earth are you giggling yourself silly about? Dias smiled and gave Cary, who was bowing his head and laughing quietly to himself a kick. Oh. Hehe, I was just thinking that the rabbit will be joining our squad along with Dr. Tico. In that case, well, er let me give you an example. For example, lets say that the enemy sniper was aiming to shoot your heart. However, his hands suddenly cramped and so missed the shot Cary said happily. The entire room fell silent. Chapter 182: The Appointment from Nata [Part 1] Chapter 182: The Appointment from Nata [Part 1] The other Sixth B Squadron members who had come along with Dias to Sector E to receive treatment sent in their notices in succession, agreeing to meet up a day later at the planets spaceport and depart together to Sector K. After chatting with everyone, Dias called upon Cillin to go search for Tico with him. The rest of the group would rest inside Dias sick ward. Asiya went away to take care of the recovery centers discharge procedure. Dias had exercised a lot more restraint ever since he and Asiya became a couple. He no longer acted as indecently as he did before, or at least that was how it seemed on the surface. He did not throw winks or whistles at beautiful nurses, and generally looked like an upright gentleman. Youve moderated yourself a lot. Cillin teased him. Ahem, its not like I have a choice. This is the helpless life of a person with family. he said that, but he wore an extremely pleased look on his face. Pleased my ass! Cillin cast him a disdainful glance before continuing, If this is the case, then when are you holding a proper wedding ceremony? Your relationship may have been cemented, but you still need a proper status. Asiyas custom attaches much importance in such things, dont they? After the wedding, wed be able to call her sister-in-law properly. Mm, that is a matter of course. But Asiya only has herself to begin with, and the only blood relative I have is my elder brother. Weve talked about this for a bit and decided to hold a ceremony at the Sixth B Squadrons base in Vanguards HQ. After a sigh, Dias continued, I may have lost this arm for Asiyas sake, but Asiya never left my side especially when I was undergoing the directional induction portion of my core treatment. There were days I couldnt move a muscle, and Asiya took care for me personally without ever disdaining her work. Tell me; what can be more satisfying than having someone taking care of you closely and carefully, especially when people like us, who often tread the edges of danger, lie on top of a sick bed? I have my own reasons for not willing to assume the role of a lieutenant commander, but there was no doubt that it was because of me Asiya had given up her position as a lieutenant commander. At first, I was planning to tour her around the famous scenic spots of each Sector after we got married. Ive seen that Little Garden Qiqiu and you went to, and I would have liked to visit it myself. Plans have changed, however, and Asiyas intention is for us to wait until the situation completely stabilises and when an opportunity presents itself. We cannot take the risk. Cillin nodded. Right now they didnt know what Sector S had turned into. The A Squads hadnt publicly announced any news yet, and what the news media in GAL revealed were very brief notes. The actual heart of the news was very fuzzy. Dias suddenly recalled something and came to a stop. He unbuttoned the two upper buttons of his shirt, pulled, and revealed a tattoo on his chest. The corner of Cillins mouth twitched, Is this Asiyas name was tattooed onto Dias chest. Judging from the font, it didnt look like Dias handwriting. Dias eyebrows looked so happy they could fly, Asiya had tattooed it on herself! That means That means she had the tattoo of my name written by me on the same spot as well! Holy shit this is corny! Cillin shook off the goosebumps on his body and pretended not to notice the expression on Dias face that said: Dont you envy me? Dont you begrudge me? Dont you admire me? Oh right, theres something I need to ask you. Dias face suddenly straightened as he asked. What? Do you know Yu Familys Yu Linglung? Cillin frowned and nodded somewhat helplessly. You know about the people of Yu Family, right? Not too much. Back at Seven Lights, I only knew that shes called Linglung, but not her surname Yu. Ive heard a little more something about her after that. I only know that the Yu Family has a huge amount of influence over the political circles of the entire GAL. Its not just the political circles. The Yu Family is infinitely connected to the military, business and academic world as well. It is rumored that one of the Four Heavenly Edict Generals is surnamed Yu! Cillins pupils shrank. This was the first time he heard something a little more in-depth about the Four Heavenly Edict Generals. If there really was a person surnamed Yu among the Four Heavenly Edict Generals, then the Yu Family was far more complex than he had imagined. No wonder Lung did not want to provoke their ire. After he said this, Dias gave Cillin a careful look with an odd expression on his face, Your current appearance isnt handsome, and in fact youre even less handsome than I am now. What on earth did that little princess of the Yu Family see in you? Could it be the mischiefs of first impression? You did look a lot like a pretty boy previously. Cillin did not say anything. He did not wish to be entangled in this subject. Cillin might not wish to bring up the topic, but Dias wasnt ready to let him escape, Hey, kid. That Yu Family girl gave us a lot of help. Part of the reason were able to receive treatment so smoothly and quietly is because her. The best medical region in Sector E was only this big, and most core treatments were basically done there. Considering that there were so many people in the whole GAL, Dias and the others should have experienced a lot of small frictions even if they might not have necessarily ran into big troubles. However, Dias encountered Yu Linglung while he was receiving his treatment at Sector E. In fact, Yu Linglung was the one who had offered to help on her own. No one in the Sixth B Squadron but Dias and Asiya knew about Yu Linglungs appearance. At one point, they were confused why their treatment had gone so smoothly. Cillin sighed on the inside as he listened to Dias words. I guess I owe that girl one. I know that that girl had helped us only because of you. Otherwise, with her background she may not necessarily need to give face even to the great four, much less people who arent even A Squad members like us. Although, in her eyes, the A Squad may not necessarily be more respectable than us. Dias let out a low laugh before patting Cillins shoulder, Not bad, kid. Didnt think that you would get your hands on a Yu Family member. Big bro, your use of words turned vulgar again. Ahem, its fine to be vulgar occasionally. I do have a family, and thus I cant always be vulgar. That being said, while the Yu Familys situation is incredibly complex, emotion isnt something anyone can interfere with. As you know, while Im no good in anything else, I do have a good eye for people. That Yu Family girl is serious about you. Dont be troubled by what the A Squads would think in the future. If you really do like her, then dont trouble yourself with someone elses viewpoint. Lets talk about that later. They did not discuss about Yu Linglung any longer. Dias had only brought her up to Cillin because she had helped him once. Yu Linglung had helped them as a gesture to Cillin. The girl would be bitterly disappointed if he said nothing at all. Tico and the other doctors lived in an isolated, one hundred plus storeys building. The treatment of doctors like her was pretty good, and the surface area of the apartment was big too. When Dias and Cillin came to pay Tico a visit, she had just woken up from her nap. Before this, in Dias and Cillins imagination, the apartment of a single woman based on Ticos behavior and style should prioritise on tidiness and have a very pragmatic layout. In reality, her apartment was tidy and practical. There was no garish objects to be found. However, Ticos type of tidiness struck a sizable amount of fear into the hearts of Cillin and Dias. Chapter 182: The Appointment from Nata [Part 2] Chapter 182: The Appointment from Nata [Part 2] The walls were hung with many anatomical charts. 3D models made of skeleton and entire sections of muscles were used as decorations. Molecular formulas were imprinted above the curtains, and they were all components of important medicines for patients during and post operation. The stereoscopic pattern of a huge antibody profile was outlined on the floor. They wondered whose antibody profile it belonged to In short, Cillin and Dias didnt say a word for a long time as they stood at the entrance with eyelids that wouldnt stop twitching. Whats wrong? Did I scare you? Tico passed over two glasses of water so they could suppress their alarm. Dr. Tico, you are seriously quite the character! Dias smiled in embarrassment. Cillin recovered quickly and looked around for a bit. The little rabbit was sleeping inside a specially made little house. One could see the white fur on its body through the circular doorway. The rabbit was a lot quieter than its kind. It only twitched once after Dias and Cillin had come in, probably planning to continue its sleep. If they hadnt learned so many incredible things about the rabbit, no one would have assumed that this rabbit was special. Alright, lets talk business. Ticos style had always been swift and direct. She disliked talking too many polite phrases or nonsense. Dias dilly dallied no longer after hearing Ticos words and set down his glass. He pointed at Cillin and said, He is Cillin. I believe that youve figured it out yourself. Since you both know each other, lets get straight to the point. Dr. Tico, big bro Dias had told me about you already. However, I would like to explain a few points before you make a decision. Tico looked at Cillin and said nothing. She awaited his next words. In a Hunter regiment C especially a B Squadron whos in the development stage like us C the fixed salary of even an excellent doctor is very little. Each member in the squad is given a limited amount of fixed salary, and we basically earn by means of manpower or goods. You will not enjoy a stable amount of high salary like the one you receive here. I dont mind this. After saving up for so many years I have just about enough. Tico said. There are a lot of rules in the squad. Dias had already talked to me about this. Im fine with them. I will obey. In Vanguard, you are allowed to act with a greater degree of independence and freedom. However, betrayal is absolutely not acceptable. This is something every person who joins a Hunter regiment must know about. Of course, I dont like traitors either. After speaking for a while, Cillin found that Tico had done her research on the rules of Hunter regiments, and had planned for what she was going to do in the future too. She had prepared very well before the transfer. Alright. I am very glad that you are able to join Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. Oh right, there is one more thing. I can only recommend your recruitment as a lieutenant commander, but it is up to the commander and lieutenant commanders of the Sixth B Squadron to make a joint decision on whether you officially qualify during a meeting. Moreover, we have several subteams inside the squad too, and youll have to choose I choose your team. I am pretty satisfied with the members of your team. Tico smiled and said, Plus, Little White would have friends if I join you. They were the only team with a lot of animals in the entire Sixth B Squadron, and none of them were characters to be trifled with. Someone had even said jokingly that in the Sixth B Squadron, you would rather offend their men than offend their animals. In that case, theres nothing else I would like to add. Cillin said and cast a glance at Dias. Dias shook his head to show that he had nothing else to add too. When are we departing? Tomorrow. They informed her about the time of meeting and latter arrangements so that both sides could match their activities. Tico said that she would definitely arrive on time. Naturally, Tico would not openly walk together with Dias and the others. She would leave with them after she had turned in her resignation. Some people in the recovery center would absolutely hold an opinion about her resignation, and they might even cause her trouble as well. It was exactly these eccentric and hypocritical bastards that Tico hated in this place, and what was even worse was that they were busybodies too. The next day, Cillin and the other waited before the spaceplane at the spaceport at the appointed time. The Sixth B Squadrons members arrived in succession too. Tico was very punctual. She wore a dark colored windbreaker and wore glasses on her face. That rabbit should be inside her pocket. After making sure that everyone who were supposed to show up had shown up, Cillin then ordered Beaver to start the engines and to get ready to take off. Not long after Cillins spaceplane had left, there was a man standing not far away from where their spaceplane was originally parked. He turned around to leave and opened a comm channel at the same time, Tell the Miss that they had departed safely. The rest is under your responsibility. Cillins flight home was incredibly smooth. At first they thought they would run into some trouble, but in reality the flight was inconceivably smooth. There were almost no hindrances along the way. Cary and Udoze sighed while facing each other. They were hoping they would get a chance to fight, even if their opponents might have turned out to be some blind small fries. Itchy. They were so itching for a fight. Cillin said nothing throughout the way, and Dias and Asiya did not linger around the subject either. They discussed with everyone about the Sixth B Squadrons potential future plans. The gray cat swept a tail across Cillins face while it lay on top of his shoulder, Whats wrong? You pretending to look deep or something? Cillin grabbed the gray cat off his shoulders and put it on his lap. The gray cat was about to pursue the matter further, but its chin was scratched so comfortably by Cillin that it let out a lot of wheezing sounds from its throat. A few rubs later, it began to feel sleepy. Cillin continued to think about certain things as he scratched the gray cats bottom chin. The smoother their journey was, the more prominent Yu Familys power and ability showed themselves to be. While Yu Linglung might not be able to bring much forces into play on her own, it was enough to guarantee their smooth journey in Sector E. In fact, it wasnt just Sector E. Their journey from Sector E to Sector K was incredibly smooth, and they did not encounter any abnormalities at all. Sometimes the places where the borders between Sectors intersected were pretty chaotic, and there were at least pirates roaming about the place. Moreover, it was possible for any single spaceplane or transport that did not look like it belonged to a large force to be intercepted by them. However, although they had once discovered two starships obviously approaching them with malicious intentions, they left not long after for whatever reason and caused Cary to sigh for a long time. In fact, Cary wasnt the only one who was sighing. Many of the personnel who had received recovery treatment were itching for a fight too. It was only natural for their hands to get itchy after idling for such a long time. Dias and Asiyas reaction towards their feelings was a stern scolding. They were in a critical period, who cares about their itching hands! If they really were itching for a fight, they could find someone from other B Squadrons to train with after they got back to Sector K. Those people who received treatment were very excited after they had returned to Sector K and the base smoothly. The moment they came back, they went away and sought out their friends to reminisce about old times. Cillins easy mission shocked god knows how many pairs of eyeballs out of their sockets. The fact that not a big scratch could be found on the spaceplane showed just how big of a dumb luck Cillin had managed to pick up on his journey. However, before Cillin had the chance to discuss about Dr. Tico with the other lieutenant commanders, a transmission from the A Squadron pulled him away immediately. What is it? Who invited you? Dias asked. A moment of silence later, Cillin answered, Nata. Nata was the former commander of the Third B Squadron. He was detained during the incident fifty years ago and was imprisoned at Sector S prison. Now that Nata was back in the A Squads base, it meant that whomever was performing the mission at Sector S had done well. Nata had already been safely escorted back home. This was Nata, the guy who shared a very close relationship with Enji and Chamonidine. Why on earth had he come looking for him the second he returned from Sector S? Despite Cillins current status as a lieutenant commander, he wasnt allowed entry without an A Squadron pass. Therefore, Nata had already informed him in the transmission that Falvey would be receiving him. As the son of Nata, Falvey was the current commander of the Third B Squadron. He possessed an authorised pass just like Shawton. Falvey had flown over on an airplane. The airplane had the A Squadrons symbol on it. Nata was probably the one who mobilised the vehicle, since he was the only one who had the authority to mobilise a plane like this. Some of the Sixth Squads members were frightened when they saw Falvey. Everyone knew about the few B Squadron commanders in Vanguard, not to mention that Falvey had never displayed a good attitude towards members of other squads. In reality, Falveys face just wasnt very expressive to begin with. He looked incredibly mature and wielded high prestige when he put on his title of commander, but word from the members of Third B Squadron was that Falvey was actually a pretty good person. As rumored, Falvey lacked expression on his face. However, the fact that he had gotten off the plane to exchange a few words with Cillin was an incredibly rare occasion already. Had it been a different lieutenant commander, Dias had a feeling that Falvey wouldnt have even bothered getting off the plane. He would just speak directly in the plane itself. It was probably less of Falveys own intentions and more of Natas instructions, he thought. That assumption was in fact, true. Even now Falvey was still annoyed by this. They had gone through much difficulty at the risk of their lives to finally rescue his dad. The battles at Sector S grade five prisons were just too intense, and four out of the ten personnel the A Squadron had sent to the rescue suffered grievous injuries and nearly died at that place. The rest of them were more or less hurt too, and they werent able to save a couple of people from the grade four prisons. Still, the fact that they were able to save so many people was something to be lauded. The problem was that Nata had asked for Cillin, a newly appointed lieutenant commander of the Sixth B Squadron the moment he came back and had a chat with old friends who visited him. With Falveys horizons, and after he was appointed as a commander for so many years, a mere lieutenant commander was beneath his attention, much less the lieutenant commander of a B Squadron that was just recently promoted. However, he was unable to endure his dads earnest exhortations, and so Falvey flew over personally on a plane his dad had mobilized personally to receive Cillin with extreme reluctance. Falveys first impression of Cillin was not much at all, really. He looked a little stupid, and he was way too young. He also lacked a fierce atmosphere and appeared very amiable. Are you Cillin? Falvey said with a rigid voice. No one could hear any emotion from his voice, and this was a reason why Falvey was excellent as a commander. It was exactly because he lacked an expression on his face and even emotions in his voice that his subordinates thought that he was highly mysterious. Yes, I am. Cillin did not mind Falveys attitude. He did not forget the proper courtesies. Falvey nodded expressionlessly, Lets go. What followed after that was silence. Long, long silence. Seeing that Falvey had no wish to talk after getting on the plane, Cillin did not ask anything either. He closed his eyes and took a small nap. The duo arrived at the A Squadrons base in silence just like that. The airplane landed at a particular spot. It wasnt the same spot as the one Cillin had arrived on earlier, but judging from the level of authorisation, it would seem that their current landing spot was of a higher rank. Chapter 183: The ‘Parasite Code’ Left Behind by Chamonidine [Part 1] Chapter 183: The Parasite Code Left Behind by Chamonidine [Part 1] Falvey led Cillin to a low-rise semi circular building. Without a word, he started the ID inspection process and caused a scanner display to pop out of the door. After the duo was scanned and their IDs were confirmed, they entered the building and took the lift straight up to the fifth floor. They arrived beside a door. Father, Ive brought him over. Falvey said. The door opened with a beep after Falveys voice. An old man sat inside the room. In reality he wasnt that old, he just had a full head of white hair and looked like he had gone through a lot in his life. Judging from Falveys hair color, Nata should not have a head filled with white hair, so it could only be an acquired change. Age wise, Nata might not necessary be much older than Barthus or Songba Leruo. However, it would seem that fifty years in prison were an ordeal to Nata. Father. Falveys face grew much gentler when he was facing Nata. The feeling of estrangement from before was gone. Nata gave a smile that was completely different from Falveys. Natas smile was very cordial, although for some reason his current smile had a very vague hint of sadness in it. Perhaps it was because he had just returned from Sector S. Nata was holding a book when Cillin and Falvey had come in. It was a printed book that looked rather old. Take a seat, Cillin. Nata pointed at a chair at the side and turned to Falvey, You may leave first. I will call you later. Falvey opened his mouth, but chose to say nothing in the end. He left in silence, but there was a shred of reluctance in his eyes. After Falvey left, Nata examined Cillin closely once more. He looked like he was looking at a junior he valued greatly. I never thought that the Sixth B Squadron could produce someone like you. Nata sighed. Cillin was puzzled. A person like me? What kind of person are we talking about exactly? Nata smiled again when he saw Cillins puzzlement. He asked, Youve read some of Chamonidines notebooks in Enjis possession, havent you? Cillin nodded. Enji was brought up by Chamonidine, and Chamonidine was originally a member of the Third B Squadron. Nata felt like sighing a little. He had taken it pretty hard when he heard of Enjis death earlier. The original group was almost all gone. Back then Chamonidine was even relieved by the fact that he had transferred Enji to the Sixth B Squadron, but in the end they werent able to meet each other after he came out of Sector S. Nata stood up and said to Cillin, Come with me. This place was probably Natas private property. After going through a few doors, Nata had led Cillin into a study. Yes, it was a study. Many of the books here were printed, and most of them were notebooks, diaries and pertinent records. Some of them looked almost just the same as the few books Cillin had in his possession. They were probably Chamonidines belongings. Most of the books in Enjis possession are duplicates and incomplete. All of Chamonidines records on the research of parasites are here. Right, theres also that. Nata took out a thick notebook from a closet. The notebook was half electronic and half paper, different from the other normal printed books. It was similar to some published newspapers where the images on the paper were movable. Cillin carefully accepted the thick notebook from Nata for a look after he saw the cherishing look on his face. Cillin did not open the book and look at its contents immediately, and instead looked at Nata with puzzlement. Nata explained, This is the opus Chamonidine was never able to complete. We call it Parasite Code. There are many kinds of parasites recorded inside the book, and almost all of them were seen with his own eyes while Chamonidine was performing missions with the squad everywhere in the galaxy. The records are incomplete however, and many in-depth researches to be conducted were cut short. One reason was that there wasnt much idle time to research a particular parasite, and the other reason was that he was working with limited resources. Back then, there were many people including the original members of the Third B Squadron who had doubts about Chamonidines parasite research. Then the incident happened fifty years ago, and everything came to a stop. Then, you mean Cillin, whenever you think to research anything in this respect, you may pay this place a visit whenever you want. Although some of these documents were considered classified by the regiment and should not be given access to non-key researchers, most of the A Squadrons research personnel are not working on a project in this respect. In order to keep Chamonidines research findings from being wasted, Ive decided to share these data with you. Although I am very glad to be given access to these materials and to read senior Chamonidines research findings, but can you please explain your intentions a little clearer to me, senior Nata? even now Cillin still did not understand where Nata was going with this. Was he planning to have him take over Chamonidines research project and continue his research? But Cillin was the Sixth B Squadrons lieutenant commander right now. While he couldnt claim to be swamped by work on a daily basis, but he definitely did not have much free time to research this specifically either. Nata shook his head, I simply did not wish to see Chamonidines research go to waste. In reality, there are very few people who truly understands the value of Parasite Code, and I am one of them. Perhaps it is because I dont understand these things. However, when the incident was over the admiral* classified Parasite Code as a secret document, and no one knew about this records existence barring some key research personnel. Most of the people who knew about it had died fifty years ago. Natas voice sank a little when he said this. He had obviously recalled the bad memories of the past. *or colonel-in-chief. Army wise, the head of a regiment should be a colonel, but Vanguard is not the army and the highest rank of a fleet is admiral, hence the choice. I am happy to correct my mistake if someone believes that Ive made a mistake here. You think too highly of me. Cillin wasnt really overjoyed by Natas words. Nata was a person who had just returned from Sector S. On what basis did he think so highly of Cillins abilities? There was no way it was because of Enji. From Enjis diary, Cillin knew that Enji wasnt all too important in Natas eyes. If it wasnt for Chamonidine, Enji would not have entered Natas eyes at all. While caressing a notebook, Nata said slowly, After I came back, I was no longer commander of the Third B Squadron and had entered the A Squadron straight away. Logically speaking, I should not be bothering myself with these things any longer. However, Chamonidine was a good friend, and before he passed away, he transferred all of his research findings to me. I have a right to decide what to do with these data; it is the responsibility I have chosen to bear after all. I believe that these things that he valued so much must be of incredible value. Even during the time I was in prison, I would often think: what should I do to make them shine? After I came back, I learned about Vanguards current situation, and came to realise your achievements, Cillin. Marthus and Songba Leruo had communicated with me, and they both knew that I am rather concerned in news related to parasites. That is why theyve recommended you to me, Cillin. That being said, it wasnt until I checked your data that I realise just how far your abilities had exceeded my expectations. While saying this, Nata brought up a piece of information. Cillin was very familiar with the data flashing across the screen. It was the data on the two parasites he used to eliminate Poison Fang back then. The analysis was incredibly detailed. The A Squadrons key research institute had probably conducted an in-depth research into the two parasites samples since back then, or they could not possibly have obtained such a detailed conclusion. According to the explanation provided by the research institute, both kinds of parasites had been purposely implanted with a series of death inducing genes. The parasite would perish as long as a segment of the series of death inducing genes was activated, and the deciding factor of this trigger was time It was true. Although that planet was filled with the parasites Cillin and the gray cat had unleashed at the time, there was a decline point in the life cycles of both parasites. This decline point was the time when the death inducing genes were activated, and once triggered the parasites and its colony would slowly decline and die out. Cillin had no wish for the entire planet to become the parasites nest, because if that happened Vanguard would be hardpressed to bring the planet fully under control. Not everyone had a constitution like Cillins, and a rare species of space like the gray cat was difficult to come by even in ten thousand years. Nata couldnt help but grin after he said that, You dont know this, but your former commander, Seru was bursting with joy when he talked about you. This time Cillin was truly surprised. This was the first time he heard of their former commander, Serus opinion about him. He didnt think that their former commander was still paying attention to them. Oh, I guess you probably dont know much about Seru. He just doesnt like to brag about, thats all. I heard that Seru was the one who escorted the military spy who went undercover in Poison Fang, Emmus, to negotiate his release with the military. He was so happy he could die back then. In reality, those who had been promoted to the A Squadron would often pay attention to the news of their former B Squadron. When they met up with one another, they would compare their B Squadrons like a parent talking about their own children. After all, who wouldnt want to talk about the glorious achievements of their own children? They couldnt wait to boast even their slightest achievements. However, Seru was gloomy for a few years, and during the low times of the Sixth B Squadron, Seru had the impulse to kick down the Sixth B Squadrons door and beat the shit out of those disappointing brats every time he talked about the squad with Barthus and the others. However, Seru had gotten increasingly cocky ever since the Sixth B Squadron had gotten out of Sector Z. When Cillin was added into the mix, forget Seru, even Barthus and Songba Leruo praised Cillin a lot. Talents and abilities werent something that could be gotten just because you wanted too. Do whatever you want. Seru had said that you are the only one who had some drive in you in the entire Sixth B Squadron right now. Back then, Seru had led the Sixth B Squadron in a way that did not promote much independence. They were completely reliant on him, the commander. As a consequence, those who were left behind immediately lost drive the moment Seru was promoted to the A Squad. Nata said sincerely and earnestly. Nata told Cillin that he could come over and check the data anytime he had a need. Everything in the study was taken over from Chamonidine, and the average person might not even have the privilege to read the duplicate copies of these documents, much less the original. Naturally, Cillin knew about this. There was no chance that he was letting a boon like the right to read Chamonidines research findings and relevant records slip by him. Chapter 183: The ‘Parasite Code’ Left Behind by Chamonidine [Part 2] Chapter 183: The Parasite Code Left Behind by Chamonidine [Part 2] Cillin stayed back inside the study and flipped through the handwritten notebooks. He knew that there were definitely security cameras in the study, but he paid them no heed. Right now, the important thing to do was to memorise what he could as quickly as possible. With Cillins faculty of memory, he did not need to photocopy any documents. He simply needed to read through the original documents once. In the future, he would not be returning here often since there was no telling when he would have the chance to return to the base once he went out on a mission with his squad. Cillin discovered that Chamonidine enjoyed writing down his information on many occasions. Moreover, he especially enjoyed using the most common paper notebooks that were considered washed out goods in certain places. Right now, the handwritten notebook Cillin was holding in his hand was one such object. When he flipped through the notebook, he could see that Chamonidine had jotted down plenty of records whom Chamonidine by pen. He even drew drawn many kinds of parasites personally in his notebooks. The sketches looked incredibly lifelike. Chamonidine once mentioned in a notebook that one could only understand these life forms better when they drew them with their own hands, thereby putting themselves in the parasites shoes and understanding their potential weaknesses and relevant ecological characteristics. While Cillin knew that there were surveillance monitoring in the study, he could never have imagined who was monitoring him right now. How much do you think he can memorise? a person asked. I dont know. Nata shook his head. This kid is extraordinary! While speaking, the person could not help but smile, He is a budding young Hunter; a rare one no less! It is rare that you will give such an assessment, boss. The man who was addressed as boss by Nata was none other than Vanguards number one leader and one of the Six Stars of Hunt C Ji Feng! Cillin flipped through the notebooks really quickly even when he was reading the book known as the essence of Chamonidines research, Parasite Code. While he looked like he was skimming through the books absentmindedly, in reality Cillin had memorised everything inside them. Cillin stayed inside the study for three days, and during this period Nata had sent his men over to bring Cillin food. Other than eating, Cillin spent the rest of his time flipping through the records inside the study. Nata did not try to advise Cillin against his actions and just let him be. Three days later, Cillin finally stood up from his chair, stretching his somewhat stiff limbs and moving his muscles. After three days of high concentration reading without stopping to sleep or rest, he had exhausted a huge amount of brainpower and could feel a wave of exhaustion rolling his way clearly. He rubbed his eyes. Cillin walked out of the study, thanked and bid Nata goodbye before leaving. Just like before, Falvey piloted Natas airplane and sent Cillin back home. However, Falvey was now looking at Cillin in a different light. Cillin didnt know exactly what Nata had told him, but Falvey had actually taken the initiative to speak a few words with him. This turn of events greatly surprised Cillin. The first thing Cillin did after returning to Sixth B Squadron was to tuck himself in bed. He paid no heed to Rikulabs progress in medicinal research. He had given it a rough look and saw no problems that he could find at that moment. Rikulab would eventually resolve all present complications given a bit more time. Cillin paid no heed to Eudy researching the data on the prison defense system he stole from Sector S either. The paper Eudy had slipped him earlier prior to his departure was a request for Cillin to steal the prisons defense system programs and relevant data for research purposes. Right now Cillins brain was completely filled with dense packs of parasites, and flying molecular formulas and DNAs. He needed to digest them properly. Before Cillin could return to his room and begin his seclusion and great cultivation, Dias told him that he and Asiya were going to hold their wedding in ten days. He told him that he must wake up before the day no matter what, or he would drag him to wakefulness one way or another. In actuality, the digestion process took less than ten days. Cillin had awakened after sleeping for eight days straight. There were many little things that had happened during these eight days. For instance, Tico had officially joined Vanguard, the Sixth B Squadrons animal corps had raided Carys storage cabinet once more, and Ticos accommodation was now publicly known as the scariest place to exist in the Sixth B Squadron Regardless, Shawton was very satisfied with the current Sixth B Squadron. The squad had been blessed with a continuous stream of new and excellent talents all this time, and his former commander Seru had even taken great care of him when he was at the A Squad previously. Shawton was overwhelmed by the favor shown by his former superior, since Seru was itching to drag him to a corner and give him a punch or two every time he saw him before. As of late, Dias was radiating with happiness. To quote Carys words, A family man or woman is just not the same! When Dias old or new friends heard that the man was about to get wedded, even those who could not attend the wedding had purposely sent him their congratulations. The wedding venue was none other than the Sixth B Squadrons big assembly hall. Cillin had gifted Dias a huge red packet, requested by none other than Dias himself. Dias had said earlier that he wanted his gift to be a little more practical and pragmatic, which was why Cillin sent him a debit card with six figures in it. Dias was so elated that his eyebrows nearly flew off his face. On the day of the wedding, Dias dressed himself very formally. As the saying goes, people are in high spirits when involved in joyous occasions. Dias wore a smile on his face all the way as he walked into the big assembly hall and held the brides hands in his own. Before them, the two little fellows Scarlet Wind and Tang Qiuqiu held a flower basket each and showered the floor with flowers all the way. Scarlet Wind worked hard not to wag his tail, but it was a difficult reaction to control when he was in a happy mood. His smile was so wide that even his canine teeth was showing. This was the first time he encountered such a thing, and this was the first time he was joined with so many people. He was very happy to experience such a joyous atmosphere. There was a period of time that was dedicated to performance, and plenty of people went up stage to present their congratulatory speeches or performances. Among them, the most dazzling performance of them all was the PK between the gray cat and Rikulab C a funk dance off. When Cary heard that Rikulab was going to challenge the gray into a funk dance off, he had looked at the guy with a pitying look on his face. While the others might not know about the gray cats secrets, he was at least educated in some of them, especially the gray cats machine form. Challenge that bizarre life form into a funk dance off? Whats the difference between that and making ones life harder? As it turned out, the only people who had seen the two demons dancing off in Dance Night at Sector Fs Acallela were Cillin, Udoze and Tang Qiuqiu. There were many people who never knew about the atmosphere these two people oozed into existence the second they started dancing. Therefore, when Rikulab and the gray cat merged with the rhythm and took the first step, everyones attitude had changed. Again, Rikulab presented his aura as Dance Nights Wolf King on stage to the crowd. Although he was incomparable to the gray cat who already had an advantage in the first place, the two dancers absolutely detonated the passion of everyone present in the wedding. Even the commanders of other squadrons who showed up only to go through the motions could not help but praise the Sixth B Squadron for obtaining a few demon level characters this time. Nata and others wore pondering looks on their faces as well. There was no need for proof of arms. The assembly hall had boiled up under the unique atmosphere alone. Dias said that this wedding hadnt just made Asiya and him whole, but also spread Rikulabs and the gray cats dancing fame throughout the entire Vanguard. When the two dancing fellows were done, it took a long time before the people finally came back to themselves and realise that they were humans and not robots*. *this confused even my own editor, but this is referring to the people themselves. Theyre dancing the robot dance, and they were carried away to the point they forgot that theyre human for a time. While robots could express and move identically or even more fluently than humans these days with current technology, the illusion of executing a series of programmed instructions had stayed in the crowds hearts for a very long time. There could not be a wedding without a banquet, and the Sixth B Squadron was not lacking in gluttons. This was especially true for a certain white fatso who was running around happily. Ticos Little White continued to nibble and chew at its carrots quietly at a corner with relish. However, its eyes would stray to the gray cat, Snowball and others in the venue from time to time. Not long after the wedding had ended, the A Squad reported that the disturbance in Sector S had officially subsided. The end of the disturbance in Sector S did not mean that it was the beginning of a period of tranquility. Perhaps, an even bigger tide was gradually approaching. Chapter 184: The Co-op with the Third B Squadron [Part 1] Chapter 184: The Co-op with the Third B Squadron [Part 1] Some time had passed after Dias wedding, and the A Squad sent news for all B Squadrons to prepare themselves, stock up on food and inspect their equipment. The A Squad were sending people over to install the latest developed weaponries onto their starships. Due to the Sector S incident, all ten B Squadrons had temporarily returned to Vanguards base at Sector K whether they were currently undergoing a mission or not. It was very rare to see all Vanguard B Squadrons members gathered in one place. When the A Squad sent people over to install a new weapons system for the Sixth B Squadron, Beaver, Eudy and a fews people had been watching from the sidelines all the time. The Sixth B Squadrons engineering technicians paid full attention and examined the A Squads work closely. After all, if they went out on a mission and ran into problems, there was no way the A Squad would be around to repair them. They would have to test their own abilities. Previously, the Sixth B Squadrons had developed several types of weapons using the special ores. However, the weapons developed by the A Squad were more refined in that they reduced the negative threats brought by the previous weapons system, and enhanced the weapons systems stability by a lot when the systems offensive and defensive power were increased. The gray cat began to yawn non-stop after it took a brief glance at the installation. It was called out by Dough to watch the weapons system installation, and it basically figured out the whole thing in just one scan. It was incredibly boring. After sticking up its butt, stretching its body and licking its lips, the gray cat decided to visit the lab and harass Cillin. Right now, Cillin was developing antibiotic medicines alongside Rikulab and Tico. All of the news transmitted by the A Squad showed signs that they were about to depart soon, which was why they were rushing to develop the antibiotic medicines before they left. After all, once they set off the experiment conditions on the starship was most definitely incomparable to the bases experiment conditions, not to mention that they would face many limitations as well. While holding up a test tube, Rikulabs eyelids twitched when he saw the gray cat walking into the lab openly and jumping right on top of the bench. How on earth did this fellow pass through the systems inspection?! This cat had seriously shocked him too many times already. He itched to whip this bastard cat every time he saw it, but Cary once told him that even ten of him might not necessarily succeed in the endeavor unless the gray cat willingly subjected itself to beating. What a shock! Say Wheeze, your majesty, are you here on an inspection or something? The gray cat cast a lazy glance at Rikulab and yawned, Wheres Cillin? The commander asked for him. Rikulab took a few small tubes away from the gray cat, This is not a place for you to play. Watch out for those liquid, theyll hurt Before Rikulab could finish his sentence, the gray cat immediately swiped over a small tube with its claws and gave its content a sniff. Then, it returned the tube back to Rikulab in disdain. Rikulab shook his head helplessly before he tidied up the tubes. He was just about to speak when Tico started urging from inside the sterile room. Rikulab picked out what he needed from the medicine cabinet. There were two support robots assisting him in tidying the items before he put them into an autoclave for several stages of scanning and sterilisation and delivered them into the sterile room. Alright, find somewhere else to play, will you? I need to continue conducting the experiment. once he said this, Rikulab walked to a small room outside the sterile room and changed into his hazmat suit. The gray cat did not stay and left the room with a raised tail. Rikulab let out a sigh of relief as he watched the gray cat leaving the lab. What a worrying fellow. After exiting the lab, the gray cat was going to visit the commanders office and look for Cillin, but it ran into Snowball along the way and was called to watch a show. The so-called show was in fact Scarlet Winds awkward attempts at shooting. Cary and Tang Qiuqiu were teaching Scarlet Wind how to shoot next to him. Right now Scarlets fingers were growing more and more flexible, and he was slowly starting to accept life as a human being as well. Other than shooting, there was also fighter piloting to learn. Both Scarlet Wind and Tang Qiuqiu were learning how to pilot a fighter, and judging from current trends they might need to pilot fighters a lot more frequently from now on. How could they not know how to pilot a fighter as the primary combat personnel? They must be well practiced too, or they might lose their lives or even cause the death of their own teammates if they panicked in a chaotic battle and made a mistake in control. Cary dragged the snickering white fatty out of its hidden corner and tossed a gun into its hands. It was a beginners gun that fired metallic bullets and was a lot simpler in design. Its recoil wasnt strong too. Snowball, who obtained his toy no longer had the mind to jeer at Scarlet Wind any longer. It began practicing shooting with its fat and meaty palms. Five minutes later, the gray cat let out another yawn from above the items cabinet at the side. It forced a word out of its mouth after cocking its head and observing Snowballs performance for a while, Clumsy. The white fattys round ears twitched as it caught wind of the gray cats comment while it was shooting. It turned its head to look at the gray cat, Do you think you can do better than me? At the very least I can hold up a gun, but what about you? You cant even hold up a gun with your claws, can you? The gray cats ears flicked in obvious disdain of the comment, Why would I hold a gun for? The gray cat jumped down the cabinet, raised its head high and walked elegantly to Snowballs side. After look at the faraway target and moving a few steps to the side, it turned around to look at Snowball, Keep shooting. Snowball didnt know what the gray cat was planning to do. It raised its fat palms and fired a bullet with a bang, and the gray cats tail swung at a speed that was almost indistinguishable with the naked eye. Di Ten points! the systems voice rang. This was the first time Snowball heard the systems voice after it started shooting for a long while. Previously, it hadnt even hit the sides of the target since he started shooting. Snowballs big mouth opened, closed, opened and closed again. It scratched its butt and head with its palms and asked, It was you? Snowball might be terrible at shooting, but it did not mean that it was stupid. On the contrary, it was incredibly smart. Naturally, it knew that there was no way it could hit the center point of the target with its abilities. Uh huh! the gray cat sat there with a worship me expression, looking very pleased with itself. Great job! Snowball went over happily to ask for its guidance. Humans have their own human methods, but so do they. The techniques that were suitable for humans might not necessarily be suitable for them. While the gray cat and Snowball were investigating the shooting techniques of a beast, Cillin was inside Shawtons commander office. The other lieutenant commanders were here as well. Shawton was passing down the A Squads intentions. All sides were starting to quieten down after the matter at Sector S had come to an end of a phase. The A Squad decided that the B Squads could start acting again, but with a new twist in the formula. The A Squads wish was for the B Squads to cooperate with one another in missions and watch out each others backs. Right now, it was too easy for a single B Squadron to run into a mishap. Two B Squadrons would form a group with each other, and the team on each side would discuss, decide and coordinate time of operation, target location and departure time in tandem. The Third Squad? The rest of the lieutenant commander looked very puzzled despite much thought. Why on earth had the Third B Squadron requested to cooperate with them on their own? They did not think that such a thing would happen with someone like Falvey in the other squad. However, when they recalled that Falvey had personally piloted an airplane over to receive Cillin, the lieutenant commanders looked at Cillin and pondered on the real reason within. Shawton tapped the table with his finger and said, Alright, lets not think about the unnecessary and focus on the present. What I want to tell you all is that the Third B Squadron currently has a job at Sector G. Falvey has inquired my opinion on this since our two squads need to cooperate with each other, and according to our original plans our holiday hasnt ended yet. Therefore, I would like to ask your opinions on this. Should we continue the holiday as planned? Or should we go along with the Third B Squadron? Why is the Third B Squadron going to Sector G? Akayi asked. Theyre transporting a batch of T13 minerals to the Robert Family. In light of the agreement, they would be given a batch of robots made of T13 minerals besides a considerable amount of remuneration after the job is done. Were going. Of course were going with them. We have been resting for a long time now, and all of the members receiving treatment at Sector E have returned safely as well. Right now everyone is itching to do something. If it wasnt for the earlier incidents, they wouldve applied to head out a long time ago. lieutenant commander Lu Suo said. I agree that we should go too. If we keep resting like this our bones will get rusty. Lalo said. Wa Qing also agreed with their opinions. Zaya Kasa and Akayi kept quiet. Shawton turned to look at Cillin. Although Cillin was also keeping quiet, he knew that it wasnt that he hadnt made up his mind yet. Right now, Cillin was considering some other things as well. Sector G was the biggest manufacturing Sector of robots in the entire GAL. There, a kind of mineral was produced in abundance, and it was a very important element in the alloy materials used to produce robots. Quite a number of big families have manufacturing bases set in that location. Noticing Shawtons gaze, Cillin straightened himself and asked, How much are we profiting from this? Its an overall four six split. We get a three seven split in terms of remunerations, and a two eight split in terms of robots. Shawton answered. That little? Akayi was a little dissatisfied with a disproportionate split like this. They are the ones who found the T13 minerals. If it wasnt for the A Squads arrangements, they wouldve gone to Sector G alone. After all, they dont want others to take part in their profits too. That is true. The lieutenant commanders began exchanging opinions with each other. Chapter 184: The Co-op with the Third B Squadron [Part 2] Chapter 184: The Co-op with the Third B Squadron [Part 2] In the end, everyone agreed to head to Sector G. They should be safe with the combined strength of two B Squadrons, and the profits they would earn from this operation werent bad either. After the high level meeting was done, Cillin left Shawtons office and started walking towards his room. Cillin was thinking about the matters at Sector G. The Robert Family was regarded as the kingdom of robots within GAL, and some of the members of their family worked within the military. While they might not necessarily compare to some other big families in terms of power, their technological prowess was undeniable. Their wealth and backings were the reason why they were able to stand tall among the big families of GAL. Some people said that the Robert Family members were born to interact with robots. When Cillin was learning to assemble parts with Mo Heng, he had also brought up a little about a few people inside the Robert Family. Their assembly overall accuracy werent low, and they were an extraordinarily talented family. While thinking, he heard the gray cats voice, You came back, Cillin! It was obvious that this fellow was feeling pretty good listening to its voice alone. The gray cat climbed up Cillins legs familiarly and got up to his shoulder. Its tail slapped at Cillins back repeatedly as it wore a pleased look on its face. What is it now? Cillin scratched the bottom of the gray cats outstretched chin. Its nothing. I simply taught that white fatty some shooting skills, thats all. that was what it said, but its tone was a blatant implication for Cillin to praise it. Heyo, I see youve started tutoring students now, sir cat. Cillin gave the gray cat the face it desired and said what it wanted to hear. Oh right, why did Shawton look for you, Cillin? Do we have a new job? You guessed correctly. Wahaha, oh my meow I so want to show off my abilities right now! Ahem, of course, it doesnt necessarily need to have fighting in it. the gray cat corrected itself when it saw Cillin looking at him sideways and said, Its real annoying to be stuck here, you know? If the squad wasnt busy I wouldve suggested that we head out for a spin. Theres no need for that now. The entire squad is heading out. However, this time we are not working alone, but cooperating with the Third B Squadron Cillin explained the operation to the gray cat while walking back to his room. He also talked about the robots in Sector G. This undoubtedly drew a great amount of interest from the gray cat, but Cillin had also instructed that it should not expose its identity as a half cyborg unless it didnt have a choice. Everyone in the Sixth B Squadron grew lively when they heard that they had a mission to do. Cary, who had withered for the past few days had gotten as excited as a junkie again. During the few days they were making preparations for the mission, he called Scarlet Wind, Tang Qiuqiu and Udoze over for a full education and explained some of the countermeasures to take if they encountered certain emergency scenarios during the mission. Before the operation began, Rikulab finally developed the antibiotic medicines with Ticos assistance. This undoubtedly boosted the Sixth B Squadrons confidence further. Scarlet Wind gripped and fondled his own combat suit admiringly. He especially loved the hole in his pants and the elastic at that area. It allowed him to put out his tail very easily. After he put on the suit tentatively, he found that the suit was much more comfortable and tougher than the clothes he wore before. They had to handpick their own portable weapons too. Cillin had told Cary about his wrist blade being slashed to pieces easily after he returned to Sector S. Cary was both wowed by the strength of the enemys weapon and saddened by the GAL credits that had washed down the drain. Every team had a few new members joining in for the big operation, and the addition to Cillins team was the weirdest of them all. They had a doctor, a medicine maker, a few animals and a Scarlet Wind who wasnt completely human joining their midst. Udoze took out the badge he wore inside his suit. He was very happy that he could wear the badge openly this time. They agreed to meet Falvey at the space station outside the planet. A large number of spaceplanes belonging to the 2 B Squadrons flew towards the several starships parked outside the space station. The squad members followed behind their direct lieutenant commander and flew their respective spaceplanes into the starships. The moment the gray cat returned to the familiar starship, it immediately began inspecting its territory after a long time. This time, it took Snowball, Dough standing on top of Snowballs head and Little White along on the inspection. The rabbit Little White hugged and chewed at a carrot as it observed its surroundings. It didnt need to walk this time, so it looked rather carefree. Scarlet Wind had stayed back inside a small room Cillin had partitioned for him because he was still young, and there were many things that he wasnt familiar enough to handle just yet. If he encountered any problems, Cillin could assist in handling them this way. Snowball obviously stayed together with Tang Qiuqiu, whereas the white rabbit followed Tico. However, the animals would gather together to play everyday. Right now Dough was feeling happier and happier everyday. In the past it was the only animal on the ship, and it could only lay at a certain corner and hibernate alone after it was tossed out of the room by Eudy. Later on the gray cat joined the Sixth B Squadron, followed by the white fatty Snowball, and now a rabbit. Their army was growing bigger and bigger by day! Udoze rubbed his face as he watched the four animals lying on the ground and playing a full holographic flying type chess piece game with a serious expression on their faces. Monsters; theyve all turned into monsters The smaller starships of the two Squadrons were undergoing a merge inside the main starships, which was why an outsider could only see the two main starships that belonged to the Third B Squadron and Sixth B Squadron flying in space. At the control room inside the Third B Squadrons main starship, Falvey was sitting on a chair and staring at the display before him. He was as quiet as usual, and the screen was displaying Sector Gs two dimensional star chart. However, Falveys thoughts werent on it right now. The reason Falvey had viewed Cillin in a completely new light was because Nata had told him something about Cillin that day; something that not even Shawton himself knew about. Not anyone could accurately control the decline of a parasite colony. Falvey had seen the specimens of the two types of parasites before, and he had heard from the A Squad researchers evaluation about them. An artificially engineered parasite was a terrifying weapon. Neither powerful radioactive energy nor conflict of firepower were necessary to deploy it. If these parasites were allowed to reproduce on a normal planet without being injected with a series of death inducing genes that would cause their programmed deaths at a specific time like a robot beforehand, they could destroy an entire planet if things went south. Nata said that Cillin might the only person in the entire Vanguard who could continue Chamonidines legacy, the Parasite Code in accordance to its original standards. Its not that Falvey did not know the value of Parasite Code. On the contrary, he knew very well just how important Parasite Code was, which was why he had altered his views on Cillin by a lot after hearing Natas words. It was exactly these words that prompted Falvey to seek out the Sixth B Squadron for a cooperative relationship on his own accord. On that day, Nata had looked at a document in his hands and said, Grim Reaper has Godfather, but we Vanguard may produce an existence who is no weaker than Godfather in the future. This existence he was referring to was Cillin. While Falvey was pondering about Natas evaluation of Cillin, the existence Nata spoke of was lying in his own bedroom and sleeping like a pig. Previously, he had slept because he needed to absorb the data left behind by Chamonidine in sleep mode. This time though, he had to work overnight with Eudy and Beaver to research Sector S prisons defense system, and the reason why Mist, Merciless and Grim Reaper were able to infiltrate it and cause a system paralysis. During the next few days, Eudy and Beaver could not endure the fatigue and had to stop twice temporarily to replenish their energy. However, Cillin had not stopped to rest for a single moment. During that time, his vision was filled with densely packed programs and calculation formulas the second he closed his eyes, and if anyone were to voice out some relevant numbers beside Cillins ears he would immediately substitute the numbers into those complicated formulas and come up with the results. It was the conditioned reflex he practiced during the research. If it wasnt for Cillin, only god knows how long it would take for Eudy and Beaver to finish their research alone. Right now, Cillin, Eudy and Beaver were all sleeping in their own respective bedrooms. He had not even bothered to shave himself. The gray cat jumped beside Cillin, took a glance and gave his messy hair a scratch and a sniff. There was a strange smell coming off it. Just how many days had it been since he last washed his hair!? After letting out a sneeze disdainfully, the gray cat jumped on top of Scarlet Winds little bed, grabbed his tail and rolled itself into a ball, sleeping. The chameleon had said that the days ahead might be a little more difficult than usual, which was why it should hone its strength for the big push. Yes, that was the expression to use alright. Chapter 185: Robot Kingdom [Part 1] Chapter 185: Robot Kingdom [Part 1] This time, their destination was the core planet of Sector G District F, planet G-F100. Its size was moderate, and although it was appointed as the core planet of District F, in reality its planetary habitability didnt reach Rank A. It was a rank B planet that had poorer conditions. The owner of planet G-F100 was called Robert Frentz. He was also the person who negotiated the contract with Falvey. Speaking of the Robert Family; the GAL famous robot family, they actually did not number over a hundred people. They could be said to be the unconventionals of the unconventionals among all the other reputable families in GAL. Unlike the other families, the Robert Family did not have human servants, bodyguards and so on. Instead, they were replaced with extremely realistic robots who looked so lifelike that many people could not differentiate whether the Robert Familys robots were real or fake humans even if they were to stand right in front of them. These robots could even fool some scanner as well. In the past, the Third B Squadron and Sixth B Squadron had only learned about the Robert Familys robots through the reports in electronic publications. However, what theyd seen today with their own eyes obviously stunned them to a greater degree. The starships parked at the space station outside the planet, and only a large majority of combat personnel and small minority of logistics personnel were going to set foot on planet G-F100. Shawton had only brought three teams with him, and Cillins team was one of them. As compared to Falveys disposition of forces, Shawtons side was a lot more low-key. After all, they were only accompanying the Third Squadron, so they couldnt possibly grab the limelight for themselves. After descending from the spaceplane, Cillin cast a glance at a flock of birds flying by in the sky. These are all robo-birds. the gray cat didnt look conflicted just because these birds werent carbon lifeforms. In fact, it looked rather happy at the discovery. As a rare specie in the universe, its diet was incredibly diverse. Naturally, it could consume carbon birds, but it could consume robo-birds just the same. Its not bad to eat something different for a change after all. Moderate yourself. The observers would notice if any one of these robo-birds go missing. Itll be hard to explain things if their disappearances were traced back to you. Cillin stretched out a finger and poked the gray cats head. I know, Im just saying. Ill pretend that I dont understand what those robots are talking about. the gray cat licked its paw, looked up and inhaled deeply, What a familiar smell. It was the smell of machines. The planets layout looked almost the same as a rank A planets. In fact, it looked prettier than a rank A planet. After all, a robot would not generate as much daily garbage. There were some people who were raising sheeps on a wide grassland. The grass was real grass, and the goats were real goats, but the same could not be said about the humans raising them. Perhaps they were all robots, but looked almost identical to normal people. Falvey led the group over a stretch of road on the grassland before stopping to say, It should be here; to the left side of the planet. Grasslands filled the left and right side of the group. They were spacious and empty, and the shepherds from earlier were all gone. They had not encountered anyone else along the way. This is the place weve agreed upon, so there should be no mistake. Lets wait. Shawton said to the Sixth B Squadron members walking towards him. Since both the commanders had given their word, naturally no one would refute them. They waited obediently at the spot. Scarlet Wind was obviously excited to see the grassland. The planet he was on earlier did not have such beautiful grassland. A lot of animals liked grasslands. Snowball and the gray cat were already rolling on the grasslands. Ticos little rabbit had also been set loose to feed on the grass. Doughs body color was identical to the grasslands, so it was impossible to see where it was unless one was paying attention. Actually, the reason this planet was categorised as rank B was because it had too little resources. However, this planets conditions slowly changed under Robert Frentz and his robot kingdoms influence. After all, there were very, very few people who needed to eat on this planet. Most of the people here only needed to absorb solar energy to function. Shawton explained to the group. This was what made the Robert Family astounding. The robot kingdom is still the robot kingdom beneath this grassland. Eudy said while looking at the scanners panel. After this planet was reformed, it became Robert Frentzs kingdom, whereas Robert Frentz himself was the king of this planet. While listening to Shawton and Beavers words, Cillin also noticed the activity beneath the grassland. The activity underground wasnt big. In fact, it was almost indistinguishable above the grassland. However, the reason this grassland was able to grow so lushly wasnt only because of the light shields. The ground itself was infertile, and the nutrients and elements necessary for the growth of all kinds of plants were lacking. That was why the machines beneath the ground had pumped nutrients and elements into this land. Soil reform from underground was a lot more environmentally friendly than spraying the nutrients and elements directly on the surface, and the utilisation rate would improve by a lot too. This method was also closer to the Robert Familys realism standards, and it looked more natural on the surface. However, what was reformed was reformed. No matter how lifelike they appeared, they were still reformed. Once the reformation process was stopped, everything would return to what it once was. The Robert Family was a group of people who enjoyed living in their own worlds. The group didnt wait for too long when a flying car flew over from afar. It made a beautiful turn once it approached the group, stopped in the air before them and slowly descended to the ground. A person walked out from inside the car. He looked very fit, and he wore a warm smile on his face. After roughly sweeping a glance across the people on the grassland, he walked directly towards Falvey. Mr. Falvey, I apologize to have kept you and your men waiting for so long. My boss was held up with something, and he could not to clear up the time to come personally. Please accept our apologies. the person said clearly and walked before Falvey. After saluting in the manner of an aristocrat, he said, My name is Carl. My boss has ordered to welcome you. Mr. Carl, I am very happy to see you. We have not waited for long either. Falvey did not reveal much emotion on his face, and the happiness he spoke of did not show at all. Of course, this did not mean that he was angry. Falveys expressions were just scarce to begin with. Carl continued to smile gently. After the brief introduction, he said, Please follow me, everyone. A spaceplane descended from the sky following Carls voice. Carl made an inviting gesture, but he did not follow the group into the spaceplane. The spaceplane had a pilot inside already. The spaceplane flew away when both squadrons had gone up the vehicle. Meanwhile, Carl leaped into the flying car he sat in before and followed them from behind. The destination of the spaceplane was a village-like place. Here, there were no high rise buildings, and no atmosphere of bustling cities like other planets. It looked more like an isolated world. The group were all a little amazed by the sight before them. The men carried many bags of packed crops into the warehouse. The women were bantering with each other and drying clothes beside pomegranate trees. The children were playing games in groups, running everywhere with soil stuck on their bodies. Theyre all Cary looked a little suspicious. They are all robots. Eudy said. Theyre all robots?! Tang Qiuqiu stared curiously at every person on both sides of the street. These people looked different from the robots shed seen before. Dont they look a little too real?! Wah A childs cry broke through the air. Several kids had accidentally kicked another kid while they were playing, and as a consequence the kid who was kicked did not snatch the playing card he wanted in time. The crying sound was truly indistinguishable from the real one, drawing tears from anyone who heard it and shocking those who learned about it. The tears in the kids eyes were especially realistic, smearing his already dusty and soil stained face even dirtier than before. Are they really robots? Cary asked again. This time, Eudy and Beaver fell silent too. A man walked out of the house because of the kids cries and picked him up from the ground. He wiped the tears from the kids face and tried to calm him down with a smile. He handed over a playing card to the kid, and finally the kid who had cried so hard that his face was swollen red finally broke into a smile. Eudy and the others continued to maintain their silence. Even Shawton did not dare to guess recklessly, or it would be embarrassing if they made a mistake. Carl who was leading the way in front simply smiled faintly at the sight. He continued to guide them forwards. When he passed by the chair the kid had sat down on earlier, Cillin extended a hand and wiped the tear of the crying kid that had been left behind on the chair seemingly at random. What is it? Did you find something? Cary moved over and saw the water on Cillins hand, Is that a tear? The gray cat that was originally lying on Cillins shoulders grew energetic and stretched its neck over. Seeing this, Cillin wiped part of the tear on his finger directly onto the gray cats whiskers. The gray cat shook its head in disdain, Tsk, water. Yes, water. That is all there is to it. Cillin said. Cary didnt quite come to realisation just yet, What do you guys mean? Tico, dressed in a big white coat walked over and explained, If it just just water, then that kid just now really is a robot. A humans tear does not contain just water. If we are to categorise them, they can be differentiated into basic types, reflexive types, emotional types and so on. For example, the tears leaked when a person is sad or moved are different. The composition of the tear is different. Be it the metallic elements such as sodium, potassium, manganese etc or enzymes, the composition of a tear is different depending on the situation. This was the complexity of a human being. Unlike human beings, a robot could only leak water from their eyes no matter how realistic they appeared to be. They were not as complex as a humans tear. I see. Cary nodded in understanding. Even so, Robert Familys robots are just too shocking. Eudy lamented. It was real, too real. The sensation of touch and the blue veins popping from the mans arm when he held up the kid looked very realistic. However, they were all robots. In Robert Familys robot kingdom, every person here could instantly change modes and transform into a combat tool that was no less dangerous than the Third Squad and Sixth Squads combat personnel if needed. This was just the robots in Robert Frentzs robot kingdom. What about the domain of other members of the Robert Family? Did they look about the same as well? Robots like these could sell for at least eight figures per unit outside. Beaver said. He was aware of the Robert Familys special robots selling price at least. Maybe we can buy an arm if we sell me. Cary mumbled to himself. Chapter 185: Robot Kingdom [Part 2] Chapter 185: Robot Kingdom [Part 2] While letting out sighs of admiration at Robert Familys robot kingdom, the group followed Carl to a building that looked like an ancient castle. After they went inside, several people dressed in ancient knight uniforms standing beside the corridor performed an ancient salute when they saw Carl. Humph, those two robots are talking shit about us! the gray cat said indignantly beside Cillins ears after they walked far away. No one else but Cillin could hear its words. What did they say? Cillin raised a hand and scratched the bottom its chin. The robots werent communicating with each other through words, but a kind of electromagnetic wave that was nigh undetectable even by rank A human beings. Therefore, although the two people dressed in knight uniforms looked like they were just standing there solemnly with their mouths firmly shut, theyd in fact communicated a lot of things with each other. The gray cats eyes narrowed at Cillins chin rub, They say that everyone of us look incredibly ugly and dumb, and that they cant believe were bringing animals with us. They say that Snowball is as fat as a ball, and that my hair color is very ugly. What the meow! They have no appreciation for aesthetics at all! the gray cat humphed. Theres no need to split hairs over them. You are a lifeform several ranks higher than them. Of course I am! Didnt you notice that I pretended that I heard nothing? This is what they call disregard, isnt it? the gray cat said proudly. Yes, yes, youve performed very well today! Cillin said. A cat must be stroked the right direction, or its hair would puff up. Carl led the group into a grand hall. There were some carefully prepared food in the grand hall and beautiful maids standing at the side. If they hadnt known that more than ninety nine percent of the people here were all robots, some of them wouldve stirred at the pretty sight. Now, they could only put all of their aroused energy on their food. Of course, a basic level of caution was a must. The two commanders hadnt brought them along to play the role of gluttons and decorations. Carl said that Frentz was still busy, and that they shouldnt hold themselves back and eat first. The group didnt hold themselves back. In any case, the Robert Family was absolutely not lacking in money. After they were done eating, Carl led Falvey and Shawton into the study first while the others waited outside. After meal refreshments and tea were served so that the guests did not look neglected. Cary despised such superficial procedures greatly, but despising something and choosing to eat were two different things. Therefore, he had hadnt missed out on any refreshment and tea. Cillin sat on his chair and drank tea at his leisure. Meanwhile, the gray cat lay on top of Cillins shoulder, kept its ears open and listened in on those electromagnetic waves and gossip between robots. In reality, the electromagnetic waves transmitted by these robots could not be deciphered by anyone but people like Frentz, who knew how the electromagnetic waves should be converted into coded signals. Not even Cillin could figure out what these electromagnetic waves meant even if they were caught by instruments. The only reason the gray cat could understand it was because it had the advantage of being a half cyborg. The gray cat tried very hard to keep a straight face as it listened in to the robots gossip. However, its shaking whiskers let Cillin knew that this fellow was on the verge of exploding. Dont choke on it. Just laugh if you want to laugh. As long as its not too ridiculous, no one will know that youre laughing over what those robots were talking about. The gray cat grinned and was about to tell an interesting tale it just heard, when suddenly it froze. What is it? Cillin noticed the gray cats abnormality. The gray cat thought for a moment before saying, somethings wrong. A while later, the gray cat worked hard to maintain a normal expression on its cat face. However, what it told Cillin made him tense up all over. Ive just received a piece of electromagnetic wave thats very familiar and impressive its the electromagnetic wave that Ive received back at the warehouse when we went to that grade three prison planet in Sector S not long ago. Grim Reaper! This was Cillins first reaction. He could not think of anyone else but Grim Reaper right away. The grade three prisons defense systems and defense network C be it in or off planet C had completely collapsed. It was no wonder Cillin was this nervous in face of such technology. After all, the grade three prison planets downfall was too horrific. Keep listening. Cillin told the gray cat. Mm, I know. the gray cat was no longer joking around. Because it had been controlling its expression all this time, no one noticed anything unusual from it even now. Cillin did a concealed hand gesture, and everyone including Eudy and Dias felt sudden apprehension when they saw it. They might not know what was going on, but the meaning behind Cillins hand gesture was all too important. High alert! Why did Cillin tell them to be on high alert? When Tico saw Rikulabs hand gesture and the little rabbit folding its ears and trembling inside her coat pocket, she sucked in a deep breath. There was trouble. Big trouble. Otherwise, Little Whites ears would not shake this way. Tico had always known about the little rabbits ability to predict danger. She also figured out what its trembling ears meant after so many years of association. The Third B Squadron had also seen the hidden message Cillin sent them. While they still appeared to be chatting and laughing as before, they were ready to react to anything. They were all people who had experienced many things, and they all had their own ways of dealing with a situation like this. However, there were many robot maids surrounding them, so they could not react too obviously. Scarlet Wind took huge bites off the food on his plate while keeping its sharp ears perfectly straight. Right now he was paying attention to his surroundings at every moment, and it was no longer wagging its tail. Cillin stood up. Everyone around him was looking at him. He smiled and said, I just now received news about the T13 minerals. Let me inform the commander and Commander Falvey about it; we may be able to increase our price. No one believed Cillins words, but some people understood that it meant that the matter was related to the two commanders, and that the two commanders were in danger! Ill accompany you. Cary said. It wasnt just Cary; the lieutenant commanders of both Squadrons wanted to accompany him as well. However, Cillin had turned them down. Its fine. Itll only take a moment. You guys should wait here, there are a lot squaddies here after all. What he meant was: if something happens, you guys need to be here to lead our squadmates. If we all head over then things will get difficult to manage. Plus, its easier for me to act alone. They did not insist after hearing Cillins words. Udoze looked a little nervous. Thankfully, he lowered his head so that no one could notice the anxiety in his heart. Beaver patted his shoulder to indicate him to calm down. He looked up and gave Beaver a smile, Im fine, I choked on something just now. After inhaling deeply several times, Udoze also became a lot calmer than before. Cillin walked to Frentz study. However, the maids did not attempt to stop him. This puzzled Cillin greatly. This shouldnt be Chapter 186: Robot Rebellion [Part 1] Chapter 186: Robot Rebellion [Part 1] Just now, the gray cat had intercepted a segment of an electromagnetic transmission that indicated that these robots were planning to rebel. However, Cillin was puzzled: why on earth had they waited until they arrived to rebel? Why had they not chosen an earlier or later time? Also, was Grim Reaper behind the robots rebellion? Although he couldnt confirm this, anything involving Grim Reaper still must be treated with caution. Otherwise, there wouldnt be the chance to regret anything if they were utterly routed. A person dressed as a servant led Cillin to Frentzs study. Cillin didnt deliberately pay attention to the servant leading the way in front of him. This servant was also a robot, and he was also a member of those rebels. On the surface, the servant didnt appear to have strayed from the role Frentz had assigned him. He was polite, he wore a smile on his face, and he looked very friendly. If the gray cat hadnt intercepted the electromagnetic wave transmitted from this servant, Cillin wouldnt have known his next objective either. The servant stood at the door of Frentz study and pressed the prompt button. A screen popped out of the door and displayed a middle-aged mans face. What is it? the middle-aged man asked. Judging from the tone of his voice, he was obviously a little dissatisfied with the interruption just now. This man was none other than Robert Frentz. Master, this gentleman says that he needs to speak to the two gentlemen earlier about something related to the T13 minerals. the servant said respectfully. Falvey and Shawton sitting inside the room felt a shiver in their hearts. Frentz hadnt changed the communication setting to private mode, so they could hear every word said between the master and the servant, and see that the person standing behind the servant was Cillin. This was also why they knew that something must have happened since Cillin wasnt familiar with the details of the T13 minerals contract, and he wasnt someone who would say such things for no particular reason. Falvey and Shawton showed nothing on their faces even though they had something in their own mind. Instead, They actively covered up Cillins lie. The irritation on Frentzs face cleared up a bit as he nodded, If it is for the matter of the T13 minerals, then come on in so we may talk. Shawton noticed that Cillins fingers hanging beside his body seemed to jerk at random. His fingers hadnt even moved for five seconds, and during this five seconds all Cillin did was to walk into the room from the door, greet and salute Frentz briefly. However, these five seconds were all too shocking for Falvey and Shawton. The deciphered meaning behind the code Cillins finger movements had transmitted was: High alert, robot rebellion, they want to kill Frentz. Frentz cast a glance at Cillin and was just about to speak. Suddenly, a dozen or so gun barrels popped out of Carls arm and open fired at Cillin, Falvey and Shawton at the same time. Meanwhile, a high energy beam blade popped out of the hand of the servant who came in, while his other hand picked up a disc-like instrument. He charged to where Frentz was sitting at. There was an invisible energy shield blocking the way, and the servant swung the disc-like instrument at the energy shield. The round disc caused the energy shield to become weaker and weaker, while Frentz was obviously a little caught off guard by the sudden commotion that was happening around him. He seriously could not figure out why these robots had reacted the way they did. It was only until the energy shield had dissipated and the servant was charging towards him with his beam blade that he finally thought of dodging out of the way. Cillin sent the servant flying with a kick as he cut the servants wrist in half with his own wrist blade. The servants severed wrist didnt have blood in it. It was all some composite fiber, conductive circuits and so on. The wrist blade Cillin was currently wielding had been obtained from the base. It was better than that tragic wrist blade that had been destroyed like tofu, and it had cut off the robots wrist rather smoothly. The robot did not feel pain despite having his wrist cut off. His movements wouldnt slow because of the loss of a limb. Cillin avoided the servants sudden kick, lowered his body to avoid the beam blades attack and swiped his own wrist blade over the servants neck like lightning at the same time. Zzzt Although the robots neck wasnt completely cut off, the result was almost the same. Some of the servants circuits had severed, and the beam blade had vanished into its hilt. However, Cillin didnt relax just because the battle appeared to be over. He noticed something amiss and reflexively moved his head sideways. Two laser beams passed by the tip of his hair and caused a burnt stench to come off it. The two high density energy laser beams were fired from the servants eyes. Cillin had no choice but to keep smashing the servant after discovering that he was able to mount a counterattack like this even after his throat was severed. Yes: smash. He smashed his fists onto the servants face again and again. He had figured out the toughness of the robots external composite materials while fighting him, and he knew that it was fine even if he were to smash it with just fists. The robot finally stopped kicking and expired after his head was smashed into the shape of a patty. The trio who were prepared were able to dodge away from Carls attack. They were also able to activate the portable energy shields they carried with them. Before they came in, their guns had all been placed at the storage box beside the door. They only had their wrist blade and some small cutting tools with them. However, this was enough. As long as their portable energy shields were activated, they could get close to Carl and find a chance to kill him. While Cillin was dealing with that servant, the two commander level figures fought against Carl at the same time and forced him to retreat again and again. In the end, Carl seemed to have finally figured out the situation and retreated away from the room. The room where Cillin was wasnt the only place to suddenly bustle with activity. A battle had been started at the grand hall as well. The entire grand hall was turned into a complete mess by both parties, and the luxurious dining table had been wrecked beyond recognition into many tiny pieces already. Scarlet Wind had shedded his innocent appearance since a long time ago, and his entire body was brimming with brutality right now. His extended long claws pierced right through a female servants heart before he forcefully split her entire body apart. Despite having watched the female servants split body falling to the ground, Scarlet Wind still swiped at her head one more time. Just now someone was hurt by the laser beams shot from these robots eyes, and he had no idea if they were fully dead. Therefore, Scarlet Wind had acted very cautiously. He would completely destroy all body parts that presented a threat, and if one swipe wasnt enough then he would swipe a couple more times. Not far away, the Third B Squadrons members felt their eyes twitching rapidly at Scarlet Winds actions. That is just way, way too f*cking brutal! Tang Qiuqiu might not have Scarlet Winds brutal ability, but her shooting skills were very good. There was almost no pause in between her shooting, and there was no such thing as aim time to her at all. She relied fully on the feelings in her hands and instinct to pull it off. The modified bullets entered the robots head through their eyes before exploding. Therefore, every shot Tang Qiuqiu fired quite literally exploded her enemies head. A headless robot still possessed a certain degree of offensive power, but it was the kind of indiscriminate attack that hit not just the Third and Sixth Squad, but also other robots. This also reduced everyones burden. There was also a white shadow scuttling here and there, and wherever it went robots were always sent flying into the ceiling or surrounding walls. The walls were not damaged at all, but the robots were close to falling apart. Even those that hadnt fallen apart moved sluggishly at best. Meanwhile, the starships outside the planet broke away from the space station to avoid any potential threats that might arise from this place. Cillin had already sent a transmission to the starships outside the planet before he went into Frentzs study. Of course, the transmission was encoded. To an outsider it would appear like a normal transmission, and to a squad member who decoded it it would turn into something else. Cillin instructed them to pay close attention to their side of activity, and the second they noticed something amiss they should break away from the space station and not make contact with any matter that was related to the planet. The matter of reinforcement must be arranged with great caution, and they absolutely must not be taken out in space before they could come over and assist them. Inside the study, after taking out the servant and forcing Carl away, Cillin briefly explained to Frentz about the matters development. After all, it was Frentzs robots who had turned traitor. It was not confirmed yet what exactly was going on, and whether the rebellion was caused by Grim Reaper or some other factors. Frentz cast a complicated look at Cillin before walking to the wall behind his chair in silence. He pressed his palm against the wall. Where Frentzs palm had touched, a flat surface that looked like an electronic panel appeared. Frentz pressed a few numbers on the panel. Those numbers were definitely not passcodes, or there was no way he would insert them right in front of Cillin and the others. After the numbers were inserted, a diagram and some data appeared on the wall. After looking at the diagram and the data, Frentz exclaimed despondently, The 3rd generation What? Falvey asked. Right now he was incredibly unhappy. What was a simple trade had suddenly developed to this state, not to mention that his subordinates were still fighting the robots outside. He didnt know exactly how they were faring either. Frentz let out a sigh, All of the 3rd generation robots had turned traitor! Chapter 186: Robot Rebellion [Part 2] Chapter 186: Robot Rebellion [Part 2] 3rd generation robots? Cillin and the others didnt know exactly what the term 3rd generation was pointing at. Looking at the diagram displayed on the wall and the group of light dots approaching towards the center point in a circle, they figured that the center point was probably the ancient castle they were in, and the light dots were the traitorous 3rd generation robots Frentz spoke of. Frentz operated over the light wall for a moment before turning to look at Falvey, Have all the people you brought with you entered the castle already? Other than those left behind on the spaceplanes, they are all here. Alright. The castle will go into lockdown. Those traitors are coming to us. Falvey said nothing and headed outside. Since the castle was going into lockdown, then the traitors inside the castle needed to be cleaned out completely. The knights and servants inside the castle had all turned traitor. The defenders who should be defending had turned against them instead. The blood on the floor all belonged to the Third and Sixth Squad since these robots do not bleed. That was why Falvey and Shawtons hearts were heavy as they stared at the blood traces on the floor. Regardless of whether their squads were in danger, they had definitely bled a lot of blood. Perhaps it was because Frentz had activated the castles internal defense system, but the robot rebels began to receive attacks from all directions. There was nowhere to hide inside the castle, although of course, they wouldnt hide to begin with. Very soon, the robot rebels inside the castle were cleaned out. The medical personnel were treating the wounded. There were two members of the Third Squadron who had passed away, and there were plenty of others who suffered grievous injuries. Thankfully, there were plenty of high quality medicines and medical instruments inside the castle, so the heavily wounded personnel were all treated in time. That being said, Shawton and Falvey were feeling pretty bad right now. They were currently trapped inside this ancient castle, and they had no idea how the members inside the spaceplanes were faring. They couldnt contact them, and their communicators couldnt receive any signal at all. Therefore, Falvey had sought out Frentz again to contact the people inside the spaceplane. The good news was the spaceplanes didnt look like they were attacked. Right now, the people trapped inside were still puzzled as to why they had suddenly lost communication with them. Earlier, Cillin had only told them to be on high alert, but he didnt tell them to leave this place. This was so as to avoid not having a spaceplane to use in the case of emergency. However, it would seem that they didnt need it right now. Therefore, Falvey and Shawton ordered the men inside the spaceplanes to leave the planet and regroup with the starships first. They would contact them later for further orders. Although both Falvey and Shawton very much hoped to take the spaceplanes and leave right now, they would only be shot down before they even came close to the ancient castle. Not all 3rd generation robots were land bound. Before the Third and Sixth B Squadrons had arrived, Frentz was the only person inside the ancient castle. The rest of the Robert Family members and Frentzs wife and children were all on the other side of the planet. This was just a workplace for Frentz. After trouble had visited them, Frentz contacted the people on the other side of the planet and activated the highest level of defense. There werent many 3rd generation robots over the other side, and a large majority of the Robert Family members on the planet were all there as added insurance. Right now, Frentz wasnt worried about that side. A, transmit a wave band signal. Frentz said softly while lying on his chair. A wave band was transmitted from the ancient castle, and it swiftly enveloped the entire planet. The 4th and 5th generation robots that received the wave band all began to transform. They no longer needed to continue their previous role, and the people Cillins group had seen at the village and the town, be it man or woman, young or old, had all immediately begun to switch modes. A while later, Frentz finally left his study and arrived at the grand hall. After all, he as the host had a responsibility to bear over his guests. He drew something on the wall and changed it into an electronic screen that displayed whats happening outside. The 3rd generation robots had all been infected by the Virus. Right now, Im naming this virus as Rebel, and all the robots that are infected by this virus would no longer receive orders from the original core program and execute their antivirus programs instead. It is also what youve just encountered just now. Whats strange is that the 4th and 5th generation robots are all normal. This virus absolutely couldve infected the 4th and 5th generation robots, but in reality that is not the case. Therefore, this is a purposeful attack. Grim Reaper? Shawton spoke up. Frentz nodded, It should be. No one in the Robert Family would do such a thing. Cillin had also said earlier that he had received an electromagnetic signal relating to Grim Reaper. No one asked why Cillin was sure that the electromagnetic signal he received was from Grim Reaper. No one asked why he knew these robots would rebel either. Right now, Frentz didnt have the time to mull over such things anyway. Looking at the images displayed on the wall, Falvey frowned and asked, If the 4th and 5th generation robots you talk about are the commoner-looking robots weve seen before, then they do not look like they can fully hold back the 3rd generation robots even though they have the numbers advantage. After a pause, Falvey continued, Since there are 3rd, 4th and 5th generation robots, shouldnt there be 1st and 2nd generation robots too? Frentz didnt answer this question. He simply looked at the images displayed on the screen. Outside the ancient castle, the 4th and 5th generation robots were resisting against the 3rd generation robots. However, be it in terms of materials or weapon equipment, they were incomparable to the 3rd generation robots. Still, their suicidal way of attacking had impeded the 3rd generation robots greatly. On the screen, a child with only half a body left held onto a 3rd generation robot and self destructed. At that range, the explosion was a huge threat to the 3rd generation robot. However, everyone couldnt help but feel a strange kind of oppression as they watched the many other explosion scenes on the screen. They knew they werent human, but they couldnt help but feel something for them anyway. There were many people who were looking at the images on the wall, but Cillin no longer paid them any attention after the initial glance. His eyes might still be staring at the screen, but his thoughts were somewhere else already. The robots earlier gossip was to figure out if they could understand the meaning behind their transmissions. That was why everything had happened so swiftly after the gray cat pretended that it couldnt understand a thing. However, what puzzled Cillin was: why had the robots chosen this particular timing to act? Or should he say, why had Grim Reaper chosen this timing to make the 3rd generation robots rebel? Frentz definitely knew nothing about this. Cillin could see that he wasnt lying. In that case, what goal did Grim Reaper have this time? It was most definitely not to kill Frentz, or those robots wouldve stopped Cillin from going to the study. The reason was because they didnt actually want Frentz dead. After pondering for a while, Cillin deduced that Grim Reaper was targeting Frentz. However, exactly what they were expecting Frentz to do, he had no way of knowing. The 4th and 5th generation robots grew fewer and fewer. In the end, many 4th and 5th generation robots were blasted into smithereens by heavy firepower before they could even get close. The guns equipped on the 4th and 5th generation robots bodies could only make a small hole or dent on the 3rd generation robots bodies. Anyone with a discerning eye could notice the gap in strength and predict the final outcome. What should we do? Falvey asked while staring at the screen. The question was directed at Frentz. No one else had said a word. Cary was rubbing his shoulder cannon, Scarlet was toying with his own fingers probably because he hadnt had enough from the killing earlier, and Snowball was looking very quiet as it slept with its head leaning against Tang Qiuqiu. However, anyone who saw its eyes would know that this white fatty had a lot of fun earlier. More and more 3rd generation robots were starting to gather around the ancient castle. The Third and Sixth Squad didnt have the patience to calm down. They had no idea how long this ancient castle could last, and they were making preparations to face the robots attack that might come at any moment. Frentz rubbed his glabella and said helplessly, A, activate the 2nd generations activation wave band signal. 2nd generation activation? Was he referring to the 2nd generation robots? What did the 2nd generation robots look like? On a screen displaying the other side of the planet, there was a mountain area covered in range upon range of mountains. However, gradually, the crowd was stunned by what they saw. One of the mountain began to transform and break down into many little pieces. Every little piece of the mountain would take on a humanoid shape after they became separated from the mountain. Are are those the 2nd generation robots?! A mountain was huge, and even after it had broke into many smaller robots the ground was still going to be completely covered with them. Their numbers were still much fewer than the 3rd generation robots, but they were the 2nd generation robots after all. They should be stronger, and they shouldnt have any problems taking down the 3rd generation robots. However, Frentz shouted loudly not long after. Impossible!! While staring at the images on the screen, the gray cat lying on top of Cillins shoulder shook its whiskers, I think weve fallen into a trap. Chapter 187: The 1st Generation Activates [Part 1] Chapter 187: The 1st Generation Activates [Part 1] The images in the screen on the wall made everyone shudder. The 2nd generation robots who had split away from a large mountain, taken form and awakened from their sleep hadnt even started dealing with the rebellion of the 3rd generation robots when they all turned stiff at once. This so-called stiffness was the robots standing right where they were as if they had been frozen. They maintained their initial posture and didnt move a muscle. Only on occasion that fluorescent red light would flash across their eyes. That fluorescent red light was triggered by the invasion of the virus. The fact that their eyes were flashing red was an indicator that their programs were being altered as Frentzs control over the robots grew weaker and weaker. Despite doing everything in his power to save the situation, he couldnt stop the virus from hacking the robots. These Rebel programs were incredibly invasive. Some of the 2nd generation robots tool control programs couldnt be completely altered, and some of their encrypted microsystems couldnt be fully hacked. The Rebel virus obviously took longer to infect a 2nd generation robot, and it had to forcefully wipe away some programs that couldnt be altered. Therefore, when the 2nd generation robots started moving again after they were infected, they didnt move as smoothly as they couldve. It seems that the viruses hasnt completely taken over the 2nd generation robots. Shawton said. Falvey and the others let out a small sigh of relief. The 3rd generation robots were acceptable enemies; at the very least they could still deal with them somewhat. However, the 2nd generation robots were troublesome. Five 3rd generation robots might not necessarily be capable of dealing with a 2nd generation robot. No, its not over yet! Frentzs fingers danced across the light panel that had popped up. Eudy, Beaver and a few others slowly figured out some clues. The viruses are improving! Eudy said. Frentz didnt answer him. It was obvious that he agreed with Eudys words. Does this mean that someone on this planet is modifying these virus programs? Falvey asked. A Third B Squadron member nodded, It should be. Otherwise, these Rebel viruses wouldnt have invaded with such purposiveness and improved this quickly. The Grim Reaper who spread the viruses artificially was right on this planet. The 3rd generation robots were moving more and more smoothly. This meant that the viruses had invaded more and more parts of the 3rd generation robots. The command programs inside the robots were getting more and more unified, and resulting in increasingly quick movements. It was a given that the two contradicting orders sent out by Frentz and the other person controlling from behind the scenes would cause the robots reactions to slow, but as Frentz lost more and more control over the 3rd generation robots, their movements grew smoother over time. The situation didnt allow for any optimism. If they were facing only the 3rd generation robots, at the worst they could charge outside and make a bold gambit. However, now that the 2nd generation robots had joined the fray, a reckless charge was suicidal. Right now Frentz couldnt be bothered to wipe the sweat on his head. His hands never stopped moving, and he didnt even dare to slow down. Cillin said, If you cant do it alone, then let some of us help you. There are some technical staff in both our squadrons who know about this stuff. Shawton and Falvey looked at each other face to face before casting a glance at the quiet Frentz. They frowned and shook their heads. The Robert Family robots had their own special control methods and special coding procedures. These were all knowledge that couldnt be taught to outsiders. For example, Frentz was typing code right in front of them, but no one understood what he was doing because the code he typed were all special symbols that represented a different kind of meaning each. Moreover, as a reputable robot family in GAL, the Robert Family possessed their own special programming language that was different from the common programming language used in GAL. Only a member of the Robert Family would understand the programming language that belonged exclusively to them, not to mention some exclusive development formulas and execution instructions too. If the two squadrons technical staff were to join him, Frentz would have to reveal some relevant information. Otherwise, there was no way the technical staff could help at all. Bang! Frentz swung his fists at the wall strongly. The screens continued to display some complicated data and unrecognisable symbols, but even if the crowd couldnt understand what they meant, they all understood that the viruses had completely taken over the 2nd generation robots just by looking at their smooth movements and speed that exceeded the 3rd generation robots, as well as Frentzs action of punching the wall with both hands. In reality, the group was mistaken as to the reason behind Frentzs anger. He wasnt furious because the 2nd generation robots were completely hacked by the viruses. He was furious because he found out the reason why they were hacked this quickly. It was a hole; a hole that had been ignored for the longest time. The core reason the Robert Familys robots could imitate a human so closely and still possess the super calculation ability and the martial strength of a robot was due to the liquid nucleus chips at the robots brain. The liquid nucleus chips were different from the solid chipset possessed at the core of other machines. The chipset in the robots brain was in liquid form and contained inside it a nucleus. As compared to solid chips, they possessed greater flexibility and upgradeability. Their compatibility with machines were far better than the former as well. This time, the Rebel viruses were affecting the nanothreads at the outer shell of the nucleus. They couldnt invade into the nucleus, but after affecting the nanothreads they could cut off the liquid chips inside the nucleus from the execution circuits outside and make these execution circuits transmit the viruses instructions instead. Right now, both the infected 2nd and 3rd generation robots had lost their ability to execute super calculations and branch divergence programs. They were now just a weapon with a much lousier hit rate than before. This could be considered good news to them. But to Frentz, this was without a doubt a figurative, painful slap to the face. He couldnt believe that the nanothreads and super nanofibers outside the nucleus could be cut off directly. While he had thought about this risk before, back then most of his family members thought that it was impossible to do such a thing. After all, the only way to stop the connection and control of the nucleus over the external execution circuits was to cut off every super nanofiber and nanothread between them. Since most people thought that that was impossible, they didnt research too deeply in this regard. Therefore, every time the robots were upgraded the upgrades were directed at some other aspects. However, Frentz wasnt one of those foolish people. While he did produce his robots later according to the standards set by his family, his own proudest inventions hadnt followed a similar design. Frentz had sunk huge efforts into the development of a robots nucleus. In fact, he even went as far as to put layer upon layer of encryption in every section of the super nanofibers and nanothreads terminals. Because that part of the project was overly arduous, it was also the only time he created the robots using that particular method. The robots he produced later on were all similar with the standard robots used within the family, and they were the current 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generation robots. As for the 1st generation robots, they were the batch Frentz spent the most effort, heart and soul to create. However, Frentz wasnt willing to activate them. If he did this city would be crippled. The operations he was engaged in for so many years would become wasted While thinking, Frentz slammed his fists against the wall again. Cillin thought that the Robert Family members held a kind of obsession in their minds. It was a kind of obsession that forced them to believe an obvious lie that was dangled right before their faces. They had the right to be proud of themselves, but they were also too proud and too confident. Their attitude made them overlook many things. Oh well. Cillin couldnt be bothered to comment about another persons affairs anyway. Cillin flicked the gray cats ears and asked, How is it? The gray cat cast him a confident glance. Cillin returned it a faint smile. There were far more people greater than the Robert Family in terms of machinery than the common masses thought. It was just that the Robert Family was too bright that they outshone the other stars. The gray cat had already deciphered Frentzs unfamiliar symbols. It had even unraveled some data related to the nucleus. Chapter 187: The 1st Generation Activates [Part 2] Chapter 187: The 1st Generation Activates [Part 2] Both squadrons at the grand hall were a little impatient seeing that there were more and more robots gathered outside. They kept hearing the cracking sounds of robots opening fire at them from outside. Now it was just the 3rd generation robots. Once the 2nd generation robots had shown up, there would be no telling if if the ancient castle still resist against them. Right now Falvey was extremely angry since they had not agreed to protect their buyer on the contract. The problem was that their current deal wasnt finished yet, and while the price had been negotiated and the goods had been examined, they hadnt gotten their money yet. Judging from the current circumstances, it was unlikely that Frentz would pay them until the crisis was over. This was a complete disaster that they, the innocent bystanders, were dragged into against their will. Since the goods had already been turned in, they should be paid upon delivery of the goods, Plus, it didnt look like Frentz was going to ask for their help either. Hence, Falvey explained his circumstances directly to Frentz. This was Frentzs problem, and the two squadrons were purely innocent bystanders who got dragged into his troubles. They would take their pay and leave, while Frentz would do whatever he needed to do to deal with the situation. Neither Falvey nor Shawton were idiots; they knew that Frentz must have his own trump card. In that case, why should they sacrifice their own mens lives over someone elses robot problems? Although it was relatively difficult to break out of the encirclement, it would only get harder if they waited until the 2nd generation robots showed up. They might as well leave now, get on the spaceplanes and fly away from this planet. However, what surprised Falvey was that Frentz had wished for them to stay, and he was willing to pay twice the remuneration for the T13 minerals as reward. Still, no matter how much money he offered, they must be alive to be able to spend it. Moreover, due to a certain number of rules Frentz had set when they arrived, they had only brought some simple, portable weapons with them. It would be incredibly difficult for them to fight against those inhuman fellows with the equipment they currently possessed. A simple comparison of numbers would show that they were at a complete disadvantage. Two hours; I only need you to stay here for two hours. In two hours, I will work together with my people on the other side of the planet and find a way to eliminate the virus. If we havent found a way by then, then I will activate the 1st generation robots to fight them - - and trail the 2nd generation robots footsteps? Falvey said somewhat tauntingly. No, the 1st generation robots are different from the other generations. They are my proudest work. They will not be invaded by the virus. Frentz said with certainty. Falvey cast a glance at Shawton, and Shawton looked a little doubtful: are all Robert Family members so blindly confident in themselves? Right now, the castles defenses are more than sufficient to hold back the 2nd generation and 3rd generation robots. Im not saying that the castle will hold up forever, but two hours is not a problem. Now this statement was slightly more believable to Shawton and Falvey. The outer layer of the ancient castle was protected by energy shields, and the outer and inner walls were so tough that even Carl couldnt break through them. To be honest, both Shawton and Falvey understood that right now was a good opportunity to leave if they wanted to be safe. If they stayed, then it was entirely possible that the situation would slip out of their control later. On the other hand, if they turned down Frentz now then the news that Vanguard was afraid of Grim Reaper and the Robert Family robots would spread to the world before too long. God dammit, what a f*cked up situation this is! After Falbey and Shawton had discussed the matter, they accepted Frentzs suggestion and signed a new contract. Both parties were a lot more at ease after the new contract was signed. Frentz returned to his study to work, and Shawton and Falvey stayed back inside Frentzs study as well. What if this fellow decided to change his mind and escaped? Frentz didnt object to Falvey and Shawtons stay inside his study. He was sure that they wouldnt understand the Robert Familys exclusive programming language with their IQ and level of culture anyway. Maybe Falvey and Shawton would have blown Frentzs brains apart if they could actually hear his internal evaluation of them. Right now, both squadrons were hanging around inside the grand hall. A number of people were roaming everywhere inside the ancient castle since there were no robots to restrict them anyway. Frentz didnt voice an objection against their activities either, which was those people who were bored to a lack of activity walked around and checked out the castle. Its not everyday one get to see a castle. Fuck, the doors are all locked. Here I thought we might get to see something rare! Cary pouted and complained after he explored the castle once. Theres nothing we can do about it. This is the Robert Familys domain after all. This may be a castle, but this is also the work of a robot family. Why else do you think Frentz would let us hang around here without worry? Eudy sneered. Dont forget about the guns that popped out of the walls everywhere and took out the robots inside the castle earlier too. This castle is Frentzs eyes. Beaver added. Scarlet Wind and Tang Qiuqiu had no interest in such things. Snowball was pulling Tang Qiuqiu around and talking about his glorious achievements from the battle earlier. Scarlet Wind was playing with his own claws, while Udoze moved closer to get a better look at the claws curiously. Just how did these claws manage to tear those robots in half? Hey, what are you thinking, Cillin? Cary bumped Cillin with his elbow. Cillin and the gray cat had been quiet since the beginning. The gray cat was lying on top of Cillins shoulder with its eyes closed, looking like it was asleep. However, Cillin knew that it was processing the new electromagnetic waves it had received and the signals Frentz had transmitted. This entire ancient castle had revealed too much information, and while the others knew nothing about this, to the gray cat who had successfully deciphered the Robert Familys exclusive programming language, the information contained in this place was massive. As for Cillin, he hadnt mulled over the same matter for an overly long period since his mastery of the machine language couldnt compare to the gray cats. He was analyzing something else. When he heard Carys question, Cillin looked up at Cary and the others. Did you guys realize that the village and town buildings we passed through earlier C be it the tall, short, luxurious or humbles ones C were mostly intact even though some of them were destroyed? Even the buildings that were caught in the crossfire between the 4th, 5th generation robots and the 2nd generation robots are still intact. Those buildings are almost the same as the ancient castle were in. When he heard Cillins words, Cary thought back and cast a glance at the display screens on the walls of the grand hall. The displays showed images from a variety of viewing angles, although the main focus was placed at the areas surrounding the castle. From these images, he could see that it was true that some buildings werent damaged by the ensuing battle. Even though the 3rd generation robots were ramming into things here and there, only some bits and fragments came off the buildings. Thats true Whats the estimated time before the 2nd generation arrives? Cillin asked. Beaver and Eudy took out some small portable instruments and calculated. At the fastest, they will arrive in ten minutes. Beaver pointed at the flying type robo-birds on the panel. These robots were also the fastest among their kind, It wont take long for the rest of the robots to show up as well. Once these pioneering squads had reached their destinations, the rest will arrive in succession. Cillin nodded, What else do we know? Beaver said with a bitter look on his face, Were cut off. The incoming and outgoing signals in this castle had been cut off. Only Frentz and his people could continue to transmit and receive their own signals. Eudy pulled Doughs tail away from his arm and said. Cillin gave a grunt of agreement and closed his eyes. He leaned against the chair and said nothing. Hey, you cant possibly want to sleep in this situation? Cary let out a strange cry. Cillin didnt even bother opening his eyes, Theres nothing I can do even if I opened my eyes. I may as well take this opportunity to rest for a bit. A tough battle might just be right around the corner. Cary opened his mouth, but he didnt say anything. He continued to watch Eudy and Beaver working on their statistics. With his eyes closed, the incoming and outgoing signals in the surrounding area appeared in his mind. He could even distinguish those unfamiliar symbols, but he didnt know what they meant. He would probably need the gray cats help to translate them once the time came. Ten minutes later, the first group of the 2nd generation robots arrived at the castle. They could sense very clearly that the castle was under even heavier fire than before. While the castle itself wasnt damaged, the shockwaves happening on the energy shields had affected the building itself. Therefore, the people inside the grand hall were all tensed up as they feared that the energy shields might collapse in the next moment. The good news was that the energy shield had held on for two hours. Although it was nearing the brink of collapse by the end of it, they had survived the two hours. The bad news was that Frentz and the other Robert Family members on this planet werent able to find a way to eliminate the virus. The virus was too crafty, and the more he understood the more he knew about its complexity and ruthlessness. One mistake and every infected robot might self-destruct at the same time. If that happened then this planet would truly be destroyed. Frentzs several dozens of years of hard work would all go to waste as well. Two hours later, the look in Frentzs eyes had dimmed by a lot. Just like they had discussed earlier, he only had one method to use now. Frentz stood up from his chair and walked to the wall behind the chair not far away from his desk. He placed his hand on the wall just like before. As a light screen and control panel appeared on the wall, he entered a series of symbols and went through a series of inspections such as identity scan, genetic verification and so on. Finally, Frentz said, 1st generation, activate. The 1st generation was the generation of robots Frentz spent the most effort on. Unlike the 2nd generation robots that were placed at the mountain area, these robots had in fact been right next to Frentz and the other Robert Family members on this planet. Chapter 188: Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 1] Chapter 188: Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 1] The 1st generation robots were the first batch of robots Frentz created back when he built his own kingdom. While some new technologies werent implemented into these robots, they were far better than the next generation robots be it in terms of complexity or material quality. Earlier, the Third and Sixth Squad didnt know where these 1st generation robots were. The 4th and 5th generation robots were akin to civilians; civilians who lived in this machine city that imitated an ecology. The 3rd generation robots were akin to guards; soldiers who were garrisoned inside this city. Meanwhile, the 2nd generation robots fell under the category of hermits who would be awakened only during certain critical moments. So what about the 1st generation robots? Everyone looked at the image displayed on the wall. Other than Cillin, Eudy and a few others who were mentally prepared after discussing something relevant to the topic, everyone else wore a look of astonishment on their faces. Every building in this city C no, not just this city, but many other places on the planet where the Robert Family was present C that was undamaged by the armed rebellion stirred by the 2nd and 3rd generation was a 1st generation robot. Although the ancient castle they were stuck inside hadnt undergone a transformation, everyone was wondering inside their hearts whether it was also a 1st generation robot. Relatively speaking, perhaps they were now inside the stomach of a 1st generation robot? In fact, the 1st generation robots didnt share the same humanoid shape as the other generations. They neither shared the same shape, nor did they share the same size. On the surface they looked incredibly crude, many of the robots were even covered in a layer of soil. They looked like a generation of robots who had phased out of time. However, who was the better and who was the inferior was obvious the moment the 1st generation robots clashed against the 2nd generation robots. A large body, agile speed, and excellent equipment. One could see just how much effort was sunk into these 1st generation robots just from their blinking energy shields and rapid transformation in order to adapt to the battlefields. The fur on the gray cats ears kept trembling as it lay on top of Cillins shoulder. It wasnt a reaction that would draw attention from outsiders. After all, who would keep staring at a cats ears for a prolonged period of time? Even if they did, they wouldnt think much of the trembling fur on a cats ears. Right now, every hair on the gray cats ears was tracking a particular wave band of signal. When Frentz had activated the 1st generation robots, those wave band signals had suddenly increased in number. The signals hadnt came only from the 1st generation robots, but also from an outside source. These signals carried data that was similar to the Rebel virus, and if the 1st generation robots were to receive these signals then the virus could start infecting them as well. However, the good news was that these 1st generation robots had not turned out the way the 2nd generation robots did even after some of them had received those wave band signals. They continued to maintain their orders and cleaned up the 2nd and 3rd generation traitors. The shortest 1st generation robot was over ten meters tall, and the tallest 1st generation robot was over a hundred meters tall. The crowd had to admit that they felt pleased and a lot more at ease seeing these big 1st generation robots flinging the 3rd generation robots into the air like they were ants. The situation can be dealt with now that these 1st generation robots are here, right? someone said. No, it is not that simple. Frentz, who had walked to the grand hall alongside Shawton and Falvey cast a glance at the group at the grand hall and said, The build of the 1st generation robots has their own weakness, and they are not without gaps in their defenses. There are too many 3rd and 2nd generation robots out there. The 1st generation robots numbered only one hundredth or less to the 2nd and 3rd generation robots. So youre saying? Falvey figured out somewhat what Frentz was going to talk next. The decision to accept Frentzs requirement and miss the best time window to escape had made him feel pretty conflicted already. Falvey had even regretted his earlier decision because it put his subordinates lives at risk. Right now though, Frentzs tone suggested that he wanted them to join in the resistance against those robots. Currently, the world beyond the castle was the robots battlefield. Was he telling them to commit suicide fighting those robots with their own flesh and blood? Moreover, their current weaponry and equipment were completely inadequate to meet the needs of the battlefield. If they knew from the start that there would be a battle at this level, their equipment wouldve been several times stronger than what they had now. They wouldnt have brought only some cold weaponry and simple guns with them either. Frentz cast Falvey a glance for him to quell his impatience, A, bring out the things. Frentz had just finished saying his command when a long row of boxes were dropped down from the ceiling. The boxes were opened to reveal the objects inside. Beavers eyes lit up when he saw the objects inside the boxes. In fact, he nearly salivated on the spot. Everyone who recognized the objects inside the boxes were feeling the exact same thing as Beaver. If it wasnt for the circumstances they were in right now, they wouldve pounced over to grab the things already. The feeling of being able to see but not touch a desired object was just as uncomfortable as a cat not being able to scratch its itches. Half cyborg weapons! Falvey raised an eyebrow at Frentz and indicated him to speak further. The gray cats body froze for a moment when it heard the word half cyborg. However, as Beaver explained things with a soft voice, the wariness in its eyes slowly faded and became replaced with thick condescension. You call these pieces of junk a half cyborg? The real rare specie of the universe and half cyborg is sitting right here, and this old man dare show off those ripoffs of his? That being said, no one including Frentz knew that there was a genuine half cyborg right here in this grand hall. After all, the half cyborg created by the Robert Family was an imitation of another half cyborg like the gray cat. Moreover, the weapons had been modified greatly for portability purposes, shaped into many forms and installed with all kinds of functionalities based on various needs. A half cyborg weapon was extremely expensive, and it wasnt standardized yet among Hunter regiments. Only an extremely small amount of Hunters would possess a weapon like this, not to mention that they werent even the latest products. There were more people who possessed half cyborg weapons inside the military, and this was one of the reasons Hunters were jealous of the military. If they understood Frentz correctly, not only was he supplying both squadrons with these high-end weapons for use during this crisis, he would give away some of them after the incident was over as well. The core unlock code of these weapons is still intact. Ive calibrated them to work for only 72 hours of time. Once this incident is over, I will unlock them and transfer their ownership to you. I would also pay you a sum of monetary reward identical to the one before too. What do you think? Frentz looked at Falvey and Shawton. Some people were swallowing down salivas already. They stared expectantly at their respective commanders. They had to admit that Frentz knew very well how Hunters thought. He knew what a certain Hunter needed in a certain set of circumstances. As a member of the four great Hunter regiments, no one got cold feet even though they werent part of the A Squad, especially when things seemed to have taken a new and better turn. A large majority of the people Shawton and Falvey had brought with them were combat personnel, and it was inevitable that combatants would lust for battle. Some people finally couldnt hold back after Frentz threw one attractive offer after another at them. Lets go, commander! We will avenge our fallen squadmates! Despite the desires to avenge their deceased squadmates, to satisfy the craving for battle inside their hearts, or to obtain the half cyborg weapons Frentz offered them, Falvey continued to maintain his silence and weighed the pros and cons on the inside. After Shawton had discussed the matter with a few people inside the squad, he looked at Cillin, Cillin, what do you think? Cillin thought for a moment before saying, Grim Reaper is likely going after those robots only, so they probably wont raise a hand against us. Since Mr. Frentz had supplied us with weapons and defensive equipment, I suppose this deal is barely acceptable if he wants us to assist the 1st generation robots in the battle only. However, I still have some questions that I wish to ask Mr. Frentz about. Shawton nodded, Mr. Frentz, my squadmate wishes to ask you something. Frentz recognised Cillin. If it wasnt for him, he wouldve been killed by his servant already. Therefore, although the members of the Robert Family had always thought quite highly of themselves, Frentzs tone turned out relatively amiable since he was facing Cillin. Just ask me anything you want to know. Mr. Frentz, my question is this: shouldnt you provide us with a little more something other than these weapons to combat this crisis? A little more something? Such as? Frentz looked at Cillin in puzzlement. Fighters, armored cars, spaceplanes. Oh, those. Frentz say on his chair as his fingers tapped unconsciously against the wall, The Robert Family is famed for their creation of robots. Fighters, armored cards, spaceplanes, etc. do not fall under our usual category of use. However, I do have some of them in my possession. Frentzs fingers slid across the wall and pressed, causing a screen to pop up and display some diagrams. These are the only vehicles in this area. The rest are a little far away on the other side of the planet. The small-sized fighters displayed on the diagrams had a very unusual and flat shape. The armored cars were thankfully more normal looking. The spaceplanes however were either too big or too small. Still, they could use the small sized spaceplanes and act in small groups. It was better than nothing: after all, how could manpower possible compare to tireless machines? It was obvious that the members inside the squads were more inclined towards Frentzs suggestions with the addition of these things now. It was difficult for Falvey to turn down the offer when everyone was looking at him with expectant gazes anyway, not to mention that he himself was inclined to agree with this trade. In reality, Falvey, Shawton and many others knew very well on the inside that this was a trade that profited both parties. The two squadrons needed new weapons, and Frentz needed someone to test these weapons on a real battlefield. Chapter 188: Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 2] Chapter 188: Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 2] Once the contract was signed, the crowd rushed over to grab a weapon to toy with impatiently. This thing is known to be a million credits luxury goods! Cary carefully caressed the armband on his hand. While it was true that these items could be sold for millions of credits at certain locations, their costs were in fact much cheaper. Therefore, Frentz wasnt sorry to give them away. People like him valued technological improvement over obsession towards money. Cillin followed Carys movements and put on an armband himself, and he immediately discovered that it fitted quite well with his arm. It wasnt one hundred percent compatible, but eighty percent wasnt out of the question. Moving the weapons on the armband was as easy as moving his own fingers. Cillin tested and checked out the several kinds of weapons installed inside the armband. There were cold weapons such as sharp blades that were similar to wrist blades, ropes that were extremely thin but possessed incredibly carrying capacity, and excitation type weapons as well. The armband itself offered great protection. Cillin grabbed an armor-like object and put it on Tang Qiuqiu since her constitution couldnt compare to the rest of them. This protective armor was very light, possessed great defense and could bend along with ones body. It could better defend Tang Qiuqius life. Scarlet Wind played with an armband that looked almost the same as Cillin and felt incredibly uncomfortable when he wore it. He took them off and tossed them aside directly, paying no further attention to the equipment. Cillin didnt force him to wear it against his will. After all, Scarlet Wind was different from other people. Frentz had also provided them with some stronger guns. Everyone made their choices according to their likes and needs. There was a small problem however, and that was the spaceplane produced by Frentz could only be called mini-sized.After taking a look at the vehicles and discussing things with Falvey briefly, they decided that each small team would take either a spaceplane or an armored car. They would act as a team and maintain communication with each other. Cillins choice of vehicle was the spaceplane. He was going to start from the outskirts. After all teams had made their preparations, they began to act. People who were biased towards fighters like Udoze chose to pilot a fighter immediately. A fighter was very small and could only fit one person. In fact, those who were slightly larger wouldnt entirely fit into the seat. Thankfully, Udozes size was just right. After he sat inside the fighter, a single glance at the control panel was enough to cause Udozes blood to boil with anticipation. Udozes fighter flew alongside Cillins spaceplane. They took out some 2nd generation flying robots along the way. The 2nd generation robots were pretty agile and speedy. One mistake, and one might be shot down from the sky. However, after Udoze slowly familiarized himself with the fighters controls, he became more and more skilled at piloting it and was even able to pull off several super flexible movements. Cillins group had flown to the edge from high altitude, so they hadnt encountered many 2nd generation robo-birds along the way. It didnt take long before they reached their designated location. There were still some 4th and 5th generation robots fighting against the 3rd generation robots at this place. The main body of the 2nd generation robots had all ran into the city. Since there werent many 2nd generation robots at this place, not a single 1st generation robot could be found in the area. The preys here are ours. Cary gave his armband a look, toyed with his guns and said. I want everyone to be alert when we arrive. You are not allowed to act alone, and at the very least you must act in pairs to avoid being trapped without backup. Cillin stressed. Snowball, stay beside Qiuqiu and cover her back! Scarlet Wind, follow me! Cillin nodded at Snowball and Scarlet Wind. The rest of the people had made their own selections some time ago. After communicating with Udoze on the fighter briefly, Cillin waved his hand and declared, Begin! Since the 1st generation had left, the former village was left with a bed of ruins. There were bullet holes, burned marks and cut lines caused by laser weapons everywhere amidst the collapsed houses. They could see that the planet was still in the process of transformation. Otherwise, this land wouldve been mechanised just like how it was in the city. Tang Qiuqius role was to stay inside a snipers nest and snipe the robots, while Snowball destroyed the nearby robots that approached her. Cary, Beaver and Eudy had already charged forth to destroy the robots. The trio cooperated quite well with each other, and the same goes with Tico and Rikulab. In the air, Udoze grew more and more pumped as he challenged the robots lock on techniques at every moment. There was no one in the squad except the two young fellows Scarlet Wind and Tang Qiuqiu that demanded Cillins worry. Bang! Cillin sent a 2nd generation robot flying with a single punch, but he had only managed to cause a shallow dent in its plating. It hadnt been smashed apart directly like the 3rd generation robots. The 2nd generation robot quickly crawled onto its feet after it had fallen to the ground. It pointed a glowing tube towards Cillins direction. Cillin dodged out of the way, and when the robot opened fire at Cillin, Scarlet Wind pounced at the robot from the back. When the robot had turned its head around, his claws pierced right through its eyes and stirred around twice. The robots movements slowed even more as if a bug had appeared in its program. Cillin had to throw in another slash to finally make it stop moving. He dragged the robot to a secluded spot and used a particle cutting blade to cut open the robots head, revealing the object within. There was a hard object the size of a peanut at a spot inside the robots head. This hard object was surrounded by many fiber-like threads that functioned as the equivalent of human nerves. However, these threads were not nearly as fragile as human nerves. Even if these threads were cut off, the robots movements wouldnt be affected too much. When Scarlet Wind stirred his claws inside the robots heads just now, he had to cut more than half of the threads around this peanut-sized object before the robot finally slowed down. The threads that were connected to the hard object inside its brain was the nanothreads and super microfibers, and the hard object was the Robert Familys special creation, the liquid nucleus chips. Since this peanut-sized object wasnt damaged, it meant that the liquid nucleus chips inside were still intact. Cillin took out a composite blade and cut the object. The blade made of special composite materials failed to cut open the tough shell in a single attempt, and Cillin had to perform a few more tries before he finally managed to create a small opening. Crack. The tough exterior shell wrapping around the liquid nucleus chips broke apart, and a mercury-like liquid flowed out from inside. This liquid was the real liquid nucleus chips. Cillin experienced an instantaneous moment of absentmindedness as he stared at the liquid. He felt as if he had returned to the experiment bench back in the lab and was being injected with that tube of liquid again. Didnt it look almost the same as these liquid chips? Could that madman Horay be a member of the Robert Family too? But that couldnt be right. Cillin had investigated about Horay after that incident, and there wasnt such a person in the Robert Family like Horay either. After all, no one in the Robert Family had a genotype as weak as Horays. After coming into contact with Frentz, Cillin also knew that the duos DNA and genetic information were completely different. The Robert Family had invented this liquid chip technology since several hundred years ago. Back then, there were no news reports about anyone who successfully researched a new type of liquid chip besides the Robert Family. All of the research topics were products that had been researched by the Robert Family since a long time ago. In that case, had Horay invented that improved version of liquid chip by imitating the Robert Familys liquid chip technology? The gray cat came closer and took a sniff and even a lick of the pool of liquid. It was okay as food, but it was nothing once the sense of novelty had worn off. The gray cat shook a paw before Cillins eyes after seeing him staring at the pool of liquid and not talking, Wassup? Cillin shook his head, Nothing. After a pause, he continued, If you guys can obtain an intact nucleus like this one over here, Cillin pointed at the peanut-sized object, then bring as many of them as you can to me. I have a use for them. Scarlet Wind had no objections to offer. It was a relatively easy task to him since all he needed to do was to put a hand inside those robots heads, and stir. Chapter 189: The First Generation Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 1] Chapter 189: The First Generation Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 1] Somewhere at a mountain peak on top of the planet, a person sat on the ground as he tinkered with the instrument before him. He looked very young and very average. He was the kind of person who would be almost invisible in a crowd. There were the battle scenes of several places others that were on the instrument. In particular, the town where Cillin was at was given the biggest priority. A 2nd generation robo-bird flew over and put down two egg-sized liquid nucleus chips before the young man. Then, it flew away once more. The two 1st generation liquid nucleus chips put down by the robo-bird were perfectly intact. Of course, it wasnt easy to damage a 1st generation liquid nucleus chip. After all, the chips exterior could be considered to be the toughest part of the entire machine. The young man moved his gaze away from the instrument and stared at the two liquid nucleus chips on the floor. He picked them up and examined them closely before putting them inside a specially prepared little box. After tinkering with the instrument for a moment, he closed the machine and stretched his back, saying, Alright, thats that. Lets go. Why didnt you infect the 4th and 5th generation robots as well? a person sitting behind the young man asked. Theres no need. Let it be an act of mercy in this incident. the man packing up the instruments said in a sympathetic tone. The person behind the young man twitched his mouth. The expression on his face could be deciphered into two lines: Mercy my ass! Only an idiot would believe you! After he was done packing the instruments, the duo then rode on the spaceplane parked not far away from them and left. On the other side, the Third B Squadron and Sixth B Squadron were assisting the 1st generation robots in fighting against the rebels. The teams at the outskirts like Cillins were faring relatively well, and overall no casualties had been incurred thanks to the high level equipment supplied by Frentz. Those who werent injured too badly had also remained on the battlefield to fight. In reality, the gray cat very much wanted to transform into its machine form, but it didnt want to be found out by Frentz either. Therefore, it had no choice but to suppress the thoughts in its mind temporarily. Still, the gray cat was more than capable of cutting through the 3rd generation robots exterior and killing them in its cat form. The 2nd generation robots were slightly more troublesome, but they didnt present too much of a threat either. Plus, there werent many 2nd generation robots in this place. Cillin applied both blade and gun into the battle. His near seamless shooting made the dazzling bullets fired from his energy gun look like exploding fireworks. He wasnt just hanging around in one spot and shooting either. His figure blurred amongst the robots, and his light blade let out constant buzzing noise as it cut through the mechanical bodies again and again. Not far away, Scarlet Wind scooped out the liquid nucleus chips with his claws from inside the heads of the robots that Cillin destroyed. If a robot were to approach him while he was working, then Scarlet Wind would take it out without mercy. He wasnt lacking when it came to fighting the 3rd generation robots, and his preferred killing method was to rip them apart. While fighting, Cillin discovered that the reactions of these robots were getting slower and slower. The person controlling the viruses has left, and Frentzs side didnt stop working all this time. They are slowly but surely regaining control over the robots. the gray cat said. It had analysed and extracted all these information from the signals it was receiving. The gray cat was growing more and more impressed with its own analysis capabilities. I knew that Im a peerless and irreplaceable existence! It was as the gray cat had spoken. Before long, the 3rd generation robots slowed down like a youngster who had suddenly entered old age. By now everyone noticed that there was a change in the situation. Shawtons voice came in from the communicator worn around Cillins ears. This proved that the cause behind the slowdown was more or less exactly as the gray cat described. When the 2nd and 3rd generation robots suddenly stopped moving as if their power had been cut off, everyone paused what they were doing in accordance to Shawtons orders. However, they didnt put down their guard just yet. Five minutes later, the robots fell into formation according to their respective categories. Frentz announced officially that they had regained control over the robots. The gray cat snorted disdainfully as it crouched above Cillins shoulder, Those who didnt know the truth might be fooled to think that Frentz had scored a great achievement! If the enemy hadnt left on their own accord, theres no chance that they couldve regained control so easily with their level of ability! Meow, I look down on him. Cillin flicked the gray cats ears with his finger and said, Dont say this in front of Frentz, get it? We havent gotten our rewards from him yet. The gray cat immediately shut up the instant it heard the word reward. However, its tail continued to stand tall in an incredibly proud fashion. When Cillin and everyone else returned to the castle, Frentz was already waiting for them at the entrance. The ancient castle from before had already transformed into a robot, encircling Frentz and the others in a protective zone and isolating them from the 2nd and 3rd generation robots with its arms to prevent any unexpected accidents. Cillin walked into this protected zone, but the gray cat didnt follow him. Cillin didnt force it to follow him either. The two commanders wouldnt question too deeply about the cause behind this incident. They had completed their mission, and it was time for Frentz to make due his promises. Contrary to what one might expect from someone of Frentzs character, he had acted swiftly and without delay. He transferred over the items he had prepared a long time ago to Falvey and Shawton. In reality, Frentz also knew that both squadrons had collected some liquid nucleus chips for themselves, but didnt mind the action. There were some technology that were privy only to the members of Robert Family, and he was confident that Vanguard wouldnt be able to figure out the chips they obtained despite their attempts at researching them. At best they would create an inferior copy, just like many others who had attempted to steal the Robert Familys technology. Lets also not forget that there were still plenty of people who bought the Robert Family robot from everywhere in GAL despite its expensive price. Those people hadnt figured out anything despite not missing the chance to extract the liquid nucleus chips for research either, had they? Right now Frentz was concerned with preventing a second hacking by another virus similar to the kind that had attacked them. After this incident, he would order the connection to the nucleus of every robot on this planet to be built in the same way as the 1st generation robots. He would also notify his family about this and explain the ins and outs of this incident. Frentz believed that his status within the family would rise higher after this incident. After all, anyone elses planets wouldve been annihilated had they faced a similar situation. Frentz did have the right to be proud of himself, but Shawton and Falvey didnt have the patience to chat with a proud and arrogant person like Frentz for long. Frentz wasnt the only one who was privy to scorn; they were looking down on Frentz as well! After the two squadrons had received their payment and checked everything, they withdrew from the planet without hesitation. The starships outside the planet had been attempting to contact with those on the planet since the start. After Grim Reaper had left, they quickly reestablished connection and had sent several spaceplanes to fetch them back to space already. Cillin knew that something was off with the gray cat the second it jumped onto its shoulder. However, Cillin feigned ignorance and said nothing about it. After they had returned to the starship, treatment was immediately administered to the injured personnel. It was during this moment Tico and Rikulabs addition to the squad revealed its great effects. The improvement of the medicines, medical operations and treatments all progressed smoothly and efficiently with them around. The Third Squad and Sixth Squad had become much more acclimated with each other after the incident. After all, they had all fought together on the same battlefield and shared the same joy and hardships. No one had any objections to the distribution of their profits, and the members of the two squads had even huddled together for a drink. Once the success celebration of this incident was over, everyone returned to their own respective teams to rest. Scarlet Wind was forced to chug down a lot of alcohol by Cary, so right now he was sleeping like a log. Cillin himself was going to bed, but the gray cat had jumped on top of the bed and walked in many circles. It looked so jittery that its tail was coiled up and its ears were turned backwards. From time to time, it would even scratch its claws against the bed loudly. Cillin turned around and looked at the gray cat that was just about to slap him, Sir cat, seriously, did someone piss you off or something? The gray cats whiskers shook, and its mouth opened. However, it wasnt sure what it should say. Instead, it put a paw on Cillins nose and pressed downwards. Push, push, push! Cillin pushed the gray cats paw away and lifted it into the air, You have two minutes to prepare. If you want to say something then say it, because Im not going to listen once the time is up. Dont you come crying to me that you cant shit for a few days because of this later! The gray cat moved its ears and said, I dont need to shit in the first place. What followed after that was silence. One minutes up. Cillin reminded, because this stupid cat could daydream until Scarlet Wind wakes up. Tsk, so stupid. Cant lie; cant even keep its worry from showing. How can there be such a stupid true cyborg life form in this world? The gray cat licked its nose and stared at Cillin. Then, it spat out an object the size of an egg from its mouth. It was none other than the liquid nucleus chip within Frentzs 1st generation robots brain. Chapter 189: The First Generation Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 2] Chapter 189: The First Generation Liquid Nucleus Chips [Part 2] Cillin picked up the object and gave it a look. It was slightly bigger than a 2nd generation chip, and the results of his analysis told him that its exterior was far tougher than a 2nd generation chips as well. Cillin looked at the gray cat, When did you kill a 1st generation robot? The gray cat immediately puffed up upon hearing this, Im not the one who smashed it into the sorry state it was in! The reason the gray cat hadnt followed Cillin into the protected zone and went out for a walk earlier was because it saw some of the big fellows lying on the ground in confusion. Some of the robots were wrecked beyond recognition, and some of their heads were completely blown off their top. Knowing that Cillin needed the liquid nucleus chips, the gray cat had jumped over to the bodies in search for more. However, it noticed that the nucleus chips were all gone, and saw a type of mini robot unlike any of these generation robots procuring the liquid nucleus chips from the robots heads and taking them away. They were headed to the ancient castle. It would seem that Frentz valued these 1st generation nucleus chip a lot. This made the gray cat even more curious. It went through some places and finally found a 1st generation robot whose head was smashed to pieces and its body destroyed beyond recognition. It dug out the liquid nucleus chip inside its brain directly and swallowed it. Unless the liquid nucleus chip was spat out, or the gray cat had willingly divulged the information, there was no chance those scanners could glean anything from it at all. That was why Frentz had not discovered anything amiss within the Third and Sixth Squad while searching for the three missing 1st generation nucleus chips. He hadnt found anything after searching for them throughout the entire globe either. Later on, Frentz concluded that the reason behind the missing chips was Grim Reaper. This was because he discovered a disconnected segment within the memory section inside a 2nd generation robots liquid nucleus chip that contained a footage of the robot transporting the 1st generation nucleus chips to the members of Grim Reaper. At first, the gray cat was waiting for Cillin to take the initiative and ask it whats wrong. This was because it felt that it could hide nothing in front of Cillin. In reality, Cillin had feigned ignorance and pretended that he didnt notice anything. Since he never asked the question the gray cat was waiting for, it had held back the urge to divulge the news all the time. What an embarrassment this gray cat was for a so-called universally rare half cyborg lifeform! In the end, the gray cat could no longer hold it in when it saw that Cillin was getting ready to go to bed. The string in its head snapped, and it swung its paw in attempt to slap Cillin in the face. It was at this moment Cillin opened his eyes and stopped it. When the gray cat had explained everything it kept cooped up inside its heart, Cillin fell silent for a few seconds before stretching out his hands and rubbing the gray cats head for some time. He stopped only when the gray cat was about to puff up again, and as he put away the 1st generation robots liquid nucleus chip inside its leaf-patterned ring he patted the cats head and said, Lets sleep. Ill give you an extra large meal tomorrow! The gray cat instantly sent the questions prepped inside its head off with a flying kick the second it heard the words extra meal, I want to eat fish biscuits! Alright, fish biscuits it is. The gray cat purred, rolled its body into a ball and pressed itself against Cillins arm, getting ready to sleep. It feels so much better after Ive said what I cooped up inside my heart but what was I going to ask again just now? Oh, never mind. Lets think of fish biscuits. Cillin smiled as he watched the stupid cat pressing close to him and curling up like a dumpling. This guy! In fact Cillin had thought of attacking those imbecilic robots himself. However, there were a couple of reasons that prevented him from doing so. One, it wasnt easy to act when Frentz was paying close attention to the 1st generation robots. Two, the 1st generation robots werent easy to deal with. Not only were they huge, they were also swift, tough and incredibly powerful. It would take him a while to kill one, and it would be difficult to justify his actions if he was discovered. He didnt have the time to search for them after the battle had ended either. This liquid nucleus chip is probably the same as the 2nd and 3rd generation robots, except that it uses a different connection method. Cillin forgot the idea of obtaining some 1st generation liquid nucleus chip for himself since he already obtained some 2nd and 3rd generation liquid nucleus chips. However, he didnt think that the gray cat would manage to get one. That being said, he couldnt reveal this liquid nucleus chip to anyone else. If a blabbermouth somehow spread out the news then it was unavoidable that some friction would form between Vanguard and the Robert Family. After he woke up, Cillin put a large bag of fish biscuits inside the gray cats personal locker. Cillin had specifically prepared the locker for the gray cat after it had shown its envy for Cillins. Everyday, the gray cat would rub its scent on the locker and the large area around it. If Dough dared set its gaze onto its locker, the gray cat was absolutely going to send that gluttonous chameleon flying with a slap. The two commanders Falvey and Shawton went away to discuss their next course. As of now, the two squadrons were quite free. There were plenty of people who were testing their new weapons. They might have used them already on the battlefield, but they couldnt help but caress the beautiful things once they grew idle. It was an itch that they needed to scratch. Cillin didnt follow their example. He had something else to do. After Enji had passed away, his workshop had been inherited by Cillin. All kinds of experiment be it engineering or biochemistry could be completed in this workshop. Of course, it was impossible to conduct large scale experiment in this place. The conditions of the workshop were limiting after all. Cillin analysed the 2nd and 3rd generation robots liquid nucleus chips he had collected briefly. The exterior of the two kinds of nuclei differed in toughness. The liquid chips inside the nuclei were different as well. The chips inside a 2nd generation robots liquid nucleus chip were more complex and were encrypted to a greater degree. Its contained data and data collection ability were also twice as powerful as a 3rd generation robots liquid nucleus chip. However, that was all there was to it. Perhaps he shouldnt forget to include the fact that the building material of the 2nd generation robots was better than the 3rd generation robots too, but this wasnt what Cillin was hoping to figure out. Right now, Cillin wanted to figure out exactly how different these liquid chips were from the ones inside his body. Concept wise, the chips inside the 2nd and 3rd generation robots nucleus shared some similarities with the liquid chips inside his own body in terms of construct and build. However, they were ultimately vastly different from each other. The liquid chips inside the robots liquid nucleus chip were mainly mechanical. They were mainly made up of liquid metal or nonmetal that could contain a large amount of information and achieve great processing power. However, the liquid chips inside Cililns body were biological liquid chips. Their composition was similar to his own genes, and they were capable of conforming to his genetic material, replicating and expressing with them in unison. Cillin put a hand to his forehead, closed his eyes and pondered after staring at the data displayed on the screen. A while later, he decided to perform an experiment. He brought up a variety of robot construction blueprints and component prints related to the Robert Family and more. Cillin had acquired the Robert Familys robot construction blueprints by scanning them with his abilities directly. After comparing the many types of robots with each other, Cillin made changes to certain areas before fabricating a couple of small parts. Then, Cillin began assembling these small parts. He stretched his fingers for a bit. It had been a long time since he felt this sensation. He felt as if he had returned to Mo Hengs workshop, and that he could see that senior academician and ruffian crossing his legs, holding his tea and watching him assemble the moment he looked up. Ten fingers danced without any unnecessary movements. Every angle and every applied force was just right every time he connected the parts together. One part after another was tossed into the air, caught and stirred by a single finger when they fell downward. In the next moment, they had already been installed firmly into the most suitable position. The chip installed in this small robot was a simplified version Cillin had created offhand. It wasnt a liquid nucleus chip, and its processing and calculation power were a lot smaller. However, Cillin didnt set the bar too high since this was just his first test product. There were a lot of parts. After they were assembled into one coherent machine, Cillin checked the circuits and pressed the on button. There were no overall accuracy tester lying around the corner, but Cillin was confident that his accuracy result was pretty good. The ten centimeters tall small robot standing on top of the lab bench immediately moved as if it had suddenly come to life. Cillin gave it a series of orders, and the little robot immediately did exactly what he said as commanded on top of the lab bench. Its movements were very fluid, but Cillin couldnt shake the feeling that something was missing. He was dissatisfied with the result, but he thought that the outcome would improve once he replaced its core with a liquid nucleus chip. He turned off the robot and began disassembling the parts. He could discover more problems through disassembling after the initial assembling process. Cillin altered part of the design blueprint again after he had assembled and disassembled the parts. He would try to build this robot closer to the ideal in his mind. Finally, he was more or less done with designing the robots blueprint and this stage of its creation. Right now, he was lacking some appropriate metals and nonmetals. The exterior materials of a robot were extremely important. They couldnt be too reactive, but they couldnt be too inert either. Only then it would be possible for him to mold more designs into his creation. However, what materials should he use? While Cillin was worrying over this matter, an incoming transmission informed him that the two commanders, Falvey and Shawton, had decided to search for rare mineral resources. Right now, searching for mineral ores was good news to Cillin. Chapter 190: The Stranger that Showed Up on the Starship [Part 1] Chapter 190: The Stranger that Showed Up on the Starship [Part 1] In GAL, Sector M is the place to mine for well known mineral resources. There were many big families and financial groups who had set up mining companies at Sector M, but after so many years, the amount of rare metals and the output of some precious metals had declined sharply. Therefore, it wasnt rare to hear some adventurers and Hunters selling rare and precious metals at a high price after they had returned from a mission. There were plenty of buyers who were willing to take up arms in order to acquire these metals. This also showed just how important these metals were. That being said, a lucky encounter such as Falvey accidentally discovering the T13 minerals during their mission wasnt common. One could only bet on their luck to run into rare metals like that. Although Sector M had plenty of mineral resources, the common ones didnt fall under Shawton or Falveys regard. The two commanders had set their sights on one of the 13 backwater Sectors, Sector U. Sector U was among the last in terms of development among the 13 backwater Sectors. The reason Sector U was incomparable even to Cillins hometown Sector X was due to its planetary habitability. Unlike Sector Z, Sector U was neither littered with danger nor attacked by unpredictable electromagnetic storms all the time. However, in this Sector rank A planets were literally as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and rank B planets were all categorized as major development regions. 99 percent of the planets in Sector U were rank C or rank D, which was why plenty of big businesses avoided investing in this place. Without a market or even much cheap labor force, who in their right minds would pay attention to this place? If this region wasnt part of GALs territory, it was likely that the government couldnt even be bothered to station troops here as a formality. Since their goal this time was to probe for mineral resources, all of their attention would be focused around this objective. They wouldnt spend any manpower or resources on other interests. The Third Squad and Sixth Squad had plenty of metal detectors, so there was no actual need to send anyone over personally. However, searching for mineral resources was a dry and dull task. They were plenty idle already back when they were searching for a habitable planet at Sector Z, although there were still things to do back then since they had to pay attention to any fast moving objects and electromagnetic storms in space at all times. However, Sector U was a comparatively much stabler environment, so everyone in both squadrons except for some technicians was entertaining themselves to pass time. Since Cillins team had a couple of new recruits, Cary and Xiao Shang werent bored stiff just yet. From time to time they would duel Udoze in virtual combat on the microcomputer, crack some jokes that were inappropriate for children and so on. The animals often gathered together to play chess too. Since the gray cat had set an example, everyone had procured their own storage cabinets now. Therefore, Carys storage cabinet wasnt as threatened as it used to be. The moment Cillin had any spare time, he would research those liquid chips inside the workshop. He had improved all of the design blueprints, modified and upgraded the liquid nucleus chips programs. The task of modifying the liquid nucleus chips programs was difficult. It was exactly why the Robert Family normally needed plenty of manpower to work on the liquid nucleus chips except during mass production. Even though the Robert Family members may be pretty good at creating robots and their individual calculation abilities were comparatively higher than other people, they still needed more than three people to work at the same time when programming a robots liquid chip. Right now, Cillin was doing three peoples worth of work with still plenty of energy to spare. After all, his calculation abilities were several times stronger than the Robert Family members. He might as well be a computer. Eudy and Beaver were upgrading the squadrons defense systems, whereas Dias and Asiya were enjoying their honeymoon period. No one tried to disturb them. Rikulab and Tico had their own researches to busy themselves with, so overall speaking no one was too bored. Beep Beep The internal comm of every team came to life. The dispatched detectors had finally reported back the heartening news of discovery after more than a months time. Judging from the analysis and appraisal data transmitted by the detectors, that rank D planet contains at least two kinds of precious mineral resources! Shawton said from the other side of the communicator. Commander, can you send me a copy of the analysis and appraisal data? Cillin asked. Sure. Shawton sent Cillin a comprehensive document after connecting to the workshops main microcomputer. Cillins heart skipped when he opened the analysis and appraisal data document and saw the various numbers, diagrams and relevant ratio analysis. These functions it looks pretty suitable! Cillin wanted to create a special robot, and naturally its exteriors materials couldnt be of lower quality than Frentzs 1st generation robots. To this aim, he had even researched all kinds of products produced by various robot manufacturers, and checked out their component ratio and relevant functions too. Using the theories of these designs, he calculated and came up with an ideal material mix ratio. Components built with this ratio would be able to alter their own properties under certain conditions, adjust their own magnetic fields to adapt to the different magnetic fields and gravity of certain planets, flexibly switch between a conductive body and insulative body, possess viscoelasticity and good restoration abilities and so on. Some of the mineral resources listed in this composite material mix ratio were pretty difficult to find. If he tried to buy them, he could spend every credit in his possession and still not acquire the ideal component he sought for. Cillin disliked substitutes, so he had decided that he might as well not create this robot if he couldnt find these ideal mineral resources. To his surprise, his luck was holding up pretty strongly. He didnt think that he would make progress so soon. Cillin calculated the data he saw on the display, and was very satisfied with the analysis data of the few kinds of minerals sent over by Shawton. This was a rank D planet, so all dispatched personnel must wear a protective suit before heading out. The good news was that there were basically no life on a rank D planet, and this planet was no exception to the rule. They hadnt discovered any signs of life after scanning the planet multiple times, so no unknown lifeforms would be attacking them this time. The planet was a little small, but it contained a wealth of mineral resources. They didnt need to waste time and effort extracting the more common mineral resources. They only needed to focus on the precious minerals. Shawton had discussed things with Falvey and pinpointed several locations with the richest amount of mineral resources. All teams were dispatched to their respective locations. Cillin took a few people with him, rode on a spaceplane and descended at a designated coordinate. While they were slightly encumbered by their protective suit, it was a necessary demerit for the sake of their own lives. It was better to be safe than sorry. The mineral detectors were passed out to each person. Cillin stared at the detector in his hand, and all areas containing precious minerals in this region were displayed on view. He transmitted the results of the scan to everyones microcomputer, opened the toolbox and passed out the mining machines in preparation for mining. Scarlet Wind didnt hold any tools with him. This was the first time he wore a protective suit, and he was obviously not very used to it. Moreover, the planets environment had caused even his movements to become stiff. Therefore, Cillin told him to simply watch from the sidelines, to learn and to familiarise himself with this process. Snowball was wearing a near round shaped protective coat. Since a custom made protective suit that could fit it hadnt been made yet, and it didnt want to be left behind on the starship, Cillin simply grabbed a protective coat and wrapped it around Snowball directly. Right now this white fatso was rolling back and forth on the ground due to a sense of novelty. It didnt look discomforted by the suit or the environment at all. The gray cat was the only living thing among the group that didnt wear a protective suit and was still able to leap and frisk about energetically in the area. This made the group much envious of it. The gray cat was a free spirit, so Cillin gave it some verification programs. He told the gray cat to collect some of any minerals that matched the ones listed in the program. As he watched the gray cat break off to the distance, Cillin waved his hand and said, Lets begin. Chapter 190: The Stranger that Showed Up on the Starship [Part 2] Chapter 190: The Stranger that Showed Up on the Starship [Part 2] When the two types of precious minerals were extracted, Cillin scanned them using his own upgraded scanner. He was very happy to find the metals contained in these minerals were exactly what his robot urgently needed right now. They would be sufficient for his purpose. According to the rules within the Hunter regiment, they could choose to sell or retain the minerals they had mined themselves. The choice was theirs to make. Cillin would split the minerals the team had mined with everyone and let them decide what to do with them on their own. Meanwhile, he would be using his own share to create a composite material. While Cillin and the others were busy mining the minerals, the gray cat sent back news informing him that it had discovered a mineral resource that matched up with Cillins verification program. However, it wasnt on the planets surface, but deeper in. In short, a deep well had to be drilled. Cillin cast a glance at the data and the rock formation scan results the gray cat sent back to him. The mining machines they were using right now couldnt perform mining at such a depth, but other deep mining machines couldnt reach that depth while remaining intact either. This was because the machines would have to pass through a magnetite area, and judging from the data supplied by the gray cat, the magnetic field generated was strong enough to severely affect the machines operational capabilities. There were basically no chance the deep mining machines were making it to the mining spot. Most importantly, that type of mineral was present only in a small amount of area. In that case, there is a simpler way to do this. And so the gray cat transformed while the others werent looking. The transformation hadnt taken place at the planets surface since anything that happened there would be captured and put on display by the observation satellites launched by the two starships orbiting the planet. Cillin didnt plan to reveal the gray cats full identity to the Third B Squadron just yet. Maybe Falvey knew some things about the gray cat, but some key info remained hidden from him. The gray cat dug into the underground with its cat form first before it transformed into its machine form. The observation monitors scan system wouldnt be able to catch any exact changes, and at best they would notice that there was now a life form moving beneath the planets surface. However, every operation personnel was busy with mining, and the technicians aboard the starships were busy analysing the minerals right now. As long as it wasnt a foreign life form or another type of threat, the monitors and scanners wouldnt sound the alarm. The gray cat only found a few minerals. The amount was probably just enough to create one robot after they were put through the purification process. Whatever that remained wouldnt be enough to create a second composite exterior for a second robot. The gray cat noticed some crystals while it was mining the minerals. The gray cat was sure that it had never seen this type of crystal after scanning it; it hadnt detected any kind of reactionary signal from it while it was scanning the area from above. At first, the gray cat thought that these crystals were just a bit unusual, and it was going to leave them behind after a curious look. Before it left, it scanned the crystals with Cillins verification program out of habit, and to its surprise, the line compatibility: super grade jumped before its eyes. The gray cat was stunned. The deep level metal mine it detected just now was one hundred percent excellent grade at best, but these crystals were super grade! It hastily told Cillin about the news. When Cillin heard about this, he was in a bit of a daze himself. The concept of super grade was just an upper limit Cillin had set up as insurance; something he calculated based on his theories. It was common sense that there was always a gap between theory and reality, but he never thought that a thing at its theoretical limit actually existed. The gray cat discovered that the object wasnt quite easy to mine as it was a sphere-shaped, one meter diameter object. Cillin had passed down his work to Dias immediately and arrived at the location where the gray cat was at for the crystal. He used a machine to enlarge the hole the gray cat had dug into. The hole was narrow only at the surface since the gray cat had dug deeper into the ground using a different form, so he didnt need to enlarge the hole beyond that point. Cillin followed the tunnel and arrived at the place the gray cat spoke of. He unlocked his close fitting protective cover, took off his protective suit and touched the spherical object with his hand. The instant he touched it, a large number of data was sorted out in his mind. It really was the theoretical value!! The theoretical value he designed was at the far end of the spectrum to begin with. To some researchers, this value was practically impossible to attain. Cillin himself never expected to run into something that existed at the theoretical value. This crystal was spherical in shape, but it was not entirely a round ball. It had a core at the center and countless branches that extended outwards from this core. Every branch was a strange and very complicated looking fine crystal column. These fine crystal columns looked like a layer of thick fur that wrapped itself around the core. Cillins hand moved, and he withdrew this crystalline ball into his leaf-patterned ring. At the same time, the gray cat had also put away the dug minerals while grabbing the rest of it in its arms. Most subspace containers couldnt be used on a rank D planet. Therefore, no one would suspect that Cillin had hidden anything for himself even if he walked out with the gray cat openly. Cillin returned to the surface and headed towards the teams mining spot after he was done dealing with the minerals. Meanwhile, the gray cat continued on its underground journey of mineral exploration. It discovered that exploring for minerals underground was pretty interesting. At the very least, it was more interesting that doing tedious mining work like those people on the surface. However, the gray cat was disappointed to find no other materials that reached the super grade level other than that round-shaped crystal. In fact, there wasnt even a second excellent grade mineral resource. The rest were all at the same level as the minerals the crowd was busy mining right now. Still, this outcome was more than enough to make Shawton and Falvey happy. Three types of precious minerals were enough for them to earn a sizable amount of profit. They would sell a portion and turn in another portion to the A Squads. This way, the two B Squadrons would be able to greatly increase their influence in Vanguard. After all teams were done mining, they returned to their starships and began processing the minerals. Cillin had long since decided what he was going to do with the minerals, so after he took his share, he returned to the workshop once more and busied himself with work. Everyone else chose to sell away their share. They chose to sell the minerals in one big bulk and split the money amongst themselves later. Cillin was assembling inside the workshop. Some parts of the creation process had already been dealt with. The main task was to choose the robots primary material. The primary element of the round-shaped object the gray cat discovered was an alien element, but it could temporarily transform into a known nonmetal element or a known metal element when subjected to certain conditions. Cillin was rapt with joy after a meticulous analysis of its characteristics. This was literally the perfect material for his theoretical design! Not only was it pressure-resistant and capable of memory restoration and perfect recovery, it was also the triple-resistant material Cillin had been looking for all this time! It was resistant to radiation, resistant to acid and alkali, and resistant to electromagnetic interference! Sometimes luck truly was an unfathomable thing. He was seriously too lucky this time. There were plenty people who were never able to discover such an amazing material even if they spent one or many lifetimes. For example, the Robert Family members had never encountered such an amazing material. The gray cat was the absolute man (cat?) of the hour this time! The teams continued to search for minerals in Sector U. The two commanders were feeling a lot less pressured after they found three kinds of precious minerals. It was fine even if they were to find nothing during the remaining period of time. The moment Cillin went into the workshop, he spent ten GAL calendar days inside. The gray cat had also been staying inside the workshop and watching Cillin create his robot during these ten days. It had even dragged his own storage cabinet over so it could sleep after it was tired, eat after it awoke, and watch after it ate. The gray cat got to rest from time to time, but Cillin hadnt shut his eyes once throughout these ten days. It was a massive amount of computations and work he had to deal with. He hadnt stopped assembling since the moment he began his work. Although he he had relied on some fabricators many times throughout the process, he had overseen the critical areas himself. There was no room for even the slightest bit of sloppiness. Ten days later, Cillin went out to replenish his energy for a bit. Then, he went back into the workshop once more to continue the last task of perfecting his creation. Whats on earth is LC Cillin doing right now? Udoze asked while lying on his chair after logging out of virtual combat. Who knows? Our LC has never disappointed us though. Let me tell you a secret, Udoze. Cary moved closer with a look of enigma on his face, The last time he hung around his workshop for a few days, he destroyed a planet after he came out! Xiao Shang curled his lips when he saw Udozes mouth turning into an O-shape, Unfortunately for us, we werent around to see him destroy Poison Fang that time. Ba Dao also echoed in agreement from the side. The Poison Fang incident had left a deep impression in their mind. It was also that incident that made everyone feel a kind of reverence towards Cillin. I wonder what would happen after LC Cillin comes out this time. Udozes eyes were filled with hopeful expectation. Xiao Shang, Cary and the others suddenly remembered something at the same time. They all wore odd looks on their faces. It cant be parasites again, can it? They only had a rough understanding of what happened during the Poison Fang incident. However, they had seen with their own eyes the mountain of Poison Fang logos ripped from their members bodies and the Skull Kings skeleton at the end. They felt their blood turn cold even though they hadnt seen those parasites with their own eyes. Cary rubbed his stomach, stood up and moved his arms for a bit, Ill go bring some food over. Do you guys want some? Do you seriously have to ask that? Xiao Shang blurted out a few types of portable food at once. Cary replied a disdainful hand gesture before opening the door and heading outside. Because Ba Dao had requested for a few more types of food, he turned around and swore a little while talking with them. He didnt expect to run into someone when he walked out with his back was facing the door. He even stepped on the other guys foot. Oh, sorry Cary turned around and was just about to apologise when he suddenly notice that he didnt recognize this person. Why was there a stranger here when there were no notifications of visitors or recruits in this team?! Cary instantly tensed himself into a state of high alert. Why couldnt he detect any signs of life from this person?! Chapter 191: The Robot ‘Czedow’ [Part 1] Chapter 191: The Robot Czedow [Part 1] Hey Cary, whats wrong? Xiao Shang got up and asked when he saw Cary instantly tensing himself into high alert mode. At the same time, the rest of the people inside the room swiftly took out their weapons, fell into their best battle ready state and moved towards the entrance vigilantly. Cold sweat formed on Carys forehead as he watched the stranger before him. This person was absolutely not a member of the Sixth B Squadron. After so many years, Cary was very familiar with every person in the Sixth B Squadron. It didnt matter if said person was a combat, technical or logistics personnel, because he had memorized them all in his head. However, this person probably didnt belong in the 3rd B Squadron either. Cary was sure that a person like this wouldve left an impression in his mind if he existed in the 3rd B Squadron. In fact, he thought that it was impossible to forget someone like this after the first meeting. He had no breathing, no heartbeat, and no warmth. He didnt possess any humanlike qualities other than the fact that he looked human from the outside. He felt just like an inanimate object The tip of Carys eyebrows rose. Was he a robot acquired by the commander from Frentz? But that couldnt be right. Ever since theyd gone through that robot rebellion both squads had suffered bit of robophobia. Since no one could shake off the feeling that a robot was a hidden threat, they didnt ask for a robot at all. In that case, what on earth was this thing before them? While Cary was staring closely at the stranger before him and was ready to react to anything, Xiao Shang and the others shown up behind Cary and saw the person standing before the entrance while wearing a gentle smile on his face. They could sense neither any malice nor humanity from the person at all. Moreover, Xiao Shang discovered that their communicators had been completely cut off from the outside world. All signals had been completely lost. What the hell was going on around here?! Who are you? Cary said in a heavy voice. The rest of the group were holding weapons in their hands. They would attack without hesitation the second this person acted beyond the norm. The person smiled warmly and raised his hand, Hello. A muscle twitched in Carys face. Was he asking for a handshake? But who would be stupid enough to shake hands with a complete stranger under such circumstances?! Therefore, Cary continued to do nothing and ignored the persons outstretched hand. As long as the guy before him didnt try to do anything funny, he wouldnt react carelessly as well. The guy didnt look angry in the slightest at Carys ignorance. He withdrew his hand but continued to wear a gentle smile on his face. He looked very sincere. Hello, everyone. My name is Czedow. His voice was calm, unhurried and pleasant to hear. I dont care what youre called Cary was interrupted before he could finish his sentence, I know who you guys are. Youre Cary, Xiao Shang, Ba Dao Czedow cast a glance at Cary and the rest of the people in the group, voicing their names one after another. While everyone was watching Czedow attentively, Czedow nodded towards them and took a step towards Cary. A shadow jumped out of Czedows back at the same time. Walala~ Cary nearly swung his light blade, and Xiao Shang and the rest nearly fired their guns due to the sudden voice that had came out of nowhere and the one step that had attracted all their attention while they were highly tensed. What the f*ck!! For a second, Cary thought that his heart would jump out of his throat. He pointed a shaky finger at the head of a certain cat that had popped up from behind Czedow, Y-y-y-y-you Despite you-ing for a long time, Cary wasnt able to spout anything coherent from his mouth and simply panted heavily where he stood. Xiao Shang and the others shared more or less the same reaction as him. We got them good, Cillin. Haha! the gray cat said proudly on top of Czedows shoulder. The rest of the people finally relaxed when they saw Cillin walking over from behind Czedow. Xiao Shang leaned against the door looking like he was about to run out of gas, F*ck! I was wondering if hes someone from Grim Reaper! Xiao Shang wiped the sweat on his forehead while saying this. Even his back was drenched in cold sweat. Goddammit, he nearly had a heart attack. I also thought that it was Grim Reaper. Ba Dao moved his overly tensed muscles and said. Xiao Shang cast a glance at his communicator and found that it was working normally once more. He shook his head and said, LC Cillin, are you punishing us for not attending our duties or something? Cillin simply smiled at Xiao Shangs complaint before pointing at Czedow, Allow me to introduce him. He is an AI robot and what Ive been working on for the past time. His name is Czedow. Is he really a robot!? Cary came over and walked circles around Czedow twice before saying, Somethings different. He doesnt feel like Frentzs robots. Im not sure what it is, but hes just different from them. Hmph hmph! Cillin and I have spent much effort to research and create this guy. Of course hes incomparable to the robots that Frentz created! the gray cat stood on top of Czedows shoulder with his nose high up in the air as it spoke. Cary, the others and even Cillin himself twitched his lips at that statement: You and Cillin? Do you seriously think anyone would believe that? You were probably eating fish biscuits at the side while Cillin was researching on his lonesome, arent you? Their guess was in fact 100% correct. Its just that they couldnt say it without being scratched by the gray cat, so they didnt. In reality, the gray cats contribution in Czedows creation was undeniable. If the gray cat hadnt found the ideal material to create Czedow, then his birth would have probably been delayed. That was why the gray cat had immediately labeled Czedow as one of its own while Cillin was creating him. To be exact, the gray cat saw him as its underling. Xiao Shang moved closer and pinched Czedows arm curiously. This feeling is he really a robot? not only could Xiao Shang see the arteries beneath the skin, he could feel the liquid flowing inside it. Shit, this really is a vein, isnt it? Czedow didnt say anything. Instead, he stretched out a finger and somehow caused his fingernail to grow longer all of a sudden. Then, he cut a two centimeters deep wound on his other arm. There was no blood. The wound looked almost the same as a fleshy-colored human wound, but no blood was flowing out of it. Then, the wound swiftly regenerated and restored itself to exactly the same look as before under everyones shocked gazes. What the f*ck! Now even Cary wasnt sure what to say. They had all seen the battle between robots during that robot rebellion. When the fourth and fifth rank robots were torn apart by the rank two robots, the color of their flesh absolutely looked nothing like Czedows. Czedows body looked so realistic it could fool almost anyones eyes. At the very least, he looked a lot more lifelike that Frentzs robots. Please dont treat Czedow like one of Frentzs robots. He can develop his own intelligence, and he can adjust the state of his body to share the same body temperature and heartbeat as human beings. Cillin briefly introduced Czedows characteristics to Cary and the others, but it didnt do much to wipe away the worries they held towards Czedows existence. If this was before the robot rebellion then they wouldve raised both hands in agreement, but the fact was that theyd just gone through a large scale robot rebellion at Frentzs planet. Everyone was extremely sensitive towards the word robot right now, so there were definitely a lot of people who would voice their objection against Czedows existence. As it turned out, Cary and everyone elses worries were not unfounded. When Cillin presented Czedow before Shawton and the other lieutenant commanders, more than half of the votes were against it. Shawton had not expressed his opinion since the beginning. He had been staring quietly at Czedow. The gray cat nearly blew its top a couple of times throughout the meeting as it lay on top of Czedows head. If Cillin hadnt told it to keep quiet, it wouldve charged forwards and scratched up a storm already. How exactly is our Czedow in anyway lousier than that bunch of trash you call subordinates, huh?! (T/N: ooh. Ouch. Mercy, sir cat) Shawton himself would be flipping some tables if Cillin allowed the gray cat to voice its opinions. Cillin knew from the start that the gray cat had no concept of control the second it started spouting things in anger, which was why he told it to be quiet from the start. Shawton tapped a finger on the table, instantly quieting the discussion inside the meeting room. Shawton looked at Cillin and said, Cillin, how can you say for sure that he wont lose control just like Frentzs robots? And please dont use the 1st generation robots as your justification. As you know, that incident was just a tentative attack by Grim Reaper. No one can say for sure whether they actually have the ability to control the 1st generation robot. I am the only person who knows the ultimate terminal control code. If anyone else attempts to hack him, it would only backfire against them. This is the improvement Ive made after analysing Frentzs 1st and other generations robots and the robots developed by other GAL robot manufacturers. The rest of the LCs wanted to say something in rebuttal, but Shawton raised his hand to stop them, You are sure that nothing like Frentzs incident would happen? I am sure. Cillin stared straight at Shawton as he said this without hesitation. Alright. Shawton looked at everyones faces before continuing, I will allow Czedows existence. However, in consideration of everyones opinions, he may only operate within your teams area for now. No problem. Cillin was okay with this. Even if Shawton did allow Czedow to move around the squadron, he wouldnt have allowed him to leave his teams area either. Chapter 191: The Robot ‘Czedow’ [Part 2] Chapter 191: The Robot Czedow [Part 2] After Cillin took Czedow back to the team, Eudy and Beaver put down the stuff they were working on and waited for them. The commander agreed? Eudy asked. Of course. Cillin was still pretty confident that Shawton would support him. Er, LC Cillin. Theres something wed like to ask you. Beaver moved over with a smile on his face, looked at Czedow before turning back to Cillin, saying, Can we spar with him for a bit? Naturally, Cillin knew what Beaver meant by sparring. Nodding, he said, Sure. Youll work together with Eudy as a team. If long as you can break through the first line of defense and control any part of Czedows body, then itll be your victory. Eudy and Beaver looked at each other before saying, Okay! Since the contest happened within the team itself only, they didnt let anyone else know about this. Inside the virtual combat room, there was a microcomputer each in front of Cary, Eudy and Czedow. All three microcomputers were exactly identical, and they had been procured by Beaver. Beaver and Eudy sat on one side while Czedow sat on the other. There was a desk in the middle of the two parties, and at the center of the desk there was a projector. All three microcomputers were connected to the projector. Whoever controlled this projector first wins the contest. Not far away from the desk, every team member was watching from the sidelines. Naturally, Dough was on Eudys side. However, Czedow had the gray cats support. Both Snowball and Scarlet Wind were hesitant to voice their support for either party, so they kept quiet instead. The gray cat jumped onto Czedows legs after he sat down. Its lifted chin seemed to say: come, give me a scratch. And so the crowd watched as Czedow very naturally scratched the gray cats chin with one hand while petting his hair with the other. The gray cat was so comfortable that it closed its eyes, ignored the battle and let out comfortable wheezing sounds. In reality, the gray cat already knew the results without needing to look at all. Are you guys ready? Cillin asked. Were ready! Eudy and Beavers fingers got ready to act the second the order to start was lay down. Meanwhile, Czedow nodded with a faint smile on his face as usual. The gray cat once said that cat is a race that loves to smile. Therefore, it told him not to build Czedow like he had facial nerve paralysis. However, Cillin thought that his team was a little too noisy, and that it might be better if he built Czedow to have a calmer initial personality. He did, and so Czedow currently appeared unusually calm no matter what the occasion. Those who didnt know the truth wouldve absolutely thought that he was a show off. Beep As the Eudy and Beavers fingers danced the second the signal sounded. They were a blur in Udozes eyes, and he couldnt catch up with their finger movements at all. I had no idea that they have an ability like this! No wonder Cary said that the two of them stands at the pinnacle of technology in the entire Sixth B Squadron. Theyre so cool! Then they looked at Czedow and became dumbstruck. Eudy and Beaver spared neither the time nor effort to pay attention to Czedows performance at all. This was because they thought that his performance would be obvious during the process of their network battle. They would naturally know about either partys actions through the network. If Cary and Beaver could spare even the slightest bit of attention to look at Czedow, they wouldve raised their hands in surrender immediately. Czedow had maintained the same posture as before: scratching the gray cats chin with one hand and petting its hair with the other. However, the programs that flashed across the microcomputers screen before him was so quick that even Cary couldnt capture them with his eyes. He could only see a series of symbols and programs flashing rapidly in the blink of an eye. Rikulab cast a glance at Czedows eyes, but he couldnt find anything in them. He looked exactly the same as he was before. Rikulab had presumed himself to be fairly knowledgeable in all kinds of high-end robots ever since he was young, but they were all just backdrops compared to Czedow. Robots were mysterious and unfathomable. It was at least possible to guess a humans feelings through some of their body languages or expressions, but such weaknesses didnt exist for robots. How on earth had Cillin created such a weird fellow? Beaver and Eudys heads were sweating, and their fingers looked like they were going to quicken even further. However, it was obvious from their expressions alone that the situation wasnt going well for them. It was a difference in strength that even an amateur could distinguish with their two eyes. Czedow was just too relaxed to the point of absentmindedness compared to Eudy and Beaver. Slowly, the projector at the center of the desk projected a 3D hologram. It was an incredibly comical hologram. There were plenty of people who saw the image of a skull sitting on two crisscrossing bones, but while this hologram borrowed the same design it wasnt entirely the same. Instead of two crisscrossing bones, there were now two crisscrossing fish biscuits instead. What was supposed to be a skull above the fish bones wasnt a skull either. It was none other than the gray cats head. By now, Eudy and Beaver had already stopped whatever they were doing as they looked at their opponent. They nearly spat blood when they saw Czedow. Had he maintained that posture from the very start?! Eudy and Beaver turned around to look at Carys group. They were all shooting sympathetic looks from their eyes. Eudy stretched his aching arm and fingers for a bit before smiling helplessly and said, So this is what it means by species advantage! Beaver felt the same thing as Eudy. If he knew this would happen he wouldnt have competed from the start. At the same time, both Eudy and Beaver noticed that the little contest had lasted exactly C not a second longer or shorter C one minute from start to finish. It was not a coincidence; neither Eudy nor Beaver refused to believe in such coincidences. This also meant that their opponent had in fact not gone all out against them. We concede. In reality, both Eudy and Beaver had attempted to hack into Czedows core control program while they were fighting for the projectors control rights at the same time. However, not only could they not intrude into his system, they couldnt even find his signal link at all. They had no idea how Czedow operated his programs. Eudy and Beaver werent sore losers. In fact, they were quite happy that an amazing helper had joined their team. There was no doubt that the progress of their defense network would hasten with such a fellow on their side. Hunters interact through strength. They used strength to win each others respect, even if Czedow was just a robot. In this team, both humans and nonhumans were extremely capable in their own rights. Even Dough was a little expert at certain aspects, much less Snowball and that little rabbit. Dias was very happy at this outcome. It had been a wise decision to pass down his responsibilities to Cillin. Big brother Cillin, I have a question to ask. Tang Qiuqiu said. Ask away. Why is he called Czedow? Are you the one who gave him his name? No, it was Wheeze. Originally, Cillin was going to call him X or Shadow X. Later on, the gray cat said that Shadow X was a shitty name, and that he should just call him Czedow instead. And so, Czedow was born to this world. The moment more people in the Sixth B Squadron began to accept Czedow was when they were mining at a rank D planet. Perhaps both squadrons had used up all their luck at the beginning, but after the initial jackpot, they were unable to find anything for a long period of time. After all, Sector U wasnt as dangerous as Sector Z, and there were plenty of people who came treasure seeking just like them. Every person who came here were hoping to get valuables that others mightve missed, so the fact that they were able to find that precious mineral on that planet was absolutely a super stroke of good luck. Thankfully, the scanners finally picked up something again after a period of quietness. While the minerals they discovered this time werent as precious as the last ones, they were still worth quite the satisfactory sum of money. As usual, everyone was wearing protective suits except the two oddballs, gray cat and Czedow. The situation at the time had turned out like this. While mining for minerals, Shawton discovered some pretty high quality energy blocks at his place. However, the energy blocks happened to sit at a spot rampant with magnetic interference. When the planets geomagnetic field came into play as well, the mining machines stopped working when they reached the energy blocks. There was no way Shawton was letting these energy ores slip by. After all, it wasnt easy to come by energy ores of such high quality. After discussing the matter with his LCs, Cillin had contacted Czedow right away. And so Czedow nimbly dug his way into the mining hole under Shawton, the LCs and a few other surrounding members jaw dropping gazes and tossed out the machine stuck inside the hole. Then, he dug out the energy ores with his bare hands. While the energy ores might appear to be small in bulk, their combined weight was absolutely comparable to that of a small spaceplane. Czedow calmly put these energy ores into a long-shaped bag and drag them out of the hole easily. He didnt use any machines at all during this process. The scene caused everyones eyes to twitch involuntarily. Goddammit robots sure have it good! Everyone in the squadron was tolerant of contributors. Moreover, Shawton was looking at Czedow like he was looking at some extremely precious minerals. After all, while Czedow was also a machine, he wasnt affected by the interferences in the slightest. He didnt even experience any aftereffects common among machines from the magnetic fields. A treasure. He was a precious treasure! After he was done moving the energy ores, Czedow patted his clothes and restored himself to his former pristine condition. He didnt look as battered as the rest of the people entering the mines at all. Over time, Czedow was accepted by more and more people in the Sixth B Squadron. He officially become a part of the Sixth Squad. T/N: Czedow is pronounced Chedov. While the name isnt translated to my best satisfaction for reasons that you will learn during the next few chapters, at least its an existing name, I guess. Chapter 192: ‘Rare Age’, City of Trade Chapter 192: Rare Age, City of Trade Although there were no more gratifying harvests at the end of the mining mission, overall it was a rare good result. Their mission was not made in vain if they got even one type of precious mineral out of it, and they definitely found more than one type of precious mineral during their journey. The original plan was to spend fifty GAL days to search for minerals, but in reality they used a total of sixty days. This was because they found some energy ores during the latter half of the mission. Although the quality of the energy ores wasnt good, it wasnt subpar either. Therefore, both squadron commanders decided to use the energy ores to sustain an additional ten days of mineral searching. When the sixtieth day arrived, both commander lay down the orders to leave Sector U. They hadnt encountered many difficulties throughout the journey, nor did they run into any robbers along the way. They did run into someone from Heavens Birth, but had parted ways after a simple greeting. Blue Butterfly continued to keep a low profile, whereas Mist and Merciless seemed to have evaporated into thin air once more. Everyone thought that the general situation must have calmed down temporarily. Otherwise, there was no way their journey wouldve gone this smoothly. Cillin didnt think that those fellows would calm down this easily. The reason they hadnt encountered any disturbance so far might be because the conflict wasnt happening in their area. Perhaps a major conflict was happening somewhere in GAL while everyone thought that all was peaceful. However, Cillin didnt need to think about this right now. If he didnt have the strength, then even if he did come into contact with that level of conflict, he wouldnt have the right to speak. He would only be cannon fodder. Are we heading to Sector I this time too? Inside the meeting room, Wa Qing threw the question at Shawton. Normally speaking, they would first submit the data on the precious minerals they found to the A Squads first unless it was for a specific mission. The A Squads would then decide how the precious minerals would flow. Generally, the A Squads would keep a portion to themselves according to their needs and sell the rest of the precious minerals away. This time there were no exceptions either. Shawton nodded, Both Commander Falvey and I have come to the decision to head to the City of Trade, Rare Age. It was a predictable outcome. The City of Trade, Rare Age was an excellent choice to sell these precious minerals at a satisfactory price. The City of Trade, Rare Age Shawton spoke of wasnt the regular city that most people imagined in their heads. While the City of Trade, Rare Age had used the word City, it was far, far, far larger than an actual city. The City of Trade, Rare Age was situated at a Sector Is Planet I-I100. This planet wasnt small. It was five times bigger than the Planet Brown Earth Cillin was born in. Looking with the visible eyes from space, Planet I-I100 only had a single continent, and this continent took up seventy percent of the planets surface. The rest of the planet was covered in sea with some sporadics islands of all sizes scattered in between. This was where the City of Trade, Rare Age Shawton spoke of was. The entire continent was a city of trade, and it was Sector Is biggest and most famous trading center. Transactions of incredible value were happening at every place and every second in Rare Age. The history of the foundation of the City of Trade, Rare Age spanned over several thousand years into the past. Several thousand years ago, a few businessmen developed the only continent on this planet into a trading center. Several thousand years of development later, the City of Trade, Rare Age had become one of the richest place in the entire GAL. While this city of trade had a long history, in reality its architecture was inclined towards the neoclassicals. It wasnt lacking in ancient buildings of incredible history, and some of its well preserved, age-old buildings captured the hearts of some literature researchers and artists. The City of Trade, Rare Age was also Sector Is biggest precious mineral trading and processing choice. There were plenty of famous gems, enviable energy blocks, and familiar rare materials that were traded from this place. The City of Trades uniqueness was exactly why its level of security was ranked among the top in the entire GAL. In fact, its security measures were even better than some of the places in Sector A. Therefore, no invaluable transactions conducted within the City of Trade needed to worry about robbery attempts. Of course, what happened outside the planet didnt fall under the City of Trade securities scrutiny, although anyone who came here to trade was both capable and influential. There was no chance the average robber could get anything from them. This time, the two squadrons were planning to register the precious minerals they found for an auction in the trading center. There was no need to worry whether the precious minerals would be sold; there were plenty of people in urgent need for these types of minerals keeping watch at the trading center day and night and inspecting goods that came through the whole City of Trade. They would automatically make their way to the auction houses the moment they found what they fancied or needed. The items and samples had been submitted to Rare Ages trading center. Five days later, these precious minerals would be auctioned to the public. However, these minerals were all auctioned separately instead of lump sum. This was because the lump sum price of the minerals would be too high, and most people wouldnt be able to prepare the money they needed to bid at first notice. Therefore, auctioning them separately would allow the buyers a buffer time to gather their funds, and enable the precious minerals to be sold at a higher price too. Planet I-I100s security inspection was incredibly strict. A person was forced to go through multiple inspections to prevent the carrying of dangerous articles or unknown viruses into the place. This wasnt the first time Cary came here, but he was unusually nervous this time. He wasnt nervous for his own sake, but for the nonhuman behind him. Their group had gone through the security inspection tunnel in succession. Cillin had gone through the tunnel without any troubles, and the gray cat on his shoulder had not triggered any alarm either. Czedow slowly stepped into the tunnel from behind Cillin, and the rest of the group who had safely passed through the tunnel looked at him with rapidly beating hearts. Cary once saw an unrepentant person who got caught carrying a mini hand grenade with him, and countless muzzles and weapons had suddenly appeared all around the tunnel. Since it was a hand grenade the guy was carrying, he was instantly zapped into an ice sculpture by the ultralow temperature weapons around him. Normally, any weaponry that didnt exceed the predetermined limits of offensive power would be returned to the person after they reached the other side of the security inspection tunnel without issues. That being said, Czedow probably wouldnt be executed on the spot, would he? At worst, hed be kicked out of the trading center with a serious warning. It would be a lie if Cillin said that he wasnt nervous himself. He might be confident in his creation, but Czedow had never gone through a real life inspection either. The decision to have Czedow follow him was not without its risks. As Czedow took one step after another through the tunnel, Cillin and everyone elses heart went up their throats, and fell back down to their chests. No alarm was triggered. The word average human was even displayed in the end. Shawton gave Cillin a thumbs-up. Even Frentzs robot couldnt get an average human verdict, could they? Tang Qiuqiu made a racket about coming over with them too. She had heard that the sweets here were extremely rare, and she was willing to spend on them even if they would be extremely expensive to buy. Snowball also followed her into the trading center. The security inspection tunnel didnt categorize an animal like it as a threat. When walking on the streets of the City of Trade, Rare Age, they couldnt help but feel as if they had gone back to ancient times. There were no buildings that reached over the clouds. Buildings of rich traditional architecture were everywhere. Shawton and Falvey had taken a few men with them and gone to the auction house they contacted earlier. The rest of them had some time to themselves. Cillins group was split into four batches: Tico and Rikulab went to check out the medical type auction houses; Cary, Xiao Shang, Beaver and Ba Dao went to visit the bars since Cary said that the alcohol here was pretty tasty; and Dias and Asiya went away somewhere to enjoy their time alone. In reality, Cillin was going to follow Carys group into the bar. However, since Tang Qiuqiu wanted to buy some sweets, he told them that he would go to the bar and find them after they had bought Tang Qiuqius stuff. Czedow, Snowball and Scarlet Wind walked together with Cillin. This was the first time Scarlet Wind saw an environment like this, so he could scarcely hide the curiosity in his eyes. While he couldnt help but feel wary as a matter of habit, curiosity was still the dominant emotion in his mind. Meanwhile, Czedow was absorbing new information into himself at every moment, but unlike Scarlet Wind who revealed both his curiosity and wariness in his eyes, he maintained a mild expression on his face. Following the City of Trades map, the group arrived at Sweet Street. This whole street was used to sell desserts. The gray cat was urging Tang Qiuqiu to buy some sweets ASAP. Then they could go to the commercial street right next to this street where luxury pet supplies were sold and buy some fish biscuits. However, Tang Qiuqiu obviously lacked resistance against all kinds of sweets as she bit her finger in hesitation. She really wanted to just buy the whole street. Hey, Qiuqiu, faster faster! Scarlet Wind and I are still waiting to buy stuff from the street next door, you know! the gray cat said impatiently from above Cillins shoulder. Tang Qiuqiu ignored the gray cats complains and continued to hesitate. Suddenly, her attention was drawn by a fit of commotion. It was a store built in the style of a village. The flora adorning the window sills were in fact all made of sweets. In fact, the window sills that seemed to be made of wood and stone were made of sweets too. Overall, the entire building exuded a neoclassical atmosphere and rich sweet fragrance. Tang Qiuqiu wasnt drawn by the stores architecture, but the giant lollipop slowly floating above the store. It was a sign of free samples. Wait here, big brother Cillin. Ill go snatch some sweets! Tang Qiuqiu had ran over before Cillin could say anything. Snowball had followed her as well as they squeezed between a crowd of other kids. Seeing that those who squeezed their way to the store were all kids, Cillin decided to stand at a side and wait. It was only when sweets were involved that Tang Qiuqiu would act childlike. There was an unwritten rule in this street, and that was kids were the only one who were allowed to participate in sweet snatching events and the like. Adults were forbidden from participating in it. Therefore, the surrounding bodyguards, nannies, fathers and mothers could only shout from outside the commotion to watch out themselves and not be trampled by other people. In reality, this store was a small branch set up by a sweet processing factory. They were promoting all kinds of sweets, and there were plenty of people who would put in huge amounts of orders everyday to this factory because their kids loved these sweets. The sweets here were extremely expensive; it was obvious the second someone looked at the price tag. These sweets were the luxury goods among sweets, and that small bag of sweets could make up the price of a flying car already. However, no price tag could stop the footsteps of GALs sweet lovers, and Tang Qiuqiu was one of them. While the kids were on a rampage, cracking sounds suddenly resounded from a place not far away. Then, a big ball suspended in the sky suddenly exploded with a bang, and the sweets stored inside it began to rain literally. It was yet another free sweet snatching event. Seeing that the surrounding kids were now charging towards that direction, Cillin turned around and asked, Qiuqiu, why didnt you go snatch those Cillins voice cut to an abrupt stop. This was because he couldnt see Tang Qiuqiu or Snowball anywhere at all. There was absolutely no way Cillin wouldve missed them. If Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball had given up the sweet snatching event here and went over, they couldnt have avoided Cillins vision. How could this be?! Chapter 193: Taken Away Chapter 193: Taken Away When the bang happened, Cillin, Scarlet Wind, the gray cat and Czedow had all moved their gazes away for a second. It was just a blink of the eye, but Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball had already disappeared. The communicator couldnt be contacted. Not even the signalling device Tang Qiuqiu carried on herself were reacting at all. It all happened in an instant. Scarlet Wind suddenly tensed up and shifted into a highly alert state. Claws suddenly jumped out of his hands. Whats wrong, Scarlet Wind? Theres a strange thing with a very disgusting smell on it! Czedow! Cillin said heavily. Czedow did look away just now, but he had a separate monitoring device that wasnt his eyes. Czedow opened his palm as a hologram appeared on it. It was a scene of the store that they had missed just now. Tang Qiuqius figure was still pretty obvious despite it being mixed with many other childrens. This was especially true for the white fat bear following behind her. Then, a black shadow flashed by, and both Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball disappeared. At the same time, a loud bang resounded from the other side of the store. When the video was slowed down, Cillin noticed that the thing that wrapped itself around Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball looked a little like tentacles. He didnt know what it was, but it should be pretty slippery and swift. The last place it vanished to was one of the exits of this street. The gray cat took a sniff and said, I cant catch Tang Qiuqiu or Snowballs scent anywhere. Our opponent is quite crafty. Moreover, that thing that snatched them away had the scent of sweets, allowing it to mingle with its surroundings. But it cannot escape my nose! Both Scarlet Wind and the gray cat had caught the scent of the thing that took Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball away. However, they allowed Scarlet Wind to lead the way instead of the gray cat since his reactions to the scent were stronger. The fact that the other party drew such a reaction from Scarlet Wind meant that they were absolutely not a normal human being. Scarlet Wind led the way while Cillin and the gray cat followed him behind. Czedow hung at the tail of the group. They tracked down the scent very quickly. While pursuing, Czedow also copied the security footages captured by every security monitor in the area without being discovered. Looking at the footages, it would seem that Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball were taken into a normal-looking flying car after they were snatched from the street. Without these footages, it wouldve been difficult for them to track down their enemy even though they noticed its scent since the beginning. Cillin rented a flying car from the automatic car rental center and chased after them immediately. Their opponent drove very quickly. Since there was a speed limit, they had been driving at the highest allowed speed limit with incredible skill. This alone showed that their opponents were no small fries. Those people had switched flying cars midway. Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball were carried into a building, but a different flying car had flown out of another exit of the building afterwards. It was likely that Tang Qiuqiu and Snowball were inside that flying car. Under Cillin and the gray cats combined efforts, they finally tracked the kidnappers into a port. The port was one of the five biggest ports of the City of Trade. It was obvious that their opponent had noticed that Cillin was tracking them too. They had made many efforts to conceal themselves after they arriving at this place. Right now, it was very difficult for them to keep track of the kidnappers based on the security monitors and scent alone. Why on earth had the kidnappers taken Tang Qiuqiu? Did they belong to a certain force? These were the questions that puzzled Cillin greatly. What do we do, Cillin? Should we split up and search around? the gray cat asked. Cillin didnt answer it immediately. Now that he had calmed down, he quickly figured out some critical points of the kidnapping. After arriving at a quiet corner of the port and falling silent for a dozen or so seconds, Cillin said, No, we should stay together. Its possible that we were targeted since the beginning. Our opponents had made a meticulous plan, and we would not find anything even if we were to investigate that sweet store or balloon. Czedow, remember to inform Cary and the commander about our situation. Scarlet Wind and I will chase them directly, or we will not be able to catch up to them anymore. Scarlet Wind, follow me. Dont take even a step away from me. Cillin said to Scarlet Wind. Mm. Scarlet Winds eyes were filled with anger and murderous intent. The long claws on his hands extended a little more without him noticing. However, he forcefully withdrew them after Cillin patted them softly. After all, there were a lot of people at this place. Czedow, go find the commander together with Wheeze. Cillin led Scarlet Wind into the port. Meanwhile, the gray cat and Czedow went inside their flying car and drove away. Scarlet Wind followed Cillin closely, but he didnt understand Cillins arrangement. Both Wheeze and Czedow were invaluable if they wanted to track down their opponent. But if that was the case, then why had he sent Wheeze and Czedow away? Scarlet Wind didnt voice his opinions, however. He trusted in Cillins judgment, so he obeyed his decisions even though he was puzzled by the arrangement. This is the direction, right Scarlet Wind? Cillin asked. Scarlet Wind nodded. He was very familiar with this smell; it was a disgusting smell that couldnt be removed even if it was washed with disinfectants. Although the opponent had made efforts to conceal it, Scarlet Wind only needed a bit more time to identify the direction where the scent was coming from. The duo chased the scent all the way to a spaceplane parking lot. There werent many people at this place. Scarlet Wind was just about to say something when every hair on his body suddenly stood on its end. His animal instincts informed him that there were danger, but his vigilance was quickly carried away by a powerful sedative. He wobbled once, twice, and collapsed onto the ground. Cillin was also lying down on the ground beside Scarlet Wind in the same manner. Both of them were shot by an extremely thin needle. This type of needle made almost no sound at all when it was fired, and it travelled at a tremendous speed. Moreover, the thin needle contained a surprisingly powerful sedative that could knock out even a Rank A genotype human. A number of people came out of the surrounding spaceplanes after theyd collapsed. No one couldve imagined that the surrounding spaceplanes that looked like they came from different places and forces parked in this area were in fact all under the same boss. This area was cut off from the rest of the world before anyone realized it. No one here was an outsider, and although there were a few guards in the area they completely ignored whatever those people were doing. Instead, they left the area after exchanging brief glances with each other. The people that came out of the spaceplane confirmed that both Cillin and Scarlet Wind were knocked out after an inspection and carried them both into a spaceplane. When the spaceplane took off into the air, no one noticed the two bumps that looked almost identical to their surroundings sticking at the bottom of the spaceplane. They didnt notice that these two bumps were communicating with each other through a certain method that was completely undetectable by the spaceplanes security system. It didnt take long before the spaceplane left the port and entered into space. There was a starship parked at a giant space station, and its logo was a number 6 that had been rotated 255 degrees clockwise. It was also designed to have a bigger curve and longer tail. Cillin wouldve been surprised to see this logo. This was because the people with this logo were the kind of people whom Shawton wanted to stay away from the most. In a room on the starship, two people were conversing with each other. How dare you mobilize a test subject to capture people without permission! a man dressed in black formal attire looking like he had just finished attending a party said with undisguised anger. A middle-aged man sat across him. Right now this middle-aged man was looking at the data recorded in his electronic notebook. He showed no fear towards the black suited mans harsh words. When he raised his head, the excitement in his eyes hadnt faded away completely, Kedwell, Im absolutely sure you cannot imagine what kind of life form we just got. the middle-aged man brought up a number of data and passed over the electronic notebook to Kedwell, who had just finished attending a large-scale auction. Kedwell might be dissatisfied with the middle-aged mans methods, but his face instantly lit up the moment he saw the listed data. That being said, it was necessary for him to maintain a certain attitude as a part of the management staff. He straightened his expression and passed the electronic notebook back to the middle-aged man, Shelt, the higher-ups had said this many times already. This is not the time to create any noise. Someone has already informed the military about this, and certain political organizations are voicing dissenting opinions too. We must watch out and control our actions! Of course I know. But since we coincidentally ran into such a rare and perfect specimen, I cant possibly give up on it, can I? This specimen is several times better than the last batch of test subjects. Shelt retrained his gaze onto the electronic notebook once more, skimming through the test data transmitted back to his device one after another. Which force do they belong to? Kedwell loosened his collar and asked. I checked, theyre from Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. When Kedwell heard the name Vanguard, his eyebrows quickly became wrinkled. But when he heard the words B Squadron, they became relaxed again. It was just a B Squadron. The loss of a few personnel wouldnt draw the ire of the A Squadrons. Ill forget this this one time, but dont you start another kidnapping as you like during this time. If this affects the whole Miracle, then all of your experiments will be obliterated! Of course, I do know where my priorities lie. Shelt only mentioned Cillin and Scarlet Winds capture briefly. Moreover, Scarlet Wind was another rare specimen to Shelt, so he had no intentions of telling too much and have his prize taken away from him. Luckily for him, Kedwell was rather busy today since the higher ups had instructed him to whitewash certain things. Therefore, he couldnt spare any more attention to the things Shelt had done today. At the same time, inside a prison room on the starship. Cillin could feel the restraints placed around his limbs, but he neither moved nor opened his eyes. In fact, his body was maintained at the biological state of an unconscious person. The instrument beside him displayed the words Subject Unconscious. In reality, Cillin couldve avoided that needle if he wanted to. He didnt because he had a plan in his mind. His opponents appetite was very huge, since not only had they kidnapped Tang Qiuqiu, they seemed to have set their eyes on Scarlet Wind as well. Although Cillin had outlined his plans back at the corner, that wasnt his real goal at all. Verbal communication was hardly the only channel of communication between him and the gray cat. The gray cat was sitting right on top of Cillins shoulders, and their interaction neither needed words nor feared eavesdroppers at all. Moreover, the gray cat could communicate with Czedow through another method. Before Scarlet Wind was knocked out, Cillin had already injected a kind of medicine into his body in secret. It was something Rikulab researched, and it could partially resist powerful stimulant drugs. Moreover, Cillin added a different kind of medicine into the mix that would make Scarlet Wind emit a different kind of scent. As long as this scent existed, Cillin would be able to find Scarlet Wind no matter where he was. Scarlet Wind and Cillin were separated after the spaceplane had entered the starship. Obviously, Scarlet Wind was given heavy attention, while Cillin was abandoned at another room alone and surrounded with monitoring devices. Chapter 194: Miracle Co. Ltd First, Id like to announce that Star Rank Hunter will REVERT back to its original 3 chapters/week schedule. Two, the Patreon page will be also be closed (will change to patron-only by latest tomorrow. Id still remind everyone and send you a message to remove your pledge, just in case it doesnt work) so as to save my wonderful patrons from unnecessary money. The reason is fairly simple. Ive returned to the university, and Ive also agreed to help with etvolare a.k.a bossus SOTR daily. This means Im working on Spirit Realm/Monarch of Evernight, Sovereign of the Three Realms and Star Rank Hunter at the same time. Ive also recently received a job from my professor which is supposed to demand my attention for the span of October and November, unless there is a change to schedule. I was even working on a secret project for the past 3 months until the job was complete. In short, Im swamped. Ive tried to keep things up as much as I could, but in reality the pressure is killing me since as a freelancer theres no such thing as Saturdays or Sundays, just less-work days. But I dont want to give up on SRH either. Ive already had to put Single Player Only on an indefinite hiatus due to how busy I am currently, and sending another one of my beginning novels to sleep feels wrong. So, Im reverting back to the former 3 chapters schedule. This will make my time a lot more manageable, and not cause me a 3 day ~ 1 week headache if Im sick. I can handle fever, but headaches runs cruelly painful within the family. The last of the Patreon money will go into the sponsor queue as usual. If it hits $40, we will release an extra chapter. Advise: maybe you shouldnt. Please save my health from myself! XD Thank you for your support, and hopefully your understanding. Now that the depressing stuff is over (and I REALLY need to grab that brunch before my sister yells so), let us return to how Cillin backstabbed Scarlet Wind because the bad guys are gonna get to him anyway Chapter 194: Miracle Co. Ltd He was surrounded by reinforced steel walls, hidden weapons, and monitoring equipment with no blind angles. It was obvious that these people monitored Cillin C no, their test subjects C very strictly. Right now, Cillin couldnt do anything. He was watched too closely, and the gray cat and Cillin needed some time to collect information about this place or they would be forced into passivity too much. Tang Qiuqiu was probably supervised just like him, whereas Snowball and Scarlet Wind were under even stricter supervision. That being said, they probably wouldnt be harmed just yet, and Cillin needed to ponder about his next move while there was still time left. The starship arrived at another planet in Sector I. This space station at the outskirts of this planet and the orbiting satellites all shared the same logo. Cillin was transferred onto a spaceplane and carried onto the planet. There was a huge research base on the planet, and Cillin was transported to a certain area of the base. There were other common humans just like Cillin who were imprisoned in this place, but unlike him they were already injected with certain drug substances and grew scales, thorns, or wrinkles all over their bodies. While Cillin was transported into a supervision room, one of the human test subjects went crazy due to the effects of the drug substances, hitting the surrounding walls with all he got. Every supervision room was shaped like a round pillar about 4 meters diameter. One quarter of the walls was made transparent so that the experimenters could see the effects of the drug substances on their test subjects. However, the test subjects couldnt see each other. After Cillin was scanned by a scanner, he was injected with an unknown drug substance and tossed into a supervision room. The number displayed outside the supervision room was 6915. This meant that Cillin was the 6,915th test subject who was experimented on for this type of experiment. The people that dragged Cillin and Scarlet Wind from the trading centers port to the spaceplane all felt pretty strong to him. He could detect from the genes of the people who came into contact with him that they were all abnormal human beings. Their genes werent completely human, and genes of other races had been mixed into their bodies. Moreover, these people had not spoken a word from beginning to the end, doing exactly as they were told to. They felt like puppets. They left after sending Cillin into the base. The people walking inside here were all experimenters who wore white work clothes. Cillin had analysed and determined at the first moment that the drug substance injected into his body was something that tested his bodys resistance and tolerance. The experimenters wanted to see just how far he could endure. Cillin knew that this whole supervision room was an operation table. The experiment had begun from the moment he was tossed into this place. If you guys want a show In a room not far away from here, the monitors were displaying the general situation of each operation table. The relevant machines here were analysing every test subjects drug reactions. One of the experimenters was staring at the monitors. Suddenly, he let out an exclamation of surprise. Test subject 6915s body temperature is unusual. Its dropping rapidly after an initial rise! Thats impossible. Everyone in here is a Rank A genotype. Theres no way he couldnt hold on for even five minutes?! another experimenters said. The data shows that his body temperature has already hit the lower limit already. If it goes down any further then this test subject is useless somethings wrong. His body temperature has gone up again! Hes showing severe allergic reaction. His blood circulation has sped up and his heartbeat is rapid! Cillin began to writhe on the monitoring display. The data displayed on the instruments supervising Cillin were all changing acutely. This meant that the targets various vitals were all incredibly unstable, and that the entire human body system was going haywire. The experimenters could already predict the outcome. Ten seconds later, the heart displayed on the instrument stopped beating. Half an hour later, nothing changed. Enough. Dispose him directly. a researcher said expressionlessly. Theyd seen plenty of such situations already. Whats the test results on 6915s blood? Weve analysed his DNA fully, but were not sure why this happened. Maybe its because of the drugs influence. Rank A genotypes are a troublesome lot. There is always unexpected shit happening when we experiment on them. an experimenter muttered. Theres nothing we can do. Our experiment targets must be rank A genotypes. Still, isnt this guy a bit too useless? Even that kid last time did better than him and held out for a full hour. In short, this rank A test subject is trash. God knows where Shelt procured him from. Cillin, lying quietly and lifelessly on the ground was stuffed into a long back and carried away from this area. They arrived at a waste disposal plant. The waste processing plant was separated into two processing boxes. One was for lab equipment and relevant drug substances, whereas the other was for failed test subjects. An experimenter dragged Cillin from the transport trolley and put him on the desk in front of the processing box. He was just about to press the processing button when a hand holding a thin syringe stretched out of the bag suddenly. Before the experimenter could react, the thin syringe was plunged into the back of his head. The syringe was hidden inside the leaf ring earlier. That was why the scanners hadnt detected it just now. Then drug substances inside the syringe swiftly entered deep into the experimenters brain through his blood. His brain nerves were starting to be affected by the drug. Cillin opened the bag and stood in front of the experimenter. His voice became deep and slow, and his tone contained a kind of rhythm and bewitching effect, Remember, you have already processed the dead test subject. The experimenters eyes had no focus whatsoever. He repeated Cillins words dumbly, I have already processed the dead test subject Therefore, you will now head out, find a place to sleep, and begin working anew. Sleep begin working anew As he watched the experimenter walk out of the processing plant, Cillin pressed the button next to the processing box where the long bag was put on the desk. The desk entered the processing box, and a white flash later the entire bag instantly turned to dust. When the processing was complete, the desk returned its the original position once more. Cillin looked up and cast a glance at the monitoring device above the processing plant. Instead of looking away, he asked, Are the monitoring images all dealt with? They are. I guarantee that no one will know about it. the gray cat walked in from outside with Czedow following behind it. Cillin projected a light beam from his eyes and turned it into a hologram. He replayed the strip of monitoring images related to Tang Qiuqiu, Snowball and Scarlet Wind they intercepted one at a time. Miracle Co. Ltd?! Cillin looked a little surprised to see that logo. There were plenty of base companies that conducted biochemistry or genetic experiments, but only a few operated the way Miracle did. Miracle had an incredibly solid background, and they were supported not only by business organizations, but also political organizations and even the GAL military. No Hunter regiments would want to come in touch with a company like this because its background alone was a testament to the sheer number of taboo experiments and business deals it must have conducted. After experiencing certain things and playing a role as a member of the four great Hunter regiments, it was easy to analyse and see why no one wanted to come in touch with this company. There was a dividing line between Hunters, political organizations and the military. It was a balance of non-involvement where both parties stayed on opposite sides of the line and snorted disdainfully at each other. Everyone knew about everyones backgrounds and dirty dealings. They just chose not to say anything about them. With such a deep background, the sheer amount of profits this company earned everyday was unimaginable. Even if their experiments were unlawful and taboo, Miracle could build a bright front for itself without problems. Miracle was famed for its high end biological weapons and genetic drugs in GAL. There were many people who knew this company for these two products. They heard that Miracles gene transformation drug had the highest success rate in the entire GAL. At the same time, it was also the most expensive out of all others. However, how many innocents had paid with their lives to create the drugs bright image of highest transformation success rate? Snowball and Scarlet Wind were sent to another side of the base, but Tang Qiuqiu is imprisoned not far away from where you were imprisoned. the gray cat said while looking at the footages, However, that theres another force in this place, Cillin. We discovered them while we were copying some of the bases security footages. Although they had concealed themselves well, they cannot escape my cat eyes. Do you know who they belong to? The gray cat shook its head, No. But you said before that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Maybe we can cooperate with each other. Lets not make contact until we find Qiuqiu and the others first. They must have their own reason to lie low all this time. Saving Tang Qiuqiu was relatively easy, and the gray cat and Czedow could take care of the security system no problem. However, saving Tang Qiuqiu would most definitely alert the enemy too, and that would mean the task to save Scarlet Wind and Snowball on the other side of the base wouldnt be as easy. Judging from the footages Czedow provided him, Scarlet Wind and Snowball were supervised even more strictly than they were. There were also a lot more guards too. While Cillin was pondering, Czedow suddenly said, There is a non-base personnel at the entrance of a passage five hundred meters away. Hes copying the footages of our area. Ill head over and take a look; you guys keep watch over Tang Qiuqiu. If you notice anything amiss, then cut off the electrical system in this whole area. Is there a problem? None. Czedow and the gray cat said at the same time. If they were someone else, then they would probably be ridiculed for overestimating their capabilities. But for Czedow and the gray cat, the task wasnt impossible. Cillin sneaked his way towards the place Czedow had pointed him too. Thanks to Czedows help, the few guarded entrances he encountered along the way didnt cause him any problems. He was able to pass through without needing to verify his ID. Cillin saw the person at the passage when he reached there. He looked almost the same as the experimenters, dressed in white work clothes and wearing a pair of gloves. His back was facing Cillin, and he was arranging a drug shelf. He looked like he was attempting to deliver these drugs over to the processing box, but a few drug boxes had fallen off during the process. This person was picking up the drug boxes from the floor. He didnt sense any anxiety or urgency from him. This person acted very calmly just like the normal experimenters in this research base. When Cillin approached him, he didnt reveal any anxiety or murderous intent just like before. Cillin didnt stop after he approached the person. Instead, he continued to walk forwards as if he didnt notice anything. The person also continued to crouch on the floor and tidy the drug boxes that had fallen to the floor. When Cillin passed by the persons back and took a few more steps forward, he suddenly came to a stop, turned around and said, Hey, do you know that these two dangerous drug substances are usually carried around by robots? Chapter 195: Hello Again, Knight Chapter 195: Hello Again, Knight Cillin had just finished speaking when three drug box fragments were thrown right at his eyes, heart and kidney area. At the same time, the attacker himself had charged towards him. A normal person wouldnt even notice a blur. Cillin was prepared for this reaction when he said these words. It was just that this person gave him a very familiar feeling. After dodging the three fragments, Cillin raised an arm and blocked the fist flying towards his face. The second his hand came into contact with the attackers fist, Cillin immediately figured out his identity. Knight?! The attacker who was about start the next series of attacks stopped at the exclamation. Knight swiftly backed away until he had put at least ten meters between himself and Cillin. Knight stared at him warily. He had not recognized Cillin because Cillins appearance had changed far too much compared to how he looked at Seven Lights. Who are you? Knight had already prepped the silent needles for fire while he was asking this question. The second he confirmed that this person wasnt on his side, he was going to kill him immediately. Knights reaction couldnt be faulted. After all, he remembered everyone who accompanied him here very well, and he would be able to identify them even if they had put on a disguise. But this person When Knight saw this person for the first time, he was sure he didnt recognize him. But after they clashed against each other briefly, he was assaulted by a strange sense of familiarity. Now that sense of familiarity was growing stronger and stronger, but he just couldnt find this person no matter how much he searched through his memory! Moreover, the person standing before him held no malice towards him at all. Even the look in his eyes was the kind that was shared among close companions only. Who on earth is he? Knight thought conflictingly. Cillin let out a low chuckle, I knew you wouldnt recognize me. It was at this moment the gray cat jumped into the open. Hey Cillin, are you done? We have a situation here. Should we start cutting off the power? Knights eyes twitched the second he heard the name Cillin. Then, his eyes slowly widened as he stared at him and froze on the spot. He looked like he wasnt sure how to react. Cillin walked past Knight and looked at the hologram displayed on Czedows hand. A few experimenters were shown to have entered Tang Qiuqius supervision room. They were also holding syringes and test tubes. Cillin was just about to say something when Knight came over with an annoyed look on his face, Dont worry, we have some men over there. While saying this, Knight tapped on the small round disc he wore on his hand a couple of times. It was a secret code they used within the ops team for communication. Cillin nodded and motioned them to not cut off the electricity first. Seeing that Cillin trusted the other party so easily, the gray cat cocked its head and looked at Knight, Who is this enemy of our enemy? Hes Knight, one of my roommates back then just like Lung. The second the gray cat heard that Knight was like Lung, it immediately jumped over with bright eyes and patted Knight with its paw, Aiya, so youre one of us. Knight: Why is there a cat here? Knight moved his gaze backwards and looked at Czedow, And who is he? The gray cat interrupted before Cillin could answer, Hes called Czedow. Were on the same side! Czedow? That reminds me of Shadow X. Cillin looked at the gray cat, See, I told you that Shadow X is a good name. Knight raised his fist and pressed it against Cillins head, Like hell its good. Do you have no shame, you bastard! If he wasnt limited by the environment and circumstances, Knight wouldve beaten Cillin up already. Back then the method Cillin chose to depart pissed him off so much that he was angry for ten days straight. Even today that frustration was still stuck in his heart like an uncomfortable stone that just had to be removed. Once this mission was over, he was absolutely going to beat up this devious bastard. He knew on first sight that this bastard excelled at pissing people off. You guys are the ones who tinkered with the monitoring devices, arent you? Knight asked. He might have phrased the line as a question, but his tone was very certain. No ordinary people couldve tinkered with the monitoring devices, and that included the people in their small ops team as well. At best, they could only copy video footages off them. Knight held a palm-sized device in his hand. With this device, they could copy all security camera records within a five hundred meter radius without needing to visit the security room. However, Cillins group was even greater than he expected, capable of tinkering with the footages themselves in the area. Miracles supervision network was pretty high-end after all. Why did you guys come here? Cillin asked. You should know a bit about Miracles black reputation, dont you? Theyve gone overboard in the recent years, and someone up there couldnt stand what theyre doing, not to mention that some of Miracles backers had fallen from grace recently. Since someone wants to give Miracle a big operation, we accepted this mission and came over to collect evidence. They didnt know just how bad it was until they came, and no one in the team could calm down after seeing the witnessing the horrific tragedies that went on in this place everyday. Before Miracle, most of the experiments they saw involved animals, but every test subject here was basically human. If there were animals, they were of the extremely rare and precious kind. The human test subjects ranged from embryos that werent yet fully developed to humans of all stages of development. No one was exempt from atrocious treatment. The experimenters cared nothing for their lives. To obtain one impressive data, they could sacrifice one, several, tens, hundreds or thousands of innocent lives without hesitation. When they couldnt find volunteers, they would grab one right off the street. Knights team once saw a newborn bleeding to death due to metabolic disorder after being injected with a certain drug before it was thrown away like trash by the experimenters. After that, they killed two experimenters, and two of their companions disguised themselves as the two experimenters and infiltrated into their midst. Right now, the person giving Tang Qiuqiu an injection was one of those two spies. You know, Cillin. Back then I admired researchers a lot due to people like Ci Jincheng and Elder Mo. But after I met these people, I feel like their families should die with them. At the same time, Tang Qiuqiu was trapped inside a pillar-like room similar to the supervision room Cillin was locked in earlier. All the human test subjects in this area were young kids, and most of them had been kidnapped directly. The test subject is showing signs of awakening, but she has not regained her mobility yet. Keep up the injection. Tang Qiuqiu opened her eyes while listening to the unfamiliar voices around her. What entered her eyes were a few people dressed in white work clothes. One of them was holding a syringe and a test tube, while the other two were adjusting the instruments. I cant believe they would send in a non-rank A genotype kid in here this time. That said, this kids drug resistance is pretty good. She should make a better test subject. Tang Qiuqiu wanted to move, but she discovered that she had completely lost control over her muscles. Even breathing was somewhat difficult for her. Right now, Tang Qiuqius vision was very clear. While she couldnt move, her mind was in a state of great clarity. She didnt scream even after noticing the unfamiliar surroundings. Instead, she kept quiet. Cillin once told her that the more dangerous things were, the calmer she should become. However, she was just a kid after all. When she saw the syringe she did her utmost to move away her arm. However, she still couldnt move. The person giving her the injection pierced the syringe into her arm, and the scarlet liquid inside the syringe flowed into her body. She could feel the liquid flowing to every corner of her body. However, what puzzled Tang Qiuqiu was that the experimenter who gave her the injection had winked at her when she looked up. His eyes were smiling not in a malicious way, but an encouraging one. The experimenters hadnt left for long before Tang Qiuqiu began to experience allergic reactions all over her body. Her temperature rose rapidly, and her heart stopped not long after that. Tsk, I shouldve known that trash genes are trash genes. A rank A genotype kid would do better. an experimenter sneered as he stared at the data displayed on the monitor. Lets process her quickly. What a waste of drugs. And so Tang Qiuqiu was sent to the waste processing plant as a failed test subject just like Cillin. This time, Cillin acted even swifter than before. Just like before, he gave the experimenter who transported the failed test subject the hypnosis treatment. Right now, it wasnt time to stir things up just yet. While these hypnotised experimenters might recall some bits and fragments of memories later, it would be too late by then. Cillin pulled open the bags zipper. Knight injected another kind of drug into Tang Qiuqiu, and her heart began to beat again after a few minutes later, followed by the recovery of her vitals. Big brother Cillin, they took away Snowball. Tang Qiuqiu said with red eyes. It was because of her gluttony that it turned out like this. Tang Qiuqiu grew even more guilty after she learned that Scarlet Wind was taken away as well. Cillin rubbed her head and said, Its not your fault. They had their eyes on Snowball since the beginning. Even if they didnt grab it now, they still wouldve grabbed it later. They took away my gun, and my emblem too!! Its okay. We just need to take it back. While speaking, Cillin turned to Knight and asked, Do you have a spare gun? When the military operated, their equipment were definitely customized to fit the mission. It was a lot more convenient to move around here with special guns. Knight tossed a gun he was carrying directly to Cillin, but to his surprise Cillin tossed it into Tang Qiuqius hands. He didnt say anything other than raising an eyebrow, though. He might not understand why it was necessary to pass a gun into a kids hands, but it wasnt the time to argue about this either. Ill bring you guys to our hideout right now to research our next step. The important research facilities of the base arent easily infiltrated, and theres no point getting anxious about it right now. We havent made any real progress ourselves even though weve been here for quite some time. That being said, we got some good news. According to our intel, the research on beast types on the other side are being temporarily halted because theyre lacking a kind of test drug. This gives us at least thirty hours to work with. Thirty hours later, the test drugs they bought wouldve arrived, once your two companions are injected with the drugs theyre basically no different from puppets. Those that failed to become puppets would be killed directly. Thirty hours. They didnt have much time. Knight led Cillin and his group to a small unit inside the base. It wasnt a secluded area at the edge of the base, but a technicians hostel. The experimenter who originally lived here had already been killed by Knight and his team. One of them took over the experimenters identity. Speaking of which, the military definitely werent lacking in talent considering that they could take over a persons identity without slipping up. When Cillin walked inside, he was surprised to see two familiar figures. Although he hadnt seen them for three years and they were wearing disguises, Cillin still recognised them at first glance. Yue Luo, Feng Haicao. Long time no see. Chapter 196: Brain Eating Parasites Translators Notes: Some fans claim that joy struck their arses when they least expected it. It was a little invasive. Knight fan 1 complained, and his claims could almost be trusted if not for the orgasmic look on his face Chapter 196: Brain Eating Parasites When Knight brought Cillins group over, the lab happened to be in a busy period. Therefore, there were basically no one in the staff hostel. They only needed to avoid the security cameras, and with the gray cat and Czedow around, they werent a problem. It was also because the lab was in a busy period that Yue Lou and Feng Haicao were the only ones left in the hostel among Knights ten-man operation team. Everyone else was gathering information everywhere else. At first, Yue Lou and Feng Haicao thought that Knight had brought a couple of rescued people into their hideout. However, they quickly dispelled such thoughts. They were not so blind that they couldnt distinguish between test subjects and outsiders. However, their wariness turned into bewilderment when they heard Cillins words. They believed that Knight wouldnt do something as stupid as revealing his own identity for no reason, but who on earth was this person who saw through them at first glance? Yue Lou stopped playing with his gun and sat up from his bed. The isolated parts in the air became a whole gun once more the moment they fell back into his hands. Tang Qiuqius red eyes lit up when she saw Yue Lous trick. At first, Knight was pondering how best to introduce Cillin to his comrades. After all, Cillin was pronounced dead back then. He hadnt expected Cillin to expose himself on his own accord. This wasnt a bad choice, however. It was better for both parties to be privy of each other if they were to act in coordination. Although this operation to search for evidence had been classified as a covert operation, that would not be the case once this case was closed in success. The public would be able to deduce certain things from the media. Yue Lou and Feng Haicao simply let out a sigh of realization after hearing Knights explanation. They werent too surprised by Cillins resurrection. Yue Lou did say that theres no way someone like Cillin would die that easily. Feng Haicao smiled. Knight was conflicted. How come he was the only idiot who thought Cillin had died back then? Wait a minute, there was also Lung. They were both idiots. It wasnt their fault, though. Back then, they had witnessed Cillins assassination with their own eyes as a bullet had pierced right through him before so many witnesses. He had bled profusely, and the instruments didnt pick up any life signals from him at all. It was no wonder they believed that he was killed. When Tang Qiuqiu heard their conversation, she bit her finger and asked, Are you talking about big brother Cillin being shot at Seven Lights back then? The trio turned to look at Tang Qiuqiu in unison. Their eyes were inquiring. Tang Qiuqiu continued to bite her finger, but didnt speak. Cillin rubbed her head and said, She was the one who fired the shot back then. The trios mouth turned into an O shape. Knight came to realization when he looked at the gun Tang Qiuqiu was holding once more. If she really had such skills, then it was no wonder that Cillin would pass her the gun. I guess we have two expert marksmen in our group then. Feng Haicao said. Tang Qiuqiu looked at Yue Lou. She knew from the moment she saw Yue Lou playing with his gun that his shooting skills were very good. It wasnt the trick, but the way he looked at his gun that revealed this to her. It was obvious that Yue Lou was very interested in this young little expert markswoman too, Lets compare skills when we have the chance. Okay. During this period, Cillin discussed their future plans and actions with Knights group. With Czedow and the gray cats help as well as the cooperation of Knights ops team, this mission should become much easier. Our support squad should be arriving soon, and were more or less done with collecting evidence. When they arrive, we would be able to send a message to them once we collected evidence from the critical area. Everyone should be able to leave this place safely as long as we follow the plan. Feng Haicao nodded. While talking, another person walked into the room. It was someone Cillin didnt recognize. You returned, Luther. Knight introduced Cillin and his group to Luther. He emphasized that Cillins group was trying to save his companions, and that Cillin was Knights old pal. Luther simply nodded expressionlessly. Cillin wasnt angered by Luthers reaction because he was practically brimming with negative energy. Anyone could see that he was feeling pretty down right now, or he wouldve at least questioned Cillins background closely with his cautious temperament. What is it? Feng Haicao asked. Luther exhaled heavily and said, Dont count on the support squad to show up. They cant. Theyre obstructed, and they could only show up 40 to 50 hours later. 40 to 50 hours?! A new batch of alien beast puppets wouldve been produced by then!! How the f*ck are we even going to fight then! Knight swore immediately the moment he heard Luthers words. It was not an uncounted possibility. The support squad was made up of a lot of people. Even if they managed to hide their intentions from Miracle, the old foxes among Miracles managers wouldve caused them some problems just in case anyway. Plus, not everyone in the army sang the same tune. They could be annihilated and the support squad still might not arrive. The gray cat lay on top on Cillins shoulder and swung its tail from side to side occasionally. Rather than worry, it seemed to be scheming a little something on the inside. When it heard that the support squad wouldnt arrive, the gray cat cast a glance at Cillin and lowered its eyelids. How could the gray cats reactions possibly escape Cillins eyes? After associating with the gray cat for such a long time, he knew what kind of shit it was about to dump from the angle of its tail alone. Cillin rubbed the gray cats ears and told it to use that method if there really wasnt any other choice. The gray cat couldnt hold back its excitement and rubbed itself on Cillins face immediately after a meow. Knights facial muscles twitched again and again. What the mother father f*ck! Is this really the time to show off your master and pet relationship?! When the ops team members returned, Tang Qiuqiu saw the person who gave her the injection. It was a man called Rolin. Thank you, big brother. Ill treat you to sweets once we get out of here. Rolin squeezed Tang Qiuqius face once with a smile and said, Sure. Now that they knew they had no reinforcements, the operation had became much harder. Shelts test subjects are incredibly strong. Its useless even if you shoot them in the heart, so the only way to kill them is to shoot them in the head. These puppets had long since lost their minds and would obey only their masters words. Knight explained the situation in the base to Cillin. They could at least tamper with the defense system somewhat, but those puppets were just too difficult to deal with. Before those test subjects were turned into puppets, they were already rank A genotypes in the first place. They became even stronger after they were transformed. These transformed human beings basically made up the main body of the guards in this base, and part of them were even sold off at various places to fetch a high price. Whether it was the role of an assassin, a bodyguard or a combat personnel, these transformed human beings could fulfill them all very well. The situation was completely different for Knights team, however. They were only ten-man strong, and even with the addition of Cillins group, there was still no guarantee that they could escape this place. Without reinforcements, they were all doomed to die in this place unless they cancelled their mission in advance and hid until the support squad arrived. However, doing that also meant letting important evidences slip by and giving Miracle time to conceal their dirty work. It would be difficult to find an opportunity to collect evidences if that happened. Time waits for no one, and when he saw that they couldnt come up with a good idea, Cillin said, I have a plan, but it will cause a lot of commotion. What plan? Tell us first. Knight asked Cillin. Cillin took out a round-shaped object the size of a chicken egg. This is a kind of brain eating parasite. There are thousands of parasite eggs inside this thing, and they feed on their hosts brain in order to sustain themselves. The faces of every man and woman in Knights ten-man team twisted in response. Vanguard Sixth B Squadron? That was you?! Rolin exclaimed. Knight had only said that Cillin was a Hunter of a B Squadron in Vanguard. He didnt say exactly which B Squadron he belonged to. But the moment parasites were brought up, Rolin immediately recalled a news he heard earlier. Rolin continued, Someone once told me how Poison Fang and Skull King were killed back then. Knight and the rest of the team immediately looked at Cillin. So it was you who did it! Vanguards A Squadrons had purposely covered up certain key points in the Poison Fang incident such as the identity of the person who drove them to destruction back then, so not many people knew that it was someone from the Sixth B Squadron who did it. But not everyone was completely oblivious to the truth. Skull Kings death had been horrible to say the least. When some of them had employed certain methods to acquire a video of Skull Kings corpse, everyones blood ran cold at the sight of it. They also know that parasites was the main reason behind the destruction of Skull King, and even Poison Fang itself. They never knew that parasites could rival the might of both biological weapons and high energy weapons. All ten men took a step back in unison the moment they saw the egg in Cillins hand. How how can you guarantee that these parasites wont attack us? Knight gulped and asked. Cillin took out a box of pills and tossed it directly to Knight, These pills will make the parasites stay away from you. Although Knight fully trusted Cillin, the rest of the team were still withholding their judgment. However, Rolin was more excited than scared. Back then, he was already dissatisfied that he could only hear but not experience the tale himself, but now he had the chance to do exactly that. A person well versed in pharmaceutics inspected the pill Cillin gave them briefly and confirmed that it would not bring harm to the human body. Moreover, the pill was effective only within a limited amount of time. When the effective period was over, the medicine would be broken down inside the body and removed by the discharge of bodily fluids or metabolism. The effective time is 50 hours. There arent many people here, and I have 30 pills in total. Just in case, everyone should take 2 pills with them. If anything unexpected happens well decide what to do then. Cillin took back the pill and said. Thats acceptable. But you must first prove that this medicine is actually effective. someone said. Then lets grab two people and give it a try. And so Luther went out to knock out two researchers before he returned. He covered up their mouths and locked them inside a small bedroom. Knight was also inside the bedroom. Knight had volunteered to test the pills effectiveness. He folded his arms and leaned quietly against the bedroom walls after swallowing a pill. There were three parasite eggs inside the bedroom. After the eggs had hatched, three ant-like organisms crawled out of the shells, paused, and crawled straight towards the researcher. Meanwhile, the parasite that hatched from the egg put next to Knight crawled away swiftly like a mouse who encountered a cat. It crawled towards the researcher at the other end of the bedroom. Knight inside the bedroom and the ops team members outside the bedroom all let out a sigh. Then, they watched on the unconscious researcher closely. Ten minutes later, the researcher began to writhe with blue veins popping up from his forehead. His breathing was starting to grow rapid too. Half an hour later, the researchers face turned a shade of green and was completely bloodless. His breathing started to slow as he continued to writhe all over. Knight touched his forehead, and it was completely covered in cold sweat. Chapter 197: The AI System With the Greatest Potential [Part 1] Chapter 197: The AI System With the Greatest Potential [Part 1] The infected researchers face turned a shade of red, white, and finally green. In the end, a couple of parasites burst out of the researchers skull and caused blood to become splattered everywhere. The splattered blood was not bright red in color. Instead, it was a dark, sticky substance that quickly congealed in a short time. These blood cells are all polluted. The toxin secreted by the parasites seeps into the blood and is carried throughout the body by the circulatory system. The brain is eaten at the same time too. Cillin explained what happens after these parasites entered the human body. While Cillins tone was very calm, the rest of the people were feeling a chill climbing up their spine already. They had faced alien beasts tens of times larger than a human being, and they had charged through hails of bullet rain in battle before. They had brushed past death for many times during their time as soldiers, but they couldnt help the chill in their hearts when they watched these parasites all the same. They couldnt shake the feeling that their own brains were starting to experience a similar reaction. Knight sighed emotionally after killing all three long and many-limbed parasites, Too fast. Their growth is too fast. In just half an hours time, these parasites had grown from the size of an ant to a palm. He had to admit that their capacity for growth was shocking. The reason these parasites could grow this swiftly was because Cillin had tinkered with their genes with this purpose in mind. Just like the previous two kinds of parasites that had eliminated Poison Fang, these parasites were injected with death inducing genes. Upon reaching a certain stage of growth and breaking point, these death inducing genes would activate and subject the parasites to programmed death. However, there was one difference: these brain eating parasites couldnt reproduce. These parasites didnt exist naturally. Cillin had created and brought these parasites to life at the workshop Enji had left behind to him. Therefore, Cillin made sure that they had no reproductive ability to avoid a specie invasion. Sometimes, Cillin thought that he himself wasnt much different from the researchers in this Miracle research base. They were both sufficiently cold blooded to pull off their research. Back then, Cillin already noticed that he was an extremely apathetic person who could watch every person on Poison Fangs planet slowly succumb to the fear of death calmly. A humans selfishness was inborn. He only wanted to treat himself and those he was acquainted with well, and tread his own path. That was all. I admit that this kind of parasite is extremely threatening, but this is a powerless researcher. How would they fare if they went up against those human puppets? What about the beast puppets? a person asked. Thats easy. We just catch one and conduct another experiment. Luther said expressionlessly. Times not enough. Knight said, We dont have time to conduct an experiment specifically for this. Then lets draw up several plans now and alternate between them according to the circumstances while we experiment. Cillin agreed with Yue Lous plan. Right now, he wanted to rescue Snowball and Scarlet Wind as soon as possible, We start a commotion. This base is mostly made up of human puppets, with the rest being researchers. The moment the human puppets fall into disorder, the guards would naturally deal with them on our behalf. Meanwhile, your team could collect more information and I could save my companions. After some brief thinking, the eleven people gathered in a circle and began discussing countermeasures while Tang Qiuqiu and Czedow stood at the side. At first, Tang Qiuqius attention was drawn to the circle as she listened to their plans on how to rescue Snowball and Scarlet Wind. However, her gaze suddenly became attracted to the gray cat because it was wearing a weird look on its face. Crouched on top of Cillins shoulders, the gray cat was currently pondering how to create some commotion of its own and eat some alien beast test subjects that hadnt been injected with drugs yet. From what it gathered, these alien beasts were all of excellent quality, so logically speaking they should be pretty tasty too. Slurp. Its been a while since I ate those An hour later. Rolin and another team member disguised as a technician carried two parasite eggs that Cillin handed over to them into the key experiment area. Although entering that place required multiple ID checks and scans, Czedow was right behind them. Earlier, Czedow had hacked into the system to investigate the various information of the researcher who got his head blown off by the parasite, and he had everything from iris, fingerprint and genetic data. Without needing to disguise himself on purpose, Czedow could transform directly into that researchers appearance. After putting on a set of work clothes, Czedow led the way not far ahead of Rolin and his team member. Wherever Czedow went, all guarded entrances and scan system had ignored their presences. The doors opened on their own, and the scanners didnt trigger the alarm either. Cillin and the rest of the team continued to hang out inside the staff hostel and watched as the situation unfolded on the displays. Czedow and the groups movements were tracked on the displays. An in depth layout was displayed as well. They didnt go deep into the area. They simply put the two parasite eggs onto the two human puppets guarding the outskirts of the area noiselessly and waited around a corner. Through the live feed Czedow had intercepted and produced as a holographic image from the security camera at the corridor, they could see that two parasites had quietly hatched from their eggs on the human puppets body and slipped inside. The parasites look extremely excited. Apparently, the human puppets are a lot more attractive to them than the average researcher. Cillin said as he stared at the screen. This was without a doubt good news. Although the human puppets had lost their ability to feel pain, their control over their brain region had also become more simplistic. Adding that to the fact that they were modified and enhanced, the parasites were absolutely thrilled to enter a brain environment like this. It didnt take long before the two puppets face began to writhe in response. However, their eyes were as empty, lifeless and emotionless as ever. They had lost their ability to feel pain already. Ten minutes later, the human puppets facial veins began to bulge. The bulging veins gave the them a sinister appearance, and their eyes were starting to turn red as well. A drop of black blood seeped out of the puppets eyes, slid off the faces filled with bulging veins and fell off. Then, it was followed by a second and third drop of blood By now the human puppets no longer looked as rigid as they were before. Their arms were trembling, and their heads were shaking slightly too. They looked like they were struggling with their thoughts or something. Suddenly, one of the human puppets swung his arm horizontally and sent another human puppet flying away with a punch. However, the collapsed human puppet quickly climbed back to their feet. The red-and-black blood in the human puppets eyes began to flow faster and faster, the blood that splattered on the ground while they were punched quickly congealed on the ground and emitted a pungent smell. Czedow controlled the defense system around this area and prevented it from sounding the alarm. When Cillin saw the analysis data transmitted by Czedow, his eyes lit up, The blood of the human puppets infected by the parasites contains a kind of volatile gas. Anyone who inhales too much of it will experiences unconsciousness, foaming, mental confusion or even severe cerebral contusion! Rolin and the other team member had already put on their gas masks at Czedows cue. However, they felt a bit strange when they saw that Czedow hadnt bothered to take any kind of protective measures. Still, they chose not to ask after a brief thought. There were plenty of strange things and people in this world. This guy before them might be one of them. They didnt realize that Czedow was a robot and not a human. Execute Plan B! After laying down the command, Knight led his ops team and split up to execute the operation. Meanwhile, Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat had also begun their next move. Chapter 197: The AI System With the Greatest Potential [Part 2] Chapter 197: The AI System With the Greatest Potential [Part 2] Inside the key lab facility, Shelt was laughing very happily as he watched Snowball and Scarlet Wind trapped inside their respective experimentation rooms through remote monitoring. The data displayed on the electronic notebook he was holding refreshed constantly. Although the drugs had not arrived yet, preliminary resistance testing had told him that these two specimens were excellent test subjects. They were far better than the one thousand or so beast type test subjects he had experimented on before. That white animals genes were extremely complex. At the very least, Shelt had not encountered a living being with its kind of genetic makeup until now. Its complex multi-helical DNA separated this birthday bear from the rest of his experimental beasts like heaven and earth. As for that half-beastman made up of both human and canine genes, Shelt was going to prepare a different kind of drug and stimulate both types of genes at the same time. He wondered if its human gene or its canine gene would take dominance. Besides that, he could also extract some strengthening substances from these two test subjects. However, it would probably be difficult to apply them properly onto a human body. He would have to scour for another batch of test subjects once the drugs had been delivered. The alarm suddenly resounded while Shelt was making plans in his mind. A contaminant source has appeared at area XR. Preliminary detection reveals that it was brought in by a modified test subject. Shelt was slightly annoyed that his thoughts were disturbed when he listened to the AI systems report. He frowned. As he thought, those modified test subjects were incapable of doing anything right. Not only were they not much stronger than they were before, they even brought in a contaminant source now. Without checking for the contaminant sources exact effects, Shelt said directly, Dispose it immediately, Aier. This entire key facility was controlled by an AI system, and the only person who had control over this AI system was Shelt. Shelt had always been a conceited person. He would neither think that someone had tampered with the human puppets, nor would he think that his AI assistant could be blind sometimes. Okay. the AI system named Aier answered. Her soft voice caused his irritation to subside quite a bit. At the same time, the two human puppets who were fighting each other until black blood was sprayed everywhere were frozen into ice sculptures by the ultra low temperature freeze guns that had appeared on the walls. After a sound wave attack by a sonic gun later, both ice blocks were shattered into icy bits. But despite the commotion, the system hadnt detected the gas in the air at all. This was Czedows work. Meanwhile, Knight and his teammates carried a few parasite eggs with them and sneaked step by step into the key lab facility. Knight put a small block of ice at a secluded corner. Once this ice had melted, the parasite eggs inside would emerge and soon hatch many living parasites. Cillin instructed the gray cat to stay together with Tang Qiuqiu while he went down a different path. He looked at the time. The others shouldve completed the preparatory work already. It was time to move to the next step. Czedow, begin. Czedow was already walking into the key lab facility near its heart, and after receiving Cillins order he turned to look at a security camera. The battlefield of electronic networks was made for Czedow the moment he was born. While he might not possess the gray cats powerful offensive power or its ability to switch forms, he was no weaker than the gray cat on the battlefield of networking systems. Right now the gray cat was still inexperienced, and in comparison Cillins creation, Czedow was more cautious than the gray cat. He would extensively calculate every step and leave no hidden threats behind. The alarm rang again inside the key lab facility. The AI system said, Contaminant source discovered. Control over human puppets lost. Shelt stared at the display before him. On the display, the human puppets standing guard outside the lab at every passage were starting to go berserk. They completely ignored the AI systems attempt to control them, and one of them had already torn an experimenter walking outside to shreds. While Shelt was conversing with the AI system, and everyone else was paying attention to the displays due to the commotion outside, Czedow had sneaked into the place along with the experimenters who hastily made their way into the lab. Many newly hatched parasites were running towards the surrounding people. Shelt was enraged by the scene of the human puppets rampaging outside, Just get rid of them directly! Im very sorry, but there is a technical problem. Power in the system is inadequate. the AI system replied. Shelt was a mad scientist, but he was definitely not a good analyst. He had dedicated all of his intelligence on experiments, and as such his ability to analyze the situation around him was incomparable to his ability to perform experiments and researches. This was one of the factors Knight had considered when formulating their operation. Inadequate power? How can there possibly be inadequate power! Where are the energy blocks?! Send someone to get them already!! The lab cannot experience a power outage! Boss, somethings wrong with test subject no.107! a researcher said. What is going on?! Shelt roared in anger. Every test subject in this lab was his hearts blood. How could he possibly allow these test subjects to go wrong before he got a good result out of them?! The animal that looked very much like a lion inside the monitoring and experimentation room no.107 was currently going berserk and scratching at the surrounding walls furiously. These were reinforced walls, and they were not so easily pierced through. However, the experimental beast began ramming its body against the wall instead when it thought that scratching from inside wouldnt free it from its cell. The dull boom caused by a five meters tall body slamming heavily against reinforced walls caused even the surrounding air to shake along with it. Boss, this cant go on like this! You dont say?! Shelt slapped the speaking experimenter right across the face and said, Arent you the one whos responsible for that experimental beast? Why the hell is this happening?! I I dont know either the experimenter said timidly. While he might have vented his anger on this test subject many times everyday, they were all within the test subjects limits. Nothing like this had happened until now. Aier! According to the analysis report, experimental beast no.107s nervous system is damaged. The air conducted by the life support system contain gaseous substances that poisons the nervous system. the AI system analysed and reported the data of its observation unhurriedly. Slap! Another slap was thrown across the experimenters face. If Shelt had a gun right now he wouldve shot the bastard in the face already. In his view, the error mustve been caused by the experimenter. Restore the air to its original composition Shelt hadnt even finished saying his sentence when Aier reported that the same thing had happened across several experimentation rooms too. B boss, do you think that someone has infiltrated into our lab and is causing trouble? an experimenter behind Shelt said in a low voice. Slap! Another slap was thrown as Shelt said angrily, Invaders?! Do you think Aier is here for show?! The rest of the researchers bowed their heads in unison. Whether or not they were complaining on the inside was unknown. Just when this one experimentation room was brought under control, the AI system reported that several experimental beasts in other experimentation rooms were experiencing abnormalities again. Cillin had tampered with the experimentation rooms life support system and conducted the gaseous substances released by the human puppets after their blood became infected into the pipes. He hadnt tampered with just experimental beast no.107 too. He had done the same thing to several other experimentation room. The experimental beast incident wasnt yet resolved when a researcher let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutched his head and crouched on the floor. He hugged his head so tightly that it looked like he would plunge all ten of his fingers into his own skull. Many blue veins popped out of his forehead as his eyes began to change too. The whites of his eyes were gradually being replaced by a red and black color. This was just the beginning. When one after another researcher fell to the same symptom, even Shelt understood that the situation was amiss. Theres a contaminant source here? Who brought it inside?! Aier, inspect for contaminant source! Inspecting contaminant source foreign contaminant sources discovered. The researchers carrying a contaminant source inside them were shown on the screen. Dispose them! Shelt said mercilessly. Dont kill me, boss! Shelt, you cant do this! We can still be saved! Uncaring for the experimenters crying pleas, they were trapped by many transparent covers before turned into dust after a white flash later. Analyse type of contaminant source. Shelt ordered. Im very sorry, but this type of contaminant source cannot be determined. How is that possible?! Before Aier could answer, the experimental beasts trapped inside the experimentation rooms were released from their imprisonment. The experimental beasts inside charged out and bit anyone they saw. Aier! Shelt roared while escaping from the horde. Im very sorry, but I am unable to control them. the AI system Aier answered. Bloodcurdling screams rang again and again. But how could these researchers possibly resist against these newly released experimental beasts? Czedow slipped into a control room while no one was paying attention to him. Zzzt Czedow looked to where the sound came from. There stood a person, no, a hologram created by the system. It was a beautiful girl clad in white dress, but she didnt look completely human. Her eyes were lidded vertically and not horizontally, and she had a pair of snow white wings behind her back. She looked like a certain character in Genesis Mythos. Shelt said that I am the best AI system. the girl looked at Czedow and said. There were neither joy nor anger in her tone. Her tone was rather gentle and as soft as the wind. After looking at the hologram once, Czedow turned away and continued to walk deeper into the control room. While walking, he said, But Cillin said that I am the AI system with the greatest potential. I thought so too. The girls hologram began to flicker as Czedow replied to her. Then, it became extinguished completely. Czedow opened all the doors of the experimentation rooms and set the experimental beasts free. A while later, he opened the experimentation rooms where Snowball and Scarlet Wind resided. Cillin walked inside and was just about to carry their unconscious bodies out of the room when the communicator rang. It was Knight. What is it? Cillin asked. We have bad news. An informer told us that one of Miracles higher-ups Kedwell had just ordered this base to be destroyed and turn it into an accident. Chapter 198: Hiding On the Goddess’ Skirt [Part 1] Chapter 198: Hiding On the Goddess Skirt [Part 1] We have bad news. An informer told us that one of Miracles higher-ups named Kedwell had just ordered this base to be destroyed and turn it into an accident. How much time do we have left? Cillin asked. I dont know, but itll be best if you leave the base within ten minutes. Well meet up at the Goddess of Miracle. Got it. Cillin Be careful. although Cillins death back then wasnt real, Knight still couldnt help but feel that there was a heavy stone in his chest every time he recalled that scene. I know. You guys be careful too. After cutting off the comm, Cillin carried the unconscious Scarlet Wind and Snowball out of the lab and passed them to Czedow. Take them to the goddess statue. Qiuqiu and Wheeze are already heading towards there. You need to leave this place immediately since it will soon be wiped clean. What about you? Czedow asked. You guys go first. Ill be right behind you. Czedow nodded and stopped asking questions. He put on a gas mask each on Scarlet Wind and Snowball before carrying them each with one arm and running towards outside. Czedow had released all of the experimental beasts trapped inside research base. Although the parasites didnt like these experimental beasts too much, the volatile gas discharged by the infected blood of the human puppets could cause them to go crazy. The crazed experimental beasts, the security guards, and the infected human puppets that had lost control clashed against one another inside the research base. Blood and torn limbs could be seen everywhere. The sounds of gunshots, angry yells, bloodcurdling screams and beastial roars all became mixed together to form a cacophony of noise. Czedow activated a defensive shield around his body. Right now, his main objective was to escape the base and not attack his enemies. Therefore, Czedow nimbly passed through the gaps between the large experimental beasts, and if human puppets were to block his way then he would run into them and knock them right out of his path. Metaphorically speaking, Czedow was a cannonball that ran over all those human puppets like a tank. The gray cat had led Tang Qiuqiu away from this place through a secluded path after receiving Cillins message. This path was originally used to transport medical supplies, and it was a little tight even for adults. Therefore, it was impossible for the large experimental beasts and human puppets to come after them. Since the parasites cared nothing for them too, Tang Qiuqiu and the gray cat had escaped the place rather smoothly. Tang Qiuqiu had sniped a few experimenters and a dozen or so human puppets. She had also found and collected her badge from a storage room. Tang Qiuqiu had displayed a level of calmness that far exceeded another peer in face of these inhuman-looking human puppets and aggressive experimental beasts. Her childhood had never been easy to begin with, and she had experienced many things after joining the Sixth Squad. Her personality had already become much more tempered and tenacious than before. Tang Qiuqiu didnt ask how the others were doing. Instead, she had followed the gray cat wordlessly and swiftly after it told her that they were leaving this place. The greatest aid a squad member could provide to their team in a Hunter regiment was to perform to the best of their role. Cillin looked at the time, left the lab and walked down another passage. Thanks to Czedow, every guarded entrances in this area had been completely nullified, with all passages open to access. Cillin ran down a particular direction. Cillin had been getting a strange feeling every since he walked into this area. There was a kind of attraction that was calling out to him somewhere in this area. It was an Aurelio starmap piece! The piece he had obtained from the traitor of Heavens Jail hunter regiment back at Sector S was resonating with this other mysterious piece. Right now, both pieces were pulling at each other clearly like magnets even though one of them was currently stored inside a subspace. A human puppet covered in red and black blood charged towards him, and Cillin stepped right onto its head and jumped far, far away. He then popped out his wrist blade and cut off the head of a human puppet blocking his way. Before him, there was an experimental beast were wrestling with a couple of human puppets at the passage entrance. The narrow space of the passage had limited the experimental beasts ability to fight, and the numbers and the human puppets enhanced abilities post modification enabled them to fight the beasts into a draw. The experimental beasts stepped on some of the fallen human puppets repeatedly, causing more than half of their bodies to be crushed into meat paste. However, the human puppets whose heads were still intact were somehow still able to open and close their mouth despite their condition. Their faces covered in bulging veins and red and black blood was extremely eerie. Cillin slipped through an opening like a nimble fish and left before the human puppets or the experimental beast could react. Im almost there! Cillin circled around a corner and saw a room. The rooms door was shut, meaning that it didnt fall under Aiers control even though it was clearly within Aiers area of network. This goes to show just how special this room was, and the starmap piece Cillin sought after was inside that room. Since Cillin didnt know if the room required retina, fingerprint, genes or other factors before to grant access, he didnt use the information Czedow had collected directly. Cillin took out an object the shape of a button and attached it to a scanner. A holographic screen popped up and displayed some symbols before his eyes. Cillins fingers danced across the screen, and the symbols vanished one line after another as they were decoded. They slowly turned into a double helix shape Mitochondrial DNA? Inside the room, a blood drenched Shelt was attempting to connect a call while receiving treatment from the medical machine. He was gasping for air. However, no one had picked up the call on the other side of the communicator. Right now, Shelt was feeling colder and colder and more and more worried. When this worry rose to a certain level, it turned into extreme fury. Although Shelt was an idiot when it came to anything that didnt involve an experiment, right now he was experiencing a rare moment of epiphany. Kedwell, are you trying to destroy this whole research base?!! The hand Shelt used to grab the communicator was trembling. He muttered to himself, You cant do this, you cant these are all rare research data, they cant be lost, they absolutely cant be lost Beep The door opened. Shelt abruptly turned his head towards the door. A pungent smell and distant roars and gunshots came in from outside. He saw no one outside the door. Who whos there?! Shelt asked with a slightly raspy voice that was full of panic. There were no response. Shelt barely pushed himself to his feet, and his gun hand was trembling even now. The broken bones and damaged muscles around certain parts of his body made even the slightest bit of movement incredibly difficult to execute. The fact that he was able to survive and crawl into this place was a feat of exceptional luck already. Pu! A needle entered Shelts neck, and the toxin coated around the needle swiftly entered into his body. When Shelt collapsed to the ground, he could only catch a blurry figure standing in front of him. Although the toxin had invaded his system at an incredible rate, his years of research boosted his drug resistance by a fair amount. He didnt faint immediately, and he was able to point at a cabinet and say, Take it Shelt was gone after he said this. The cabinet was also password protected, but this time it didnt take Cillin too long to break it. He opened the thick alloy cabinet and found that there was only one metallic box inside it. The password of the metallic box was none other than Shelts gene sequences. Cillin discovered a starmap piece inside the metallic box after he opened it. There was also a chip inside too. Cillin didnt investigate what was inside this chip. There was no time. After briefly searching through the room, Cillin walked out and ran into a hologram right away. It was Aier. The hologram was projected by the system. She was a beautiful girl dressed in white clothes who possessed a unique countenance. The white wings behind her back reminded Cillin of the Goddess of Miracles, Alvinia, in Genesis Mythos. Right now, Aiers hologram was unstable. It would flicker from time to time. Are you Cillin? Are you the creator of that AI? Aier asked. Cillin frowned. It would seem that the AI system in this research base had a backup somewhere. It survived even though it was mostly killed off by Czedow. Cillin didnt answer her, but Aier continued to speak, I am only here to tell both of you that I am not my fathers proudest invention. I am just a wash out father gifted to Shelt. Who is your father? I only know that they call him Juno. He is the true creator of the strongest AI system in this world, not you Aiers hologram vanished along with her final sentence. Who is Juno? Chapter 198: Hiding Under the Goddess’ Skirt [Part 2] Chapter 198: Hiding Under the Goddess Skirt [Part 2] Cillin put his doubts at the back of his mind. Right now, the most important thing was to escape this place. He had only three minutes left going by Knights ten minutes deadline. Inside the research base, panic and chaos continued to spread everywhere. The parasites consumed one human puppet brain after another crazily as if they were entering many hotbeds. The human puppets were even crazier since the only thoughts remaining in their heads were murder. The experimental beasts charged towards all directions as the gaseous substance in the environment caused them to grow more and more irritated. The experimenters became the sacrifices of the battle between both sides. The bodyguards also decided to forget about their duties and leave this place once theyd seen through the situation. On the other side of the planet, there was a prosperous city. Amidst a clump of skyscrapers, Kedwell stared at the huge goddess statue at the edge of the city and said softly, Some people are destined to become sacrificial lambs. There is no doubt that Shelt has brought a huge amount of profit to Miracle, but in face of such circumstances, his fate still cannot be altered. He had nothing but his own conceit and refusal to listen to advice to blame. For the past many years, the things Shelt did caused many people to feel unhappy at Miracles actions. Alone they were nothing, but when accumulated, all that unhappiness had ultimately exploded in their faces today. Kedwell might have said this with pretentious dignity, but in reality there was no way Shelt couldve done what he did without the managements acquiescence. Boss, everything is ready. Let us begin. Got it! Kedwell looked at the display he was holding his his hands. A loud bang resounded from the base, and something that looked like a tornado slowly spread to the surroundings and engulfed everything inside. It twisted and crushed everything it consumed, causing the entire research base to be turned into dust after the loud bang. The tremendous blast of dust and debri caused by the explosion rolled towards the city, but judging from its momentum, it would most likely weaken into a normal endurable sandstorm not far away from the gigantic goddess statue. However, the sand and dust, as far as the eyes could see, did limit the vision of some people. The gigantic goddess statue sculpted in the image of Genesis Mythos Goddess of Miracle, Alvinia, looked like she would endure all of mankinds miseries with the wings on her back. Her open arms and the smile she wore in her unique countenance were said to be able to bring forth a miracle. The clean, white petticoat that covered her ankles looked like they would dance under the assault of the sandstorm. On this gigantic statue, there were many dust covered people lying in the folds of the goddess skirt. F*ck me, pooh! It went into my mouth! Cough, cough, cough. Damn, that was too close. Thank goodness we escaped quickly, or we wouldve been blown away by the storm. Cut the squealing. Is everybody here? Knight said into the communicator as he lay down and crouched inside the folds of the skirt. All ten men inside his team reported their own conditions. The goddess statue was huge, and there were a lot of creases around its skirt. They hadnt arrived here at the same time, nor gathered at the same spot. After confirming their respective locations, they slowly gathered towards Knights spot. The gray cat, Tang Qiuqiu, as well as the unconscious Scarlet Wind and Snowball carried by Czedow had already found a spot for themselves to crouch in, but Cillin was nowhere to be seen. Cillin, are you there? Knight called out to the communicator once more. He would call out to Cillin once every while, but he had not gotten a response from the man at all. In the end, Knights temper flared up, Where the hell are you? Cant you make some goddamn sounds at least?! Just as Knight was roaring into the communicator, a grappling hook suddenly flew right towards his face. Knight moved his head sideways and dodged out of the way. Ding! The hook clung onto a bulge as the thin thread attached behind the hook contracted. Then, a figure and slammed into Knight heavily, nearly knocking the latter down the statue. What the f*ck! Knight skidded and rolled on his head once before he managed to steady himself. Then, he sent a kick flying towards the culprit, Cant you find a better place to come in, bastard?! Cough, cough, Cillin wiped the dust on his face and leaned sat down against the bulge of the crease where the grappling hook had clung onto. He paid no heed to Knights kick and smiled at him, Sorry, sorry. This shitty environment blocked my sight. Bullshit! If your sight is really blocked then why did you jump on me?! Knight kicked him a few more times while speaking, That claw of yours nearly smashed into my head. Youre not Knight if you get hit that easily. Knight humphed and sat down next to Cillin, What took you so long? I ran into a little trouble, but I got something good out of it. Cillin felt a lot more relaxed now that he knew that everyone was here. My dad always told me that Im a restive person, but youre even worse than me, sonny. Cillin threw a punch right at him, Who are you calling sonny? Come on, call me daddy, sonny. F*ck you. Cillins communicator beeped while they were chatting with each other. It was Czedow. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. Somethings wrong with Scarlet Wind and Snowball. Theyve been injected with stimulating drugs, and theyre starting to react to it. Im coming over right away. Cillin turned around to inform Knight about the situation before heading towards Czedows spot. He used the grappling hook again because it was pretty difficult to climb while a sandstorm was raging. The grappling hook was the less time consuming option anyway. When Cillin arrived, he saw that Scarlet Wind and Snowball were writhing on the ground. Tang Qiuqiu was watching them both in worry not far away, and the gray cat stood in front of her protectively. Czedow was kneeling beside Scarlet Wind and Snowball. This is the analysis result of the drugs components and effects. A small transparent window that displayed the molecular formula and relevant data of the drug appeared before Czedow. The sandstorm had covered up the sun and cast Cillin and the others in darkness. Therefore, their surroundings were illuminated when the window had winked into existence. Snowballs pupils shrank and expanded abruptly at the stimulation, and in a second it turned aggressive, bared its fangs and pounced towards Czedow. Cillin used the energy behind Snowballs pounce, raised his leg and kicked into its side. Snowball was launched against the goddess walls, and he seized the opportunity to wrap the rope in his hands several times around Snowball. However, Snowball easily broke free of the restraint. Czedow! Cillin yelled. Czedow transformed both his arms into many tentacles and restrained Snowball tightly. Although Snowball had struggled greatly against Czedow, it wasnt able to break free in a short time. Cillin quickly used the short time window to analyze the drug. However, Scarlet Wind had fully awakened not long after. His claws were sharper than ever before, and it left many deep marks on the goddess body. Long hair grew out of his skin, making Scarlet Wind look more animalistic than human. Cillin restrained Scarlet Winds pouncing movements and shouted loudly at him, Scarlet Wind, look at me! Look at my eyes! Scarlet Winds struggling body and gnashing teeth slowly stopped after he looked into Cillins eyes. It was as if there was an energy that was controlling him. Look at my eyes, Scarlet Wind. Look at my eyes Cillin deep voice brought Scarlet Wind into another world amidst the howling sandstorm. Scarlet Wind, do you remember what you told me before you joined Vanguard? Tell me your answer again. Do you wish to be a human, or a hellhound? Scarlet Wind looked into Cillins eyes, but there were no focus behind them. When Scarlet Wind heard Cillins question, he paused for a second before saying, A human Good! If you want to become a human, then suppress the animal inside your body and dont let it control your body. Suppress it, control it! Suppress control Scarlet Wind repeated Cillins words, and when Cillin let go of his claws Scarlet Wind no longer attempted to attack him. His eyes slowly closed as he collapsed onto the ground. Cillin let out a sigh of relief, The fact that hypnosis still works a little means that the drug hasnt completely taken over yet. After analysing the drug and combining it with Czedows partial findings, Cillin quickly figured out a temporary solution. He took out a few reagent bottles and mixed some drugs at a calculated ratio before injecting them into Snowball and Scarlet Winds body. He finally relaxed after seeing their vitals slowly returning to normal. This will have to do for now. Well cure them completely once this mission is over. Our choices are limited right now, and we still have a situation in our hands. What happened to them? the gray cat walked over and asked. Part of their genes were excessively activated to the point where their dominant consciousness became weakened. Its almost like going berserk, but their condition is slightly better than that. Cillin explained. How much longer will this mission last? I dont know. Well see. At least we wont be alone. The research base was destroyed alright, but some of the parasites were still alive. There was also the poisonous gas rolling towards their direction following the blast. Chapter 199: The Secret Inside the Chip [Part 1] Chapter 199: The Secret Inside the Chip [Part 1] Looking at the scale of the research base, the sandstorm caused by this level of destruction would continue for at least an hour. The sky was still covered in sand, and the wind was still as strong as ever. Without a gas mask, it would be difficult to even breathe in this environment. They would inhale sand the second they opened their mouths. Czedow, read this chip for a bit. Cillin passed the chip inside the metallic box to Czedow. This item must be incredibly important If Shelt had stored it in the same spot as the Aurelio star map piece. At the very least, it was incredibly important to Shelt. Okay. Czedow accepted the chip, and a port appeared on his arm. He pushed the chip inside as light shot out of his eyes and created a hologram before him. At first, there were some readable data inside the chip. A large majority of them contained Shelts research efforts after working for Miracle in this research base for many years. They were records of all kinds of experimental bodies be it the successful or failed ones. Five digits of human lives that were progressing steadily towards six digits were sacrificed for the sake of Shelts research. The number of animals sacrificed was even bigger. Both large-sized animals and all kinds of precious alien beasts were sacrificed in great numbers. It could be said that this chip was Shelts research records and an important piece of evidence. GAL could officially sue Miracle Co., Ltd with this, and the higher ups would be driven greatly to up their games and reform their ranks. However, as Czedow continued to read further into the chip, the latter content became riddled with characters. It looked like some kind of code. Every time he tried to read further into the chip, he would be stopped by these codes. Czedow attempted to decode them, but made no progress at all after attempting a couple of different methods. Cillin stared at these characters and fell silent. He wasnt unfamiliar with these characters. There were plenty of domains that used these few types of characters, but the characters also represented a different kind of meaning in each area. If that was the case, what would be inside this chip? Cillin read through these disrupting characters closely. Suddenly, he thought that they looked somewhat familiar. Why was that? Cillin wasnt able to recall the object that triggered this sense of familiarity. The incidents as of late had caused his mind to clutter up a little. There were times when he experienced a clear sense of inspiration, but was unable to grasp it within his palm. While thinking, the gray cat walked over and brushed itself lightly across Cillins hand. It had enjoyed a full meal back at the research base, devouring practically all of the experimental beasts Tang Qiuqiu had encountered along the way. Of course, it spat out those that were untasty. As a result it was now incredibly full, and when it was full it would going to sleep no matter the environment or circumstances. Cillin cast a glance at the fellow that brushed itself across his hand and understood that it was going to sleep again. He scratched the gray cats chin and said, Good cat. Do find another place to sleep, will you? I need to think on something. The gray cat purred twice in disatisfaction. This sculpture was unsuited for napping! After turning its head and casting a sweeping glance across its surroundings once, the gray cat saw Tang Qiuqiu lying beside Snowball and Scarlet Wind. And so it walked over, grabbed Scarlet Winds tail and pressed its body against Snowballs. Snowballs soft and round body, thick hair and Scarlet Winds tail made a good temporary bed. Once it was satisfied with its handiwork, the gray cat curled itself into a ball and began sleeping. When Cillin saw the gray cat curling itself into a ball, a memory suddenly entered his mind. If I use that sequence It fits. It actually fits! Cillin began connecting the sequences in his mind to these disrupting characters. His fingers worked deftly across the window as he reordered and realigned these characters to its proper place. Correct, pass. Correct, pass. Correct, pass. Czedows eyes flashed a series of pass passed by the screen in succession. Ever since he encountered Aier, his desire to absorb new technology had become akin to that of a humans. The reason Cillin said that Czedow was the AI system with the greatest potential was because Czedow had self-autonomy within a certain baseline. Not all codes could be decoded using the conventional decoding methods. Sometimes, you must make decision based on a case-by-case or person-by-person basis. These characters are in fact derived characters commonly used in abbreviation of amino acid transcribed from Shelts mtDNA. As these characters were decoded one after another, they slowly transformed into a helix similar to Shelt mtDNA. Once the helix was formed completely, the image changed and displayed some information instead. It was a brief introduction to the latter half content of the chip. Several representative names were recorded inside this content, and they were all people that were related to Miracle. There were government officials, military personnel, and several famous GAL business groups. Besides that, Cillin also saw a familiar name C Juno! He was the person who created the AI system Aier. Cillin didnt have the time to analyse Aiers final words back then, but he had to admit that they shook him greatly. If what Aier said was the truth, then Juno had created her well enough to be used in the research base of Miracle Co., Ltd. Her capabilities as an AI were undeniable, and yet Aier said that she was just a disqualified product by Juno. If that was the case, then where were the rest of the qualified AI systems? He looked at the names displayed on the window. They were just a small part of the whole list. The latter half of the chips content most definitely involved more secrets involving Miracle Co., Litd and even more people. Shelt had not definitely not mistaken the chips value and given it the proper regard. Originally, Cillin was going to pass over this chip to Knight. However, he had to change his mind now not because he couldnt trust Knight, but because he couldnt trust the military. He had to insure his safety. Cillin had also thought of requesting Czedow to copy part of the chips content and create a new chip for Knight, but he quickly denied the idea. With Knight and his teams abilities, they had obtained more or less all of the research content they could get. The chip wouldnt add much value to the cause, and it might even trigger some peoples suspicion. There was no doubt that this chip was very important to the higher ups of Miracle. Right now, Cillin couldnt expose the fact that he possessed this chip, or it would be very difficult for him to return to Vanguard. Cillin decided not to tell Knight about the chip after fully mulling over the matter. Chapter 199: The Secret Inside the Chip [Part 2] Chapter 199: The Secret Inside the Chip [Part 2] When Cillin came back from his thoughts, he couldnt help but sigh at Shelts madness: to think that he would hide all these important information in his own mtDNA!! Looking at the data comparison and mitochondrial sequence profile analysis, it was obvious that Shelts current mtDNA didnt follow its original sequence. His current mtDNA sequence contained many flaws, and the illnesses they caused meant that he had to rely on medical instruments often to function in daily life. This also meant that Shelt had modified his own mtDNA in order to preserve these data in secret, even if the modification caused him a physical defect. What kind of madness was this?! There was no doubt that Shelt was a pretty extreme person. He reminded Cillin of Horay. Back then, Horay had worked underground all year and employed a convoluted and primitive method in his research to avoid the planet judiciarys investigation. He had even modified himself to have an inhuman appearance. One must never underestimate the madness of researchers such as them. They were ruthless towards others, and they were even more ruthless towards themselves. When he had decoded this segment of Shelts mtDNA and read all of the data inside, the last piece of information shocked Cillin greatly. Not only did Shelt modify his own mtDNA, he had even modified his own genetic material. The modification was made to conceal data rather than to improve his genes. As a result, the modification caused his constitution and genotype rank to drop several ranks lower than their initial state. Currently Shelts genotype rank was rank C, and his initial genotype rank have might very well been rank A. A man who could modify his own genotype to drop from rank A to rank C had to be unusually ruthless. Czedow, have you collected all of Shelts genetic information? Cillin asked. I did. Just in case, Ive also collected some tissues samples and preserved them, including his somatic cells and gonadotropic cells. Cillins eyes twitched at his answer. Gonadotropic cells how on earth did he get that? However I discovered that his gonadotropic tissue samples contained two different sets of DNA. One of them was similar to his somatic tissue samples, but the other one was different. Cillin was astonished. It was true that there were some other races in GAL who were born this way, but such circumstances rarely happened among normal human beings, and there was no doubt that Shelt was a normal human being. If thats the case, then the amount of information stored at the latter half of the chip is double what Id initially imagined. All this time he thought that Shelt was just one of the many important researchers in Miracle, but now it would appear that Shelt possessed a wealth of information that far exceeded what he should have had for his post. But if he were to rate Shelts status in Miracle based on the amount of information he possessed, then it didnt make sense for Miracles higher up to bomb the research base with Shelt in it so carelessly. Suddenly Cillin thought of Aier, the AI system Juno had gifted to Shelt. It would appear that most of these information had been gathered by Aier. Cillin recalled Shelts final words, the meaning behind them and the hatred in his eyes. His hatred had not been directed at Cillin, but at the manager Kedwell who had ordered the destruction of the research base. Shelt had given up the chip to Cillin in order to take revenge against Kedwell. He put away the chip safely and told Czedow to keep this record a secret. He contacted Knight after comforting Tang Qiuqiu and inspecting the condition of Snowball and Scarlet Wind for a bit. At first, he was prepared to discuss the next grueling battle they were about to face with Knight. However, Knight had brought him some good news. The militarys reinforcements would be arriving six hours later, so they would survive as long as they could hold on for six hours. Since the army would be showing up in six hours, Cillin decided against releasing the remaining parasite eggs. Once the sandstorm had passed, there was no doubt Cillin and the others would be facing Kedwells killers sent over to perform their cleanup duties. The environment slowly brightened as the sand covering the sky thinned over time. The wind was slowing down too. What do we do with Snowball and Scarlet Wind? Tang Qiuqiu asked. The drugs could suppress the excitation drugs inside their system temporarily for twenty hours. Ill inject them with a different kind of drug later so theyd be awake for what comes next. With the excitation drugs temporarily suppressed, they wouldnt go crazy like before. Cillin answered. Ten minutes later, Cillin received the action signal from Knight and gave Scarlet Wind and Snowball an injection. After they woke up, both Scarlet Wind and Snowball felt as if there was a blank period in their memories. However, Cillin didnt give them the time to recollect their memories. They mobilised after he had informed everyone about the things to pay attention and their route. If the sandstorm were to come to a complete stop, they would be completely exposed. If that happened they would be put on the defensive, so they might as well leave this place sooner, find a new place to hide in and engage in sniper and counter-sniper warfare. Cillin and Knight had worked together in Seven Lights before. Although there was a lull of almost four years, the duo still worked pretty smoothly with each other. A hand gesture was all thats needed for either party to know which path they should advance stealthily into next. Cillin produced a map of the nearby city and terrain after scanning their surroundings. Cillin informed Tang Qiuqiu and the rest of the gang of their planned route. The gray cat opened its blurry eyes and let out a yawn. It threw a glance at the city covered up by the sandstorm while still crouched at the edge of the wall and said quietly, Actually, theres a safer way than this. What way? Both Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu turned to look at the gray cat. The gray cat licked its paws and said calmly, We dig a hole. Cillin: Our main objective is to delay until the militarys support troops show up and not attack them anyway. So as long as we hide underground and do a little bit of surgery to their underground detection devices, six hours is not a problem. The truth is that youre too lazy to move, arent you? Cillin complained on the inside. You can dig underground, sure, but what about the rest of us? The gray cat looked at Czedow, This guy here is an excavator. Cillin cast a glance at Czedow. That actually makes a bit of sense. Where will we be more hidden? Cillin asked. The killers might pay attention to the ground surface while they were cleaning. Wouldnt it be obvious that somethings off if they saw a hole on the ground? The gray cat looked at their surroundings once before declaring affirmatively with a whisker shake, We will hide right under the goddess statues skirt! Two minutes later, Knight looked up from beside the goddess leg. At a corner where the skirt had hidden it from view, there was a hole that was just wide enough for one people to pass through. He was tongue-tied for a very, very long time. In reality, they were prepared to fight a tough six-hours war. However, Yue Lou agreed with Cillins plan and insisted that the most important thing in a mission was the results and not the process. Their mission was to protect the evidence and turn it in to the support troops once they showed up, and they would do just that. The hole on the ground surface was a little tight because it was necessary to keep themselves hidden. However, once theyd gone underground the hole was widened a little for easier and more comfortable access. The tunnel stretched all the way to the bottom of a certain tall building inside the city. Once the hole entrance beneath the goddess statues skirt was covered up, it would be very difficult for anyone to find it unless they scanned it using an instrument or looked at it closely. The remaining scent and minor tracks they left at the goddess statue were also blown away by the sandstorm. This isnt a bad place. Yue Lou nodded in satisfaction after he passed through the temporary underground tunnel and entered their temporary underground hideout. Theyd all carried a portable oxygen equipment with them for their operation. Therefore, they were in no danger of suffocation even if this place was sealed. We may have shielded ourselves from their scans, but we still dont know whats happening up there. Feng Haicao frowned and said. They were all a little worried because they couldnt get a grip on the situation. Czedow, head up and see how things are going. Cillin said. Dont you think thats a little unsafe? Someone in Knights operation team disagreed. They didnt know that Czedow was a robot, and they were worried that his presence up there would expose all of them. Dont worry, itll be fine. After looking at Cillin once, Knight stopped the two people inside his team that were about to speak up, Lets do it this way then. Czedow, please. As usual, Czedow gave him a slightly gentlemanly nod and began digging a hole through the ground. They couldnt see his hand movements. The stones and soils just parted to Czedows left and right sides as he dug forwards and maintained a walking pace. So little noise was generated throughout the process that it didnt sound like he was digging at all. Everyone in the army acknowledged those people who possessed real abilities, much less a comrade whom they had gone through thick and thin together. Czedows image among Knights team was instantly improved to a new level. They hadnt noticed how he dug through the ground when they were following behind Czedow earlier, but now that they saw his handiwork they couldnt help but sigh in astonishment and admiration. At first, they thought that Czedow was working with a high tech digging machine, but now they realized that all Czedow did was putting his hands into the soil and pulling it apart. He sure doesnt look like it. This guys pretty good! After Czedow had gone up, he avoided the security cameras at a secluded corner at the basement of the building and transformed his body. He then stuck himself close to the surrounding metallic objects. If someone were to walk in and look around, they wouldnt notice at all that there was an invader inside. Czedow began transmitting what was happening around the building through the security network to Cillin. Some of the polluted gas had swept into the city after the research base was destroyed. As a result, some peoples nervous system were affected, and a number of manpower had to be split out to take care of these people. There werent many remaining parasites, and they were quickly taken out by Kedwells men. Some of the research bases security guards that managed to escape were all sniped and killed. The people, beasts and other creatures that managed to escape the lab were also killed after they were distributed accordingly around the city. However, Kedwell was extremely angry at a certain tall building inside the city because he still hadnt found those infiltrators. He wasnt stupid enough to think that they were blown to dust along with the research base. Increase the amount of people and keep searching! Comb through every inch of the place and investigate every guard thoroughly! We cannot let anyone suspicious people live even if it turns out to be a mistake later! Kedwell roared angrily. The army would show up in just a few hours. If those little rats managed to produce some unsavory evidences when that happens, then his future would be very dim. However, one hour passed, two hours passed, three hours There was more and more sweat on Kedwells forehead. His communicator rang, and a person clad in military uniform and wearing a rear admirals badge stood on the other side of the communicator. Mr. Kedwell, long time no see. Chapter 200: Feigler Fernando and Ji Feihang’s Arrival [Part 1] Chapter 200: Feigler Fernando and Ji Feihangs Arrival [Part 1] The soldier wearing a rear admirals badge looked young, but it was obvious from the steadiness displayed in his every movement and the sharpness hidden within his eyes that he was no ordinary person. Feigler Fernando! Kedwell nearly let out a low roar when he uttered this name. He had always fumed with rage whenever he heard or saw this name. Fernando Feigler was ten years older than Knight. He joined the military at a very young age due to his family background, and he had been killing enemies on the battlefield before Knight had even entered the military. His outstanding individual abilities and sparkling achievements allowed him to ascend to a rear admirals military rank at a young age. The reason Kedwell was so angry at Fernando was because this wasnt the first time the man had targeted them. Since Kedwell had suffered a lot of hidden losses thanks to Fernando, he showed unbridled hatred and fear towards the man the second he saw him. Contrary to Kedwells reactions, Fernando looked very calm. In fact, he was even wearing a hint of smile on his face, causing Kedwell to feel annoyed no matter how he looked at it. The name of the military leader he heard coming over to perform a regular inspection this time was definitely not Feigler Fernando!! Had the leader been anyone else, Kedwell wouldnt have lost his cool this badly. However, there was no denying the fact that Feigler Fernando had come over, and that this man gave no quarters the moment he smelled blood! Why is it you! Kedwell gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly that he left behind deep finger marks. All of Kedwells possessions were of superior quality, so the fact that this handrail was crushed like it was made out of mud showed just how bad Kedwell was feeling right now. Fernando simply smiled at Kedwells question. His smile made Kedwell itched to stomp on Fernandos face with his foot. What can I do? I couldnt stand the work efficiency of certain people, so I came myself. Cillins group were tucked in nice and comfy underground when Kedwell had sent his men all over the planet to scour for them. In fact, they were even receiving a live broadcast thanks to Czedows efforts. Knight, its almost time. Should we contact the military and check out the situation now? someone asked. Knight shook his head and said, We dont know whos leading the reinforcements yet. If someone reveals our location to Kedwell, then we are dead for sure. With Kedwells temperament, it would take him only one circumstantial evidence to bring forth all the destruction he was capable of. According to the plan, the armys reinforcements shouldnt have been delayed. This meant that the voices inside the army werent fully unified, and that there were people who supported Miracle. Knight wasnt going to give out his trust easily until he confirmed who was the team leader. There was nothing worse than being stabbed in the back. Cillin checked on Scarlet Wind and Snowballs condition. Right now, the two fellows were feeling pretty bad mentally. Although the drugs had suppressed the stimulating drugs effects, it also made them feel tired and exhausted. He could only hope that this incident would end as soon as possible so they could be given full treatment later on. Make sure put your impulses under a tight leash. There may not be someone to help you in case something similar happens in the future. Cillin said to Scarlet Wind and Snowball. Scarlet Wind nodded through gritted teeth. The tuft of hair above his head had grown long again, and his eyes were hidden when he lowered his head. No one could see clearly what was going on behind his eyes. Cillin rubbed Scarlet Winds head and moved himself closer to him. It was a kind of soundless encouragement and reassurance. Snowball and Tang Qiuqiu were stuck closer to each other. Tang Qiuqiu was combing Snowballs hair with her hands. The gray cat was lying inside Cillins lap. Suddenly, its ears flicked, and it turned its head slightly towards a certain direction while its eyes were still closed. No one else noticed this tiny detail, but Cillin understood the gesture since he was very familiar with the gray cat. The army had probably arrived. If it was Kedwells men, the gray cat wouldnt have kept up its lazy appearance. As expected, Czedow quickly sent over a message informing them that the army was approaching the planet. Lets stay in here until we see whos the leader of the reinforcement. Knight stopped the members of his squad from rising and said. Czedow, pay attention and find out whos leading the troops. Cillin instructed. Yes. Czedow hacked into the security systems of some buildings. Originally, he was planning to hack into the satellite network itself, but Cillin told him not to take the risk this time. Therefore, Czedow had only hacked into some planetary information networks. The light screen before Cillin displayed the militarys battleships. The battleships were painted with the GAL armys emblem. Unlike the starships of Cillins Hunter regiment, the militarys battleships had descended directly on the planets surface. They looked incredibly stately and intimidating. Moreover, numerous numbers of fighters flew out from inside the battleship before it descended on the surface, spreading out towards the distance in dense formations. Some spaceplanes had also flown out solo. It was very likely that they had all been assigned with respective missions beforehand, which was why they departed without any hesitation whatsoever. Out of the three battleships that had arrived on this planet, two had descended while the third hovered beyond the planet to prevent certain accidents or important Miracle personnel from escaping this planet. After the battleships had descended, all sorts of armored vehicles, war vehicles and teams of infantries exited into the open. Then, Fernando slowly walked out while bringing a couple of men with him. Fernando stared at the city not far away from them and said, Action. Yes sir! A lieutenant commander saluted him and departed with his men. Weird. We still havent received any news from those kids. Our trackers couldnt locate their position either. A person standing behind Fernando stared at the light screen that had popped up on top of a round disc inside his palm, scanned his surroundings one time and voiced his doubts. If they arent annihilated, then they must have hidden themselves extremely well. Do you think they might have been completely annihilated? the person stared at Fernando. No way! Theres no way a member of the Feigler Family would fall this easily. That person simply chuckled at Fernandos absolutely confident tone and said, Lets head out and find those kids then. I have a feeling that theyre right here in this city. Its just that Kedwell and us werent able to find them just yet. While Fernando was leading his men towards the city, the group hiding underground were experiencing all kinds of different reactions. Why are they here? Yue Lou asked in puzzlement. Logically speaking, those two shouldnt need to arrive personally for a mission at this level. They probably took over during the latter half of the mission. Otherwise, theres no way their squad would be delayed or bogged down by trivialities. Feng Haicao said. While these two men didnt exactly hold very high military ranks, the force they represented were at a completely different level. Even if there were many different voices inside the army, no one would dare defy these two people openly when they appeared at the same time. They were no easy pickings, and the people backing them up were even less so. This also meant that the Miracle incident had come to a certain conclusion. Theres nothing to worry about if its them. Rolin stood up, stretched and finally set down the stone in his heart. He looked a lot more relaxed than he was before. Cillin glanced at Knight after he saw the rear admiral on the display. The two of them looked a little similar to each other. Knight let out a soft curse after he saw the two people on the screen, F*ck, you cant even find them when you want to normally. Why have they shown up together at this place? That was what he said, but the smile in his eyes was deep and unmistakable. His previous doubts and guard had been put down completely. Chapter 200: Feigler Fernando and Zweig Feihang’s Arrival [Part 2] Translators Notes: Some days I understand why people love coffee. Some days I hate that I had to take caffeine to stay awake. Bleh. All emergency translation situations can go to hell. The following meme is a tribute for SKT1 Fakers amazing Galio play during yesterdays semi finals match 5 games in a row. If anyone ever doubted whether the force is with Faker, they wont now. Chapter 200: Feigler Fernando and Zweig Feihangs Arrival [Part 2] Who are they? Cillin asked. Knight pointed at the guy who shared some of his countenance and said, This is my cousin, Fernando. Hes ten years older than me, and hes a rear admiral now. Knight then pointed at the guy next to Fernando, As for this guy dont you think he looks familiar? Cillin gave the guy a look. He did seem like a certain proud fellow. Is he someone from the Zweig Family? Knight gave him a thumbs up, Hes the second brother of that brat Pride, Zweig Feihang. Hes only a few years ahead of us, but hes already a commander. He rose through the ranks pretty quickly. What about you? Cillin smiled and asked. Ahem, unfortunately this humble one is only a lieutenant Suddenly, Knight recalled something and gave Cillin a punch, Didnt Lung tell you all of these stuff before?!! He did. Then why are you even asking this! Just asking. Its almost been a year, so who knows if youve gotten a higher rank since then? Hmph. I will get a promotion once I get back this time, and Ill fight to become a ranked officer within a year! In that case, Ill congratulate your promotion in advance. GAL armys promotions were all fought with blood. For example, if Knight and his team hadnt run into Cillin this time, they wouldve been embroiled in a difficult bloody battle. Are we going out now? Cillin asked. Knight looked at the time and said, Lets wait for another hour. Knowing Fernando, Knight figured that he would take an hour to finish dealing with whatever was on the surface. That would be the best timing to go out and meet them. Of course, Knight also wanted to know if Fernando and Zweig Feihang could find them out in an hours time. If they couldnt, it could only mean that Cillins men were extremely capable. Fernando had already met with Kedwell up there. This time there would be no mercy, and Kedwell would be shot and killed directly if he dared to resist. Since Fernando had been given full permission by the higher-ups, no one would say anything even if he were to blow up the entire planet. Kedwell didnt want to die yet, which was why he hadnt resisted capture. There was no way he was going to contact the killers he sent out, since it would only allow Fernando to press more evidences on him if he was found out. What Kedwell didnt know was that Fernando would eventually learn about this one way or the other. Moreover, his revenge would only be fiercer and more painful than he imagined since Kedwells target included a member of the Feigler Family. After detaining Kedwell and all of Miracles management staff at this place, Fernando looked at Kedwell, who was still maintaining his aloof and proud appearance and said indifferently, Do not expect anyone to plead on your behalf. You are nothing but an abandoned pawn. His words were without a doubt the equivalent of a sharp blade plunged straight into Kedwells heart. The irony was tangible. Previously he was mocking Shelt as an abandoned pawn, and several hours later it was his turn to play out that role. As an abandoned pawn, Kedwell knew very well how the people behind Miracle worked. There was no way they would allow him to live until the final trial! You cant do this to me! You cant!! I want to see Kedwell failed to spit out the last few words because Fernando had motioned for one of his soldiers to knock him out directly. The main focus of the instructions Fernando received wasnt on the people behind Miracle. He had received plenty of hints earlier, and he understood that there was no need to bring light to what should remain *. After all, there were some things that need not be said. While the others might not know who were the people behind Miracle, there was no way that person in the Feigler Family wouldnt. Asking Knight to come looking for evidence was just a just and honorable reason to shake them up a little, and even this whole mission was just a disguise. It was only when Fernando had accepted this mission did he find out that the true objective and the reason behind the armys abrupt unified voices. Go look. Fernando gave Zweig Feihang a meaningful glance. Zweig Feihang nodded and walked out while holding a small box in his hands. It didnt take long before Zweig Feihang returned with his box. On the surface it looked like nothing had happened, but in reality Zweig Feihang and Fernando had exchanged a brief look with each other. It meant that everything went smoothly, and they had obtained what they came for. Getting what they wanted also meant that the main objective of this operation had been achieved. We should inform the little ones to come out now that weve gotten the goods, right? Zweig Feihang put away the box securely while smiling, That being said, they are pretty capable. I still cant get an exact location even now. I only know that theyre still inside this city. Fernando checked the time and said, It wont be long now. Everyone within the Feigler Family more or less knew each other to a certain extent, not to mention that Knight and Fernando were rather familiar with each others style. Fernando had just said this when the disc-shaped detector on Zweig Feihangs hand displayed a powerful signal. Yoho, youre right. I didnt think they would be here though. The report I received mentioned that this place had been investigated thoroughly, but somehow they still managed to fool us. Ten minutes later, Knight brought everyone and met up with Fernando. I didnt think that the two of you would come over. Knight raised his hand and bumped fists with Zweig Feihang, but he only called out bro to Fernando who was sitting cross legged on a chair. Then, he pulled over a nearby chair and sat down. How distant. If we didnt look alike someone else might even think that Zweig Feihangs your real older brother. Fernando said. Knight shrugged and said, What can I do? You set out too early, and so the generation gap between us is too big. Back when brother Feihang took us out for battles you were settling riots at Sector V. Fernando swept a glance across the group of people brought over by two troops of soldiers. Finally, his gaze settled on Cillin as he said, Knight, would you introduce these people to us? Cillins group had animals, half-animals and even a little girl. It was an awkward composition especially when one thought of the previous situation. Knight briefly introduced Cillin and spoke of his identity and his objective on this planet directly. He didnt go deep into certain details. It was at this moment Fernando received a report from his subordinates that the Third and Sixth B Squadrons starships were coming to this planet. Your friends are here to receive you. Fernando cast a glance at the two starships on the monitor and said this. Not only did Fernando not trouble Cillins group, he even instructed a military spaceplane to take them home. That being said, it wasnt that he didnt want to inquire deeper into things, but he couldnt. Knight had shot glares at him several times already. As for Zweig Feihang, his gaze at Cillin was deep and meaningful the moment he heard the name Cillin. The earliest moment Zweig Feihang had heard of Cillins name was from his younger brother Pride. If even someone as proud as Pride could rate Cillin as highly as he did, naturally Zweig Feihang had to regard him highly as well. However, it would appear that he wouldnt have the chance to understand Cillin better this time. The 2 B Squadrons of the Hunter regiment he belonged to were asking for their men, and they couldnt just keep them here and not release them. Cillin hadnt shown any special expression when he faced Fernando and Zweig Feihang. He didnt look nervous, nor did he purposely alienate himself from them. His attitude was just calm, and he even gave them both a somewhat sincere smile for Knights sake. However, his smile and his current countenance made him look silly in Knights eyes no matter how he looked at it. His mouth had twitched continuously at the sight. Cillin led Tang Qiuqiu and the others into the spaceplane sent out by Fernando. The spaceplane arrived at the space station outside the planet where a different spaceplane was already waiting for them. Shawton, Cary and a few others were all standing there waiting for them. They all let out a sigh of relief when they saw that everyone was safe and unhurt. Shawton stopped Cary before he could blurt out a question and said, Well talk once we get back to the ship. After bidding Knight goodbye through the communicator, Cillin followed Shawton back to the Sixth B Squadrons starship. The first thing he did the moment he got back was to call for Tico and Rikulab to give Scarlet Wind and Snowball a full medical checkup and corresponding treatment. He busied himself with the duos treatment for almost fifty hours before he finally came out. After exiting the medical room, Cillin briefly explained to everyone what happened on that planet. Regardless of what had happened, Shawton was able to let out a sigh of relief since everyone was safe in the end. However, he immediately expressed great anger at Miracle Co., Ltds actions. He would never imagine that they would be so bold as to kidnap Tang Qiuqiu and the others even though they knew about their identities. If it had been the A Squadron, not even Miracle would have dared to touch them, would they? It would appear that the Sixth B Squadron was still in need of rapid development. Cillin was dead tired after working for such a long time. After he settled everything and took a bath, he lay down on the bed to get a good days rest. However, there was still one more thing to do before he replenished his sleep. He scooped over the gray cat who was pretending to be asleep at the edge of the bed and rubbed its tummy, Talk. Youve been holding it in for several days, you havent slept well and your appetite has fallen off considerably. Even your fats decreasing. The gray cat humphed and opened its eyes, complaining, I wanted to say it since a while ago, but youve been busy and I couldnt find the chance to tell you! After switching to a comfortable posture, the gray cat said, I sensed something familiar when we were at Knights brothers place. What is it? I sense an Aurelio starmap piece. Its different from your starmap piece, but I dare say that it must be an Aurelio starmap piece! Although different Aurelio starmap pieces didnt attract each other, the gray cat didnt need this attraction to sense them. As long as they shared even a bit of similarity to each other, and as long as the gray cat had memorized a particular starmaps feeling, it would be able to detect any Aurelio starmap pieces within a certain area. Not only could the gray cat detect them, it could even differentiate if they belonged to the same starmap. Thanks to the gray cats revelation, Cillin was able to figure out a lot of things following this line of thought. No wonder those two would appear at the same time. No wonder the military had unified their voices so quickly in regards to Miracle. The gigantic machine called the GAL military could never be underestimated. Chapter 201: God’s Back Garden, Aurelio ‘Fairyland’ Opens [Part 1] Chapter 201: Gods Back Garden, Aurelio Fairyland Opens [Part 1] After sending Cillin and his group back to their squadron, both Fernando and Zweig Feihang had inquired about Cillin. The reply theyd gotten surprised them to no end, however. The fact that they were able to avoid their detection and escape from so many human puppets and experiment beasts proved that Vanguard truly was one of the great fours. Even their B Squadrons were strong enough to raise eyebrows. After dealing with Miracle Co., Ltd on this planet, Fernando and Zweig Feihang walked into a separate parlor. I remember that this Cillin was listed as a rank A inside the Sixth B Squadrons secret report. Fernando said. The GAL army had a secret name list that attributed a danger level to certain reputable forces such as the four great Hunter regiments or reputable figures. In descending order, they were S, A, B and C rank. The majority of the A rank list Cillin was currently in were comprised of several commanders among the four great Hunter regiment, and some other people among the four great A Squadrons. While Commander Shawton of Vanguard Sixth B Squadron was a commander, he was listed as a lower level, B rank instead of an A rank. On the other hand, Cillin was actually listed as an A rank even though he had just assumed the responsibility of a lieutenant commander not long ago. Knight didnt know about this. He wasnt yet at a level where he could access this list. That is true. Zweig Feihang nodded. Thanks to Pride, he immediately suspected that Prides so-called assassinated friend was in fact alive the moment he heard of a guy called Cillin in the Sixth B Squadron. He thought that it was just a trick pulled by the Hunter regiment after their mission had ended. It was exactly because he had conducted an in depth investigation into this matter and consulted some military documents that Zweig Feihang discovered he was already listed as an A rank. How much do you know about him? Some, but the main reason he was listed as an A rank is due to Wei Fen. The Wei Fen Zweig Feihang spoke of was none other than Emmus, the spy who once infiltrated Poison Fang. His real name was Wei Fen. Wei Fen? That guy who was promoted to a lieutenant commander right away after he went on an undercover mission at Sector V and infiltrated Poison Fang? I didnt know he rated Cillin so highly. Fernando remembered Wei Fen somewhat because the army had to buy him back from Vanguard. No one had slandered Wei Fen even though he was traded as a captive. After all, Wei Fen had provided a lot of high level intel during the years he worked as a spy. Moreover, the army attached great value to the biological samples he brought back with him later. Zweig Feihang briefly explained what he knew and some of the information he learned from Wei Fen. If what Wei Fen said is true that this Cillin truly is extremely dangerous. Hes still very young. Potential is such a difficult thing to grasp. Fernando sighed and thought of Knight. Suddenly, he said, Going by your words, not only is this Cillin individually capable, he also possesses a wide range of contacts and networks. Your Feigler Familys Knight, the maverick genius of the Andrea Family Lung, the Ci Familys Ci Jincheng, and the four star scholar Elder Mo. But what surprised me the most is his connection to that little princess of the Yu Family. They are all connected to Cillin. Fernando chuckled in a low tone and said, Interesting. He stopped researching into Cillin any deeper and changed the subject, Are there still no video records yet? No. All of the monitoring equipment had gone blind collectively, and the research bases AI system Aier had been hacked and destroyed. That Czedow; that man who was able to avoid our detection is pretty hard to fathom. Fernando crossed his arms and said doubtfully, Czedow Cillin. What is the connection between these two? I remember that there was no such person in the previous investigation reports of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. Since the Sixth B Squadron had emerged from Sector Z as a powerful force, the army had conducted an in depth investigation of Vanguards Sixth B Squadron. However, Czedow didnt exist back then. Every B Squadron would absorb new blood from time to time. It is likely that this Czedow is one of them. It is unfortunate that we didnt have the chance to test out their strength. Fernando looked at the sky outside the window and said in a low tone, The chance will come. Cillin, who had no idea that he had been listed as an A rank in the militarys secret files was currently performing a final inspection on Scarlet Wind and Snowball with Tico and Rikulab. Its working well. If this keeps up youll fully recover in two days. Cillin slapped Snowballs fat butt before pulling at the white fatsos ears, keeping it from running away out of boredom, Control your appetite for the next two days until you fully recover. Do not eat and drink excessively. White fatty had gotten a lot thinner after it was sick for several days. Once it had fully recovered its spirit, Cillin reckoned that it would eat until it suffered from indigestion. Snowballs ears crumpled the moment it heard Cillins words. It stared pitifully at Cillin. Theres no use in acting pity. Wheeze, watch it. The second you see this fellow going overboard swipe it and keep it down for several days. Okay. The gray cat said while swinging its tail at random by the side. It ignored Snowballs gaze for help completely. Scarlet Wind had become a little more dilligent after he recovered his spirit. He sought out Cary and the others to learn more about fighting and shooting. He had spent even his sleep inside the fighter practices virtual pod. It would seem that this experience had been quite the wake up call. Since the kidnapping incident in Trade City, everyone noticed that it was no longer an era where no one dared to raise a hand against the great fours B Squadron. Once he was done with Scarlet Wind and Snowball, Cillin returned to his room and called Czedow over. They worked together to decipher the latter content of the chip. The gray cat had also joined in their work since it was bored. The two sets of DNA contained quite a lot of hidden content. Some of the content shocked Cillin just by looking at it.There were countless people who were affiliated with Miracle Co., Ltd, and some political figures who looked like they worried for the Alliance but their citizens were in fact supplying Miracle Co., Ltd with human test subjects through illegal channels. This was especially true for the thirteen backwater Sectors since many of these planets were very behind in terms of development. Even if several thousand people were to go missing, it wouldnt cause any problems. One could analyze the faction conflicts between political organizations and GAL military from these name lists and content. Cillin could do nothing about these name lists right now, but they might be useful in the future. In reality, Cillin was somewhat disappointed by this outcome. The chip still didnt contain anything about the Elder Tree Fuji Gen Family. Just what kind of existence was the Gen Family? He had just finished analysing the latter content of the chip when Shawton had sent him an emergency transmission. He told him to hurry to the main starships meeting room for a meeting. Did something happen again? Cillin put away the chip to safety and arrived at the main starship. What is it? Cillin asked. Shawton looked at the lieutenant commanders before pressing a button. A light screen appeared on top of the meeting table, and a video was played on it. It was by a very influential news media in GAL. The Aurelios Cage?! Cillin thought. Chapter 201: God’s Back Garden, Aurelio ‘Fairyland’ Opens [Part 2] Chapter 201: Gods Back Garden, Aurelio Fairyland Opens [Part 2] He knew that it was related to the Aurelios Cage the second he saw that footage. Shawton might know a little about the Aurelios Cage, but the rest of the lieutenant commanders were unaware about it. However, Shawtons meeting today was exactly to briefly explain Aurelios Cage. He selected only the important points and didnt explain in detail. If the omnipotent energy White Night was the object of desire during that conflict 50 years ago, then this time it was a different Aurelio piece and that piece happened to be the one under the GAL armys command. If this was true, then Fernando and Zweig Feihang did obtain an Aurelio starmap piece from Miracle just like the gray cat had told him. Since the GAL army already possessed the rest of the pieces of this star map to begin with, they had assembled a complete star map, found the key and activated that Aurelios Cage. However, Cillin didnt think expect this after the Aurelios Cage was opened. One of the Aurelio Cages in Genesis Mythos was Gods Back Garden. It represented a fairyland. What was surprising was that this Gods Back Garden was at a place in Sector Z! There were many scientists who studied astronomy who researched Sector Z before, but they only had a basic understanding of Sector Z due to its terrible space environment. However, researchers had discovered that Sector Z had a black hole region since a long time ago. Through a telescope, one could see that that region was completely covered in black, and none of the probes they sent into this region had ever returned. Some people said that it was a black hole, but the data supplied by external probes disproved those claims. They didnt have an alternative explanation either. All those who entered deep into that region had never returned. All communications were cut off the moment a ship entered that black region. Moreover, the cut off was permanent. That was why GAL hadnt set a high limitation on the exploration and development of Sector Z. In fact, they would even encourage some Hunter regiments and adventurers to explore it from time to time. They would then spend credits and purchase whatever information these Hunter regiments and adventurers had found. No one knew that this black hole region was one of the Aurelios until now. The fact that the GAL army had made public this footage meant either one of these two things: One, they had the black hole region completely under their control already, and the release of this footage was just a way to increase their influence in GAL. Or two, they had encountered a problem they couldnt solve, and they were forced to find a solution from the public. Were not sure about the exact situation either, but Ive contacted the A Squad and they told me that both B Squadrons are expected to make way towards the black hole region. Vanguard will send someone to support us when the time comes. Shawton explained to everyone present what the A Squadron had told them, but Cillins thoughts had flown away to somewhere else. He already knew all the important points in the A Squadrons message, but he couldnt shake the feeling that something wasnt right. Gods Back Garden, the fairyland. It was obvious from its name alone that there would be plenty of valuables and beautiful sceneries in this place. They couldnt see this in the publicised footage since the military hadnt put them in. They had only made public the rough appearance of this black hole region after it was figuratively lit up. This was the first ever Aurelios Cage to be opened after countless years. It had never truly opened even during the White Night incident from 50 years ago. As the first ever open Aurelios Cage, he could imagine the waters running behind the scenes must be incredibly deep and complicated. There was no telling if the conflict from 50 years ago would repeat itself especially after that incident in Sector S. Cillin thought of Mist and Merciless. They had been so quiet after that incident in Sector S it was almost as if they had never shown up. He mustnt forget about Death God either, and every time Death God showed up there would be serious cases of destruction. Cillin had a feeling that all these fellows would show their faces during their trip to Gods Back Garden. Anyway, well be cancelling our current mission plans and head to Sector Z with the Third B Squadron. Shawton declared solemnly. Since everything was planned already, the rest of the lieutenant commanders accepted the decision in silence. Once the meeting was over, they would tell their subordinates to make the necessary preparations. Everyone in the Sixth B Squadron had an odd feeling towards Sector Z since that one experience they had was incredibly bitter. However, they were expected to get used to it as Hunters. Cillin, stay back. Shawton stopped Cillin just as he stood up and was about to head out. When the rest of the lieutenant commanders had left the room, Shawton asked, What is your opinion on this matter? Opinion? Mm. Tell me your thoughts. The fact is we cant see much into things from our position at all. The A Squadrons usually dont interfere with their B Squadrons, but when they do its usually incredibly big. We will obey the A Squadrons and head over as they command, but there are still some questions that Id like to have answers to. Shawton said as he frowned on his chair. Cillin shook his head, I cant say I can offer an opinion on this Aurelios Cage thing, but I think that the A Squadrons wants us to head over to look strong. Shawton nodded. He had thought of this too. He was fine as long as they werent sent out as cannon fodders. Normally speaking, the higher ups of the four great Hunter regiments wouldnt send out their subordinates as cannon fodders. After all, it would be very difficult to absorb new blood in the future if they did. We are not the only B Squadron to head out this time. I believe that the rest of the B Squadrons will also make way soon. If Vanguard is setting out to Aurelios Cage, then the remaining three of the great four would do the same. In that case a lot of lives would be affected by this matter. If the military is set on starting a conflict, the resulting conflict would be a huge blow to the entire GAL. They wouldnt do something that stupid. Shawton had thought of everything Cillin was telling him right now. However, hearing it from Cillin gave him confidence in his own thoughts, and he was able to relaxed just a little thanks to this. It had taken the Sixth B Squadron much hardships to reach where they were now. He was absolutely going to spit blood If they were to suffer another heavy blow. Cillin talked for a little while longer before he finally left the meeting room. When he returned, he explained to his team what was going to happen later and what they need to pay attention to. He didnt need to emphasis anything since everyone quickly fell into form. Sector Z was a deeply impressionable Sector for all of them. If they didnt prepare well, they could easily lose their life. After he was done instructing everything, Cillin returned to his room and closed his eyes thoughtfully. There were many things that he chose not to speak directly to Shawton. If he did, he would be exposing himself excessively. Cillin was not going to take out the two Aurelio starmap pieces he possessed just yet. It was not yet the right time. Revealing them now would only result in the destruction of the entire Sixth B Squadron. After thinking for some time, Cillin felt a little tired. He gradually slipped into dreamland. Whos talking? While he was still in a daze, two speaking voices suddenly appeared in Cillins mind. Other than the speaking voices, Cillin also sensed a familiar and strong change in magnetic field and air pressure. The room temperature had also risen above 50 degrees before falling down to 0 all in one second. His surroundings were dark, and he couldnt see anything. He could only hear blurred speaking voices, sounds of fighting and strange-sounding gunshots. It was a strange but familiar feeling of energy. Suddenly, Cillin suffered a heavy blow to the stomach, and the sounds and feelings abruptly shattered to pieces. Cillin abruptly opened his eyes and saw the gray cat bouncing on top of his stomach. He exhaled deeply before wiping away the sweat on his forehead. Cillin muttered, What the hell do you want? The gray cat stopped fooling around after it saw Cillin waking up. It opened its round eyes and looked Cillin up and down once before it flicked its ears backwards and said with a thank me thank me look, You were looking very strange just now. You look like youve entered hibernation, but your heartbeat was incredibly quick and irregular and youre sweating like a waterfall. Look at yourself; all wet and dirty. Ew. Anyway, I called out to you, but you didnt answer me at all. Thats why I did this. Cillin shuddered when he heard the gray cats words. It was hypnosis! Cillin wanted to laugh. He had hypnotised others so many times, but he didnt think he would one day be hypnotised without knowing. If his analysis was correct, the person who hypnotised him was one of the two voices he heard just now. Every time Cillin thought of that incident, he would be affected by this voice and would be kept from analysing whatever happened that day calmly. However, what puzzled Cillin was why the man had chosen to hypnotise him instead of killing him outright. He had been completely powerless back then, and it shouldve been completely unsurprising for another person to think that he was dead for sure in that situation. Cillin sat up and scratched the gray cats chin, Thanks. The gray cat narrowed its eyes and purred, You had a nightmare, hadnt you? I knew that Im not the only one who had a nightmare. Whats your nightmare about? Cillin asked while scratching the gray cats chin. The gray cats whiskers shook the second its nightmare was brought up, Its about the fish biscuits! I dreamed that my whole cabinet of fish biscuits grew legs and ran away! So thats why you ate them all the next day. No wonder he saw this glutton eating its whole cabinet of fish biscuits that day and leaving behind crumbs all over the floor. He had to clean up for a long time before he finally removed that fishy scent. I never had that nightmare again after I ate them all! The gray cat said proudly. Theres nothing to be proud about! What an idiot! Cillin literally didnt know what to say about this cat. Oh right, are we still going back to that planet where we found the special energy ores during our trip to Sector Z this time? The gray cat asked expectantly. Well set the best course to our destination once weve reached the edge of Sector Z. If it isnt convenient then we wont be heading over there. If it is, then well be able to see how far the planet has been modified. I hope itll be convenient. Im already missing the fishes there. Mm. Well stock up on some fishes if we happen to pass by. While Cillin and the others were making their way towards Sector Z, there were plenty others among the four great Hunter regiments who were also rushing towards Sector Z. When they finally reached there, the great four would finally and truly be gathered at one spot. There was no telling what kind of conflict of happen. One thing was certain. This would be the most influential gathering to ever happen in the history of GAL. Chapter 202: Ci Jincheng and Elder Mo’s Arrival [Part 1] Chapter 202: Ci Jincheng and Elder Mos Arrival [Part 1] The Gods Back Garden that had just been opened up by the military was at the center of Sector Z. Surprisingly, the space environment of Sector Z had undergone a complete turnaround after this black hole area in Sector Z was lit up. The abnormal magnetic field that had been persistent in Sector Z gradually stabilized, and large scales ion storms had largely subsided ever since Gods Back Garden was opened. The black hole region was in fact an unusual form of protection for Sector Z. Sector Z was incredibly resource-rich, and while energy ores identical to the ones the Sixth B Squadron had found when they visited this place might not exist on other planets, there were definitely no lack of other ores at similar grades. There was no doubt that Sector Z had become a gold mine after its space environment had turned normal. It was impossible for the GAL army to devour it alone, which was probably one of the reasons behind its announcement. According to the news sent over by the A Squadron, the GAL army had invited the ten great business families led by the Andrea Family, the four great Hunter regiments, some other top rank Hunter regiments and reputable adventurer associations to discuss on how to share the pie. When the Black Triangle was no longer what it was, and when Sector Z was fully developed by all these forces, Sector Zs fate would be changed completely. One could imagine that Sector Z would no longer be one of the thirteen backwater Sectors by the end of this matter. It would enter the ranks of developing regions and become the 11th Sector of the ten business Sectors. Thanks to the change in Sector Zs space environment and the militarys permission, Cillin and the others had easily entered Sector Z. Looking at the coordinates, this so-called Gods Back Garden is at the center of this triangular shaped region in Sector Z. Its distance from every point of the triangle is exactly the same Eudy explained some of his calculation results to the group. This means that this region is likely to be artificially created. Its too much of a coincidence to be natures work. Beaver said. Everyone else thought more or less the same thing. What really puzzled them was who was behind the development of this region, and who had the power to achieve such a thing. Cary scratched his head, Doesnt this mean that this brightened region controls the space environment of the entire Sector Z? When this region was still a black hole, Sector Zs space environment was incredibly bad. But now that it was lit up, the environment had stabilized instead. I doubt it, Cillin said, The lousier an environment is, the likelier it is that special ores would be created naturally. The fact that Sector Z possesses so many special energy ores, species and metals proved that its environment is unlike your average Sector environment. I agree with LC Cillin. Eudy swapped out the image on the display to show Sector Zs history, Although this history of Sector Z is incomplete and obviously embellished at some areas, we can still see some of its major points. Sector Zs lousy environment had always existed until now. Cillin knew that the Aurelios dated back to more than a thousand years ago, but the records of Sector Z had existed even earlier than that time. At the time, Sector Z was still known as the infamous Black Triangle even before the alliance was established. Looking at the historical records Eudy had put on display, it would seem that there were no mention of a black hole region in Sector Z back then. It might have bore the name Black Triangle, but there was nothing about a black hole at the center of the Sector at all. Sector Zs black hole had appeared more than a thousand years ago. It was also when the Aurelios had shown up. Xiang Shang rubbed his chin and said, Hey, do you guys think that a higher civilization had once existed in that place? GAL could hardly do the same even with its current abilities, could they? Eudy cast him a sideway glance and said, Well know if there was a higher civilization once weve reached there. If there was one, wed notice it immediately from the vestiges of its buildings. Cillin looked closely at the records about Sector Z on the display. They were records from a thousand years ago. Somethings not right. Cillin pointed at a description regarding Sector Z, No matter how you look at it, the Sector Z on these records is worse than the Sector Z we know now. If Sector Z really is as bad as these records had described, then theres no way we couldve set out safely to Sector Z at all. In fact, we wouldnt even be able to hang around at the edges of Sector Z. Eudy nodded, Weve always thought that it was an exaggeration by the people of that era, but now it would appear that it might be as bad as they had described. Its just that Sector Zs environment had improved after this central region had appeared. Apparently someone had used a certain method to mess up Sector Zs space environment once more so as to conceal this central region. However, since this central region truly existed, Sector Z was no longer as bad as it used to be more than a thousand years ago despite their attempts to hide it. Something suddenly became clear in Cillins mind. The fairyland Aurelio mentioned wasnt just the brightened central region in Sector Z, but the entire Sector itself! There was no doubt that the brightened region was the heart of all things, but that region had been created to improve Sector Zs environment in the first place. Once its space environment had been improved, the entire Sector Z would turn into a fertile world. This was a huge gift! In fact, the conclusion Cillins little discussion group had arrived it was more or less the same as the militarys final analysis. It was just that the military had more information and thus was able to confirm their suspicions rather than just leaving them hanging like Cillins group. After travelling for a period of time, the Third B Squadron and Sixth B Squadron had arrived at the coordinates provided by the A Squadron at the same time. Since the military had blotted out some of the images inside the public video, they werent able to see the regions full appearance after it had been lit up. But now that they could see it with their own eyes, they couldnt help but gasp in admiration. This region contained a star at its prime, and the planets orbiting it were all unique in their own ways. Among them, there was a large planet that was ranked A on the planetary ability scale. A belt of moons orbited this rank A planet, and around these moons there were some rank B and C asteroids orbiting them as well. However, this moon belt and the large planet were guarded by the military right now. All the planets above planetary habitability rank C were under the GAL armys control. Judging from the amount of manpower they had dispatched, there was no way they couldve kept things under wraps even if they hadnt made the public announcement. The most breathtaking sight of them all was the platform between the planet and the moon belt. Yes, it was an artificial platform. It was far bigger than any of the space stations Cillin had seen before. It was obvious that this platform was the planets space station. The difference between this platform and the space stations he had seen before was like comparing a fishing boat to an aircraft carrier. This platform-like space station had many fort style buildings. These buildings were all enveloped inside an energy shield. The spacious areas of the space station were parked with the armys vehicles such as starships, fighters, spaceplanes and so on. The entire space station was shining beautifully under the stars illumination and the sparkling energy shields. Who are the people who created this thing?! Its too goddam cool for words! Itd be so cool if Vanguards space station is modified to look like this! Cary felt like pressing his face against the screen. Eudy was very impressed by the space station too, but he still shot down Cary as mercilessly as ever, How much energy do you think itd consume if Vanguard were to develop its space stations this way? Were not as rich as the military, you know. Cary curled his lips but didnt refute Eudys words. As a matter of course, they were not going towards that large planet. Both Czedow and the gray cat could already sense its overbearing defense network even from outside. The coordinates the A Squadron provided them was a rank B planetoid that was part of the moon belt surrounding the large planet. Although the planet was given a B rank, Cillin thought that it was better than even some rank B planets in other Sectors after theyd truly arrived on the planet. It couldve been an A rank if its environment was a bi better. In their opinion, this environment was more than excellent already. The A Squadron had built a temporary parking port at the outer edge of the planet. Two starships were already parked inside the port when they arrived, so it meant that they werent the first B Squadron to show up here. After the starship was parked, Cillin led his team up a spaceplane and flew towards the planetoid. Some fortresses were already built on the planetoid. It was obvious that they were there to be manned for a long time. All personnel at the level of lieutenant commander or below were left behind at the allocated area to rest. Shawton had already gone away to report in. A communications network had already been constructed on this planetoid. The group adjusted the frequency bands of their communicators so they could communicate easily on this planet. Cillin barely stopped his feet when someone informed him that he had a visitor. A visitor? Who is it? Cillin asked in confusion. The person who came to notify him wore a strange look on his face, Youll know once you come over. Chapter 202: Ci Jincheng and Elder Mo’s Arrival [Part 2] Chapter 202: Ci Jincheng and Elder Mos Arrival [Part 2] The A Squadron had constructed a reception point to receive guests, and right now there was a certain someone who was sitting cross legged and holding a cup of tea inside it. A book was spread open on his leg, and the man read while he drank tea. There were many Vanguard A Squadron members in the surroundings. Of course, none of them had attained Songba Leruos level of importance yet. Not everyone in the A Squadron had been promoted from a commander. While these youngsters who were responsible for watching over the reception point were somewhat haughty in the norm, they had all withdrawn their haughtiness in face of the man who was drinking his tea leisurely. Their eyes contained neither goodwill nor malice when they looked at him, but there was definitely a hint of admiration in them. A girl about 16 to 17 years old was discussing with her friends the man drinking his tea. Hey, did you see the badge in front of his chest? a girl said with starstruck eyes. Another girl said, How could I not? It practically blinded my eyes, okay! Hes knowledgeable, hes gentlemanly. Say, hes only a few years older than us, isnt he? But hes a one star scholar already! A one star scholar in GAL Research Institute!! How on earth did he get so smart? That being said, he may not look like the gentleman he appears to be. So what? A gentleman is simply a patient wolf, thats all! A patient wolf, she says thats all, she says The boys around her rolled their eyes when they heard this, Hey, can you girls act a little more dignified? And why exactly should we act dignified again? the two girls looked down on them and said scornfully, Its not easy to find a target that were content with, you know. Hmm, do you think that our child would be just as smart if we mate with a guy like this? I think I heard from somewhere that a childs intelligence has more to do with their mother This cant be! They told me last time that my IQ is almost at a modern apes level! Dont worry, in terms of combat strength, those people are like eggs held in your modern ape-like hands.. The boys around them were all sweating profusely at the conversation, but when they cast a sideway glance at the man they discovered that he was still sitting there peacefully and looking like he hadnt caught a single word. They sighed inwardly in admiration, What amazing willpower! Cillin walked into the room while the A Squadron juniors were talking with each other. When he saw the scholarly man who was sitting there drinking his tea and reading his book, he exclaimed in pleasant surprise, I didnt think that you would show up! Cillin strode towards him as he spoke. Ci Jincheng looked up at Cillin, put down his teacup elegantly, closed his book and set it aside. Then, he got up and sent a flying kick at Cillins direction. Everyone: The word gentleman was immediately erased from their brains. Cillin flew backwards like a rag doll, but he walked over soon after with a chuckle on his face. He gave Ci Jincheng a hug and punched his shoulder once. Then, he pointed at the badge in front of Ci Jincheng and said, Not bad. Youve become a scholar. Ci Jincheng stared at Cillins face expressionlessly. It was as Knight and Lung had told him, It looks stupid no matter the angle! Ci Jincheng patted his trouser legs and said, Why dont we go to your place? We have much to talk about!! Of course. You first, scholar Ci! Ci Jincheng took two steps, stopped suddenly and said, Elder Mo is also invited. Hes on that main planet right now. Speaking of Elder Mo, Cillin had no idea how to face him. Although they had exchanged encrypted messages for several times, it was one thing to exchange messages and another to meet up. It was incredibly likely that his already dumb-looking face would swell like a pigs head if they were to meet up Oh right, theres one thing I forgot to tell you. Ci Jincheng revealed a pleased smile on his face, I already told Elder Mo about you before I came over. Hell probably come over in, hmm, another two hours. He should be done with his stuff by then. F*ck! After Ci Jincheng and Cillin had left, the youngsters gathered in a bunch once more. Hey, whos that guy just now? I dont know. He looks a little dumb. Tsk, your insight is pathetic. That guy is what you call a sleeper! How could you guys not know about this? Hes the guy who was selected for promotion in advance! So hes a commander then? A girl asked. I dont think so. But I heard from my dad that that guy was selected for promotion since a long time ago. He could enter the A Squadron immediately if he wants to. H-hes that amazing? All personnel who were promoted into an A Squadron from a B Squadron had real strength. It was the kind of absolute strength that couldnt be denied no matter what backing one possessed in Vanguard! I cant believe theres someone like him in a B Squadron. You have no idea, dont you? Let me tell you a story Cillin had no idea how the youngsters were talking about him behind his back. Right now he was too busy dealing with Ci Jinchengs strong criticisms before him. Ci Jincheng was without a doubt worthy of his title as a GAL Research Institute scholar. He had probably given many lectures across many Sectors already, because he didnt look like he was going to stop his criticising for a water break anytime soon. The gray cat stared at Ci Jincheng with its round eyes from above the cabinet not far away. Was that the researcher Cillin told him about? Although Cillin said that he was a good researcher, was there really such a thing as a good GAL researcher? That being said, it was really fun watching Cillin being scolded! While Ci Jincheng was talking about the troublesome stuff that popped up after Cillin pretended to be dead, Cillins communicator rang once more. The esteemed Mo Heng, Elder Mo had arrived. Cillin wasnt requested to receive him at the reception point because Elder Mo had asked to come over personally. Naturally, someone of Elder Mos stature demanded an escort. Cillins face twitched again and again. It was one thing if they were separate, but together these two guys could probably drown him in their saliva. Ci Jincheng stopped talking when he heard Elder Mo was coming over. He picked up his tea, took a sip and crossed his legs on his chair. His expression obviously meant: Youre on your own. Good luck! Those who knew about Elder Mos temperament like Mo Heng knew that he could put up some impressive airs and act kindly in the norm, but to borrow Seven Lights vice headmaster An Dings words, it didnt change the fact he was just a bloody academic gangster. In fact, Elder Mo was already scheming since he received the militarys invitation. There was no denying the attractiveness of the newly opened Gods Back Garden, but Mo Heng was aware that many great forces and a whole lot of manpower would be invited into this mission as well. He was almost certain that his little bastard of a disciple would be among them too. That was why Elder Mo had arrived at Sector Z at a very early time. Before Vanguards B Squadrons had even shown up, Elder Mo had already given this newly opened region a rough look. Just as they had deduced in advance, this place wasnt constructed by a higher civilisation. Then, he received Ci Jinchengs message just when he was done arranging the matters. Mo Heng couldnt sit still the moment he learned that the Sixth B Squadron had arrived. At first he was planning to supervise the project until its completion, but his hands just wouldnt stop itching to do a certain something! Figuring that he couldnt calm himself enough to supervise the project, Mo Heng delegated his work directly to another engineering scholar and told his men to send him over to Vanguards planetoid. Naturally, the ones to receive Elder Mos arrival werent those juniors from earlier. The A Squadron had purposely sent one of the most important members serving directly under the Vanguard leaders, Solic, to receive Elder Mo. Solics status and influence in Vanguard was a lot bigger than Songba Leruo and Barthus. The appearance of this VIP completely awed the youngsters at the reception point. They had no idea that their guest was so important that a VIP like Solic would personally show up to welcome him. Solic and Elder Mo could be considered old acquaintances. They chatted about recent times while walking towards the Sixth B Squadron. Along the way, they happened to run into Barthus and Songba Leruo. The duo had just returned from the mining planets. Mo Heng and Solic didnt stop to chat. They greeted them once before heading straight towards the Sixth B Squadrons temporary base. Whats going on? Why did he come over here? Barthus stroked his long beard and asked. Songba Leruo didnt answer him. He simply curled his lips into a meaningful smile, turned around and continued on his way. Cillin was just rubbing his face thoughtfully at the Sixth B Squadrons temporary base when a powerful voice erupted from outside. Cillin, get your ass over right now! Chapter 203: I’m Old, So My Disciple Shall Work on My Behalf [Part 1] Chapter 203: Im Old, So My Disciple Shall Work on My Behalf [Part 1] Mo Hengs shout aroused every bit of curiosity from the Sixth B Squadron and Third B Squadron members resting in their rooms next door. They were either poking out their heads in curiosity or sneakily checking the security cameras from inside their rooms. Some of the lieutenant commander recognised Solic. This discovery made them even more confused as they wondered who on earth was the person whom Solic himself was willing to accompany and walk with in patience. Elder Mo had taken two people with him. They were both from the military, and there was another squad of soldiers standing by at the reception point. Every single one of these soldiers was at least a major, and the soldiers accompanying Mo Heng were rear admirals. They were all there to protect Mo Heng, so one could see just how influential Mo Heng was inside the army. However, Solic was the only one who knew about this. The Sixth B Squadron and the Third B Squadron had no idea exactly who these bodyguards were since they neither wore a military uniform nor wore a badge. From their movements they knew that they were from the army, but they were unaware of their military ranking. Cillin hastily exited the room when he heard Mo Hengs voice. It had been a few years since he saw Elder Mo, and if he were to be honest he did miss him a lot. He had only watched some of Elder Mos pictures in some electronic publications of high contributions, but that side of Elder Mo was the side he wanted to show to the public. Only those who were close to him would know of this other side of Elder Mo, such as now. After Cillin had come out of his room, Mo Heng examined him from head to toe. He knew of Cillins latest appearance already, but he still couldnt help but exclaim inwardly when they met in person: look how dumb-looking he is right now! Elder Mo decided to show mercy and didnt do it before everyones eyes. Lets go inside and talk. Mo Heng put his hands behind his back and walked into the room immediately with a stiff look. Please! Cillin let out a sigh of relief. If Mo Heng were to pull his cheeks right now his prestige would crash all the way to the floor. The fact that Mo Heng had put on a stiff expression meant that he wasnt really angry at him. On the contrary, Elder Mo must be plotting a certain scheme inside his head. This was Cillins guess based on his understanding of Mo Heng. As expected, Mo Heng stretched out his hands from behind his back and tugged at Cillins face the second they went inside the room. Not far away, the gray cat crouching on top of the cabinet not far away felt its jaw drop. Oh my god, this old fellow is even more brutal than that Ci guy! I cant believe hes pulling his cheeks! The two rear admirals following behind Mo Heng felt a tug on their faces. Elder Mos bad habit had been triggered yet again. They had both witnessed with their own eyes Elder Mo tugging at their boss and GALs famous admirals cheeks until his face was all red. Solic had also followed them into the room, and he was watching the master-disciple interaction with interest too. He had only heard of Cillin from Barthus, Nata and Songba Leruos mouths, and this guy was someone that even Ji Feng had praised. For now, he couldnt figure out why Cillin special was from this close range inspection yet. You dont have a heart, do you?! Yes, yes. If you say so then it must be true. Elder Mo maintained this posture and didnt release Cillin until he was done scolding him. Even Solic and the two rear admirals felt painful for Cillin as they stared at the red marks on his face. Spit flew everywhere from Mo Hengs mouth as he spent the next period of time criticising and scolding Cillin. When he finally said everything he had been holding inside his heart and churned all the appropriate rebukes, Mo Heng beckoned a rear admiral to bring over a case he had been carrying behind his back carefully. At the same time, he passed over a round-shaped device as well. Cillin knew that Mo Heng was going to inspect his work just looking at his actions. Cillin hadnt really checked his overall accuracy with a device for the past few years, but it probably wouldnt be worse than the last time he did, would it? Cillin led Mo Heng into a temporary workshop. Ci Jincheng had also followed them to join in the fun. Naturally, the gray cat wouldnt miss out on a chance like this. Czedow didnt need to come over personally from the room next door. He would know what was happening inside through the network and security cameras. He was also responsible for destroying this record after the demonstration was over. These were Cillins instructions. Mo Heng lifted the case over and put it on the table. Then, he carefully took out the pile of parts stored inside the case. They were all rather precise parts. After pressing a button on the round-shaped device, it floated in midair and pointed a scanner at Cillins direction. At the same time, a light screen appeared on top of the device and displayed some basic inspection data. Solic was slightly surprised when he read the data displayed above the device. The pile of parts didnt look many, but they numbered almost one hundred thousand in total! No words were necessary. Cillin began working after he spread out the parts and gave them a look. A rear admiral moved over a chair so that Mo Heng could sit down. Then, everyones gazes became absorbed by Cillins movements before they knew it. Every time Cillin assembled, Mo Heng felt like he was watching the work of a precious art. In the past, Mo Heng tried to use a video of Cillins assembly as a teaching example, but the video had turned out to be more intimidating than educational. There were just too few people who could perform at Cillins level, and it was a level that not even some chief mentors in Seven Lights could achieve. After Cillin left, all Seven Lights students who had seen that assembly video tried to inquire about the assembler himself. However, all the mentors who knew about the truth kept a tight lip without needing any prior agreement. They simply said that the assembler was a person connected to Mo Heng. To this day, that video was treated as a classic among the Seven Lights students. He had become more skillful. With his experience, Mo Heng didnt need to check the device to know that Cillin had most definitely improved. He only needed to move his eyes away from Cillin and check the data on the light screen to confirm his doubts, but he was reluctant to miss even a second of Cillins assembly. He had to admit that it was a pleasure to watch Cillin assemble. Unlike the tension worn by those so-called veteran engineering technicians when they assembled, Cillins movements looked very comfortable and as natural as breathing. In reality though, Cillins movements were so swift that it was easy to miss out on a certain move. That didnt disturb the smooth flow of his overall movements, however. There were all kinds of people of differing experience watching Cillins assembly from different angles. It was inevitable that some of them were going to miss out on some moves. However, they were all attracted by Cillins movements little by little. Right now, no one was thinking how Cillin had managed to identify the sequential order of the parts or how he knew they would fit without checking the matching areas. In fact, everyones minds were very empty. They had all unconsciously emptied and relaxed their minds as they watched Cillins movements. It was as if the only thing that existed in their empty minds were the parts that were slowly taking on a certain form. Ten minutes later, a finger width robot snake that was half a meter long was fully assembled. The two rear admirals immediately jolted out of their reverie. They couldnt believe that they were lost in thought just now! If anyone were to harm Mo Heng just now they wouldnt have been able to react in time at all!! Considering the strict trainings they went through and their experience in countless battlefields, this should never have happened to them! Although part of the reason they were entranced so easily was because they believed that Cillin wouldnt hurt Elder Mo, as bodyguards, they couldnt deny that they underestimated this Cillin! He was a guy who could punish his enemies for even a bit of carelessness. They finally understood why Cillin was listed under the A rank list in the militarys secret files. All the soldiers who were currently following Mo Heng had more or less researched into Cillin. Naturally, they knew a lot of things, especially things about Cillin that many people were unaware of using their militaristic identities and the confidential information Mo Qing supplied them. Right now, the two rear admirals even wondered: Just how much longer would this Cillin take to enter the S rank list? Chapter 203: I’m Old, So My Disciple Shall Work on My Behalf [Part 2] Chapter 203: Im Old, So My Disciple Shall Work on My Behalf [Part 2] The fully assembled robot snake didnt look like a robot snake at all. The final product of the assembly looked exactly the same as the real thing due to the special quality of the materials and the level of precision of the parts. The little snake crawled up Cillins arm nimbly and looked at Mo Hengs group with its flat, triangular head, sticking out its forked tongue. Mo Heng swallowed his saliva. The moment Cillin stopped moving, Mo Hengs mind was removed completely from the little snake. He didnt need to check the scanner to know with 100% certainty that the its completion quality was of high grade. Mo Heng looked sideways at the data displayed on the light screen. One of the columns had listed a series of numbers. Cillins assembly had reached the theoretical value of 99.98%, but during the last 3 steps he had successfully achieved and maintained an overall accuracy of 99.99%. Mo Heng was so excited that his entire face was red through and through. He attempted to speak, but couldnt utter a word out of his trembling mouth at all. He had completely forgotten to exhale after he sucked in a deep breath. Deep breaths, master, deep breaths! Dont forget to exhale! Cillin hurriedly reminded him. Mo Heng abruptly stood up, Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-you Mo Heng immediately pulled Cillins cheeks, but couldnt utter anything but a you even after a long time. His breathing was so rapid that the two rear admirals and Solic were afraid that the old man would suffer a stroke or something. Breath, master. Deep breaths. Just relax. Cillin said. Relax my ass! Mo Heng practically shouted. Solics mouth twitched erratically at the outburst. Was this how a proud four star scholar supposed to act? Mo Heng released Cillins face and began pacing in circles, causing everyone to stare at him in confusion and puzzlement. What was going on with Elder Mo? While Cillin was still thinking, Mo Heng suddenly paused his footsteps and pointed at Cillin, Come with me later to that planet. I have a mission for you! Once Elder Mo declares something, no one could persuade him to think otherwise. That was why the two rear admirals didnt even bother to try. If Mo Heng wished to bring Cillin to that planet right now, then he must first obtain the permission and endorsement of certain people in the military. Naturally, Elder Mo himself would be contacting the right people for the task, so all they need to do was to continue as usual and protect him. Mo Heng was a man of action. Upon making the decision, he immediately instructed Cillin to pack his stuff and bring any tools he deemed handy along for the trip. Of course, by handy tools he meant tools that were relevant to assembly and not dangerous items such as guns. Once Mo Heng was done speaking, he immediately whipped out his communicator and called a couple of people. Solic was dumbstruck by the entire turn of events. He wasnt a part of that circle, and so he didnt know what an overall accuracy of 99.99% truly meant. Even if he did know a little something, he wouldnt understand what kind of meaning this number hold to people like Mo Heng. That was why he couldnt understand Mo Hengs current feelings. Mo Heng went into a side room to make his calls. Cillin made a secret signal while he was gathering and inspecting his tools, causing Czedows eyes to flash once in response. Czedow had been monitoring the security cameras all this time, and he understood that Cillin was telling him to remove what happened in the workshop just now from the records. But while he did delete this segment of the footage as Cillin had requested, the memory was still inside Czedows memory bank, and it would stay that way unless he performed a forced deletion. At the same time, Czedows eyes turned very strange as his fingers began to move in tiny motions. If Cillin was present, he would know that Czedows fingers were moving at the exact same frequency as his own fingers when he was assembling earlier. Its just that Czedows movements werent as big as Cillins just now. After Mo Heng was done making his calls, he gestured his chin at Cillin and said, Lets go! Solic was familiar with Mo Hengs character, and so he didnt pay Mo Hengs disregard of him any heed. Instead, he cast a glance at Cillin and said, Be careful, and contact us if you need anything. Cillin nodded and left with Mo Heng. Ci Jincheng was one of the invited GAL researchers who were invited for this mission. That was why he had left together with Cillin and Mo Heng. Czedow and the gray cat didnt follow them. Forget whether the military would even accept beings like them into the planet in the first place, if the duo were to expose themselves before the scholars of the GAL Research Institute, then god knows how much it would take for them to get away. After all, they were both too special. During the time they travelled from the planetoid to the planet, Mo Heng briefly explained to Cillin his so-called mission. There were many GAL Research Institute scholars who were invited this time, and they were all rather influential people who had made plenty of contributions in various academic disciplines. Right now, they were working and conducting researches at different places. There were a total of 16 engineering experts like Mo Heng. These people were currently dealing with a hill of machinery. Due to the age of some of the veteran scholars who were invited, they couldnt always work all the time. They had to rest to regain their strength after a period of working, and during this rest period they would supervise and instruct others to work on their behalf. These extra pair of hands they brought with them were their prized students. While researching this humongous machine, they were also using the opportunity to instruct their disciples. Since Mo Heng didnt bring a disciple with him when he came to this planet, he wasnt able to avoid his enemies shit talking. That was why Mo Heng had pelted Cillin with a torrent of scolding the moment he saw him. It was all to vent the frustration he had accumulated inside his heart. However, Mo Heng had returned from his trip, and this time the arrogant bearing in which he carried himself in when he descended the spaceplane quite surprised his colleagues. Cillin was following next to Mo Heng and carrying an unimpressive-looking toolbox with him. He also looked rather average and much like a guy who simply ran errands. But anyone who knew Mo Heng would know that he would never let a normal errand runner stand beside him. Even the guy who helped carry Mo Hengs case earlier was at the rank of a rear admiral. Mo Heng slowly strolled over while keeping his hands behind his back. He stood next to those old scholars, looked at the humongous machine and lifted his chin at it, Cillin, go. Cillin felt a little stomachache when he heard this. Why did he sound like hes locking the doors and unleashing his dog? The old scholars sitting at the side and resting let out exclamations of astonishment, and another elderly four star scholar yelled while thumping his own legs, Who is he, Gangster Mo? You should know that non-related people arent allowed into this place. Of course, everyone present in this place had been endorsed earlier and thus were not unrelated people. Everyone understood that the old man had simply wanted to choke Mo Heng a little. But Mo Heng didnt turn stiff like he used to in the past. Instead, he put on an unperturbed mask and said, Sigh, Im an old man already. I cant move like I used to anymore. So my disciple shall work on my behalf. His words surprised the elderly scholars to no end. Again, it was that old man who fired the first question, Since when did you have a disciple, gangster Mo? Mo Heng lifted his head slightly and looked to the ceiling, saying, I have had a disciple for a very, very long time The hand Cillin used to carry his toolbox shook when he heard Elder Mos painstaking efforts to make his proud sigh sound bitter. He almost sounded like he had gone through a world of hardships to obtain a disciple! The elderly scholars all curled their lips in dissatisfaction. Lets see how long you can keep up the act. This was the first time Mo Heng presented his disciple before these leading scholars of current times, so they had all diverted at least a part of their attention onto Cillin. Forget that Mo Hengs mysterious disciple had popped out of nowhere, he looked so young that they couldnt trust in his abilities. Cillin didnt act immediately after he had gone over. Instead, he put down the toolbox and circled around this humongous machine once. His movements drew the attention of the other disciples who were busy working on their stuff. An old scholars face immediately darkened when he noticed that his own disciple had been distracted by the old gangsters disciple. He roared, Pay attention to your own work. What are you doing looking at someone else!! Mo Hengs eyes slid sideways, Sigh. Some people are just born to draw other peoples attention. The elderly scholars who were sitting and resting in that area decided to filter out Mo Hengs words directly from their brains. They also stopped paying attention to Cillin. In the end, if Cillin couldnt produce any results then all of Mo Hengs actions would just backfire on himself. Facts speak louder than words. Lets see how long itd take before that smug look on that old gangsters face is wiped off! Cillin paid no attention to other peoples thoughts. After circling around the huge hemisphere machine once, he frowned and thought to himself for a while. The gray cat once said that machines had their own unique language, and he should listen to know what kind of message they were trying to express. This machine was huge, complicated, and capable of blocking scanners. No one knew what the machines principles and rough structure was, which was why they didnt dare to work on it carelessly. Despite the fact that a dozen or so scholars had personally attended to the machine, they had not made any real progress at all. These people might be veterans when it came to assembly, but their understanding of machine language was incomparable to Cillins. They wouldnt even think of it in the first place. Cillin carefully opened his senses to the miniscule non-human activity around the area. There werent even much plants around the area, so these miniscule activities in the surroundings he was sensing should have originated from this large machine. After the chip had been further activated, Cililns ability to hear the machine language had improved by a lot. As his mind slowly subsided, he could gradually hear some a series of intermittent speeches from the machine. In Cillins mind, he could see many floating round shaped objects circulating around this humongous machine. After looking at the movement and trajectory of these round shaped objects, Cillin walked to a corner around the machine. The place Cillin was searching for was almost ten meters away from the ground, so he extended a hoverboard and flew up to the spot. Then, he pressed downward with his palm. Hey! You cant touch that carelessly!! An elderly scholar shouted in fluster and exasperation. Hasty; youngsters are just too hasty. And why is Mo Heng not stopping him? A person who works too hastily is eventually going to screw up! This guy still needs to improve himself! But the elderly scholar had just finished saying this when a few small petals suddenly opened up at a certain angle at the top of the humongous hemisphere machine. It looked like a flower that had just blossomed. Mo Heng was so excited he slapped his thigh and yelled, Heh, look, it moved! The elderly scholars all rolled their eyes at him in unison. Anyone who wasnt blind could see that! They had to admit that Mo Hengs mysterious disciple was capable, however. Whether it was a coincidence or not, he had triggered a crucial point on the machine. It was as exciting as finding a shortcut through a dungeon. But when the scholars turned around and saw Mo Heng looking so pleased that he lost all sense of measure, they couldnt help but want to remind him: Mo, we can see that your tail is pointing straight at the sky. Now would you please control yourself! Chapter 204: Look! It’s That Ghost Something Butterfly Dude Who Owe Us Money! [Part 1] Chapter 204: Look! Its That Ghost Something Butterfly Dude Who Owe Us Money! [Part 1] Thanks to Cillins actions, the project had taken a big leap forwards. Only a small part of this humongous, hemisphere-shaped machine had blossomed like a flower bud, but this one tiny revelation was enough for the crowd to figure out a rough direction. Naturally, these GAL Research Institute scholars all had great observational abilities. After the big machine had moved, the elderly scholars quickly formulated the next few steps to take from the data they had gathered earlier. The elderly scholars werent able to stop Cillin from handling the machine in time earlier. Although his action turned out to be of great significance, this project was too important to allow any missteps. Therefore, Cillin was no longer allowed to fiddle with the machine as he wished. Under the guidance of these few authoritative figures, these direct disciples all worked hard to present their best performance so that their masters would look good. The elderly scholars who were supervising and instructing their disciples nodded repeatedly in satisfaction at their disciples performance. They all thought that their disciple was the best among all others. Every engineering technician who went to work personally had their own assigned tasks, and the areas they were responsible for were all recorded in the database. There were special security cameras that monitored their work from not far away, and they could identify the person responsible for a certain area immediately if a problem were to arise. Although these disciples were the ones who worked, the final responsibility fell on their masters because they were the ones who performed the final inspection. If any problems were to arise after that, the military wouldnt admit their fault even if their instruments showed that everything was fine. The responsibility and blame would still fall on said authoritative figure. This was one thing Mo Heng very much disliked about their behavior. Cillin slowly walked over while the elderly scholars were chatting. Mo Heng glanced at him once and felt his mouth growing wider and wider. He did his best to put on a serious expression and asked, Are you done? Cillin gave him a simple and honest smile, Im done. Do you want to inspect it, master? Ahem, of course Im going to inspect it. Say, if the reason youre done so quickly is because you cut corners here and there, I wont forgive you for any problems that arise from it! Mo Hengs words might sound strict on the surface, how could the present elderly scholars not notice the pleased tone in his voice? Moreover, the first person to finish their task was Mo Hengs precious disciple. They were tired with researching anyway, so this was a good opportunity to check out his disciples abilities. Mo Heng didnt stop them. In fact, he look extremely gladdened by their presence. He put his hands behind his back and strolled all the way to Cillins work without needing Cillin to support him. The elderly scholars behind him curled their lips in unison: would you look at his smug face! When they arrived at the area Cillin was responsible for, they only needed one glance to identify that it was absolutely the handiwork of a great professional. It could even be rated as perfect. The connection of the parts, the linking of various circuits, and the positioning, installation and arrangement of all sorts of small instruments were done so well that not even the elderly scholars dared to say that they could do better than Cillin. In reality, Cillin was done with his task since a long time ago. He had even taken the time to research the humongous machine completely. It was just that the amount of things he could research was limited because only the preliminary work had been done so far. That was why he had gotten bored and gotten up to report to Mo Heng. If only the elderly scholars knew about the truth. When they inspected Cillins handiwork thoroughly with the militarys instrument, they confirmed that it was indeed of first-rate quality. This time Mo Hengs tail stood so tall that it could practically take him to the sky. Seeing that the elderly scholars were quiet and unable to find any flaws in Cillins work to criticise at, Mo Heng grinned, waved his hands and purposely spoke to Cillin in a dismissive tone, Alright, alright. Dont think that youre done just because you finished your part of the project. Massage my legs later when we get back to our seats. Well also take the opportunity to test you on the homework I gave you recently. Recent homework? Like hell you have any homework recently! Cillin rolled his eyes inwardly at Mo Hengs words, but he knew very well that Mo Heng liked to show off. After Mo Heng had lay down on his recliner, he obediently massaged his legs as ordered. A persons age was reflected on their legs and feet first. Some old people could run like the wind, and some could only limp along slowly despite sharing the same age and genotype. Moreover, a persons legs and knee joints had to support the entire bodys weight. It was only a matter of time before they eventually wore down, severely affecting the joints activity. As a person grew older and older, so would their joints degree of abrasion. Even someone like Mo Heng who enjoyed a great deal of fame during his prime had no choice but to acquiesce to old age. The occupational diseases of this profession was extremely obvious. Hands aside, their legs would be stressed quite a bit if they lost themselves in their work. His leg muscles would often cramp up and atrophy over time. Back at Seven Lights, Cillin would massage Mo Hengs legs from time to time. Even now Mo Heng thought that Cillins massage was better than a body health machine. Ah, these legs feel so much better every time theyre massaged. The blood vessels are unblocked, and the the muscles aches and lack of strength are gone quite a bit. Mo Heng sighed comfortably. The elderly scholars who just made their way back to their seats outright pretended that they hadnt heard anything. Show off all you want! Well just pretend you hadnt said anything! Cillin massaged Mo Hengs legs for a long time before the rest of the disciples were finally done with their work. This was because the project was so important that a lot of people were willing to slow down just to make sure that every step of the work were done to perfection. But even then the elderly scholars had to admit that the quality of their work was still some distances away from Cillins. In reality, they had all performed very well already. In fact, they were overperforming. It just wasnt that obvious when Cillin was used as the comparison. There was a clear gap in skill, but overall speaking the quality of their work was still first-rate. Ready? Ready! Someone made a hand gesture from the other side. Alright, the countdown will begin in five! Four! Three! Two! One! Connect! As the elderly scholar at the helm of the team lay down the order, this step of the project came to life as energies became connected and each areas projects began showing their effects. The partially opened hemispherical object at the top of the humongous machine began to transform. This gigantic flower bud opened up a great degree once more and underwent a change in appearance too. It revealed some machines that looked very much like the control panels everyone was familiar with. The first step is always the hardest, and now the hardest part of the project was finally over. The work after this point of the project would be easier and no longer needed their full concentration. They had also made some annotations what one needs to pay attention to during the early stages and how this humongous machine principally worked, so the militarys internal division should be able to handle it perfectly once they took over. Originally, there were people within the military who wanted Mo Heng to participate in the latter part of the project, but he had turned down their offer. He had no intentions of getting involved with the militarys internal matters because any problems that might arise would affect Mo Qing too. Mo Heng considered far into the future when he looked at things, and he was extremely decisive too. He wouldnt hesitate to cut off what needs to be cut off immediately. After working for more than half a day, Mo Heng himself was tired. Although he wanted to talk with Cillin for a little while longer, Cillin had turned him down for the sake of his health. He told Mo Heng to rest well since he hadnt gotten any good rest ever since he accepted the invitation to come to this planet and work on this project. A person should work hard when they were young, just as they shouldnt when they were old. After Cillin had promised Mo Heng repeatedly that he wouldnt go missing without reason this time, Mo Heng finally granted Cillin a favor and set him free. In reality though, Mo Heng was just feeling very, very good today for being able to hold his head high and show off all he wanted. His mouth was curled upwards even when he was asleep. Chapter 204: Look! It’s That Ghost Something Butterfly Dude Who Owe Us Money! [Part 2] Chapter 204: Look! Its That Ghost Something Butterfly Dude Who Owe Us Money! [Part 2] The person Mo Heng sent to escort Cillin back to his base was one of the two majors who acted as his bodyguard. Although this persons face was lacking in expression as ever, he no longer looked at Cillin with cold and indifferent eyes. Both majors were impressed with Cillins abilities, and they understood now why Mo Heng had valued him so greatly. A person who could turn those veteran scholars and authorities speechless was definitely a rarity. Originally, the major was going to escort him back to Vanguards planetoid on the satellite belt, but due to the way things were about to turn out Cillin was sent directly to another place on the large planet instead. Just a few hours after Cillin was sent off, the military announced their intention to organize a meeting. All invited forces were told to gather at a certain location. Of course, the people who were attending the meeting were all VIPs and leaders of the various forces. They were allowed to bring a group of people with them, but the numbers and weapons they could bring were restricted. Vanguard had left behind all their B Squadron members on the planetoid, but Songba Leruo and Barthus had brought the gray cat and Czedow with them. They were the ones who told Cillin to head over to the meeting directly. Right now, the small teams dispatched by all forces had already reached the coordinates they received on the large planet. Naturally, everyone had arranged the forces they left behind accordingly. No one here was stupid, and everyone had a few tricks up their sleeves. They wouldnt trust in the military fully. Plus, everyone who was invited had had their fair share of conflicts. They wouldnt feel comfortable enough to fight otherwise. The meeting spot they had to visit was specifically chosen by the military for meeting purposes. However, it was decided that flying a spaceplane into the meeting spot wouldnt be wise. After all, the spaceplane Cillin was sitting in had belonged to the military. If Cillin had exited the militarys spaceplane before everyones eyes and returned to Vanguard right after that, some people might be tempted to make some noise about it. That was why Cillin had exited the spaceplane, extended his hoverboard and flew towards the meeting spot when it was still a way off. The leaders were all missing doing god knows what. The meeting hadnt started yet, and not a single VIP could be seen around the area. However, the underlings who already showed up were chatting with each other. People could be seen roaming everywhere at anytime outside. Cillin hadnt drawn anyones attention because there were too many people at his age roaming around the area. A large majority of the Hunters who showed up for the meeting had belonged to the great four. However, they were practically strangers to each other. While Cillin was flying towards the coordinate he received and passing by a certain area, he suddenly sensed abnormal movement behind him and turned sideways to avoid a thrown whip. He adjusted the hoverboard with his feet and stopped the vehicle skillfully after avoiding the blow. The person who attacked him didnt look like they would continue the attack any further. The attack earlier didnt contain any murderous intent as well. It was more like a greeting. That was why Cillin had not counterattacked. After swiftly stabilizing himself and keeping the hoverboard at one place, Cillin turned around to look at the attacker behind him. Yo, it really is you!! The attacker exclaimed with a joyful tone. Cillin raised his eyebrows. It was a familiar person. Long time no see, Little Stache. The person who attacked Cillin was none other than the woman who disguised herself as a man, Little Stache, back when they encountered each other in Sector S prison. Cillins impression was Little Stache was fairly positive; at the very least she did attempt to pull him free and not escape on her own back when the door was closing. This meant that Little Stache wasnt a bad person. Right now Little Stache had changed to a new disguise. She was still disguised as a man with a pair of mustaches, and she was grinning at Cillin on top of her own hoverboard. Cillin looked at the ground beneath them and asked, Are you a part of Fire Phoenix? This area was divided to Sector S people as their resting spot. Right beneath them was Fire Phoenixs territory. Both Fire Phoenix and Flying Snake were one of the few reputable and powerful forces in Sector S. Back when Cillin was still travelling with Lung Fire Phoenixs territory was not among their plotted course. However, he didnt think that Little Stache would show up there as neither a convict or a prison guard. There were no Fire Phoenix member in that prison. Of course, Cillin didnt ask in depth about the secret conflicts of those forces in Sector S. He wouldnt get a real answer even if he did. Yeah, Im a part of Fire Phoenix. Were lucky to meet each other again, and we are comrades-in-arms who went through hard times together after all. So let me introduce myself. Im called Pian Huo. Im only here with Fire Phoenix to join in the fun. After a pause, Pian Huo asked, What are you called? And which force do you belong to? You dont look like one of those forces in Sector S. Im Cillin, a member of Vanguard. Cillin wasnt going to hide this bit of info. Oh~ Vanguard of the great four Hunter regiments, huh? Theyre pretty famous. I didnt realize that you came from a powerful organization. I heard that everyone who could come here are all VIPs among the great fours internal divisions. Im not a VIP. It is luck that I showed up here. Pian Huo didnt believe Cillins words, but she didnt want to continue further along this line of question either. Therefore, she asked, Hey, its pretty boring right now. Do you have any interesting to recommend? No, Im going back to report for duty. Im not free. Tsk, how boring. While they were chatting with each other, another person flew towards them from below. This time however, the person didnt come from Fire Phoenixs territory but Flying Snakes. Eh? Little Flying Snake? Pian Huo said in surprise. With her understanding of him, she thought that Qi Geyou, the Little Flying Snake, didnt care much for outsiders. Long time no see, Cillin! Qi Geyou smiled and greeted. Qi Geyou had coincidentally caught sight of Cillin and Pian Huo in the sky while he was looking around with his binoculars in boredom. The main reason he flew over was Cillin. He hadnt gotten a chance to chat with Cillin properly back at sector S because he had too many things to handle. He hadnt had the chance to pay attention to Cillin and Lungs whereabouts either since he was busy for a very long period of time. The duo was already gone by the time he was free. He didnt think that he would meet a familiar face here, so of course he had to come over to greet him. Long time no see, Qi Geyou. Cillin smiled and bumped fists with Qi Geyou. You two know each other? Pian Huo glanced at the duo and noted the smile on Qi Geyous face. These two people shared a good relationship with each other; at the very least their relationship was better than Cillin and hers, Youre acquaintances. So when did Little Flying Snake and Vanguard come to know each other? We ran into each other by coincidence at Sector S. Cillin said. He didnt mention anything about Qi Geyous rescue, however. Qi Geyou was grateful for Cillins explanation. After all, no one would like something like that to be announced to the public, and especially not to another big organization in Sector S such as Fire Phoenix. Qi Geyou looked at their surroundings before asking, Wheres Lung? Had he come over? He should be around, just not in this area. Im from Vanguard and he belongs to another force. Why dont you pass me your contact number, and Ill tell you his number once I managed to contact him? The military had set up a special communications network in this meeting zone. A special communications frequency was covering this area. Sure. Even if he were to exclude the fact that both Cillin and Lung had once saved his life, Qi Geyou was sure that networking with them was very beneficial for his own development. Qi Geyou believed in his own insight. Pian Huo also came over to exchange contact numbers with Cillin. Her time here had been extremely boring, and she heard that they would have to stay here for several days. The meeting wouldnt end in just one day, and there were a lot of her old friends who hadnt come along to this meeting. Pian Huo wasnt an idle person, and it had been a long while before she finally met a C probably? C acquaintance. If she were to add Little Flying Snake to the mix and that, mm, Lung they talked about either, then things shouldnt turn out too boring. After they had exchanged contact numbers, Cillin continued to head towards Vanguard. After Cillin had left, Pian Huo followed behind Qi Geyou and asked with relative interest, Hey, how did you guys know each other? Do you want to exchange info with me? Qi Geyou cast her a sideway glance, Did you tell him that youre the current Fire Phoenixs disciple? No, I didnt tell him that. Pian Huo lifted a thumb and stroked her mustaches. There were a lot of people who paid her identity as the disciple of current generations Fire Phoenix their little minds. That was why Pian Huo had often disguised herself first before she skipped home and travelled around the universe. The Fire Phoenix themselves had ignored this behavior because it was a form of growth for Pian Huo. It would be detrimental to Pian Huos growth instead if they were to restrict her freedom. Is there a need? Pian Huo looked at Qi Geyou. Qi Geyous response was noncommittal. He didnt say anything in return. Cillin saw the cat crouching on top of Songba Leruos head from far, far away the moment he arrived at Vanguards territory. Right now, the gray cat was impatiently swinging its claws from above Sonba Leruos hat while Barthus was teasing the cat with his beard. At first, the gray cat had simply flicked its ears and ignored Barthus teasings, but after enduring a persistent period of harassment by the naughty old man it finally began using its claws. Previously, the gray cat was feeling gloomy because B Squadron members werent allowed to attend the meeting. Then, Barthus and Sonba Leruo expressed their intentions to bring the gray cat and Czedow over to the meeting. The gray cat had agreed after some thought. With Barthus and Songba Leruo around, the gray cat wasnt afraid that the military or some mad scientist would try to capture it. But it was only after they arrived on the planet that the gray cat realized that this place was completely filled with strangers! The gray cat was just about to extend its sharp claws and give the old man a good shave when it suddenly looked towards the sky as if it had sensed something. The gray cat almost burst out into a cry when it saw Cillin: My savior! The gray cat jumped off Songba Leruos hat and climbed up Cillins legs before the hoverboard had even fully descended. Then, it crouched on Cillins shoulder and threw Barthus a what can you do now look. Barthus simply stroked his beard with a faint smile and said nothing. Cillin jumped down from the hoverboard and put it away. After flicking the gray cats head once, he looked at Barthus and Songba Leruo and greeted them. Are you done with your work over there, little Cillin? Barthus asked. Yeah, Im done. The militarys internal division will take over the rest. Barthus nodded and stopped asking about that. Since Barthus and Songba Leruo had been walking all this time, they had arrived at the edge of Vanguards territory. If they were to walk any further, they would enter Blue Butterflys domain. Cillin and Barthus was just talking about this newly illuminated Sector when the gray cat suddenly let out a loud cry, raised its claws and pointed at a direction. Cillin, look! Its that Ghost something Butterfly dude who owe us money! Chapter 205: All Here [Part 1] Chapter 205: All Here [Part 1] The gray cat hadnt come into contact with Ghost Butterfly Seventeen directly, but Lung had told it about Blue Butterfly before and even drawn an image of Ghost Butterfly Seventeens appearance using an instrument under the gray cats strong request. After following Cillin for such a long time, the gray cat had formed a habit of getting excited the moment money was put on the table. It had an especially deep impression of people who owed him money, so the gray cat grew excited when it saw a person in their list of debtors. The gray cats voice was a little too loud because it was overly excited. Therefore, everyone in the surroundings turned over to look at the source of the cry, and then at the person whom the gray cat was pointing at with its claws. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was just talking with his two companions about some busty girls they encountered earlier when his attention was attracted by the gray cats loud voice. Then, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen saw with an aching stomach someone that he was 100%, no, 10,000% sure that he never wanted to see again in his life. Why is that bastard here!! Not to mention that everyone was looking at him due to the gray cats words. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. Barthus looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeens constipated look and smiled with delight. So even the Blue Butterflies have their shameful moments. Cillin raised his hand and greeted him, Long time no see. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens mouth twitched, Long long time no see Ghost Butterfly Seventeens companions looked at Cillin and wondered exactly which level in Vanguard did he belong to. If he wasnt a second fiddle in the B Squadron, then he was a second fiddle in the A Squadron. But the two people beside him, Barthus and Songba Leruo were both veterans in Vanguard who were recognised wherever they went. The fact that Cillin didnt try to keep a low profile despite being around these two people meant that his status deserved a mull over. The gray cat stood on top of Cillins shoulders and stared at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen with its round eyes. It looked like it would scratch Ghost Butterfly Seventeen the second he denied his involvement. He hehe, so youre from Vanguard. I tried looking for you for a long time but couldnt find the two of you anywhere. You didnt leave behind any contact details, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen walked over on his own accord while speaking. He didnt have a choice. If he waited for Cillin to speak then he might as well throw all his dignity to the wind! He had personally attested to this brats character, and he could say with certainty that he was a total bastard! Of course Cillin and the gray cat wouldnt be so stupid as to believe the nonsense he just told them. They simply smiled and looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen until he felt chills in his heart. Barthus patted Cillins shoulder and said, Hehe, you juniors can continue your conversation. Songba Leruo and I will be going somewhere else to meet some old friends. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen relaxed obviously after Barthus and Songba Leruo had left the scene. Those two people were a generation older than him after all, so he couldnt help but feel awkward talking in front of them. Moreover, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen had gotten used to act as he wished in Blue Butterfly. He just felt uncomfortable all over when he saw another Hunter regiments senior. Kid, thats one normal booster meds and one nutrient pill totalling up to 1.1 million credits! And this is excluding interest rates! The gray cat said. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen cast a glance at the gray cat. How did this pet know about his debt? He didnt think too much into it and put both hands into his pant pockets. He lifted his chin and said, Of course we Blue Butterfly wouldnt commit a misdeed like reneging on our debts. Go find a place where I can swipe my card and Ill transfer the money over right away. Cillin was just about to say something when his communicator rang. The corner of his eyes twitched when he saw the contact number displayed on his communicator. A888888 Even if he were to ignore who the A in the number had represented, the 6 numbers at the back was a clear sign that this contact number belonged to a certain fool. Cillin looked around him and found a quiet place to speak. As expected, Lungs barely awake face appeared on the communicator the moment he accepted the call. I was going to find you. But how did you know my contact number? Cillin asked. Lung smiled proudly and scratched his tousled hair, I got it from Ci Jincheng. Hi Wheeze! I have some fish biscuits with new flavors around here. There are a dozen or so flavors including both freshwater and saltwater fish flavors. Really?! The gray cats expanded pupils was a clear sign of its current excitement. Nuo, look, Lung lifted a tray and showed many biscuits that were purposefully shaped like fishes. Every different fish flavor had a different shape too. Lets go look for Lung, Cillin. We had nothing to do here anyway unless a fight suddenly break out. The gray cat said while patting Cillins face with its paws. You guys should come over right now. Theres a newly built meeting place at my place, so this is just the right time to hold a small gathering while were still free. Ive already told Ci Jincheng and Knight to come over. There are a few more familiar faces who would be showing up as well. Lets have a gathering, eh? Alright. Oh, Qi Geyou was asking for you. Should I bring him along? Little Flying Snake? Hes here too? Of course we should bring him along! Just bring whoevers with you to the gathering whos that guy behind your back? Do I know him? Lung saw a half covered figure behind Cillin and asked. Cillin adjusted the focus of the communicator so that Lung could see Ghost Butterfly Seventeen better. Ghost Butterfly Seventeens feelings soured once more when he saw the face displayed on the communicator. This guy was a bastard too. But just as Ghost Butterfly Seventeen prepared himself to receive another insult that was surely going to be as painful as the one spouted by the cat on Cillins shoulder just now, Lung said affirmatively after staring closely at his face, I dont know him. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen: Alright, now even my balls are hurting. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen never knew that he was this unmemorable until now. The gray cats whiskers shook, How could you possibly not remember him? Hes the debtor who was beaten half dead before you and Cillin saved his life! You even told me his looks back then! Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt like killing someone when he heard the gray cats words. Thank goodness there werent many people around him right now, and the volume of their conversation was fairly soft. Otherwise, he would probably be the butt end of a joke for a very long time. Lung looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen again and finally remembered him. He normally forgot anyone who hadnt made a monetary transaction with him. Oh, youre that Butterfly guy with the abnormal constitution! Well since we ran into each other you might as well come over too. Alright, Im hanging up, Im hungry and Im going to forage some food. See you beep The dude hung up before Cillin could even finish what he wanted to say. He put away the communicator and looked at Ghost Butterfly Seventeen, Lets go and meet up with the rich guy. His place has everything, and we could enjoy a free meal too. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was extremely reluctant to follow Cillin being less than impressed with both Lung and his character. However, a rich man, he said? Who is he again? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen asked. Cillin looked at him in surprise, Do you not know him? That guy does appear quite frequently on the media, you know. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was at a loss. He had been busy for the past time and didnt have any time to pay attention to those things. He didnt search deeper after finding nothing on Cillin after a brief inquiry. He was pretty busy at the time. Seeing Ghost Butterfly Seventeens confused look, Cillin said, Hes called Andrea Lung. Fuck! Hes one of that family whos so poor all they have left is money! There was absolutely no way he was missing this meal! Lets go! Ghost Butterfly Seventeen said indignantly. Wait, let me call one more person. Cillin contacted Qi Geyou. Pian Huo had been watching Qi Geyou all this time, and the moment Qi Geyou took off she followed him too. They agreed to meet up at a place where Vanguard and Blue Butterflys borders intersected. After all, Qi Geyou wasnt a part of either of their Hunter regiments. Therefore, he couldnt enter either one of their territories easily. They could only meet up at the borders. When Cillin led the group of four to the place Lung had told him, they all experienced the same feeling. How absolutely wasteful! The place the Andrea Family and Lung was at was surrounded by fairly reputable families and business entities in GAL. Therefore, this whole area was about as blindingly gorgeous as one could imagine, with the Andrea Familys area being the most dazzling of them all. The temporary playground Lung mentioned was practically a luxury hotel. There were a couple of servants waiting at the front door, but a familiar, slightly built figure was also walking towards them from inside the building. He was obviously there to welcome Cillin. The man walking towards them was Berzett. Originally, he was serving the young men chatting at the private rooms upstairs, but since young master Lung complained that Berzetts presence made it difficult to have a free conversation, he booted Berzett out of the room and told him to wait for Cillin at the entrance. Berzett led Cillins group to the floor Lung and the others were at. The old mans had acted very gentlemanly and worn a very kind smile on his face, but Qi Geyou and Ghost Butterfly Seventeen were still full of tension. They could sense that this old man was very strong and not someone they could win against. They werent able to calm down even though Berzett hadnt shown any malice towards them. It was a habit that they had formed over a long period of time. After all, who could relax and put down their guard after arriving at a new environment and meeting a new stranger suddenly? Berzett paid no mind to their behavior. He continued to treat them as kindly as he would treat his own blood related descendants. Berzett led Cillins group to a door and raised his hand in a polite, inviting gesture, The young master is right inside. Sigh. Berzett had already made up not to go inside since he would only be ignored again. Seriously, every successor of the Andrea Family possessed a lousy temper. He was already looking forward to the next direct descendant to the Andrea Family a.k.a Lungs offspring. Children were just more interesting to raise. Thank you. Cillin returned the polite gesture. Berzett was an old man that he held in higher respect compared to others. He pushed the door open. There were a lot of people sitting on well arranged chairs inside the room already. Most of them were familiar faces except two people. There were Lung, Knight, Ci Jincheng, Pride, Theresa, and Yu Linglung sitting on a custom wheelchair. Lung beckoned him over when he saw Cillins entry, Come on, Cillin, weve been waiting for you for a long time. Hi, Little Flying Snake, I didnt know that Sector S people had also come over to this place. Do take a seat, all of you. One could say that everyone sitting in this room were all reputable people who possessed real authority within their families and forces. However arrogant they used to conduct themselves in the norm, it was better to put it away for now. Pride had matured a lot over many years. Although his eyes were still carrying his habitual air of arrogance, it was a lot milder than it was in the past. Originally, Pride wasnt going to come over to Sector Z because he had other missions to perform. However, after hearing about Cillin from Ji Feihang and confirming the news from Knight, he decided to delay that mission temporarily and come over. Hmph! Pride greeted Cillin with his iconic snort, but there were no disdain behind it whatsoever. Cillin paid it no mind because he was used to it, and he knew that Pride had always been such an awkward kid. Prides automatic response when he was embarrassed and wasnt sure what to say at an occasion was a simple and direct hmph. Everyone knew about this, and no one deemed it necessary to point it out. Yu Linglung gave Cillin a sweet smile. She was almost still the same little girl he remembered in Seven Lights. The sea next to Yu Linglung was empty, and no one dared to occupy it. A blind person would know whose chair it was. Qi Geyou and Ghost Butterfly Seventeen revealed their keen insight and snatched up the chairs two spaces away from Yu Linglung. Pian Huo swept a glance across everyone present in the room before sitting next to Qi Geyou, choosing not to occupy the seat beside Yu Linglung as well. She kept staring curiously towards Yu Linglungs side, though. Cillin sat next to Yu Linglung and stared at her legs for a bit. It was obvious that her legs were wrapped with an instrument identical to the one Dias used to perform in directional induction treatment. What happened? Cillin asked. It was an accident. I lost both my legs. Yu Linglung answered softly. There was obvious grievance in her tone. Lung, Knight and the rest of them who were here earlier shivered instantly. Little Princess Yu, werent you acting all imperious and mighty just two minutes ago? Cillin sighed on the inside. Ever since he learned of Yu Linglungs identity, he knew that everything that happened around her was not as simple as it seemed. It was obvious that her maimed legs were caused by some very complicated matters. If Yu Linglung wasnt willing to say it, then he wasnt going to ask. How are you recovering? Its okay. I can walk barely, but I cant run with them. It always hurts. Her tone was still aggrieved. Lung, Knight and the gang were either turning their head sideways or looking at the floor. They all pretended that they knew nothing. Little Princess Yu that is complete nonsense! Just two days ago we saw you kicking up to the air and smashing a falling apple to bits! If they really hurt then why havent you complained about the pain back then?! Theresa had been watching the duos brief conversation all this time, and she chose this moment to raise her wine glass in a toast, Long time no see, Cillin. Theresa looked almost the same as she was back at Seven Lights. Time hadnt affected the Seven Lights famous Beauty Sa. But Cillin knew that she was no longer the Theresa Kiara he knew from Seven Lights. Douance Theresa, the elder daughter of Douance Aiflon. That was who she truly was. Cillin had known about the genetic connection shared between Theresa and Aiflon since he was at Seven Lights. Long time no see. I see youre just as pretty as ever, Beauty Sa. Youve changed though. Youre not as handsome as you were back then. Theresa joked. Ahem! Lung snapped a finger under Yu Linglungs pressuring gaze and pushed forward a large plate of fish biscuits. Wah~~~ The gray cat immediately jumped on the plate and did a roll, rubbing his scent all over the fish biscuits. What do you think about this gift? Lung tossed a fish biscuit to the gray cat. The gray cat opened its mouth, snatched it from the air, chewed it twice and swallowed it into his stomach. Its pretty good. I want to take them back with me later! Sure, Ill have someone send them over to you later. The gray cat pulled the plate to its side and happily enjoyed its meal. It focused on eating its fish biscuits and ignored whatever was going on at Cillins side. Once everyone had gathered together, the host of this meeting, Lung gave everyone a formal introduction. He only introduced their names and some simple details. Todays meeting involved no secrets, and it was only a dinner between peers. The two people Cillin didnt recognise were more or less the same as Chev Allen from back then. However, from Lungs introduction it would seem that the electronic publications behind these two people were at a much higher level than the Allen Familys. Both electronic publications had more than 80 contribution points. The electronic publication behind Peneus was a famous GAL media giant with over 80 contribution points and was relevant in the internet industry. Back when Cillin was still at Seven Lights, the electronic publication Infinite had once reported about the Sector Championship. He was a distant relative of Lungs. The electronic publication behind Fen Yuzuo was also a famous GAL media giant with over 80 contribution points and was relevant in the business industry. This electronic publication was titled Lavish. Lavish mainly reported about the business industry, which was why he had a lot of contact with Lung. Naturally, the descendents raised by the people who managed to build the two media giants, Infinite and Lavish to their current state were no pushover. At the very least, socialisation didnt look like one of their weaknesses, which was why they hadnt shown Cillin any disdainful looks even though he wasnt a really famous person in the circle of elites. Plus, why would they look down on a person that even people like Lung, Knight, Ci Jincheng and Yu Linglung etc respect? If they didnt have even this bit of insight they couldnt have climbed to their current status, could they? At the same time, these young masters of media giants were also very interested in the trio that had accompanied Cillin to this meeting. Pian Huo revealed her identity to everyone present, and after some consideration she also added that she was Fire Phoenixs disciple. Little Flying Snake didnt try to hide his identity either. Peneus and Fen Yuzuo were obviously quite curious about Sector S. After all, Sector S was the second least reported Sector by the GAL media barring Sector Z. Now that Sector Z was half open to the public, all that remained was Sector S. The quartet had chatted quite agreeably with each other. Lung had said that this was just a small gathering, and they talked only about entertainment and nothing about business. There were no seniors to disrupt them, so everyone chatted quite openly with each other. Chapter 205: All Here [Part 2] Chapter 205: All Here [Part 2] They chatted and laughed, occasionally revealing embarrassing details about each other. The atmosphere at least was pretty great. No one tried to bring up the complicated situations or the records that were best kept hidden on their own accord. In reality, it wouldnt take long before everyone here figured out everyones records after this gathering. With their level of abilities, they were at least capable of figuring out some rough rumors or news even if the detailed secrets were out of reach. They were on the militarys domain, so they didnt dare to go too overboard. They merely ate, drank, chatted and laughed in relaxation even as they felt at ease to have each other. After all, the current situation was rather chaotic, and it was all too easy for any lone forces to be turned into cannon fodders. No matter how high one managed to climb up a mountain, the risk of falling was always there, not to mention a fall in the current situation would be pretty much permanent. Everyone stuffed themselves quite full this dinner, and the burdens in their heart were settled if just a little. They drank a little too much, so Lung sent someone to escort them back to their places. Pian Huo took on the guys on a drinking contest and defeated both of the two media giant young masters, and after that they started calling each others bros. Cillin had no idea if Peneus and Fen Yuzuo knew that Pian Huo was a woman who had disguised herself as a man, but the bros came of their mouths smoothly regardless. Pian Huo herself had drunk herself silly, and thankfully some of them knew that Pian Huo was in fact a woman at least. If her identity were to be exposed then things would turn out quite embarrassing. Qi Geyou could already imagine Fire Phoenixs wrath in his head. He supposed he should just avoid Pian Huo for the next few days. Yu Linglung sat on her wheelchair with a slightly lowered head. She didnt summon anyone to aid her. Instead, she said to Cillin, Send me back, will you? Sure. Cillin himself wasnt going to ask Lung for an escort to send him home, so he decided to send Yu Linglung on her way. He told Lung to send the gray cat back since that fellow was going to supervise the fish biscuits delivery anyway. They hadnt used a flying car. The area Yu Linglung was staying in wasnt too far away, and she didnt want to ride on a flying car. She asked Cillin to push her out for a walk. By now, the night sky had already visited this area and brought its chill with it. The day and night difference of temperature was a little larger than the norm. Unlike the terrain where the Hunter regiments were located, the natural sceneries here were a lot better. He hadnt taken more than a few steps when they saw a brook. Cillin could sense the life swimming inside the brook beneath the rocky ground. There was a classical stone bridge not far away from where they stood, but Yu Linglung suggested that they walk through the brook directly. The brook wasnt even knee deep, so drowning wasnt a concern. Your legs are still in recovery. They cant touch water. Cillin said. Its fine, the healing device on my legs are water proof. Yu Linglung stood up as she said this and pressed a button on her wheelchair. The wheelchair folded on its on and floated a meter away from Yu Linglung. Her legs were a little stiff after sitting for an extended period of time, so she held onto Cillins arm as she got up and walked forwards slowly. As one might expect, a rich mans place demanded many particulars. Although the places security system was well done, a lot of effort was put into maintaining its natural appearance. They could even hear some cries of insects. Neither of them spoke a word. When they reached the edge of the water, Cillin paused his footsteps and slowly crouched downward. He rolled Yu Linglungs almost ground level skirt up to her knees and tied a knot there. This way, the skirt wouldnt be drenched by the water, and would serve to protect her knees as well. The night was a little cold, and the brook water was even colder. A recovering patient should take good care of their joints. Yu Linglung could feel that her face was very warm. A thin blush had appeared on both her cheeks, although the night sky did very well to conceal it from view. Still, it was obvious how she was feeling from her bright, gently smiling eyes. Yu Linglung bowed her head and watched as Cillin worked on her skirt. Due to her background, Yu Linglung had always looked down on others with terrific pressure and displayed the unique pride that only the little princess of the Yu Family possessed. But although the downward gaze she assumed now was of a similar angle, her feelings and expressions were completely different. Are you cold? Cillin looked up and asked after he was done dying the knots around Yu Linglungs long skirt. Yu Linglung stared blankly at Cillin for a little while upon hearing his inquiry. She then shook her head softly and raised a small smile. She looked like she was still a young and inexperienced girl, and not the little princess Yu who drove Lung insane from time to time. Cillin rolled up his own trousers and tossed his shoes to the other side of the brook. He slowly walked into the brook while holding Yu Linglungs hand. Cillin entered the brook first and walked around once before he supported Yu Linglung into the water. The cold stream dissipated much of the alcohol driven heat. He could feel the fishes inside the brook pecking at his feet. Still, the planets night was colder than he expected. Cillin tested the waters and found that it was only about 5 to 6 C. Even if Yu Linglungs healing device was waterproof, it was likely to be somewhat detrimental. Cillin allowed Yu Linglung to hold onto him and walk about a meters distance in the brook. When they were almost 10 meters away from the opposite bank, he paused his footsteps once more. Cillin crouched down and said, Alright, youve had your novel experience. Come up, Ill carry you over. The waters cold, and it will be bad for your recovery if you catch a chill. Okay. Yu Linglung answered obediently. If those who knew of Yu Linglung and her dominant attitude well were to see her right now, their eyeballs would be rolling all over the floor. Yu Linglung sat her head on Cillins shoulders as she lay on Cillins back. For some reason, she felt at ease as she listened to their breathings and the insect cries around them. Cillin carried Yu Linglung on his back and took step after step towards the opposite bank. Yu Linglung touched the cord around Cillins neck once and asked, What are you wearing? A person. Cillin answered. Yu Linglungs movements stopped, and she no longer pried into the matter. Disputes are meaningless between those who are living, and those who are dead. Yu Linglung understood this, which was why she didnt try to fight on this subject. However, she couldnt help but hold Cillins neck a little tighter. Ten meters of distance was crossed pretty quickly. Alright, little princess. Its time to come down. Yu Linglung curled her lips in disappointment and climbed down reluctantly. The folded wheelchair dropped back to the ground and unfolded back to normal. Cillin helped her up the wheelchair and used his sleeves to wipe the water beads on her legs. He then untied the knots around her knees so that the skirt would cover her legs. Lastly, he adjusted the temperature maintenance device on the wheelchair. Cillin pushed the wheelchair to where Yu Linglung had told him to go. There was a team waiting for her already when they approached that area. None of them walked up to her, however. They obviously knew her temperament very well. Cillin pushed the wheelchair all the way to the other side and passed the wheelchair to the person who would take over his role. However, Yu Linglung turned her wheelchair around and stared quietly at Cillin instead. Although she said nothing, her eyes were obvious expecting something. Cillin sighed, Give me your hand. Yu Linglungs eyes turned into crescents, and she swiftly extended her hand. Cillin put a large, green pearl into Yu Linglungs hand. It emanated a gentle, green light beneath the twilight that made everyone feel full of vitality. Yu Linglung could feel the warmth and the life force from this green pearl seeping into her palm. Her breathing had become a lot smoother than it was before. Naturally, she knew that this pearl was extremely precious. At the very least, even she, the little princess Yu hadnt seen such a special pearl until today. This is my gift to you. It is beneficial for your health and recovery. Thank you! Yu Linglung held the green pearl in her hands and exclaimed happily. Im the one who should be thanking you. To this day Cillin didnt understand exactly what Yu Linglung had seen in him, but he did know that Yu Linglung had helped him both overtly and covertly many times while he was working in the Sixth B Squadron. In fact, some of the aid she gave him was unknown to him even now. When he saw Yu Linglungs childlike expression, Cillin extended a hand and rubbed Yu Linglungs head like how he rubbed Tang Qiuqius. The jaws of the team behind Yu Linglung dropped. They couldnt believe their eyes! H-h-h-h-h-h-h-hes rubbing little princess Yus head! And the most unbelievable part is that little princess Yu is actually looking shy! Rest early when you head back. Mm. Cillin turned back and walked away once he bid Yu Linglung goodbye, but he hadnt extended his hoverboard and flown away immediately. Outsiders were currently forbidden from flight in this area, and he would be shot like a dog by the hiding bodyguards and robots if he tried. Cillin walked until he could no longer see the Yu Familys people any longer before looking up to the sky. Then, he pointed a middle finger. At a certain spot high up in the sky, there was a little round ball floating and capturing everything that was going on there. The little round ball was linked to one of the rooms of Lungs leisure center, and Lung, Knight and Ci Jincheng were currently hugging the monitor and staring at it. When they saw the big middle finger on the screen, all three of Cillins colleagues swore unanimously, F*CK! How did he find out? Lung was puzzled. His senses are crazy! Knight said. Ci Jincheng didnt say anything. He was pondering what went wrong with the supposedly covert peep attempt. This camera was hovering at an altitude that could hardly be seen with the naked eye, not to mention that it was nighttime already. So how exactly did Cillin manage to find it out? Cillin had no idea how puzzled the trio were, but he knew that they wouldnt stay quiet from the moment he pushed Yu Linglung out of the door. Lung and friends werent the only party who was monitoring them, but those peoples attempts hadnt gone nearly as smoothly as theirs. They were often disrupted by an unknown signal courtesy of Czedow. Cillin arrived at a border of several neighboring forces. This was a neutral territory where many people were flying across. Even if it was very late now, there were still plenty of hoverboards and flying cars flying about. Cillin cast a glance at the brook where he had carried Yu Linglung across just now before extending his hoverboard, jumping on it and flying towards the Vanguards territory. A while after Cillin had left, the amount of people in this neutral territory gradually decreased. It took at least ten minutes or so before a flyer flew by. After a flying car had zoomed past the area, everything fell quiet once more. The cries of insects were the only sounds that could be heard. A figure slowly rose from the water surface where Cillin and Yu Linglung had walked across just now. Their face was unclear, and they looked like they were made entirely out of water. They hadnt risen further up from the water after revealing their torso. This water human stared at the neutral territory and asked, Did that little guy notice me just now? I think he did. A voice answered the water humans question from the trees not far away from them. However, there wasnt the trace of anyone to be seen. The wind blew, and a tree leaf fluttered towards the ground. However, it was blocked by something invisible while it was falling and turned to another side. Never mind. Who cares? Theres no way hes our target anyway. The water human said. Why not? Dont you underestimate this kid. On the contrary, that thing might very well be on his possession! Really?! But.. he doesnt feel all that strong. He is a little lacking in strength, but the fact that he could sense your presence means that he is quite the sleeper. Well not approach him for now. Lets observe the situation and decide later. Okay. The water human dove back into the water, and everything returned to peace and silence once more. The flying cars that occasionally flew across the neutral territory would never know of their presences. It was quite late when Cillin finally returned to Vanguards territory. Most of its members had gone back to rest except for those who were on shift. Without alarming anyone within the vicinity, Cillin returned to his own room. A fishy smell entered his nostrils the second he entered the room. There was a large box inside the room that was completely filled with fish biscuits. From the looks of it, the gray cat had left it here because they couldnt all be stuffed into its cabinet. A little ear was peeking from the pile of fish biscuits, and it twitched once when Cillin had entered the room. Then, it stayed immobile. Cillin shook his head. The cat could go free, for now. Czedow opened his eyes from the corner of the room. Seeing that Cillin wasnt going to talk to him, he closed his eyes once more. Cillin lay on the bed after he washed his face and brushed his teeth. He pondered about what happened today. Lungs gathering was but a trivial matter. The first thing that puzzled him was Yu Linglungs injuries. When he was carrying Yu Linglung, he could clear sense that her respiratory system was faulty and her heartbeat was irregular. Although her emotions were part of the reason, the bigger factor was still the severe injuries her internal organs once suffered. Although her breathing looked normal on the surface, Yu Linglung had suffered some serious injuries to her internal organs some time ago. Just who was it that managed to hurt Yu Linglung this badly while she was under such heavy protection? Severe internal injuries and two mutiliated legs. He could imagine just how close Yu Linglung had come close to death. Although he could treat Yu Linglungs injuries as part of the Yu Familys affairs, the second thing that puzzled him was not so simple. Cillin had noticed something abnormal inside the water when he had put both feet into the brook. However, he hadnt sensed any danger and there were plenty of Yu family bodyguards hiding around the area. They would have made a swift appearance had anything unusual were to happen. That was why Cillin had pretended that he didnt notice anything and carried Yu Linglung across the water. But when he came back, he had walked across the stone bridge and noticed another unusual presence among the trees. That person had hidden himself so well that Cillin wouldnt have noticed him had he not seen him before. It was one of the Grim Reaper, the guy who had once appeared in the prison back then. No one knew that they were already here. He wondered what their objective was this time. At the very least, he hadnt noticed anything amiss in a broad scale. Did the military know about Grim Reapers arrival, he wondered? Regardless, Cillin himself was going to be high alert. Those who came from Grim Reaper were all crazy in some some ways, and no one knew what they were thinking. To visit Cillins room, one must first go through a large hall at the center of the floor. But the second Cary arrived at the hall he immediately swallowed his loud talking back down his throat. Se Senior Nata Nata was sitting on the great halls sofa and reading a paperback. There was also a box next to him. He simply smiled at the noises Cary and his group were making and said, You guys look spirited. Cary, Xiao Shang and a few other people smiled awkwardly and scratched their heads. They werent sure how to respond to him. They were certain that Nata was here to look for Cillin, so they left after standing around awkwardly for a short while. They couldnt help but be anxious when facing a senior like Nata. After all, not everyone could keep a straight face like Cillin. When Cillin finally got up, Nata had already flipped through a dozen or so pages. Sorry for sleeping until now, senior Nata. Why havent you told them to wake me? Its fine. You were tired. Cillin walked over and took out a water bottle and some jerkies from the storage cabinet at the side. When he passed some of them to Nata, the man waved his hands and turned him down. Just enjoy your meal. Ive already eaten. Cillin didnt hold himself back and began eating right in front of Nata. Did you want something from me? Cilin asked while chewing his jerky. The rule to eat and sleep in silence was inconvenient for Hunters. They had no time to obey such time wasting etiquettes. Nata closed up his book and pushed the box next to him before Cillin. This is some of the parasite samples my friends had collected over the years. You can take a look at them if youre interested. Cillin clapped his hands and wiped his fingers clean. Then, he opened the box carefully. All the samples inside the box were sealed up. The big-sized parasites only had full body images and samples that consisted of a certain part of their bodies. The small-sized parasites had full body samples half-body samples. Their shapes varied greatly, with some looking sinister and some looking very average. The video records inside contain some relevant records on these parasites. Of course, they are just rough records that arent as well written as a professionally written record. Youll have to put up with it. Cillin closed the box and smiled, This is enough. These samples are very precious. Nata nodded, There are some parasites that are incredibly special, and there are some that only had images and no samples. Ive taken a look and discovered that some of them are pretty hard to find. Maybe you can try and capture them if you happen to encounter similar parasites in the future. Cillin didnt watch the videos right away. He carried the box into his room and put it away properly after breakfast. Did you have any plans for the morning? If not then please walk with this old man for a little. Nata said. I have no plans. Please wait for a moment. Cillin changed his clothes and brought some necessities with him. Then, he went out with Nata. I heard that you went to meet with that Andrea Family kid, and there was someone from Blue Butterfly too? Cillin didnt deny this. It was something plenty of people knew about. Thats good news. Be it the Andrea Family, the Blue Butterfly or those people from Sector S, getting to know them is always a good thing. I know that you have a wide social network, and these are all good things that will be beneficial for your future development. While they might not necessarily be beneficial if you are to measure them by the old standards, I believe you can analyse the pros and cons on your own even without much information. The situation now is no longer as stable as it was before. Although Cillin didnt agree with some of Natas views, Nata was giving him some serious guidances. Cillin simply listened to him seriously. Nata continued to speak, We old fellows at the A Squad had a small meeting yesterday. Although the bosses meeting hadnt started yet, weve analysed something according to the intel weve gotten. The territories will be divided up except those places the military has absolute control over. The military isnt that big that they could take over such a large Sector on their own, after all. Forces like Hunter regiments would be able to enjoy at least ten years of occupation rights, and whether or not we would be able to develop, gather resources and control the territory we were given is up to ourselves. Will the competition be fierce? Cillin asked. There will definitely be competition. Im guessing that the division of territories would be decided by drawing lots. Naturally, whoever gets the resourceful territory would face fierce competition, and vice versa. Therefore, the B Squadrons free missions are now cancelled. We will be staying behind for a longer period of time to protect the territories we were given, and we will have to watch out for hidden traps too. Preparations must be made for all these. Mm, I know. This was why being a big force was good. The pies would be completely divided among the big forces of GAL, while the small forces couldnt even get the crumbs. Nata talked about the things that should be taken note of, wanting Cillin to be mentally prepared before he faced those challenges. From the fact that he advised Cillin and not Shawton showed just how much he valued Cillin. In Natas eyes, Cillin was far more important than Shawton. Both his strength and his network were much to Natas satisfaction. The duo gradually approached the neutral territory as they walked. A flying car was waiting for Nata over there. Alright, lets stop here for the day. I have a few more things to do, so go busy yourself with your work. Cillin turned around and got ready to return after he watched Nata entering the flying car and departing. It was at this moment he heard a loud laughter coming from a few people flying towards his direction on a hoverboard. Cillin abruptly turned around and looked when he heard the laughter. By the time he looked at them, he could only see their backs. They looked very average just like the youngsters he saw when he came over to this territory. He only heard the guys chatter and laughter on the hoverboard for a brief moment, but it awakened a memory buried deep inside Cillins head. It was one of the two voices that had been troubling him as of late! Was it Mist, or was it Merciless? Chapter 206: The Six Stars of Hunt, Lone Wolf Oskulos [Part 1] Chapter 206: The Six Stars of Hunt, Lone Wolf Oskulos [Part 1] Cillin had engraved the speaking duos voices deeply in his mind after he got rid of the hypnosis effects. One of the two voices had hypnotised Cillin, and although he didnt know to which faction the person who flew by belonged to, it would appear that they werent the person who hypnotised him. He only needed to listen to their voice to know that they hadnt interfered with his consciousness before. This meant that it was the other person who hypnotised him. Be it Mist or Merciless, the fact that these people were flying here and there overtly on hoverboards in the neutral area but were noticed by no one was very scary. They were the two greatest hitmen organizations in GAL after all. This was the militarys domain, and the satellites were all under their control. Cillin didnt dare to ask Czedow to hack into the system because there were too many experts in this place. The consequences would be absolutely horrific if he and Czedow were caught. After reordering his thoughts, Cillin extended his hoverboard and flew back to the base. There were certain things that he needed to tell his squad as soon as possible. As Nata had said earlier, the latecomers would be arriving in succession as the date of the summit meeting of all leaders approached. His squad was among the first batch of follow-up troops, and the second batch was scheduled to swap shifts with them at a certain time. However, not all but only a certain number of people were sent over to the planet from each B Squadron. They would later swap shifts so that everyone had a chance to recognise the planet and familiarise themselves with its terrain. The group Cary and Xiaoshang were in was succeeded by the Seventh B Squadron. Unlike Cillin and the A Squadrons, they had to return to the planetoid among the belt of moons. However, Czedow didnt leave and continued to stay inside Cillins room. He was paying attention to a certain things without anyone noticing. Cillin had sought out Cary and the others when they were about to leave. He told them to get some training in once they had returned to the base. Is there something to do, LC? Cary looked very eager. You cant go wrong being prepared, Cillin might not have said it out directly, but this was more than enough. Alright, dont worry, Ill bring your message to the squad. Well even supervise the white fatso closely too! Tell the others to keep their heads up. In reality, Cillin knew that the situation was even more complicated and severe than what Nata had told him. If it was just a conflict of resources then it was still manageable, but what if the Aurelios were involved? Fifty years ago, one Aurelio alone had dragged multiple forces into a deadly war, and now everyone was gathered at this one place. If the resonance between Aurelios was found out, then even if a fight were not to break out at this place immediately, the war that would ensue after they left the planet would be incomparable to the war from fifty years ago. After Cary and the others had left, Cillin couldnt help but feel a little fidgety for some reason. He didnt know if it was because of the voice earlier or some other reason, but he just couldnt calm himself down. Originally, he was planning to research the parasite samples Nata had gifted him, but because he was not himself, he wasnt in the mood the research them at all. His mind just kept wandering off into a daydream. In the end, Cillin got on a hoverboard and wandered around on his lonesome. Inside the gathering areas determined by the military, a fully automated service points were evenly scattered in a small area. They served food, some basic necessities and even some minor entertainment. Some youngsters of different forces would be dragging their long-time friends they hadnt met for many years for a visit, which was why every service point was very crowded. Cillin bought an iced fruit juice instead of alcohol from a small shop that sold beverages. His mind was sluggish and fidgety already, if he were to consume alcohol then the symptoms were only going to get worse. Right now, he needed to calm down and think over certain things. The surroundings were noisy, but there were still some empty tables around the beverage shop. They were in the open. Cillin sat down before a small two seat dining table and drank his fruit juice underneath the sunshade, observing the people coming and going around him. Youngsters wearing different badges gathered in groups of threes and fives, shoving, chatting and laughing playfully with each other. Cillin even saw a young thirteen or fourteen years old girl with a butterfly tattooed to her arm. Unlike the ghost butterfly tattoo Ghost Butterfly Seventeen possessed, the butterfly on her arm was a swallowtail butterfly. The patterns on the swallowtail butterflys wings looked just like a tiger, and Cillin heard her companion calling her by the nickname Tiger Swallowtail. She was a member under Blue Butterflys Swallowtail Butterfly. When Green Swallowtail passed her fruit juice over to Tiger Swallowtail, she noticed that Cillin was looking at them. She returned a glance before withdrawing it. Later on, she left together with Tiger Swallowtail. Cillin continued to look at his surroundings after the duo from Blue Butterfly had left. The icy cool temperature of the fruit juice hadnt calmed Cillin down. It wasnt because he was irritated by the surrounding noise, but because he couldnt shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Cillins finger tapped unconsciously against the glass holding his fruit juice. Then, his movements came to a sudden stop. Nearly every hair on his body was screaming of danger. Cillin saw a person. A very, very average-looking person. Neither his appearance nor attire attracted the eye, but it was this person who caused Cillin to feel as if he was surrounded by icicles. He felt as if they would plunge into him and turn him into a porcupine if he were to show even a bit of unusual movements. Its him. Hes the reason Im feeling fidgety. After the initial fear and trepidation, Cillins uneasiness subsided from his mind. Step by step the man walked towards him. There was nothing special about him, and his steps werent wide or hurried either. Cillin couldnt see any emotions hidden behind the mans pupils. Although that man looked like he was wearing a slightly casual smile at first glance, a second, closer look revealed nothing at all. Cillin knew all too clearly what such eyes represented. If he wasnt a killer, then he was so unfeeling that he was almost completely numb to cruelty. The rest of the people around Cillin werent watched by that man, so they felt nothing out of the ordinary and continued to drink their beverages or engage in conversations. They had no idea that a personified Death was walking towards them. Only those who had seen his eyes would understand just how uncharacteristic and terrifying this man was. Right now, Cillin felt as if he was trapped inside a snowland. His entire body was chilly, and he stood there tense and unmoving, ready to make a desperate gamble for his life. Although Cillin knew very well that there was a 70% chance that this gamble would result in failure and death, he had no other choice against this person. Cillin was even regulating his breathing carefully to ensure that he was always at his peak form, but under his gaze, Cillin knew just how wide the gap of strength was between the two of them. Cillin had hidden many weapons inside his leaf-patterned ring such as guns and cannons, but he would be killed by this person before he could even get them out in the open. That was why Cillin had simply focused most of his attention on him and kept thinking for an escape route. Surprisingly, that man had came to a sudden stop when he was just five meters in front of Cillin. Surprise seemed to color his eyes before he gave Cillin a smile that made him feel even colder. Thankfully though, the man withdrew his gaze and walked down a different direction. It was a long time after that figure had vanished into the crowd that Cillins tense muscles finally relaxed. His back was completely covered in cold sweat. When he drank a gulp of fruit juice, chills quite literally crawled throughout his heart. Do you know who he is? The sudden voice caught Cillin by surprise before he reacted and turned around to look at the person who had spoken up from behind him. He seriously didnt sense anyone behind him just now, but maybe it was thanks to this person that that man hadnt tried to attack him, had he? Cillin was sure that the man was targeting him earlier. It was only later that he changed his mind. Hunting Blade Jiada? Were you invited to the summit meeting too? Cillin asked. Chapter 206: The Six Stars of Hunt, Lone Wolf Oskulos [Part 2] Chapter 206: The Six Stars of Hunt, Lone Wolf Oskulos [Part 2] The person standing behind Cillin was none other than the Hunting Blade, Jiada. As usual, he looked like a harmless academic. Jiada sat on the opposite side of Cillin while holding a fruit juice himself and smiled, Yeah, but Im not like you and Vanguard. I am a lone wolf after all, so the only reason they found me was to sign a contract for their peace of mind. I wont be getting any zones for myself, but I will be getting a contract sum. Cillin understood the meaning of mulling over his answer for a moment. Once he had figured it out, he went back to the original line of questioning. Who is that person just now? That person Jiada shook the fruit juice in his glass once, Back then he had beaten me within an inch of my life, and I had to recuperate in a prison for a dozen or so years before I finally recovered. Cillin nearly spat out the fruit juice in his mouth. So that was why Jiada was sitting in a prison in Sector S. Admittedly that place was a pretty good place to recuperate and conceal ones tracks. Still, a person who could hurt the Hunting Blade Jiada Cillin opened his eyes wide and made a hand gesture that meant six, followed by a one. Yes, he is the Lone Wolf of the Six Stars of Hunt. As he thought, that person was at that level. Excluding those four of the great four, there are two Lone Wolves within the Six Stars of Hunt. You know that, right? Cillin nodded, But I have no idea who they are. It was true Cillin had no way of seeing those people who stood at the apex at his current level and status. But why had that person shown up then? Cillin didnt believe that he had offended him before. Out of the two Lone Wolves, the only female among the Six Stars of Hunt, Xin Pressa is a tolerable person. Shes rather lazy and independent, and she acts completely based on her own preferences. But she wasnt bloodthirsty at least. Strictly speaking shes not a lone wolf either. Cillin raised his eyebrows. He didnt think that there was a female among the Six Stars of Hunt. As for the other person, hes the guy you met just now. To Oskulos, taking lives is as ordinary as eating, and he is known to be the loneliest and cruelest out of all lone wolves. Everyone he knew were people who had survived his blade. He would only acknowledge those who had survived his blade. As for those he is determined to kill, there literally is no one left alive except other Star Rank Hunters and Heavenly Edict Generals. So you He took a sudden interest in me back then, but it wasnt at the level where he was determined to kill me. However, Jiada cast a glance at Cillin, Im not saying this to depress you, but knowing Oskulos Im pretty sure that he has his eyes on you. Cillin caught a different meaning from Jiadas words, Set his eyes? Does that mean he isnt determined to kill me? That depends if theres anything worth his attention in your possession. That guy couldnt care to act unless a direct interest was involved. Of course, Im not excluding the possibility that he suddenly felt like murdering someone for his entertainment. The Aurelio starmap pieces! But there was no resonance between the starmap pieces just now, was there? Jiada saw through Cillin and said, Theres no need for doubt, it is exactly what you were thinking. Some people are capable of hiding its resonance and attraction. Cillin frowned. What he meant was that Oskulos only targeted those people who had no way of hiding the resonance and attraction of the Aurelio starmap pieces, and he happened to be one of those people. Do you want to know how to hide them? Jiada asked with a faint smile on his face. Cillin looked at Jiada. The lone wolf smile looked cunning no matter how he looked at it. Just tell me your request, senior. I like talking with smart people, Jiada finished the fruit juice in his glass, but he continued to play with the empty glass in his hand, I can tell you the way to hide them, and I can even give you an Aurelio starmap piece. Of course its not the starmap piece that you need, but it is the starmap piece that the Andrea Family needs. Cillin looked down and said nothing. He waited quietly for Jiadas next words. Seeing no reaction from Cillin, Jiada continued, As for my demands, well its not anything big really. When youve fully collected all the Aurelio starmap pieces in your possession and activated it, I would like to accompany you along the way. Of course, I guarantee that I wont cause you any hold-ups. I may even be able to help you a little. Senior Jiada, forget whether I could even obtain the starmap pieces, how did you know which type of Aurelio I possess in the first place? Out of the five Aurelios, only 2 of them had their whereabouts confirmed. Excluding the one held by the Andrea Family, there are still two Aurelios that remain unknown. I know. I know exactly which type of Aurelio you possess, and those who sought for it are no one you can fight against. Oskulos, Grim Reaper and a few others are all seeking for your Aurelio. Surprise entered Cillins heart. Even Grim Reaper was seeking for his Aurelio starmap pieces! However, it would seem that Jiada didnt know that he was in fact in possession of two Aurelios. What is the Aurelio Im holding? Cillin asked. It is the one that represents rebirth in Genesis Mythos, Shortcut. Shortcut? I heard from a fellow from Grim Reaper once that Shortcut may be a warp point in space. It is a warp point that connects to a star system beyond GAL. This news was without a doubt a great shock to Cillin. Since the space environment around GALs star system was a little unusual, some of the space technologies GAL Research Institute had tested didnt work in that environment. That was why no one from beyond GALs star system had managed to come in, and vice versa. Even the great fours men were only able to surpass the perimeter of the star system by a little, but not fully escape the star system. If the military heard about this then not even Knight or Mo Heng could save Cillin. Should he pass this to Vanguard now? I would advise you to keep it on your person for now. Vanguard isnt completely united on the inside either, so you best not show it easily unless Ji Feng himself had given you his word. Cillin agreed with Jiadas words. In that case, the best timing to turn in the starmap piece would be once he enters the A Squadron. But before that, How can I ensure that I wont get killed by Grim Reaper or this Star Rank Hunter, Oskulos? You dont need to worry about Grim Reaper. Their current objective isnt to snatch the starmap pieces but to find them. You highest priority right now is to escape from Oskulos butcher knife. Thats easy to say. And how am I supposed to escape? Run to my captain Ji Feng? If you are to run to Ji Feng that theres no doubt that Oskulos and Ji Feng will have to clash head on against each other. At the current situation, more than half of Vanguards people would die by the end of that conflict. Cillin fell silent. Dont worry, Ive divined your future for you. The road ahead of you will be rough, but you will survive in the end. Cillin was both frustrated and amused, I didnt know you believe this kind of things, senior Jiada. Jiada simply answered indifferently, There are something that you just have to believe. There are some things that you just have to believe Cillin recalled Ticos rabbit. Alright, Ill tell you the way to hide the pieces reactions right now. As for Grim Reaper, Ill talk to them for a bit. They wont be hounding you for now. Jiada and Cillin might be chatting to each other, but no one around them were able to hear their conversation at all. Even if there was a bug right next to them, it wouldnt have caught any voices whatsoever. An hour later, Cillin returned to Vanguards territory on his hoverboard in exhaustion. Once he got back to his room, he lay on his bed and fell asleep right away. The way Jiada told him was just too mentally exhausting. He had used up more than half of his mental power just practicing the technique. That being said, Cillin could afford this sum of mental power after he was well practiced with the technique despite its cost. No wonder all those people who had obtained a starmap piece without being detected were all elites. There was no way the average Rank A human being could afford such a cost of mental power. Hey, Cillin. Whats wrong? The gray cat jumped onto Cillin from the cat nest it made from the pile of fish biscuits. Get down. You stink of fishes. The gray cat stepped on Cillin several times to vent its emotions before it finally jumped back to its nest. As it thought, a nest made of fish biscuits was just plain wonderful. The sweet dreams just wouldnt stop coming. Lying on the bed, Cillin cast a glance at the gray cat that had slipped back into the fish biscuits before he began pondering a plan. The gray cat was obviously going to be a powerful helper in dealing with Oskulos, but there was no telling if it would be enough. As Jiada had told him, Grim Reaper had not sought him out, and the summit meeting of leaders officially kicked off a while later. After five full days, the summit meeting finally ended. No one knew exactly how many people had participated in the summit meeting or how it went except the attendees themselves. The results of the distribution of Sector Z had been announced, however. No one could say if an unwritten rule was in play, but the territory Ji Feng obtained happened to include the planets where they excavated the special energy ores. Overall, the territory Ji Feng was given was pretty good. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction go hand in hand, but the military didnt care what the dissatisfied people thought, of course. The draw was a matter of luck, and the only choice those people had was to suck it up. The military couldnt care less about their inevitable wars as long as they didnt exceed the bottom line. After Cillin left the planet and returned to the planetoid among the moons with the others, he packed his stuff and departed towards their allocated territory. The A Squadrons starships took the vanguard while the rest of the B Squadrons followed behind them. The formation looked mighty impressive; far more impressive than when the Sixth B Squadron had acted alone. Now this fleet and formation were the true representation of one of the great four Hunter regiments. At the same time, on an insignificant starship, Jiada conversed with the person opposite to him. Are you sure that kid will succeed? The person opposite to him asked. He will. Lets just wait and see. Chapter 207: Searching for A Temporary Base, A Strange Planet [Part 1] Chapter 207: Searching for A Temporary Base, A Strange Planet [Part 1] Inside the Sixth B Squadrons starship, Cillin stared at a string of characters displayed his communicators panel. Once these characters were decoded, it revealed a message transmitted by the Hunter Blade Jiada. The main reason Jiada sent him this message was to tell him that Grim Reaper wouldnt be sending anyone after Cillin, and that he didnt need to worry about them for now. Moreover, he also informed him that Oskulos was currently being held up by some people in the military. After all, Oskulos was an infamous star rank lone wolf in GAL, and it was only natural that anyone who knew about him would be on their highest guard around him. That was why Cillin was safe for now, and had some time to prepare himself. Cillin had always been rather curious about the Hunting Blade Jiada. He was called the lone wolf second only to Oskulos, and although Jiada claimed that he had only escaped to Sector Zs prison to recuperate after he was hurt by Oskulos, Cillin thought that he was only telling him a half-truth. Cillin believed that Jiada was hurt by Oskulos, but he was not making any conclusions as to whether Jiada had escaped to Sector Z to recuperate or for something else. The fact that he was able to survive Oskulos wrath proved just how strong he was, but Cillin hadnt forgotten to consider another point. Oskulos might have been able to hurt Jiada back then, but what about now? Jiada gave Cillin an extremely strange feeling. He was someone he didnt understand. Judging from Oskulos temperament, he shouldnt have changed his mind since he set his eyes on Cillin. So why did he? The reason was ultimately Jiada. Just how much stronger had Jiada become after so many years? Excluding individual strength, the fact that Jiada could speak to Grim Reaper and influence them was an astounding achievement already. Adding that to his apparent ability to divine, a shroud of mystery had been cast around Jiada whether or not he was telling he the truth. Wah were here! Carys loud voice pulled Cillin back from his thoughts. Everyone looked excited as they stared at the images being displayed on the screen. This place was the territory Vanguard was allocated according to the star map. Sector Z-J, also known as Sector Z Zone J. For the next ten years, this place would be a resource excavation area for Vanguard. The squadrons first analysed the general situation of this territory and listed all the states of its planets. This was to make their future operations more convenient. After ten days of data gathering, the A Squadron confirmed a relatively big planet as a Rank A planet. They called it planet Z-J100. Unless a special reason or two were to show up, planet Z-J100 would be treated as the main planet of Zone J be it now or when it was turned to the military after the confirmation. Once the key planet had been confirmed, the ten B Squadrons continuously explored the area. With planet Z-J100 and the heart of the zone as the starting point, they took over a planet each in Zone J as their temporary base and spread out towards ten different directions, exploring on their own. It wasnt as easy as it seemed to find a suitable planet to use as a temporary base for a B Squadron. While it would of course be nice to find a Rank A planet, they could only seek out a Rank B planet instead if none were found. However, Rank A planets were incredibly few to begin when considering Sector Zs space environment, and the best planet they found had already been selected as a key planet. Since Sector Z-Js communication network had been launched in full, and Sector Zs environment had became milder than it normally was, the B Squadrons were able to communicate relatively frequently with each other. At the very least, everyone knew who had found a suitable planet, and who hadnt yet made any progress. As the exploration continued, more news that the B Squadrons had found their respective planets came through the communication channel in succession, and among them two lucky bastards managed to stumble upon a Rank A planet each. Although the planets werent huge, it was enough to cause envy among other B Squadrons. Everyone in the Sixth B Squadron had begun to feel impatient. This was because they still hadnt confirmed the planet they would make their temporary base. Not only were there no Rank A planets at all, they found only 3 Rank B planets during their exploration. Worse, the environment of these planets alone took them off the list of potentials before they even started looking at the planets sizes. They were simply not suitable to build a temporary base on. Rank C planets were even less of a concern. Of course there were more Rank C planets out there, but who in their right minds would build a temporary base on a Rank C planet? If this was in the past, then the squad would rush to a Rank C planet and survey it on foot like they were on drugs. But unfortunately no one was in the mood to check out a Rank C planet. Right now, their highest priority was to find a suitable planet to build their temporary base on, and those planetary inspections could only start after the base was built. How could they possibly be in the mood to perform an inspection when they hadnt even had a place to stay in and knowing that the B Squadrons who had started their temporary bases were watching them like they were circus animals? At the main starship, Shawton and the technicians were busy checking out the scan results from the probes they had sent to all directions. Unfortunately, the surrounding planets were either all at planetary habitability Rank C or Rank D. The results of the analysis were also transmitted simultaneously to all squads after they were processed by the technicians. This was so that everyone could have a grasp of the situation. Cary read through the scan results Shawton had sent them from the main starship with a miserable look and said discontentedly, Dont you guys think that our luck is running a little low this time? If not, why would we have found only those two stunted Rank B planets? Eudy threw a sideway glance at him and said, Its amazing that they managed to evolve into Rank B planets with such environment in the first place. Cary let out a hmph and said, Do we seriously need to go back to those stunted planets and build our temporary base on one of them? I dont wanna, thats so embarrassing Beaver looked at the data summary they had collected for the past few days in his hands and said helplessly, What can you do? Not every B Squadron can be a lucky bastard. Cary turned his head and stared at the white fatso rolling around at the corner of the room with Dough, Snowball, come over and let me pinch you for my mental health, will you? Snowball immediately rolled away the second he heard Carys request. He ignored him no matter how Cary cried out to him. F*ck, this white fatso is growing less and less lovable! Cary, Snowball is still lovable. You cant see it because youre having your period, Eudy played with Doughs tail for a bit after it had jumped onto his knees. Youre the one whos having his period! Beaver shook his head and ignored their arguments. He looked back at the analysis data and stared at the scenery being displayed on the big monitor. They were currently passing by a Rank C planet, but although it had a passable amount of surface area, it really wasnt suitable to stay in according to the data transmitted back by the probes. After all, just how good a planet that was categorised as rank C could get in the first place? There were plenty of people who shared Beavers thoughts, which was why the Sixth B Squadrons starships showed no sign of stopping. However, when they got closer and closer to the Rank C planet, the gray cat that was napping on Cillins shoulders suddenly opened its eyes and straightened its ears. What is it? Cillin asked when he saw the gray cats reactions. We have a situation. That planet somethings not right with that planet! The gray cat stared at the planet that was identified as a rank C on the big monitor. Whats wrong with it? The gray cat didnt say anything, but Cillin could see its pupils expanding and contracting into vertical slits. If this planet could cause such a great interest in the gray cat then Cillin immediately called Shawtons communicator. Commander, we have a situation. Please stop the starships for a moment. What is it? Shawton asked. Shawton was feeling pretty bad himself right now. The Sixth B Squadron hadnt made any progress until now, and the person who drew the straws to decide which direction the B Squadrons were headed to was him. He was feeling quite a lot of pressure too since they hadnt found a single good planet along this direction to the point that even the squadrons personnel were complaining. Theres a little something. I would like to go to that Rank C planet and take a look, Cillin immediately voiced out his thoughts. Shawton frowned and fell silent for a moment. Then, he said, Alright, how much support do you need? Im fine. Ill just bring Wheeze and Czedow with me. You have three hours. Come back immediately if you found nothing. Okay. Chapter 207: Searching for A Temporary Base, A Strange Planet [Part 2] Chapter 207: Searching for A Temporary Base, A Strange Planet [Part 2] Some technicians were complaining after Shawton had ordered the starship to stop, but the commander said nothing in return. Since he chose to trust in Cillin, then he would bear all the pressure that came with it. Cary wanted to follow Cillin, but was turned down by him. The air on this planet was extremely thin, resulting in high intensities of cosmic rays. The composition of the air itself was harmful to the human body, which was why Cillin had walked out of the spaceplane while wearing a protective suit. Their landing spot was chosen by the gray cat. The gray cat and Czedow looked a lot more at ease than he was, however. The gray cat had kept running towards a certain direction ever since they got out of the spaceplane, and while Czedow hadnt done anything while he was on the starship, he too came alive as his eyes flashed with actual light again and again. It was obvious that he was performing a deep scan of the area. The place looked like a plain with the occasional small hills. Tall mountains were absent from this place. The gray cat looked incredibly excited. It wasnt an excitement towards food, but an excitement towards something interesting. Here, the average scanners and instruments all failed to work. The life signature monitor Cillin wore around his wrist showed no life around the area; not even their own. It was obvious that the problem lay with this place. Luckily, Czedow was able to operate as normal. They were able to transmit some footages back to the starship through him. Although the video transmissions were intermittent, it was at least something for those on the starship to check out. Cillins running footsteps came to a stop as he looked around him. He could feel that many pairs of eyes were looking at them. There are some alien life with a greater degree of evolution than norm around us! Czedow said. Youre right. But I wonder what they are, Cillin cast a glance at his surroundings once before he continued to chase after the gray cat. On the starship, Cillin and Czedows words struck a chord of disbelief in Shawton and the technicians. That was because their scanners hadnt detected any highly evolved organisms on this planet. There were some microorganisms, but they were mostly present at the extreme environments of the planet. The scanners had also captured some unicellular organisms and some plants that were mostly categorised as lower life forms. The gray cat was obviously not concerned by the hidden eyes that were staring at them. Instead, it lowered its head and sniffed here and there, looking very pleased about something. Theres an electrical facility beneath this place. Its very huge, the gray cat turned around and said excitedly to Cillin. How big is it? Cillin asked. It stretches from where we landed, to where we passed through, to the ground were standing on and much, much further ahead. It probably takes up one fifth of the entire surface of the planet! Cillin narrowed his eyes. Although he had detected some abnormalities since he arrived on this planet, his senses werent as acute as the gray cats. He also didnt know what those feelings meant, and couldnt estimate to how far they spanned. He was seriously surprised when he heard the gray cats answer. Now, even he could vaguely sense that someone seemed to have arrived on this planet since a very, very long time ago and made some pretty huge changes to it, leaving something behind. Shawton had also heard the gray cats words, and the revelation shocked him a lot too. He was confident in the gray cats judgment, so that meant that something on this planet was disrupting their scanners. Therefore, all the data theyd gotten from the probes were automatically useless. Cillin, standby while I send someone Shawton hadnt yet finished his words when some black figures appeared on the screen. Cillin brought out his gun as he stared at the figures that appeared from behind those small hills. What what are those things? A technician gulped and asked. Since cillin was currently on the dark side of the planet, they couldnt see exactly what those things were from the footage Czedow was transmitting back to the starship. They could only see a vague outline that was shaped like a standing scorpion more than two meters tall. At any rate, they were definitely not human. Attention to all squads to reinforce LC Cillin immediately! This planet was extremely strange, and Shawton was feeling goosebumps on his back right now. He was already regretting his decision to send Cillin to the planet. Their numbers grew gradually, and they surrounded Cillin, Czedow and the gray cat inside the circle. Moreover, the circle was getting smaller and smaller. Cillin managed to see these creatures clearly with the help of dim starlights. They had triangular mouths and several pairs of fangs, three pairs of nippers around their stomach, and three pairs of large feet with sharp claws that were nailed to the ground. They also had a raised tail behind them. The surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped quite a bit as these creatures appeared. The gray cat still wasnt looking at those creatures. Instead, it circled around the area again and again with its thoughts unknown to everyone. Wheeze, we have a situation. What do we do? Cillin asked softly. These creatures were absolutely not easy to deal with, not to mention that they held a great advantage in numbers. The spaceplane was also some distance away from them. Overall, the situation was extremely disadvantageous to Cillin, and since he was the only real human being at this place, he had also become the primary target. He felt like he could blow his top seeing how calm the gray cat was even now. The gray cat only flicked its ears in response to Cillins low growls. Then, it stopped walking in circles as a series of green characters flashed swiftly across its eyes. Cillin and Czedow stood back-to-back, ready to deal with the creatures that were taking step after step towards them. Eeyah A sharp cry cut through the nights silence. The cry was let out by the creature standing at the frontmost of the group. It was probably these creatures leader. Once the sharp cry was over, the creatures finally quickened their footsteps and charged towards Cillin. The shoulder cannon, wrist blade and combination laser guns were all prepped for combat. But just as Cillin was about to engage the creatures in battle, they suddenly came to a stop and let out many low cries of unknown meaning. Eeyah There was another cry, but its pitch was obviously different from just now. Once the cry was over, the creatures that had came within seven or eight meters away from Cillin and Czedow stopped their charge, and slowly backed away. Meanwhile, the reinforcements Shawton had sent out were also gradually appearing from the sky. Support, dont come over yet, and dont open fire! Cillin said urgently. Just now, the gray cat had sent him a message. The thing hidden underground was about to come out. After receiving Cillins instructions, the fighters and spaceplanes hovering above Cillin groups head didnt descend immediately. They had made up their minds to stay since they were here already, and to open fire the second those creatures made an unexpected move. LC, whats going Carys eyes turned blank before he could finish his words. Everyone elses reactions were more or less the same when they saw what was happening below. Rumble The ground started to shake. Those creatures went away and vanished in just a short amount of time just as quickly as they came in secrecy. Cillin and Czedow stood unmoving at their respective spots. They gray cat had told them that there wouldnt be any danger here. As the ground shook, the dust and debris covering the small hills were suddenly shaken off their soil. Then, they lit up and cast away the nights darkness that had enshrouded the area. Everyone on the starships was shocked by this scene. The lights that shone through the darkness were extremely obvious through the planets thin atmosphere, and it was clearly visible even from space. What did this mean? This meant that someone had came here before and built these facilities! Judging from the current situation, they had been around for quite some time now. Who on earth had built these things? And was the creator of these facilities related to that big planet that was put under the militarys control right now? The technicians on the starships were all excited beyond words when they thought about this. The shaking of the earth didnt stop after those protrusions that looked like little hills had lit up. It continued until a building shaped like a quarter-circle had risen from the ground. The building was about 15 meters long. After it had risen completely, the gray cat stared at the building as green characters flashed across his eyes. Czedow disconnected the video transmission to the starships and began staring and analysing the building before him. The gray cat was performing a decode, and Czedow was learning how to do the same. It was a rare opportunity to be able to learn from a cyborg. Cillin stared at the building, knowing that the gray cats so called decode was it talking with the gigantic machine underground. Although Cillin himself couldnt talk like this, he could see these machine languages and the interaction between the building and the gray cat. He didnt understand what they mean, however. He could only see some of them. Two minutes later, the side of the quarter-circle building that was facing Cillins group opened up and transformed into a passage. Lets go. Everyone else except the three of us should stay outside. No trespassers will be left alive, The gray cat walked into the building with a raised tail after it was done saying this. Cillin and Czedow followed the gray cat into the building. The gray cats words were obviously directed at the rest of the people on the Sixth B Squadron. Its words stunned all the people who had just gotten off the spaceplane and wanted to walk in. Commander? A squad member asked Shawton direction. Lets wait around the area and do what it says. Cillin will send news to us later, Shawton said. Alright. I guess thats all we can do for now. Lets take this time and investigate the surrounding environment and the hideouts of those creatures just now. A second group of people will be arriving on the planet later. After he was done making some arrangements, Shawton got on a spaceplane and arrived on this planet that was just categorised as a Rank C planet moments ago along with the second group of people. Things didnt seem to be going the way they thought earlier. Chapter 208: The Underground Base That Saw Daylight Once More [Part 1] Chapter 208: The Underground Base That Saw Daylight Once More [Part 1] Cillin and Czedow followed the gray cat into the building. The building had interior lightning, and the kanos lit up automatically when Cillin and his group entered a particular area. They would turn off only when the group had completely left an area. It was noticeable that the original master of this place was a somewhat conservative person when it came to power. They saw an elevator not long after they entered the building. It opened automatically when they got near it, and the gray cat took the lead and walked inside. Hesitating no longer, Cillin walked into the elevator as well. The elevator closed and began to descend into the ground. When Cillins group had gotten on the elevator and descended underground, the lights inside the building went out completely. The hills outside were the only things that were still lit. The rustling sound of wind blowing softly was the only thing that could be heard other than the sounds caused by the Sixth B Squadrons spaceplanes and fighters. Shawton and everyone were extremely puzzled. If they hadnt seen those creatures with their own eyes earlier, they wouldnt have suspected that there were higher lifeforms in this place at all. Despite searching across many places, they werent able to find even the shadow of those creatures. It was as if they had all evaporated into thin air. They cant have gone underground, have they? A technician said. Thats very likely, but the probes cant scan anything underground. The scan data just doesnt match reality no matter what, Another technician stared at a scanned picture on the scanner and looked a little distressed. If these instruments are useless, then we can only search for them manually. For now, Shawton didnt allow his squad members to head down underground. There were unknown dangers lying in wait underground, and the environment of this planet was extremely harmful to the human body. It was inevitable that one would encounter many inconveniences when clad in a protective suit, and it would be a disaster if those creatures had came out and attacked them at once. That was why Shawton couldnt send his men in while the risk was very real. He could only hope that Cillin would send him news as soon as possible. Cillin followed the gray cat and exited the elevator. There seemed to be a multiple passages leading down different directions, and this elevator was the intersection point of all of them. The gray cat had a clear goal that it was headed to since they entered the elevator, and it didnt hesitate after it exited the elevator. It didnt try to explain too much to Cillin and simply ran down a certain direction singlemindedly. Looking at the construction of these passages, Cillin didnt think that they were the work of a super civilization. While these passages were built rather firm and solid, technology wise they actually didnt compare to some bases in GAL. While they were walking through the twisting corridors of the building, Cillin saw some single rooms, meeting rooms, a dining hall and an auditorium. They never stopped by these facilities, however. Right now, the gray cat was running faster and faster, and its joy seemed to be growing in proportion too. It yelled loudly while running. Sigma! Im here! Show yourself and welcome me, quickly! Sigma? Whos Sigma? Cillin stared to the front but saw neither humans nor animals. Whebeze, Im so happy to meet you. Then, an excited voice rang as an opening suddenly appeared from the wall of a corridor ahead of them. A robot walked out of the opening. If this was outside Sector Z, if this robot were to appear on the streets of the planets of the ten trade Sectors, it would definitely be made fun of and called antiqued, outmoded, ugly and outdated. However, this robot gave Cillin a special feeling. If he were to look at the robots appearance alone, it was undeniable that it was antiqued in a way that possessed neither the human appearance nor the fluid movements of Czedow. In fact, this robot didnt have a pair of legs; its cylindrical body supported by a semicircular object that could roll towards any direction. Its head was also a semicircular object that was connected to its body. A blue strip swept here and there, and Cillin reckoned that it was the robots eyes. So what exactly made this robot named Sigma who looked just like a roly-poly toy so special? It was his tone, his movements, and the changes in the blue strip. The way it spoke naturally was just like how a human would speak. The blue light took on a wavy pattern that was something like a humans smile when it said that it was very happy to see the gray cat. Also this suspicious fellow was waving its hands up and down just like a fledgling that was flapping its wings while running when it rolled over! The gray cat was so happy that it ran circles around Sigma, and Sigma kept spinning on the same spot until Cillin felt a little dizzy in the head. Say, can you both please stop for a moment? Cillin said. Sigma looked up at Cillin and Czedow behind him, and it let out a wah! exclamation before it rolled circles around them while waving its hands. Its a familiar scent! Sigma was so happy that the blue strip on its face turned into many big wavy patterns. Cillins mouth twitched. This robot seemed like it possessed the personality of a child. It was obvious that the gray cat had been communicating with this robot all this time. After rolling around Cillin and Czedow for a bit, Sigma stopped in front of Cillin as the blue strip took the shape of a question mark. Youre human? But why do you smell just like us? Sigma said. The gray cat jumped up to Sigmas semicircular head, stood steadily and briefly introduced both Cillin and Czedow to Sigma. It added, Cillins an anomaly, but theres no need to think too much about it. Just categorise him as one of us. Alright, Sigma did as told and categorised the gray cat, Cillin and Czedow as one of its own. Then, it told Cillin, The air composition and environment of this place have been changed, so you can take off your protective suit now, Cillin. Czedow didnt raise an objection against Sigmas words. He had gauged the temperature, air pressure, humidity, air composition and so on of the current environment and found it very suitable for human life, so there was no need to put on a protective suit any longer. This change had started only after Sigma had categorized Cillin as one of its own. The environment was changed completely in just a matter of few seconds. Cillin took off his protective suit and took in a breath. The oxygen and carbon dioxide level of the air were pretty great and very much in line with the standard ratio. Come, come! Ill take you on a tour around this base! Sigma walked, no, rolled forwards while waving its hands. Cillin was very curious about the principle behind its movements, but he figured it out when he saw Sigma climbing up a set of stairs by changing the exposed part of its semicircular bottom to the same shape as the stairs. That semicircular bottom that was its legs could switch forms at will. The underground base was incredibly huge; Cillin knew this from the gray cats description earlier. But unlike other bases, the facilities here were incredibly complete. It was like a perfect underground world that even had a large manmade lake of its own. Sigma, have you always been alone in this place? Cillin asked. Sigmas voice was suddenly filled with sadness, Yeah, it was so boring that I had no choice but to enter hibernation mode. I wont wake up unless an outsider shows up. What about those cre non-humans outside? Weve seen them before we came here. Oh, you mean the Lovages? Theyre guardian beasts who guarded this place. They would hibernate when there are no outsiders on this planet, and they would wake to attack all outsiders who invade this planet. Lovage? Cillin was a little confused. He had never heard of this term, and he didnt know what it meant either. Lovage means Knight. The reason Master created them is so that they would protect this base just like loyal knights. Which Sectors language is that? Cillin asked. Its not from here. Its a language from my home, Sigma sounded even sadder now. Youre not a robot from GAL? No, Im not. What about your master? Is he not from GAL too? My Master is. Hes the one who brought me to this place. Later on, Master and everyone else left and told me to stay behind and protect this place, The blue strip on Sigmas face turned into a pair of flowing tears immediately as he said in a crying tone, I was left behind by the Little Miss and everyone. I really hated to part with them, but Master said that I can only leave the base and search for them if Shortcut activates once more Chapter 208: The Underground Base That Saw Daylight Once More [Part 2] Chapter 208: The Underground Base That Saw Daylight Once More [Part 2] Shortcut! Aurelios Cage, the Shortcut that represented rebirth! It was the two starmap pieces that Cillin possessed right now. As expected, Sigmas master was the person who left behind the Aurelio. Sigma was like a defenseless child who answered every question that Cillin had thrown at it. The main reason though was because it had categorised Cillin, the gray cat and Czedow as one of its kind. That was why it had nearly answered everything that Cillin asked it. It didnt take long before Cillin had figured out nearly all the information he wanted to know. Cillin, Sigma said that we can use this base! The gray cat proudly jumped on top of Cillins shoulders and said. Really? Cillin looked at Sigma. Yeah, Master said that anyone that I acknowledge is allowed to use this base, and Ive acknowledged you! Sigmas tone sounded more like excitement for having found a playmate. Wont your master come back later? They wont, and even if they did they wont be using this base. This used to be my masters old base. Theyve relocated later on. Apparently, the new base Sigmas master had relocated to was situated at the main planet the military was guarding right now. So do you want the base? Do you? The blue strip on Sigmas face turned into two big circles immediately as it stared expectantly at Cillin. Of course he wanted it! This base would save the Sixth B Squadron countless energy and money! Plus, the way Sigma described it this base had been in a halt since the departure of its original master. Unfortunately, this planets environment is unsuitable for humans. We cant just stay underground all the time, can we? Cillin said a little regretfully after a moments consideration. This is nothing! Sigma circled around Cillin ones and showed him a finger, First, this base is originally established on the surface. Ive only made the base go underground because I was going to sleep later on. You mean your master had built the base on the surface at the beginning, and you singlehandedly cause the entire base to sink underground? How on earth did you manage to complete such a big project yourself? I was bored. There was nothing to do anyway, Sigma said. To Cillin, Sigmas simple words were the summary of a long, long journey of hardships. A lonely robot left behind, and an old base. It was a very inspiring story. The blue strip on Sigmas face turned wavy again as it continued with a cheery tone and extended another finger, Second, this planet had undergone a very, very long period of transformation, and now its environment can be adjusted. One of the reason this base was so big was because it could affect the entire planets environment and air composition. It can be changed? Cillin asked in surprise. Of course. The atmosphere, the air composition and the air pressure can all be transformed in just an hours time. That is how it used to be in the past. Everyone used to run around however they liked before master had left this place, The blue strip on Sigmas face moved upwards, seemingly recalling the past. Cillin rubbed his chin and beckoned Sigma to come closer with a finger. What is it? Have you come to a decision? Sigma immediately went closer. Cillin discussed a few things with Sigma and told him not to reveal the Shortcut for now. Once they were done matching their lies and everything, Cillin finally let Sigma adjust the base. Outside the planet, Shawton was staring at the monitoring displaying the planets surface inside a spaceplane. This planet was desolate and completely void of human contact. There was water and some low level plants on the planet, but they did little to add to the liveliness of this entire planet. Moreover, their numbers were so sparse that they looked more pitiful than anything else. Cillin radioed in while Shawton was thinking about something in his mind. How did it go? Shawton asked. Everyone will know very soon, commander. Please tell everyone to get away from the ground and stay at a higher altitude for now. Youll see what weve obtained from this trip in two minutes time. Cillins words were very decisive, and although Shawton had his own doubts he temporarily suppressed them and told everyone to get up to the air. Once everything was ready, everyone including those aboard the starships outside the planet all stared at the monitor without blinking an eye. The little hills on the planets surface grew brighter and brighter, and suddenly the earth began to shake a lot harder than the first time. The rocks, sand and soil on its surface were all shaken off. Then, the base that was hidden underground and had been left behind for more than a thousand years finally saw daylight once more. Every Sixth B Squadron member were dumbstruck as they saw the grandiose construction that just stretched on and on climbing up to the surface. As the base slowly climbed to surface level, the surrounding areas became enshrouded by sand and soil. However, at a height where the sand and soil couldnt reach, the taller buildings of the base looked like a leader that was guiding the rest of its parts to the surface. An hour later, when the sand clouds had gradually faded and the lights of the little hills illuminated the entire area, everyone finally saw the full appearance of this gigantic underground object. It looked like an earth dragon that had just emerged from the ground, and a fort that was as stately as a military base. Ci Cillin Shawtons voice sounded a little raw. He seemed to understand what was going to happen next even as his heartbeat quickened without him knowing it. For a time, he wasnt able to control himself. Wait, commander. Wait just a little while longer. Is there something else?! Almost everyone was staring at the planets surface while holding their breaths. A minute passed by, and nothing happened. Five minutes passed by, but still nothing happened. Ten minutes passed by, twenty minutes passed by Cillin, what is it? Were not see anything from up here, Shawton finally couldnt hold himself from asking. It was rare to see this Sixth B Squadron commander this impatient. Before Cillin could answer, some of the technicians on the starship told Shawton the truth in extreme excitement, Commander, the planets atmosphere had become thicker! According to the observation data weve collected from the returning probes, the planet is transforming from a Rank C planet to a Rank B planet! It meant that this giant that had emerged from the ground could transform the planet itself into Rank B planetary habitability or Rank C planetary habitability anytime it wanted. Who on earth had left behind such a massive stroke of work on this planet? Ba-thump, ba-thump Shawton could hear the sound of his own heartbeat and his blood flowing. Finally, Cillins voice came in once more. Commander, the transformation is complete. Theres no need to wear a protective suit now, As Cillin said this, a flat landing field appeared on the base. It literally was a temporary airport. Okay okay! Shawton ordered the spaceplane to descend on the landing field and walked out of the vehicle first. He did not wear a protective suit. The purification commenced by the base had basically caused all those sandstorms to subside. The air had already been adjusted to meet the standard ratio, and the only flaw they could think of was that the air temperature was a little low. It literally couldnt be any more insignificant to Hunters like them. Cillin was already standing by at an entrance on the landing field. When he met Shawton, he briefly talked about the base before introducing Sigma solemnly. The first thing Shawton said to Sigma after Cillin was done explaining was, Would you like to join the Sixth B Squadron? What followed afterwards was a string of persuasions that one normally heard from a child kidnapper. The blue strip on Sigmas face quickly turned into dizzying circles. Sigma wasnt sure what the best decision might be, so it asked the gray cat it trusted the most, Whebeze, are you a member of the Sixth B Squadron too? Of course! Im also an core combat strength in the squad! The gray cat said while lifting its head high on top of Cillins shoulders. Like hell you are! Close by, Carys mouth twitched at the gray cats claim. Carys reaction were obviously not in Sigmas area of consideration, however. It would only listen to its own kind. Unfortunately for it, it had no idea that the gray cat itself had been swindled into the squad by Cillin. Everyone in the Sixth B Squadron went wild when they saw the fort that took up one fifth of the planets surface. What a blessing in disguise! The A Squadrons had told the B Squadrons to act, choose and work as they liked. The construction of a temporary base was also test of the B Squadrons abilities, so the A Squadron would send someone over from time to time to inspect their work. Shawton was already looking forward to the A Squadron envoys arrival. He wondered how they would look when they saw this grandiose scenery. Sigma had no qualms about the Sixth B Squadron settling into the base whatsoever. However, the first problem they needed to solve was an issue of cohabitation. The Lovage was a species of guardian beasts with chips installed inside their body. That was why Sigma needed to tweak the chip a little so that both sides could associate with each other in harmony. Back when the base was still hidden underground, the Lovages had survived on the bases stockpiled nutrient fluids. Since there was a finite amount of nutrient fluids, the Lovages would go underground and enter hibernation whenever the planet was void of human life. Now that they had shown up, the Sixth B Squadron was very willing to use up large quantities of food to get along with these guardian beasts. Since they had decided to establish a temporary base on the planet, the first and most important priority to settle was the construction of the satellite array defense network. But those things had nothing to do with the gray cat whatsoever, for it was currently embroiled in a great internal conflict. It noticed something: Cillin, Czedow, Sigma. Their names had all verbally started with a C. Did this mean that it had been pushed out of the circle? That cant be! I mustnt stand out too much. But do I really have to change my name to Cibeze? That sounds terrible! Chapter 209: The Flora Planet That Lacks Faunas [Part 1] Chapter 209: The Flora Planet That Lacks Faunas [Part 1] Right now the Sixth B Squadron was as busy as a bee, but it was work that they were extremely excited and delighted to do. Originally, they thought that they wouldve to build a temporary base on either one of those two stunted Rank B planets, and had even prepared themselves to be ridiculed by the B Squadrons who had found their planets ahead of them. But there was light at the end of the tunnel, and their gains were bigger than anyone couldve expected. This amazing finding caused Cillins influence within the Sixth B Squadron to swell. When Cillin was brought up during the private conversations between the squad members they were all certain that Cillin was going to take over Shawton as the commander of Sixth B Squadron once Shawton left his post. That being said Cillin was still very young, and Shawton was still at his prime. Plus, Shawton wouldnt be leaving for the A Squadron anytime soon considering the current situation in GAL. Therefore, the topic remained a casual subject during idle conversations. Cillin had sought out Dias once to talk about this type of rumors. No one knew what theyd talked about with each other, but neither of them acted out of the ordinary after the conversation either. Therefore, they paid no attention to it. Once Sigma had introduced and explained the general situation inside the base to the technical teams, it left them to figure out the ropes themselves.This robot with a childs temperament couldnt be bothered to spend the whole day with a bunch of technicians. Everyone had an enthusiastic discussion about the construction of the defense network, and in the end theyd came to the decision to build a three-layer defense network around the base. The first layer would be set up by the technician team, and the second layer would be completed with the combined strength of Eudy, Beaver and Cillin. The third and final layer was the existing one-track minded defense network in the base and was subjected to no ones manipulations. Of course, this no one didnt include Sigma. Eudy and Beaver had built a database based on the data Cillin brought back from the prisons of Sector S. They reformed, upgraded, and came up with a whole new defense network to protect their new base. However, the technician team had a disagreement regarding the new defense network Eudy and Beaver had created, which was why the base had a total three defense network in the end. Sigma didnt mind having three layers of defense network as long as they didnt harm the base itself. As long as that rule was obeyed, the Sixth B Squadron could do whatever they wanted to. As of late, the Sixth B Squadron was working hard to build a rapport with the guardian beasts, Lovage. This genetically engineered creatures might look savage on the outside, but they were actually relatively mild on the inside. They only had one bottom line, and that was that the base mustnt be harmed no matter what. These seemingly ferocious beasts were in fact zealots of the base, and they would fight to their deaths if their home was invaded by outsiders. This was without a doubt good news to the Sixth B Squadron. At the very least, they knew that guardian beasts would never turn traitor, and in a way these single minded fellows were actually pretty cute. Cillin had observed the Lovages for a while, and he noticed that they were showing signs of reproduction after twenty or so days. If their food supply remained steady, then it wouldnt be long before a second group of Lovage guardian beasts was born into this world. Sigma would then inject chips into these new beasts just like it did for the first generation of Lovages so that they would protect this base together. Sigma was very happy as of late. Unlike the time when there was only it and the Lovages, it now had a large group of companions to play with. That was why Sigma could often be seen running wildly inside the base with Snowball and the others. This poor kid had been cooped up for way too long a time! Strangely, the gray cat had been keeping a little more quiet than usual and would often zone off to dreamland. Today, Cillin, Eudy and Beaver were performing one final inspection on their refitted second-layer defense network. Lets rest for a bit. Were all tired after working for such a long time. The last bit of work would only take about three hours, so we should be able to catch dinner with everyone today, Beaver wiped the sweat on his face and said. Alright then. Im hungry too, Cillin took out some food from the bag beside them and spread it around. They werent able to grab any dinner as of late because they were busy inspecting the defense network. Say Wheeze, why havent you played with the others recently? Eudy looked at the gray cat and asked. He knew that Dough had been missing a lot as of late because it was busy fooling around with Sigma, Snowball and the others. Wheeze has been blanking out a lot lately, Beaver echoed in agreement. This cat had been crouching by the side and watching their inspection for several days already. Im contemplating, okay! Contemplating! The gray cat was very angry. Blanking out and contemplating were two completely different concepts, and while it was true that it was blanking out most of the time, it did sink plenty of time into contemplating too. Cillin flicked the gray cats ears and asked, Alright, spill it. What were you contemplating about? The gray cat flicked its ears and said nothing. The trio didnt try to urge it either. Ten minutes later, the gray cat finally could hold it no longer and spilled its thoughts, I was contemplating if I should change my name. Your names pretty good, isnt it? Youre the one who came up with it, Cillin was aware of the gray cats narcissism. But, The gray cat raised its paw and curled the nails, Cillin, Czedow and Sigma all started verbally with a C, so I was wondering if I should add a C in front of my name too. Theres no need, Cillin said, Its not like my surname is C to begin with. Yeah! The gray cats eyes suddenly lit up. It was true that Cillins surname didnt start with a C. Cillin once told him that his surname was Gen, so as long his surname wasnt C then it wouldnt matter. The gray cat had a simple mind, so it quickly got over its puzzlement. It was at this moment Sigma and the gang of animals came over to invite the gray cat to a game. Snowball was currently lying on Sigmas back. By now Tang Qiuqiu was completely incapable of carrying Snowball like she used to because this white fatso gained weight at a tremendous rate. No one in the Sixth B Squadron would carry it either, but Sigma could without any difficulty at all. Dough was lying on top of Sigmas head and grinning with an open mouth. Come on, Wheeze, come out already! Cary says he wants to challenge us to a duel! From a distance, Snowball turned its head and said to the gray cat. The gray cat had just sorted out its feelings and was feeling good about itself, and so it asked happily upon hearing Snowballs words, That boy wants to challenge us? How? Its an air duel! Sigma interrupted. The long, wavy patterns on its face showed just how excited it was. An air duel? Cillin looked at them and asked, Is he piloting a fighter? Yeah, Cary said that hell be piloting a fighter and dueling us in the air. Oh, Udoze might join in the fight too, Snowball pulled its ears and said smilingly. How are you guys going to get up there? Beaver asked. I can fly myself! The bottom of Sigmas semicircular legs slowly took a different form, and the robot began floating in midair. It was able to fly very nimbly despite the small space of the workshop. Sigma can fly, but what about the rest of you? Are you going to lie on its back like now? Cillin asked. Of course not! Snowball lifted its head and exclaimed, We have the Lovages on our side! The gray cats eyes flashed when it heard this, and Cillin thought: This cats up to something again. Chapter 209: The Flora Planet That Does Not Have Animals [Part 2] Chapter 209: The Flora Planet That Does Not Have Animals [Part 2] Is there no chai tou (prize)? The gray cat asked. Chai tou? Sigma scratched its head. It was only when it accidentally touched Dough that it stopped the gesture. It was obvious that it didnt understand what chai tou means. The gray cat, Snowball and Dough exchanged knowing glances with each other. They obviously knew what each other was thinking as they descended into a wily laugh at the same time. Alright, were gonna win every scrap from Carys cabinet! The gray cat yelled loudly. Yeah, well not leave even a scrap behind! Cillin, Eudy and Beaver pondered to themselves as they watched their departure. The Lovages could fly? Eudy narrowed his eyes. It sounds like they can, thats for sure, Beaver said. None of them actually knew this until just now, Do we want to go take a look? Cillin looked at the remaining work and said, These cant be delayed. Are you sure you can return in an hour if you head out now? Beaver shook his head, Never mind then. Lets finish the inspection first. The trio immediately began working on the remaining tasks. Although their speed had gone up, none of them had done a sloppy work. What shouldve taken three hours to complete was done in just half an hour. When Cillin, Eudy and Beaver were done tidying the tools, they walked out of the base. There were plenty of observers who were watching the battle unfold. From time to time they even broke out in cheers and roars, although they were obviously reserved for the non-humans. There were many people who were even teasing Cary. Udoze, get your ass over and help me already! Cary was just about to blow his top inside his fighter; these bastards were just too difficult to deal with. The layer of mud covering up his observation windows completely C the results of many mudballs flung by Snowball and the others C was a testament to just how badly Cary was faring. Almost every time Carys fighter was struck, the human group on the ground would let out a huge roar of approval. Smoke gushed out of Carys head, and finally he couldnt help but request Udozes help to share some of the enemies firepower. Udoze was just rising into the air on his fighter. And Cary was being attacked from three sides on air just when Cillin, Eudy and Beaver walked out of the base. Two Lovages were carrying Snowball and the gray cat C Dough was hanging around the gray cat C and Sigma was flying over from the third side. These days, Sigma was as excited as a kid who had just been set on the playground the moment it started playing. Snowball and the gray cat werent weaklings either. As for Dough, it would occasionally swing its tail and toss a small mud ball at Carys fighter. Those Lovages are really agile on air, Eudy said. It was the truth. If the gray cat had failed to communicate with Sigma and open the entrance to the base, and if the reinforcements had engaged the Lovages, they might not have been able to gain an advantage. After all, no one thought that these fellows were capable of flight back then. There was an opening on each side of the Lovages back. Cillin hadnt thought that they were wings at first because these fellow seriously look too much like terrestrial insects, but it would seem that Sigmas master had planned thoroughly when he designed the Lovages. If Cillin wasnt mistaken, these Lovage guardian beasts should be able to swim freely inside water too. The Lovages were a product of genetic engineering. Normally, it was incredibly rare to find a natural triphibian species. These Lovages were very suited as guardian beasts. Udozes participation in the air battle did take off some heat from Carys fighter, but it was obvious that Sigma had also become even more excited that before. Moreover, Sigmas shot were just as accurate as the gray cats. Although the intervals between their throws were extremely short, and they looked like they werent aiming at all, in reality both of them had made hundreds and thousands of unconscious calculations in their brains before tossing out the mud balls along to the most likely trajectory. Cillin had been studying the robot, Sigma all this time. Although plenty of GAL robots wore human outlooks, it didnt change the fact that their insides were mostly mechanical. The Robert Family was a lot more advanced in that their AI were more human like, and Czedow was even closer to humans than the Robert Familys robots were. However, Czedow was considered more alike to humans only when compared to the Robert Familys robots. He had the better divergent thinking. Cillin had to admit that Sigma was the robot that was more alike to humans if compared with Czedow. A humans mind was imperfect, and there were ever so many flaws in a humans behavior. Some people were childish, and some people were reserved. Sigma was more alike to a human child be it in terms of its tone or thoughts. What differed it from a human child was that its obvious robotic exterior. Sigma would become anxious when it encountered an urgent situation, and Sigma would become excited when it encountered something interesting. Unlike Czedow, who looked more like an adult who had many worldly experiences under his belt, Sigma would display its feelings on its face openly. A robots character was the leisurely choice of a designer, and a child like character like Sigmas normally didnt get much attention at all. Sigma neither had a liquid nucleus chip nor a CPU. Cillins research revealed that inside Sigmas head where a brain would be, there was a thing that almost looked like a human brain. Cillin was seriously stunned when he saw it. Just what kind of a person Sigmas creator was? He actually treated Sigma like a real human being! The more Cillin understood about Sigmas thought process, the more he grew interested in Sigmas birthplace. While their technology and civilization might not necessarily be vastly ahead of GALs, they must have their own strengths. At the very least, their ability to create a robots thoughts was more special than GALs. Just when would Shortcut finally be complete? In the end, Cary lost everything inside his storage cabinet while Udoze lost one third of it. After the air battle was over, the participants and even the two Lovages had gathered together to split the goods. After all, they did play a part in the victory. The Lovages let out strange cries of happiness after they got their food and went back to their underground caves. This event caused the gray cat and his gang to recommend themselves into any duels where prizes were involved, but of course no one in the Sixth B Squadron was stupid enough to agree after that fight. After the temporary base was fully built, they had to send out some men to check out those planets with energy reactions when they were searching for a suitable planet earlier. This was so that they could collect more energy ores. Energy supply was an absolute necessity in any base. Besides that, the field personnel also had to gather food and hunt some game. The process to cultivate food inside the base was just beginning, and it couldnt sustain the entire Sixth B Squadron daily needs as of now. Cillin and the rest would be setting out to search for energy ores and food, but Sigma couldnt leave as Its responsibility was to protect the base. The Lovages couldnt leave as well. The base was their roots, and they wouldnt leave even if they were all dead. That being said, thanks to a vast network, the gray cat could ask Czedow to stream their activities live to Sigma inside the base. Sigma was uninterested in energy ores, but it was interested in digging them. It was why it stared enviously at the large screen as the group dug out the energy ores. Why couldnt it be a mine digging robot? Cillins group had also discovered some edible flora on the planet where the mining had taken place. They were very rich in nutrients, and could be eaten as long as their poisonous sacs were removed. Cillin had even demonstrated to Sigma how to remove the poisonous sacs. His demonstration caused Sigmas fingers to move nonstop as if it could actually feel the plants on the screen. Sigma was very much absorbed in watching the activities when a sudden cry of eeyah rang from behind it. It was a little Lovage who was born not long ago about ten centimeters of height. Adult Lovages didnt normally frequent into the base, and such entries had only decreased after the Sixth B Squadron had shown up. However, this newborn Lovage was different. Sigma had injected a chip into this newborn Lovage after it was born. A chipless Lovage was a literal retard, and after the injection the Lovage acted more or less like a child would. It was curious about everything, and it often ran circles around Sigma. This was because it thought of Sigma as the safest character to hang around at the core of its consciousness. The little Lovage had been looking for Sigma, but it discovered that Sigma had been staying inside its room recently and not gone out to play. That was why it had ran inside. The Little Lovage jumped onto Sigmas arms. Its pairs of nippers were small but powerful, and its suckers were strong too. It stood very steadily on Sigmas arm. Meow, the little Lovage has arrived! The gray cat at the rest of the animals greeted the little Lovage. Eeyah eeyah The little Lovage was very happy to see them. It jumped once on Sigmas arm to show its excitement. Cillin didnt disturb the two parties video chat. After he was done cleaning and processing the plants in his hands, he collected some of their seeds and their poisonous sacs too. They were rare medicines to come by. This planet was very strange, and its planetary habitability was in between Rank B and Rank C. Protective suits were unnecessary where the flora was concentrated, and vice versa. The places where food was scarce contained energy ores, and some other people were busy mining and collecting them. Cillin was currently at a place with great concentration of flora. The reason Cillin thought that this planet was strange wasnt because it sat in between two ranks of planetary habitability. He thought it was strange because it had no animals at all. Most of the plants on this planet had advanced evolutions, but not only were there no animals to be seen, they couldnt even find a single insect. The evolutionary history of life of this planet was obviously different from other planets. The fact that there were no animals on this planet meant that the competition between plants was extremely intense. They had evolved all sorts of things to live longer than their peers. If a tree didnt have the ability to move, vines would strangle them to death by stabbing their thin thorns into the trees trunk and absorbing its nutrients. However, these vines moved quick only when they were climbing vertically and not horizontally. The trees that were caught by these vines only needed to move once to be able to escape their grasp. In fact, if the vines had too tight a hold on the trees, they would snap because of the trees movements and wilt over time. There was also a fruit that looked like a pomegranate. The top part of the fruit would expand and fire many tiny seeds when it sensed danger. Cillin had been attacked by these fruits when he came here earlier. Cillin even saw a nearby vine who got close to the fruits being crushed by the fruits bullets. This really was a very peculiar place. Chapter 210: The World Where Food Reigns Supreme [Part 1] Chapter 210: The World Where Food Reigns Supreme [Part 1] Normally, the places where flora and fauna lived with each other would contain big amounts of hallucinogenic gas or other poisonous gas. This was so that the plants could knock out the animals around them. But in this flora-only forest, the discharge of poisonous gas was fewer than norm. Instead, the poison was stored inside the plants body itself. The plants hid their toxin inside their bodies so that they could release them when they encountered an enemy species. By cutting through the epidermis and injecting their toxin into the other plants body, some toxin could liquefy the enemy plant directly and turn them into the plants fertilizer. Some of these trees werent entirely stationary. There were plenty of plants that were capable of movement on this planet. Although most of them were far slower than even a tortoise when moving horizontally, they were very special compared to the plants of other planets already. All sorts of precious medicine could be found inside the bodies of these plants. The substances extracted directly from the plants were relatively active, and the effects were much better than the synthetic product of a machine. Moreover, it also bypassed a certain amount of allergic reaction and rejection. That was why the natural medicinal substances that were extracted directly from plants normally sold for hundreds of times the normal price of the synthesised counterpart. All of these discoveries pleasantly surprised both Tico and Rikulab. They had easily extracted some hallucinogens and nerve toxins of great purity as well as the bioactivity from several kinds of plants. Tico and Rikulab had been busy ever since they came to this planet; they normally wouldnt enlist a robots aid when they were processing materials. The raw materials of medicines theyd collected from this trip was absolutely worth it as they were all precious natural raw materials, and theyd even found two types of raw materials that could only be found serendipitously. They could literally be sold for the price of a starship in GAL. There were also a kind of evergreen thicket which leaves and branches contained a chemical substance found in painkillers that Hunters often needed. It could treat wounds, fever caused by infection and so on. However, most synthetic medicine had great side effects, and the patients would enter a period of weakness after the pain was suppressed. However, this natural painkiller they extracted had minimal side effects and great bioactivity. This was the conclusion Tico and Rikulab had drawn based on their own experiences. To them, this planet was without a doubt a treasure land. Tico and Rikulab had even tagged this planet as their herb garden for likely the next few years of time. The white rabbit was currently rubbing its cleft lips and chewing at the leaves of some unknown plants. Most animals had a natural instinct about what could be eaten and what couldnt, and Tico was obviously very confident in the white rabbits abilities. The gray cat and the others had gathered some nuts that were suitable for long term storage, and some other fruits with succulent flesh. They had maintained a constant video connection with Sigma while they were gathering the fruits, so Sigma could see their every move. Sigma would comment at a certain thing from time to time, and an occasional cry of eeyah could be heard from the background too. It was obvious that these animals werent afraid of the plants poisonous gas or secreted toxin at all. At the very least, these little fellows were still as lively as grigs. Scarlet Wind grabbed a fruit, sniffed it, and began chowing it down his throat. Wah, whats that? Snowball ran over and grabbed a fruit from the tree too. It gave the fruit a bite and found that its taste wasnt bad, but Snowballs attention was quickly attracted by another tree. The tree was shaped like an umbrella, with long, hanging branches that looked like a bell canopy. What attracted Snowball wasnt the trees appearance, but the oval-shaped balls about the size of watermelons hanging from the branches. Snowball went over to the tree and gave it a sniff. Then, it opened its mouth and bit an opening from the top of the fruit. As bit of juice immediately flowed out of the opening, and after a lick Snowballs impression of it was that it was very sweet, very tasty and better than the fruit it ate earlier. And so Snowball put its mouth on the fruit and sucked on it the full, oval-shaped fruit until it slowly shriveled over time. Hey, whatre you sucking? The gray cat asked. Snowball let out some snorts from its nose but didnt answer. Instead, it grabbed a new oval-shaped fruit and sucked its contents again. The gray cat jumped up a branch and copied Snowballs movements, biting an opening from the top of the fruit and licking at the juice that flowed out of it. Dough soon joined the fray, before Scarlet Wind followed suit too. On the other side of the screen, Sigma felt gloomy as it paced gloomy circles inside its room. A short moment of protests later, Sigma declared, Bring that tree back home! How do we do that? The gray cat wiped its face with its paws after it was done licking up all the juice of the fruit. It completely agreed with the sentiment to bring back the plant, but it absolutely couldnt be bothered to take care of it. Bring back some! You simply must bring some trees back home! Ill make a small garden and plant them here! Sigma clapped his hands excitedly. Eeyah The little Lovage jumped on Sigmas arm in agreement. One final discussion later, the little fellows cried out in unison, Cillin Cillin gave himself a moment of silence: such is life! Cillin went over and took a look at the tree. The juice inside the oval-shaped fruit had a rich content of nutrients, and its plant oil was a very rare nourishment to come by. This juice was something that repelled some of the plants in this area, however. The oval shaped fruit was the basically the plants liquid-filled capsule. It contained a lot of sweet smelling plant oil that disgusted many plants and kept them away. However, the gray cat and humans loved this scent a lot. After the inspection, Cillin asked Czedow to deal with the plant. He wasnt counting on these gluttons to do this because they could destroy this entire forest and still not dig out an intact tree. Moreover, there were plenty of other plants that he needed to give the nutrient process. The plant with oval-shaped liquid-filled capsules were a kind of viviparous plant. For most plants, the seeds were allowed to grow to maturity before they were expelled from the parents body. Then, the seeds would enter a period of hibernation and wait for the right conditions such as suitable temperature, humidity and so on to appear. They would then germinate in the soil and gradually grow into a small plant. However, plants grew up with varying characteristics due to the complexity of their environment. This was so that they could better adapt to the environment and survive. Therefore, some angiosperms had seeds that would not depart its parents body immediately after it reached maturity, just like the unborn child of a mammal inside the mothers body. They would germinate inside the fruit and grow up into a sapling first before they finally left the parents body. This was why this type of plant was called a viviparous plant. The low hanging branches of this plant was like a cover that enveloped its body, and one could find many lanterns beneath these branches. These lanterns were none other than germinated seeds that had grown into saplings. These seeds experienced almost no hibernation period at all and germinated inside the fruit of their parent almost immediately after they had reached maturity. Their hypocotyls would stretch outside the skin of the fruit and turn into many stick-shaped saplings. If someone were to cut through the layer outside the lantern, they would find a growing sapling that hadnt yet left its parents body inside. Therefore, Czedow didnt need to cut or dig up the entire plant to acquire a sample of the plant. He only needed to collect some lanterns to achieve his objective. There were plenty other plants that Sigma had requested them to bring home besides this one. Sigma wanted to plant them all in his its garden. Cillin had agreed to all of Sigmas request since it had given them an entire base. There was no reason for Cillin to turn down this tiny request of Sigmas whatsoever, especially when it was a request that benefited all of them. Once Cillin had guided Czedow through the process of sampling the plants several times, he left him and went to do something else. While gathering information, Czedow also helped dug out the plants the gray cat and its gang had selected at the same time. He treated them with nutrient fluids and sealed them in special films. Tico and Rikulab had tagged the species they wanted to be transplanted back home. Czedow would then select and sample the best out of the species a short while later. Cillin, Tico and Rikulab were currently processing some useful plants on this side when Udoze and Cary walked towards them from the mining spots. Seeing that the trio wasnt wearing a protective suit, Cary and Udoze took off their own suits too. Cary inhaled once and sighed, The air here isnt bad. Udoze looked at the scanner on his wrist and said, Yeah, the conditions here are much better than over there Hey Snowball, eat less, will you? Youre going to have a diarrhea! Snowball was actually looking more and more like an actual ball right now. It was so fat that Udoze was worried that it would grow obese. On the other side of the screen, Sigma asked in puzzlement after listening to Udozes exclamation, Whats a diarrhea? Ahem, it means defecating so much that you cant help yourself, Udoze explained. Cillin and Cary looked away and pretended that they didnt catch anything. Chapter 210: The World Where Food Reigns Supreme [Part 2] Chapter 210: The World Where Food Reigns Supreme [Part 2] Seeing that the gray cat, Scarlet Wind, Snowball and the rest of the animals were looking at him, Udoze obviously looked a little embarrassed as he rubbed his nose and changed the topic, Hey, can you guys move a little faster? Were going to leave after we mined the energy ores, and looking at your pace there seems to be a lot of places you havent visited yet. You should enjoy to your hearts content since we rarely get a chance like this, you know? His sentiment was echoed by everyone in the gray cats gang. They immediately forgot the question as to how a person could defecate so much they couldnt help themselves and went away to look for more novel plants. Cary went over to check out Tico and Rikulabs work in processing the medicinal plants while picking a bit of skill himself in the process. Udoze followed suit, but only watched for a short moment. His attention was grabbed by a beautiful plant. The plant was pretty short and was less than two meters tall. There was a colorful feather-like thing at the top of the plant that made it look like a peafowl spreading its wings. It looked very beautiful, and there was a sweet scent emanating from it. It was a sight to behold. Udoze couldnt help but take out his filming device and take a photo of the scene. Cillin was processing a plant when he saw the vines that had curled up because of his arrival suddenly stretched long, swift and excitedly towards a particular direction. The direction they were headed was where Udoze was standing. At the same time, the vines around Rikulab, Tico and Cary had also stirred to life as they stretched swiftly towards Udoze. Watch out, Udoze! Cillin ran over at high speed, popped out his wrist blade and cut the stretching vines in half. He took out a spray and sprayed Udozes arm while the rest of the vines continued to stretch towards Udoze. Cary and Rikulab had also came to help cut down those vines that were crawling in from all directions. They didnt dare to use fire or an ultra low temp gun because their surrounding environment were unstable, and it was all too easy for external influences to alter them. Cutting the vines with their blades was the safest measure. When Cillin put on a gas mask on Udozes face, the victim himself was still in a daze. What was going on? He was going to help cut those vines himself, but now he was being treated like a patient by Cillin even though he wasnt hurt Eh?! Udoze looked at his arm and saw many bloody scratches. Some of them were even dripping with blood. Cillin closed up the wound after spraying it with the recovery spray so that it would stop bleeding, and after wiping the blood traces on Udozes arm he tossed the stained tissue far away. Then, he pulled Udoze away from where they stood. After they had ran for fifty meters, Udoze looked back and saw that the place he stood had been completely covered in vines already. The place where the stained tissue had landed was where the vines were the thickest. It was obvious that these vines were attracted by Udozes blood. You absolutely mustnt get hurt. Any bleeding will trigger a chain reaction, Cary had lived through many experiences. He could already imagine roughly a couple of scenarios that might happen at first glance. Thankfully, Udoze was the only person who got hurt among them. If everyone was hurt, they would have to deal with an entire floor of vines, which meant no time to treat the wound, stop the bleeding or clean up the blood traces. Judging from the fine sawteeth of the plants that had spread open because of the blood, the situation might have grown worse and worse. Panting, the wounds on Udozes arms gradually transmitted pain to his senses after he had put on the gas mask. Whats going on? I didnt even notice that my arm was cut earlier, Udoze was very puzzled. He was just taking a photo, but not only was he cut without him noticing at all, he had even suffered multiple wounds and bled quite profusely. Rikulab released a floating measuring instrument and allowed it to circle around the area once. It brought back some data for him to identify and analyse, Among the various gases that are released by that plant, there are a lot nitrous oxide. Theres also a small amount of gases released as a byproduct that are capable of affecting the nervous system, but not enough to knock out or kill a human being. Anyone who inhaled this mixture of gases would lose their ability to feel pain, but not their consciousness. The secondary gases ensured that the human body could continue to function normally, which is why Udoze hadnt noticed anything at all just now, Rikulab explained. Nitrous oxide could inhibit release of excitatory neurotransmitters and the conduction of nerve impulses in the central nervous system. That was how Udoze was bled by the plant but felt nothing at all from the injury. Udoze sucked in a deep breath. The only reason he had acted so boldly was because he saw that neither of them was wearing a protective suit. It would appear that he would have to exercise caution. As a Hunter, Udoze still had plenty to learn. Vigilance couldnt be nurtured through speech; he would have to go through some experiences before he could instill it inside him. Despite the experience, Udoze was obviously not cowered into inaction. On the contrary, his interest actually piqued as he held a measuring instrument and went every in search for similar plants with his gas mask on. Cillin didnt try to stop him. This was also a kind of training, and it would be good for him if he could accumulate more experiences. Further ahead, there was a lake with some algae but no fishes whatsoever. There were no aquatic creatures to be seen anywhere, and there were only countless nameless plants ranging from sizes of tiny to massive. There was a huge tree on the other side of the lake. It looked like a giant that was proudly overlooking the tiny beings on the ground. Compared to the tree, Cillin and everyone else were as small as ants. After walking over to the giant tree and inspecting its surroundings, Cillin came to the conclusion that it sat at the top of the food chain of this area. But there werent many such giant trees to be found. In fact, their numbers were pitifully few. This was the measure a living being assumed against its environment during the process of evolution. This was also a law of nature. Cillin found a giants substance inside the giant tree. It was this giants substance that caused this type of tree to grow bigger and bigger. Cillin looked at the horizon after he had collected some primitive substances. Night was about to arrive. Normally, a forest at night was filled with countless dangers and appearing animals. However, there were no animals in this place, so how did this forest look at night? As light faded, twilight arrived. The most obvious plant at night was the row of trees not far away from their position. Those trees had branches that stretched towards the outside, and every one of these branches had a big flower on it. The flower was about twenty centimeters in diameter, and they looked rather unassuming in broad daylight. During the day, It was only natural that this unassuming green flower wouldnt attract too much attention when the world around it was filled with all kinds of colors. But as nighttime arrived, the flowers gradually glowed white in color. The darker the night was, the brighter they became. Plants who were attracted by light including the vines gradually moved towards this type of tree, and the other branches of the tree would grab the plants that had fallen for its trap firmly before cutting them away from their main body. Finally, they would turn these plant parts into their own nutrients. This was the plants tactic to survive in the wild. The atmosphere of this forest changed the night, so everyone put on a protective suit and a gas mask just in case. Once the glowing plants had had a fulfilling meal, they would either dim their lights or turn them off entirely to conserve energy. The night on this planet was short, but it was enough for some night crawling plants to enjoy a full meal. Most of the plants in the forest were asleep. They engaged in photosynthesis during the day and respiration, activity and sleep during the night. In a forest that was abuzz with the cries of insects, the only sounds that exist were slithering plants hunting down their preys. During this night, Cillins group witnessed the nightcrawlers hunt and the changes in the areas atmosphere. No wonder there were no animals in this place. Most animals wouldnt be able to survive such an atmosphere at all. This was a world that belonged only to plants. When there were no outsiders, they were the rulers of this world as they fought and reproduced by the way of the plants. The next day early in the morning, a dull thumping sound resounded when the first ray of light hit this plant covered area. It was a tree with a trunk so wide it would take five people to hug it. It was very tall, but couldnt compare to the giant trees of course. There was a bell shaped flower at the top of the tree, and the thumping sound had come from it. When natural light had touched its exterior, the bell-shaped flowers began to shake and let out distant rings. They announced the end of the night and the beginning of the day. Once the bell-shaped flower was done ringing, the flowers that had closed themselves during the night gradually bloomed as the sleeping plants came to wakefulness once more. They were perhaps pondering about the next target to hunt. Cillin and everyone else looked at the light stretching from the horizon. Then, they continued to work on their unfinished tasks. A new day had begun once more. Chapter 211: Outsiders! Red Alert! [Part 1] Chapter 211: Outsiders! Red Alert! [Part 1] Cillins side was almost done with its work when they received the notice that the mining operation was complete. The flying transport had transported the tree species and raw materials they selected back to the spaceplane. The gray cat and its gang were also very satisfied with this trip, considering that they had stuffed themselves with so much food that they looked like a ball. Lets go. We can come back later if we need anything else. Cillin gathered everyone over this side and returned to the mining location. A moment of inspection later, they got up the spaceplane, returned to the starship parked outside the planet and began the return journey. Every teams op time was different from each other. When Cillin and the rest had returned, there were still three teams who were busy mining energy ores and metal ores. Hows the reward? Shawton looked at the group of people who were unloading the goods not far away and asked Cillin. Cillin smiled back at him. It was obvious that he was more satisfied than usual. Its okay. We didnt find any good metal ores to mine, but the energy ores we found are acceptable. More importantly, weve transplanted some important plants that will save us a lot on medicinal raw materials cost. The medicines bioactivity and quality are not bad. They had turned in the report of that planets detailed situation to the technical team. The Sixth B Squadrons technical team would integrate the information the ops teams had gathered during their operation and complete the star map. Every once in a while, they would report the integrated information to the relevant personnel among the A Squadrons so that Vanguard could enjoy a more in-depth starmap layout of the region they were in. This would make future operations more convenient. After chatting with Shawton a little about his trip, the duo arrived at Sigmas little garden. In the past, there were only some rather primitive local plants that were grown in Sigmas little garden. Although the garden had a lot space, there wasnt much content in it at all. The idea had sprung in Sigmas head after it watched some videos released by the media, but it quickly discovered upon execution that there were only a lot of weed and not much flora species on the planet. It looked nothing like the colorful and pretty gardens in the videos. This time though, Sigmas little garden was enriched. They had also acquired some fish eggs that were preserved and raised in specialised fish breeding grounds and gave them to Sigma. Cillin was sure that the addition of these fishes and new tree species would give this little garden a whole new look in the future. Right now, the gray cat and the animals spent almost the entire day throwing one terrible suggestion after the other at Sigmas little garden. They practically had next to no gardening experience at all and were completely talking out of their asses. Thankfully Sigma had specifically researched into this field before, and Czedow was around to provide support. More than 90% of the tree species had been successfully planted. There were also some eggs in Sigmas little garden. They were the Lovages eggs. The Lovage guardian beasts had entered a breeding season, but Sigma was the one who incubated and hatched the birthed eggs. Currently, the gardens environment was very suitable for the incubation of the synthesized beasts eggs. They could just be left at the garden without need for temperature or humidity control. A few days later, seven second generation Lovages were born. The Lovages are omnivorous, and Sigma said they could eat a lot of things and withstand hunger. However, these newborns werent as hunger-resistant as their adult counterparts. Since the Sixth B Squadron didnt have any meat to spare them, they had no choice but to keep the little Lovages on a vegetarian and nutrient diet, replenishing the various nutrients they needed to grow. Cillin had determined that the first generation Lovages had eaten meat before, and the majority of their meat-based meals were humans too. This was because the Lovages had looked at him like he was a familiar food back when he first ran into them. These newborns looked at humans with pretty friendly eyes though. Perhaps the chip that functioned as their brain contained such a program. Still, these little fellows still hadnt taken a life or eaten meat before, and he couldnt bring them out on a mining operation because they wouldnt leave the planet. Therefore, Cillin was pondering if he should capture some insects in the future and have them enjoy their first taste of flesh. Cillin didnt set out to find his insects. This was because something happened on the planet before the next operation arrived, just a short while after he came up with the idea. On this day, Shawton was going through the ops teams status reports and preparing a summary. This was because the A Squadron was sending a few people over to inspect on their progress and reward them with material resources based on their merits. Shawton was engrossed in reading when he suddenly received an emergency notice from a squadron member. Commander, a spaceplane is headed our way. Weve not received any replies to our warning messages except for a looping distress signal. What do we do? Normally, all unidentified flying objects were given warning first and then shot later if the warning call was unheeded. However, this spaceplane had been sending out a continuous stream of distress signal without responding to any of their communication requests. Are there any life signs on the ship? Shawton asked. The scanner indicates yes, but these life signs arent clear. Theyre also almost completely stationary. No other signs were detected besides these. The scanners found nothing else on the spaceplane? No, at the very least the spaceplanes exterior does not contain any parasites or viruses. Shawton thought for a moment before asking, How long will it take to reach here? About five minutes. Looking at its trajectory, it will land outside the bases domain if it reaches on our planet. The coordinate is The squadron member sent some of the data he analysed to Shawton. Watch them closely. By that Shawton meant that they would allow the spaceplane to descend, but also enter into a state of readiness themselves. They would treat this spaceplane as a threat regardless of whether it actually was one. Better safe than sorry. Will do, commander, the squadron member began to do follow up work after the report. He sounded a little excited, and was obviously looking forward to cure some of his accumulated boredom with this unknown target. Shawton connected to a different channel after cutting communication with that squadron member. Attention to all teams, attention to all teams, an unidentified flying object will be reaching our planet in Shawton notified everyone inside the base about the incident. Everyone knew what they should do to deal with such a situation. Some people who were just about to catch some sleep jumped out of their beds and ran towards outside excitedly, meeting up with their own team members. Cillin was just checking in on the growing trees inside Sigmas little garden, noting that some trees were starting to grow fruits already. When he heard Shawtons announcement, he put down the fruit in his hand and walked outside. The blue line on Sigmas face flashed once, and it quickly learned about the situation through the bases scanner. But unlike in the past, Sigma didnt need to do anything this time. The Sixth B Squadron would handle the situation themselves. Sigma was very curious how the Sixth B Squadron was going to deal with this, and so it let the little Lovage jumped down from its arm and left the little garden. Team members gathered and assigned roles to themselves. There was no need for in depth explanation since they had coordinated themselves like this many times already. Okay, thats all. Now go. Watch out for your defenses. Cillins fully armed team ran out impatiently the second he was done talking. What is it, Tico? Cillin frowned and asked when he saw Tico still standing at the same spot. Somethings not right. Tico pointed at the the rabbit hiding inside her coats front pocket with her chin. The rabbit was currently drooping its ears and burying its head deeper into Ticos pocket. It looked like it was trying to hide from something. Cillin turned on his communicator after he saw the rabbits behavior, Attention to all team members. Red alert! Red alert! Chapter 211: Outsiders! Red Alert! [Part 2] Chapter 211: Outsiders! Red Alert! [Part 2] Cary and the others ceased their playing around and turned serious. Cillin wasnt someone who easily spouted the word red alert, and if he did then their target was certain to be very dangerous. Upon receiving Cillins transmission, Shawton asked how he came to the conclusion. Cillin simply said that it was a feeling. Although he didnt understand why Cillin had said so, Shawton ultimately laid down the order for red alert to all teams. It was too late to destroy that spaceplane, for its destruction would affect the satellites orbiting outside the planet. It might also affect the rank B environment of the planet considering how close it was. Red alert was the only choice. Red alert? Are you serious? Didnt they say that its just a small spaceplane? Is it really that dangerous? Some team members were complaining after they heard the order. Red alert was no joke, after all. By now the spaceplane had passed through the atmosphere and crashed at a location not far away from the base. The grounded men were already waiting not far from its predicted crash site. There were also fighters flying around the sky too. Udozes hands were sweaty, but his controls were as steady as ever. This is red alert. Boom The spaceplane crashed and dug a deep pit on the ground. A large majority of the spaceplane was destroyed. The team members who wanted to rush forwards to take a look were stopped. They wouldve checked out the situation if their orders werent red alert, but it was, so they couldnt afford such careless movements. Creak Qi There was the sound of an opening hatch, but everyone could see from the satellites orbiting in space and the observers suspended around the pit could see that that wasnt the case. Eight holes had appeared around the spaceplane instead of the hatch they imagined. The spaceplane had no emblems, stamps or serial codes that could represent their identity. No one knew who this spaceplane belonged to. The spaceplanes SOS signal was still active, but no one showed any intentions of responding to it. As a Hunter, they had lived through too many situations. They wouldnt let down their guard simply because the other party was calling for help. Whooshwhooshwhooshwhooshwhooshwhooshwhooshwhoosh! Eight cylindrical pods were ejected out of the spaceplane towards a different direction each. Each pod was only big enough to fit an average human being. About half of the pod was transparent, so everyone could see through the transparent walls that there were people stored inside the pod. There were men, women, the young and the elderly. They all looked like normal people; normal human beings. Another eight pods were ejected before the first eight had landed on the ground. The cylindrical pods were ejected again and again. Some landed on the ground directly, while others had opened parachutes in mid air. But it would take them at least two minutes to land on the ground considering how slow they were descending. They were the fighters main targets. Lying behind Sigmas back, Snowball suddenly experienced a sense of anxiety and anger. A sense of familiarity and strong disgust made it feel like charging into the fray and kill those human beings. Snowball wasnt the only one, as Scarlet Wind was feeling the same thing too. He couldnt help the threatening low growl that came out of its throat. Cillin motioned for everyone to be on high alert with his eyes after noticing the duos reactions. The pod closest to Cillins group stood vertical on the ground. Through the transparent walls, they could see a woman about 20 years old lying inside the pod. She wore a knee-length skirt, and she had excellent figure and white skin. Her eyes were closed, and her long eyebrows drew the impulse to touch it. A team members gulped. F*ck, what a deadly weapon! There were some other vertically standing pods like this one around the area. There were at least ten pods standing before every team, and there were even more scattered at some farther places. Some of the pods had very cute-looking kids. They had pink colored faces and innocent faces even when their eyes were closed just like how Tang Qiuqiu looked when Cillin first met her. The uneasiness inside Cillins heart grew stronger and stronger. A connection had been made in his mind. The hatches of these pods were obviously reinforced, or they wouldve at least suffered some damage upon impact otherwise. Cillin opened fire in succession the second the hatches of the pods had came open. All the human beings who had emerged from the pods nearby had taken a bullet to their glabella immediately. That beautiful woman was one of them. At first, everyone was confused by Cillins quick action. Wasnt it a little too impulsive? But that confusion quickly turned into fright that made ones hair stand on end. The people shot by Cillin were bleeding, by their bleeding speed was different from what you would expect from a shot person. In fact, only a bit of blood had bled out of their glabellas, and none of them had collapsed from the shot. They were all standing firmly on their feet. Whats going Before Cary could finish, those people opened their eyes almost at the same time. Their eyes were spiritless and unfocused. The team members felt a chill blowing into their faces, and they began firing without any hesitation whatsoever. However, those people began to transform when they were shooting at them. They began to grow taller and bigger. They swelled until their skin cracked under pressure, but before blood could drip off their swollen bodies a new layer of skin had enveloped them whole. This new skin looked pale white and bloodless. What was a beautiful woman before had transformed into a savage looking monster. Every nerve in its body wriggled at high speed while more and more pale white blood vessels appeared on its fair-colored arms. Its arms thickened, and its slim fingers turned into claws that resembled that of an eagles. They were covered in vein lines too. The flesh and blood that were shot off these monsters bodies hadnt affected their sudden transformation. In fact, their blood lust seemed to have been triggered by these shots as they let out a scary roar and charged towards Cillin. For every step they took, the team could feel an obvious tremor across the ground. Although these transformed monsters were incredibly huge, their movements were so swift that they could dodge gunshots. This was just the situation on the ground. The people who had walked out of their parachuted pods had also begun transforming while they were falling to the ground. Bat-like wings appeared from their backs, but unlike the single layer of a bats wings, their wings were much thicker. Every time they flapped their wings they were able to swiftly alter the air flow, enabling them to fly agilely in the air and avoid the fighters attacks. Udoze was piloting a fighter and attacking a transformed human, but it possessed not only high agility but also a great intuition for danger. It was very difficult to lock them down. Their long claws easily cut deep marks on a fighters exterior, forcing them to keep their distance from the transformed humans while attacking them at the same time. A team members fighter was caught by a transformed humans long tongue, and the saliva on the tongue was apparently very corrosive as it ate into the fighters wing. If Udoze hadnt shot the tongue in half in time, that fighter wouldve lost one third of its wings and find its ability to fly affected. The fighter wouldve been in great danger. The transformed human shot by Udoze opened its mouth and yelled loudly. Its snapped tongue was swiftly regenerating itself, but the saliva scattered while it was swinging its tongue accidentally landed on another passing fighter and caused two holes to appear on its wings. The air battle wasnt going smoothly, and the ground battle wasnt going well too. These obviously biologically engineered humans wouldnt die even after their heads were shot. It no doubt made their situation even more precarious. These monsters were literally human-shaped bioweapons. This attack was absolutely premeditated! Cillin took out a bow-like object. This weapon was installed with an energy stone the size of a childs fist. He aimed the weapon at the foremost transformed human and pressed a button. Swish! An arc beam flew towards the transformed human and cut it in half directly. What was strange was that the decapitated monster didnt bleed all that much. Its greenish blood clung to its flesh like they had congealed instantly. What frightened the crowd was that both halves of the decapitated monster had began to transform, regenerate, grow, and finally transform into two complete entities. This meant that the decapitating these monsters would only double its number like a certain kind of animal! It was no use! Cutting them in half was no use!! What the hell was going on? Cary shouldered a bazooka and attempted to blast these monsters to pieces in one go, but their extremely strong intuition gave Cary no opportunity to lock them down at all. They had already dodged out of the way the moment Cary pointed the bazooka at their direction. F*ck, these things are too f*cking fast!* Cary fired once but failed to scratch even the transformed humans skin. He couldnt help but swear. What do we do, LC?! Someone asked. They had already taken out excitation laser blades. Of course they werent afraid of fighting at close range, but the monsters doubling trick just now had them hesitating a little. Would these things turn into five entities if they were cut into five pieces? No one could say for sure. That was why they had fallen into a difficult situation right now; a situation in which they werent sure what to do. The time of contact was too short, and Cillin wasnt able to analyse and figure out in a short time why these things had such ridiculous abilities. Did they seriously have to grind them into a pulp to kill them? Cillin had just thought up to this point when a long, sharp howl resounded from the bases direction. Eeyah The cry was far sharper than the time Cillin had heard it the first time. It was so sharp that their eardrums could burst from the high pitch. The beings who were the angriest at the bioweapons invasion wasnt the Sixth B Squadron, but the Lovage guardian beasts. Their duty was to protect the base, and these new arrivals had without a doubt struck their bottom line. Eeyah Another sharp howl appeared. One after another, the Lovages appeared from the ground and from the air. Behind them, the smaller second generation Lovages excitedly swung their nippers amidst the adult Lovages. Chapter 212: Everything Has a Weakness [Part 1] Chapter 212: Everything Has a Weakness [Part 1] Fall back, fall back! Cillin led his teammates and fell back for a short distance, leaving the battlefield to the angry, charging Lovages. If they continued to stay at the same place, these excited Lovages were absolutely going to injure them by accident. Cillin calculated the Lovages number for a moment. The ratio of adult Lovages to those transformed humans were almost two to one. It meant that almost every transformed human had to fend off two Lovages on their own. Physically speaking, the transformed humans were sturdier than the Lovages. However, none of them had witnessed the Lovages true strength yet, so they couldnt say for sure. Cillin never understood why the Lovages had so many nippers on their body, and huge ones no less. Most of the animals he saw only had one pair of nippers, which was why he thought that it was a little strange but couldnt figure out why they had so much when he saw the Lovages for the first time. But now, Cillin finally understood why these Lovages had so many big nippers. The charging Lovages hadnt swung its nippers around like what Cillin normally saw from other insects. Instead, it suddenly moved three pairs of large nippers when it approached those transformed humans, twisted the joints of the nippers in a bizarre manner, and connected them together to form a round-shaped shield. Bang! The transformed human flew far, far away as if it had been rammed by a speeding tank. Everyone standing outside the battlefield looked a little stunned by this scene. Is is this how they fight? Cary gulped. If they were ran into like this their bodies were absolutely going to fall apart. The Lovages didnt stop and continued to charge after they sent the transformed humans flying. They knew that their enemies werent that weak. The transformed humans stood up after they landed, and their twisted bodies quickly returned to normal. They seemed to be enraged by the Lovages attacks and had charged towards them while roaring. However, they seemed to have learned from their lesson and didnt charge straight into the Lovages like before. Instead, they suddenly jumped into the air and attacked the Lovages from above just when they were about to run into that nipper-made round shield again. The Lovages reaction towards the transformed humans attacks could only be described as swift. Cillin watched as a Lovage beast split out a nipper and swiftly trapped a transformed humans elbow with it. Then, it slammed the transformed human fiercely on the ground again and again. Slap! Slap! Slap! It sounded like someone was slapping a fish on the ground. Cary and the others were stunned yet again. Despite the transformed humans size, it would appear that the Lovages had no difficulty in slamming them repeatedly on the ground at all. Appearances could be deceiving. Ants were one such example. They were incredibly tiny, but they could lift objects that were 400 times heavier than they were, and drag objects that were 1,700 times heavier than they were across a surface. This was just the capability of a normal ant too. A genetically modified ant was several times stronger than that. Cillin suspected that a relevant gene in the Lovages bodies had given them a similar ability. Cillin and his group continued to observe the battlefield. The Lovages offensive power was definitely not to be underestimated, and they appeared to be have the upper hand in every regard even without counting their numbers advantage. Any nippers that a transformed human had forcefully torn off a Lovages body would quickly regrow. The same went with any transformed humans arm that was cut off by a Lovage. Monsters x monsters. Theyre truly a perfect fit with each other, Cary sighed. Hey, why dont we make a bet and on how long the Lovage guardian beasts would take to take out all these transformed humans? Xiao Shang put his gun on his shoulder and looked at Cary. Sure, Cary observed the battlefield for a moment before showing two fingers, Twenty minutes. I bet that they can take care of these pests in twenty minutes time. Xiao Shang shook his head and extended three fingers, Twenty minutes is too short considering how unbelievably strong these transformed humans recovery abilities are. I think theyll take at least thirty minutes to deal with all of them. Theres no way they can settle this in twenty minutes. Cary looked at Cillin, Hey LC, do you want to make a bet too? Cillin didnt answer Carys question immediately. Instead, he turned around and took out a ultra-low temperature freeze gun from a weapons cache. Whats that for? Cary asked in puzzlement. Somethings not quite right, Cillin pointed at a transformed human that had been cut into three pieces by a Lovage. The transformed human was cut at the shoulder, torso and beneath the waist. However, the flesh on the cut section of the transformed human quickly contracted while the Lovage was moving onto the next target. Part of its muscle tissues had dissolved to form new cell masses at tremendous speed, and part of the cells in the blood had also gathered onto the cut section and turned into special calluses. Then, these three decapitated masses transformed into three independent bodies that looked exactly the same as the decapitated transformed human from earlier. The scene was reenacted. The only difference was that Cillins transformed human was cut in half several minutes before, while this transformed human was cut into three pieces. Wha Cary and Xiao Shang withdrew their earlier opinions. If every transformed human could regrow into several independent clones every time they were cut into several pieces, then how on earth were they going to win this fight? Do they need to blast them into bits to kill them? Cillin fired his freeze gun at a transformed human. The transformed human who was shot by the freeze gun swiftly became covered in ice while it was in the middle of a battle against a Lovage. However, unlike a normal human being this transformed human wasnt completely frozen in ice. It could still move, just a lot slower than it used to. Moreover, every movement it made would cause some frozen bits to fall off its body. The freeze gun only managed to freeze their skin, and the frozen bits falling off its body were just part of its outer skin. Once these frozen outer skin had been shaken off its body, the transformed human regained its former mobility. Imagine just how painful it would be for a normal human being to have their skin peeled off their body inch by inch. However, these transformed humans couldnt seem to feel any pain at all. There was only numbness and murder present in their eyes. But Cillin wasnt testing to see if they could feel pain or any other sensation. The Lovages hunting ritual was to take down their enemies, kill them, then come back later to consume them. They would also feed the dead corpses of their enemies to the little Lovages. At first, they were planning to cut these invaders into pieces before feeding them to their newborn. However, the invaders had regenerated to full form just as they turned away to fight another enemy! The Lovages fury climbed to a new level. A transformed human who was suddenly slowed by a freeze beam was cut into a dozen or so pieces by an especially furious Lovage. However, the same thing happened yet again. These flesh chunks started regenerating into full clones again. It was just that they took a longer period to regenerate themselves compared to the transformed humans who were cut into two or three pieces. Cillin raised his freeze gun once more and fired multiple times at the same target. The transformed human who was shot multiple times by the freeze beams was slowed down massively, and it was shot by Cillin just before it could jump out of the way from a Lovages shield charge. Pow The frozen transformed human was struck head on and shattered into many palm-sized flesh bits. Cary and everyone else couldnt help but shudder all over when they saw this. The bloody flesh bits were stepped all over by the fighting crowd of transformed human and Lovages. In the end, they almost turned into a meat pulp. I guess theres no way it could come back from th Before Cary could finish, several bulges swelled from the floor of meat pulp and grew bigger and bigger. The meat pulp itself was vanishing slowly, however. F*ck! What the hell are those things?! Cary swore. Chapter 212: Everything Has a Weakness [Part 2] Chapter 212: Everything Has a Weakness [Part 2] Eudy checked the time, Its been ten minutes, but the number of transformed humans have multiplied several times over. The Lovages are the ones who are at a disadvantage now. Their numbers may be bigger, but every new clone is weaker compared to its original counterpart, Cillin said. How did that happen? Its totipotency. The cells of those transformed humans seem to be in a highly active state almost all the time. When a whole entity was damaged, the best cell in the separated part would be chosen for differentiation before the rest of the cells supplies this cell with nutrients and energy. Thats why the mature clones that arent cut into too many pieces are stronger than the ones that are. Its because those clones had absorbed more energy when the cells undewent differentiation. It was exactly as Cillin as said. These entities themselves might not realize that they possessed such a flaw. They were simply absorbing the crushed flesh pulp of its kind by instinct and assimilating them into themselves. What should we do then? Cary scratched his head irritatedly. They had no clue where to start fixing this problem. Meanwhile, the melee between the transformed humans and the Lovages grew more and more intense. The little Lovages hadnt gotten close to the battlefield without permission and operated outside the battlefield only. Whenever they saw some transformed humans that hadnt fully regrown into a mature clone because they were cut into many tiny bits earlier, they would move forward and take a few bites. But it was thanks to these gluttonous little Lovages that these flesh bits werent able to regrow into a full clone before they were eaten completely by the little Lovages. As a result, there were fewer clones compared to before. When Snowball saw this scene from a far distance, it tilted its head sideways and looked to make sure that Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu and the others werent paying attention to itself. Then, it charged forwards and gulped down a transformed human that was differentiating into a whole entity at the outer ring of the battlefield. Come back, Snowball! Tang Qiuqiu said urgently. No matter how powerful Snowballs adult form might be, it was just a fledgling right now. Neither his ability nor his mind were up to par. It would be one hell of an experience if it was struck by accident by a Lovages nipper, or stabbed by a transformed humans claw. Snowball was just a glutton who happened to see the little Lovages feeding and felt a bit of craving. It wasnt completely unaware of the limit of its own abilities, and it was a tiny bit afraid of dying too. That was why the white fatso had ran back swiftly after it took a bite; chewing the meat in its mouth while it did so. Cary and the others felt their mouths twitching at the sight. Fatso, the meat youre eating is human flesh! It is still human flesh even if theyre now transformed! How dare you eat human flesh right before us! The second Snowball went back, Tang Qiuqiu immediately pulled its ears and beat its fat butt with the barrel of her rifle repeatedly. Dias had taught her that disobedient kids must be spanked in the butt. But the white fatso obviously paid Tang Qiuqius fierce-looking but weak beating no heed. Plus it wasnt afraid of pain, not to mention that Tang Qiuqiu was so physically weak that she couldnt even pull a single hair off its body. Snowball willingly presented its butt to Tang Qiuqiu to smack while it enjoyed the taste of the flesh inside its mouth. How does it taste? The gray cat said with blinking eyes. It was obvious that it was going to taste the transformed humans itself the second Snowball answered yes. Hmm *chewing sound* Snowball grinned after it swallowed the chewed meat, Its not bad. The gray cat took off and charged right into the battlefield to satisfy its belly. Snowball looked at the gray cats departing figure and turned to look at Tang Qiuqiu with pitiful eyes. However, Tang Qiuqius hold on Snowballs ears hadnt relaxed even a little. Theres no use playing pity! Cillin walked over while Snowball was showering Tang Qiuqiu with an aggrieved look. Snowball wasnt afraid of Tang Qiuqiu, Cary or Shawton, but it was afraid of Cillin for reasons it couldnt understand itself. Although it wasnt afraid to fool around and play with Cillin in the norm, it was afraid to face Cillin if it committed a mistake. Therefore, Snowballs entire body froze when Cillin walked towards it. It immediately lowered its round head. Cillin crouched down to his feet and looked at Snowball. Snowball turned its head sideways. Cillin grabbed Snowballs head and turned it so that Snowball was facing him directly. Snowballs eyes moved sideways and avoided all eye contact with Cillin. Whoosh! Cillins wrist blade popped out. Snowball shivered the moment it heard this sound, and it clutched its head with its thick, fat hands, Im sorry, I shouldnt be greedy Im not talking about that, Cillin said while he tugged Snowballs fat cheeks. It was a bad habit he formed after following Mo Heng for some time, Be good, and give it a lick. Snowball blinked. It didnt understand what Cillin meant. Cillin waved the wrist blade on his hand once and pointed at Snowballs tongue again, Lick the blade once, or better spit some saliva on it. Didnt I see you play spit with Dough that one time? Spit plenty on the blade. Dough was revelling in Snowballs misfortune atop Eudys shoulder when it heard this and felt its tail shudder. It turned its head sideways, afraid to look at Eudy. How did he find out that we were playing such a retarded game?! Snowball began spitting on Cillins blade pitifully as it was watched closely by Cillin. Snowball checked out Cillins expression every time it made a spit. It was ready to clutch its head and escape the second Cillin showed even a bit of anger. However, Cillin really didnt look like he was angry, so the white fatso spat more and more vigorously on the blade. The rest of the team didnt understand what Cillin was doing. It was only when Eudy had pointed at the differentiating transformed human Snowball had taken a bite from that they finally understood what was going on. The transformed human that had been bitten by Snowball still hadnt regrown into full form even now. The part where Snowball had taken a bite from especially hadnt changed at all. These transformed humans were capable of differentiating into new entities quickly even if they were cut in half, so why was there a bite mark on that transformed humans body? Moreover, it didnt look like it was recovering any time soon. It would appear that the reason this clone couldnt differentiate into a new entity was Snowball. Cillin had checked out the transformed humans the gray cat had taken a bite from too. Although the gray cats bite was showing some inhibitive effects too, it was not nearly as effective as Snowballs. Snowball didnt have a poison sac like snakes do, so this meant that the inhibitors probably existed in Snowballs saliva. That was why Cillin had told Snowball to spit on its blade. Once his wrist blade was completely covered in Snowballs saliva, Cillin adjusted his equipment and charged into the fray alone. Like lightning, he cut a transformed human who was battling a Lovage in half swifty before withdrawing from the battlefield. He didnt stay to fight. The group observed the transformed human who was cut in half by Cillin. Unlike the transformed human that was cut at the beginning of the battle, this decapitated transformed human hadnt started differentiating and recovering immediately. The two halves of the body was shuddering, and the cut section hadnt formed any callus whatsoever. In fact, the greenish, seemingly coagulated blood that previously clung tightly to the flesh slowly melted and seeped out of the wound. Everyones mouth turned into an O shape before they turned to look at Snowball with sparkling eyes in unison. Snowball shrank into Tang Qiuqius lap once, then once more. Cary grabbed his own big blade, ran and stopped in front of Snowball, Spit on my blade, Snowball! Once Cillin had taken down a few more transformed humans and confirmed its effectiveness, he withdrew from the battlefield and told the observing Sigma, Please tell the Lovages that well help cut down some of these transformed humans later. All they need to do is to provide us cover and eat those transformed humans. The faster they could eat, the better. Everyone knew that Sigma could communicate with the Lovages, not to mention that Sigma was the controller who injected their chips. Therefore, he had given Sigma the task to communicate and discuss their movements with the Lovages. Sigma assured Cillin that he would complete its mission after listening to Cillins brief explanation. Are you guys ready? Cillin asked Cary and the others. Were ready. Rikulab has already taken some saliva samples and went back to the base to research them. Hell probably have something for us very soon. Everyones weapon was covered in Snowballs saliva. Snowball literally spat its mouth dry in order to cover all these weapons in saliva. It had to drink a lot of water to quench the dryness in its mouth. Alright, Cillin made a hand gesture and signalled for the operation to begin. Everyone raised their blades and charged straight into the battlefield. They had been waiting for this moment after being held back for such a long time. Cillin observed the battlefield for a moment. There were no problems as long as they could slow down the speed at which the transformed humans were differentiating. The Lovages would be able to eat them before they managed to differentiate into a whole entity. Now that this problem was solved, Cillin readied himself to investigate another matter. It was obvious that this attack was premeditated. These transformed humans were specifically developed as human-shaped weapons, and the spaceplane they were on board was targeted the planet the Sixth B Squadron had stationed themselves in. What Cillin wanted to do right now was to investigate who it was that had sent these things to attack them. The people involved in this plot would definitely have covered and wiped out all traces of their handiwork, but Cillin still wanted to give it a look. If he wasnt mistaken, that spaceplane would be gone by the time they had taken out all these transformed humans. When that happens, it would be even harder to find clues. Cillin approached the spaceplane while passing through the Lovages and transformed humans in high speed. His movements were as quick as a flash, and his figure was extremely difficult to catch. The holes on the spaceplane where the round capsules were discharged from had been sealed tight, and there were no gaps of entry that could be found whatsoever. After circling around the spaceplane one time, Cillin summoned the gray cat who was happily biting every transformed human it could reach to his side. What is it? The gray cat lifted its mouth, crouched in front of Cillin and licked its paws. Try opening up the door, and make sure that its system doesnt detect any traces of hacking. The gray cat paced back and forth for two steps before it crouched at a particular spot of the spaceplane. Characters began to flash before the gray cats eyes. Chapter 213: Mist? Or Merciless? [Part 1] Chapter 213: Mist? Or Merciless? [Part 1] The gray cat looked up at Cillin in just a moment. Its done, Cillin. Its done? Cillin looked at the spaceplane. I dont see any opening though? Its main entrance is at the belly of the spaceplane, not the sides, The gray cat said. By belly, the gray cat meant the bottom of the spaceplane. But wasnt the entrance of a spaceplane with this kind of shape normally at the sides? Entering would be difficult if the entrance really was at the bottom of the spaceplane. Cillin looked at the gray cat, and the gray cat began digging a hole on his own initiative. The cat thought that it was no easy feat to possess such an advanced hole digging skill. That was why it had always been proud with its hole digging skill. With the gray cats help, Cillin was able to enter the interior of the spaceplane very quickly. He could see everything inside the moment he went inside. This spaceplane was used almost solely for the purpose of storing those round capsules. That was why it looked incredibly spacious after those round capsules were injected. Cillin took out his scanner and probed around for a bit. The scanner found no special reactions whatsoever and indicated that everything was normal. But Cillin couldnt shake the uneasiness in his mind. He remembered the rabbit: Was the rabbit really reacting to those transformed humans only? A shame that that rabbit couldnt speak. The gray circled inside the spaceplane once while twitching its nose. Theres a familiar smell in this place. What smell? Cillin couldnt smell anything. If their mysterious opponent hadnt cleaned this place he couldve picked up the smell himself. This meant that the person who was here must have cleaned the spaceplane before they left. The gray cat walked around the spaceplane again and narrowed down its observations to a particular route. Then, it pointed at a spot where a bit of smell was left over, There are a lot of scenta here, but one of them smells very familiar. These are the few spots where I can detect this smell. If their opponent had also performed scent elimination before they left, then these places with leftover smell were probably places where that person had hung around for an extended period of time too. It could also be places where body fluids had dripped off the persons body. Ah, I remember now! The gray cat exclaimed, Ive picked up that scent once when we went to that grade one prison back then. It came from those really disgusting rat-like things. I slapped a few of them to death but ate none of them because they smelled both terrible and disgusting. They turn into sticky stuff that looks like a pool of liquid after I took them out. Rat-like things? Turns into sticky stuff that looks like a pool of liquid after they were killed? Wait a second. Can you see if this is the thing youre talking about? Cillin took out a small bottle from his leaf patterned ring. He had collected a partial sample back then, but he hadnt performed any in depth analysis to this day. The gray cat never took a step closer. The gray cat cried out loudly the second the bottle was opened just a little, Thats the one! Now move it away already, its so disgusting! I thought so! This proved that the enemy wasnt from Grim Reaper or some other forces. It also proved that they were either Mist or Merciless. That guy Cillin remembered him. At the time, they had brushed past each other without any fighting, but that didnt stop Cillin from sensing the darkness inside that man. Which force did he belong to? Speaking of which, what were the rest of the inconspicuous smells the gray cat had detected. Cillin analyzed the spots where there were leftover smells and went to a couple of places after imagining how the people inside the spaceplane would have walked, but came up with nothing. At the end of his analysis, he narrowed down the potential routes to just three. The path Cillin was currently treading would save him a bit of time towards a certain point. Then, Cillins uneasiness grew stronger when he reached this intersection point. This is the spot! Cillin didnt doubt his own intuition in the slightest. Wheeze, how many people have stopped by this area? Cillin pointed at the spot and drew a circle in mid air with his finger, asking. Hardly any at all. There was only one person who hung around here close by. Over here, The gray cat walked towards a particular spot and patted the ground with its paw. Then that must be it. Come back first, will you? Dont get close to that spot, Cillin carefully walked over to the spot the gray cat had mentioned and pressed a finger against the wall. There was a surprise hidden behind it. He could detect a tiny amount of radioactive substance emanating the wall. It was such a small amount that it wouldnt cause any discomfort to the human body, and the walls here were also made of anti-radiation materials. It was no wonder that the scanner couldnt pick up the radioactive substance hidden inside the wall at all. It was obvious that the placement of this radioactive substance was premeditated. Once the atomic nucleus had decayed to a certain extent, the box inside the wall would open up and allow its content to flow out of the box. Once its content had fused together with the decaying radioactive substance, it would transform into a high-energy bomb. This bomb was powerful enough to rip the skin of the land across an extremely wide area. If the bomb were to explode now, then the Lovages and the Sixth B Squadron fighting outside would be caught by the shockwave. Even if a few of them survived, they would be grievously wounded after the explosion. Cillin observed and calculated roughly the time left before the bomb would explode. There were still ten minutes left in the clock. Cillin hadnt contacted the base immediately while he was still inside the spaceplane. He waited until he had crawled back out before he activated his communicator. There was no telling if there might be other surprises that would quicken the activation of the high-energy bomb. Shawton immediately piloted a large spaceplane over himself after listening to Cillins short debrief on the situation. By now the transformed human situation were more or less under control, and the battle would end in around thirty minutes time. Therefore, Shawton no longer needed to supervise the battlefield. With the spaceplane, he worked together with Cillin to carry the soon-to-explode vehicle out of the planet. Because the spaceplane was stuck inside the ground, it was impossible to lift it into the air immediately. Therefore, they had to dig out all the stone and soil surrounding the spaceplane. The commotion they caused to dig out the spaceplane obviously attracted everyones attention, but they couldnt look away for too long because the transformed humans were completely dealt with yet. The fact that Cillin and Shawton had did what they did meant that something wasnt right with the spaceplane, and that it had to be thrown to outer space. As members of the squad, what they needed to do right now was to complete their own missions. Shawton controlled two large clamps with his spaceplane and grabbed onto the foreign spaceplane. Then, he carefully carried it out of the planet and sped up once he exited the atmosphere. He also fired a couple of propellers onto the foreign spaceplane and used them to propel it towards a faraway distance. Then, Cillin and Shawton returned to the base on their spaceplane. Ten minutes later, an fiery explosion went up in space. It didnt affect their planet because it was pushed far enough already. Chapter 213: Mist? Or Merciless? [Part 2] Chapter 213: Mist? Or Merciless? [Part 2] Cillin told Shawton about his analysis, but Shawton wasnt familiar with either Mist or Merciless. Therefore, he couldnt tell which one of the two forces had done this either. One thing was certain though, and that was that their enemy had set their sights on them. Either one of the two forces were extremely dangerous, and the Sixth B Squadrons strength alone wasnt enough to fight them. Therefore, Shawton had reported the situation to the A Squads. They would solve this once the A Squads had sent over some men to inspect the construction progress of their base. By the time Cillin came out of the spaceplane once more, the battle situation had already become very clear. There were only a few transformed humans left struggling on the field while the Lovages were scrambling to snatch them for themselves. Meanwhile, the rest of the Sixth B Squadron members were watching the show from the sidelines not far away. Unlike how they attacked the transformed humans earlier, the Lovages didnt try to cut them into several parts this time. Instead, they took bites off their enemies and ate them little by little. Whats going on? Cillin asked while he was walking over. Cary lifted his chin at the little Lovages who were staring pitifully at the last few transformed humans before turning towards the final battlefield, It seems that the more those transformed humans differentiated and cloned themselves, the less the Lovages liked eating them. It was like a very tasty bowl of soup where a few spoons of water were added before a little of it was drank, then rinse and repeat. After the process had been repeated for a couple of times, the soup would have become so diluted that its taste must be poor. In the end, the remaining transformed humans were all eaten. The Lovages had eaten and licked the last of the cells before they could differentiate. There was no doubt that these Lovages had a fulfilling meal, and some of the little Lovages were now an entire size bigger than they were before. The speed of their growth astounded everyone. After the Lovages had returned to their nests, Shawton told his men to comb through the area thoroughly and destroy all hidden threats. Although this incident was resolved successfully, the danger it brought caused Shawton to be deeply unsettled. It wasnt until the A Squads men had arrived that his unease had subsided just a little. The people the A Squad sent over were unknown to Cillin, but they were all elder level members like Songba Leruo. They hadnt put on too much of airs when they spoke with Cillin though. They had only called him over briefly to speak about his findings during the battle and nothing else. Cillin had no idea what the A Squads men had discussed with Shawton after his departure, but he was in no mood to know anyway. Right now, he was working hard in researching a few things; things that might soon come to protect his life. The A Squad left behind a group of troops to guard the planet. The base was of great value to them, and they had even arranged some technical specialists to inspect it. They were all full of praises towards this base. In reality, Cillin, the gray cat and Czedow knew that Sigma was one of the reasons the base had maintained a high standard of functionality today. Sigma had spent countless years in maintaining, perfecting and improving the base. Cillin took a look at the trees planted around the base. They were genetically engineered species that were brought in for the purpose of improving the planets environment. Now, these trees had completely taken root and producing new shoots from the ground. Not far away, a group of little Lovages ran behind Snowballs butt while the gray cat bumping over a ball. They caught the ball before bumping it into the air once more, looking very happy as they played. These little Lovages hadnt turned hostile towards the Sixth B Squadron just because they had finally tasted flesh. The chip inside their body was what separated them from the common beast. What are you looking at, Cillin?! The gray cat jumped in directly through the window and climbed up Cillins shoulder in a familiar fashion, asking. Cillin scratched the gray cats chin and answered, Just watching you guys having fun. The gray cat raised its chin so that Cillin could scratch it as it said lazily, Theyre just a bunch of kids. Cillins mouth twitched. Other than its age, the gray cat was pretty much the same as them. So? How are you doing after cooping yourself for days inside the workshop? The gray cat swung its tail and asked. The results are showing, but, hmm. Wheeze, I have a question to ask you. How much chance do you think you have if you fought against Barthus and Songba Leruo? The gray cat stretched open its narrowed eyes. It thought for a moment before replying, I dont know. In reality, the gray cat knew very well that it would be at a disadvantage. It was confident that it could beat Barthus and Songba Leruo in a head on battle, but fighting was never just a mindless brawl. Tactics were always involved, and it was obvious at first glance Barthus and Songba Leruo were two old foxes who had fought hundreds of battles in their lives. Although the gray cat possessed a powerful brain, it couldnt think od many crafty plots or machinations at all. It had no idea how to lie, and was so bad at it that Cillin could identify one of its lies in a single glance, much less those old foxes. Are you going to fight against them? We can work together. You use your brains and I use my claws. Theres no way we cant beat them together, The gray cat said. Cillin shook his head, Theyre not my enemies, but my enemy is stronger than them both combined. The gray cats ears flicked, I know who you mean now. Youre talking about those people we met at the prison. They are very strong, and cunning as well. Oh right, are they really going to attack our base? The gray cat didnt need to ask the Sith B Squadron to be able to learn things. The base itself was Sigmas eyes and ears. I think so. Theres no need to be afraid. Ive discussed this with Sigma before, and Sigma has been recently planning to renovate the base a little more as well as adding a couple of batteries outside. Its not like we dont have the materials to build them. Eudy even said that hes going to install the batteries with us tomorrow. The gray cat had gotten excited while talking, so Cillin didnt interrupt it. He continued to scratch the gray cats chin while staring towards the faraway distance, thinking to himself. Two days later, another squad mission had landed on their laps. The two rank C planets they detected earlier contained a rich amount of precious metal resources, and it was just what they needed since they were about to build new defensive facilities at the base. Cillins squad and Zaya Kasas squad went out to mine the ores. Each squad was responsible for one planet. The gray cat was currently engrossed in building the batteries and didnt follow him. Cillin left Czedow behind to supervise the construction and prevent those fellows from messing around without a clue in their heads. On the starship, Cillin sat quietly on a chair as he listened to Cary, Beaver and the others chatting about the construction of the defensive facilities at the outskirt of the base. He couldnt shake this uneasiness inside him. Cillin was not a person to act without preparation, but he was still feeling very uneasy despite all the preparations he had made. Tico walked over and stopped in front of Cillin. She looked at Cillin with a bit of worry in her eyes. Whats wrong? Is there something the matter? Cillin asked. Im fine. What I want to know is what trouble youre in, or rather what trouble you think youll be in, LC. Tico pulled over a chair and picked out the little rabbit inside her big pocket. She passed the rabbit to Cillin. The little rabbits ears were drooping, and it was obviously staring at Cillin with great worry. Cillin had never seen such a look from the rabbit. He could also sense the reluctance to part besides worry. Cillin didnt know why he was able to decipher the meaning behind the rabbits eyes. He simply knew that those were the emotions it was conveying through its eyes. The rabbits mouth might not know how to speak, but its eyes did. Its been like this ever since we left the base, and it wasnt looking at anyone else like this except you, Tico stared straight at Cillin, What on earth happened? What havent you told us? Cillin rubbed his hand across the table surface. Inevitable. In the end, it was inevitable. He knew what he was going to face from the rabbits look now. Cillin didnt answer Ticos question. Instead, he closed his eyes and tapped his finger against the back of the chair. Five minutes later, Cillin opened his eyes and stood up. He rubbed the rabbit staring at him once he looked back at Tico, It will be fine. Tico didnt believe Cillin because she understood the rabbit in her hands all too well, and she knew every meaning its eyes were conveying. It was why she dropped the table knife in her hands out of sheer shock earlier when she saw the look the rabbit was giving Cillin. The look meant that Cillin was very likely to die soon. The rabbit wouldnt have worn a look of worry and reluctance to part otherwise. Cillin went to look Eudy. Dias wasnt around to hear him, so he had explained some of his plans to Eudy instead. After all, Eudy was one of those people who could calmly analyze a problem, and had greater say in the entire Sixth B Squadron. He was the most suitable person to hear this right now. Decisiveness was necessary in certain times. By now their starship had flown rather far away from their base planet, and they were just about to reach the planet with rich metal resources theyd registered in their chart. But not only did Cillin not give the order to descend, he even told them to get their weapons ready, and the personnel inside the control room to assume their positions. He told them to inspect their energy supply and defense systems. Cary opened his mouth, but was shut up by a single glare from Eudy. Right now, Cary was feeling extremely gloomy and puzzled. His heart itched like it was being scratched by the gray cats claws, but even worse was the fact that he was not allowed to ask. Are we ready? Cillin looked at Eudy. Eudy nodded, Were ready. Good. Begin! Eudy laid down the orders the second Cillin said so. The starship that was flying towards the resource planet suddenly made a U-turn, activated its defensive shields and flew away like it was running from something. Cary seriously couldnt hold it his annoyance any longer as he shot a glare at Eudy. The amount of energy blocks that they were going to waste was going to be astronomical considering that the ships defensive shields were activated to the fullest extent, not to mention that they were using the special energy blocks too. Was he still not going to give an explanation now?! Cary opened his mouth and attempted to ask. His voice didnt escape his throat before the starship suddenly shuddered. Were under attack! From the display, the squad could see many laser bullets being fired at their ship. Behind them, a starship slowly revealed its true form. A starship was actually waiting to ambush them! What was even more shocking was the fact that their scanners and probes hadnt detected anything at all! Right now, that enemy starship was pointing all of their cannons at their starship. If it wasnt for the shields, the starship would probably be half paralyzed by now. At the very least, there was no way they couldve continue flying at their current speed. Who are they?! Cary asked. I want to know too, Cillin left the control room after staring at the starship pursuing them closely from behind. Chapter 214: Oskulos is Coming [Part 1] Chapter 214: Oskulos is Coming [Part 1] Cillin walked to the entrance of the control room before turning around to look at everyone, With my authority as the lieutenant commander of this squadron, I will transfer this starships control and this operations command to Eudy effective immediately. Although Hunters were not as strict as the army when it came to ranking, obedience was still expected during critical moments. It wouldve been a mess otherwise. That was why everyone would self-consciously obey the commander with the highest authority during a critical situation. Everyone was a little caught off guard when they heard Cillins declaration though. Why had Cillin transferred over his power to Eudy at this time? Since Cillin had transferred the command to Eudy, every member in the squadron was expected to obey Eudys orders for the remaining period of the operation. It was obvious that that starship chasing behind them was a threat at first glance. But LC Cary went over and tried to get to the bottom of this. Cillin closed the control rooms door with a button wordlessly before Cary could catch up to him. When Cary opened the door once more, Cillin was already riding inside the elevator heading towards the spaceplane parking zone. Cillin looked at the starship behind them. He could sense that person on that starship. It was inevitable that they would meet. He just didnt think that Oskulos would appear so quickly. It would appear that Mist or Merciless had cooperated with Oskulos and attracted part of the armys attention. That was how Oskulos managed to shake off the armys supervision and came looking for Cillin. He chose a small spaceplane, brought a few energy ores with him, checked his equipment once quickly before piloting his chosen vehicle out of the starship. Even though the small spaceplane might not have the deadly weaponry of a bigger spaceplane, its strength lay in its agility. Big spaceplanes attracted too much firepower and were difficult to control by one person only. At the starship behind the Sixth B Squadrons starship. He went out. The person who spoke was none other than the person Cillin and the gray cat were talking about earlier; they guy who brushed past Cillin back when he was traversing the prison passages. Next to him was the woman wielding a blue blade who almost killed Cillin back then. Oskulos let out a small smile as he leisurely drank his wine while sitting on top of a recliner. He drained every drop of wine, stood up and walked out of the room immediately. Not long after, a spaceplane departed from the starship and chased straight towards Cillin. At the teams starship. Everyone in the control room saw Cillin piloting a spaceplane and leaving the starship. Tico and Eudy stared at the vehicle that was gradually moving further and further away from them worriedly and sighed. Hey, can anyone tell me what on earth is Cillin thinking? Also, who are those enemies behind us? Cary was just about to blow his top. This is not the time to speak about such things, Eudy turned back to look at the main control panel, We absolutely mustnt slow down, and we absolutely mustnt descend at any nearby planets. Raise the energy shields and increase all thrusters to the max! We are retreating back to the base at top speed! Cillin had warned Eudy to never slow down or descend at any nearby planet in an attempt to fight those people. It would just be plain suicide. That was why Eudy had ordered the team to return at top speed. Any other choice would only result in their own destruction. Cary grabbed Eudys collar and roared out, Can you f*cking tell us the reason already?! Is it fun hiding things from all of us? F*ck! Eudy gave Cary an expressionless stare before he removed his hands and said, Im just performing the mission the LC has given to me, and that is to bring everyone back to the base safely. F*ck that shit! Cary kicked the chair next to him violently. It crashed into the wall and broke into pieces. Bang bang bang! The attacks coming behind them were as fierce as ever. Although the energy shields were holding up, the starship still wobbled under the shots impact. F*ck! Who the hell are they? Do we have to run like this all the way back to our base?! Cary wasnt the only person to have this thought, there were a lot others who thought the same too. How embarrassing would it be if people heard that members of the great Vanguard was openly thrashed, and the only thing they could do was run all the way back home without retaliating even once! It was just too stupid and cowardly to escape all the way back to the base with their tails between their legs! When Eudy saw that everyone was slowly losing control of their emotions and being tempted to pilot a fighter or pick a fight at some place, he finally loosened his mouth a little. If he were to keep them too much in the dark then the opposite effect would happen instead. Can you guys take on either Mist or Merciless? Eudy looked and Cary and everyone else. Everyone in the control room fell silent when Eudy said this. Could they take on either Mist or Merciless? They couldnt! They couldnt take on any one of them! They werent afraid of death, but they were afraid that their death would be worthless. Being brave didnt mean plowing head first into certain suicide. Eudy swept a glance across the board before he finally turned around, Follow my earlier order and return at full speed! No one displayed any indignation this time as they consciously performed their respective responsibilities. The best aid they could provide the squad was to do their own things properly. Cary made several deep breaths before he asked with bursting emotions that he barely suppressed, Cillin Cillin has his own plans, Eudy said nothing after that. He brought up the star chart and laid down orders to adjust their course from time to time. Judging from how the enemy was pursuing after them, it was obvious that they had analyzed this whole region before. Eudy didnt think that they could shake off the enemy behind them, so all he wanted was for the squad to return to the base safely. Cillin had told him that the enemy had known about the base since a while ago, and that they were the ones who sent the transformed humans to attack them. Even if they hadnt flown out of the base and gone on a mission, these people would still have attacked the base. The reason the enemy hadnt lobbed a bioweapon at them or used any explosives that could cause permanent destruction was all because they wanted to preserve that base. There was one more thing that Eudy refrained to say when he was answering Carys question. The title Star Rank Hunter Oskulos was too big of a morale blow to unveil. The name Mist and Merciless had caused enough pressure within the team already, and Eudy suspected that the revelation of Oskulos would have sent these people straight into negativity. That was why he had avoided the subject even when someone brought up their doubts regarding the enemies that had gone after Cillins spaceplane. Eudy was seriously caught off guard when he heard Cillins thoughts on the matter. No one knew why someone at Oskulos level would lay his eyes on Cillin. Cillin flew his spaceplane straight towards a planet of his own choosing. This planet was one of the two underripe rank B planets the Sixth B Squadron had found when they were searching for a planet to establish their base on at the beginning. Cillin had analysed the planets environment and living creatures, and he came to the conclusion that this planet was his biggest chances of survival. Cillin had considered fighting Oskulos in space and taking him out with his spaceplane, but Oskulos was a bonafide Star Rank Hunter. Even excluding his experience, the tools and materials Oskulos possessed must be far better than Cillins. Although Cillin was using the special energy ores they found earlier, and they increased the defensive capabilities of his spaceplanes shields by several levels, Oskuloss energy shields couldnt be too far behind even in the best case scenario. Moreover, Cillins chances of a reversal would only decrease once they flew out of Vanguards territory. That was why Cillin had chosen this planet decisively while he was plotting his flight course earlier. If he could delay Oskulos long enough, the gray cat and the others would eventually show up to reinforce him. He would be saved if he could survive until that moment. After all, Oskulos was alone in this place. Chapter 214: Oskulos is Coming [Part 2] Chapter 214: Oskulos is Coming [Part 2] Cillin continued to plot his latter actions while avoiding Oskulos attacks behind him. Oskulos was simply getting some entertainment out of the pursuit because he was bored. He didnt expect to be able to take down Cillins spaceplane with these attacks. But although Oskulos wasnt prepared to kill Cillin in space, he didnt want him to run too far away either. He didnt have that much patience to spare. Oskulos glanced at Cillins spaceplane once before pressing a button. Nine rivet-like projectiles were fired from his spaceplane in a row, and they were all high sensitivity homing projectiles. They flew straight towards Cillins spaceplane, and although he managed to avoid eight of them the last projectile still struck his vehicle. The rivet-like projectile seemed capable of absorbing energy, and it was causing the energy on the shields to drain away faster than normal. It would appear that Oskulos couldnt wait any longer. He hadnt been feeling too well because he was tied up by the military for a very long time. Cillin looked at the falling line of the energy gauge and made more calculations inside his head. He dodged yet another round of fire behind him. Finally, Cillin saw the planet he was heading to. He was just about to make his spaceplane land at the planned landing spot when two energy absorbing rivets suddenly struck his spaceplane with a boom once more. At the rate his spaceplane was losing energy, there was no way he could reach his planned landing spot before it gave out. He made his way down to a forest with great difficulty. The spaceplane broke god knows how many branches along the way, and the branches shook the spaceplane strongly before he finally landed. Cillin didnt wait for the spaceplane to come to a complete halt before he opened the emergency exit and ran inside the forest. Meanwhile, Oskulos spaceplane descended steadily on the high ground next to the forest. The hatch opened, and Oskulos walked out of the spaceplane. He was wearing the same outfit Cillin saw him in during their first meeting. He cast a glance at the forest and the spaceplane that just came to a halt and jumped down a cliff. Although the cliff was more than five hundred meters above the ground, Oskulos falling speed was different from ones normal speed when free falling. Oskulos cast a glance towards a particular direction in the forest before he waved a hand once and changed his footsteps. His speed hadnt changed, but his direction did. The man began descending towards the direction where his feet were carrying him to. While running, Cillin sensed a psychokinetic energy ripple charging towards him. He had only ever detected an energy ripple like this from Jiada. Too fast. Cillin was moving at his top speed already, but the man behind him was rapidly shortening the distance between the two of them. No wonder Jiada said that it wasnt easy to escape from Oskulos grasp at all. Sensing the rapidly shortening distance between the two of them, Cillin took out his gun. The gun barrel was crushed and snapped off before he could even turn it around, however. Cillin felt like he was punched by a massive fist, and he slammed hard into the stone wall behind him. His entire body was sank inside the stone wall. Before Cillin could recover his senses, a hand had already grabbed onto his neck and pulled him out of the wall. His feet couldnt touch the ground. Oskulos stared at Cillins bloodied head and torso while he was lifting him in mid air before saying slowly, So sorry to have left you alive for so long. Bang! Cillin was slammed against a hard object once more, but this time he was pressed into the ground instead. Cillins constitution was pretty strong, and there were plenty of rank A combat personnel who couldnt compare to him in terms of physical strength. However, bones in multiple parts of his body were crushed in just one smash, and he felt like his muscles were being torn apart by force. Oskulos was obviously a man of great experience. He knew which bone he should crush to take out his preys mobility. Jiada once said that Oskulos was a man who loves to torture his prey to death. Cillin listened as his bones were being crushed by Oskulos, but he didnt lose his train of thought to the waves of terrible pain. In reality, each time the chips activated the pain it was no less painful than having his bones crushed like this. It would seem that this level of pain is nothing to you, Oskulos said slowly. The fact that Cillin wasnt screaming out in pain dissatisfied Oskulos greatly. A thin, long blade about the width of a persons finger stretched out of Oskulos wrist. To tell you the truth, I hate Jiada a lot. He wanted to replace me so badly, but he always manipulated others to attack me instead of doing it himself. I dont understand is why that fake medium is willing to spend energy on you though. How do you think I should repay you for all the woes Ive suffered under the militarys supervision? Oskulos sounded like he was speaking with an old friend, but his blade was cutting towards Cillins direction. Inside the Sixth B Squadrons base. The gray cat and Sigma was arguing over a design diagram, and Snowball butted into the conversation despite knowing nothing about designs. Czedow had no room to interrupt the conversation at all. But every hair on the gray cats body suddenly stood on their end. Its eyes looked as deep as a whirlpool inside the sea. Sigma quickly cut short its unceasing explanation of its reasoning after it noticed the gray cats abnormal reaction. Beside them, Dough and Snowball retreated in unison because the gray cat was giving off an extremely unpleasant feeling. They felt like the gray cat was going to kill someone in the next second. Animals have extraordinary subconscious minds. The little Lovages who were originally fooling around the area went away in a flash to seek out their adults protection. At the same time, Eudys starship finally returned to the base. The alarm resounded inside the base, and everyone swiftly entered into a state of combat. This time however, the Lovages hadnt come out. They were all hiding inside their nests. The little Lovages were shivering unconsciously even as they pushed themselves against the adult Lovages body as hard as they could. It was as if the action could give them some sense of safety. Thanks to their earlier preparation, the squadron was currently operating at high efficiency. Shawton instructed his men to cover Eudys descent and attack the starship. The enemy absolutely mustnt be allowed to descend on the planet. Thankfully, the enemy starship didnt look intent on forcing their way onto the planet. They were simply flying back and forth in space. When Eudy and the others finally landed safely on the planet, Cary told Shawton everything about Cillin in a hurry. Please send someone to reinforce Cillin ASAP, commander! Hell be in danger if hes alone! Cary volunteered himself to be part of the rescue team. Shawton looked at Eudy, What did Cillin tell you to do back then? Eudy sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down as much as possible, He told me to leave first and get reinforcements later. Shawton obviously thought deeper into things than Cary did, Who was the guy who chased after Cillin? It its Oskulos Oskulos who? Cary was a little puzzled by Eudys answer. However, Shawton and the few A Squad members present in the meeting nearly jumped on their feet. What?! Oskulos? Are you sure? Is it really that person? Shawton pointed a finger above him. Everyone except Cary knew exactly who this person Shawton was mentioning. Eudy nodded, Thats what Cillin said. But why did Oskulos had his eyes on Cillin? It doesnt make sense. Oskulos normally sets his bar pretty high An A Squad member muttered to himself. When Eudy heard this, he wanted nothing more than to kick him out of the room. This isnt the time for reactions, commander. Let us form the rescue team and save Cillin already. Im worried that he wont last long if we dally any longer, Eudy urged. Hey, who on earth is this Oskulos that you guys are talking about? Cary was still confused by Oskulos identity. Another member of the A Squad explained, Oskulos is Lone Wolf, the Hunter with the most twisted personality out of the Six Stars of Hunt. Cary wouldve thought of that unusual Star Rank Hunter if they had mentioned Lone Wolfs title earlier. He just didnt know about Lone Wolfs true name. What!? Cary was stunned for a second before he grabbed Eudy by the collar and lifted him into the air, yelling, Why the f*ck didnt you say this earlier? Hell die! Both Cary and Eudy volunteered to join the rescue team, ignoring even the somewhat disdainful gazes the A Squad members were throwing their way. The problem was there were still a couple of old fools who were looking oh-so-serious as they began analysing the cause of the whole situation. Motherf*cker, should we be looked down upon just because were not a member of the A Squadron?! These condescending old fools! Cut the nonsense and lets save Cillin already! Xiao Shang and more Sixth B Squadron members volunteered themselves to partake in the rescue team, but they were all turned down by Shawton. Their opponent was a Star Rank Hunter, so the best candidates of the rescue team was naturally the A Squad. The B Squad wouldnt be able to help even if they all went there. While Shawton was building a rescue team and instructing his men to attack the starship circling outside their planet, a loud noise suddenly erupted from the bases direction. At first Shawton thought that they were being attacked, but when he saw the gray cat in its metal form he immediately told his men to put their guns away. The gray cats roar was so powerful that the surrounding people nearly fainted because of it. They should be thankful that the sound wave wasnt directed at them, or they wouldve died a long time ago. The gray cat was aiming its roar at the starship flying outside the planet. When the starship was struck by the gray cats sound wave attack, its monitors and displays all turned into static. The gray cat roared again when they had finally recovered from the attack, but this time a white beam was also fired from its mouth straight towards the starship. The white beam actually punched a huge hole in the energy shield that was protecting the starship! However, the gray cat obviously wasnt planning to meddle with them for long. An unmanned spaceplane flew out of the base automatically. A figure dashed towards the spaceplane and reached it in just a couple of jumps. It wasnt a jumping ability that any normal person could possess. The gray cat jumped into the spaceplane too after Czedow had gone inside. Chapter 215: Destination Reached, Operation Begin [Part 1] Chapter 215: Destination Reached, Operation Begin [Part 1] Neither Czedow nor the gray cat had touched the control panels, but the entire spaceplane moved on its own anyway as every key and every command behind those keys were executed orderly. It was the result of the gray cats control. Just now, the gray cat was suddenly assaulted by a huge, sudden wave of oppression and panic. It had nothing to do with itself, for the factor that triggered that emotion wasnt at where it was right now. It knew then that Cillin was in trouble. The gray cat didnt like to think, but it immediately recalled how unusual Cillin had been acting as of late the moment it started. After connecting the dots and remembering its previous dialogue with Cillin, the gray cat strongly regretted not accompanying Cillin on his trip back then. Who cares about something stupid battery! Czedow realized the reason behind the gray cats abnormal behavior after noticing the signs and communicating with it through the unique interaction method between robots. Therefore, he resolutely decided to act together with the gray cat. Although the gray cat wanted very much to destroy the invading starship, it was in a hurry to locate Cillin right now. Ill destroy them later. And so the gray cat and Czedow left the planet under the watchful gaze of both the Sixth B Squadron and the invading starship. They departed at top speed and without paying any attention to the invading starship at all. Something might have happened with Cillin. Those two share a connection with each other, Dias said worriedly. Then let us send someone over to reinforce him already. The rest of our men should be a match for the enemy starship, Shawton turned around to mobilize his men. At the rank B planet. Cillins situation was bad. Really bad. After being thrown twice by Oskulos, every bone in Cillins body felt like they were going to fall apart at any moment. Some of his joints were crushed too, so he couldnt even stand up right now. There were knife wounds around Cillins arms near the arteries. Blood wouldnt stop pouring out of his body. Cillin didnt bother asking Oskulos if he could him live if he gave up his Aurelio starmap pieces. It was already highly debatable if someone like Oskulos would show his enemies mercy, not to mention that the man himself never planned to ask Cillin about the Aurelio starmap pieces to begin with. The starmap pieces would reveal themselves once Cillin dies, so Oskulos was simply enjoying the pleasing process of torturing someone right now. Oskulos was a crazy man. He had killed innumerable people, and most of them shared no grudges with the man at all. Almost everyone who perished in his hands died horribly, for they were all tortured to death. In the past, Cillin couldnt understand why no one C be it the other five Star Rank Hunters, the Heavenly Edict Generals, or GALs political organizations C had tried to deal with people like Oskulos. After all, a person like him was simply too dangerous. It didnt matter if someone was from the military or the great four; anyone who ran into him was going to have a field day. Bad luck was something that could happen to anyone, and this guy was a ticking time bomb. Therefore, Cillin and Czedow had worked together to hack into some databases to find an answer. They had hacked into many essential databases of major organizations except the military and the great fours most essential databases. Although they hadnt found any information that directly answered his question, Cillin still managed to come to a conclusion from the scattered tidbits of information he found here and there. There were some violent groups behind Oskulos backs. Of course, these organizations were nothing but dispensable tools to Oskulos that sometimes could be used to even the odds. Their existence didnt change the fact that he was still an egoistic and extremely solitary person. He had neither friends nor allies, and the only people behind his back were a bunch of violent groups that couldnt even be considered loyal to him. However, it was these violent groups that comprised a huge threat and hidden danger to the entire GAL. After all, there were only too many such violent groups in GAL, and not every region in GAL was in a state of peace. There were a lot of war torn planets out there such as the ones in Sector V. This was where Oskulos came into play. The military and the politicians would often negotiate with Oskulos to quell the unrest of these violent groups. This was also a kind of balance. Just like what Jiada had said earlier, Star Rank Hunter didnt only possess great strength, but great influence as well. Every Star Rank Hunter was extremely influential, even for someone who was called the most solitary of all Star Rank Hunters, Oskulos. Oskulos licked his blade even though there was no blood on it. His blade was made so that blood wouldnt cling onto the weapons body. Not a single blood stain could be seen on the blade. I heard that youre the one who took out that little skull. Little skull? Cillins pupils abruptly shrank. Did he mean the Skull King Carranio?!! You recalled? Oskulos drew yet another bleeding wound on Cillins legs with his blade. I was hoping that that little skull would cause some trouble, but he was killed by you before he managed to start anything, Oskulos sounded like he was reminiscing about a pet he used to raise. Cillin couldnt see any hatred or rancour from Oskulos eyes. He only saw a bit of regret; the kind that regretted the fact that Cillin had taken out Carranio too soon, and a pig that was cooked before it was properly fattened. Are you C cough C trying to take revenge for him? Cillin spat out a bit of blood and asked. Revenge? Oskulos careless flicked his long blade around and cut a new wound deep enough to see the bones on Cillins leg. Right now, Cillin would scream every time Oskulos cut a wound on Cillins legs. His pained wails satisfied Oskulos greatly. Did you think someone like him is worthy of my revenge? That useless trash. When Carranio and Oskulos met each other, Carranio wasnt yet the Skull King, and Poison Fang didnt yet exist in the world. Carranio had ran into Oskulos while he was committing brigandry when Sector V didnt yet belong to any particular violence organizations. Since Oskulos was feeling pretty good that day, and he saw that Carranios bloodline was a little special, he didnt take Carranios life. In fact, he even strengthened Carranios constitution and told him that he would punish him if he failed to take control of that region in a years time. After that, Oskulos went away to someplace else to search for more fun. He wasnt a person who would stop for any power or organization to begin with. A year later, Poison Fang ruled that entire region and integrated all surrounding violent groups into one body. He killed off all dissenters and emerged as a new power. That was how the Skull King Carranio was born. Cillin had noticed that Carranios body was artificially sculpted into what it was since back then, but he never realized until today that it was Oskulos handiwork. Chapter 215: Destination Reached, Operation Begin [Part 2] Chapter 215: Destination Reached, Operation Begin [Part 2] While he was talking, Oskulos jabbed his blade into Cillins stomach again before slowly pulling it out. Blood dripped off the blade before it eventually became shiny and bloodless once more. Cillin let out a loud cry of pain and began convulsing all over. By now his boy was scarred with dozens of knife wounds, and the ground was splattered with his blood. Although he wasnt going to bleed to death from these wounds, it was still incredible pain. It was probably time to disembowel his prey, wasnt it? Oskulos seemed to find the situation very amusing, so he jabbed his blade at Cillin for another two times. Again, and again. But just as Oskulos was jabbing downward once more, Cillin turned around in mid convulsion and caused Oskulos blade hit Cillins belly button instead. Swoosh! A clump of needles as thin as chicks feathers suddenly shot out of Cillins belly button straight towards Oskulos face. Oskulos jumped back and swung his blade to block the needles. While Oskulos was performing a block, metallic belts suddenly appeared and wrapped around Cillins body. Then, a flat board unfolded behind Cillins back and carried him away at tremendous speed. Cillin had spent a lot of extremely rare materials and brain cells to develop this device. The tricks advantage lay in their advantage of surprise; if the enemy had noticed them beforehand then they would be of little use. Cillin had been waiting for an opportunity like this all the while. From what he learned about Oskulos through Jiada, the Lone Wolf often bled and disembowel his enemies while he was torturing them. Killing his enemies immediately was not his style. That was why Cillin had set up the needle device on his stomach. Considering how powerful Oskulos was, there was no way Cillin could use even a speck of psychokinetic power to trigger the trap. The same could be said about triggering the trap by hand either, which was why the best way to do this was to let Oskulos trigger the trap himself. Cillins seemingly painful and uncontrollable wails of pain and convulsions were all but a performance to lull Oskulos into carelessness. Plus, Oskulos seriously didnt consider Cillin to be an opponent worthy of his attention, not to mention that that he had crushed some of Cillins joints and drew a lot of wounds on Cillins body. Therefore, Oskulos was a little careless at the time. When the blade was jabbed at his stomach, Cillin pretended to be turning away out of pain and panic, allowing the tip of Oskulos blade to touch the devices trigger. One of the most important things a human could do was to figure out their own limits. Cillin knew that he would be caught by Oskulos, and that his only chance of hurting this Star Rank Hunter for real was to make the attempt when the distance between them was almost zero. Moreover, there was no way Oskulos would let down his guard unless he let him injure him for real. Cillin was also certain that Oskulos wouldnt injure an important part of the human body at the beginning of his torture. He was sure that he wouldnt even hurt his internal organs, and at worst he would make Cillin bleed a little more than usual. After all, Oskulos singular hobby was torture. The reason he endured all those knife wounds was to lower Oskulos guard as much as was possible. While Cillin allowed Oskulos to cut him up all he wanted, he was also waiting for the best timing to arrive. Everything Cillin did and every stage of the trick had been planned carefully and practiced many times in Cillins own head. While the metal board was carrying Cillin away from Oskulos at top speed, Oskulos noticed that there were many holes of corrosion on the ground and the edges of his clothes where the needles had brushed past. With a flick of his wrist, he cut the air twice and scattered the corrosive air around him. Then, he beckoned a hoverboard in the shape of a round disc to fly over and stop beside his legs with a hand wave. Oskulos stepped on the hoverboard and chased down the direction Cillin was escaping to. Cillin wasnt idle while he was being flown away. He was looking at the surrounding environment, and when he saw a particular patch of forest delight lit up in his eyes. He was not far away from his premeditated landing spot. Cillin took out an object from the leaf patterned ring and tossed it into the air. Then, he put on a gas mask. The object exploded with a bang after it flew into the air. In an instant, a smoke that covered one hundred thousand square kilometers* of the sky appeared, creating a haze that severely impacting visibility. *Im aware this number is way too big, but thats what the author wrote. It maybe that he accidentally wrote ten square kilometers into one hundred thousand square kilometers. Please bear with it. Oskulos obviously didnt expect a trick like this when he was chasing Cillin from behind. Although he had encountered some small fries who used smoke bombs in the past, Cillins smoke bomb was a little too big, wasnt it? If someone was looking from outside the planet right now, they would find that this entire region was completely covered in haze. The haze was too widespread, and not even Oskulos could clear it out completely in a short time. Oskulos stopped moving and probed the surroundings with his thought. The boy did well to hide his own presence, and Oskulos wasnt able to detect him beyond a certain distance. He checked his scanner, but the scanner was also affected by the haze. Although Oskulos had no idea how Cillin managed to create a haze weapon like this, he had to give it to Cillin and admit that he was a bit more capable than he expected. Not only did he possess a lot of devices, he also pulled out a huge trick like this one. Oskulos wasnt angry. In fact, he was overflowing with interest. Interesting. This was the kind of hunt he enjoyed. A hunt where his prey just keeled over and died wouldve been too boring and dull, but if some twists and turns were mixed inside then it was a whole different story. After the haze bomb had detonated, Cillin had tossed out a some small jars prior to making his way to his destination. The jars shattered after they hit the ground and sank into the soil along with their contents. The needles, the haze bomb, these small jars and a couple more things were all life saving items that Cillin had researched and came up in a short time according to his analysis of Oskulos behavior and conduct. Reality had proven that his efforts were useful, although it was not without losing some blood and having his bones crushed. Still, they were small prices to pay compared the loss of ones life. Cillins chosen destination was no safe area. In fact, it was one of the most dangerous places that existed on this planet. This was due to a dangerous species that lived within this forest, the lizards. Here in this forest, there were some big fellows about 1.5 meters long and more than 200 kg heavy. They sat at the absolute top of the food chain of this place, and they were the biggest poisonous animal to exist in this region. Even giant pythons had no choice but to make a detour when they ran into these lizards. Despite their apparent sizes, these lizards pounce at their prey with extraordinary ferocity. They had extremely quick running speed too. These giant lizards had a powerful neck and many sharp teeth, enabling them to unleash a series of fierce attacks. Their skin was thick and coarse, and there were a lot of bumps around their body. Its back had protruding thorns and gray black colored scales, and its mouth was grown full of huge and sharp teeth. These violent and ugly cold blooded animals sent shivers into every person who met them. However, Cillin was absolutely thrilled when he finally saw them. Thank goodness these lizards havent scattered completely. As for their numbers alright, its pretty impressive. When Cillin saw the mountain behind these big lizards, he knew that he had reached his chosen destination. These giant lizards werent the only things that Cillin had depended on. After all, these things were at best normal preys for Oskulos, and that man had the ability to come and go freely even if he were to face down an entire nest of lizards. That was why Cillin was planning to give them some help. Cillin had used almost all of his energy into recovering one arm. At this point, the arm he was recovering could hold a gun steadily already. He took out a modified gun, controlled the boards flying direction and fired the gun in his hand in bursts. The first shot hit the side of a giant lizards mouth. The bullet blasted its thick skin into shreds, and a small amount of liquid flowed out of the shattered bullethead. The giant lizard let out a strange respiratory noise angrily after he sensed that it was attacked by something. The lizards cries were very hoarse and strange. It sent chills down peoples spine. Cillins shot went wide since the wound on his arm was still affecting him. However, he quickly adjusted his aim and fired the second bullet straight into its crying mouth. When the first giant lizard let out a furious cry, the rest of the giant lizards also opened their mouths and did the same. This was how this species interacted amongst themselves. Cillins next few shots all went into the mouths of those crying lizards. However, there were two giant lizards that Cillin found no opportunity to shoot because they never opened their mouths. The giant lizards chased after Cillin while making their odd cries. Some of them didnt need to, because Cillins goal was the cave that was the giant lizards nest. There were six to seven giant lizards lying at the cave entrance, and they were all staring at Cillin with icy and brutal eyes. Their tongues flicked against the air from time to time. Cillin made sure to move the metallic board away from these giant lizards claws. If he was struck by these gigantic limbs then his life would definitely end here. A huge claw swiped towards him, and Cillin maneuvered the metallic board out of the way. The giant claw only managed to catch the furthest edge of the board and drew a scratch on its surface. Cillin had analysed the offensive power of these claws before, and he learned that they were pretty powerful. It was also one of the reasons he had chosen them in the first place. The foul stench of the giant lizards mouths brushed past him with inches to spare as Cillin opened fire and maneuvered the metallic board to fly in between the two lizards guarding in front of the cave entrance, entering the lizards nest. The moment he entered, Cillin immediately sprayed some chemicals onto his body. It could cover up his scent and make him smell very similar to the lizards around him. At the same time, Cillin had pressed a button on the metallic board that caused both Cillin and the board to vanish slowly into thin air. Of course, he hadnt actually vanished. It was the device distorting the surrounding air and disorienting the eye, turning him invisible. Moreover, Cillin lowered his body temperature until it was the same as the environment. This way, the lizards wouldnt be able to discover him, the outsider, easily be it through heat or the reflection of light. He had already sealed up his wounds earlier with liquid spray, so blood was no longer seeping out of them. Cillin remained quiet inside the lizards cave as he watched the lizards charging in furiously, searched around for a little and left. He breathed carefully through his face mask, because even one unusual huff of breath might cause these big fellows to grow alert. Patter! Pitter-patter! The sound of rain striking against leaves rang from outside. It was like the voice of heaven to Cillins ears right now. The rain in this region was came and went unpredictably. A smile was drawn across Cillins lips as he stared at the rain falling outside right now, however. Although he calculated that this region would rain everyday, he couldnt estimate exactly when during a whole day it was going to rain. What a timely rain this was! Chapter 216: Death of the Lone Wolf [Part 1] Chapter 216: Death of the Lone Wolf [Part 1] Every time it rained, there would always be new characters who would step onto the stage that was the forest. They might be nobodies at the beginning, but they often climbed the food chain steadily and eventually amazed the world. The rain that was growing bigger and bigger captured the particles suspended in mid air and fell to the ground, washing the fog away. The blurry sceneries slowly grew clearer and clearer. The giant lizards seemed to like todays rain a lot. They were all hanging out on the outside and allowing the rain to pour over their bodies. On the other side of the forest, Oskulos walked unhurriedly without riding a hoverboard or piloting a spaceplane. Oskulos strength lay more on his acute perceptivity. He could always, always find the prey he was seeking for. This was the perceptivity only a top class Hunter possessed. Oskulos liked solving problems using a primitive method. Jiada once said that Oskulos was a cruel and very conceited person. The only time he tinkered with machines was when he was absent minded, and in fact he trusted in his own abilities far more than he trusted any other. No person or machine could change his mind even if he was in the wrong. It was why the leaders of violent groups who were connected to Oskulos C the Skull King Carranio for example C more or less picked up this habit from Oskulos. Oskulos didnt use any machine. He simply covered his head with the head cover of his jacket and walked alone in the rain. He thought that machines were irritating objects that just wouldnt stop chattering. Cillin wouldve been impressed if he knew of Oskulos ability to understand the machine language. However, Oskulos was not a person who accepted the counsel of others. Oskulos put away his blade. He disliked having his blade being touched by anything but blood, and these dirty raindrops especially were completely out of the question. Oskulos footsteps werent quick, but they had a clear purpose behind them. He would walk down a certain direction he chose without ever wondering if he had made the wrong choice, or if his prey was there. The direction Oskulos chose to walk towards was exactly where Cillin was currently at -the lizard nest. Right now, Cillin was concentrating on recovering while hiding inside the lizards cave. The fast-acting medicines he had prepared since a while ago had already been injected, not to mention that his recovery speed was already astonishingly quick even without the agents. The many big and small blade wounds that riddled Cillins body were starting to recover. In fact, the smaller and shallower wounds were starting to form scabs already. The bigger and deeper wounds were swiftly recovering as cut muscles became connected, folded, and fused into one just like before. The broken nerves at several spots inside his body were also extending, linking and connecting with each other by themselves. Blood began to flow normally inside his blood once more. His crushed bones were healed in silence. Every step was perfect, and every recovery was on point like they were calculated and executed like a program. Respiration, Genya once said. Humans had different respirations for different situations, and one could determine a humans physical condition just by checking their respiration. The human body had a best respiratory pattern when it was conducting spontaneous healing. The fastest recovery was achievable with the use of medicine only when the human was breathing under this pattern. Many people who had experienced life or death situations wouldnt purposely try to regulate their breathing patterns while they were recovering. Instead, they would obey their instincts and respire naturally, especially after experience had trained their bodies to get used to this rhythm. Cillin was one of them. He didnt need to change it on purpose. His breathing naturally switched into another frequency. Cillin checked every wound on his body and how they were recovering by feeling while his eyes were closed. He perceived his surroundings through the information conducted by every pore and every hair on his body. Heartbeats. There were a lot of heartbeats around this area, and Cillins was not the only one. There were plenty of lizard eggs inside this lizard nest, and heartbeats of different strength could be heard from them. Cillin was hidden amidst this lizard eggs, and their heartbeats provided the greatest mask for his. As for the lizards outside the cave, the agents Cillin had fired into their mouths had seeped into every part of the giant lizards body. The effects of the agent wouldnt be too obvious in such a short frame of time, however. As long as these giant lizards werent experiencing strong emotional turmoil, the agents wouldnt reveal their effects immediately. Still recovering, Cillin suddenly opened his eyes and stared towards a certain direction outside the cave. It wasnt long before the giant lizards outside the cave also looked down that direction. Their long tongues flicked, and their icy cold eyes stared straight towards it. Their natural instincts informed them that a troublesome fellow was heading their way. The forest rain came as quickly as they came. Sunlight shone through the clouds and into the forest. Lively green sprouts appeared on the meadow stretching all the way from the forest to the nest. A drop of water fell off a tender leaf and caused a ripple to appear on a puddle. A spider-like insect that was even smaller than a sesame climbed down the leaf, dragging a sparkling and translucent thread behind its back. Rustle. Rustle. A figure slowly appeared from the shadows of the forest. It was Oskulos. He didnt conceal his tracks or footsteps in the slightest. The fear that permeated from his prey when they heard his footsteps pleased him. Oskulos looked at the lizards in front of him. These ferocious-looking creatures were nothing but tiny preys in his eyes; the kind of prey he could take out with the mere flick of his blade. Did you think that you can escape me by hiding inside these little reptiles cave? Oskulos laughed softly. His laughter was neither loud nor oppressive, but it made Cillin feel like the sky was painted with blood out of nowhere. The outermost lizard crawled towards Oskulos, spitting its long tongue and swinging its large tail left and right in the process. The grass all around it were crushed into bits. Oskulos didnt move out of the way even though the lizard was crawling towards him. In fact, he was watching his pitiful preys movement with interest. The lizard crawled faster and faster, scattering mud as its claws struck against the ground. A metallic white flash cut the lizard in half just as it opened its big mouth full of teeth and attempted to bite Oskulos. Blood sprayed everywhere as it became mixed with the puddles that hadnt yet dried on the earth. Cillin closed his eyes once more, concentrating on recovering as quickly as possible. He ignored Oskulos, who wasnt far away from the cave entrance currently. The hunt had just begun. The lizards grew angry when they saw their companion being killed, and the blood stench in the air awakened their innate ruthlessness even more. They howled out hoarsely and climbed swiftly towards Oskulos. Oskulos narrowed his eyes this time, however. The lizards were changing, swiftly and all-encompassing as if someone was inflating their bodies with air. They grew bigger with every step they took, and as their cells were stimulated by the agents to divide more and more the lizards grew bigger faster and faster as well. Their thick, rough skin was also getting thicker as the thorns behind their back protruded like long spears. The earth shook stronger and stronger with every step they took. When the lizards made their way to Oskulos front, they had swelled almost ten times their original size already. Oskulos cut down five lizards in five hits during the time he lifted his blade, but this time they were not decapitated in half like the very first lizard. The wounds he inflicted on the five lizards quickly healed and stopped bleeding. Moreover, they had grown even bigger during the short time he spent to cut them down. Oskulos swept a glance at his surroundings. More than 80% of the lizards were starting to swell up, and they were all turning ruthless. The remaining lizards that hadnt transformed were bloodily eaten by the giant lizards. Oskulos didnt know if the lizards changes had something to do with Cillin, but one thing was certain: he chose to hide here because he knew that these giant lizards would undergo such a transformation. The agent Cillin had fired into the lizards mouth was in fact the biomass he extracted from the giant tree of that plant only planet. A few relevant tweaks later, the biomass was modified into the agent that was acting on the lizards right now. These agents granted the lizards tremendous physical boosts, but also robbed them of their self awareness. The unnatural transformation made them ruthless and bloodthirsty, which was why they had attacked their untransformed kind. The dozens of transformed lizards charged straight towards Oskulos. Naturally, this wasnt an easy battle even for Oskulos. This absolutely didnt mean that Oskulos couldnt cut these giant lizards in half, however. Inside the cave, Cillins eyes were still closed. But there was a gun in his hands that was being manually loaded right now. Although Cillins movements were very quiet, Oskulos could hear them clearly outside the cave. His danger intuition was especially active right now. Cillin had prepared that gun purposely to deal with Oskulos, and Oskulos himself could sense a great danger coming from the weapon. That was why he was especially attentive of Cillins movements. The moment the giant lizards pounced towards Oskulos, Cillin abruptly opened his eyes, raised his hand and fired every bullet inside the gun chamber. The lizard cave wasnt shaped like a straight line. Technically, there was a small curve that kept Cillin from seeing outside from where he was. But not only did Cillins bullets travel along a strange, curved trajectory to exit the cave, they slipped through the gaps between the giant lizards perfectly to hit Oskulos guard. Oskulos waved his blade and blocked every bullet that came at him. Oskulos didnt want to use an energy shield even though possessed one; he felt like it was an admission of weakness if he were to use it. Moreover, an energy shield would slow him down, not to mention that he trusted himself more than an energy shield. Had Oskulos been someone else C had he been Cillin himself C he wouldnt have the time to fight those pouncing lizards and block the bullets at the same time. After all, those giant lizards could crush a human being with a single foot. But Oskulos could. His blade flashed to block the bullets and cut the foremost giant lizard that tried and failed to flatten the tiny Oskulos in its eyes in half at nearly the same time. The lizard was now a hundred or so meters long, not five meters. And yet Oskulos cut it in half all the same. This slash shouldnt be underestimated under any circumstances. It contained too many factors to account for such as a powerful concentration, a perfect fusion between the mind and the blade, a skillful, consummate and unhesitating blade technique, and many more. Although the blade only entered one third of its body, the wound split open towards the other side by itself as if a powerful energy was literally tearing this gigantic body in half. The blade moved so quickly that it was impossible to see. The only thing that was left was a decapitated giant lizard. And this was just the beginning. Before the rest of the giant lizards could react, Oskulos decapitated them one after another. No matter how many layers of hardened skin they added, no matter how much tougher their muscles and bones became, they were all just pitiful little preys beneath Oskulos blade. That was all. The blood covering the ground grew thicker and thicker. They started to spread towards the surroundings. Absorbed in the excitement of blade cutting through flesh, Oskulos didnt notice that some of the grass in the surroundings were starting to grow at a frenzied rate towards his direction. Moreover, thin, weightless threads where a tiny, spider-like creature the size of half a sesame was clinging to one end were gliding by along with the wind. Some of these spider-like creatures landed on the ground, but some of them had landed on Oskulos body instead. Even those that had landed on the ground were crawling towards Oskulos. The dozens of transformed giant lizards were decapitated before a breaths time was even over. Their giant bodies spasmed on the ground as blood gushed continuously out of their wounds. Oskulos was going to seek out Cillin after the lizard decapitation when his footsteps came to a sudden stop. He watched his surroundings vigilantly. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Vines rolled in from every direction as if they had found a most delicious animal to feed on. Oskulos had seen many strange plants in his life, and he knew that plants were in many occasions deadlier than animals. That was why Oskulos had cut them all apart. But these plants were grew way too quickly. They looked like they could grow endlessly unless he were to pull out their very roots. Oskulos slashed at the vines and sent both soil and vine flying into the air. However, he quickly discovered that these vines werent like the ones he saw that died the moment they left the ground. These vines didnt stop growing even after they were thrown into the air, and they quickly regrew their roots the moment they landed back on the ground. Moreover, a vine that was cut into several chunks simply regrew into multiple vines. That one vine that landed on the halved giant lizards had grown especially quickly after it sank its roots into the giant lizards body. Oskulos cut down the attacking vines while he searched for an opportunity to butcher the brat hiding inside the cave. It was at this moment a tiny bit of sound came from inside the cave. Oskulos could sense that Cillin was walking towards the cave entrance. Hmph. Is that kid trying to mount a sneak attack?! It wasnt that Oskulos looked down on Cillin only; he looked down on anyone who wasnt a Star Rank Hunter or Heavenly Edict General. To him, this scheming and tricky little bastard was just a young lad who had experienced neither much of the world nor life and death situations. But although he looked down upon Cillin, Oskulos still split part of his attention on Cillin while he cut down the frenziedly growing vines. The second Cillin walked out of the cave, Oskulos abruptly turned around, sped up, and sent a slash right at Cillin. He was swift, but Cillin was prepared for the attack since a while ago. He activated the energy shield on his body. However, the energy shield was shattered almost as quickly as it started. The fact that Oskulos blade was able to cut through the energy shield powered by a special energy ore and remain perfectly intact showed just how excellent its materials were. But although Cillins energy shield was shattered, Oskulos movements were ultimately slowed a little. Cillin took the opportunity to fire another round of fiber needles at Oskulos, and when Oskulos moved his blade to block the needles he seized the opening to hit Oskulos once. The strike didnt hit Oskulos vital spot, and Cillin couldnt find a second opportunity to try the same thing again, so he had no choice but to move on to Plan B. Although Cillin managed to deal a hit to Oskulos arm, his own waist was cut by Oskulos blade. A new injury was inflicted upon his body before he was able to recover in full. The wound at his waist didnt slow Cillin down. He ran quickly away from the area. After he had blocked the fibre needles and cut apart the vines catching up to him from behind, Oskulos exerted strength into his legs and chased after Cillin. But just as his blade was about to reach the back of Cillins heart, a daze suddenly assaulted his senses. Oskulos was a veteran after all. He quickly realized the abnormality in his body and the tiny things that had crawled into his flesh. He never realized that these tiny things that he initially thought were forest spiders were in fact parasites until now. In fact, they were poisonous parasites! Oskulos stopped chasing after Cillin temporarily because he knew just how deadly these little things were. He mobilised his muscles and even some internal organs inside his body. His muscles abruptly clenched tight and squeezed all the parasites inside his body to death. Cillin, who hadnt yet ran far away from Oskulos couldnt help but feel amazed by the sight. To this day, Oskulos was literally the only person he saw to possess such capabilities. Forget squeezing a parasite to death inside ones body, no one else he met could even stop the parasites from advancing. You definitely can crush the parasites inside your body, but can you endure the toxins they secrete, Oskulos? Chapter 216: Death of the Lone Wolf [Part 2] Chapter 216: Death of the Lone Wolf [Part 2] Unlike the parasites that preferred to cling onto a living host, these parasites preferred dead bodies over living organisms. Therefore, they would kill the living host after theyd selected it in order to absorb the substances that would enable their growth from the dead hosts body. This substance would only appear when the host was rotting. The giant lizards also possessed some of these substances, but if they went there they would be competing against the vines for nutrients. That was why Oksulos was the most attractive host in this area. Compared to viruses, a parasites strength lay on its independent thinking. This parasite was among the samples Barthus had gifted him earlier. Cillin then created them after he made some minor adjustments to their genes. The poison secreted by these parasites could swiftly lower the hosts blood pressure and prevent blood from coagulating. An average host C even one with rank A genes C would black out immediately before they had a chance to struggle. After that, the host would continue to bleed out for several hours until death arrives. A normal wound wouldnt have had such an unnatural reaction. A normal wound wouldve stopped bleeding very quickly. By now Oskulos could sense clearly that his concentration wasnt as strong as it was before. That one wound Cillin had inflicted on his body hadnt healed immediately as well. It was still bleeding even now. The vines surrounded Oskulos once more. Cillin didnt dare to move far away from this place because it had everything he relied on. There were no other regions that sported such an amazing amount of vines and excellent vine growing environment. Oskulos must be wishing really badly that Cillin would leave this place right now, so he mustnt fulfill his wish. Cillin moved between the vines and used both them and the giant lizards as cover for himself. The moment he found an opportunity, he would shoot fiber needles at Oskulos and create trouble for him. Oskulos found the vines attention very strange: why had they ignored Cillin and attacked him only? He was absolutely certain that this abnormal focus had something to do with Cillin. Cillin himself was very impressed by Oskulos constitution. He didnt think there existed a constitution that could resist the parasites toxin for so long. Oskulos continued to block all of the fiber needles Cillin had shot at him, but he was under great pressure as more and more parasites flew towards his direction, and more and more toxin entered his body. There were a few times he almost managed to hit Cillin, but the slippery boy was able to dodge out of the way somehow. As for why the vines kept chasing after Oskulos, the answer was something that Oskulos would never figure out on his own. The fiber needles Cillin shot at Oskulos didnt just contain a highly corrosive substance, but also an agent that caused both the vines and the parasites to grow excited. Just like how Udozes blood had caused the vines to go into a frenzy, the medicine had stimulated both the vines and this particular breed of parasite into a frenzy as well. Not even the blood that was flowing out of the lizards bodies had attracted them as much. Cillin himself couldnt tell how much effort and brain cells he spent to create this agent. He even experimented the toxin on himself and found that it was incredibly difficult to defend against even with his unique constitution. He even had to spend some time just to remove the toxin from his body. That was why he dared to use this parasite against Oskulos. With preparation comes confidence, and with confidence comes opportunity. Oskulos had been blocking the needles with his blade all this time, so naturally the scent of the agent had clung onto his blade. As long as his blade remained intact, the scent wouldnt go away. Oskulos disliked using guns because he couldnt kill all of his trophies with the same bullet. Oskulos liked his blade a lot because he could use it to reap his trophies lives and have their blood brush past its surface. It felt like his trophys very life was dripping off the blade. That was why Oskulos never laid down his blade easily nor washed his blade. He would never imagine that the vines and parasites unusual actions were all caused by his blade. Right now, Oskulos had to focus on doing three different things at once: One, he had to get away from the vines; two, he had to stop the parasites from entering his internal organs and brain; and three, he needed to stop Cillins occasional attacks! Oskulos was a person who hated dodging out of the way of his troubles. That was why his first reaction cut apart the vines when he encountered them. But now, he was pushed so far that he actually had no choice but to dodge out of the way. It had been a long time since Oskulos had felt this angry. Right now, Oskulos entire body was enveloped in a thick murderous aura that would have repelled the average people like a magnet already. Unfortunately for him, two out of the three living beings he was currently fighting werent human at all! Even the one guy that was a human was an oddball among his own species! Cillin only had one objective in his head, and that was to drag out this battle as much as he could! One of Oskulos flaw was that he was too set on those he labeled as his prey. Moreover, he was currently enraged and looking like he would never stop unless Cillin was dead. It was exactly the kind of reaction Cillin wanted from Oskulos. A persons mind would always be affected by their anger. He had to admit that Oskulos attacks when he was enraged were fearsome though; the man had turned a giant lizards corpse into smithereens with a single strike. Cillin had his own quick movements and the lizard cover to thank, or he wouldve been crushed to bits already. Cillin took out a gun from the leaf patterned ring while he was dodging another one of Oskulos attacks. On the surface, it looked no different from the gun he used earlier. The bullets contained inside the chamber were different, however. Oskulos was feeling a bit of regret right now. Since when did the parasites start invading his body? Yes, it was during that time. When the boy made noises while he was plugging bullets into his gun, he had done it on purpose. That was why he was became alert and put more attention on the bullets rather than the parasites flying towards him at the time! The toxin secreted by these parasites was just too damn powerful even with his constitution. He understood that he would die if he allowed the toxin to keep deepening like this, and that he would have to leave temporarily if he couldnt take out that boy in two minutes. He was unwilling to give up like this, however. If those bastards in the military learned that he, a Star Rank Hunter was forced to such a state by an unknown boy like this, if they saw the state that he was in right now, he would absolutely become their laughing stock! While Oskulos was thinking, Cillin hid between those vines and fired his gun at him once more. Eight bullets flew towards Oskulos from eight different directions. They almost had the man surrounded. Forcing me to back off, are you? I refuse! It was at this moment that Oskulos obsession caused him to make the worst decision of his life. Cillin hadnt fired eight times in a row when he used his gun earlier, but Oskulos wasnt thinking as much right now. He didnt stop to think if these eight bullets might have been different from the ones that were fired at him earlier, and he swung his blade to block all of them. However, the bullets exploded when they made contact with his blade. Although the explosions were pretty small and happened within five meters of Oskulos, the close impact still affected him pretty badly. Wounds cracked open on his body as blood bled out of every one of them, and because the parasites toxin had enlarged his blood vessels and suppressed the hemostasis process, Oskulos lost a lot of blood even though the wounds were tiny at best. Oskulos blood stimulated the vines even more as they surged towards him. Oksulos was still just a man and not a metal beast. His wounds worsened, Oskulos knew very well exactly where his final limit lay. The new wounds caused the toxin to spread even further than it was before, so he needed time to nurse himself and force out the toxin inside his body. The amount of blood loss he suffered was also starting to cause hypoxia, so his movements were a lot slower than it was before. After Oskulos destroyed a vine that pounced towards him with a single slash, he saw Cillin standing amidst the lively vines and corpses of giant lizards. It was a sight that chilled a person even more than icy environment of polar regions. Cillin also noticed the look in Oskulos eyes and knew that the man had decided to retreat temporarily, but didnt let down his guard. He constantly moved around and gave Oskulos no chance to take advantage of. The devil is in the details, and Oskulos was a devil that Cillin couldnt afford to be careless around for even an instant. Oskulos spaceplane flew over. The man turned around and jumped up to his vehicle. Oskulos disliked retreating, which was why he turned around and showed his back to Cillin as he departed this place. He wasnt afraid that Cillin might attack him from behind; it was hard to determine if Oskulos was overly confident or conceited. Whatever it might be, Cillin ultimately didnt attack Oskulos. His own body was about to reach its limit, and he had injected himself with three of Rikulabs excitation agents in order to maintain a state of high alert while dodging away from Oskulos attacks. Rikulab told him that three was the theoretical limit a human being could endure, and people like Cary could endure two injections at best. Anymore and it would exceed the users limit and cause them to explode. Oskulos leaped off a treetop and entered the door just as it opened. With Oskulos temperament, he wouldnt use the weapons system of the spaceplane to attack Cillin. The more Oskulos hated someone, the more he wanted to kill them with his own hands. Cillin spat out the mouthful of blood he was holding as he watched the spaceplane flying up to the sky. Cillins blood didnt excite the vines because he had injected himself with a vaccine. The vaccine was currently still operating inside his blood, and he had sprayed some agents around his body too. That was why neither the vines nor the parasites were attracted to Cillin. After Oskulos had left, the vines and the parasites switched targets to the dead giant lizards. Cillin never thought that he could kill Oskulos in one go when he made his plan in the first place. Oskulos might be a twisted person who obeyed only his own laws, but he was also a Star Rank Hunter. His individual prowess was there for all to see. Cillin had a clear recognition of the gap between him and a Star Rank Hunter after todays bout. Cillin sat down next to a giant lizard and exhaled once. Suddenly, he looked up to the sky and broke into an involuntary smile. Your luck today is absolutely rotten, Oskulos! Oskulos set the spaceplane to autopilot mode after he entered the spaceplane. Then, he started the process of self recovery. Oskulos disliked using medicines because his body would automatically build up its own resistance every time he successfully endured a certain kind of drug or toxin, thus perfecting his constitution even more. He liked this feeling a lot. Just as Oskulos calmed down and got ready to eject the toxin from his body, he abruptly opened his eyes and spread his psychokinetic field wide. It wrapped around his entire spaceplane. If Oskulos was in his normal condition, he wouldve been able to guarantee his own safety absolutely. However, at his current state he was just a tad too weak to prevent the powerful system hack that was spreading from small areas to large areas; thrusters to control panels! Oskulos stared rigidly at a particular direction where a spaceplane suddenly burst out of the clouds. It was none other than the gray cat and Czedows spaceplane. Right now Oksulos had to defend his spaceplane from two master hackers. The second the gray cat and Czedow broke through his defenses, he would lose control of his spaceplane over to those two enemies. The gray cat attacked Oskulos spaceplane as green, glowing characters flashed across its eyes, and Czedow worked just as hard his appearance wasnt as flashy. The task wasnt easy because Oskulos psychokinetic field had disrupted the magnetic field around the spaceplane that in turn obstructed their work. On the ground surface, Cillin held up a hand held micro electromagnetic cannon and aimed it at Oskulos. He had never thought of using this weapon against Oskulos until now because it could never lock onto someone of Oskulos ability. But now the opportunity to do so had arrived. If Oskulos moved out of the way of the electromagnetic cannon, he wouldnt have the spare energy to continue defending himself against Czedow and the gray cat. Just the same, if Oskulos continued to hold the gray cat and Czedow at bay, he would have to risk the bombardment. What will you choose then, Oskulos? At your current state, you can only make one of the two choices! A white beam flew straight towards Oskulos spaceplane. In the end, Oskulos chose to avoid the attack. Unfortunately for him, the gray cat destroyed the spaceplanes energy system before he could wrap his psychokinetic field around his transport right after he moved it out of the cannon strikes trajectory. Boom The explosion that ensued was so bright it overshadowed even the natural sunlight. It shocked the animals on the ground and caused them to scurry everywhere. Cillin had to say that Czedow and the gray cats timing of arrival was just too perfect, giving Oskulos no time to recover at all. If Oskulos could recover even a bit of his strength, he would have had the chance to escape from this place, but the god of luck was obviously not on his side this time. Cillin remembered Jiada. Did he tell him that because he had already predicted this outcome? Cillin ran towards the predicted crash site as the exploding remains of the spaceplane fell from the sky. He couldnt relax unless he confirmed that Oskulos was truly dead. The spaceplane crashed into the forest while burning. The small downpour from before did little to alleviate the fire that continued to burn the trees and evaporate all water within range. A figure pushed aside the uneven steel plate above his head and stumbled out of the fire. Both his skin and his clothes were scorched black, but blood continued to bleed unnaturally out of his wounds despite this. This sudden turn of event had caused the toxin to seep even deeper into his body, and his blood vessels had expanded to the point where it critically threatened his life. His wounds hadnt clotted much either. It would be an understatement to say that Oskulos cut a sorry figure right now. No one would believe that this person was the Lone Wolf Oskulos who struck terror in any person who knew his name. Although there wasnt a single part of his body that was unhurt, Oskulos continued to hold his cold, gleaming blade. The explosion did nothing to change this in the slightest. Oskulos turned his head a little stiffly down a particular direction and began walking towards it. His footsteps grew faster before he broke into a run, tearing his wounds wider with every step he took. Logically speaking, what he needed to do right now was to find a quiet place to recuperate ASAP. He absolutely shouldnt be moving as he was doing right now. But his own life did not fall within Oskulos concern. When he sensed that that cunning prey was approaching closer towards him, the only thought left in his mind was that that prey must die! Cillin immediately turned around and ran the second he noticed Oskulos activity. He seriously couldnt imagine how Oskulos was able to run as quickly as he did at his current condition! The distance between the two of them shortened constantly even though Cillin had already tried slipping into places with many trees in hopes that they would obstruct Oskulos way. But even on the verge of death Oskulos remained unimaginably agile. He moved like a black ghost whose only proof that he had passed through an area was the blood on the ground. Right now Oskulos felt like a reaper who had climbed out of the depths of hell itself. The aura surrounding his body was terrifying to say the least. Oskulos was getting closer and closer. Cillin could already feel his hair standing on their end in fear because of his approach. He couldnt escape. If he couldnt escape, then When Oskulos blade slashed down on Cillin, Cillin abruptly turned around and sped towards Oskulos instead. His wrist blade also accelerated to strike Oskulos down. Pu! Two kinds of noises overlapped one another. It was impossible to tell to whom the flesh and blood that sprayed everywhere had belonged to. A wound as deep as ten centimeters and more stretched from Cillins left shoulder to his chest area. Cillins wrist blade was stuck on Oskulos neck. Drip, drip Big droplets of blood fell off Cillin and Oskulos body. Cillin had wanted to cut off Oskulos entire head, but he never imagined that his neck would be so hard that he couldnt cut through. He only managed to open a wound on Oskulos neck, and the blade was even stuck there and wouldnt budge. The good news was that his neck artery was severed. The amount of blood that sprayed out of the artery was small. That was how much blood Oskulos had lost to the point where his blood pressure was about to slip down the final line. But even then, he still had the strength to swing his blade once at Cillin! A huge claw penetrated Oskulos heart and went right out of his chest, while two pairs of hands held onto Oskulos blade. One of them belonged to Cillin, and the other one Czedow. If Czedows hands werent there to hold the blade, Oskulos strike wouldve cut Cillin in half already. If the gray cats claw hadnt penetrated his heart, Oskulos would have the strength to swing a second time. It was a victory that was hung by a thread, where even a single missing factor wouldve resulted in Cillins death. Pu! The gray cat grabbed Oskulos head and crushed it like a watermelon. Despite losing both his heart and his head, Oskulos continued to stand as straight as a statue. The hands that held the blade trembled once, but never relented. It held onto the weapon tightly as if it would magically come to life and swing at Cillin once more. Oskulos was a legendary figure. He belonged to no power, and he borrowed strength from no organization. He had walked through all obstacles in his life alone, and more than half of the violent groups and underground organizations that existed in GAL had his shadow behind them. In fact, one could say that Oskulos created them by making them seize power from their elders cold, dead bodies and transform into GALs special underground organizations. But Oskulos had never paused his footsteps for anyone during his wake of life. He was the lone wolf who came covered in blood, and went away just the same. A person like him living in an era like this was fated to end only in tragedy. Even if he didnt die by Cillins hands today, he wouldve perished by the military or the devious politicians hands regardless. The reason Oskulos was allowed to exist was so that the leaders of those underground powers could be controlled. Those people neither feared the military nor the four great Hunter regiments. There was only one person they feared, and that person was Oskulos, but now that Oskulos was gone, every underground powers was soon to fall into chaos. What would happen to GAL when that day arrived? Cillin lay slumped on the ground. Although Oskulos failed to finish off Cillin with his final strike, he still dealt him a severe blow. If someone else had taken the strike in his place they might have been dead already. The gray cat kicked the headless Oskulos away and transformed back to his biological form. It then rushed towards Cillin and ran circles around him. Are you okay, Cillin? Will you die? Do you need a blood transfusion? Do you want Czedow sprayed some medicine onto Cillins wounds. He couldnt go wrong by stopping the bleeding first. Its okay, just leave me for now. Ill recover on my own. Once he said that, Cillin shut his eyes and looked like he had entered into a slumber. The gray cat sat next to Cillin before looking at him once. Then, it carefully moved closer to him and listened to Cillins pulse and breathing for a little. Its ears drooped right after the inspection: It didnt look or sound like Cillin was doing okay. It curled its tail a little dejectedly before it suddenly recalled something. Then, the gray cat quickly ran to the body it just kicked away. Oskulos was still holding his blade tightly like before. The sound of tearing flesh could be heard for a moment, followed by some ripples of energy. There was a bang before the gray cats frustrated voice rang. What on meow is this blade! Chapter 217: ‘Shortcut’ Opens [Part 1] Chapter 217: Shortcut Opens [Part 1] Czedow was just analysing the tissue sample of Oskulos he snatched from the gray cats mouth, when he heard its cry and turned over. A cats tooth was lying on the ground while the gray cat was circling around the blade. Oskulos had already been turned to dust, but the blade he left behind was still intact. The gray cat gave it a bite and accidentally lost a tooth as a result. A blade that could break this cats tooth must be extraordinary. It absolutely must be a very special blade. Czedow analysed the blade for a moment. One of the main elements that composed the blade didnt exist in his database. Czedow himself was created out of some very special materials, but this blade had nearly cut off his arm entirely. Of course, he could reattach his arms quickly even if they were cut off. Lets decide what to do with this blade after Cillin wakes up, Czedow set the blade aside and continued to analyse Oskulos genetic information. Oskulos genes was far superior to any other Rank A genes he had seen so far. His constitution was several times stronger than even Rank A+ constitution, and it actually looked a little like Cillins genes. His DNA was more helical than others, and he had a lot less recessive genes. Czedow cast another glance at Cillin while analysing Oskulos gene sample. Although Cillin was already starting to heal, his recovery was very slow probably because of the boosters he used earlier and his very severe wounds. Still, at least his vital signs were somewhat stable. Not far away from Vanguards allocated zone, there was another starship that was parked in place. Two people were seated next to a table inside a room. The younger person of the duo was playing with a yoyo while staring at the man flipping and reordering cards on the other side of the table. It wasnt like he understood what the man was doing; he was simply looking at him play because it was a novelty to him. Suddenly, the man withdrew all of the revealed cards on the table, put them together, and picked up the topmost card of the deck. He flipped it open. The person playing a yoyo grabbed his toy and paused for a second. Then, he asked, What does that mean? He didnt know what the patterns of the cards meant, but he had seen this card once in the past. When this card appeared last time, someone important in the army had passed away. So who was this unfortunate person this time? Jiada said indifferently as he stared at the card, Oksulos. Crack! The yoyo was crushed into bits. The person shook off the crushed pieces of the yoyo and asked seriously, Are you serious? Jiada cast a glance at him, Since when have I joked about this thing? The person sucked in a deep breath, If this is true, then first, congratulations, because youll be replacing Oskulos as one of the Six Stars of Hunt immediately. For balances sake, the hole must be replaced with a new Star Rank Hunter. Neither the Six Stars of Hunt nor the Four Heavenly Edict Generals could lack a single member. Jiada didnt express any joy at the persons congratulations. The person continued, Second, this is seriously some good news. GAL is about to be thrown into disorder. Jiada set down another card as he said this. The man stared at the patterns on the card and frowned. How could this be? How could what be? The person asked curiously when he saw Jiadas frown. Jiada didnt answer his question directly. Instead, he said, Shortcut can be opened now. Thats great news, Ive been waiting for this for a long time already! When Cillin woke up, it was already night time on this planet. Czedow had parked the spaceplane nearby while Cillin was sleeping, but both him and the gray cat stayed next to Cillin and watched over him. When Cillin woke up, the gray cat happily rushed over to rub its ears on Cillins body before showing him the broken cat tooth on its paw, Cillin, that blade broke one of my teeth! Cillin sat up and glanced at the blade Czedow was holding once, saying, This is a pretty strange blade. Cillin then opened the gray cats mouth to give it a look, Your new tooths grown already? But of course! The gray cat answered cockily. Cillin rubbed his own head and pondered about his own condition. He had recovered a little, although a full recovery likely take some time still. The final blade wound especially was healing very slowly. Thank you for making it in time, both of you. If you were any later, youd be attending my funeral instead. The gray cat immediately grew excited when this topic was brought up. It told Cillin how it felt that he was in danger, how it managed to identify where he was with its extraordinary senses, and what happened back at the base. Cillin scratched the gray cats chin and asked, Hows the base doing? Theyre okay. The starship left not long after we did, Czedow answered. Didnt you say that theres a rescue team? Why hasnt it shown up yet? Cillin looked at the time. He had fainted for two calendar days straight. Czedows eyes flashed once, I only told them that you are safe. He meant that he didnt tell them their exact coordinates. It was no wonder the rescue team didnt show up. Thats not a bad idea. Theres no need for too many people to know what happened here. Cillin stood up and inserted the blade into his leaf patterned ring. Then, he looked around him once. Although it was night time, the small amount of light coming from the spaceplanes direction still allowed him to see everything clearly. Youre the one who destroyed Oskulos body, so did you find the starmap pieces? Cillin asked. The gray cat opened its mouth and stretched out its tongue. There was a dull, gray, and completely average looking ring on it. A subspace container? You treat it like this and the subspace didnt collapse? Cillin accepted the ring and flicked the cats ears once. Do I look that stupid? The gray cat lifted its chin proudly. Cillin twitched his mouth in his mind: Now that, is a question. Cillin took only the starmap inside the ring before tossing it back to the gray cat, Keep this ring for your fish biscuits, but dont move the memory cards and materials inside it carelessly. Trouble will visit us otherwise. If the military discovered that they were the ones who took out Oskulos, they would absolutely put them under tight observation. The gray cat smiled so happily that its eyes turned into slits, Okay! Lets go. Its time to head back to the base. Come and lend me a hand, Czedow. Czedow lifted Cillin and supported him all the way back to the spaceplane because he was still a little wobbly on his feet. The gray cat walked in front of them with a raised tail. However, all three of them looked up into the sky just before they got up the spaceplane. Who is that? The gray cat flicked its ears once while looking up. Its definitely not the Sixth B Squadron no matter who they are, Cillin said. Czedows eyes flashed once, We have an incoming transmission from an outside source. Connect them through. Jiadas voice rang the moment the call came through. How do you feel? Jiada asked smilingly. Cillin stared at Jiadas image and let out a sigh, A Hunter should never allow their prey to have too much time to prepare, nor allow their prey to know them too well either. Otherwise, they may die an infuriating death one day. Cillin wasnt the one who knew Oskulos well. Jiada was. Had Jiada not told Cillin so many of Oskulos habits, then there was no way he couldve escaped from under his blade, much less turn the tables around and kill him. Jiada didnt say anything except that one line. He was simply informing Cillin that they were coming. I guess going back is starting to become an increasingly unlikely possibility. Czedow, is it possible for you to get in touch with the base? There are interferences. I cannot link up with them, Czedow looked at the sky, Something outside is jamming the signal. Should we try hacking into their systems? Forget it. Jiada must have his reasons if he dares show his face like this. Lets see what happens and decide later. Chapter 217: ‘Shortcut’ Opens [Part 2] Chapter 217: Shortcut Opens [Part 2] Even though Cillin knew Jiada only for a short amount of time, it still wasnt hard to guess that his systems would be hard to hack even with the combined strength of the gray cat and Czedow. Jiada walked out of his transport while being followed by two other people after the spaceplane descended on the ground. Cillin recognized one of them; it was that invisible man. This meant that they belonged to Grim Reaper. It would appear that they were very familiar with each other. Cillin didnt expect Jiada to share such a good relationship with Grim Reaper. Jiada tossed over an item to Cillin. After Cillin took in and gave it a look, he discovered that it was a starmap piece. It wasnt a piece of the starmap he was assembling, so it was probably the one Lung was looking for. It is time for you to fulfill your promise. Were opening Shortcut now? Cillin asked. Jiada nodded. This meant that the remaining the starmap pieces of Shortcut were all in their hands. Looking at their appearance, Cillin understood that they werent going to let him contact the Sixth B Squadron. Dont worry, Jiada seemed to know what Cillin was thinking, and he said, Ive already contacted Ji Feng, so you should be seeing him pretty soon. This is a cooperation, so its only natural for us to display our sincerity. Having witnessed Oskulos power himself, Cillin grew some confidence in Ji Fengs abilities. There was also no harm in having a Star Rank Hunter to back him up. Can I talk to the admiral? Cillin asked. No, you cannot. But I can pass on a message for you. Alright, please tell him to bring Sigma along to. Sigma, is it? Im not sure who youre referring to, but I can permit this request. Jiada cast a glance at the guy playing a yoyo next to him, and the latter returned him a helpless look before walking back into the spaceplane. It didnt take long for the person to come back out of the spaceplane once more. Its sent. Then, he went back to playing with his yoyo. It was daytime when Ji Feng finally arrived. Ji Feng brought five people with him to this expedition. They were all core members of the A Squadron. Those core members behind Ji Feng were all staring at Cillin, the gray cat and Czedow like they were living ghosts because they knew that they had killed the Lone Wolf, Oskulos. But Ji Feng only smiled and said, With Oskulos temperament, its only a matter of time before he meets his end. Speaking of which, congratulations on becoming one of the Six Stars of Hunt, Jiada. So everyone knew that this would happen all along. Ji Fengs eyes were causing chills to crawl up Cillins spine, however. He suddenly reminded him of Elder Mo for some reason. Sigma kept its silence throughout the journey to this planet. This was the first time he exited his base after so many years, and the one reason that motivated it to do so was the words for Shortcut uttered by Ji Feng. However, Sigmas silence was shattered the moment he saw Cillin, Czedow and the gray cat. It immediately started chatting with the gray cat in machine language, which no one else understood. Learning that what Ji Feng told it was true, Sigma was so happy that the blue strip of its faceplate turned into big waves. Cillin produced three starmap pieces from his possession, while the yoyo guy from Grim Reaper named Xin Zhao produced two. The five starmap pieces were greatly attracted to each other the second they were taken out of the subspace containers. After the five starmap pieces had joined into one, they immediately displayed the complete image of a starmap. However, no coordinates were displayed on the starmap. It was impossible to tell which Sector this place belonged to either. A key with the word Shortcut hovering above it appeared inside the image. The spinning key ultimately stopped and pointed at Sigma, who was currently jumping in excitement. Its not possible to know the exact coordinate without the key, Jiada said. No one realized that the key referred to Sigma. They all thought that the key was down the direction Sigma happened to be at. Jiada barely finished his words before Sigma shot out a ray of light. It was the projection of a starmap, and the two starmap holograms overlapped one another. The starmap was now complete, and one of the planets were blinking constantly. That was their destination. This map Ji Feng frowned in thought for a moment, I think its somewhere around our regiment. It is, Xin Zhao said, Juno had investigated this starmap just now, and he confirms that it is a region around your territory. Cillins pupils shrank. Juno?! Did he mean the creator or Aier?! Jiada smiled, Thats convenient. I was wondering what to do if it were some other powers territory. Haha, Im going home! Im going to find master! Sigma was so happy that it moved around in circles non stop, drawing the attention of everyone from Vanguard. They asked Sigma some questions, but Sigma only replied with a simple explanation. It didnt tell them any details at all. Still, considering the occasion, no one minded that Sigma was withholding some information from them. After the starmap was recorded, Cillin got onto the spaceplane with Ji Feng. Jiada had also gotten onto Ji Fengs spaceplane. The rest of the Grim Reapers went back to their own starship on their own spaceplane. Inside the spaceplane, Ji Feng chatted with Cillin about his takedown of Oskulos for a bit. He looked very pleased with Cillins performance, and his eyes started to resembling Mo Heng more and more. At the same time, Cillin also learned from Ji Feng that the group that attacked the Sixth B Squadrons base belonged to Mist. The base was mostly intact, and no casualties were incurred during the attack. Expect chaotic battles to happen all around GAL after the news of Oskulos death had spread. All those people who were once shackled by Oskulos power would definitely start making their own moves. Everyone must make preparations to face the impending battles. Ji Fengs words were for Cillin to hear. He was the one who made most of the decisions inside the Sixth B Squadron anyway. Shawtons influence within the B Squadron was slowly but surely growing smaller due to Cillins presence, and in fact Cillin had surpassed Shawton in the eyes of many A Squadron members. Ji Fengs attitude also showed that he valued Cillin a lot. He wouldve pulled Cillin over already if Cillin himself hadnt been unwilling to accept the offer to be promoted to the A Squadron. The coordinates shown in the starmap wasnt far, so they quickly arrived at their target destination. The target planet was a small and extremely unassuming rank D planet. The environment was so bad that even Ji Feng and Jiada had to put on a protective suit. Sigma and the gray cat ran ahead of the group and drew everyones envy. It was one of the advantages for being nonhuman. The group didnt need to scan and analyze about for an exact location. The gray cat and Sigma quickly found the place they were looking for. It was an entrance. It was only after they had entered the entrance that they realized that the planet itself was a machine that could create jump points. The entity to activate this machine was Sigma. It knew some of the commands because they were stored inside its memory since a long time ago. Sigma was filled with excitement knowing that it could return home and seek out his long lost master very soon. At the same time, however, Sigma couldnt help but feel a strong sense of regret. For some reason, it felt reluctant to part with this place. It was a feeling that it wouldnt have experienced had it not encountered the Sixth B Squadron beforehand. Perhaps this was what humans meant by conflicting emotions. While Sigma was busying itself, Ji Feng, Jiada and the members of the Grim Reaper asked a few questions about the Shortcut. They came to the unanimous decision to test the functionality of the jump point and its safety for human travel before sending someone in. It wasnt a preparation that they could skip or make poorly. Are you sure that this jump point is a two-way? Ji Feng asked Sigma. Sigma was so busy that it didnt even turn back to answer Ji Feng, Of course. How else did I get here in the first place? Everyone knew by now that Sigma didnt originate from GAL, but Ji Feng still couldnt shake the feeling that something was a bit off. It wasnt something was amiss with the jump point, he just had a feeling that things wouldnt develop the way he think it would. Ji Feng cast a glance at Jiada. He knew at least some of Jiadas abilities. However, Jiada was currently closing his eyes and thinking god knows what in his head. At a side, Cillin stood together with the gray cat and Czedow. There was no longer any need for them to do anything. In a sense, if Cillin didnt possess the starmap pieces, and if Ji Feng and Jiada werent here to protect him, the Grim Reapers wouldve chased him out of the place long ago. They might even have acted to rob the starmap pieces he possessed. Cillin, can this Shortcut really connect to a whole new star system beyond GAL? The gray cat asked. I think so, Cillin couldnt be sure because he hadnt seen a new star system himself. The gray cat licked its lips, I sure hope that the world on the other side of Shortcut is one thats filled with a lot more food and a lot less mad scientists. Cillin scratched the gray cats chin and said nothing. Every system had its own way of existence and complexity. For example, GAL had places that were peaceful, war torn, prospering, or failing. There was no telling what kind of state the world on the other side of Shortcut would be. Still, Cillin was more curious than anything else about the world that could create an existence like Sigma. There was also one other thing that Cillin was mulling over his mind. Cillin had spent many years investigating the Elder Tree Fuji Gen Family to no avail. Perhaps he might find a clue on the other side of Shortcut. Ahh, its ready! Sigma cried out loudly. Everyone felt spirited when they heard this. Let us check if this node is stable first, Sigma said. It didnt take long before Ji Feng, Jiada and Xin Zhaos communicators rang. The person on the other side of the communicator exclaimed in excitement when Ji Feng accepted the transmission, Admiral, a space-time vortex just appeared outside! Lets head out and have a look, Sigma led the way and moved outside. Everyone followed suit seeing that Sigma had gotten out of the place. Suddenly, a strange feeling struck Cillin. When the crowd has gotten to the open, they could see the time-space vortex hanging on the atmosphere-less sky. Moreover, it was growing larger and larger. So this is Shortcut! The gray cat let out a gasp of surprise and turned to look at Cillin. What it saw caused every hair on its body to stand on its end. Chapter 218: Imperial Capital Accent? [Part 1] Chapter 218: Imperial Capital Accent? [Part 1] The magnetic changes occurring around Cillin were growing stronger and stronger. In fact, space was literally starting to distort around him. Cillin finally understood what that strange feeling he had been feeling was. The time vortex was reacting to the leaf patterned ring on his fingers. It was pulling Cillin in with great force. More accurately speaking, it was trying to pull the leap patterned ring in, but the leaf patterned ring was completely stuck on Cillins fingers right now. Therefore, Cillin was pulled along into the time vortex. Green light appeared from the leaf patterned ring and wrapped all around Cillin. Cillin stood at the back of the group. He consciously chose such a position because he knew that people like Jiada and Ji Feng should be at the front. But because everyone was looking at the time vortex in space right now, this also resulted in no one noticing Cillin or the anomaly when it first started. When the gray cat turned around to look at Cillin, the light had just stretched out of the leaf patterned ring and wrapped around Cillin. The light frightened the gray cat greatly. The gray cat was an animal of instinct, so a single line appeared in its head the second it saw the light: Cillins about to go to the other side of the time vortex! The gray cat immediately jumped over to Cillin, clinging to his arm with both paws and tail. Despite appearing in this world for many years already, Cillin was the only person the gray cat ever truly trusted. Not even the members of the Sixth B Squadron had gained its full and unconditional trust. But what would happen if something were to happen to Cillin, or if he were to suddenly disappear? Would it be captured and dissected by those mad scientists? If Cillin was around then it wouldnt starve, but if Cillin wasnt around then it would have to return to its former life. That was absolutely unacceptable! In reality, the gray cats actions were faster than its thoughts. Everything came to its mind only after it held onto Cillin. Czedow was a step too slow compared to the gray cat. The light had wrapped around Cillin and the gray cat completely by the time he tried to reach them. He was pushed away by the light immediately. Not even Ji Feng and everyone else was able to get close to Cillin. By now the magnetic fluctuations surrounding Cillin and the gray cat was getting stronger and stronger, and their figures were starting to blur out of existence. Therefore, the group gave up trying to approach them by force. Seeing that Czedow was pushed away by the light, the gray cat spat out the ring in its mouth so it could leave something behind for it. It wondered if Czedow would be lonely if Cillin and it werent around, if Czedow would be taken advantage of by the other members of Vanguard, if Czedow would go hungry and so much more. Regardless, the items inside the ring should be enough to support Czedows independence. It was amazing this cat could think of such things during a critical moment like this. In fact, the gray cat was thinking that Cillin = food for life, so its life would definitely be better than Czedows no matter what. That was why it thought to help Czedow, especially since Czedow was its own kind. Originally, the gray cat wanted to say something to Czedow, but it wasnt even given the chance to speak at all. The brighter the light grew, the blurrier Cillin and the gray cats figure became. Then, the light moved and carried them straight into the time vortex above everyones heads. When the light entered the time vortex, the vortex slowly weakened until it vanished completely. Everything returned to normal just like before, but dead silence had replaced the usual chatter instead. No one was talking, and everyone was staring blankly at the time vortex. Did the Shortcut they were looking forward to for such a long time just vanish right after its activation? Czedow cared nothing for everyone elses thoughts. He stretched out his hands and caught the ring slowly falling from the sky after it was spat out by the gray cat. Then, he wrapped his fingers around the ring and gripped it tightly. This ring had been taken off Oskulos body, and the gray cat had thought of it as its precious for as long as it had it. Cillin was even going to turn this ring into the gray cat and Czedows reserve granary, but now Czedow was the only one left in this side of the world. Czedow tried to contact the gray and the Cillin once, but he couldnt detect any signs from them at all. He could neither connect to Cillins communicator, nor communicate with the gray cat. It was as if the duo had suddenly vanished into thin air. They were just gone. He might just be a robot, but a strange feeling he never felt in his life until now suddenly assaulted Czedows senses. Words couldnt describe this feeling because of how complex it was. The only way he could describe it was that it hurts. It really hurts. Sigma always expressed its thoughts in full, but Czedow was more reserved than it was. Although his expression was as stiff as ever, his eyes spoke a completely different language. It was just that no one could see it because it was looking down at the ring in his hand. Eh? Eh!!!! The blue strips on Sigmas face turned into large vertical bars as it let out a cry of absolute confusion. Sigmas cry woke everyone from their daze. They went inside? Xin Zhao asked. No one answered his question. This shouldnt happen, this shouldnt have happened! Sigma yelled while waving its arms wildly. It then rushed back into the tunnel to check the machine. Ji Feng and the others followed behind it. They too wanted to know what the f*ck had just happened. Sigma clutched its head with both arms while the blue strip on its face flashed erratically after it went back into the room. It showed just how upset Sigma was right now. The energy that powered the time vortex was completely depleted, and some errors had appeared in the node connection program. Some of the machines were experiencing major or minor issues after the activation such as breakdowns or program errors. It would take a long time to repair them to full. Before the gray cat was sucked into the time vortex, its presence had caused a radiation of machine language that affected even the likes of Czedow and Sigma for an instant. However, both Czedow and Sigma had endured the effects of the radiation because they were pretty special existences. The rest of the machines couldnt say the same, however. Be it the spaceplanes parked near the area or the instruments that made up the planet, they were all experiencing program errors. Even the Grim Reaper starship that had retreated some distance away from the planet because of the time vortex had lost control for a short period of time. Sigma cried when it looked at the machines. It turned around and looked at the approaching Czedow, asking, What do we do? Shortcut wont be coming online for a while. How long will it take to open Shortcut once more? Czedow asked. Ji Feng and the others were paying attention to the conversation too. Itll probably take at least three to five years. I cant give an accurate estimate. But Sigma stared at the characters and the flashing dot at the center display. In the end, it didnt explain the but part of its sentence and concluded its explanation with a sigh. Both Jiada and Ji Feng had asked Sigma some questions after that. The conclusion they received confounded them both. Cillin and Wheeze may have been transported to the other side of the time vortex, but I dont know why this had happened to, Sigma pressed two fingers together while looking confused and aggrieved. Not only did its wish to go home just went up in flames, even Cillin and the gray cat were gone from this side of the planet. It would be lonely. Cillin had no idea what the others were thinking after his departure, for he felt as if he was isolated in a different world altogether the moment he was wrapped by that green light. Also, he lost his consciousness the second he was carried towards the time vortex. A long time later, Cillin finally regained his consciousness. He felt as if he had been put through a grinder before being reassembled at the end. It was about as painful as the imagery would suggest. There were a lot of noise, the sound of thrusters and flying cars, a yelling voice, the sound of metal hitting the ground Things slowly quieted a little. A while later, Cillin opened his eyes, and looked. Chapter 218: Imperial Capital Accent? [Part 2] Chapter 218: Imperial Capital Accent? [Part 2] The scene before Cillin reminded him of his old room at Planet Brown Earth. It was a very simple and crude room. The word wretched might even fit this place. A worn out robot with exposed circuits sat quietly at the corner. Judging from the coat of dust that was covering its body, it had probably been there for a very long time. Cillin tried moving his fingers. So far so good. Trying to sit up cost Cillin a huge amount of energy and pain, however. Every muscle in his body felt like they were branded by hot iron. He never had the time to recover from the terrible wounds inflicted by Oskulos before he was thrown into a painful trip inside the time vortex. The double injuries hurt Cillin so much that he gasped once for air. A while later, he finally came to and exhaled. Then, he saw the gray cat clinging to his arm like an octopus. The gray cat wasnt moving though. In fact, it was completely stiff and not breathing. Cillin could feel the life inside the gray cat even though it had no heartbeat or breathing. It was still alive. Cillin flicked the gray cats ears. No reaction. He poked its stomach once. Still no reaction. Cillin frowned. Did it experience a system crash or something? Cillin was still wearing the same clothes as he did before, but his protective suit was hung on a nearby hanger. The suit looked tattered and worn. Cillin suddenly noticed something and turned around to look. The peepers shrank back into their hiding spots, but not for long. One head, two heads, three heads. Three little kids who looked very similar to each other poked out from behind the door and stared at him with great curiosity. They looked like they wanted to come over, but were too afraid to do so. They were kids alright. Every piece of their emotions were reflected directly on their faces. Cillin shot them a smile, but said nothing to them. He wasnt sure what kind of situation he was in right now, and he didnt want to say something wrong due to his ignorance. A smile was enough to express goodwill, not to mention that many kids get encouraged by smiles. Seeing Cillins smile, the three kids were given just enough encouragement to return their own. The fact that the room was a little shabby proved that the master of this place wasnt financially sound, but all three kids had chubby cheeks and displayed no signs of undernourishment whatsoever. This showed that the master of this place valued his childrens growth a lot. One of the children withdrew out of view and ran away, shouting something while doing so. Cillin couldnt understand him. He was definitely in a strange place alright. He knew every Sector language that existed in all GAL regions, but the one used by the kid was completely unfamiliar to him. One of the two remaining kids was a little bolder than the other. He slowly walked over and leaned against the bed, looking at Cillin and saying something. Unfortunately, Cillin still couldnt understand him. The kid tried again, and Cillin made a puzzled expression to express his inability to understand his words. But he was just a kid, so he didnt realize that Cillin couldnt understand his words. He even turned around to speak a few lines with the other kid who was still looking around from behind the door. Footsteps rang from outside the door while the two kids were speaking. He knew immediately that it belonged to an adult. The kid who ran away earlier dragged an elderly person wearing a kind smile on his face into the room. He was old and slightly hunchbacked, but he was also pretty healthy and in high spirits. His hands looked very rough and was covered in callus. He said something to Cillin after seeing that he had sat up, and Cillin returned him a puzzled look to indicate his inability to understand their words. By now the remaining two kids had pounced towards the old man too and said a lot of things that Cillin didnt understand while pointing at him. Old Chang was fixing some machines before his grandson ran over. He told him that the person they brought home had already woken up, and that he was smiling at the three of them. Therefore, Old Chang put down his work temporarily and allowed his grandson to pull him to Cillins room by the finger. It was the triplets birthday, and Old Chang had once promised his kids that he would take them around the planet during their birthday. Therefore, he did just that and took them on a twirl around the planet on his shabby little spaceplane a few days ago. However, people of their circumstances had no right to talk about piloting quality spaceplanes, or conducting long-range or warp travel. This was because they couldnt afford even the energy needed to fly the spaceplane. It was impressive already that a family like theirs was able to keep up with the maintenance fee of even a shabby spaceplane, which was why their trip was possible only because Old Chang had spent many years accumulating the funds to do so. Moreover, their spaceplane was so terrible that they couldnt stray far away from the planet at all. The so-called spaceflight was really just spaceflight in name. If his grandson didnt have sharp eyes, he wouldve missed the stranded person floating in space. Since Cillin was wearing a protective suit at the time, Old Chang automatically assumed that he was a space engineer. Space missions were very dangerous, and one tiny misstep could result in being tossed into space and left for dead. Old Chang had heard a lot of cases like this in his life. He knew that a lot of space engineers had perished in space like this. Wealthy people would just use maintenance robots for such tasks, but the not wealthy could neither afford nor risk purchasing cheap maintenance robots for the tasks they demanded of them. Therefore, they had no choice but to employ space engineers to perform them. Money of this kind was earned by literally putting lives at stake. It was work that Old Chang himself used to do when he was younger. But age was coming down on him, and he had a bunch of kids waiting for him back home everyday. Therefore, he no longer took on such jobs and focused solely on his current work. Old Chang sighed when he saw the gray cat wrapped tightly around Cillins arm. It was rare to find an animal as loyal as this, but nothing could change the fact that the gray cat was already stiff by the time they found Cillin. This meant that the gray cat had died for quite some time already. If the gray cat knew of Old Changs thoughts, it absolutely would have puffed up in anger. Old Chang had never seen the kind of protective suit Cillin was wearing before. Maybe he wasnt a resident of their planet? But despite this, Old Chang was a former worker in the space maintenance field. The fact that Cillin worked in the same field as him gave him a good first impression immediately, and Cillins age only tugged at his sympathy even more. He couldnt imagine that a lad this young would go so far as to accept a dangerous job like this. If they hadnt ran into him by accident, or if his protective suit was damaged before they met him, the boy wouldve been dead by now. Cillins protective suit was cut open after Old Chang had saved him from space. They couldnt have provided him with medical aid or even feed him pills otherwise. His grandsons told him that the lad was a little stupid, but Old Chang thought that maybe he just couldnt understand their language. A moment later, Old Chang switched languages and tried to speak a somewhat shoddy version of the imperial language with a heavy accent. It was also the empires lingua franca. Do you understand this? Cillin did, and it shocked him greatly. The language he spoke was very similar to the one Genya had taught him when he was younger. Genya told him that it was his native language, but Cillin never found any traces of it in GAL. He didnt think that hed be able to hear it at this place. Cillin said tentatively, I can. I can understand this language somewhat. Old Changs eyes lit up when he heard this, Ah, youre from the imperial capital star region! Cillin scratched his head embarrassedly. The truth was he had no idea what the heck imperial capital star region meant. Sensing no denial of his claim from Cillin, Old Chang assumed that he was a child born in the imperial capital star region who was forced to perform a dangerous task like space maintenance because of his poor family conditions. Generally speaking, only those who lived in the imperial capital star region could intonate the language with no accent at all. Old Chang knew very few foreigner to the imperial capital star region who could do the same since it was very difficult to feign. At the very least, Old Chang never heard of anyone who could speak such perfect imperial language unless it came from media broadcast. Are you a mechanical engineer? I guess I am. Old Chang showered Cillin with a look of pity. Deriving a living in the capital wasnt easy; the lad must have had no other choice when he came to a shabby place like theirs. Sigh, what a pitiable child. Cillin continued to maintain a perfect smile on his face, but his mouth couldnt stop twitching when he saw the one third tenderly and two thirds affectionate look on Old Changs face. I am Chang. Just call me grandpa Chang like the kids do, Old Chang passed over a cup of water and a couple of pills to Cillin. Cillin swallowed the pills immediately upon accepting. He then thanked Old Chang for his kindness. Old Chang smiled happily seeing that Cillin had swallowed the pills he gave without any hesitation at all. If Cillin was anyone else, they wouldve doubted the pills authenticity and analysed them for half a day. Old Chang had no idea that Cillin had figured out the pills composition the moment he accepted them. The only reason he ate the pills without hesitation was because they were just basic supplements. God knows if Old Changs heart would shatter if he knew about the truth. I am Cillin. Cillin didnt say much about himself. He only said that he was currently alone. Old Chang chatted with Cillin for a moment, allowing Cillin to know a simple outline of their family circumstances. The three kids Cillin saw earlier were five years old triplets. They were the sixth, seventh and eighth children of the family, so Old Chang called them Six, Seven and Eight directly. They had no other names. The town they were in had bad standard of living. The survival rate of children in each family was terribly low, so everyone tried to give birth to as many children as they could. The childrens high mortality rate was also the reason why they werent given official names. They would only be given good sounding names if they grew to adulthood or encountered some special circumstances. Old Changs partner passed away early, and the one capable son he had had passed away too because of an accident. His daughter-in-law did her damndest to give birth to as many children as possible while her husband was around, but she too wasted away after his sons passing. She went after her husband after she gave birth to the triplets, leaving behind six children to Old Chang. Why just six? That was because the eldest and the second child didnt survive. Thankfully, the eleven years old twins Chang Three and Chang Four didnt fail to live up to expectations. They studied hard enough to enroll themselves into a prestigious school, and the reason they werent around was because they had left this region to study abroad. Chang Fives life was riddled with difficulties since the day he was conceived in his mothers womb, so he was born with a poor constitution that was prone to illness. He was a pitiable child who was born to medicine his whole life. Right now, Old Chang works in his own small repair shop and earns a basic living fee for himself and the kids everyday. Almost every family in this particular region of the planet was also doing the same thing; opening a small repair shop of their own to feed themselves. Chapter 219: The Cat Isn’t A Freeloader After All [Part 1] Chapter 219: The Cat Isnt A Freeloader After All [Part 1] The doors of the repair shop were opened early in the morning. Here in this region, a large majority of the people living here didnt have the money to buy a shop lot of their own. Therefore, they converted part of their own houses into a shop instead. Some people converted their first floor into a shop while they lived upstairs; some converted the front part of their houses into a shop while they lived at the back. The point was shops were basically joined together with the housing, which was why this region was a little cramped and distributed asymmetrically. From the sky, this region looked like irregular cracks opening up on the ground. The surrounding buildings werent tall. Buildings that were five or six storeys tall were rare, and most were either two or three storeys tall. Shabby and old flying cars that were comparable to Udozes as well as small, decrepit spaceplanes that flew above the building complexes were everywhere in the area. Old Changs house didnt have a wide surface area, but it did have three floors. The first floor was the shop, while the second and third floor were the accommodation. The house had a lot of rooms probably because of the dense population. The room Cillin was staying in was one of the bigger ones in the house. It used to be Old Changs bedroom, but Old Chang forewent it so he could stay and take care of his four grandsons and granddaughters. Although the triplets were only five years old, they were all very thoughtful kids who gave Old Chang a lot of help despite their size. For example, Chang Six and Chang Eight helped by passing parts and scrubbing machines after Old Chang opened the shop. They also passed him a glass of water when they saw that he was tired. Chang Eight was a girl; she was the kid who hid behind the door and avoided approaching Cillin at the beginning. She wasnt as open as her two brothers when she was before a stranger, but one only needed to look at her eyes to know that she was just as clever as her two brothers. Grandpa, Seven went to annoy that brother and skipped work again! Chang Eight passed over a glass of water to Old Chang and complained with a pout. The triplets used to work together in the repair shop. However, the naughty Chang Seven had ditched his brother and sister again to visit Cillin. Old Chang patted his granddaughters head and smiled, Its fine. I told Seven that he can watch our guest, but not interrupt his rest. Seven will come down on his own once he gets bored. Old Chang knew his grandson well. Cillin spent most of his time sleeping because it was the only way he could recover to full health faster. Therefore, Cillin was normally asleep when Chang Seven went to his room. Since no one was around to pay attention to Chang Seven, and Chang Seven himself wasnt an idle kid, Old Chang was sure that he would come back down very soon. It wasnt that Old Chang was completely unwary of an outsider, he just couldnt help but feel the overflowing sympathy for Cillin. In his mind, Cillin was a young kid who risked his life for money by undertaking a space maintenance job. Old Chang might not be doing well himself, but he would never allow his grandchildren to work in such a place. When he recalled his own life experiences that were similar to Cillins when he was younger, Old Chang couldnt help but sigh to himself: Cillins life must be so very harsh. Old Changs guess was wrong this time, however. Chang Seven had stayed inside Cillins room for a very, very long time. Why was that? When Chang Seven went upstairs to look at the brother who only ate, slept, and medicated himself everyday again, the first thing he saw upon entering was a gray cat sitting on top of the short table beside the bed. Old Chang couldnt detach himself from his work the moment he started, so he made sure that Cillins daily portion of food and pills were put on the table first. This was so that Cillin could eat them immediately after he woke up. Right now, Chang Seven was staring at the cat that was diagnosed to be dead some time ago burying its face into the food that was prepared for Cillin. Chang Sevens mouth fell open as he fell into a slight daze. Noticing Chang Seven, the gray cat looked up and cast a listless glance at the kid. After deciding that he wasnt a threat, it went back to chowing down the food. At first, Chang Seven wanted to call out to his grandpa, Six and Eight to come look at it, but grandpa said that one mustnt be loud or noisy before a patients presence. He could run back to them and tell them about the cat, but he didnt wish to leave because he was extremely curious about the cat. He was just a kid after all. He couldnt hold back his curiosity once it was piqued. Chang Seven slowly shuffled his feet closer to the gray cat as he looked at it. He eventually made it all the way to the table, but the gray cat never once looked up from the food. Its ears were flicking in accordance to Chang Sevens movements though. Seeing that the gray cat wasnt looking at him at all, Chang Seven bit his fingers and said in a soft voice, Kitty! The gray cats ears flicked, but it still didnt look up. There were two reasons behind the gray cats disregard. One, it was eating and was in no mood to pay attention to a brat. Two, it had no idea what the hell the brat was saying. Chang Seven continued to bite his fingers after getting no reaction out of the gray cat even after he called out to it twice. Chang Seven became bold, and he lifted his chubby, dimpled hand to poke at the cats head! He immediately withdrew his hand after he poked his head. The brat wasnt that lacking in common sense. The gray cat finally looked up and cast a glance at Chang Seven. Its eyes were still lazily half closed, and its mouth hadnt stopped chewing. After blinking once at Chang Seven in a lazy manner, the gray cat went back to its war against the food. Now Chang Seven was stirred up. He tried to poke at the gray cat again after it looked down to its food. This time however, he failed to poke at the cat a second time. That was because the gray cat had slapped his hand with a forelimb and stepped on it. Of course, the gray cat hadnt extended its claws. It had interacted with humans long enough to know some basic common sense. The gray cat didnt look up despite all its movements. It continued to work hard at eating while stepping on Chang Sevens chubby hand. Chang Seven didnt cry because his hand was stepped on though. In fact, he even let out a chuckle: It didnt hurt! Of course it didnt hurt. The gray cat had neither exerted strength nor extended its claws. In fact, the pad on its paws made Chang Seven feel very comfortable. Chang Sevens playfulness was piqued now that he wasnt afraid. He withdrew his chubby little hand and covered it on top of the gray cats paw immediately. The gray cat finally looked up again and licked its mouth once. The brat was chuckling at him right now. The gray broke into a lazy yawn and was about to lick its paw out of habit when it noticed that the situation was amiss. So it pulled its paw from beneath Chang Sevens chubby hand, licked it, wiped its face and put it back on top of Chang Sevens hand once more. Change Seven was so happy that he giggled out loud. He pulled out his hand and placed it on top of the gray cats paw again. The gray cat: When Cillin woke up once more, he saw two childish fellows playing the amazing game of cover-a-paw (hand). Cillin dared wager that the cat wasnt completely awake yet. There was no way it would be patient enough to play a game like this with a kid otherwise. Chang Seven looked so happy that he could jump to the sky though. Sigh, immature kids are happier than most. Noticing Cillins awakening, the gray cat finally opened its eyes in full and withdrew its paw. It then swiped its tail lightly across the brats face before jumping to Cillins side. It didnt dare jump directly onto Cillins body because he was still in recovery. Youve finally woken up, Cillin! The gray cat exclaimed happily while walking towards him. Its head was finally clear. Chapter 219: The Cat Isn’t A Freeloader After All [Part 2] Chapter 219: The Cat Isnt A Freeloader After All [Part 2] The gray cat itself wasnt doing very well either when it woke up. It scanned the area and detected a lot of mechanical parts around it. Unfortunately they were all low quality parts that were of little use to it. There was also the problem where it didnt recognize the place they were currently in. At the time it didnt pay too much attention to either of these problems, but now that it had eaten it had recovered a little from its earlier ordeal. Chang Seven stared at them while biting his finger, not understanding the gray cats language. This cats meow is different from others! Cillin patted the gray cats head before smiling at Chang Seven, Seven, do you have anymore food around here? Can you bring some over for me? We do! Chang Seven grinned and rushed out of the room like the wind. The storage cabinets werent far away from here. Chang Seven might not know how to speak the imperial language, but he could listen and understand some of it. Plus, Cillin had picked up a little on the dialect on this place. Basic communication between the duo was no longer a problem. The gray cat looked at Cillin in puzzlement, Ive never heard the language you speak before. This isnt GAL. This is probably a place at the other end of the time vortex. So pretend to be a normal cat before you have learned the language around this place. The gray cats whiskers shook, Are you tell me to meow like a cat?? Cillin gave it a duh look, You are a cat. Fine. Im going to learn the language here in no time though, It would take less than a minute to learn the language here through these machines. Oh right, your current appearance is off, Cillin, The gray cat pointed at Cillins face with its paw. If it wasnt all too familiar to the connection between it and Cillin, it wouldve thought that someone else was lying beside it. Off, huh? Cillin sat up and stared at his own reflection from a small metallic piece not far away. He couldnt help but smile at it. As it turned out, the trip through the time vortex put his genes through phenotype reformation and restored his true appearance. Right now Cillin looked just like the guy that was on Planet Brown Earth. Even his frame had changed back to what it used to. Cillin rubbed his face once while feeling very satisfied with the transformation. There was simply nothing cooler, more pleasing and comforting than ones original appearance. This is how I originally look, Cillin said. Oh, The gray cat looked carefully and curiously at Cillin. It had heard from Cary and the others that Cillin used to have a different look. It didnt realize that the him now was his true appearance. Cillin roughly explained what happened after they were sucked through the time vortex and into this place to the gray cat. If it wasnt for Old Changs family, Cillin had no idea how much longer they would have floated silently in foreign space. The kid playing cover-a-paw with you just now is Chang Seven. Hes one of the triplets of the family. The gray cat was about to explain that the reason he played such a childish game with the brat was because it was half asleep at the time when it heard Chang Sevens returning footsteps. It stopped talking and started communicating with the machines around the area, learning a new language. Chang Seven had came in while holding a large plate. There was a large piece of meat of some unknown animal and two small fishes beside it on the plate. The fishes were specifically prepared for the gray cat. Judging from the way Chang Seven was exerting all his strength to hold up the plate, the food were apparently slightly too heavy for Chang Seven to handle. Cillin hastily accepted the plate and patted Chang Sevens head, Thanks, Seven. Oh, theyre warm. Did you make them yourself? Youre pretty good, Seven! Its its no biggie! Chang Seven chuckled as it stared at the gray cat. Cillin took the plate on the low table where Wheeze had just eaten its meal earlier and put the fishes on them. He then spoke the imperial accent with the local accent, Wheeze, this is Sevens gift to you. By now the gray cat had almost figured out the language of the place completely, so it understood what Cillin was talking about. It showed its teeth at Chang Seven to indicate its understanding and jumped next to the plate and began eating. It only needed to sniff at the fishes to know that it didnt taste too well, but it was neither the place nor time to be picky about food. It buried its head and cleaned out the two fishes. Arent you going to eat, Seven? Cillin cut a piece of meat and passed it to Chang Seven. Chang Seven shook his head and said, Im not hungry! However his eyes never strayed from the gray cat as he raised and dropped his chubby little hands. He looked like he very much wanted to touch the gray cat. Cillin smiled and started eating the meat in his plate. Everything on the plate came from compressed capsules. These relatively cheap compressed capsules were something everyone in the lowest rung used because they were convenient and saved time. Cooking was a simple matter of putting the capsules into a specialised machine and pressing a button. The meal would be done in just half a minute. But although the controls were very simple, the fact that a five years old child like Chang Seven could do everything on his own was not. Poor kids often grew independent real quick. Cillin ate while inspecting the leaf patterned tattoo on his thumb. This thing had operated like a navigation pin and caused him to be pulled into this place. There was no other explanation as to why he was the only one who was pulled over otherwise. Therefore, the Gen Family was probably at the imperial capital star region Old Chang had spoken to him about. Differing from GALs administration system, this planet was in the 23rd star region of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The empire ruled over a total of 26 star regions, and this was but one of the many small and insignificant planets that existed in it. In the former star system, a persons genotype decided their entire future. But here in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, a persons birthplace triumphed over ones natural talent. There were a lot of people who were rank A humans by GALs standards that worked as bodyguards for weak noble descendants. Also, life was extremely cheap in this place. Cillin stared at the food inside his plate. The capsules might be relatively cheap, but it was still meat. The poor simply didnt have the economic source to eat food like this for long. He was sure that Old Chang didnt have many capsules like this, and that what he was eating right now was probably their familys entire days worth of food. Old Chang loved his grandchildren a lot; one could see this just from the meals they eat alone. Holding fast to the belief no child should ever suffer, Old Chang did everything in his power to ensure that they ate well in the family. One of the major reasons the family savings hadnt grown by much was because they had all gone into the childrens food expense. Cillin only needed to look at their round figures to know that the kids had almost never starved in their lives. Chang Seven happily watched the gray cat finishing its meal from the side. One doesnt bite the hand that feeds, so the gray cat gave Chang Seven face and said thank you to him after it was done with its meal. It was a perfect replication of the local dialect. Chang Sevens eyes grew wide open as he pointed a chubby finger at the gray cat, You you can talk! The gray cat licked its paws and wiped its mouth, Why the meow wouldnt I know how to speak? Chang Seven didnt respond and simply stare at the gray cat with a stupid grin on his face. Finally, he recalled something and ran downstairs, screaming, Grandpa, Six, Eight! Theres a smart cat in the room! The corner of Cillins mouth twitched incessantly. In the eyes of these children, he was apparently far inferior to this gluttonous cat. The gray cat categorized Chang Seven as a human of good insight the second it heard the words smart cat. It raised its chin proudly and modeled the appearance of an elite. Hearing Chang Sevens cries, Old Chang put down his repair work temporarily, wiped his hands briefly and headed upstairs. Chang Six and Chang Eight were long gone the second they heard Chang Sevens cries. Both grandpa and grandchildren were very much surprised to see the cat they thought to be dead a long time ago alive. Old Chang especially examined the cat critically. Although it looked like an ordinary glance at a glance, he discovered that it was extremely intelligent at close range. Grandpa, grandpa! Chang Seven pulled at Old Changs hand and said boastfully, The kitty greeted me just now! Chang Six and Chang Eights eyes were bright. They had met some talking pets on the streets, but they were the precious things of the families who owned them. The triplets only dared to stare at those pets from afar. Therefore, when they heard Chang Sevens claims, the duo couldnt restrain themselves from surrounding the gray cat and chatter like a magpie. While bathing in the triplets praises, the gray cat raised its head, pumped its chest and fired a greeting in perfect dialect, Hello! Cillin curled his lips at the gray cat that looked serious on the outside but was probably about to take flight to the air on the inside. Shame! Cillin introduced Old Chang and the children to the gray cat, This guy here is a pet I accidentally ran into a few years ago. It has followed me since. Its name is Wheeze. Old Chang didnt think much into Cillins explanations. He simply smiled and watched the triplets surrounding the gray cat and talking to it. He was a little surprised that the cat was able to speak the local language perfectly though. The explanation Cillin gave was that theyd a run in with some people on this planet earlier, and that the gray cat had picked up the dialect from them. Old Chang didnt show any regret towards Chang Seven serving their best meat compressed capsule and two fish compressed capsules to Cillin and the gray cat. Cillin would recover enough to move around without worry in another two days time. When Old Chang inquired about his future plans, he expressed his hope to stay with Old Chang temporarily and aid him with his work. Cillin was quite familiar with machinery repair and maintenance, and he didnt need a salary. All he requested was a place to eat and stay for now. For now, the imperial capital was off limits because Cillin hadnt figured out everything about the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Cillin was not one to act recklessly. That was why he chose to stay here temporarily until his body fully recovered and his plans fully made. After all, Cillin had no patrons to lean against at this place. Old Chang was very happy that Cillin had decided to stay behind and help him with his work. The house had plenty of empty rooms anyway, and although an new adult and a cat added more burden to the family, they should gain more from Cillins aid. Old Chang insisted on paying Cillin a salary, however: it wasnt right for a young man or woman to live without some money in their hands. Cillin and the gray cats decision to stay gladdened the triplets the most. Now they could play with the kitty everyday! Old Chang smiled and watched the triplets cheer with great love in his eyes. Although Cillin hadnt recovered enough to help Old Chang yet, the gray cat was a different story. Since then, a new scene had appeared inside the shop after lunch; three kids chasing behind a gray cat while carrying some parts. To Old Changs surprise, the gray cat saved him a lot of effort. In the past, he would have to describe the parts in great detail before the triplets could bring him the right model number of the parts he needed. Now, the gray cat and the triplets would present him with the parts he needed almost immediately when he needed them. The model numbers were always right, too. Old Chang was very happy with this: The cat isnt a freeloader after all. Chapter 220: Many Hands Make Light Work [Part 1] Chapter 220: Many Hands Make Light Work [Part 1] Two days later, Cillin hadnt yet made a full recovery, but he was able to move freely without problems. Old Chang had been in a happy mood for the past two days. Although the gray cat looked unreliable, it had high work rate and played a big role in Old Changs maintenance work with the kids. Before the gray cat showed up, Old Chang could earn at most 100 Mist Bodhisattva (MB) coins per day only, and that was assuming he even had work to do in the first place. Naturally, there was no income if no business showed up. However, Cillin heard that things had been going well for the past two days. Old Chang received one to two orders everyday and earned an average income of over 120 MB coins. Since Old Chang was happy, he purposely bought a set of fish type capsules and prepared different types of meals for the gray cat everyday. Cillin helped Old Chang with his work after he was able to move freely. Old Changs shop was a maintenance shop. In fact, the entire street of the place was made up of maintenance shops. The Maintenance Street was quite well known among the lower class because one, it was cheap and affordable; and two, most of the shop owners and the customers knew each other. They came from the same class, so they were simply watching each others backs. Old Changs shop was relatively small in the Maintenance Street, and there were plenty of other maintenance shops that were bigger than Old Changs. However, Old Chang was satisfied with what he had, especially because he had a limited amount of manpower. He knew very well how many orders he could take, and anything beyond that would only serve to frustrate his customers. Most of the people who visited Old Chang were familiar faces, such as the one who gave him an order today. The car owner had had a close brush with another flying car while he was conducting a delivery, and while it felt like nothing at the time he soon noticed that his vehicle was losing more energy than norm, but not running a pace that matched the energy loss after he came back. Also, it made weird noises every short distance it flew. Thankfully, the car owner didnt need to make a delivery today, so he drove it over to Old Chang so it could be repaired. The car owner looked at Old Chang after he was done complaining, Old Chang, you think you can get it fixed today? I have a delivery to rush tomorrow. Old Chang thought for a moment before answering, Ill postpone the order Im working on and work on your car first, since you need it in a hurry. It should be repaired by tomorrow. Heh, I knew youre the best, Old Chang. Alright, Ive got work to get back to, so call me after youre done fixing, okay? Normally, a maintenance shop conducts its business on a first come first serve basis, but regular customers were often given better priority and care. To this car owner, Old Changs maintenance shop was the best place to obtain cheap loyalty price. The car owner was very satisfied with Old Changs answer, and he left after ending the conversation hastily. Cillin just happened to witness the car owners bidding goodbye when he walked down the stairs, and his gaze stopped at the flying car at maintenance platform. It was a kind of flying car he very rarely saw when he was at GAL, and it looked like it had been used for more than ten years already. The car itself wasnt big, but its interior space was pretty wide. There was also a small carriage connected to its back used to transport a small amount of goods. Cars like this were a common sight at Maintenance Street. Old Chang was just setting down a machine he was repairing, and getting up to accept and take a sip from the cup of water his grandson had passed to him when he saw Cillin descending from the stairs. He smiled, How do you feel, Cillin? Im doing okay. In order to prove that he had regained his mobility, Cillin stretched his arms and did some minor exercises. It was definitely proof that he had made a huge recovery. Cillin then looked at the second hand parts categorized by the gray cat and retrieved by the kids before switching his attention to the newly arrived flying car. He asked, Is it something to do with its power system? Old Chang nodded before pulling at a control stick, moving the flying car deeper into the maintenance platform. A separator then rose from the center of the platform. Noticing Cillins puzzled gaze, Old Chang explained, Cant let the kids touch this thing. Cillin nodded in understanding after hearing his answer. Whenever heavy metals or power systems were involved in the repairs, Old Chang would make sure to isolate the vehicle from his grandchildren. An adult might be resistant to their effects, but a child would have their growth greatly affected if they got too close to them. Radiation sickness and heavy metal poisoning were very common around here, and since the people here often lacked the time to perform a medical check they normally didnt notice it until the symptoms were in full bloom. But by then the illness wouldve been very severe already, and more than eighty percent of the children who died prematurely here were taken away by these two killers. It wasnt cheap to treat these illnesses, and not every family took care of their children as carefully as Old Chang did. If a pregnant woman came into frequent contact with these things, the children they birthed were probably going to be born malformed or with birth defects. No children who were born this way were going to live long. However, everyone in the family had to work in order to survive, so pregnant women helping their families and working were a common sight on this street. Idleness would only earn them scorn; they werent the noble ladies who lived in high class cities after all. At this Maintenance Street, the children who were raised as healthily as the triplets were absolutely among the minority. Therefore, it was their fortune to be born into this family. The triplets were obviously very familiar with the procedure, so when they saw the raised separator they self consciously stayed a good distance away from that place. The platform had specialized tools and parts at the ready, so their aid was unnecessary. Let me help you. Ive done something like this before. Its fine. Youre still recovering, itll be bad for your recovery if you come into contact with these things, Old Chang attempted to wave Cillin away. Its okay, Ive been lying on my bed for so long that I need to stretch some muscles. Seeing Cillins insistence, Old Chang pointed at a cabinet and said, There are gloves and safety tools in there. Go put them on, will you? Cillin walked over and opened the cabinet. Inside he found an entire set of safety clothes including gloves, coat, shoes and so on. Old Chang was already wearing a pair of safety gloves, so this meant that there was only one of every piece of safety equipment except the gloves. It wasnt a surprise; a full set of safety clothes of the repair type wasnt cheap after all. Cillin put on the pair of gloves, but not the coat or the shoes. Instead, he passed them over to Old Chang. Lad Its okay, Im used to this and Im immune, Cillin let Old Chang know that it made no difference whether he put on the safety clothes or not. Then, he went up the maintenance platform and started inspecting the flying car. Old Chang quickly discovered the problem. As expected, there was a problem with the power system. All aged parts waste energy, but even then this is a little too much. The power system is defective, but fixing it wont fix the real issue with this car. The only way to do so is to renew some critical parts, but I doubt that theyd be willing to spend that money. So well ignore those parts for now. Old Chang explained as he continued to inspect the flying car. It was one thing to repair the car, and it was another to determine the degree of the repair if he wished to retain his customers. After living in Maintenance Street for so many years, Old Chang had more or less figured out the peoples mindset. He was able to maximize a customers satisfaction without needing the customer to specify them, and it in turn saved the customer a lot of face. Cillin was good at repairing things, but his experience in repairing according to a customers preference was far lacking compared to Old Chang. When he was practicing under Mo Heng, the style that was pursued was completely different. Mo Heng was the type who pursued perfection, and his standard of parts was very high. However, his style was completely unsuitable in this place. Cillin listened seriously to Old Changs teachings and voiced a question from time to time. He also helped Old Chang with his work a lot. Chapter 220: Many Hands Make Light Work [Part 2] Chapter 220: Many Hands Make Light Work [Part 2] The repair of the power system of this flying car wasnt difficult, it was something that could be done perfectly before dinner. But with Cillins help, the time taken to fix it was shortened by two full hours, and the work itself became a lot easier because he was there to share Old Changs burden. Old Chang was really happy on the inside, thinking that having a helper made all the differences. After fixing the flying cars power system, Cillin finally figured out how the vehicle managed to last for ten long years after seeing at the flying cars main and secondary control system. Most flying cars only had one control system, and flying cars with a secondary control system were smarter than others. So he deduced the car owner had invested a lot of money into the flying car when he first bought it. However, from what he learned while he was lying in bed in rest, the flying cars main and secondary control system had been outdated for a very long time. In fact, the secondary control system dated all the way back to twenty years ago. It was no wonder that a flying car that was entering its autumn years wasnt very agile. Perhaps this was the real reason why the car owner had scratched his vehicle against someone elses. Unresponsive controls would definitely do that to a car. Cillin inspected the main control system installed in the car for a little. It was impossible to upgrade it in full since it would cost more than the car owner was willing to pay, not to mention that compatibility would be bad too. Old Chang was very familiar with the repairs that involved parts, but he wasnt that good in terms of programming as well as the improving and tidying of an internal control smart system. It also wasnt something that the people of this place were conscious about because their education level was relatively low. Therefore, no one bothered to familiarize themselves with the confusing programming instructions. Both the main and secondary system of the vehicle were very simple, so it took Cillin only ten minutes to clean out all programming errors and the useless instructions caused by the programs inability to keep up with times. He believed that the vehicle would be more agile from here on, or at least better compared to the state it was yesterday. Old Chang didnt stop Cillin from tinkering with the internal control system and simply sat quiet at the side, looking. He could see the confidence oozing from Cillins person, and it was a confidence that belonged to a true maintenance engineer. After Cillin was done with the repairs, he started the car and gave it a test run to check the results. As expected, the car was performing much better. Impressive skill, lad! I dont know much, really. I only know a little about car repairs. No need to be humble. Come, lets work on the next order and try finish it before dinnertime! The separator was lowered after the triplets and the gray cat noticed that Old Chang was done with the repairs. They came over smilingly and continued to help by passing over the tools and parts necessary for the job. Many hands make light work, so the second order was finished too before dinnertime. Old Chang contacted his customers to come and get their goods while Cillin brought the triplet and the gray cat away to make dinner. The triplets worked as Cillin watched from the sides. It was a simple capsule dinner as usual. Old Changs income today was a total of 200 MB coins, an impressive haul. The car owner could feel that his car had become a lot younger when he jumped into the vehicle and lifted it into the air. Youre improving, Old Chang! Im coming back to you the next time I need a fix! Old Chang simply chuckled happily and said nothing. This car owner worked hard to recommend Old Changs shop to his acquaintances after he went back to his place, saying that his aged vehicle had gotten a lot younger after the repair. However, few people believed him because it was a common thing to attract customers for a familiar face. Therefore, most only responded with a perfunctory answer. Old Chang gave Cillin 50 of the 200 MB coins they earned today. Cillin didnt C couldnt C turn it down as it was something they had agreed on earlier. Chang Seven looked very excited during dinner, Grandpa, grandpa! Five should be returning tomorrow, right? Mm hmm. Well pick him tomorrow. Old Chang couldnt help but sigh deeply on the inside when his ill grandson was brought up. Most of the smile were gone when he thought about him. Chang Five nearly died during childbirth because he was negatively affected during a large scale electromagnetic radiation. It took a lot of effort to save his life. However, this incident also gave him a weak body. As a result Chang Five often got sick and was a frequent visitor of the hospital. Chang Five had seen the image Chang Seven showed him, and there was no doubt that Chang Five was a very frail-looking kid. He looked listless, and his eyes lacked the natural innocence of a kid. There was only silence and gloominess in them, and it painted a stark contrast between him and the triplets. Had Chang Five been born in any other family, he wouldve been abandoned since a long time ago. Old Chang was a person of rare moral to hold onto hope for so long, but even then the people of the street didnt look well on Chang Fives chances. Normally, kids like Chang Five couldnt live past the age of ten if they were not treated fully while they still could. Chang Five was already seven years old, and the risks of illness only grew bigger as time passed. For example, he would have to head to the hospital to receive treatment again not long after his current return. The amount of pills he took exceeded the number of capsule meals he ate. All of Cillins knowledge of Chang Five came from the triplets mouths. The triplets were very understanding of their quiet brother and often looked after him. Unlike Old Chang, they told Cillin a lot about Chang Five. Right now what Old Changs life goal was to ensure their basic necessities and to save money for Chang Fives next treatment, delaying the inevitable as long as he could. Regardless of what others might say, there was hope yet as long as he was alive. Old Chang zoned out inside the workshop after the triplets had gone to bed. It was normal for him to receive an order everyday, and he should thank his lucky stars today for receiving two. Therefore, Old Chang had nothing to do even if he felt like working late into the night. Inside Cillins room, the gray cat swayed its tail back and forth occasionally before it yawned, I think that old man is crying. The workshop had CCTV, but it wasnt necessarily a system built to watch customers. A CCTV was a basic installation in a workshop, and it had many uses beyond the apparent surveillance. It was through the camera the gray cat noticed Old Changs current expression. Cillin scratched the bottom of the gray cats chin, We owe them a favor, so let us do whatever we can do to help them. Tomorrow will be better. Mm, lets go earn some money. Im missing my fish biscuits already, I wonder if Snowball and the others sneaked a bite from my cache. What really caught the gray cats attention was Cillins final line. The next day, Old Chang went to the hospital to pick up Chang Five while Cillin was saddled with the responsibility of watching over the shop and the triplets. In the past, Old Chang would lock every door in the shop and instruct the triplets again and again to be careful. Public security wasnt very good around here, and safety wasnt a guarantee even if his family was poor. Today was the first time the triplets were able to sit openly at the shop entrance and wait for Old Chang and Chang Five. Eh? Wheres Old Chang? A flying car stopped in front of the shop entrance. The car owner was obviously someone the Chang family was familiar with as he asked after looking around the shop. My grandpa went out already. Chang Six answered. Did he leave to get Chang Five? The guy was obviously very familiar with the family. After he got off the flying car and walked into the shop, he seized the opportunity to pinch the triplets chubby face. Youre bullying us again, Uncle Haas! The triplets pointed accusingly at the man in unison, but with big smiles on their faces. It was obvious that both parties were very familiar with each other. Haas chuckled and picked up the youngest Chang Eight of the lot, tossing him into the air. Chang Eight was so happy that she swung her arms and screamed. Chang Six and Chang Seven hastily took a few steps away from Haas. Cillin was surprised. He knew that all three fellows liked being tossed into the air a lot, so why did they look reluctant now? Haas put down Chang Eight after tossing her twice into the air. Chang Eight then ran behind Cillin and stuck her tongue at him. Yo, showing off your new patron already!? Haas looked very amused. He walked to Cillin and asked, Are you a new assistant? No, no! Brother Cillin is the son of our papas friend! The triplets answered ahead of Cillin. The lie was Old Changs idea. He suggested that Cillin should introduce himself as the son of his sons friend, and that he had came over to help them out temporarily because something had happened within his family. Hello, do you need to repair your flying car? Cillin didnt need to open the hood. He knew what was wrong just listening to the way the flying car sounded when it flew. There is a bit of a problem. Cillin helped Haas pushed his car inside after obtaining confirmation from him. Later, Haas took out a box of parts from the trunk. It was the spare parts to replace the broken parts of the car. Haas was a parts seller. He always changed the parts in his car whenever it started coughing on him. He believed that changing parts was the only way to solve a car problem completely. After conversing for a moment, Cillin understood very well from Haas behavior that he didnt trust his repair skills. He specifically mentioned that he should be contacted only after Old Chang had returned. Only then he would explain in detail what was wrong with the car. Cillin felt no dissatisfaction at his attitude. They were strangers to each other, not to mention that Cillin was a very young stranger too. No one wouldve turned in their beloved car to him to fix because the person they were really looking for was Old Chang. It was only natural for them to feel worried and reluctant to leave their vehicles in anothers hand. After Haas had left, the triplets finally explained to Cillin why they were afraid earlier, Brother Cillin, do you know that Uncle Haas once failed to catch a kid because he was drunk and broke his leg? We saw it with our own eyes! Cillin finally understood the underlying reason as they explained with serious looks on their faces. It was probably something of a blue moon to Haas, missing the catch because he was drunk. Unfortunately for him, the triplets happened to witness the accident, so it dug a deep impression inside their young minds. The gray cat was currently lying next to the parts shelf and dozing. It yawned disdainfully after giving the flying car a glance: just whats so precious about a trash like that? It curled into a ball and went back to sleep. When Old Chang finally returned while carrying Chang Five behind his back, Cillin finally witnessed with his own eyes the child who was plagued by many illnesses and obstacles all his life. He looked pitifully thin and pale in the face. He was far lighter than the triplets who were two years younger than him. His eyes were as gloomy as the one he saw in the image, and they brightened for only a moment when he saw on the triplets. The gloominess returned again after he saw the stranger, Cillin. Chapter 221: The Fish Says Fine, The Cat Says Unacceptable [Part 1] Chapter 221: The Fish Says Fine, The Cat Says Unacceptable [Part 1] It would appear that the kid wasnt completely detached; he only acted that way when he was facing a stranger. Cillin thought that it was understandable. The same look wouldve adorned the face of anyone who had the same experience. In the slums, kids his age became mature and more sensitive faster than a lot of people. Five! Five! The triplets ran over to him. Old Chang felt slightly better after bringing his grandson back home. Plus, he was doing good business as of late, so he managed to buy an upgraded version of a drug needed for Fives treatment. It made him feel less worried about Fives condition. As Old Chang chuckled at the triplets running towards them, he looked at Chang Five and asked, Do you want to rest upstairs, Five? Chang Five shook his head, Downstairs is fine. It was a revealing sentence. Cillin didnt need to touch Chang Five, he noticed that the kids lungs were bad just from his voice alone. Perhaps this was why he was so quiet. Okay. Old Chang was used to this already. The triplets carried out a deck chair in familiar fashion before staring expectantly at Chang Five and Old Chang as if they wanted some praise for the effort. A rare smile sprung onto Chang Fives face. Old Chang carefully put Chang Five down onto the deck chair before taking out two pills and a medicine bottle, Take your pills first before you play with them, okay? It was natural for children to dislike consuming medicine, but Chang Five was a kid who swallowed more pills than he ate capsule meals. He swallowed the pills and drank warm water to soothe his throat when suddenly, he sensed that a pair of eyes were looking at him. It didnt belong to that stranger. Chang Five looked up, and he noticed that a gray cat was crouching next to the parts cabinet and staring at him with round eyes. Its eyes looked less like the clueless eyes of a normal cat, and more like the eyes a human possessed. He could sense neither pity nor scorn from its gaze, there was only curiosity. The gray cat had even moved its nose and sniffed the air while swaying its tail at random times. He wondered what it found in the air. The triplets immediately grew excited when they followed Chang Fives gaze and saw Wheeze. They strove to introduce it before anyone could. Five, this is This is Wheeze, its very smart It could speak too! Dont interrupt me! Youre the interruptor! Cillin He had been completely ignored. It would appear that a cats charm to children really was infinite. Old Chang simply watched on while feeling amused. He didnt ask for much, all he wanted was happiness for his grandchildren. Chang Five was used to the triplets antics already, so he made them stop with a hand gesture. Then, he looked at the gray cat, Are you called Wheeze? The gray cat simply swayed its tail and said nothing. Chang Five asked again, Can you speak? The gray cat stuck its butt upwards, stretched its back, lumped up its paws before sitting back down to stare at the four children. Chang Five to Eight: Chang Five looked at the triplets. He wasnt doubting their words, he was feeling gloomy wondering if the cat was toying with them. The triplets were angry too. But before they could point fingers and start reprimanding the gray cat, it jumped down from its original position and ran towards the four children. Then, it gently leaped onto the deck chair Chang Five was in and found a place on his legs to sleep in. Chang Fives legs were covered with a blanket, so it was a comfortable napping spot. Chang Five didnt know what to say as he watched the utterly fearless gray cat nuzzling and lying down on the sweet spot of his legs. Moreover, this was the first time he came into close contact with any sort of animals. For whatever reason, animals normally ran far, far away from him the moment they saw him. Their actions often made him recall memories of people talking behind his back; it was why Chang Five shared no particular fondness for any kind of animals. This cat however, was an exception. Cillins mouth twitched, but he said nothing. The cat was obviously trying to tease the kids. And so he went away to talk with Old Chang about Haas order. The customers flying car was already parked inside the workshop, waiting for repairs. Oh, Haas, is it? That fellow has high demands when it comes to flying cars, and he is always in a hurry. Thats why the parts are changed quite frequently Old Chang more or less understood the situation from Cillin, but he still contacted Haas one more time just in case. After that, he and Cillin wasted no more time and got to work. Chang Five had frozen for a second when the gray cat jumped up to his legs. He seemed to be a little lost as to how he should respond as this turn of events was very surprising to him to say the least. It was rare enough to find a cat that didnt run away upon seeing him, and now it was even sleeping on top of his legs. The triplets didnt mind that the gray cat had chosen to be uncooperative. Instead, they chuckled, It seems that Wheeze likes Five a lot too. Chang Seven was stretching a chubby finger and poked the gray cats stomach gently, Chang Eight was playing with the gray cats front paw pads, and Chang Six was giving the gray cat a scratch under the chin. The gray cat narrowed its eyes into slits carelessly, allowing them to play to their hearts content. It turned its head sideways to indicate to Chang Six that he could scratch another spot now. Chang Five frowned at the gray cat for a very long time before he finally gathered the courage to touch its ears one time. It was soft and pretty comfortable to touch. The gray cat didnt bother with Chang Fives moments. The only reaction it gave was to flick its ears out of habit. Chang Five failed to withdraw his finger in time before the flicking ear hit it. But his finger didnt hurt. It didnt hurt at all. The lack of pain actually piqued Chang Fives interest as he bravely tried to touch the long hair standing behind its ears. This time the gray cat flicked its ears a little harder. Chang Five had to admit that he was getting addicted to this. Chapter 221: The Fish Says Fine, The Cat Says No Way [Part 2] Chapter 221: The Fish Says Fine, The Cat Says No Way [Part 2] Old Chang took out the new parts left behind by Haas and gave them a look, It looks like the parts that sold quite well inside the city recently, but I dont know them too well. Guess we have no choice but to give it a try. Cillin hadnt seen these parts before either, but he could guess what their specific functions were from their shape and the car itself. Lets. Cillin said. Mm. We definitely can do this together. Old Chang actually thought that Cillin had great knowledge and great insight. His assessment of Cillin was that he was a sensible youth with real knowledge, real abilities and a good heart. The new parts were new for both of them, but they quickly figured out what they were used for quickly. They then researched the diagram and assembly for a bit. Please see where it needs to be modified, Cillin. Old Chang passed the assembly diagram to Cillin. Cillin didnt point out the faults in the diagram Old Chang drew directly. Instead, he asked Old Chang why he drew the way he did in several spots. There existed a kind of harmony between parts. Although this harmony might not be obvious when observed locally, Cillin had dissected the car in his head during the time Old Chang was inspecting the entire flying car. Therefore, he knew very well what part of the car should be paid attention to after the new parts were plugged in, and what were the bigger problems in Old Changs drawn assembly diagram. Cillin was socially adept, so he didnt point out the problems directly. However, Old Chang knew from Cillins reaction that he really did notice some problems with his diagram. He wasnt displeased by this realization, however. On the contrary, he was quite happy at this outcome. Considering his age and the family circumstances he was saddled in, Old Chang wasnt allowed much opportunities to learn new skills at all. Therefore, Cillins arrival and help was an enlightening experience to him. He had been doing repairs for tens of years, and he knew just how important it was to learn new skills. That was also why he felt invigorated after hearing Cillins words. After explaining the reasoning behind his method of drawing, Old Chang looked at Cillin and said, You dont need to be worry about me, Cillin. Just speak your mind. This is a good learning experience for me too; its been many years since I learned anything new. Seeing that Old Chang really meant his words, Cillin stopped beating around the bush and explained everything in his opinion, from the macro to the micro, from the whole to the local, and even the minor problems with the car that didnt need any repairs. At the very least, this knowledge would give Old Chang bigger ideas when he drew his assembly diagram again. After some amendments, the duo finally settled on the final version of the assembly diagram. Although it wasnt the theoretical best way to repair the car, it was the one that suited the car owner the most. After the assembly diagram was decided, the duo worked a lot quicker than before. The parts were quickly installed under their joint effort. Just like the previous job, Cillin checked the cars control system. Just like last time, the car had a dual control system. However, unlike the last car owner this one frequently cleaned his cars system since it had a lot less unnecessary files in it. Still, there were a couple of bad settings that clashed a little with the newly installed parts, so Cillin manually fixed the programs in conflict. The main setting and controls were kept the same because it was what the car owner was used to, so the car owner wouldnt realized that the control systems were modified unless he performed a full scan. He would only feel that the flying car was running a lot smoother than before. Once he got used to the hidden changes, the flying car would run a lot faster than it used to. After the repair was complete, Old Chang wiped the sweat on his forehead while wearing a bright smile after testing the cars performance. He learned a lot of new things today. Old Chang contacted Haas after resting for a moment, surprising the latter during the call. After all, the parts he brought to Old Chang were considered new in this area, and he expected Old Chang to spend a lot of time researching these parts before fixing his flying car. He went to Old Chang only because he was hoping to save some money. Parts switching in the city was way too expensive, and he didnt have that much money to spend. He couldnt have done a sloppy job, could he? Haas couldnt help but think that even though he knew Old Changs personality. When he got Old Changs notice, he was so anxious that he dropped his business and rushed towards the shop. While Old Chang was waiting for Haas, a couple more people entered the shop. Cillin recognized the leader of the group. It was the car owner whom Cillin had cleaned up his system earlier. Hey, Old Chang! I brought some customers for you! Bender! Hows your car doing? asked Old Chang, but he was very confident that Bender must be enjoying his car. He wouldnt have brought customers over otherwise. Since there were customers, the triplets stopped playing with the gray cat and Chang Five. Instead, they carried over chairs and brought glasses of water for their customers, causing Bender to say what sensible children repeatedly. Naturally, Old Chang was very happy that his grandchildren were praised. You seem to be doing well, arent you? Youre busy every time I came to your store! Wait, is this car Haas? Is that guy switching parts again?! What an enviable fellow! Bender looked around while commenting. However, Bender shifted his gaze the second he saw Chang Five lying on the recliner not far away. At this point Old Chang started talking about their current business. Chang Five looked down as gloominess shrouded his eyes yet again. However, he felt a lot better after noticing the slight disdain the gray cat was holding for Benders group. While copying the triplets movements and rubbing the gray cats chin, he shot an inquiring gaze towards the gray cat. The gray cat jumped up to Chang Fives shoulder and whispered into his ear, That guys both a bragger and miser! Chang Fives eyes crinkled involuntarily into a smile. The first reason was because the gray cat finally talked. The second reason was that it was clever and mischievous. On the other side, the group was talking about their intentions for coming today. Bender had always serviced his car at Old Changs place, and he was especially satisfied with the latest repair. He had a relative who lived at the fringe of the city who had a broken flying car. However, his relative wasnt willing to spend the money to fix it. After hearing from Haas that Old Chang was quite good with repairs and had fair prices to boot, he decided to pay him a tentative visit even though he personally scorned Old Changs abilities a little. The flying car had only been bought for less than 3 years, and it looked pretty fine on the surface, so he wasnt willing to sell it just yet. Just be careful when you try to repair it, okay? If you cant fix it its fine, just dont make it worse than it is already While listening to the car owners rants the gray cat whispered beside Chang Fives ears again, See, its another one of those guys who are stingy and looks down on people. If only he would take a look at his own car; as if that hypocalcemic thing is worth anything! Chang Fives face muscles twitched nonstop at the comment. Hypocalcemic? If he remembered correctly, his familys flying car was even worse than Benders relatives. Still, Chang Five couldnt help but smile at the gray cats criticism. From another persons perspective, they thought that that unfortunate boy Chang Five was just having fun with his pet. They would never imagine that they were talking behind their backs. Cillin cast a glance at the whispering cat. He knew very well what it was saying to Chang Five. Still, even he had to admit that this car owner was a pain in the ass. But although this car owners behavior was less than desirable, he was here to give them money, so Cillin had no reason to begrudge him. And so both Old Chang and him listened to the car owners rants with sincere-looking smiles on their faces, although no one knew what they were thinking at the back of their minds, of course. Cillin was socially adept, and so was Old Chang. Finally, the car owner left the shop despite turning around to rant a couple times for every step he took. Cillin let out a sigh of relief, exchanged a smile with Old Chang and began researching the flying car in cooperation without a word. The car wasnt hard to repair, really. It was more or less the same as all the shabby cars that were sent to this Repair Street for repairs with the only difference being a shiner shell and a newer version of the control program. Very soon, Old Chang and Cillin began to work on the car. As usual, the gray cat ate its meal on the table during dinner. No one objected to this phenomenon, and the four kids even gave it special care. All of them C even Chang Five C gave bits of their food to the gray cat. Old Chang was gladdened by this scene. It was incredibly rare to see Chang Five in a good mood, and today the boy looked to be especially happy. A persons recovery had a lot to do with their own mental state. Chang Five was born weak to begin with, and it was only natural that his gloominess served to worsen his condition further. There, he needed to be in a good mood to enjoy a healthier physique. It was night, at the gray cat was planning to play a bit in the childrens room. Chang Five had his own room because he didnt sleep too well, and because Old Chang was afraid that the energetic triplets would disturb their sibling. Therefore, Old Chang prepared a small room for Chang Five. The triplets had gone to take a bath, so the gray cat only saw Chang Five reading on his bed when he came over. Chang Five put down the book in his hand and patted a spot on his bed, beckoning the gray cat to come. He wasnt afraid that the gray cat would dirty his bed. The gray cat took him on his offer without hesitation. However, it didnt leave footprints on the bed like a common cat would. The gray cat actually cared about cleanliness a lot. What are you reading? The gray cat looked down curiously at the book Chang Five was reading. It curled its paws and flipped open the book. It noticed that the contents of the book were blinking circuits and some programs between diagrams. If the gray cat was anyone else, they would be shocked by the level of the book Chang Five was reading and call him a genius. It took a person of a certain level of education to be able to understand this kind of book, but Chang Five had practically learned his knowledge all on his own. If he wasnt a genius then who was? However, the gray cat wasnt even thinking about this at all. It was flipping through the pages swiftly and carelessly with its paw. Even Chang Five thought that it was just playing around. While reading, the gray cats whiskers shook once, twice, thrice and What the meow is this! The gray cat raised its paws and swept the book down the bed. It said disdainfully, Pages upon pages of nonsense, this is! Optimal programming my ass, this is literal bullshit! To quote Cillins words, the less-than-animal who wrote this is an incompetent fool who misguides their readers! Chang Five stared blankly at the gray cat who not only threw his book to the floor, but was also spouting expletives with righteous indignation. He could accept it if the gray cat said that the author of the book was misguiding its readers, but what did it mean by less-than-animal? Did you accidentally use the wrong expression while your top is blown, oh mighty cat? He really couldnt understand why the gray cat was suddenly so furious. It was the book Old Chang had recommended to him since a long time ago because Old Chang himself had acquired his knowledge from it. Is there something wrong with this book? Chang Five asked. The gray cat looked indignantly at Chang Five and pointed a nail at the book on the floor, It barely got anything right at all! Chang Five fell silent. It was true that the book was at least dozens of years old, and that the latest book on programming must have been improved a lot since. Also, Old Chang had never been too good with programming, and his main expertise was in repairs. The teaching materials he had on programming were all old versions that were at least dozens of years old, but they were also all Chang Five had to make do with, so much so that he could practically recite them from memory. As for implementing his knowledge for real, he regrettably didnt have the opportunity to do so. In fact, Chang Five had wanted to upgrade the programs of the old machines in his house. However, ever since he fainted and stayed in the hospital for 10 days while he was upgrading the small cleaning robot, he never touched them again. He only read, and never tried to physically operate the machines since. The gray cat was an oddball, but Chang Five himself wasnt much better. After all, he didnt wonder immediately why the gray cat could read and understand these things. After a moments thought, Chang Five said, This book is at least dozens of years old. I suppose that it is a little outdated. It doesnt matter when its released, its still a pack of lies! The gray cat was so furious that its whiskers were shaking. Who was it that came up with this book? How dare they trick a young kid! The fish may be fine with this, but the cat says no way! Chapter 222: One Emperor and Three Kings of Blazing Eagle, Vigor [Part 1] Chapter 222: One Emperor and Three Kings of Blazing Eagle, Vigor [Part 1] The gray was furious, but it didnt realize that the book fooled not only a kid, but a lot of adults too. Chang Five kept quiet as he watched the gray cat growing so angry that its whisker were shaking at the edge of the bed. He shouldve known that felines are all temperamental. That being said, Chang Five was stunned by the gray cats words. Although he himself thought that some information in the book was a little far-fetched, bullshit still wasnt the term he wouldve used to describe it. But now that the gray cat had mentioned it, Chang Five was finding himself agreeing with the gray cat. If even he, a kid who hadnt received any formal education could identify some of the sophistries in this book, then surely there were others who had better insight. If Chang Fives thoughts were to be known by others, some people might consider jumping off spaceplanes and killing themselves. Not even those who have received higher education might necessarily be able to understand the contents of this book. The fact is, books like this were circulated within the bottom class only. It wouldnt appear at the upper class at all. Do you have a tablet? The gray cat asked. Here. Chang Five grabbed the relic of a tablet he put behind his pillow. It was the one his father used to use until his passing. The gray cat raised a paw and pulled the tablet over to itself. After stretching its paws for a bit, it started working. Chang Five wondered how the cat paw looked on the inside as he watched the gray cat naturally typing symbols and characters into his tablet. The gray cat moved faster and faster. At first, Chang Five was able to watch the gray cat type and the program it entered into the tablet at the same time. However, Chang Five slowly couldnt keep up with both things happening at the same time. Then, he could barely follow the programs flashing across the tablet. In the end, he only knew that programs and symbols were flashing across the tablet, but not what type of programs they were. The gray cats movements were just a cover. It didnt actually need to use its paws to type of the old tablet at all. After Chang Five couldnt keep up with its movements, the gray cat immediately started altering the program directly. Still, Cillin did say to keep a low profile, so it decided to cover it up like this for now. Ten minutes later, the gray cat pushed the tablet to Chang Five, Forget that bullshit book and read this one. Chang Five accepted the tablet and took a look at the detailed parts construction and assembly diagrams, and program analysis. He was startled for a moment. But after that, he quickly became completely absorbed in the data. Right now, Chang Five felt like he had come in contact with an all new vision that was both refreshing and vast. When Chang Five was done reading the fifth example, the tablet suddenly turned black. It took him a while before he finally pulled himself back together. He checked the tablets power and the device itself, but found nothing wrong with it. So why did it switched off so suddenly? Save your energy, Im the one who turned it off. Your body needs rest, and Cillin said that you should maintain a proper sleep schedule. But I cant sleep. It was unfair, Chang Five felt. He was having so much fun reading, but now he was forced to stop. Really? Hmm do you want me to help you then? The gray cat flexed its paws a bit. How are you going to help me? Chang Five swallowed. He kept feeling that the gray cats eyes wasnt quite honest. Cillin said that a human recovers quickly only when theyre asleep. If you really cant fall asleep I can help you out like this. The gray cat swung its paws when it said this. Chang Five: This physical method was a little too intense, he thought. It was probably better to avoid it. Chang Five touched his own head and felt a shiver, I guess Ill just let it happen naturally. I should be able to sleep if I empty my mind. The gray cat flicked its ears, Cillin said that hypnosis will work too, but unfortunately that method will affect your brain nerves; do it a few more times and your memory will fall off. Thats why you should just make yourself sleep. Hmm, Cillin told me that he can solve problems even when hes asleep. Why dont you try out his method and implement those programs in your head? The gray cat had purposely left out a few things when he said this. One of them was that the method was only effective for some people, and that it had the opposite effect for most others. But Chang Five nodded after hearing the gray cats suggestion. Its such a pretty good idea, he thought, lets give it a try. Alright, thats it for today. Im going to bed too. The gray cat let out a yawn and jumped down Chang Fives bed. Before it left, it didnt forget to step on the book one time. Good night, Wheeze. Good night. After the gray cat left, Chang Five turned off the lights and stared at the pitch black room. He could vaguely hear the triplets voices from outside. It was probably Old Chang forcing them into their beds. Sleep was very important for children because they were growing up. Chang Five smiled as he recalled all the things that had happened today. Then, he closed his eyes and began thinking about the five examples hed seen earlier. A moment later, he entered the zone without noticing. Huh? Wheeze, why are you crouching here for? It took a long time before Old Chang managed to persuade the triplets to fall asleep. Just as he was going to go downstairs and tidy things up for a bit, he noticed that the gray cat was crouching before Chang Fives room door. The gray cat hadnt left immediately after it went out. It waited outside until Chang Five had truly gotten asleep. When it heard Old Changs words, the gray cat got up, shook its body and answered, Im leaving now. When the gray cat returned to Cillins room, the latter was thinking about certain things. He asked upon seeing the gray cat entering, Has the little fellow gone to sleep? Mm. Just like you, he used that method to fall asleep. The gray cat jumped up to Cillins side, lay down and continued to speak, Chang Five may not have a good physique, but I guess hes not stupid. Among humans, that boy can be considered a genius already. Gene mutation? The triplets showed no such signs though. Its probably the electromagnetic storm he suffered while he was still in his mothers womb. His brain cells are a little different from normal people. Can we use enhancement drugs on his body? I doubt it. He needs to be treated thoroughly. The gray cat rubbed its ears against Cillin and said irritatedly, Doesnt that mean a lot of money? Why dont we find someone to rob, Cillin! Off with you. We have no backup right now, so we cant act carelessly. But there is a different method we can try. Its a little slow, but it will also give Chang Fives body some time to adapt. That way, hell have a better chance during the full treatment. said Cillin while rubbing his chin. If he wished to nurse Chang Fives body slowly back to health, he would have to consider the medicines he take seriously. Cillin actually had some spare medicines in his leaf tattoo ring from the time he was at GAL. He had all kinds of medicine in there, and he could add them quietly into Chang Fives meds while he was consuming them. He would have to pay attention to the concentration and ratio of the medicine, but it was an easy task. After that, it was a matter of money. Old Changs business was getting better and better, so was Cillins bonus. When they worked, they worked efficiently and produced great results. Even better, the frequent customers were introducing more customers to the shop. Cillin often talked to Old Chang about Chang Fives medicine in private. They kept it from Chang Five, because the boy was the type who would feel bad if he learned that Old Chang was going to send him for full treatment. So that would produce the opposite effect instead. Old Chang thought that Cillins medicines were acquired from the city. Therefore, their quality must be a lot better and more expensive than the ones in a small place like theirs. He was a bit unsure as to what he should do. Should he pay him back with money? And if so, how much? He doubted that he could cover the full value of Cillins medicines even if he were to sell his entire shop. Cillin said that this was repayment to his family for saving his life, so they were free. Old Chang didnt try to play humble and turn down his offer. It would be hypocrisy if he did. Sometimes Old Chang couldnt help but think that his accidental act of saving one life had helped not only himself, but also Chang Five. Since then, Old Chang gave Cillin half of their works earnings everyday. Originally it was going to be a three-seven split, but Cillin declined. Today, after finishing the three orders they received, Cillin and Old Chang was just about to eat dinner when the triplets ran over. Grandpa, grandpa! Were about to run out of fish capsule meals! The triplet and Chang Five all looked at Old Chang. Their eyes were practically saying that they would buy fish capsule meals for the gray cat even if it meant going hungry for the day. Old Chang looked at the sky. It was too late, so Old Chang said, Ill buy them tomorrow. Let me go tomorrow. I havent been to that place before. Cillin said. The triplets turned their towards Cillin in unison and looked at him with expectant eyes. It was obvious that they were thinking about going having fun outside. In the past there was only one Old Chang, so they consciously restrained their young instincts. But now that there was Cillin, he could actually take them out to play! Not this time. Next time Ill take you all out. I need to familiarize myself with the place first, or itll be bad if we lose our way. Although they werent able to go this time, Cillin had promised to take them out next time. But they would have to take turns from the youngest to oldest, and only one person at a time. The triplets had no objections to this. Chapter 222: One Emperor and Three Kings of Blazing Eagle, Vigor [Part 2] Chapter 222: One Emperor and Three Kings of Blazing Eagle, Vigor [Part 2] The next day, Cillin woke up earlier than usual. Old Chang gave Cillin a list of things he needed to buy. It was nothing really, they were just some daily necessities. Old Chang wanted to give him money, but Cillin turned it down again. He had accumulated over a thousand MB coins over the past few days, and the groceries didnt even cost 200 MB coins. Chang Eight also rose early today. Judging from her appearance, the girl was so excited that she didnt get much sleep. Although she didnt sleep much, she looked pretty spirited. The moment she saw Cillin she immediately ran towards him happily. The gray cat didnt follow them out. The gray cat was able to learn many things from the many surveillance equipment around the area alone, and since Cillin was just walking around the commoner zone and not the city, it felt no need to follow them. Also, Chang Fives progress required much of its attention and thinking. It finally got to enjoy being another persons teacher, and for now it was an addictive feeling. When they were outside, all four kids addressed Cillin as their cousin. Cillin walked on the streets while carrying Chang Eight. Here at the noisy street, shabby flying cars often drove on pedestrian lanes. There was no one to regulate order, and to make matters even worse the drivers often threw trash casually out of their windows. If someone at the pedestrian lane was unlucky enough to get hit, well they only had their bad luck to blame. The repair shops of Repair Street really were as average as they seemed, fulfilling only the needs of low-end customers. Basically no one from the city would repair their cars here and risk losing their face. Of course, the city people Bender brought to Old Changs shop was a different story. Chang Eight stared at the shops of the street and the cars flying here and there so excitedly that her tiny face was completely red. Despite her age, she could count the number of times she went out to the streets with her fingers. That was why the little fellows were so excited at every opportunity to head out, and why their reactions were so fresh. Cillin had witnessed bustling cities before, so naturally these sceneries were of little interest to him. He first arrived at the grocery shop to buy the necessities. Then, he looked at the shelves and pinched Chang Eights tiny face, Tell me what you want to eat. Ill buy it for you. Chang Eight pursed her lips and shook her head. She couldnt control her eyes from hovering up across the shelves. Cillin sighed on the inside. Although Old Chang had bought some snacks for the kids in the past, it didnt happen too many times. After all, there were too many other things that required money. He grabbed some lollipops and biscuits from the shelves, but couldnt find any fish biscuits anywhere. Then again, where would one find such high grade pet snacks in such a place? Once the items were paid, Cillin carried the groceries with one hand and Chang Eight on the other. Chang Eight eagerly chewed on the lollipop in her mouth. I can walk myself, cousin Cillin. Chang Eight felt apologetic because he had to carry a grocery bag and her. Its okay, I have a lot of strength to spare. He wasnt willing to let the girl walk on her own because this place wasnt all that safe. Just now, he even saw a flying car flying on low altitude. At least half of them were driving on pedestrian lanes, and he was sure that these people would run as fast as thieves the second an accident occurred. If anything did happen, it would be too late for regrets. While walking, Cillin suddenly came to a pause. Five meters away, a box fell down from the sky. Someone was tossing trash from their flying cars again. Cillin continued to walk while teaching Chang Eight about some dangers on the streets that she had to watch out for. A children was inferior to an adult, and their reaction time was comparatively slower. If a kid were to walk on these streets, they would be in greater danger than an adult. Suddenly, there as a commotion on the sky. When Cillin looked up, he noticed that the insufferably arrogant drivers who were scaring the pedestrians by flying low had suddenly scattered like they were running away. Their driving had also become a lot more subdued. Cillin also noticed that a lot of flying cars had suddenly stopped in mid air. Whats wrong with them, cousin Cillin? Chang Eight asked while eating. Its nothing. Remember to keep quiet and speak softly later, okay? Dont be scared. Im here. Mm! Although she wasnt sure what was going on, Chang Eight still nodded obediently. Cillin walked for a small distance before looking up to the sky again. A short while later, a group of flying cars flew by. He knew immediately who the newcomers were from their cars C it was the planetary defense troops! No wonder those arrogant people were holding still in midair without letting out even a peep. The planetary defense troops was a term that almost everyone in the area revered. It was a force that was impossible to shake. In fact, judging from the looks of things these flying cars were just the vanguard. Another dozen or so flying cars came not long after them. A while later, a large and beautiful spaceplane guarded by nearly a hundred flying cars and several small spaceplanes appeared on the sky. This meant that the two groups of flying cars earlier were here to open the way only. The people couldnt help but think: Just who on earth are these people escorting? The cowered drivers from earlier were now stretching their necks as far as they could to look at the sky. While others might not be able to see the tiny drawings on the spaceplane, Cillins eyes were sharp enough to notice some of them. He could see an insignia on the big, beautiful spaceplane, and it was the insignia of a blazing eagle. There were one emperor and three kings that ruled over the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The highest ruler of the empire, the Mist Bodhisattva imperial family aside, the three kings beneath them are one, King Fuji of the Elder Tree Fuji Gen Family; two, King Blazing Eagle of the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family; and three, King Snowstorm of the Snowstorm Wendyska Family. Of course he had plans for the Gen Family already; Cillin was already planning things step by step for the future. As for the force flying flamboyantly above their heads right now, they were King Blazing Eagles men. The blazing eagle insignia on the spaceplane was unique to the Vogel Family. This particular spaceplane was even more flamboyant than the starships or spaceplanes of the great four. The blazing eagle insignia on the spaceplane was so huge that it was as if they were afraid that others wouldnt realize that they belonged to King Blazing Eagle. But why would the people of one of the three kings show up in such a small place? From Old Changs occasional rant, Cillin learned that this tiny planet hardly saw visits even from a higher class noble. So what was this? He didnt hear anything like this from the planetary media either. Still, regardless of who this figure was, they represented the Vogel Family all the same. By now some people had already seen the insignia on the spaceplane through telescopic equipment. They immediately cried out, Its the Blazing Eagle! The Blazing Eagle!! The name Blazing Eagle immediately caused an uproar. It was the insignia of one of the three kings, the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family! They were upper nobility! It was hard to describe how important an upper nobility was. Here, lowborns might not even have seen a third class noble before, and this new visitor was something a third class noble could never rival. If someone from the Blazing Eagle were to stand right in front of a third class noble and tell them that they were shit, the third class noble would have no choice but to smile and admit it as fact. To them, third class nobles are shit! The planetary defense force are also shit! A commoner only more so! The cry only drew more cries, and the people who were originally hiding inside their houses all rushed out to the open, I cant believe I had the chance to witness the Blazing Eagles while Im still alive! Haha, I can die happy now! The Blazing Eagles! Holy shit its the Blazing Eagles! Some people were literally shouting with red faces and flushed necks. They were so excited that they were shaking like they were afflicted with a disease. I wonder if theyre here to recruit someone? Someone self-hypnotised themselves. If the Blazing Eagle fancied someone enough to recruit them, it was soundless glory even if the job was to be part of the background. It was a position high enough to make even second and third class nobles second guess themselves before doing anything. Still, if they were looking to recruit someone then why a tiny and shabby place like this? Because the streets had suddenly became crowded with people, it was extremely difficult to make their way forwards. Cillin had to shift a little out of the way while telling Chang Eight to close her ears. Chang Eight didnt cry like the other kids who were shocked by these mad looking people on the streets. Of course, the lollipop in her mouth also had a great soothing effect, not to mention that Cillin was still holding her close. The little fellow closed her ears after hearing Cillins instructions, but her eyes continued to stare curiously at the people acting strangely on the streets. Had they all become sick or something? To these mad peoples regrets, the Blazing Eagle spaceplane was just passing by this area. They soon departed towards another region. Although the Blazing Eagle spaceplane had left the place, the commotion it caused still lasted for a very long time. On the way back to Old Changs shop, Cillin heard a lot of people who said that they wished to head to the city and try their luck. If they really were recruited by the Blazing Eagle, their status would never be the same anymore. Chapter 223: The Unreliable Prince [Part 1] Chapter 223: The Unreliable Prince [Part 1] The atmosphere of the entire area was changed because of the emergence of that spaceplane. Some of the people inside the shops were even packing their things in preparation to head into the city. This was how the world on the other side revolved, with the hierarchy etched deep into their hearts. Despite not possessing much individual strength, here a lucky person could cling onto an influential noble and rise to the top in one single night. So it was no wonder that the people of this place had acted the way they did. There wasnt a single commoner who hadnt dreamed of becoming rich in a single night. Cillin was calm, however. He was originally planning to head straight back to the shop, but now he decided to take a stroll around the part selling shop on the other side of the street. There were a lot of entrances that connected the two streets, so it technically didnt count as a detour. It was just a couple extra steps around a corner. As he had expected, there were a lot of people who were dreaming about being recognized by a noble and were packing their goods. Some people were also in a hurry to sell the parts that were of little interest to buyers. This was why he came here. After comparing the prices of several shops, Cillin bought a lot of second hand parts at a price that was lower than norm. Since the owners of these particular shops were all hoping to sell their goods as quickly as possible and earn some quick buck to spend in the city, they were taken advantage of by Cillin. However, just as Cillin was about to leave the Parts Street, a small conflict erupted at a certain shop front. Haha, that guys face is dirty! Chang Eight pointed at a person currently being pushed out of the storefront while smiling. At first Cillin hadnt planned to pay attention to the argument, but Chang Eights words prompted him to turn and look. The guy whom Chang Eight said had a dirty face was covered in concentrated fruit juice. He looked pretty young around twenty years old or so, and his skin looked healthy too. Right now, the guy was embroiled in a fierce argument with the shop owner. Didnt we agree that youll hire me for 30 days? How can you go back on your words after 2 days time?! So what if I went back on my word? Im the shop owner, and my word is law here. Plus, we never signed a contract of any sort so the agreement is void, you hear? Now get lost and stop being a nuisance! A short while later, the shop owner pushed the young man out of the door and quickly shut the door behind him, leaving the guy outside. After glaring at the door for a second, the young man muttered while looking a little dismayed, Why is it so hard to find a job here? The young man turned around and looked at the surrounding shops. The onlookers who were originally enjoying the scene hastily shifted their gazes and pretended that they were packing their own parts. Apparently, they were all afraid that the troublesome guy would visit their shop. Cillin himself was about to leave, but unfortunately for him the young mans stare finally landed on him after a round of inspection. His dismayed expression instantly blossomed into smiles. Cillin raised his leg and started walking. Hey, wait! The friend over there, bro, wait for me! The young man swiftly ran towards Cillin and stopped in front of him. He was smiling so brightly that Cillin was tempted to kick him. Cillin said nothing and simply looked at the young man blocking their way. My friend, you must be someone who works in this area, are you not? If thats the case can you help me out a little? I need to find a short term job that lasts about 30 days, and pay is negotiable. I dont ask for much, I only wish for a place that covers for meal and accomodation, the young man said. Cillin examined him from head to toe. He was dressed about the same as everyone else on the street, and he was covered in the smell and stain of wax. Still, something was different about this man. Cillin couldnt shake the feeling that this person didnt belong in this place. That being said, he didnt sense any danger or malice from the man, so it made him feel a lot more at ease. Your face is dirty! Shame, shame! Chang Eight said while looking at the young man. The young man simply smiled and wiped his face with his sleeves. Sorry to make myself a fool in front of you, little girl. There was a half full fruit juice that came out of nowhere and hit me, and I didnt have time to wipe it just now. It was something that happened pretty often around the area. The young man failed to wipe his face clean, though. It was less obvious than it was before. Do you want to sell parts? Cillin asked. The question made the young mans eyes lit up. Silence was what he was afraid of, not rejection. Now that Cillin had spoken, the young man thought that there was hope to apply for a job now. Im very familiar with parts, I tell you. I even raced someone in the past before. I maintain my own car, so Im very familiar with the relevant parts. Ive also checked the streets and found that most of the parts sold here involved flying cars, so I dare say that Im up for the job. You can test me if you dont believe it. Cillin shook his head. Im not a parts seller though. I work in the Repair Street over the other side of the street. But Cillins words only brightened the young mans eyes further. He said eagerly, Thats even better; Im very experienced in repairs. Again, you can test me if you dont believe it! After Cillin frowned and fell into silence, the young man thought that the former was about to turn him away. He immediately put on a pitiful appearance and said, I thought they say that people with kids are all softer? Cillin: Is that so? Even if it is true, do you really have to say it in front of the person? Chang Eight looked at the pitiful looking older brother first, and then back at Cillin. She kept quiet. Her grandfather once told her that kids should keep quiet when adults were making a decision. Come on, take me in already. Im a hardworking guy, and I dont ask for much pay. I heard that most of the pay here is dependent on performance, and I feel that Im definitely up for the job. I swear that Im really good at car repairs, and I know about the latest parts that are out there too. Oh right, Im also experienced in a few AI control systems that came during the recent years. You can test me if you dont believe it! The young man said with a fearless expression. Cillin went around the young man and continued forwards. Oh man, come on, dont leave! My friend, please consider me, will you? You really cant miss an excellent laborer like me We cant go back to the shop without walking, can we? Cillin said without turning around. Wait, doesnt that mean hes agreed to take me in? And so the young man hastily walked faster and caught up to Cillin. He even offered to carry the two big bags of parts Cillin was holding. The young man never stopped talking on their way back. He introduced to Cillin all the things he knew but hadnt mentioned earlier, but didnt say anything relating to his family or hometown. Cillin didnt ask either. The young man was called Bel. He didnt reveal his surname. After asking for Cillin and Chang Eights name, he happily talked to no one in particular. Cillin told Bel that it was up to the shop owner to decide whether he would be taken in. Bel answered saying that he would move the shop owner with real skill. He definitely looked sure of his skills at least. Normally, there were a lot of people who were willing to take in a laborer like Bel. Unfortunately for him, the unusual event earlier made a lot of shop owners feel like closing shop. Some shop owners were unwilling to take in a laborer who could only work for 30 days too. It was just too short. Chapter 223: The Unreliable Prince [Part 2] Chapter 223: The Unreliable Prince [Part 2] Bel continued to speak with spittle flying everywhere. Then, he cast a glance at the lollipop Chang Eight was licking, then at the bag Cillin was carrying, and finally Cillin himself. After Cillin passed over the bag, Bel selected a flavor that he liked without hesitation. Then, he began competing with Chang Eight to see who had the longer tongue, who could lick faster and who had the better licking technique. Cillin was starting to regret his decision to bring this guy along a little. Why was he so stupid?! Cillin put away the purchased items properly after they returned to the shop. Although he had questions, Old Chang didnt ask why Cillin had purchased so many second hand parts immediately. Bels presence also made him think better than spilling everything before a stranger. Cillin briefly talked about Bel before he took the triplets and Chang Five away to split the snacks. The gray cat found the fact that there were no fish biscuits on sale here a little regrettable, and it reluctantly chewed on the kiddies biscuits to grind its teeth. Back to Bel. After inspecting his work for a bit Old Chang found that the young man actually had real skills and knowledge. He was also quite familiar with the principle and structure of flying cars very well. In the past, Old Chang hadnt hired a helper because he didnt have the spare money to pay their wage. But Bels demand for wage wasnt high, and he said that Old Chang could pay his final wage after deducting food, boarding and other expenses. Moreover, Bel would only be working for 30 days, and there were empty rooms in the house too. Therefore Old Chang was tempted to hire him. If everything went well, Old Chang might even hire other people to help with the shop after Bels departure. Bel was overjoyed to be able to stay, and he urged Old Chang to let him do the repair work. Old Chang nodded repeatedly as he watched Bel working. At the most prosperous area of the city, inside the luxurious living room of a grand and wide building, a couple of chief personnel of the planetary government were sitting obediently at their seats. Two people were sitting at the high spot of the living room: one wearing a stiff expression, and the other wearing a good natured smile on his face. However no one from the planetary government dared to match eyes with them in case they accidentally trigger their ire. There were some guards standing around the reception room. They wore identical uniforms, and their clothes had the badge and patterns that identified them as members of the Blazing Eagle. These were real soldiers subordinate to the Blazing Eagle royal family, and it didnt take a genius to figure out who was better between them and the planetary guards. A few hours later, the people belonging to the planetary government came out with bent backs that couldnt be straightened for a long time until they were far, far away from the place. They all wiped the sweat on their forehead. Say, do you think those two really are just passing by for a simple inspection? One of them asked. Another person wiped the sweat that had dripped into the corner of their eyes. The good-cop-bad-cop show those two put on just now had seriously scared the wits out of them, and even now they still couldnt shake off the fear, Who cares? Lets just observe and see if those two decides to do something. We only need to make sure that nothing big blows up for now. Youre right. Ill go back and arrange something to show how far our city has developed. Meanwhile, after the chief personnel of the planetary government had left, the two people in the living room shedded the air they were carrying and let out a sigh in unison. They exchanged a glance with each other and lamented the helplessness behind each others eyes. I feel like Ive gotten haggard again. Sigh, why did it have to be again? The guy wearing a smile earlier only had a helpless look on his face now. The guy with a stiff expression didnt look completely stiff now either. He pressed his forehead and said, He is seriously a troublesome fellow. The reason they flew to this commoner area on purpose was to inspect the princes recent activities. Otherwise, who would be bored enough to patrol such a place? Weve ran here and there behind the princes butt for more than ten years, havent we? Say, when do you think this is ever going to end? I want to know too. The current king of Blazing Eagle only had one son and one daughter. Not long after their son grew up he had expressed his lack of interest in the throne and sought to pursue his own personal freedom. As a result, King Blazing Eagle gave his boy a good amount of trashing, but he never succeeded in beating the decision out of his sons head. And so, the tragic life of a certain group of people began. The person on the throne didnt necessarily have to be the current kings biological son. Anyone who had the blood of Blazing Eagle Vogel in them were qualified to succeed the throne. However, the candidates who wished to succeed the throne must go through a strict and long selection period. No mistake was allowed when it came to the person who would eventually rule over the entire Blazing Eagle royal family. Since his son had no intentions of succeeding the throne, and years of encouragement had similarly yielded no result, the current king was given no other choice. The older his son grew, the less he was able to rein him in. In the end, he had to give up and select a few excellent youths to cultivate as a future king. There was no need to doubt the current king and queens character at all. King Blazing Eagle was absolutely an excellent ruler, and his queen was absolutely a gentle and ladylike woman as well. The queen had already been thinking on how to raise her children into excellent people since birth, but reality had unfortunately decided to pour a bucket of cold water with ice on her head instead. Before she knew it, the elegant and graceful daughter she dreamed in her head had dug through a birds nest, competed in a flying car race, and chased after five meters tall bears in the forest with a stick that was thicker than her own body. The son she had placed high expectations in had also developed in an abnormal manner. The amount of times he skipped class while in school was absolutely bigger than the times he actually attended them. Sometimes, the odd muscle named unreliable in his brain would twitch and prompted the young man to do things that no one couldve imagined until he actually did them. At first, the prince with high expectations on his shoulders simply ignored his parents opinions and went to important battlefields to act as a war correspondent. Later on, he actually became a spy on a whim, and what was strange was that no one among the terrorists had ever suspected that he was a spy even after the battle was over. Perhaps even the terrorists thought that someone as stupid as him couldnt possibly be a spy. While the prince was busy playing spy elsewhere, his peers who were receiving higher education were doing their utmost to score high marks in the school and pave the road to their future. Was this really how a prince should be acting while the other blood related youths of the royal family were striving to outdo one another? Forget the current king, even the previous king was so pissed that he wrecked a couple of spaceplanes. But it was useless. The princes ears had a perfect filter that filtered everything he didnt wish to hear every time he was facing the king, the queen and the other elders. Even beatings were useless because he became immune to them after so many years of the same punishment. One thing was certain, and that was his physical resistance was far better than any other youths within the family. Anyway, the point was that the unreliable prince had done many things that angered King Blazing Eagle. Neither punishment nor beating proved effective before the princes absolute stubbornness. King Blazing Eagle: Just give up already! The prince: Already! Can I leave now? King Blazing Eagle: An idiocy-induced beating later. King Blazing Eagle with a frigid expression: This is the last time, you hear? Unfortunately, in most cases his this is the last time, you hear warning was a complete joke. 1 is followed by 2, and 2 is followed by 3. Naturally, the half-dead prince on the floor automatically filtered the words out before it even entered his brain. Every time the prince was forced by King Blazing Eagle to write a repentance letter, the former displayed astounding literary talent that only improved with each letter. All kinds of figures of speech were fielded in his letters, and if one were to look the writing of the letter alone they would no doubt have given him an A. Unfortunately, the actual content inside the letter was complete bullshit. No matter how many paragraphs of touching and regretful words were inside the letter, they could never find the line Ill never do it again or something similar inside it. It was no different this time. Once again, after the exams were over, that princes brain muscle twitched the wrong way as he made the decision to experience life of a bottom class citizen in a shabby and poor place like this. What nonsense are you spouting, prince! You already have more life experiences than every one of your subordinates combined! His poor mother, the queen sighed at least 3 times a day. She just couldnt understand how her son and her daughter had turned out the way they were despite being raised by someone of her and Blazing Eagles character and within the Blazing Eagles domain. In the end, the queen concluded that it was a problem of intergenerational gene inheritance and history. The reason she came to this conclusion was because the princes grandfather possessed a similar temper, which was why the grandfather had also backed out from his fight for the throne a long time ago. Naturally, the princes biological grandfather raised both hands in support of the princes actions. In fact, the old man had colluded with the prince a couple of times to commit some cases, which resulted in the current King Blazing Eagle and the former King Blazing Eagle to work together and keep the duo separate. These two fellows were seriously the oddballs of the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family, and if they were allowed them to work together then they could turn even the sky upside down! As long as the prince didnt seek out his grandfather, King Blazing Eagle was content to let him fool around as he wished. And that was how the two guys responsible for chasing after the prince, protect him and dealing with the aftermath grew as haggard as they were. While the two haggard-looking men were sighing at each others fate, the prince with the disease of intermittent idiocy was busy repairing a flying car with Cillin. Just as Cillin had predicted, a lot of shop owners had gone to the city in hopes of getting lucky. After finding that the familiar faces in Repair Street were gone for the city, a lot of customers had come to their shop for repairs instead. Therefore, all repair shops who were still open were booming with business. At this point no one cared about the price of the repairs; what was important was how fast the repairs were done and how good the work was. If they were late by even a second another shop owner might take advantage of their absence. How could they possibly allow that to happen? At this point Old Changs hands were actually shaking from fatigue just from receiving the orders. Cillin and Bel were basically the two guys who were doing all of the repair work, while Old Chang performed the final inspection after the repairs were complete. The good news was that Cillin and Bel had repaired all the cars perfectly, and sometimes their results were even better than Old Changs own work. Plus, they finished everything in less time than usual. Before today there was no need to work too quickly, so Cillin didnt go all out in terms of speed. But right now orders were coming in one after another, and he couldnt afford to hide his skills any longer. As a result, the one hour he normally took to fix a flying car was reduced by half. In fact, he could go through a flying car in as short as two minutes, but that would be too obvious. Cillin wasnt a careless man. Bels repair speed wasnt slow either. He also fixed a car per half an hour. This result put a big smile on Old Changs face, and the old man thought that he had picked up yet another treasure. Personally, Cillin thought that Bel could work faster than the speed he was showing. However, he probably had the same thoughts as Cillin and didnt want to stick out too much. And so the duo tacitly finished the repairs at about the same time. There were a lot of people who were queuing for repairs, but they were moving at incredible speed. By now several repair shops had already increased their prices, but not Old Changs C not so much that it was obvious, at least. Even the gray cat didnt have attention span to talk programs with Chang Five today. Instead, it calculated todays income with Chang Five. As it stared at the swelling numbers, the gray cat thought that its beloved fish biscuits were swimming straight towards it. Chapter 224: Entering the City [Part 1] Chapter 224: Entering the City [Part 1] Thanks to Blazing Eagle, Old Changs daily income was over ten thousand every day. In fact, he even enjoyed a peak of thirty thousand once. Thirty thousand MB coins might be nothing to many people in the city, but here in this place it was a crazy amount of money. Because of this, an excited Old Chang was unable to sleep properly for several days straight. If this trend continued, Chang Fives medical fee would be ready very soon. Seven days later, after ending a days work and eating dinner, Old Chang settled both Cillin and Bels wage for the past several days. Cillins wage was decided since a while ago, and Bels wage was decided according to his performance as agreed earlier. After the wages were paid, Cillin got 50 thousand MB coins while Bel got 20 thousand MB coins. Old Chang himself had almost 100 thousand MB coins. Originally, Old Chang was planning to pay them more money, but both Cillin and Bel had turned him down. Since he needed to save money for Chang Fives illness, Old Chang didnt insist on paying them more. But he did cover for their expenses etc after that. The gray cat licked its paws while wondering when would Cillin be able to head into the city and buy some fish biscuits. It was starting to miss those snacks a lot. Oh right, I noticed that were running out of some parts today, and we have a few big clients that need those parts for repairs for the next few days. I cant seem to find them around the area either, so I may have to make a trip to the city. Cillin said. The gray cats ears immediately perked up. It stared at Cillin with shining eyes. Old Chang nodded and passed twenty thousand MB coins to Cillin immediately. Cillin didnt turn him down either; it wasnt like Old Chang was going to take back the money even if he refused. Cillin inquired if Old Chang had anything else he wanted to buy while he was in the city, and Old Chang made a list after a moments thought. The most important thing in Old Changs list was the citys general hospital, however. A few years ago, he had made an inquiry about Chang Fives full treatment and learned that the price was ten thousand MB coins at minimum, and that was without counting the cost for rehabilitation treatment. He wanted to know what the current cost of the treatment was. Sure, Ill ask them. Cillin had checked on Chang Fives physical condition as of late, and he found that he was doing a lot better since he started the drug treatments. At the very least, the buffer increased the success chances of a full treatment by a lot, not to mention that Chang Five was feeling very pretty good and smiling more and more as of late. These were all good signs. Then I guess its my turn to shoulder the responsibility tomorrow! Bel looked quite eager. He patted Cillins shoulder and said, Leave everything to me, my friend. There is nothing to be worried about. Hehehe. Cillin: Why do you sound like you have an ulterior motive? Upon learning that Cillin was going to visit the city, Chang Seven was unable to fall asleep the whole night. He was even more excited than Chang Eight was the time she went out with Cillin, and the news made both Chang Six and Chang Eight very envious. It was a visit to the city after all. They couldnt remember ever visiting one since birth. The next early morning, Cillin went up a public flying transport with Chang Seven in his arm and headed towards the city. They didnt use Old Changs run down flying car for obvious reasons. As of late, the public flying transports heading towards the city had an overcrowding problem. Despite increasing the number of transports and raising the prices again and again, every single vehicle was full to the brim. Those who acted even a tad slower had no choice but to stand for the entirety of their trip. In the past it was possible to squeeze in a few more people as long as there was space, but nowadays the city entrances were imposed with heavy inspection points and the transports warned again and again not to go beyond the passenger limit. If the driver was caught, the punishment wouldnt be as small as a fine anymore. Their vehicles would be detained, and their person sentenced for breaking the rules. That was why everyone was playing it a bit safe for now. Many of the people who went to the city by public transports were hoping to test their luck. Back at the repair shop, Cillin often heard the car owners talking about the latest news inside the city while they were waiting for their cars such as a certain X who got lucky, or a certain Y got into the good graces of a certain Z. Every new gossip made the surroundings listeners more excited. Regardless of the authenticity of these pieces of gossip, the number of people who went into the city only increased over time. Even those who had been observing from the sidelines and the repair shops who had been enjoying better businesses could no longer just sit by and do nothing, either packing their stuff or closing their shops before making a run for the city. After all, no matter how good business was, it was still the good business of a shop that had been passed down for generations in a poor and shabby place. Who cares about a small shop if they can win the good graces of a noble and take a shot at glory? That was why Old Changs repair shop earned a lot of money. He managed to buy a large sum of parts and other resources at an extremely low price and earn an amazing profit. Even in the public transport, the passengers conversation revolved tightly around those few successful cases. They looked so impassioned that it was almost that they were present at the scene. Their eyes were also filled was unconcealed envy and yearning. Chang Seven was a restless kid, and since the moment he got on the transport he had been lying against the window and looking at the scenery outside. Even the dullest natural sceneries excited him a lot. Look! Look! Thats the Star Tower! A passenger shouted excitedly. Wow, it really is a Star Tower Let me see! Let me see! For a moment, the passengers stopped talking about those successful cases and pressed their faces against the windows to look outside. There were images on display monitors, but naturally they couldnt compare to the real thing seen with their own eyes. This was something worth boasting only if they had seen it with their own eyes. The Star Tower was the planets highest building and the trademark building of the city. If one saw the Star Tower, it meant that the city was not far away. Cillin smiled when he saw Chang Seven pressing his face against the window so much that it was about to flatten like a pancake. He rubbed Chang Sevens head and said, Why so anxious? Youll be able to see everything clearly in a moment. Mm! was Chang Sevens answer, but he didnt stop pressing his face against the window and looking outside, Itll be nice if Six, Eight and Five can see them too. Dont worry, well come here together next time. Really?! Really. Yay! Chang Seven smiled brightly at his response. The bit of regret and guilt he felt earlier was gone in a flash. After they officially entered the city, Chang Seven turned silent. Old Chang had taught them not to speak carelessly when they were in the city. But although he didnt say a word, his eyes werent idle at all. The boy kept looking all over the place. The public flying transport stopped at the car park at the edge of the city. The car park was purposely set up for flying cars from the commoner zone. People dressed in similar attires stretched all the way to the horizon. It just wasnt obvious from where they were right now. There were rich people who built their private estates or big factories outside the city, but all those places had their own specific car parks. They were also a lot more luxurious and not nearly as crowded and rundown as this one. Almost all the shop owners of small shops built around the car park also werent city people either. Just like the client introduced by Bender last time, they were just people living at the fringes of the city. But even then, they felt an unchallengeable sense of superiority over the people in the commoner zone. The true city people normally scorned the people who lived at the fringes a little. When they passed through these areas, they would normally choose a circuitous path because they thought that it was a filthy place that undermines their status. There were a lot of people at the public transport station. The exits especially were filled with people. Cillin squeezed his way out of the car park while holding Chang Seven. There were no taxis inside the station, and very few near the area too. It was almost as if they were trying to avoid a plague. But as long as one walked further out and took a corner somewhere, they would find more and more taxis nearby. It wasnt that these people held a grudge against money; they were just worried about their reputation. After all, what if someone said that they were connected to these people? Cillin had asked about certain things inside the city before he came here, and he learned that preparing a commoner zone ID card wasnt difficult. Cillin easily obtained a fake temporary ID card after spending some money. The commoners inside the city were given more or less the same treatment as those people who didnt possess an ID card, so they probably wouldnt examine and verify a person with a commoner ID card closely. Translators Notes: In the raws, the line why do you have an ulterior motive and the line above it is meant to sound like Bel sending off Cillin before the latter departs for his death. However, I wasnt able to come up with a translations that sound that way. In the end, I improvised by making Bel sound like hes plotting to do something after Cillin is gone. Not the best translation for sure, but it is a valid translation technique. Would appreciate if anyone of you can come up with something that sounds as intended tho! Chapter 224: Entering the City [Part 2] Chapter 224: Entering the City [Part 2] After authenticating their IDs, Cillin walked out of the public transport station while carrying Chang Seven and walked some distance down the route he inquired about earlier. A corner later, he saw a taxi parked beside the road. Cillin beckoned the taxi over and gave a location name. 300, said the driver without even bothering to look behind and face him. 300 It was no wonder no one from the commoner zone dared to enter the city before this. They couldnt even afford a taxi ride. After Cillin paid the taxi fare, the driver finally started the engine slowly and with a reluctant look on his face. Right now, traffic inside the city was controlled very strictly, so it took nearly an hour to reach the place Cillin had mentioned. The hour wasnt particularly long or short, and perhaps the driver himself happened to be bored at the time. Anyway, he found a random topic and started talking with Cillin, and although he was the one who initiated the conversation his tone was truly unpleasant. There was an obvious sense of superiority behind every word he spoke. Youre here to test your luck too, arent you? asked the driver. There was a note of ridicule in his voice. Were not, actually. The shops running out of supplies, and Im here to buy some parts. Cillin smiled as he answered as if he didnt notice the drivers discriminatory tone. Surprisingly, the driver was apparently familiar with his trade because he let out an exclamation of realization when he heard this, Oh, so thats why youre here. I suppose I should commend you for being smart enough to stay out of this matter. After all, why will a noble ever choose a commoner to serve them? What a hilarious notion! Cillin didnt say anything. The driver then started talking about some troubles the commoners caused due to their delusion after they entered the city as if he was trying to persuade Cillin to not make the same mistake. Cillin simply smiled and gave a non committal response from time to time without expressing an opinion, although it was likely that the driver wasnt actually expecting a response to begin with. He was simply talking to himself. The flying car finally reached the location Cillin had mentioned; a market that sells parts. To the higher class citizens of the city, this place counted as part of the city center. However, they didnt visit here often because their flying cars were delivered directly to repair shops if they broke down. They couldnt be bothered to care about the parts that were used in the process. The citizens with lower living standards still bought the important parts personally, however. After all, it was cheaper to buy them separately. In fact, those who were poor would even sneak their way to the commoner zone to get their flying cars repaired. A repair using the same parts cost up to 3 times higher in the city than in the commoner zone. Therefore, even though the quality of repairs might be better inside the city, the people with low income preferred to repair their cars cheaply if possible. The parts market was bustling with a lot more activity than the Repair Street. A single glance from outside the market was enough for Cillin to spot many high end parts sold within the shops. Moreover, the shops were decorated a lot more lavishly, and the parts they sold were absolutely expensive. Cillins main interest lay in second hand parts. Suppose he bought first hand parts for Old Changs shop, Old Changs customers might actually be turned off by the increased repair costs. The surrounding people cast Cillin disdainful glances as he walked towards the second hand parts shop. Its obvious hes from the commoner zone, so how is he going to buy anything here without money? Hes destined to buy second hand parts for life. Tsk, just ignore that commoner, will you? Why dont we talk about the time we went to the casino instead These peoples voices werent obvious amidst a noisy environment, but Cillin still heard them crystal clear. He ignored their comments completely. Cillin entered a second hand parts shop. To be honest, this shop appeared the same as all the other shops around the area. But if he had to give a reason as to why he chose to visit this particular shop, it would be that he liked the order placement of the parts better than others. There were a lot of parts seller who didnt necessarily understand the exact usage of their goods, so the way they ordered their parts were mostly up to their individual preferences. In short, the parts were put on display however they liked it to be. But the way this shop owner ordered his parts and put them on display were different from others. From an amateurs point of view, the shop owners sense of aestheticism appeared to be lacking because the parts were displayed in distasteful order. However, a veteran in the repair trade would realize that these parts were arranged so that they could be put together and assembled in perfect order. This meant that the shop owner truly knew his stuff in terms of repairs. When Cillin walked into the shop, the shop owner was busy drawing something on the table. He didnt pay much attention to the customers who just walked in. There were only 2 rough-looking service robots serving the customers, and every part were labeled with a fixed price. They were non-negotiable. This shop didnt have many customers. In fact, it was less popular than the rest of the shops out there, although the shop owner didnt seem to mind. Cillin noticed that he wasnt drawing on an electronic tablet, but on papers, and from time to time he would frown or break into smiles suddenly. There were a few customers who planned to chat a little while with the shop owner, but when they saw his weird appearance they canceled the thought and left the place immediately. The shop owner was a somewhat portly middle-aged man. He didnt seem to notice his customers departure at all as he continued to work on his paper. When he was outside the shop, Cillin had only given the goods displayed outside a single glance. But now that he was inside, he noticed that some small parts were arranged in a specific order too. It was noticeable that the shop owner was somewhat stubborn when it came to the arrangement order of parts. Cillin put down Chang Seven and checked out the price of several parts he needed. They were okay; at the very least they werent expensive as the shops he saw earlier. However, the prices of the parts in those shops were slightly more expensive, but negotiable. Here, everything only had one final price, and there were some parts that shared nearly the same price as the initial prices of those shops. It was no wonder that this shop wasnt frequented much by customers. A few more people left while Cillin was inspecting the part racks, so he and Chang Seven became the final customers to linger inside the shop. The shop became a lot quieter. The service robots had come over to provide them with service, but they didnt explain the function of the parts put on display. After surveying the entire shop one time, Cillin told the service robot, I want an inner box rotators number 3 blade, a JVII primary exciter, a coil of PV5 metal contact wire One of the robots started picking up the parts as Cillin told them his needs. Suddenly, the shop owner who was busy doing his own thing abruptly looked up at Cillin with sparkling eyes. He let out a laugh and put down his pencil, saying, I see youre an expert in this! The portly shop owner turned around and told the robot that was picking up the parts, Give him a 20% discount. Cillin looked at the portly shop owner in astonishment. Hes an interesting one alright. The portly shop owner walked over and cast a glance at Cillin and Chang Seven staring curiously at the 2 service robots. He then took out a sealed bag of sweets from his pocket and passed it to Chang Seven. Although the offer caused Chang Seven gulped down his saliva, he didnt accept it. Instead, he turned to look at Cillin. Take it. Its a gesture of kindness, said Cillin. It was only then Chang Seven accepted the bag of sweets and thanked the shop owner politely, Thank you, uncle! Oh, its not a problem at all, The portly shop owner chuckled while rubbing his own round, fat belly, I have a habit of eating sweets whenever Im thinking something since they give me the energy required to solve the questions in my head. Thats why I always put a bag of sweets in my pockets every time Im drawing. Thats how my belly came to be, hehe. This portly shop owner might appear to be cold earlier, but it was obvious that he was actually a lively person the moment he opened his mouth. Cillin noticed that the sweet wrap didnt look cheap. Perhaps this bag of sweets was worth the price of one good second hand part already. It would appear that this shop owner had a bit of background. The shop owner then chatted with Cillin a little about parts. Normally, the portly shop owner didnt show anyone who knows this trade a bad attitude. He didnt look down on Cillin even after he proclaimed himself to be a so-called commoner from the commoner zone either. In fact, he seemed to regard Cillin quite highly. I know that there are some people with real skills in that Repair Street outside the city. My father used to tell me this: the commonfolk is where geniuses lie. Cillin smiled and didnt respond to his comment. The portly shop owner chatted with Cillin about flying car repairs for a little, but his expression suddenly turned gloomy in the blink of an eye, I actually made a few models a few days ago, but I couldnt show you my hard work now because they were smashed by some people. Maybe you can give me some inspiration when you see them? Inspiration is such a fickle mistress, she never shows during a critical moment! Cillin thought that the portly shop owner was quite special as he listened to his complains. He loved flying cars very much, or more accurately speaking, he loved designing flying cars very much. But his family looked down on his hobby and sent people to screw him over from time to time, so the models he spent much work to create were destroyed in the process. The portly shop owner only managed to keep his shop after threatening his family with his own life. After the robot was done packing Cillins parts and passing the bag to him, Cillin then bid the shop owner goodbye. He still had things to do. The portly shop owner told Cillin to visit him the next time he return to the city. Perhaps he would be able to show his newly created flying car models then. After Cillin left, he went to a general hospital near the city center to learn about various things. Not far away from the hospital, 2 men stood inside a different building. It was none other than the 2 people whom the leaders of the planetary government had treated respectfully earlier. Is that the boy? Yeah, our prince is experiencing life in his house right now. Haah, I guess our prince will be experiencing the life of the poor this time. I suppose its commendable that the Blazing Eagle royal family has produced a freak that can eat both delicacies and trash. Life of the poor? Not necessarily, no. From what I learned, our visit to the city has caused some noise in the commoner zone, and that repair shop is booming with business as a result. I doubt hell be eating poor until the day he leaves. When will the men the prince mentioned be moved over? Itll happen in a few days. Chapter 225: Two Great Nobles [Part 1] Chapter 225: Two Great Nobles [Part 1] Although Cillin had visited several general hospitals at the city center, a lot of doctors couldnt be bothered to answer his questions. The first thing those people look at was Cillins attire. If you werent dressed in high-end clothing, they would claim that they were busy. If you werent dressed in high-end clothing and wasnt a member of the city, they would outright pretend that you didnt exist. There were several times the doctors had steered out of Cillins way like he was the plague before he even managed to say a word. Even the nurses didnt pay him any attention despite his youthful and handsome looks. There were countless other people in a general hospital who had both looks and money, and in their opinion they all deserved cherishment before him! Although Chang Seven was too young to fully understand these emotions, he still vaguely sensed them a little. After all, children had an instinctive understanding of the meaning behind a grown ups eyes. When Chang Seven saw those doctors and nurses gazes, his excitement and curiosity grew much cooler. He became a lot quieter than he was before. After casting a glance at Chang Seven, Cillin stopped trying to ask for information from these people. Judging from their reactions, it would appear that Old Chang mustve been snubbed quite a bit in the past too. That was why he stopped trying to get his information from a human being and went to a service robot directly as suggested by Old Chang. At the very least, their service was better. Sometimes, it was easier for a human and a non-human to get acquainted than it was for two humans. Sometimes, the distance between the hearts of two humans was bigger than that of a human and a machine. After asking his questions and getting the answers he needed roughly, Cillin estimated that the full treatment Chang Five were to receive would cost at least one hundred thousand, and this was the bare minimum necessary to treat his illness too. High quality setups would cost from three hundred thousand to four hundred thousand or more. They still had a long way to go before they could gather this much money! Chang Seven finally recovered after they left the hospital. He was still a kid, and he was able to temporarily toss the discomfort he felt to the back of his mind after seeing all kinds of new things in the city. Cillin bought some items according to the list provided by Old Chang. The gray cats fish biscuits werent as easy to purchase, however. Cillin had checked out the pet biscuits of several pet stores, but their quality were all not up to par. Cillin knew the gray cat well enough to know that it was sure to hate these biscuits. That was why he had to go through a few large stores before he finally found a kind of biscuit that met his expectations. It wasnt biscuit for pets, but biscuit for humans, so both the gray cat and the children could eat them together. It was also affordable for people of low income like them. Cillin even went to a point of sale that happened to be doing an event and purchased a cheap and simple communicator. The soil beneath his feet didnt belong to GAL, and the large quantity of GAL credits he possessed were completely useless here. After the shopping, the first thing Old Chang did was to contact Old Chang. Right now Old Chang and Bel were awfully busy, so the person who took the call was Chang Six. Cillin wanted to know how the shop was doing and if they had anything else to buy. Bel knew that it was Cillin on the other side of the call, so he yelled loudly for him to return as soon as possible. The workload was too much for him alone to handle. After he was done calling Old Changs shop, the next person he called was the portly shop owner of the parts market. The portly shop owner had looked very reluctant to let him go when Cillin announced his intentions to leave, and he had given him his a contact number. He demanded Cillin to call him after he purchased a communicator. Cillin had to admit that the portly shop owner had thought quite highly of him. Moreover, he might need to purchase more parts in the future from the portly shop owners shop, not to mention that the latter had given him a 20% discount on his purchase and his contact number. Considering all the good will the portly shop owner had shown him, he couldnt possibly spurn him like those doctors, could he? That would be tearing down connections for no good reason. The portly shop owner sounded quite happy. He memorized his number and said that he would inform him once he was done making a flying car model. While Cillin was shopping for goods, someone was investigating his activities until they knew everything, including the people he spoke with on the communicator. Say, Ichechi. Do you think that our prince is a doormat? He has always been that way, hasnt he? Ichechi, the guy who played the good cop in front of the planetary government officials checked his subordinates report before a frown appeared on his face. He said, Huh, I cant believe its that fatty. Which fatty? Musso moved closer to look at the report. He then exclaimed, Oh, him. Did the Sizer family not kidnap him back to his home yet? Ichechi curled his lips. This guy is almost as much of a freak as our prince is. A pause later, Ichechi sighed. This fellows gotten even fatter than before! Cillin took Chang Seven into a clothing store and bought some kiddie clothes for him. He also bought a set of clothes for himself. Although it wasnt exactly high class stuff, it at least made him look like a person who belonged in the city. At least he wouldnt be kicked out of certain places before he even spoke up. Cillin sighed as he stared at the last of his money in his hands. The sighing words of the old men at Repair Street truly was right: the city was just too expensive a place to go in! Both Cillin and Chang Seven changed into their new clothes. Although Chang Seven was normally mischievous, energetic, and cared little for his worn down clothes, he was particularly concerned about his new clothes and treated them with great care. Even sweets didnt hold as much allure as they used to, although his little face still looked pretty excited. Cillin took Chang Seven into a fast food shop, and since they had changed their clothes they didnt particularly stand out among the rest of the people. Since they were no longer identifiable as an outsider from their attire alone, they managed to enjoy a good meal without being rolled eyes at. Sometimes, the people inside the fast food shop would talk about the sudden influx of commoners into the city. They all chatted about the matter with a sneering attitude, but Cillin could see that there was in fact little difference between a commoner and a city person. They were just deceiving themselves by believing that they were much higher up the status quo than they actually were. Even Cillin couldnt help but feel sad at the sight of Chang Seven gobbling down his food. Although there was gene-based discrimination in GAL too, not even the differential treatment there was nearly as bad as they were here. In fact, there were a lot of city people whose gene level were inferior to the commoners living outside the city, but because their IDs identified them as a city people, they were automatically a level higher than all of them. Cillin shook his head and cast off the messy thoughts in his mind. After finishing the food before him and waiting until Chang Seven was done, Cillin and Chang Seven embarked on their return journey. They spotted a long queue in front of the shop the moment they returned to Repair Street. Come over and help us quickly, Cillin! My arms are about to fall off my shoulders! Done repairing a flying car, Bel was just about to thump his own back when he saw Cillin at the corner of his eyes. Excited, he immediately raised his hands and cried out as if he had seen his savior. Chang Six and Chang Eight were passing parts over to Old Chang when they heard his cry. As a result, they immediately tossed down the parts and ran towards outside, causing Old Chang to shake his head. Eh? Those are new clothes! Ive seen them before, theyre brands from inside the city! This brand is nothing inside the city. Theyre cheap. Theyre still from the city even if theyre cheap! The people lining up at the queue talked amongst themselves when they saw this. These people who had never entered the city even once despite their age thought to themselves: once my car is done Ill visit the city myself. It just costs a bit of money, thats all! Im going all out! Once I entered the city and gotten some experience I too will have the capital to boast about it for a lifetime. At the very least, I should feel superior to those people who never entered the city before! Chang Six and Chang Eight heard that Cillin had bought some new clothes in the city. Under assault from their gazes, Old Chang was given no choice but to wave an arm while smiling wryly, Go. Thank you grandpa! The 2 little fellows immediately ran upstairs the second they accepted the clothing bag from Cillin. Cillin then passed over another shopping bag to Chang Five on the recliner, This is yours. Go give it a look. The gray cat had already gone away to eat its fish biscuits. In reality, Chang Five wasnt as excited as his brother and sister when he received the new clothes, but seeing that Chang Six, Chang Seven and Chang Eight had all gone upstairs, he too accepted the shopping bag with a thanks before going upstairs. Alright, lets get started! Cillin exercised his limbs a little before getting to work. It was yet another busy but rewarding day. Chapter 225: Two Great Nobles [Part 2] Chapter 225: Two Great Nobles [Part 2] At night, the gray cat lay lazily beside Cillin while licking its paws. Chang Five had already fallen asleep. After a period of teaching, the gray cat was very satisfied with Chang Fives understanding of some complicated programs. It was rare to find a human with a brain that barely qualified as okay, so the gray cat didnt demand much Chang Five. Todays fish biscuits are pretty good! The gray cat said in the tone of a king praising his subject. Cillin grabbed one of the gray cats ears and pulled it around for a bit, Say that again? I worked so hard to earn this money, but your bag of food had consumed a tenth of it in one go! The gray cat raised its paws and slapped Cillins hand away. It said, I did something too, okay. As you had predicted, that guy you told me to monitor is no ordinary person. Oh? Tell me! From the beginning, Cillin already felt that Bel was different from others. It was true that his attire, his lack of arrogance and his shamelessness made him look like a perfect local in the commoner zone, Cillin just couldnt shake the feeling that something was very, very off about him. That was why Cillin had asked the gray cat to monitor him since the first they he showed up. All communicators and security cameras were the gray cats eyes and ears. Bel never used a communicator when he was in the presence of others, but he had used it when he was all alone. This was one way the gray cat grew to know Bel. The communicator he used is quite sophisticated; not even the scanners at a security point may necessarily be able to detect it. Nothing escapes my ears though, hmph hmph, the gray cat said proudly. Yes, yes, youre very awesome. Cillins lips curled. This cat seldom missed an opportunity to praise itself. The gray cat grew excited from the conversation, so it flipped around, got up and said mysteriously, Do you know who he is? He sure is a meowing good actor. At first I thought he was just a local, but he was in fact a descendant of the three great royal families; the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family. The people on the other side of the communicator called him Your Highness. Cillin was mentally prepared since a long while ago, so he wasnt surprised by the gray cats answer. His impression of the prince who had mingled among commoners to experience the life of a bottom class citizen incognito did change a lot, however. He told his men to prepare some medical personnel in secret and deliver over a batch of expensive medicines. He planned to help in secret when Chang Five is having his treatment. This was also the reason why the gray cat had improved its attitude towards Bel a lot. In the past it hadnt allowed Bel to touch its fur, but now? It supposed that it could allow it a little. Cillin nodded. He scratched the gray cats chin and stayed silent. Sigh, that the city seriously isnt that great, so why are there so many people who wish to go there? Be it in terms of development, buildings or infrastructure, it is completely incomparable to some of the planets in GAL. The gray cat couldnt understand the peoples attitude towards the city. Humans are such emotionally complicated creatures. Cillin smiled when he heard this. This place is different. Still, this is just a small and poorly developed planet. We will know how advanced they really are once we enter Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Alright! The gray cat narrowed its eyes and began imagining the sceneries of Mist Bodhisattva Empires capital city. Suddenly, the gray cats ears twitched as it reopened its eyes, That guys contacting someone inside the city again. Everything hes asking is related to you though Hmm? Cillin didnt disturb the gray cat after noticing that it had suddenly gotten serious. The cat must have heard some important news. A while later, the gray cat looked at Cillin and asked, Do you know a fatty? A fatty? Cillin looked puzzled. The second hand parts shop owner where I bought the parts from is a fatty. I have met several fatties at the hospital and the market, he is the only special case I can think of. Yup, thats the guy. Bel and his contact are talking about parts, but The gray cat looked at Cillin with shiny eyes, It would seem that that fatty is a noble too; a great noble no less! Hes a noble too? Cillin hadnt actually realized this until now. Although he figured out that Bel was an unconventional prince due to the Blazing Eagles arrival, that shop owner had stayed in the city for several years. If he really was a noble, the surrounding people shouldnt have treated him the way they did. It meant that he was a good actor too. What kind of background does he have? Cillin asked. The gray cat hadnt answered Cillins question immediately. Instead, it grinned after hearing something funny before replying, Cillin, it sounds like that fatty has a pretty embarrassing past. The person on the other side said that this fatty is a member of the great Sizer Family. Every once in a while, his family would tie him up like a pig and kidnap him back into his house at midnight, hehe. Also, his family came close to flattening his shabby shop C oh no, the entire parts market C several times in the past Cillin did know about the surname Sizer; he had heard it from the TV before. The fact that this surname was known even a small place like this meant that this noble family was one of the more influential ones in the entire Mist Bodhisattva Empire. They may not compare to the one emperor and three kings, but they were still far superior to your normal noble. Also, a person whom the Sizer Family could afford the men and time to kidnap all the way back to Mist Bodhisattva Empire had to mean that he was quite important in the Sizer Family. This is a tiny place, but there sure are some hidden dragon and crouching tiger! The gray cats eyes lit up. But of course, who do you think we are? We are the Hunters who killed a Star Rank Hunter! Cillin: Im not talking about us. Three days later, Cillin received a call from the portly shop owner while he was repairing a flying car. The latter sounded very excited on the other side of the communicator as he boasted about his newly designed flying car model. He asked Cillin to come over to the city to discuss it as soon as he could. While working, Cillin said, Im busy earning a living and cant afford the time. Why dont you come over instead? Cillin didnt mean what he said, but the fatty actually did just that. The portly shop owner was a meticulous person even though his appearance might suggest otherwise. The fact that he was able to design those highly precise flying cars was a proof of character. When Cillin finally saw the arriving portly shop owner, the latter was just getting off a pretty old two seater flying car. Cillin and everyone around him could feel their eyes twitch as the fatty who took up both seats singlehandedly did his best to climb through relatively narrow car door. Huh, whos this fatty? I dont think Ive ever seen this guy before. Considering the fattys size and exceptionally tall figure, it was hard not to recognize someone like him at first sight. That was why the car owners lining up at the queue exchanged a glance with each other before asking, Hey Old Chang, is he someone from the city? Old Chang was confused too. He didnt know this person. Cillin greeted the portly shop owner before informing everyone, Hes a friend from the city. In these peoples opinion, anyone who had a friend in the city was absolutely enviable. So what if someone visited the city before, this guy here actually had a friend inside the city! At the same time, the peoples desire to enter the city had grown even larger. It was likely that tomorrows rumor would be something like this: A rather plain and dumb-looking guy had made a friend inside the city the moment he got in, and his friend even came all the way from the city to visit him! The triplets worked together to carry over an extra large chair, but even the shop owner himself was worried if the chair could endure his weight. The gray cat looked down at the people from a tall cabinet: Oh my meow, these two great nobles actually dont know each other! The portly shop owner didnt disturb Cillin and Bel seeing that they were both busy. Instead, he paid attention to their movements and handiwork. A different person might only think that the duo was familiar with their work, but the fatty was someone who really know the ropes and the true depths of the trade. That was why he was overjoyed to the point of beaming: I cant believe theres another capable guy in this place besides Cillin! You cant normally find a professional at this level even inside the city, but now there are two of them at once! This trip is truly worth it! The triplets felt goosebumps all over their body when they saw their portly customer smiling to the point where the fat on his face was shaking. They moved backwards away from him in unison. Upon noticing the triplets evasive actions, the portly shop owner did his best to smile kindly before asking, Do you like flying cars, children? Although the triplets didnt know what the portly shop owner was getting at, there wasnt a single person here who didnt like flying cars. They nodded in unison. The wrinkles between the portly shop owners fat deepened even further due to his smile. He took out a palm-sized device, played with it for a bit and looked at the flying car he parked outside the shop. The triplets eyes followed his gaze, and saliva nearly spilled out of their mouth as a result. The portly shop owners driver window had opened automatically, and four mini flying cars about the size of an adults palm had flown towards Chang Five, Six, Seven and Eight on their own accord. Toy flying cars! The people queuing outside looked incredibly envious. Look, that guys city friend had even brought over toy flying cars! These were real toy flying cars that could actually fly on their own accord. It was something that couldnt be purchased in this area at all. After Cillin and Old Chang had nodded in approval, the four children finally touched the flying cars. The triplets aside, even Chang Five liked the toy flying car a lot. The more programs he learned, the more fascinated he came with machines. Naturally, a fine toy that demanded a lot from its parts and programs was only more fascinating to him. After the children had grabbed the flying cars, the car door popped open to reveal a card slot inside. Following the portly shop owners instructions, the children pulled out the card slotted inside the card slot. After the small card was unfolded into a device about the size as the one the portly shop owner was holding, they discovered that there were a lot of sensor buttons on the metallic card. They were able to control the toy flying cars using the sensor buttons. Now that they had the toys, the triplets were no longer afraid of the portly customer who could smile until his fat trembled under pressure. They happily played with the flying cars. Chapter 226: Move House [Part 1] Chapter 226: Move House [Part 1] Originally, the portly shop owner was planning to wait here until the shop closed. However, for whatever reason the number of people who frequented the shop today was exceptionally large. The queue remained long even until late evening. Later on, the portly shop owner finally figured out that these people were here to see him. He definitely hadnt expected to be looked at like an animal in zoo when he came over on a whim. The fatty might have stayed for a couple of years at the parts market, but due to his separate true identity, he wasnt able to understand these commoners feelings. Still, he had nothing to lose. He might as well think as treat his temporary stay as advertisement for this repair shop. As the fatty had expected, many of the people who showed up were here to see him. Here, anyone who had a friend or relative in the city would become an object of envy, jealousy or hatred. Adding to the fact that the fatty had produced a couple of toy flying cars for the children, the news had instantly spread throughout the entire Repair Street like wildfire. Even the people from several streets away had come over to take a look at fatty. Right now Old Chang had no idea how best to react to this situation; he had to answer the same few questions repeatedly when he was receiving the orders. At the same time, Old Chang himself was thinking: If I have a connection inside the city, will it be easier to get Chang Five his treatment? The fatty was a stubborn man, so he literally waited until the shop closed at night. After they had dinner, the fatty called Cillin and Bel over so that they might supply him with their opinions. Besides the 4 toy flying cars he gifted to the 4 children, the fatty had another 3 flying cars. Although these 3 flying cars looked almost the same as the 4 toy flying cars, in essence they were completely different from one another. These 3 flying cars were the true creations he worked his heart out to create. Old Chang didnt participate in the discussion at night because he was old, and he had been working overtime for the past several days. Moreover, he knew his own depth very well. After observing both Cillin and Bel for a period of time, he had figured out that both men were experts who hadnt displayed the true depth of their skills at all in the norm. While staring at the flying car model in his hands, Cillin opened its doors, checked the interior and observed every part of the model carefully. A triphibian flying car?! He couldnt have realized this if he hadnt paid attention to it, but the so-called toy flying car Cillin was holding in his hands was in fact a functional mini flying car. If it was enlarged to the size of a normal vehicle, it would absolutely qualify as a luxurious triphibian flying car. A shame it would be to call this machine a toy considering that its materials, parts, circuits and assembly work were all top notch. Thats right, this is the triphibian flying car model yours truly designed! The fatty was very proud of his own work. Bel hadnt looked at the flying car as closely as Cillin, but he was very approving of its exterior design. This flying cars exterior design is pretty low-key. That is true. It looks no different from other flying cars if you look at its surface only. One will only learn of its inner beauty after seeing its interior construction. The fatty nodded while smiling. He was also looking at the flying car like he was looking at his own children. Bel felt goosebumps crawling over his skin when he saw the fattys gaze. He thought: No wonder your son isnt close to you; youve dumped all your fatherly love into your flying cars. There were a lot of people who placed speed as the top priority when designing and modifying a flying car. But after inspecting his design, Cillin knew that the fatty placed safety as the top priority before all other functions when he was designing the flying car. The task of designing a triphibian flying car sorely tested a designers skills, but the fatty was absolutely up to the task and more. At the very least, this flying car was one of the two greatest flying cars he had seen in his life. The flying cars he saw back at Udozes home were completely incomparable to this one, and Lungs flying car was the only car that could compare to it. They didnt share the same style, however. Price wise Lungs flying car was definitely more expensive, but practicality wise they were about the same. Both flying cars had an extremely high safety rating too. Bel twirled the flying car around once before he pulled at the corner of his lips. Then, he grinned evilly, I wonder how resistant this car is? Bel immediately wrapped his palm around the flying car and twisted the model! Creak There was a shrill noise, and on the outside the flying car looked like it had been twisted into the shape of a fried dough twist. But at closer inspection, one would notice that a tiny lifesaving pocket had surrounded the seats inside the vehicle. The twisted vehicle had not caused the lifesaving pocket to pop, so this meant that the person inside the car should be relatively safe if the cars size was at a normal scale. Not bad. Bel put the flying car back on the ground. Very soon, the twisted vehicle began to return to its original form, and two minutes later it looked more or less the same as it was prior twisting. Apparently, the car was made with super memory composite materials! Upon inspecting the control system, they discovered that the emergency rescue system of the flying car was perfectly functional. In that case theres nothing else I can comment about this flying car. What else are you looking for, fatty? Bel looked at the portly shop owner. The portly shop owner scratched the short hair on his head and said, It is pretty good already, but for confirmation sake, I still want to see this flying car taken apart and reassembled. This is because the car series based off this type of flying car will be slightly different on the inside. Even if they are all triphibian flying cars, different car series will have different emphasises. Taking apart and reassembling it will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of my design. Cillin and Bel immediately understood his meaning. Is that why you came to us? Youre hoping that we can take apart and reassemble your flying car? Thats pretty much it. When I worked on the flying car myself, I had to spend a lot of effort and used several robots to assemble it. I can rely on the same method, but I still feel that a human touch is better in this case. Cillin played with the small flying car with his hands and felt its structure for a bit. Arent you afraid that we will destroy your hearts blood? Nope! Wait for me, Ill go grab the tools for you right now. Theyre still in the car. The fatty chuckled and ran off to grab the toolbox. Bel picked up the flying car that he had twisted before it restored itself. Then, he began taking it apart using the array of tools beside him. These tools were used for repairing normal flying cars, but Bel was able to use these crude tools without looking out of sorts as if they were professional tools. It showed just how good Bels skills were. When Belle was done taking apart the flying cars exterior, he looked up to see how Cillin was doing. He immediately lost his cool. The parts were aligned one by one next to Cillins hands. In fact, Cillin was already starting to take apart the core parts of the flying car. One problem: the motherf*cker wasnt using any tools to take apart the flying car at all! From Bels point of view, the parts seemed to fall off the flying cars on their own accord everytime Cillins hand swiped across the vehicle. At the side, the fatty holding a toolbox felt his eyes bulged as he stared at Cillins work. The thick fat in his face writhed again and again at the sight. He thought that Bels ability to take apart his flying car with those big repair tools was pretty unbelievable already, but the guy next to him was even more incredible than he was! Bel himself stopped trying to take apart his flying car. Just like the fatty, he stared at Cillin work without blinking even once. Mo Heng once described Cillins assembling and disassembling movements to be like an art form, and he wasnt exaggerating at all. A layman would think that his skills were godlike, and a veteran would think that it literally went against the law of nature. Were those really human hands? Was it really possible for a human to do this? The gray cat lying lazily on top of the cabinet let out a yawn as it watched the scene below it. Tsk, look at them making a fuss over nothing! Bel looked at the time after Cillin was done taking apart the car. Motherf*cker, only 10 minutes had passed by! If he was the one who had to take apart this small flying car, he would have to use at least half an hour, wouldnt he? And that was assuming that he was performing beyond his usual standards too. But how did this guy manage to finish this task so easily? When Cillin was done, the first thing Bel and the fatty did wasnt to inspect the categorized parts. Instead, they pulled over one of Cillins hands each, gave it a thorough inspection and a couple of squeezes. In fact, it looked like they were about to give Cillins hands a bite. Cillin withdrew his arms and gave them each a punch to the head. Bel rubbed his head and asked, Your arms doesnt look any different from mine. How on earth did you do it? I did it just like that. Cillin didnt attempt to explain his feat. Instead, he pointed at the disassembled parts and said, If youre planning to build a couple of series for this flying car, its rotating vane will definitely have to be different. I believe that youll need a bigger rotary vane and propeller for air travel too. Also, the ratio of anti-water pressure materials in this flying car is too big; you should know that a water travel series flying car will definitely be inferior an air travel series flying car when travelling on air Cillin managed to pull their attention back onto the flying cars as they started discussing about the difference between series and the difference of assembly ratios. Even the fatty had set aside the matter of Cillins hands and focused on taking notes instead. By the time they were done, the sky was already bright. A long queue of customers was waiting for them outside. Chapter 226: Move House [Part 2] Chapter 226: Move House [Part 2] The fatty rubbed his numb legs and put the reassembled mini flying cars back into his vehicle. All three mini flying cars were currently assembled differently from when they were brought over. Every vehicle had their own emphasises, and they represented three different series within the same car model. There were a couple more series that they werent able to assemble because they lacked sufficient materials, but the design drawings had already been prepared. The fatty fished around in his pockets and took out a card. It was a Mist Bodhisattva Empire use debit card. There were only 1 in 100 people on this planet who possessed a card like this, and the remaining 99 used debit cards were only functional within the planet. The fatty looked a little embarrassed when he passed the card to Cillin. Er, this is all the money I have left currently, so take it as your and Bels reward for helping me with my design. And please dont turn me down, Ill feel embarrassed if you do that. The fact is both of you deserve more money than this, so Ill compensate you for the remaining amount once I get the opportunity. Cillin accepted the debit card and swiped a finger across its surface. A seven digit number was displayed, totalling nearly 1 million MB coins. Cillin knew that the fatty wasnt lacking in money. He was a high-status noble within a great noble family, and Bel knew even better than Cillin who the fatty was. That was why Cillin hadnt turned him down when the fatty produced the card. Right now he needed money. By now Old Chang had already gotten up to make breakfast. Both Cillin and Bel told him that they could start immediately rest, so Old Chang let out a sigh and was about to open the shop. The fatty stopped him. There is one more thing. The fatty cast a glance at Old Chang before turning to Cillin. Cillin, what do you think about my shop? Its okay. Are you interested in taking it over then? Old Chang didnt say anything, but he knew that he would feel sorry to see Cillin leave. After all, it meant that he would eventually be the only worker left in this shop. Cillin raised his hand in declination, I dont have the time. Hey, dont turn me down just yet. Ill be leaving this place soon for a longer time than usual, so itll be a waste to just leave my shop empty. Thats why I want to gift it to you. That being said, it will be best if you can leave a room for me; I think Ill still come back occasionally to stay for a while. Seeing that Cillin was silent, the fatty continued, Im giving the shop to you for free. Once the procedures are done we can transfer it to you right away. This way, youll be identified as a city person in your ID card. That is a great advantage, is it not? Also, in the future you can sell the shop to whoever you like; I wouldnt mind. What do you think? The fatty said while shooting another glance at Old Chang. His meaning was very obvious: If you received the shop but dont want to use it, you can always gift it to this family, cant you? Why will you turn down such a good offer? Is your shop quite big? Bel looked very interested. If it is, Id like to frequent your place and freeload some food in the future. Its 5 times bigger than this shop at the parts market, The portly shop owner said. Although the shop couldnt be considered huge compared to the other shops in the parts market, it was still much bigger than Old Changs small repair shop. Alright. What are the procedures that I need to do? Cillin asked. The fatty looked very happy towards Cillins willingness to accept his shop. He hastily waved a hand and said, Its not a problem. Ill bring some documents over by tomorrow. Just pack your stuff and get ready. Well talk after the documents are ready. There is still business to be done here. The fatty didnt stayed behind for breakfast and left in a hurry. The people queuing outside discussed heatedly with each other when they saw the fatty exiting the repair shop. Look, hes that fatty who came from the city! I guess he stayed behind for the night. It will appear that theyre quite close to each other. Yeah, Old Chang and his family are truly amazing. Old Chang couldnt be bothered to wonder about the peoples comments right now. He was feeling a little disconcerted. After another busy day of work, Cillin talked about his plans with Old Chang during dinner. Cillin wasnt going to stay on this planet permanently, so he wished to leave this shop behind for Old Chang. This way, he would have a place to stay when he came to visit in the future, and Old Chang and his family would be able to improve their status and become members of the city. This was also the best way for them to get Chang Five better treatment in the hospital. After all, the hospitals here treated a patient based on their identity. Cillin, I Old Chang felt that he didnt deserve this gift. You saved our lives. If you havent helped us, I could be dead in space already. Also, it is time to get Five the treatment he needs as soon as possible. Now is the time when success rate would be the highest. Bel didnt ask for the money inside the card because he said that Cillin was the one who did all the work. There were other reasons that Bel had refrained from saying that Cillin understood. Why would a royal prince ever lack money? To them, a million probably wasnt even enough to buy a flying car. After Cillin was done negotiating with Old Chang, they didnt open the shop the next day. Instead, they waited for the portly shop owner to show up while planning for Chang Fives treatment. However, a twenty or so years old young man had shown up instead of the shop owner. It was obvious that this young man was a man of extraordinary background. Be it in terms of attire or class, he absolutely surpassed those normal citizens inside the city. He reminded Cillin of Qi Geyou, except that he was a lot more restrained than Qi Geyou was. He didnt wear his strength and dominance openly on his sleeves. The car he drove was extremely eye catching in the Repair Street, and it was obviously expensive at first glance. The second he stood in front the shop entrance, the people gathered there instantly scattered away like rabbits. Who is Cillin among you? The young man asked. His tone obviously identified him as someone who was used to giving out orders from a seat of power. His gaze paused on Bel for a second, however. He didnt look at him the same way as he looked at everyone else. I am. Cillin walked forwards. The young man didnt waste words and tossed a portfolio into Cillins hands. These are the documents for the transfer of the shop. All the procedures have already been completed, and your new city IDs are inside too. Cillin opened the portfolio and confirmed that everything was prepared as the young man claimed. Normally speaking, it was impossible to finish preparing an ID card in a day, much less the switching process from a commoner to a city person. They would be lucky already if the procedure wasnt delayed over half a year. Power was a good motivator. The man didnt attempt to stay longer after tossing the portfolio to Cillin. Before he left, Cillin asked, Where is the shop owner? The young man walked towards his flying car without even looking back. He went home. This meant that the young man was the portly shop owners relative. Now that he thought about it, a thinner portly shop owner would share many physical similarities with this young man. It was a rare break, so Cillin and Bel took a trip to the city and visited Cillins newly acquired shop. However, the shop that looked perfectly intact outside was completely cleaned out on the inside. Even the bedroom was completely empty. He actually has left. Bel understood that the fatty was kidnapped back to his home by his own son yet again. What do we do? Do we move over tomorrow? Lets finish this as soon as possible. They didnt go back immediately. Cillin bought a few furnitures and placed them in almost the same way as the layout in Old Changs repair shop. Both shops had their shops at the ground floor and their living space at the second floor. The only difference was that there was a lot more space in this new shop. They set down the furnitures properly and even arranged the bedroom. However the kitchen wasnt touched or cleaned out, so they didnt need to buy anything to replenish it. Despite the portly shop owners appearance, it didnt look like he used any of these kitchen implements at all. Although these items were obviously bought since 2 years ago, they all looked brand new. Income aside, Old Chang and his family would be a lot safer inside the city at least. Cillin didnt believe that the old foxes in the planetary government were unaware of the behind-the-scenes this shop, but the fatty of the Sizer Family wasnt the only representative of great power on this planet. Who would dare attack this shop when even the royal descendant of one of the three kings was here to support it? When Cillin and Bel went back to the repair shop, they noticed that Old Chang was looking very excited. He wasnt excited for the shop, but for Chang Three and Chang Four. Some time ago, Chang Three and Chang Four had received a notice from a reputable school on another planet, and today he was notified that they had officially enrolled into the school after successfully passing through the probation period. It was no wonder that Old Chang was so excited. The fact that they were officially admitted into the school meant that Chang Three and Chang Fours growth would no longer be limited within this small planet. They now had greater room of growth and the opportunity to witness the bigger world outside. In their case, good things truly come in pairs. Theyd also contacted the hospital where Chang Five was going to undergo his treatment in, but Old Chang thought that something wasnt quite right with the hospital. It wasnt that the hospital was bad, but that it was too good. This unusual treatment puzzled Old Chang a lot, but right now Chang Fives treatment was the most important thing in his priority list. Everything else could come later. Bel had dealt with the hospital side of things and ensured that the relevant personnel would spend more time to care for the family. Old Chang would be staying in the hospital during Chang Fives treatment until the boy was completely restored. He wasnt worried because Cillin and Bel would be watching over his shop. While sitting inside the shop, Bel checked the time. It was almost a full month already. Sigh. Time sure passes so goddamn quickly. Chapter 227: Baelenbaatar Middle School [Part 1] Chapter 227: Baelenbaatar Middle School [Part 1] Although they had a new shop now, they decided to keep the old shop at the commoner zone for now. Its future could be discussed after Old Chang had returned. Right now Chang Five was recovering from a full surgery, so Cillin took over the task of watching over Chang Five every 2 days so that Old Chang could enjoy a bit more rest. There was a clear rule that in the hospital where all animals are barred from entry, but for some reason every doctor and nurse seemed to have turned blind when they were passing through the sickroom where a gray cat was publicly eating fish biscuits and bullshitting with Chang Five. They all feigned ignorance. Every time Cillin went to visit Chang Five, he would bring the triplets along with him so that he would feel more relaxed. A good psyche naturally improves ones recovery rate. Cillin, youre the one who did all this for Chang Five, arent you? Outside the sickroom, Old Chang asked Cillin. This question had been stuck in his heart for a very long time. Now that Chang Five was recovering well and the worry that had plagued him for many years was finally gone, Old Chang felt like getting some answers. Cillin cast a look at the four little fellows chatting and laughing with each other and answered, No. It is true that I paid a portion of the medical fee, but the rest, well Im not that capable yet. Old Chang frowned. Then was it that portly shop owner from before? Its not him either. Cillin shook his head. Old Chang really was stumped this time. He was just a lower class commoner, and he had no noble connections at all. If he did, Chang Fives illness wouldnt have dragged until now, and Chang One and Chang Two wouldnt have passed away at a young age. Just tell me the answer already, Cillin. At least Ill know who to repay the favor later in the future. Cillin smiled. This is but a small issue to him, really. Hes not even interested in the 1 million the fatty gave me. The moment Cillin mentioned this, Old Chang immediately recalled Bel who was currently watching over the shop. He was so surprised that he was literally tongue tied. It was Bel? Yeah. But its best if he keep quiet about him; he doesnt want too many people to know about this. Oh, I understand this at least. Old Chang sighed. Considering his means, Bel was without a doubt a noble. He really hadnt imagined that the young man who ran away to the commoner zone for work would be a noble. The people were right; the nobles thinking couldnt be judged by common sense. Why else would he have ran to a poor and shabby place like the Repair Street and torment himself otherwise? Bel had no idea about the conversation between Cillin and Old Chang, but he wouldnt have cared even if his aid of Chang Five was known. A months time was almost up, and he would be leaving soon in search for another target. Bel yawned. The two service robots were capable enough to deal with the parts sales, so right now he was just dozing off and thinking about his next plans. He would rather be beaten to death than return back to his home; it took him a great amount of effort to escape this far, so there was no way he was returning before experiencing life to its fullest. He wouldnt get many chances to come out to the world again if he was caught by his father. He was different from that fatty named Sizer Fleka. Fleka was the main designer and the senior executive of a large family business, so it was only natural for his family to kidnap him back to his home after a prolonged period. But Bel had nothing in his possession except freedom. Ah, freedom is such a damn good thing! Setting aside the correctness behind Bels so-called concept of freedom, it was true that he was more carefree than Fleka. Bel couldnt think of a good place to go no matter how he tried, and his two bad friends were busy with their own things too. Hmm, Ulaganuo sacrificed himself for his brothers and hasnt escaped yet, and Gen Xingming C bah, theres no doubt that that bastard is chasing some skirts right now. When the three of them had made up their minds to break out of their imprisonment, they drew lots as they normally did to decide the person who was going to cover their retreat. That was how the unlucky Ulaganuo took over the unfortunate role, again. Sigh, that kid is seriously unlucky. Not only did he fail to escape, he was even dragged back to the army so that his spirit may be tempered. His father wouldnt stop lamenting about how he wished his boy has Blizzards willpower and not act like the sloppy mess he was. Well, willpower my ass, has he changed his standing or sitting posture despite hundreds and thousands of times of tempering? While Bel was thinking about stuff, Cillin had returned with the three children. In order to enjoy easier commute inside the city, Cillin spent 100 thousand MB coins to buy a flying car. The flying car he bought was extremely common, and anyone with slightly better living standards wouldve chosen to buy a different car. However, none of those cars had a higher safety rating than Cillins car because he had modified it himself. Every time he went to the hospital, he took the triplets along in this car. It saved them the trouble of competing for taxis. Is Chang Five doing well? Bel asked. Judging from Cillin and everyone elses expression, Chang Five should be recovering pretty well. He is. The 3rd stage of the recovery period has already started, and he will be leaving the hospital after another five days of treatment. Cillin said after parking the car and walking in. Are you done planning your future plans? Cillin asked after noticing the miserable look on Bels face. Im so distressed! Bel complained with his chin propped like a resentful housewife. Cillin curled his lips and ignored the dude with an unusual brain, leaving to tidy up some parts. Although he had taken over the fattys parts shop, he noticed that there were still some empty spaces inside. The two service robots were enough to handle the sales of the parts, and he guessed that Old Chang would be bored to death once everything was settled. That was why he cleared out a space to use as a repair point; this way Old Chang could accept a repair order or two whenever he felt like it. Of course, the ultimate decision lay in Old Changs hands. He was just clearing out the space earlier. Hey, what are you going to do, Cillin? Are you going to stay here and watch over the shop forever? Bel moved over and asked. Although he hadnt known Cillin for long, he was sure that the latter wouldnt stay here for long. Cillin drank a glass of water before answering, I have nowhere to go, and this is my only resting spot right now. That being said, once Chang Fives condition has stabilized Im going to leave for a while and visit Chang Three and Chang Four for them. After they had moved over to the new shop, Old Chang contacted Chang Three and Chang Four and informed them of the new shops address and contact number. The communication signal inside the city was much better than inside the commoner zone, so the video communication went a lot smoother. Through the screen, both Chang Three and Chang Four got to see the two special members of the family, Cillin and the gray cat. The fee for transplanetary calls wasnt something that a bottom class commoner could sustain, which was why they only talked to each other every three, five or ten days to save money. As for those families whose members didnt share too good a relationship with each other, the calls could easily be several years apart. Now that their living conditions had improved, Old Chang couldnt wait to call them every few days. In fact, he wouldve waited by the communicator every day if Chang Five didnt require his attention. But now that their new identities had been processed, it was time to update some of Chang Three and Chang Fours records too. Cillin was going to bring the relevant documents over since he was visiting them anyway. Thats great! Bels eyes lit up. Let me go with you; this is a good chance to see if they have any good jobs there too! If I remember correctly Three and Four is studying in a famous school in the local star region called baba tar or something, right? Cillin: Its Baelenbaatar. I knew it, in this princes eyes the so-called top 10 middle school of the empires 23rd zone is nothing more than a baba*! Inside the tall building at the city center. Mussuo rubbed both his eyes and said, Ichechi, my eyelids wouldnt stop twitching. Do you think our prince is cooking up some rotten ideas again? Ichechi didnt answer, but his expression certainly looked a little constipated. Knowing their prince for many years and literally feeling the omens, they knew that their prince was about to start yet another new experience. *Baba is a type of thick, round, heavy bread that is prepared either plain or with various fillings by the Naxi people of north-western Yunnan, China Chapter 227: Baelenbaatar Middle School [Part 2] Chapter 227: Baelenbaatar Middle School [Part 2] 5 days later, Cillin drove Chang Five and Old Chang back into their home. Having gone through the treatment, Chang Fives face no longer looked as sickly as before. Once he fully recovered, he would be able to run and jump like a normal kid too. Sometimes mischievousness was a kind of luxury. At the very least, Chang Five had never experienced it despite his age. However Chang Five didnt seem to be interested in intense exercise, and in the future he would only exercise to strengthen his physique. He also planned to focus most of his energy on programs. After being taught by the gray cat for a while, Chang Fives understanding of mechanical processes had grown deeper than some so-called experts. In the past his constitution couldnt support his wish, but now his health and his familys living standards had risen to a new level. There were also more new machines to be found inside the city. Just like he had planned earlier, Cillin prepared to head out for a moment. Before he left, Old Chang gathered everyone together to talk once with Chang Three and Chang Four on another planet. Both children were happy to learn that Chang Five had recovered from his illness. Old Chang gave Cillin 100 thousand MB coins and asked him to pass the money to Chang Three and Chang Four. There was a saying that goes, you sweep bad news under the carpet when youre outside. Chang Three and Chang Four were precocious kids to begin with, so they wouldnt report any grievances theyd suffered to their own family. But Old Chang couldnt help but feel terrible when he noticed that both grandchildren had become obviously thinner. He might be smiling while the call was ongoing, but his tears immediately slid down his cheeks once the call was done. Old Chang only had 120 thousand MB coins to begin with, and he made sure to pay off some of Chang Fives medical expenses instead of letting Cillin handle all of them. Things inside the shop had stabilized anyway, and 20 thousand was more than enough to sustain he and the little fellows daily life. Cillin wasnt worried about the shop either. A great noble had sent out word after all; if something did happen the planetary government themselves would secretly lend a helping hand. Bel had gone over his original 30-day plan by 2 days already, but still he waited to depart together with Cillin. He wanted to see a school in a different star region of the empire, and he hoped to find a leisurely job in the school too so he could relive his greener years. No one suspected Cillins new ID. It was an ID that passed through the hands of a great noble, and there could be no doubt that it was absolutely authentic. It couldnt be fake even if Cillin felt like it. With this ID, he would be able to travel anywhere he wanted without being suspected. This was a good thing. And so, taking the gray cat with him, Cillin and Bel left the planet that was small and unremarkable amidst a vast star region and departed for a reasonably developed area in the Empires 23rd star region where Baelenbaatar Middle School lies. The day Cillin and Bel left, the people of Blazing Eagle Vogel too left the planet to chase after their prince. Neither Cillin nor Bel chose to hop onto a private spaceplane or starship; instead they kept their heads low and bought the ticket of a public transport starship heading towards the 23rd star region. As for the gray cat, it quickly sought out a place for itself just like many times in the past and went to sleep. It was going to come out only after theyd reached their destination. It had no intentions of being caged in the same place as those low IQ pets. He was riding in a public transport starship again, just like the time he met Dias back then. The experience have remained the same, but the people have changed. He wondered what was going on with GAL right now. A chaos was bound to erupt after Oskulos death, but the exact scale of it, he couldnt say. Bel looked extremely excited. Although he had experienced many kinds of life, he had almost no experience riding in a public transport starship before. Musso and Ichechi would never allow him to ride alone in one after all. Cillin already sensed that several people were watching them in their cabin at all times, seemingly tailing after Bel. The prince completely ignored their gazes though. While talking to himself, he flipped through the star map of this star region continuously and learned about the school Baelenbaatar. He was also checking to see if there was an ideal position that he could work in. A star region in Mist Bodhisattva Empire was in fact not as big as a Sector in GAL, but they had just as many livable planets. GAL was separated into the upper three sectors, the ten free trade sectors and the thirteen backwater sectors, but a division like this didnt exist in Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Although there were star regions that were more advanced than others, the difference between star regions wasnt huge unless it was the star regions within the domain of the imperial capital and the three kings main forces. No, the real gap was the wealth gap that existed within every star region. Cillin had had a profound experience with this rigid status quo already when he was living in that small planet. The surrounding planets of Baelenbaatar Middle School were well developed. At the very least, the planet where Old Chang was was incomparable to them. The development level of these planets were about the same as the ten free trade sectors in GAL. Within the local star region, Baelenbaatar Middle School was known as the top 10 schools that provide middle level education. Since it didnt provide higher education, naturally it didnt have the scale of a higher education institution. That being said, Baelenbaatar Middle School still took up one tenth of the space on the planet. A school that owned one tenth of the space of a planet had pretty much solidified its status on the planet. That was why the planet was also named Planet Baelenbaatar. When Cillin and Bel walked out of Baelenbaatars port, the gray cat was already waiting for them while crouching underneath a lamppost. Bel had witnessed many special things from this cat. To this day, the scratch marks he suffered on his arms when he attempted to snatch the gray cats fish biscuits were still present. Baelenbaatar Middle School is pretty easy to find. Its some distance away from this central port, but there is a direct train that leads straight to the school, Bel said happily. He had already researched the transports here. After filling their stomachs at a nearby restaurant, the two men and one cat hopped onto the train that travelled directly to Baelenbaatar Middle School. A new plan and objective had begun, and Bel was very happy. The same couldnt be said for Musso and Ichechi though, who felt very much like beating him with their fists. It was because their prince was planning to land a leisurely job in this place, and the order he left behind was for them to keep a low profile. But why keep a low profile? Normally, a noble disliked hiding themselves even when they were keeping a low profile, although of course Bel was an exception. That was why after discussing among themselves for a moment, Musso and Ichechi decided to use the excuse of finding talents with good potential to stay here for a period of time. Whether they could find one or none at all depended entirely on the students of Baelenbaatar. If they could meet Musso and Ichechis expectations, then its congratulations, kid, youre rich! But if they couldnt satisfy Musso and Ichechis expectations, then it was a no go even if the headmaster of Baelenbaatar Middle School and the leaders of the planetary government themselves were to run over personally to curry favor with them. Im sorry, I dont like you, and Im not going to take someone who failed me even if youre willing to lie on the ground and lick my feet. Heck, do they think that entering the Blazing Eagle royal familys circle is this easy? The Blazing Eagles symbol really was too attractive. The moment it showed up, the people of the Baelenbaatar planetary government immediately got to work immediately. The teachers and students of Baelenbaatar Middle School also smelled blood and began presenting the best sides of themselves. The whole planets attention was instantly drawn away by Musso and Ichechi, and it made both Cillin and Bel appear very normal. If the Blazing Eagle hadnt shown themselves, the people on the train wouldve wanted to know if they were knew and what their business in Baelenbaatar was. But today everyone was discussing about the same thing: I heard that the someone from the Blazing Eagle royal family is here. Theres a rumor theres another rumor I heard Cillin was bewildered. The Blazing Eagle had just arrived, hadnt they? Was that all it took to stir these people into a frenzy? Cillin had to admit that he underestimated the glamor that was a royal family. He cast a glance at his companion next to him, sleeping and drooling and occasionally letting out a dumb laugh because of his dreams. He was starting to understand a little how those people behind the prince felt. Cillin had never received a regular middle level education. He hadnt even finished his higher education in Seven Lights. That was why Cillin felt a little wowed about the new sights of Baelenbaatar Middle School. It was a school for middle level education, so the students here were all between 10 to 20 years old. A large majority of them were around 15 to 16 years old; the age of restless youth. Unlike the freedom to clothing sported within a higher education institution, every student wore the same uniform. But despite having a uniform code, the gap between a poor and a rich student was still pretty huge. Looking ahead, one could see that some girls wore hair clips with actual gemstones embedded into the accessories, dazzling necklaces around their necks, painted all kinds of patterns on their fingernails and so on. On the other hand, some students were dressed in a plain and simple manner. They didnt have colorful ribbons, nor did they have necklaces with gemstones on them. They didnt even dare meet people in the eye probably because they were bullied for a prolonged period of time. However, some of the poor students led their lives in a different manner. The people right before their eyes were such examples. The second Cillin and Bel entered Baelenbaatar Middle School, they immediately got to witness a struggle between the rich and the poor. Both parties on opposite sides hated each other. One relied more on individual combat strength while the other relied more on the equipment they brought with them. There were a lot rowdy jeering from the sidelines, and some of the teachers were used to this scene already. They practically knew the name of the leader of each group by now. The security guards inside the school didnt stop them immediately either. They probably wanted to wait until the fight was about done before heading over to stop them. Suddenly Cillin and Bel were not in a hurry to seek out Chang Three and Chang Four. The two heartless fellows found a cool spot for themselves, sat down and watched the battle ensue while they sipped their drinks. Chapter 228: Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences [Part 1] Chapter 228: Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences [Part 1] Holy shit, that brat actually twisted that KJ350 multifunctional compound gun in half! Bel commented occasionally while watching with keen interest from the sidelines. Cillin didnt say anything, but he wasnt just paying attention to the battle but also to the surrounding comments. In most cases, the onlookers were able to supply far more information than the people at the center of things. It didnt take long before Cillin learnt why the two parties had fought each other again, and as he had expected earlier it was because of the arrival of the great noble house Blazing Eagle. After members of the Blazing Eagle Vogel had arrived on this planet, every person at every corner of the planet had learned about this through a well developed communications network. All kinds of people began to move be it the small nobles who wished to curry favor with the Blazing Eagle royal family or the people who wished to win their acknowledgement. They had all began making preparations. Naturally, Baelenbaatar Middle School paid a lot of attention to news like this. It was why the students were starting to interact and sound out the situation already. The conflict between the two sides had grown more and more intense since Blazing Eagles arrival. The nobles said that the commoners were delusional, the commoners quickly retaliated against such claims. Because more than 60% of last semesters overall ranking were made up of commoners, the students of noble birth thought of it as their shame until today. That was how the argument gradually escalated into a brawl. That being said, anyone who paid close attention would realize that neither sides had gone all out against each other. It was also why the schools security guards could watch the fight without a care from the sidelines. As long as no major accidents were to happen during a brawl, the school normally turned a blind eye against such matters. As the saying goes, this was a form of stimulus competition. Something was puzzling Cillin, however: Why do the commoners here dare fight against the nobles? Arent they afraid that the nobles will take revenge against them? It wasnt that Cillin had a very low opinion of nobles, but people like Bel seriously were few and far between. At Old Changs planet, the small nobles there often looked at people with their nostrils and put on airs that basically meant, dont provoke me or Ill kill you! That was why he found it very difficult to reconcile that scene with the one happening before him right now. Because he didnt understand what was going on, Cillin asked Bel directly for an answer. Bel was a real great noble after all. Bel, is the difference between commoners and nobles very small in schools? Bel rubbed his chin. That depends on the school. The better a school is, the smaller it is the gap of treatment between nobles or commoners. Ive never heard of Baelenbaatar before, but since it is ranked among the top 10 schools of this star region, this means that it has the power to narrow the gap between commoners and nobles. Baelenbaatar did manage to produce an honorary scholar for the Royal Academy of Sciences in the past after all. Who knows, maybe that honorary scholar may even grow into a scholar in the Royal Academy of Sciences in the future. Bel smacked his lips for a bit before tossing the empty bottle into a dustbin. Then, he continued, That honorary scholar is a member of the Empires 24rd star region. When he was younger, he once received his middle level education at Baelenbaatar. Later on, he was deemed too outstanding and was plucked away by a school at the imperial capitals star region directly. When he was finished with his higher education, he was accepted immediately by the Royal Academy of Sciences as an honorary scholar. Didnt you see a video about their honorary scholar returning to school for a speech in Baelenbaatar Middle Schools introductory page, the one that took up a large amount of space? Of course Cillin knew that Baelenbaatar once produced a Royal Academy of Sciences honorary scholar, but he didnt realize that that was all it took for Baelenbaatar to surrender so much equality. In fact, he was surprised that commoners were allowed to brawl against nobles in Baelenbaatar Middle School because he had seen the gap that existed between a noble and a commoner. Even more surprising was the fact that the school authorities seemed so used to this occurrence that they couldnt even muster the energy to bother! Noticing Cillins surprise, Bel let out a chuckle and said, Its the Royal Academy of Sciences, man! Were talking about some ordinary institution here. Back then my father tried to encourage me to join them, but unfortunately I failed to live up to his expectations. I just wasnt born with this kind of talent. Bel said while pointing at his own head, but he didnt look dejected or anything. It was as if he was saying something that was perfectly ordinary. Bel told Cillin a little about the Royal Academy of Sciences. It was only now Cillin realized that the nobles werent the only power who stood at the top of Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences was the greatest academic institution and research center in Mist Bodhisattva Empire. It was also the greatest Hall of Honor an academic researcher could reach. It was an independent institution that wasnt directly subordinated to the Mist Bodhisattva royal family. What was interesting was that 70% of the people who entered the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences werent nobles, but commoners. Even more interesting was that the fact that the current dean of the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences was born a commoner. This fact alone was enough to force some nobles to tread carefully while they were dealing with some issues. Anyone who could enter the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences was at least the equal of some middle level nobles, and some veteran researchers even earned the courtesy of the royal family. After all, they held great power over the development of Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The Royal Academy of Sciences was the authority of academics just like the GAL Research Institute was to GAL. The Royal Academy of Sciences also had academicians, although the title of an academician was completely honorary in the sense that it was an acknowledgement of an academicians academic level. Although it wasnt split into several levels like GAL, honorary scholars and academicians were the two levels that made up the majority of people inside the Royal Academy of Sciences. In Mist Bodhisattva Empire, the academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences shouldered many responsibilities. Not only did they have their own research topics to work on, they also had to participate in the regular meetings held by each academic department within the Royal Academy of Sciences, discuss recent scientific progress and dynamics of the latest scientific developments, participate in all sorts of academic discussion forums held by various interdisciplinary committee organizations under the academy of sciences and many more. Sometimes, they also accepted commissions from noble corporations to perform knowledge work or research jobs, give speeches or teach at reputable schools, participate in the evaluation of all sorts of science awards, rate the overall strength of higher schools and so on. Mist Bodhisattva Empire is an empire that advocated knowledge and science. Therefore, the academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences were given full respect and enjoyed an extremely high amount of social status. They were people who had escaped their old identities as commoners or nobles and formed a special identity of their own. This identity enabled them to enjoy special privileges at certain places that were even better than some nobles special privileges. It was very common for the family corporation of a great noble to hire a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences to better develop themselves or keep from straying off their goals. Therefore, the consequences of offending a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences completely was easily imaginable. This was an institution where even the one emperor and three kings normally paid respect to; these nobles face couldnt possibly be more important than the royal familys, could it? No matter the type of social system these people were in, they who advocated academics and put all their efforts into researching it were more or less the same. They had their own world outlooks, and they wouldnt move for anyone in certain things. The biggest reason Baelenbaatar was able to become the top 10 school of their local star region was because it managed to produce an honorary scholar in the Royal Academy of Sciences. It gave them the capital to boast their own worth. It was why Baelenbaatar Middle School had been looking forward to the appearance of the next honorary scholar every year. Unfortunately, a person like this hadnt been seen yet even though a small number of students were given priority admission into several reputable schools of higher education of the empire every year. In truth, Baelenbaatar Middle School invested more mental and physical effort into nurturing the students of commoner background over the students of noble background every year. After all, the nobles had never managed to come on up top in terms of academic results when competing against the commoners. After all, do you seriously think that a bunch of decadent noble students who only know how to dress up and chase skirts can focus their minds obediently on research? It was practically impossible. Of course, it wasnt right to judge everyone in the same light just because the majority of people were rotten apples. There were plenty of capable people even among nobles, and some of the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences were definitely noble born. Moreover, the Royal Academy of Sciences wasnt a place that one could enter based on connections alone. Intelligence wasnt absolutely related to a persons character just as it wasnt absolutely related to ones background. The better a school was, the gentler it treated a commoner. If a person was truly capable, they would be able to enjoy equal or even better treatment compared to a noble in school. Yo, the battles about to end! Bel said. Chapter 228: Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences [Part 2] Chapter 228: Mist Bodhisattva Royal Academy of Sciences [Part 2] Cillin turned to look. The schools security guards had ran over to pull the students aside. Although the people of both sides were covered in blue and black bruises, overall no one was seriously injured. At the very least, their injuries werent life threatening. When both parties had dispersed from the scene, the onlookers were almost gone too. Lets go. Time to look for Three and Four. said Cillin after he stood up and patted the grass on his person. Bel pressed his hand horizontally across his forehead and peered at the surrounding school buildings. And where do we find them? The hostel? I think theyre about to start class immediately. Cillin, the electronic bulletin board over there displays the students overall result ranking! The gray cat raised its paw and pointed down a certain direction. A large bulletin board could be seen not far down that direction. It was specifically used by the school to announce the result of every overall test. Lets check that our first and see if Three and Four are on the list. Cillin and Bel walked towards the bulletin board. Because the overall result ranking had been displayed for some time, not many people were staring at it. Bel went up and down the top 100 name list under first grade students. Then, he said regretfully, I dont see Three or Four. Theyre there. Check out No. 31 and No. 37. Cillin pointed at the names so Bel could see them. No. 31 Chang Xiao, and No. 37 Chang Fu? Isnt it Three and Four? Three and Four are their nicknames. Chang Xiao and Chang Fu are their true names. Cillin explained*. I see. *In Chinese, Chang Xiao means Eversmile and Chang Fu means Everblessed. Also, Id like you all to recall from Chapter 218 Part 2 that commoner kids arent normally given true names unless they grew up or encountered some special circumstances, which Three and Four did by entering this school. Cillin moved his finger and tapped at Chang Xiao and Chang Fus name on the control panel beneath the bulletin board. It displayed their classes, the lessons they were currently attending and their classrooms. Inside the schools monitoring room, a person said, Eh? Someone actually checked Chang Xiao and Chang Fus data today. Speaking of which, Chang Xiao and Chang Fu are commoners, arent they? Every operation to the bulletin board was displayed inside the monitoring room. They are commoners. Another person said, They ranked about 80 or so when they passed the admission test, but now theyre in the top 50 already. Their potential is pretty good. No one has ever checked their data until today though. The duo stopped paying attention after conversing briefly. After all, too many things happened everyday. They were used to unusual occurrences already. Meanwhile, Bel and Cillin got ready to visit the classroom Chang Three and Chang Four were in. But since there were still two hours before end of class, they decided to take a stroll around the school first. The schools environment was pretty good, but there were also plenty of young boys and girls doing lovey dovey things in some quiet and remote forests. Almost all of them were of noble descent. Cillin felt a muscle in his face twitching constantly as Bel peeped around corners with a vulgar look on his face. He was a genuine prince of the Blazing Eagle royal family! God knows what kind of thrilling reaction would be invoked from the citizens of Mist Bodhisattva Empire if they ever learned of their princes conduct. The gray cat that had ran into the bushes to catch some small insects jumped back onto Cillins shoulder. Its mouth was still covered in pollens because it just ate two big butterflies. After licking its claws and wiping the corner of its mouth once, it patted Cillin and said, Lets leave, its going to rain immediately! Cillin looked at the sky. It was true that there were clouds floating towards their direction, but it didnt look like it was going to rain. Although it didnt look like it, Cillin still did as the gray cat said. He waved at Bel once before running to a self-service vending machine to purchase two umbrellas. He was going to buy four umbrellas, but there were only two left inside this vending machines. Although technological advancement was rapid these days, some primitive tools like this one hadnt been phased out of the competition yet. Not many changes were made to these umbrellas either. A lot of people very much enjoyed holding a primitive tool like this and walking under a natural rain, experiencing the world that was being washed away by rain water. It was because natural and mild rain wasnt available in many places. As was predicted, the amount of clouds on the sky suddenly increased five minutes later. Raindrops began to pitter patter from the sky. The young lovers holding their trysts hastily broke away from their spots. Some of the children remote controlled their flying cars to come fetch them immediately, while the wilder ones held each others hands and ran across the rain while laughing. Bel ran over, caught the umbrella Cillin had tossed at him and opened it above his head. He cursed, It was a clear sunny sky one minute ago and now its raining? What the hell is wrong with this weather; its even worse than what we got at AF3. AF3? Cillin asked. Bel shook off the water beads on his hair, raised his chin and was about to say something with a proud look on his face before he suddenly looked left and right at his surroundings. After confirming that no one was coming around the corner, he said in a small voice, Your bro here studies in the Third Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences, a.k.a. AF3. So? Envious, right? Bel didnt try to hide this from Cillin. He knew that Cillin had already guessed his identity, so he was being pretty honest in this regard. Cillin didnt show too much of a reaction. Considering Bels background, it wasnt strange that he would be studying in a good school. He could also imagine just how great it was among all Mist Bodhisattva higher education institutions considering that its title was attached to the name Royal Academy of Sciences. However Why AF3? Does that mean that theres an AF1 and AF2 before your school? Bel curled his lips. There are three affiliated higher education institutions of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and we AF3s are the most normal of them all. The students in the other two schools are not human at all; theyre all freaks. Bel shivered for a little as if he recalled something terrible. Then, he turned around and said seriously to Cillin, Seriously. Everyone in there is a freak! You must be more careful if you ever heard anyone declaring themselves to be someone from AF1 or AF2. Otherwise, youll be in a world of trouble. Cillin nodded. Ill remember this. Bel didnt talk too much about things related to AF1 or AF2. Instead, he talked about himself and his two bad friends. The three of them were known infamously as the Three Dissolute Musketeers of AF3, and together they committed few good deeds but bucketloads of the opposite. The story probably couldnt be finished even if he were to speak for a whole day. Bel was just getting to an exciting point of his story when Cillin asked, Speaking of which, shouldnt you be studying in your school right now? Bels voice abruptly cut to a stop. Ahem, er, sometimes you gotta adjust your mindset, right? You cant just dump every bit of your focus into studying. My brain has a small memory, and I cant absorb so many difficult things at once. I gotta come out and clear out my buffer once in a while, you know. Cillin was amused. Trying to say that youre justified, huh? Cillin wasnt a person who would express too many opinions about others, however. Everyone has their own way of thinking. Bel felt a little embarrassed by this turn of topic, so in order to divert attention he pointed at the gray cat and asked, What is this cat listening to? Cillin turned to look. The gray cat wasnt paying attention to their conversation at all. Instead, it was lifting its ears and concentrating on listening about something. Judging from the frequency of its whisker shake, Cillin knew that the cat probably had a new prey in mind. This fellow always shakes its whiskers at a certain frequency when it was listening to a preys movements. Cillin flicked the gray cats ears. What did you hear? The gray cat licked its mouth for a bit. I heard frog croaks! There are frogs here?! Bels eyes lit up. Back at AF3 Xing Ming, Ganuo and me used to barbecue the frogs we caught at our hostel. Its pretty great! Under the fervent gaze of a cat and a man, Cillin headed towards the place where the gray cat said there were frogs. There was still more than an hours time before Three and Four finished their class anyway. There was a lotus pond in Baelenbaatar, and there were a lot of frogs inside the pond. These frogs were unlike normal frogs in that they didnt go through a metamorphosis period. It meant that these frogs had hatched directly into a frog instead of a tadpole. The lotus pond was very big, and the weather in Baelenbaatar was very suitable for the growth and reproduction of this type of frog. One could hear frog croaks most of the time in a year. However, most of the nobles here viewed catching these sticky, slimy things as beneath their station, and some commoners didnt dare to catch them. After all, it was good enough already that they were able to enjoy equal treatment in Baelenbaatar Middle School; they didnt dare challenge that bottomline by wantonly capturing the frogs living inside the lotus pond. Plus some of them were loudly ridiculed and laughed at by the nobles when they were catching these frogs. Since then, very few people came to do such a thing. Perhaps these frogs had gotten bold exactly because the students of Baelenbaatar didnt try to harm them. They sat openly on lotus leaves, and they didnt even bother to lift their hind limbs even though Cillin and Bel were clearly walking towards them. It was only until Bel had caught them with a wicked smile on his face that they let out croaked dully, and then they croaked no more because Bel had knocked them out skillfully and tossed them aside. Thats one. Lets continue; we need to gather enough for a whole dish at least! Bels movements were extremely practiced. While holding an umbrella with one hand, he moved to grab the roadside frogs with the other. The gray cat had already jumped into the pond to play. There were a lot of fat fishes inside the pond, not to mention the dumb frogs too. They were enough to keep it occupied for a while. Cillin put the knocked out frogs into a bag and wondered how they should be eaten it later. Chang Three and Chang Four, studying seriously in class, had no way of knowing that a pair of adults who were at least a dozen or so years older than them and supposedly a lot more mature were catching frogs from their schools lotus pond. Chapter 229: I Want to Meet Your Headmaster! [Part 1] Chapter 229: I Want to Meet Your Headmaster! [Part 1] The rain stopped once about twenty or so minutes after it started, but it suddenly grew stronger again when classes were about to end. A rhythmic music rang. It was the signal for the end of class, and it was the chorus of Baelenbaatars school anthem too. A lot of students surged out of the classrooms of the school zone. The richer students who possessed an AI flying car of their own had already gotten into their vehicles. They didnt need to brave the rain. Some students had people to fetch them. There were also students waiting for the school bus to arrive. A few noble students who came out together got into an incredibly showy flying car. Then, the car did a 180 spin on the spot and threw rainwater at the people standing at the side. Those who were left behind pointed at the flying cars back and swore loudly at the noble students who were driving away while laughing loudly. Chang Four a.k.a Chang Fu was doing his homework inside the classroom. It was raining heavily outside anyway, so he planned to head out only after the rain had gotten a little lighter. This way, he wouldnt need to pay to take a school bus. Chang Three was holding up a book and reading next to Chang Four. It was a book on the distinguishing features of Mist Bodhisattva Empires star regions which she borrowed from the schools library yesterday. Chang Three and Chang Four were triplets, but their personalities were drastically different from each other. Chang Threes personality reflected her name; she was always wearing a smile on her face. But Chang Four seldom smiled at all. He was indifferent towards most people except those he was very familiar with. The two children were busy with their own things when a female student chose this moment to walk towards them. It was obvious from her attire that her family was doing pretty good. Chang Fu, I have an extra umbrella with me. I can lend it to you. While saying this, the girl put a double layer automatic umbrella on Chang Fus table. The umbrella was about 3 meters wide once it was unfolded in full, so it was big enough to fit both Chang Fu and Chang Xiao underneath. Before Chang Fu could turn down her offer, a shrill voice rang. Yo, trying to court his favor again, Lunani? You are a noble, you know. I cant believe you will do such a pointless thing; youre practically embarrassing us nobles! The speaker was also a girl whose looked almost the same as Lunani. She was very well dressed, and she wore sparkling chains around her neck and wrists. Chang Xiao closed her book and cast a glance at the frowning, impatient-looking Chang Fu. She let out a sigh. What a low EQ fellow. She had to be the mediator every time. Chang Xiao was just about to say something when a cats meow suddenly drew her attention. Why was there a cat in a place like the classroom, especially when it was raining so heavily outside? Chang Xiao looked towards the direction of the meow, and she saw a gray cat crouching by the window sill and staring at the two of them. Wheeze!! Chang Xiao cried out in pleasant surprise. Both her and Chang Fu had seen the gray cat before during the video call. Even the serious-looking Chang Fu had cracked a smile when he saw the gray cat. If Wheeze is here, then that means Cillin is here too! They closed their books and swiftly packed their stuff into their bags. Then, after thanking Lunani once, Chang Xiao left together with Chang Fu. Outside the school building, Cillin and Bel were standing in wait while holding an umbrella each. When Cillin saw Chang Xiao and Chang Fu, he beckoned for them to come over. When did you arrive, brother Cillin? Chang Xiao asked. Around this afternoon. He took Chang Xiaos bag from her before extending the second layer of the umbrella and increasing its coverage. Cillin and Chang Xiao shared an umbrella, and Bel and Chang Fu shared an umbrella. Bel had a lot of things to say, apparently. He never stopped talking all the way back to Chang Fus hostel, starting from the battle at the school entrance all the way to the time they caught frogs at the lotus pond. After watching Chang Xiao and Chang Five leave the school building, Lunani stood at the corridor and waved her hand once. A pink flying car immediately flew to her side. Lunani jumped into the flying car, spun it around and flung all the rainwater on the vehicle onto the sneering Sharalisa. You! Ill get you, Lunani! Sharalisa stomped her foot and entered her own scarlet flying car. Perhaps her mind was overridden by anger at the time, but she failed to control her flying car properly and bumped once against the flying car next to her, causing yet another commotion. However, a casual accident like this was incredibly common, and both parties left the scene while swearing at each other. Chang Xiao and Chang Fus hostel werent far apart from each other, but they were all going to Chang Fus hostel to enjoy some frog roast. The hostels here were four person hostels. Every hostel had four rooms and one living room, and each student had a 15 square meter bedroom to themselves. They didnt need to pay extra for lodging since all the students within the top 100 were exempted from tuition fees and lodging fees. That being said, the students who lived here were normally common born. The noble students preferred single apartments more. They would rather pay an expensive rent than live together with a commoner student. Someone had already returned by the time they reached the hostel, as evident from the brushing noises coming from the bathroom. The child inside the bathroom was about to jump out into the open completely naked when he heard noises and realized that someone had returned, but thankfully he was quick enough to notice that there were strangers and a girl within the vicinity. He forcefully stopped himself when he was halfway out of the bathroom. ehehe, its you, Chang Xiao The boy said a bit awkwardly. Everyone here knew about Chang Fus twin and older sister. Chang Xiao rolled her eyes at him. She knew very well what kind of people Chang Fus hostel mates were. His name is Nakut, same grade. Hes my hostel mate. Chang Fu briefly introduced him. Nakut went back inside to bath after greeting them once. Not bad. Cillin recalled his own time back at Seven Lights when he saw Chang Fu and his friend. Sigh, those were the times! Bel didnt think nearly as much. He had ran to the kitchen to find something the second they entered the hostel, and a while later he finally dragged out a dusty, simple grill from beneath a bunch of random stuff. He began processing the frogs impatiently after a wash. Cillin didnt help him after seeing how practiced his skinning movements were. This guy could handle all the work by himself. While Bel was busy dealing with the frogs, Cillin called Chang Xiao and Chang Fu into a room. He then passed over the card with 100 thousand MB coins to the duo on behalf of Old Chang before explaining briefly the shops situation as of late. Theres 100 thousand MB coins inside this card. The shops doing much better now, and the familys living standard is much improved, so the two of you dont need to skimp too much, get it? You are both growing right now, and you cant afford to skip meals to save money. If your constitutions weak because youre lacking in nutrients, then you wont be able to improve your overall ratings, right? Cillin walked out after of the room after a brief talk. His main duty for coming here was to pass the card to them. He had also passed over the documents about their new ID to the duo. The moment he walked out of the room, Cillin immediately noticed that Bel and the young boy named Nakut was crouching beside the grill and busying themselves. Bel was talking about his own experience. The more primitive it is the tools you use to roast a frog, the better. If you had used an enclosed automatic roaster machine instead, I can tell you that the taste is absolutely inferior to the primitive version. Speaking of which, frog eating is Cillin shook his head. Gluttons like him existed wherever he went. When Nakut noticed that Chang Fu and Chang Xiao had come out of the room, he turned around and asked, Oh right, Lu Jie said that hes going to bring some food back for us. Should we tell him that he can forget it now? Lu Jie was their hostel mate too. This guy had ran to the canteen with a couple of people the second class was over. Chang Fu nodded. Ill talk to him. Chang Fu dialed Lu Jies number, but the call didnt go through even though he waited for a long time. Chang Fu tried again, and this time the call went through. However, the person who took the call wasnt Lu Jie but another person from another hostel who was on pretty good terms with Lu Jie. The guy didnt even manage to utter two words before the connection was broken off yet again. However, they could see from the image displayed on the communicator that it was complete chaos on the other side! Is he fighting again? Chang Xiao asked. It doesnt look like it. Something must have happened. Chang Fu called the number a couple of times again but couldnt get any response. He grabbed an umbrella and walked straight outside. Im heading to the canteen to take a look. Hey, Four! Seeing that Chang Fu had ran off without even looking back, she turned around to look at Cillin. Brother Cillin, Im heading over to take a look too. Sure, lets go together. Cillin grabbed an umbrella and went out together with Chang Xiao. Wait for me! Hey kid, stay here and watch these frogs, understand? Dont burn them, or youre catching a new frog from the lotus pond for each frog you burned! Bel poked Nakuts forehead once while saying this. Nakut felt like crying. The lotus pond was really far away from their hostel. Chapter 229: I Want to Meet Your Headmaster! [Part 2] Chapter 229: I Want to Meet Your Headmaster! [Part 2] There were several canteens in Baelenbaatar Middle School. Normally, Lu Jie and his friends preferred the canteen at the training ground the most because it had the most meat-based meals and the biggest portions. Chang Fu saw a group of people at a distant training ground before he even got near to the canteen. It was chaos as shouts and howls rang through the rain. A fight really had broken out again! Chang Fu rushed towards the group. Lu Jie and his friends shouldve been very easy to find because they were normally leading the fights, but Chang Fu wasnt able to find anyone of them despite looking around for some time. Chang Fu pulled over a student - he was a commoner - and asked about his friends whereabouts. The fight seemed to have filled the student with rage as he answered, Those egg fucking nobles hurt Lu Jie and Tai Tu. This has gone too far. Ill show them! After he said this, the kid charged back into the chaotic battlefield. Hurt? Were they seriously hurt? Lu Jie and Tai Tus abilities were among the best within the school. Tai Tu especially was a fourth grade student whose overall result was always ranked among the top three. He also possessed outstanding individual combat ability, and Chang Fu had never heard about him being seriously injured in a fight. If it was true, then this fight was no longer just the usual brawl. Chang Fus communicator rang while he was searching for Lu Jie and Tai Tu. Chang Fu, dont get involved in this fight, its not the same as the usual ones. Leave quickly! It was Lunani who called him. She was a pretty high ranked noble, so she was more privy to certain things. Chang Fu ignored her warning however. He already saw Lu Jie. Chang Fu squeezed through the brawling crowd and moved towards his friend. It was no surprise that he was punched several times during the process, but then he saw the flash of a cold light. A knife? Normally, both sides avoided using deadly weapons in order to avoid leaving behind consequences that were too great. However, Chang Fu definitely saw a flash of cold light, and he was extremely sensitive towards sound. He was very certain that he was hearing the sound of a knife cutting through raindrops and falling on peoples body! Someone actually broke the rules! Lu Jie and Tai Tu lay limply on the floor. On the outside, they didnt look like they were injured, but in reality they were so weak that they lacked even the strength to stand up. Even the slightest bit of movement triggered pain, and the rain pitter pattering on their body felt like heavy hammer strikes. Lu Jie, Tai Tu, how are you Chang Fu watch out! Chang Fu turned sideways and jumped multiple times away from where he was after he received Lu Jies warning. Just now a cold sensation had brushed right past his back, and he didnt need to look to know that the backside of his clothes was cut apart already. But before he could even let out a sigh of relief, the cold light raced right towards him. It was too fast, and for some reason Chang Fu felt as if his movements had become much slower. There was no way he could react to the cold light in time. If he described the enemys earlier attack as a casual swipe, now it was an attack that was meant to kill. Chang Fu was absolutely going to suffer worse than Lu Jie and Tai Tu if the strike were to connect. Pa! The sound of a blade breaking rang. Cillin broke the knife with his finger before it could connect with Chang Fu, and he used the momentum to grab the attackers neck and slam him against the ground. I wasnt aware that times have evolved to the point where adults would participate and kill in a childrens battleground. While Cillin said this, the person who was grabbed by the throat and slammed against the floor slowly grew bigger and taller. A series of bone popping noises later, the attacker had transformed from a child who was about the same height as Chang Fu into a full grown adult. Fuck, those motherfuckers cheated!! Lu Jie and Tai Tu finally figured out what was wrong. Earlier, they already thought that these people didnt look familiar and that they were much stronger and skillful than they were, but they simply assumed that they were new blood and experts recently taken in by the nobles. They never imagined that these sonuvabitches would summon reinforcements from outside! When one of the attackers saw that his companion was slammed against the ground and exposed for what he was, he charged out of the fray and ran towards Cillin. You mother The person was sent flying by a kick from Bel before he could finish his sentence. There was a great splash when he hit the ground. While reopening his umbrella and stuffing one hand into his pockets, Bel said leisurely, Sigh, what degenerates. You call yourself nobles when you cant even cheat with a little bit of standard? What utter failures. These people were absolute trash compared to them the Three Dissolute Musketeers of AF3! Cillin curled his lips. This guy just wanted a chance to act cool! Pa! The sharp noise of something being crushed attracted many peoples attention. Cillin tossed the blade he crushed into bits with his hand on the ground, Anyone who makes another move will face the same fate as this knife. Someone tried to escape, but he didnt even manage to take a step before Cillin slammed him against the ground. This time no one dared to move a muscle. Cillins movements were too quick; one moment he was there, and the next he was on the other side. The crowd werent fools, they knew that the gap between Cillins movements was the gap between their strength. Not only did their eyes fail to follow Cillins movements, there wasnt even any persistence of vision. A flying car flew over and descended. Then, a middle-aged man holding a rather round tummy walked out and exclaimed with a look of surprise, Hey, whats going on here whats going on here huh?! Who are you two? This is Baelenbaatar Middle School! Who are you two and where do you come from? This isnt a place where any random person can just waltz in as they like. Are you two from the trashy high schools nearby? Do keep your bad habits to yourself and stay away from our students! Tsk, its the deputy head teacher, someone said sourly. The person especially emphasized the word deputy. The lackeys of a noble are all the same! Trash! What the hell is this. Peh! Every commoner student here scoffed at this deputy head teacher disdainfully. No one showed him any respect. Head teacher, we have no idea where these two gangsters come from. Theyre probably the students of one of those trashy high schools. Perhaps they havent even gone to high schools. The noble students taunted. They had always acted wantonly because they were secure in the knowledge that they were protected. It was true that they were the ones who broke the rules first this time, but they were nobles, and they were privileged since birth. Did these commoners really think that they were future academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences just because the school decided to give them some face? Lowborns are lowborns! Their lives are worthless! The deputy head teacher walked up to Cillin and Bel under a couple of noble students command and tried to say something. But when Cillin lifted and slammed the person he was holding against the ground again, he gulped and swallowed his words back down. He couldnt help but feel insecure when he was standing in front of Cillin and Bel. The situation became deadlocked for a time. The students on the nobles side kept silent as well; none of them were willing to take the lead and risk harm. After the deputy head teacher arrived, the schools security guards finally showed up late to the scene. When the deputy head teacher saw the incoming security guards, he immediately felt that his back was a lot straighter. He then pointed a fat finger that was nurtured with meat and alcohol at the cool acting Bel and said, You, Im talking about you! You have no manners, and you cant even stand properly. Its obvious at first glance that youre an uneducated The deputy head teacher summoned the panache he normally used when berating a student and began raining down on Bel like a machine gun. It was obvious that he had decided to bully the cool acting Bel instead of the fearsome Cillin. Cillin sighed on the inside, knowing that this deputy head teacher was dead. You claim that the true prince of the great Blazing Eagle royal family is an uneducated fool, but you are far from being qualified to say anything no matter how unruly or sloppy he acts. After all, even the King of Blazing Eagle himself did not try to rein him in, so who the hell are you to reprimand him. While maintaining his cool posture and listening to the deputy head teachers rebukes, Bel smiled. You want to know who I am? Then listen well! My great name is none other than I was about to eat frogs just now. Everyone: ... Cold. So cold. How the hair did my great name is none other than and I was about to eat frogs just now come together in the same sentence!? And who cares if youre eating frogs, chicken eggs or duck eggs just now in this situation? Seeing that the deputy head teacher wasnt going to stop any time soon, Cillin sat down on his victims back directly and kicked the latters restless leg once, saying, Settle down. The person froze and ceased all movements the second he heard Cillins voice. The people around him might not understand why he was being so obedient, but he knew very well that the young man sitting above his back was no ordinary person. The aura he had exuded for an instant earlier had pressed down on him so heavily that he ceased all movements and allowed himself to be caught. Killing intent? It hadnt reached that level yet, but it was still scarier than an actual killing intent. He couldnt explain why, but he just thought that this person was very scary. He was just like a gun hidden in a fog behind your back. You wouldnt know when or where he would put you inside his scope. He couldnt afford to provoke a noble, but he felt even less like provoking this person. Therefore, the best course of action now was to feign unconsciousness. The deputy head teacher facing Bel was so angry he was shaking. Every time he asked a question, he would give an answer that was completely unrelated to it. Worse, he looked fully sincere - look man, Im totally telling you the truth - when he answered. You you which school do you come from?! Im going to meet your headmaster and tutor in person. Just how on earth do they educate their students! I doubt youre qualified. Look, I know all the headmasters of the schools among the top 10! The deputy head teacher was obviously pretty proud of this achievement. Oh, I see. Alright, make sure you scrub your pig ears clean and listen carefully then: Your daddys from AF3! Now go find my headmaster; he loves the attention. Chapter 230: Nuhatch Tousen [Part 1] Chapter 230: Nuhatch Tousen [Part 1] AF3? This name was too general because there were only too many middle schools and higher institutions that were called AF3. The only difference lay in who they were affiliated with. Therefore, when Bel claimed that he was from AF3 everyone automatically thought that he was from a local AF3. No one made the connection and assumed that he was from that greatest AF3 immediately, but that was understandable. The Third Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences were either filled with top class nobles or monstrous geniuses. Everyone in that place was a genius that could cause any higher education institution to go crazy for them should they be available for transfer. There were plenty of schools who were willing to fight for the runner up spot of best educational institute in the empire, but no one dared to provoke the champion. The Third Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences was publicly acknowledged as the boss of this field. The AF1 and AF2 of the Royal Academy of Sciences didnt participate in this ranking, however. They were on a whole different level. In fact, they could no longer be considered as a traditional higher education school. The rain in Baelenbaatar Middle School comes and goes swiftly. A rainbow hung above a nearby artificial lake. Right now no one was in the mood to watch rainbows, however. The schools security guards had already surrounded this place. The school doctors were busy treating the wounded. The damage caused during this fight was more severe than before, and some of the students might very well be in life threatening danger if they failed to treat them in time. The school doctors cast a glance at the broken knife bits and a couple more bent metal on the ground. Then, then turned their heads back to their patients and focused on giving treatment. It would be wise to stay out of this matter. This deputy head teacher wasnt so stupid that he would speak recklessly upon hearing the word AF3. There were two good higher education institutions with the wording AF3 in the local star region, and he was even planning to deliver a batch of graduates to those schools himself. He needed to figure out who this brat really was first. If the brat was well connected with the leaders of those schools then he would have to act with full consideration. That being said a large group of students were watching him right now, and as the deputy head teacher he couldnt allow himself to appear weak. And so the deputy head teacher put his hands behind him, straightened his back, gathered his strength and pointed at Bel with his chin. Then, he spoke with a tone that he thought was very imposing, Which AF3 do you belong to What is this?! The deputy head teacher was cut off by a loud yell before he could finish. In reality, the yell that cut off the deputy head teachers words wasnt all that loud, but it was unusually dignified in a way that was very different from the deputy head teachers own false bravado. A sense of reverence automatically sprung in a persons heart when they listened to this voice. The imposing air the deputy head teacher spent much effort to gather was gone just like that. In fact, the moment he heard this voice his complexion changed as he swallowed whatever he was going to say immediately. After forcing a smile to appear on his fat and oily face, he looked towards the direction of the voice. The crowd opened up a path on their own volition. Not far away, a person had gotten out of his flying car and was walking towards their direction. He wore an imperial military uniform, and his shoulder mark revealed him to be a major. He was slightly older than Cillin and Bel, but he was definitely young for his post. The major was followed by a couple of people that Cillin didnt recognize, but the students around him did, and he learned of their identities as the students whispered among each other. The people with the major were the headmaster and vice headmaster of this school. The fact that a middle schools vice headmaster was walking after the major like a meek boy showed that he was no ordinary person*. *I feel like there is a need to explain this. First, although I translate the word as middle school it should really be seen as middle level education school. In MB Empire there are primary level, middle level and higher level education schools. Moreover, the academic world of MB Empire is so influential that they literally stand equal with royalty. Therefore, if suppose this middle school is like, top 10 within the whole empire, then it is entirely logical for a major to be walking BEHIND the headmaster of said middle school instead. Some of the people who were involved in the brawl earlier hurriedly lower their heads to lessen their presence the moment they saw the major. However, their actions actually had the opposite effect instead. A few thumps later, the fake children who were not Baelenbaatar students got kicked out of the group. They then turned back to their original appearances. Just like how Cillin had moved before, none of the students managed to catch the majors movements. They only heard a series of thumps before these people were kicked out of the crowd and into a pile. The young major let out two chilly laughs. He didnt say anything, but his laugh was all it took to make those people tremble. The deputy head teacher who thought himself oh-so-imposing earlier had also fallen silent; afraid to let out even a little squeak. He cast a glance at the headmaster rushing over towards this direction and broke into a small run towards him. It would seem that he thought that the headmaster was his savior. The major was aware of the head deputy teachers actions, but he couldnt be bothered to care. He swept his gaze across the crowd before pausing for a moment when it reached Cillin. Then, he continued to look at the rest of the people. Bel was standing on the other side on the crowd, and he had withdrawn his umbrella. The crowd was hiding his figure, so the major failed to catch sight of him the first time. There was no severity in his eyes, but all those who met the majors gaze felt so stifled that it was as if a big hand had grabbed them by the throat and pushed them against the ground. Most of the students had lowered their heads to avoid meeting the majors eyes, and even the bodyguards were doing the same thing - except Cillin. After roughly scanning the crowd once, the major said, You have three seconds! It didnt take more than three seconds. The second the major said this, the remaining people who were not Baelenbaatar students walked out of the crowd and stood beside their limp companions like meek mistresses. The fierce energy they displayed when they were fighting earlier was completely gone. None of them dared to provoke this man because he was a man even their boss had to pay respect to. It was no place for lackies like them. Ill deal with you all later. Now roll out of my way! They let out a sigh of relief and pulled their prone and incapacitated companions to the side after hearing the majors words. However, they didnt move far away from this place because to do so was the equivalent of courting death. While they were moving to the side, they all threw a couple of glances at their companion who was being sat on by Cillin. The poor guy had stopped playing dead and was blinking his eyes non-stop as a way to signal for help. The group of people who were rolling out of the way cast a glance at the major who was standing as straight as a rifle after they received his signal for help. However, they didnt even have the courage to open their mouths. The second the major turned his heads towards their direction, they immediately threw their poor companion to the back of their minds and got out of the way in strides. The major looked at Cillin again before walking straight towards him. Major Tousen The headmaster who rushed over to the scene tried to say something, but he was forced to swallow his words after Tousen shot a glance at him. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before turning around to look at the deputy head teacher making a small run towards him. He finally found the punching bag he needed, but even then he didnt dare speak in a loud voice. Bel didnt walk over to Tousen. Although he hadnt seen the guys face, he knew who had shown up the second he heard the name Tousen. Bel had done some research before he came to the 23rd star region, and one of the people he researched was Tousen; Nuhatch Tousen. Chapter 230: Nuhatch Tousen [Part 2] Chapter 230: Nuhatch Tousen [Part 2] Every noble family had areas where they were particularly influential in. Just like the Sizer Family was very famous in the empires flying car industry, the Nuhatch Family was very influential in the area of military. Although their power couldnt compare to the one emperor and three kings, they were one of the big players after excluding the latter. The Nuhatch Family had produced many famous generals; in fact students would find many generals carrying the surname Nuhatch in their imperial history book. Tousen was almost ten years older than Bel, and he was a graduate of AF3. To this day, one could find his name within the list of outstanding AF3 graduates. Bel could hardly not have heard about the former bigshot in AF3; there were many times his lecturers had used Tousen as an example in class. Cillin continued to sit on the persons back even though Tousen was walking straight towards him. He stared directly at Tousen without showing any fear whatsoever. He wasnt trying to be arrogant. From the first moment he saw Tousen, Cillin knew that he mustnt show weakness before him. He would lose on all fronts the moment he tried to. It was completely unrelated to ones status or identity, and it had everything to do with ones strength and skill. Tousen was somewhat similar to Knight. It was why Cillin felt a familiar feeling when he was facing down Tousen. It was just like the time Knight stood in front of him when they first met. Tousen stared at the young man before him. Although the young man was quite a few years younger than him, he didnt show any signs of weaknesses at all. The young man was the one who was sitting and arching his neck to look at him, but for some reason Tousen felt like they were staring at each other at an even level. Everyone had a powerful or weak unique atmosphere of their own. So when Cillin and Tousen grew closer and closer, the clash of atmospheres caused every around them to feel as if the very air had thickened a little. Tousen walked until he was right in front of Cillin. Without a word, he stretched his hand towards the man Cillin was sitting on. His grabbing movement wasnt fast, so everyone around him could see it clearly. But what happened next was a blur to the students. Cillin gripped Tousens incoming wrist forcefully, turned over and used the momentum to throw an elbow strike at Tousens throat. At the same time, he knocked his opponents flying kick back with his knees. Cillins elbow strike failed to connect, however. Tousen had blocked the blow with his palm. Although it was just a palm, it felt as solid as a steel shield. Not only did Tousen manage to stop his attack, he was even pushing back towards him. Both their reactions could only be described as swift, and every strike was only faster than the other. If at first some students were able to catch a glimpse of their movements, then what happened afterwards was a complete blur. They heard the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, but they had no idea how either one of the combatants were faring. The duo had exchanged blows with each other for a very short time. In fact, the entire fight didnt last more than two seconds. But during these two seconds both parties had exchanged at least a couple dozens of blows, and any one of these hits could disable their opponent entirely if they connected even once. When the students saw the duo clearly again, Cillin and Tousen had exchanged places with each other. Right now Tousen was standing in front of the person who took a beating from Cillin, and Cillin was standing at where Tousen previously was standing. The students could only guess who got the better of the other from the duos attire, but unfortunately for them they couldnt see anything. They still looked the same as they were before. That being said, a lot of people were starting to grow fear towards Cillin, especially the group who was told to roll out of the way. Right now every one of them were thanking their lucky stars for not attacking Cillin earlier, because they would certainly be destroyed by the end of the fight. Already they couldnt remember the number of times they were destroyed by Tousen and his underlings. It was exactly why they acted like terrified mice when they saw the proverbial cat that was Tousen. Tousen massaged his palm for a bit. It was warm; he had no idea this kid had so much strength until they fought. At the same time, Tousen was shocked by Cillins combat abilities. The onlookers might not have noticed anything, but not Tousen. A different person might be surprised that Cillin remained strong despite exchanging head on blows with Tousen, but Tousen himself knew that he had already lost. He didnt need to touch his gun to know that the weapon had fallen apart inside his holster, and the thing that caused it to fall apart was a fist that brushed past the clothes around his waist just now. It was the only opportunity the kid had to do such a thing. Not even Tousen could predict that Cillin would come off with results even though his blow failed to connect perfectly. The corner of Tousens lips turned upwards; he didnt feel anger towards his loss at all. He kicked the man lying on the ground once with his heel, and it caused the latters dislocated bones to pop back into place. Although the man was still in a lot of pain, he could now climb back up to his feet and force himself to walk. And that was exactly what he did because he would rather endure the pain, stagger and roll out of the way than stay right next to these two people. Whats your name, kid? Tousen looked at Cillin without showing much emotion on his eyes. He might admire Cillin a lot, but he didnt show it on his face. The fart does it have anything to do with you! Bel, not Cillin, was the one who cut off Cillins answer as he walked over to their side. Out of everyone present in this area, the prince was literally the only one who dared to shout at a major who was also a noble with such an offensive tone. Tousens face very obviously stiffened as Bel walked with his feet splayed outwards towards him. The corner of his eyes twitched again and again Why is this little devil here?! The answer quickly came to himself. If those two from Blazing Eagle had shown up, then it wasnt strange for this little devil to be here as well. That being said, this wasnt a fortuitous encounter whatsoever. Tousen was aware of some famous fops among the nobles, but these fops were only arrogant when they were outside. Normally, they were as timid as turtles when they were facing their own fathers. Bel was an exception however, he wasnt even afraid of King Blazing Eagle. Everyone in the empire knew that the guy most prone to irrationality and stupid acts was the prince before him. Tousen tugged at the corner of his lips. I didnt know you were here, Your Royal Highness. Your Your Royal Highness?! Everyone in the area was dumbstruck by his words. The head deputy teacher especially felt like committing suicide. What was he doing just now? Did he really point a finger at His Royal Highness and tried to lecture him? It didnt matter which family the prince belonged to, because he had no right to preach any of them, not to mention that all three princes of the royal families were infamously bad tempered. He was dead. There was no way he could escape this time. Chang Three and Chang Fours mouths were slightly agape. Your Royal Highness? Is there really a prince like this? This prince was just skinning frogs inside a kitchen moments ago! The headmaster and the rest of the school staff also came to their own realization. Your Royal Highness? Could he be the prince of the Blazing Eagle royal family? After all, the royal family troops who showed up at Baelenbaatar also belonged to Blazing Eagle. Some students had come to the same conclusion, but none of them dared to say a word right now. A brawl had just happened after all. Bel couldnt care less about these peoples attention. He watched Tousen like he was watching a thief before moving forwards to give him a push. I thought you soldiers are always busy, arent you? So go busy yourself with things and stay out of this. We shall not trouble you with such trivial matters. While saying this, he turned around to look at the headmaster who was twirling his fingers. The school will deal with this properly, right? Of of course! The headmaster reassured again and again. Although he was a noble himself, his family was absolutely incomparable to a royal family. Frankly speaking Bel could kick him off his position right now if he so wished. Theres no need to rush. I was originally here to check out Baelenbaatar Middle Schools environment since I heard that its a relaxing place. Should we find a place to sit and speak with each other? It was a question, but Tousens face betrayed the finality of the issue. Our school has plenty of places for you to conduct such talks. I shall arrange The headmaster hastily said. Theres no need! Bel cut off the headmaster before he could finish. It is best we remain uninvolved with the military as much as possible. We are just normal students, and we prefer not to get in contact with the military while were still receiving our higher education. The second the deputy head teacher heard Bel said receiving our higher education, his relaxing heart abruptly tightened up like a spring once more. Thankfully for him, he fainted upon hearing the answer. He was Your Royal Highness, there could only be one place he was referring to when he said AF3. That isnt necessarily true. Back then I was already performing missions for the military while I was still studying. Tousen waved a hand carelessly. You said it yourself. Then is then, now is now. Were just a bunch of bad students who have no heart for studying. All we want to do is to enjoy life. Bel said in a foppish way. Look Well dont look! Bel grabbed Cillin and immediately ran towards outside. Come on, Your Royal Highness, let us talk No talks! No talks! Just give up just forget about it already! Impressively, Bel managed to recall the word play he used against his father while he was running away. Tousen smiled as he watched Bel pulling Cillin with him and running towards the distance. Just you wait, kid! Ignoring the confused crowd who still had no idea what they were talking about, Tousen walked back to his flying car and drove away. After Tousen left, the headmaster and vice headmasters finally regained their authority as they directed the security guards and the medical staff at the scene. The forgotten group who was told to roll to a side exchanged a couple of glances with each other. In the end, they obediently went back to Tousen to receive their punishment of their own accord. If their guesses were correct, then they had a jail to sit and a couple of beatings waiting for them around the corner. Sigh! When Tousen returned to the place the school had originally sent him to, he took out his gun holster and poured out the scattered parts inside. A moment later, he quickly reassembled the parts into a perfectly intact gun. Tousen looked at the gun for a moment before putting it back into the holster. He tapped the table surface and thought about things that only he knew. Behind Tousen, two officers exchanged a glance with each other after they saw the smile on Tousens face. Their superior was probably coming up with some devious scheme again. When Bel dragged Cillin back to Chang Fours hostel, the first thing he said was, Dont you fall for that guys trap, Cillin! You absolutely, absolutely must not join the army! He wants to seduce the Blazing Eagle royal familys men, doesnt he? Well he aint getting a door or a window to come in! Cillin thought to himself: Since when did I become the Blazing Eagle royal familys men? Although the empire practiced a hierarchical social system, big powers still paid a lot of attention to extremely talented individuals. Luring each others talented individuals was a pretty common thing. Listen to me, the army is a painful and tiring and unrewarding place. Hmm you probably cant even find a wife easily when youre in the army. Can you imagine being a bunch of dudes who are forced into a cramped space and whipped everyday? If youre unlucky you might not even get to see a girl for a couple of years straight Now look at where you are right now. Its great, its relaxing, you can do whatever you want or fantasize about any girls. You are as free as you wish to be! So why should you ever go into the military and ask for trouble Cillin could do nothing but nod his head passively as Bel rattled on about the negatives of joining the army. It was likely that Your Royal Highness had suffered the same pain in the past, or there was no way he couldve explained them in such detail and complemented them with an equally lively facial expression. At the side, Nakut couldnt find an opening to mention that the roasted frogs were ready for a very long time. Chapter 231: Get Me That Cillin Kid [Part 1] Chapter 231: Get Me That Cillin Kid [Part 1] Cillin felt that Bel had fallen into a vicious loop. Why? It might be because Bel had spoken too much of his miserable past that he literally couldnt stop talking right now. Bel was talking about the seventh time he was beaten up by his dad and tossed into the royal army with Ulaganuo of the Snowstorm Wendyska Family to drill with the guards when his communicator rang. The prince frowned and pressed the Accept button when he saw the unfamiliar number displayed on the screen of his communicator. Prince Scott Bel, Your Highness Tousens face appeared on the screen. Beep Bel immediately cut off the connection the moment he saw Tousens face. He also blocked the number. Where were we just now? Bel asked Cillin. Cillin made a 7 with his finger. Oh right, we were talking about me being caught for the seventh time Bel was just about to continue his story when his communicator rang again. This time, the number was Mussos. What is it? Bel asked impatiently. Mussos smile looked a little unnatural on the screen. Your Highness, Tousen said Beep Bel cut off the connection and pulled the communicator off his wrist. Then, he looked around the room and tossed the communicator into the furnace with a thud. Cillin: ... Do you have to go that far? Meanwhile, Musso was smiling wryly at the blank screen of the communicator. He turned around to the other side and faced Tousen on the screen. You saw the princes temper with your own eyes. He doesnt give anyone face when he gets stubborn, not to mention that such a thing doesnt exist between us and the prince to begin with. Fine. Ill contact Prince Gen Xingming directly and tell him to contact Prince Scott Bel himself. After Tousen cut off the connection, he crossed his legs, put them on the table and propped his chin with his finger. He hadnt actually sought out Bel to talk about Cillin just now; he was trying to pass on a message. Before he came to Baaelenbaatar, he had ran into Gen Xingming of the Fuji Gen Family on a planet, and Gen Xingming had told him to pass on a message to Bel when he sees him. But now, it would seem that Bel didnt want to hear Tousens voice at all. He was guarding against Tousen like he was a thief. The more Bel acted this way, the more curious Tousen became. Although he had fought Cillin for 2 seconds only, it was enough proof of Cillins strength already. Other than his ability to take apart his holstered gun without him noticing in a head on exchange, What other qualities did Cillin possess to win such preferential treatment from Bel? Although Bel was an unreliable and an unusual prince who was prone to occasional stupid acts, no one in the royal family was an easy picking. Bel might look like a silly man sometimes, but he could be more cunning than a fox if he felt like it. Just why did Bel want to pull Cillin into the Blazing eagle Vogel Family so much? Tousen looked at the information his subordinates had collected regarding Cillin. There was too little data, and it was impossible to figure out anything from it at all. Moreover, the Sizer Family obviously had a hand in this matter since Cillins information was made fuzzy. Just how capable was Cillin to be able to catch the eyes of a great noble family like the Sizer Family and the prince of the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family himself? The military region joint exercise was rapidly approaching, and everyone in every military region was doing their best to excavate new blood with potential. If it wasnt for this, Tousen wouldnt have come to Baelenbaatar to try his luck. After all, every school had some special talents that they nurtured specifically for the use of the army. For example, some of the courses they prepared paved a path towards the military. Baelenbaatar was Tousens fifth stop; he didnt find anyone that was met his expectations during the previous four stops. Tousen hadnt expected to find anyone too impressive in middle schools, so he never imagined that he would run into someone like Cillin. The impression Cillin left him was unlike that of a student at all; he reminded him of the people in AF1 and AF2. However, Cillin also carried himself with an aura that obviously distinguished him from those people. But what was it that made him feel this way? He was like a killer, but not a killer. He was like a student in AF1 and AF2, but he was obviously not part of their group either. He just couldnt wrap his head around it. Tousens dilemma was understandable. There were Hunters in Mist Bodhisattva Empire, but they were far, far inferior the Hunters in GAL both in terms of numbers and quality. In Mist Bodhisattva Empire, great nobles wielded absolute labor and physical resources. Moreover, the royal army and the united imperial defense troops wouldnt allow a large organization that might potentially destabilize the empire like a Hunter regiment to appear either. If someone needed some rare minerals to be found or an unknown star region to be unearthed and developed, the great nobles would simply spend money and hire some people to do the job. Naturally, the rewards of fell into the great nobles pocket too. That was why Cillin the Hunter couldnt be understood by anyone in this place. Failing to figure out anything useful, Tousen grabbed his communicator and entered a series of characters and symbols. They looked like a password lock. Not long after, the line connected as a beautiful blonde with a sexy figure appeared on the screen. Yo, my little Tousen. Where did you find the time to call me? Ever since you left you havent contacted us even once. We miss you so much, you know! Had Tousen been someone else, her tempting words wouldve caused their imagination to run wild. But Tousen shivered as he hastily put on a smile and said, Please dont, Mrs Griffin. I seriously cant handle you or the other teachers. Although Tousen had studied at AF3, he once went to AF1 and AF2 while he was still studying to receive training. Those training sessions turned out to be very useful when Tousen performed some military missions later on. This golden-haired beauty named Griffin was one of the people who trained him back then. Griffin was a teacher in AF2. Although she had a sexy figure that made her look like she was just over twenty years old, she was in fact almost as old as Tousens grandmother. Moreover her skills were extremely deadly, and she wore the badge of a colonel. Tousen couldnt help but shiver again when he recalled the tragedy that was his training period. Mrs Griffin, Im calling you today to check on a person with you. Chapter 231: Get Me That Cillin Kid [Part 2] Chapter 231: Get Me That Cillin Kid [Part 2] Tousen looked serious and imposing when he was standing before so many others back at Baelenbaatar Middle School, but in front of Mrs Griffin he was meeker than even when he was facing his own dad. Haah, you heartless little fellow, I knew you would act this way. Were the kind of people who wont appear even in your day dream when youre free. Youll only remember us when you need something. Griffin wrapped her hair around her finger and sighed. Tousen smiled embarrassedly. He knew that Griffin wasnt angry with him; that was just how the teachers usually spoke. Well, speak. Who do you want to know about? And dont say I didnt warn you, but you better not be eyeing our men. I cant stand sending my men to that trashcan of yours. Is that what the entire 23rd military region means to you?! Ahem, its like this. I want to know if theres a person named Cillin at AF1 or AF2? Oh right, I have a video of him that I can show. Tousen replayed Cillins video for Griffin. The video started from the moment Tousen started walking towards Cillin, and Cillin sitting on the person he threw on the ground. Cillin first looked up to stare straight at Tousen. Then, he shifted his gaze shifted behind Tousen towards the flying car the latter had driven over. It was a military use flying car, and a camera was installed above the vehicle. It was the camera that Cillin was staring at, so the camera caught this image as well. Griffin couldnt tell how Cillin looked when he was staring at Tousen, but during that one instant he had looked at the camera, his eyes Griffin narrowed her eyes once. She had let go of her hair and started brushing the finger against the eye tooth at the edge of her red lips. Every hair behind Tousens back stood on its end the second he saw Griffins appearance. As someone who knew her, he only knew too well what this particular habit of his teacher meant. It meant that there was no chance in hell his military region was going to get Cillin no matter what. Ahem, um Mrs Griffin. Since youre all busy your student shall be on his way Hmm? The slightly raised note was all it took to stop Tousen from cutting off the call. He waited meekly for Griffin to continue. Say, little Tousen. What is this kids name again? Griffin asked. Cillin, Tousen answered meekly. Meanwhile, he cursed himself hundreds and thousands times over in his own mind. God dammit that idiot Bels stupidity had infected me! I cant believe I called Mrs Griffin about this! Its finished, I went for wool and came back shorn! Cillin, huh so when are you going to get me this Cillin kid, little Tousen? Griffin asked with a bright and beautiful smile on her face. Tousen wanted to cry. Get her Cillin? How?! Um I think itll be a little difficult, Mrs Griffin. Tousens voice grew smaller and smaller. Tell me. Er, not only hes backed by the Sizer Family, hes also backed by the Blazing Eagle royal family too. I want to get Cillin for the 23rd military region myself, but that Scott Bel is guarding me like hes guarding against a thief. I just cant find an opportunity. Griffin snorted when she heard Tousens words. Oh little Tousen, youve gotten worse and worse ever since you were delegated to the 23rd military region, I see. Never mind! Im feeling good today so I shant pick on your faults today. You can forget about Cillin now; Ill make sure that no other military region... will take him in. Her claim sounded a little boastful. How dare a mere teacher of a military school and a colonel make such a confident claim? Was she aware how many generals, lieutenant generals and major generals there were in the entire empire? A mere colonel would never get a turn to decide things! Any colonel but Griffin that is, and Tousen knew this very well. In fact, a lot of the empires generals these days were taught by none other than Griffin herself. Yes madam! Good boy. When Griffin finally cut off the call, Tousen exhaled deep on his end. Although he had left school for a couple of years already, he still couldnt help himself from trembling in fear when he met his teacher again. I think I did a bad thing! Tousen thought while rubbing his chin. Then, he decided not to inform Bel and Cillin about this. It wasnt like Bel would allow him to finish his words anyway, so they could deal with this predicament themselves. At the very least, no other military region was getting Cillin if the 23rd military region couldnt get him. Meanwhile, after cutting off the call with Tousen, Griffin brought up a display and rummaged through the records inside. When she found a particular video record and played it on her screen, she compared it to the image of Cillin Tousen sent her. Their eyes are so similar. Naturally, Griffin knew everything about her own students such as their past experiences, their personality, their habits and so on. But just what did Cillin go through to have eyes like this? It would seem that there were still plenty of precious treasures out there that were beyond their sights. Right now, Bel and Cillin who were eating roasted frogs with Chang Three and Chang Four still had no idea that they were occupying the minds of many people. Originally, Cillin was going to get back to Old Chang first after taking care of Chang Three and Chang Four. However, after Bel received a certain message, he dragged Cillin to another planet in the 23rd star region. Before they departed, Cillin communicated with Old Chang a little to learn about the shop and Chang Fives recovery. However, he had used the public communicator at Baelenbaatars head deputy teachers office to call them instead of using his own communicator. Bel said that he wouldnt need to pay for the communication fee this way, and the display of the public communicator was a lot clearer than Cillins own small and shabby communicator. Anyway, it was a waste not to use a readily available resource. One of the good things about Mist Bodhisattva Empire was that every star region in the empire shared one gigantic communication network. It made communication a lot more convenient than otherwise. Cillin and Bel hadnt stayed for more than 24 hours in Baelenbaatar, but the commotion they caused was enough to be recorded into one of the top ten most influential events to ever happen in Baelenbaatar. It was because some of Baelenbaatars denizens got to see the prince of the Blazing Eagle royal family who was studying in the Third Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences everyone yearned for, and the noble born Major Tousen fighting evenly against a certain young man with their own eyes. Although the exchange of blows was incredibly brief and no one saw their movements clearly, they did see the headmaster and other leaders of the school trembling before the duo Regardless of what happened, Chang Three and Chang Four were no longer looked down upon by the other nobles. In their view, these two kids were backed up by the prince of the Blazing Eagle royal family himself. The leaders of the school also thought them as seedlings with a great future ahead of them. After that day, Nakut who had helped roasted the frogs often boasted before other people that he once ate roasted frogs together with the prince. As for Cillin, many people seemed to think that he was a foil beneath the prince of the Blazing Eagle royal family and Major Tousen. Only a small amount of people placed more attention onto Cillin, and these people all went on to achieve great things in the future. Among these people were Lu Jie and Tai Tu. Cillin and Bel took Bels 4-man spaceplane to Gen Xingmings planet while Musso and Ichechi were still busy dealing with the mess they left behind their butts. Sitting inside the spaceplane, Cillin rubbed his finger where the curly leaf ring was. Cillin had put on a pair of gloves not long after he arrived at Mist Bodhisattva Empire, and the glove covered up his palm and the finger with the ring specifically. It was also why Bel hadnt discovered the secret on Cillins finger all this time. Genya once said that he could take him home when his ring resonates, but when was it going to resonate exactly? Would it resonate if he were to run into a direct descendant of the Gen Family? Would Gen Xingming, son of the current King Fuji be able to cause a reaction from the ring? Cillin looked forward to it. Chapter 232: AF1 and AF2 Are Coming [Part 1] Chapter 232: AF1 and AF2 Are Coming [Part 1] Bels spaceplane was neither stopped by the spaceship patrolling the planet, nor prompted by the defense network to verify its ID. They were able to fly straight towards the planet unhindered. Some of the patrols inside the patrol spaceship exchanged a glance of deep understanding with each other. The reason they hadnt stopped the spaceplane for an inspection was because their scanner had already scanned the ID code of the spaceplane. They knew exactly what kind of people they were dealing with when the scan revealed the first few letters of the ID code. It was a spaceplane that belonged to the Blazing Eagle royal family, and judging from the characters and numbers on the code, the owner of this ID sat very high within the Blazing Eagle royal family. Therefore, who in their right mind would have the guts to stop the spaceplane for an inspection? Not long after, Musso and Ichechi came after their prince as well. When the patrols saw the huge Blazing Eagle symbol on the spaceplane, they hastily reported the situation to their higher ups. Bel never bothered dealing with the planetary government of a planet. He normally dumped all of the work to Musso and Ichechi. Right now, he was calling someone on his new communicator. Hey dude, where on earth are you right now!? Your bros here, so get out here and receive your prince already. The only answer Bel got was a beep. Fuck! That fucker must be chasing skirts again! Bel wasnt actually angry. He brought up the communicators control screen and began investigating the location of Gen Xingmings signal just now. Then, he set the spaceplane to drive automatically to the big sized parking spot closest to the coordinates. Gen Xingming was in a city right now. Cillin and Bel walked towards their destination after the spaceplane was parked. Night had just arrived on this city, but the colorful night life of this city wasnt in any way inferior to its lively daytime. The brilliant colors on the displays of the city center proclaimed to the world they citys exuberant vitality. Cillin looked up. There was a skyscraper completely covered in light not far away from them. It looked like a giant road sign showing the way for the people of this city. In reality, this skyscraper wasnt the tallest skyscraper to exist within the city. In fact, there were plenty of skyscrapers that outmatched it in terms of height. In this area though, it was the tallest building, or rather this particular area of the city had few skyscrapers. This bustling city cared more about distinguishable features than height. Here, there were all kinds of strangely shaped buildings, and every one of these buildings had their own characteristics. These features made it so that visitors easily memorized them. For example, Cillin and Bels destination - a bar - had an exterior that looked like a goblet with wine in it. You could even see through this goblet shaped bar and look at the building behind it. The transparent walls of the goblet were filled with wine that constantly changed colors. They were either transparent, pretty yellow, intense red, or azure There were inseparable bonds behind the illusion, and it added a tinge of mysteriousness and suggestiveness to the bar. All those who entered seemed to literally vanish into the glass of pure brew, invisible to all those who were looking from outside. The building was in fact made using a special building material that tricked a persons sight with the use of light. It really showed how much effort the owner put into designing their bar. After entering through a door at the foot of the goblet, the environment felt completely different from outside. The bar was split into several areas of atmospheres such as the one that was more stylish or the one that was more romantic. There were signs at the entrance that directed customers down to an area with their preferred style and atmosphere. Bel immediately went towards the area that had a rather flamboyant style. The moment they went in, explosive beats immediately began pounding against their faces. The gray cat swung its tail left and right according to the rhythm and moved its claws once. What a familiar atmosphere. It was familiar, very familiar. Cillin still remembered the night the gray cat and Rikulab had fought each other in a dance battle at Dance Night on Acallela like yesterday. After flicking the already restless gray cat on his shoulder, Cillin too walked into the area. Bel cast a glance across the floor. There was no need to look. There was a group of people at the dance floor, and the person they were surrounding was none other than Gen Xingming. Right now, little prince Gen was holding a beautiful girl dressed in tight mini skirt and dancing passionately with her. His hands were even swimming across the deep ravines of the girls well rounded body. The crowd watching the dance were either screaming or whistling coquettishly at the sight, but the duo on the dance floor didnt seem to be affected by their reactions. Both parties looked like they enjoyed the atmosphere a lot. Bels lips curled. No wonder this fucker had ignored his call; he was busy wooing a girl. Look at them throwing flirtatious looks with each other! He looked at his surroundings. It would seem that the women around him were all staring at Gen Xingmings face so intently that he couldnt even find room to strike up a conversation. It would appear that his abilities were still inferior to Gen Xingmings! Cillin found a place and took a seat. They served free wine and snacks around here. The gray cat crouched on the table before Cillin and swayed left and right according to the rhythm. While pawing a flaky biscuit to its mouth and staring at the group, it thought to itself: their dancing skills are even lousier than Rikulabs! God knows what Gen Xingming would think if he learned that he was looked down on by a cat. The danced eventually ended. Bel cried out loudly, Come on, lets have an encore! Gen Xingming cast a glance at the shouting Bel not far away from him; he knew too well what Bel really meant when he said encore. On the surface, it sounded like he was allowing him to have another go, but in reality he meant: if you continue any further Ill thrash up this place! And so Gen Xingming released his arm around the womans waist and said a little something beside her ears. Then, he walked away from the dance floor, gave the others an opportunity to show themselves off and walked towards Bel. Youre finally here, you bastard! Gen Xingming punched Bel in the shoulder once. Well why didnt you contact me earlier then? You didnt even tell me that youve come to star region twenty three! Bel punched back while saying. You dont have the right to say that! Didnt I tell Tousen to tell you to contact me? Normally, Bel was the busier guy in the group. If someone were to call him while he was busy with something, he wouldnt bother to take the call at all. Gen Xingming was sure that his call would most likely be ignored if he were to contact Bel himself, and he was in fact entirely right to assume so. There was nothing Bel hated more than to be disturbed while he was experiencing life. Dont talk to me about Tousen! In that case, why does it show that your communicator cant be reached after I tried to call you later? Gen Xingming had called Bel more than thirty times, and it wasnt until the last time that the line finally became connected. Every call he attempted earlier showed a no signal error. Oh, that. I tossed my old communicator and got a new one. Fine, I forgive you. Gen Xingming raised his chin. Come on, lets go somewhere else and have a nice chat. Bel asked Cillin to follow them before telling Gen Xingming, This guy here is Cillin, hes a new bro I met not long ago. Oh right, the cat on his shoulder is Wheeze. It is a very clever cat. The gray cat that was about to get emotional for being ignored suddenly grew invigorated when it heard the adjective clever. It whiskers shook once spiritedly as it looked proudly at Gen Xingming. Gen Xingming didnt look at the gray cat. Instead, he cast another glance at Cillin. For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity from Cillin even though he had never known nor seen him before in his life. He didnt remember meeting someone who looked like Cillin either. So why did he feel so familiar? In fact Cillin himself thought that Gen Xingming looked very familiar to the eye. Gen Xingming actually looked very similar to Genya. Although Cillin only remembered Genya as an old person, a complex modal analysis that Gen Xingmings face was at least a 60% to 70% match to a younger Genya! But Genya said that he had no children, so it meant that Gen Xingmings elders were very closely related to Genya. What really puzzled Cillin however, was that the ring had not reacted at all to Gen Xingming, the genuine Gen Family prince standing before him. He could only send Genya back home when a resonance were to appear in the ring, but the ring hadnt reacted to Gen Xingming. In that case, what did it take to make the ring react? Seeing that their eyes were looking a little strange, Bel asked, Do you guys know each other or something? Why do they look like theyre looking at familiar faces? Both Cillin and Gen Xingming shook their heads at the same time. I dont know him. Seeing that it was ignored once again, the gray cat hit Cillin once impatiently with its tail. Cillin gave it a rub under the chin to calm it down. Alright, lets go. Where do we head to? Bel gave the slightly dazed Gen Xingming a push. Gen Xingming pointed above their heads. Upstairs. Gen Xingming led Cillin and Bel to the top of the bar. It was an open air floor. Right now Cillins group was standing above the liquid of the goblet. When they entered the floor, Cillin noticed that the ground looked just like crystals. When he looked downwards, he had a feeling that he was standing on a crystal mine. The surrounding walls were also displaying images that fitted the atmosphere. Since it was open air, the air circulation of this place became much improved. There werent many people up here, and it didnt feel as stuffy as inside the bar. Gen Xingming picked an empty table and gestured for Bel and Cillin to take their seats. He then chose a few wine bottles and snacks from an electronic display that popped into the open. What do you think? Its not bad, isnt it? You should know that not just anyone can enter this place, Gen Xingming said. Bel looked at his surroundings but wasnt able to find a lone babe to pick up. He looked a little disappointed as he threw Gen Xingming a kick. Hey, who was that babe you were dancing with just now? Gen Xingming answered while looking like he was staring at an idiot, How would I know that! Yeah, our young master Xingming never needs to strike up a conversation. Babes just automatically flock to him. A voice rang from behind Gen Xingming. Dwei?! Bel exclaimed in surprise when he saw the girl walking towards Gen Xingming from behind. Dwei was born in a middle rank noble family. She used to be students with Bel and Gen Xingming, but her rebellious nature prompted her to set out on her own after she had finished her middle level education. Bel didnt think that Dwei would show up here. As if he had suddenly figured out something, Bel moved his fingers in a circle once before asking, Is this bar yours? Yeah. Its not bad, isnt it? Dwei put the wine and snacks Gen Xingming ordered on the table. Im really sorry for any inconvenience caused, Miss Dwei. While sitting crosslegged, Gen Xingming picked up a nut from the plate and began crunching. Dwei rolled her eyes at him. A freeloader doesnt have the right to say that. Dwei pulled over a chair and sat down with them. After looking at Cillin once, she asked Bel, Why dont you introduce him to me? Hes Cillin. Cillin, this is Dwei. In the future, just say her name and youll be able to freeload anything. Bel said without a care. Cillin understood that Bel and Gen Xingming must be pretty close to this girl to be able to act like they were. This Dwei girl seemed to be a pretty outspoken person herself, or she wouldnt have been able to mingle with the two princes so well. The gray cat walked around the wine bottles once. A sniff later, it held a wine bottle with its paws, pulled out the stopper, scooped over Cillins glass with its front limbs and held the wine bottle by the neck, pouring wine into the glass. Gen Xingmings eyes widened. This cat is seriously smart! The gray cat threw him a disdainful glance before ignoring them all. Once the glass was full, it put back the stopper, crouched before the glass and licked up the wine. It didnt take long for it to finish. After wiping its mouth once, it repeated its earlier movements and continued to drink And so the table of four watched the cat finishing all four of Dweis wine bottles without any regard. Gen Xingming stared at the gray cats stomach before turning to look at the four empty bottles. This cat where on earth did the wine go? Cillin made a dont ask me expression. He knew that this cats stomach was like a bottomless hole, and that it always caught the bigger prey first when it was out hunting. In comparison, these four bottles of wine were literally nothing. Still, Cillin was worried. He didnt think that the gray cat had ever drunk so much wine in its life. Would it act crazy after it had gotten drunk? At the same time, on another planet, Tousen received an encrypted message. It was a password protected message sent to him by Griffin. After he decrypted the message and read it, Tousen hurriedly contacted the military and the relevant personnel on the planet Cillin and the others were currently at. Chapter 232: AF1 and AF2 Are Coming [Part 2] Chapter 232: AF1 and AF2 Are Coming [Part 2] Right now Cillin was feeling very distressed. How did he not notice that this cat was fond of the bottle until today? It was also a picky drinker; the types of wine it enjoyed were all very expensive. More and more empty bottles were starting to pile up on the table before them. Dwei had delivered the drinks of her own accord because the gray cat would stare at her with its round eyes every time it was done drinking, causing her normally unflinching resolution to weaken in an instant. Gen Xingming cast a glance at Cillin. Its the tenth bottle. The ten wine bottles contained pretty strong wine, and Gen Xingming himself was sure that he would go out like the light if he were to drink them all in one sitting, even if he somehow had the physique to stomach the sheer volume of liquid. So why did it feel like this cat was growing more and more energetic as it drank? Dwei carried over another five bottles of wine and watched the cats one-cat-show excitedly on her seat. She didnt pour any wine for the gray cat however, and she simply watched it did all the work on its own. She had never seen a cat like this until today. Bel rubbed his temples for a bit. Why did he feel like everyone present had faded away into the background? How did it turn out that three ladykillers were inferior to a cat with gray fur? Ahem. Say, Wheeze The gray cat suddenly froze before Bel could finish. The paw it had around the bottleneck abruptly tightened and caused it to break in half. The gray cat looked up at a certain point in the sky. Whats going on? Bel, Gen Xingming and Dwei looked at Cillin in puzzlement. Technically speaking Cillin was the cats master, so he should know what its behavior meant, right? But Cillin was also staring seriously towards that direction. Cillins nose for danger was obviously higher than the rest. He was sure that these people were coming for them too. Bel, Gen Xingming and Dwei finally realized that something was happening when they saw that Cillin was on alert. There were actually bodyguards within the vicinity of Gen Xingming and Bel, and their job was to secretly protect the duo at all times. After all, they were the princes of two royal families. None of them could bear the consequences after all if anything were to happen to the princes. That was why they felt puzzled by Cillin and the gray cats reactions. They didnt sense anything out of the ordinary. However, when a spaceplane slowly appeared before everyones eyes, they all realized that the passengers within this medium-sized spaceplane were no ordinary people. The spaceplane hadnt camouflaged itself using the night sky, so it would seem that they werent afraid of being discovered. After circling once around the building overtly, the spaceplane flew up to the airspace of a nearby skyscraper. The exit beneath the spaceplane opened, and seven figures jumped out of the vehicle and landed on top of the skyscraper. The light emitting from the surface of the skyscraper and the giant lamppost on top of the building illuminated the newcomers faces clearly. Cillin didnt even need a telescopic equipment to see these people clearly. Meanwhile, the bodyguards responsible for protecting Gen Xingming and Bel felt their stomachs churn upon seeing those people. They werent the only ones who felt the same way; neither Bel nor Gen Xingming looked much better than they were. Their faces had darkened, and their bodies were completely tensed up. Dammit, why did those freaks show up here! Gen Xingming cursed. Who are they? Cillin asked. For some reason, he couldnt shake the feeling that these people had come for him. However, he hadnt arrived at Mist Bodhisattva Empire for long, so according to Bels explanation he shouldnt have come into contact with people at the level of AF1 and AF2 just yet. Bel swallowed once before answering his question with a suffering look on his face, Those people are the freaks from AF1 and AF2 that I told you about. From left to right, theyre Requiem Vega of AF1, the brother and sister Puno and Yenov of AF2, Goryeo of AF1, Bie Yao and Zanny of AF2, and finally that black panther beside Requiem is called Panther. Hes also from AF1. Although Bel and Gen Xingming would rather die than run into anyone from AF1 or AF2, they had memorized these peoples data since a long time ago so they would be spared of the shame of not knowing who their nemeses were in case they were taken out by them in the future. However, they never thought that they would run into so many AF1 and AF2 people at once; even one of them was enough to make their lives hell already. Just who was the person who gathered all these people? The fact that Requiem Vega herself had appeared proved that this encounter was no minor skirmish of sorts. Dwei had already informed the staff inside the building to clear out all those who were inside the building. If a fight really were to break out at her place, she wasnt sure if her bar would still be standing by the end considering the AF1 and AF2s legendary reputation. At the roof of the skyscraper, Requiems stared at that guy at the roof of the bar beneath her and frowned. Before she came here, she had failed to figure out why Griffin had gone so far as to send out seven of them at once. But now, she was starting to understand. Griffin had told her that she would understand once she saw Cillin with her own eyes. Beside Requiem, the black panther swayed his tail for a bit and said, Why do I feel like his eyes look a little like White Nights? Now that you say it, I think so too, Bie Yao said. No wonder I thought his eyes look familiar. So thats why. Goryeo was sitting at the edge and swinging his legs leisurely. He didnt look like he was troubled by the fact that he was sitting at the edge of a hundred-floor tall building in the slightest. White Night was a legend in AF1. Griffin and the teachers often commented that White Night had an incredibly keen pair of eyes that made people felt like a prey when he looked at someone. The hunter and the prey. Even when the hunter was in the open and the prey was in the dark, nothing could escape the hunters eyes. Is this why Mrs. Griffin attach so much value to him? Inov rubbed her fists together eagerly. Well know after we give it a try, wont we? Requiem took a step forwards and stood so close the edge of the roof that half her foot was standing on nothing but air. She looked like she would fall off the roof if she even bent a few degrees forward, but no one around her seemed to be worried for her safety in the slightest. Requiem clasped her hands together and placed them beside her mouth. As her fingers moved, a melodic sound appeared from between her hands. Dont listen to that sound! Bel shouted a warning at Cillin before he quickly covered up his own ears. They were so far away from each other, and yet the melody sounded unbelievably clear when it reached them. The melody first rushed at them like the explosion of life or an instantaneous but terrific impact. Then, it was followed by a gust of air that felt strong enough to blow apart ones soul. Everything happened so quickly in an instant that the people werent prepared for it, but the nerve became taut within the dense, oppressive and smothering space. Then, countless thoughts became joined in an instant. The soul that was trapped between her fingers begged meekly for release. Then, an unstoppable force came and vanished just as quickly as it appeared. The sudden feeling of calmness and relaxation left behind a sense of loss that felt like the pointless waste of ones life. A voice attracted the losts attention. It was a call, a call hidden within the wind, a wind that brushed against their faces and smothered them. The darkness was almost gone, and all that was left was empty and ephemeral. The mind goes blank! The people who heard the melody maintained their former poses foolishly, but a blank hope colored all of their expressions. These people were all submerged in their own consciousness feeling as if that their five senses had been isolated from their minds. They couldnt detect what was going on around them. The reason Requiem Vega was called Requiem Vega was because that sound seemed capable of intimidating the spirit and guiding the soul. This might seem all too incredible, but it was in fact a kind of high level mesmerism; a hypnosis technique that Requiem Vega was born with. It couldnt be replicated because the same effects couldnt be reproduced with a recording of the sound. This natural talent was the main reason Requiem was chosen by AF1. Bel and Gen Xingmings backs were covered in sweat. It took them a lot of energy to resist this sound. The music was finally over, but Bel and Gen Xingming had only gotten even more nervous than before. It was because they knew that this wasnt the end but the beginning. Now, what were these people going to do next? The bodyguards responsible for protecting Bel and Gen Xingming were all experts within the royal families, but it wasnt easy for them either to resist the hypnotic sound. They didnt dare use their guns because the conflict would escalate immediately if they tried. Before the objective of these AF1 and AF2 students were made clear, there was a unanimous opinion to observe the situation and do everything that was necessary to protect the two princes. A temporary silence loomed over both parties after Requiem had stopped her sound. No one took any action whatsoever. They all stood quietly and waited. On the other side, Requiem and her group were analyzing Cillin and evaluating Bel and Gen Xingmings abilities in the process. The fact that theyd managed to resist the hypnotic music proved that they were no slouches. On the other hand, Cillin didnt seem to have reacted to the sound at all. This puzzled Requiem and the others greatly. Genya had taught Cillin hypnotism since young, and Cillin himself had learned many techniques since then. Therefore, Cillins skill and resistance had gotten stronger especially after the experience at the prison of Sector S. Therefore, it wasnt easy to hypnotise someone like Cillin. Bel cast a glance at Gen Xingming. By now, even Dwei had come back to herself. The three of them had known each other since young, and theyd cooperated with each other quite a lot back at school. Naturally, they knew what their friends were thinking with just one eye exchange. The word courtesy didnt exist in AF1 and AF2s dictionary, and they couldnt completely rely on their hidden watchers to protect them. So what should they do to ensure the best for everyone? Cillin kept perceiving the changes around him. There was no need to worry about Bel and Gen Xingmings safety because they had many protectors. At this point Cillin was also sure that these AF1 and AF2 students were gunning for him, and that there was no avoiding a battle. Therefore, the question now was how should he fight this battle? After Requiems music had come to a stop, everything suddenly became a lot quieter. Even the lamps light were starting to look eerie under the night. The gray cat had been staring at the black panther on the roof of the skyscraper all this time. Not only did the panthers eyes look very unfriendly, it was even staring at them arrogantly with thick ridicule and disdain. Disdain? On what basis did it think it had the right to do so?! Meowfucker, what the fart do you have to be cocky about you ugly, black thing! And so the gray cats shout shattered the tense atmosphere just like that. Its shout was quite loud; at the very least everyone on top of the building and the panther could hear what it was shouting very clearly. The black panther turned to look at the humans around it - especially the darkest guy of them all, Puno - after its ears twitched. It wasnt sure who the ugly, black thing the gray cat was referring to. Puno thought to himself: you look at me when youre the most dark skinned of us all?! Cillin put a hand to his forehead. If his guess was right, this cat was about to go drunk crazy. Normally, it wouldnt have shouted and sworn so wantonly in an unfamiliar environment and before so many strangers. The gray cat jumped directly from the table to the wall at the edge of the bar and stood still. With an erected tail and a raised paw, it pointed at the black panther and said, Youve been an eyesore since the beginning, now get down here and 1v1 your daddy you eyesore! Cillin, Bel and everyone else: ... At the rooftop, the panthers whiskers shook as Goryeo let out an involuntary laugh and said, Panther, I havent seen you scorned by your own kind for a very long time. Please dont taint the word kind, thank you. That thing is just a cat, not a panther. Its challenged you to a fight. Are you accepting it or not? Puno looked at the black panther. Of course! The black panther yelled before it ran down vertically down the wall of the skyscraper. Leave that panther to me! It wont understand why cats eat fishes unless I cover up his head with bumps! The gray cat also jumped down the wall as he said this. Cillin, is Wheeze okay? Bel asked uncertainly. Dont worry about it, Cillin answered affirmatively. On the skyscraper, Inov moved her fists around before saying, Lets get down there too. Go! Inov, Bie Yao and Puno activated a board-like thing that looked very similar to a hoverboard. The front of the board was designed in a way that minimized drag as it cut through the air. Although the design increased the speed of the equipment, it also demanded a much greater degree of control from its user. Zanny didnt activate a hoverboard. Instead, he took off his jacket and jumped down the building right away. After free falling for a moment, a pair of wings suddenly extended open behind Zannys back. His wings were as featherless as a bats, and he looked like a ghost beneath the night sky. Requiem and Goryeo were the only ones who were still standing on the skyscraper. They observed the battle unfolding beneath them. Chapter 233: Strange Bullet [Part 1] Chapter 233: Strange Bullet [Part 1] A lot of people had been hypnotised in this city area. The people on the streets, the people sitting in restaurants, the mobile stalls in the sky they were all gone now. Requiem Vegas hypnotism wasnt the only part of the plan. The planetary governments personnel had also been mobilised to deliver the victims who were drifting beyond their consciousness away from this area. Very soon, no people could be seen on the streets around the bar. There were only blinking lights. Although the planetary governments personnel had evacuated some innocent people from the area, they hadnt moved against the actual key figures of this incident, or rather they pretended that they didnt exist because neither the Gen Family nor the Vogel Family had voiced an opinion about this. Naturally, small fries like them had no intentions of getting involved in this incident. There were some people in the military were aware of this incident, but they chose to watch from the sidelines just the same. The black panther moved with a grace that was unique to the feline family. It was swift and proud, and the light reflected off its dark golden pupils appeared intimidating in the night. Every lithe leap it made looked as delightful as a noble wandering amidst a grand ceremony. In comparison, the gray cat looked a lot more comical. Maybe it was because it drank too much wine, but the gray cats run was a little wobbly. When it ran down a curved artistic groove, it slipped on its feet and slid downwards like a kid on a slide. Because it lost its balance midway, it somehow spun 180 degrees around with its butt facing the front and landed on its butt. The black panther was already regretting its decision as it ran towards his opponent: why did he fall for the gray cats taunts and ran over? Did it really think that it could fight it 1 on 1? Forget their size difference, even if they shared the same size it could easily still send the unsteady cat flying away with a smack. When the gray cat landed on the ground, it slowly got up, turned to look at the black panther and shook its body once. The black panther who ran down the building was also rapidly approaching the gray cat at this moment, and as it leaped high into the air its smooth fur looked sleek and graceful under the lamplight. However, its grace was all gone after a bang happened. The gray cat had knocked against the pouncing black panther and sent it flying. On top of the skyscraper, both Requiem and Goryeo raised their eyebrows when they saw this outcome. A cat that could send Panther flying in a single exchange this was probably the first time theyve ever seen this in their lives. Forget cats, not even an alien beast from AF1 had managed to humiliate Panther as badly as today. Originally, the black panther was going to stomp that ugly and stupid little cat on the ground, but when they actually made contact it suddenly realized that a tremendous force was bumping into it. When it came back to itself, it was already soaring in midair. After adjusting its center of gravity and landing on the ground, it moved its chin once and found that it was burning with pain. It was proof that that clash earlier wasnt just its imagination. It was careless. The black panther examined the cat before it once more. Right now, the gray cat was crouching on the floor and staring at it so calmly it was almost as if they werent in a fight. After flicking its ears and licking its paws, the gray cat said, Pathetic! The black panther let out a domineering roar. The soundwave caused every glass inside the nearby shops to shatter in response. The gray cat moved its ears backwards, raised its head forty five degrees upwards, opened its mouth and howled. MEOW The howl lacked the black panthers aggressiveness, but was indescribably strange in some ways. The moment the black panther heard the howl, every hair on its body stood up in response. What it felt wasnt danger but fear; a natural kind of fear that was almost absurd when it thought about it. A black area began to appear around the cat. The electrical circuits were affected, the electrical power system came to a halt, and a black circle was spreading at a part of this colorful city. Every lighting equipment in the skyscraper and the bar went out of commission after the howl. Darkness covered the whole area. In space, the people who were observing this section of the planet were very astonished by this sight, but since their display equipment was starting to receive interference as well they werent able to see clearly what was going on down there. This part of the city was dark, but the darkness didnt stop the battle. The people riding on hoverboards quickly appeared before Cillins group. When Zanny, the guy who grew wings were about to land on the rooftop of the bar, he abruptly appeared three steps away from Dwei and extended his wings fully. He said, Im very sorry, but you are not allowed to interfere with that battle, beautiful lady. This is my territory! Plus, she couldnt back down when both Bel and Gen Xingming were fighting too. Back when she was still at school, she was among the top in terms of combat too! A metallic baton appeared in Dweis hands. When the center of the baton cracked open and folded backwards, its true appearance was revealed. It was a custom made butterfly knife. At the same time, Bie Yao stood before Bel while Inov blocked in front of Gen Xingming. Cillin faced Puno directly. Bie Yao was good at speed, and he could move faster than Zannys earlier dash. Bel knew this, so he did his best to capture his movements as he fought against Bie Yao. He would be in a severe disadvantage otherwise. Gen Xingming stared at the seemingly fragile girl before him and knew that it was nothing more but a front. In reality, Inov was a power type fighter just like Puno. Moreover, the long braid behind her head should never be mistaken as a weakness that could be exploited. Dozens of people had been killed by that braid. Not only did Puno have strength, he also have deft movements that didnt match his clumsy appearance. He had a robust but flexible figure, and even his boxing technique was nimble but strong. His boxing technique was completely practical, and every punch was powered with the determination to take down his opponent in one strike. The Gen Family and Vogel Familys undercover bodyguards were very anxious, but they ultimately didnt interfere with the battle. Why? It was because Tousen had just called and notified them of Griffins intentions. AF1 and AF2 werent targeting Gen Xingming or Bel, so they wouldnt do anything to threaten their lives; only stop them from interfering with the other battle. The battle did look pretty obvious. Punos attacks were obviously a lot fiercer than Zannys, Bie Yaos and Inovs, and the latter trio put a lot more emphasis on defense than offense. Seeing that Tousen wasnt lying, the bodyguards responsible for protecting Gen Xingming and Bel relaxed a little. Still, they never averted their eyes from their respective masters just in case. Bang! Punos punch hit only the air, but a large hole cracked open on the wall half a meter away from his fist. It was caused the shockwave from Punos punch. Dwei who was fighting against Zanny felt her face twist a little. The damage had finally begun. Zanny was free enough to cast a glance at the direction of that battle, and he told Dwei, This is unavoidable, so just try and accept it with an open heart. Open heart my ass, you and your buddies are paying the maintenance fee if thats the last thing I do! While thinking, Dwei swung her butterfly knife fiercely at Zannys direction like she was venting her anger. Zanny curled his lips and dodged the attack nimbly. Chapter 234: This Cillin Guy is a Master of Secrets [Part 1] Chapter 234: This Cillin Guy is a Master of Secrets [Part 1] Ignoring the burning pain on his fingers, Cillin dodged Punos elbow strike and punched him straight in the waist. But instead of seizing the opportunity to chain a couple more attacks after the successful strike, Cillin jumped backwards instead. It was because the third shot was about to come. The second shot was obviously more difficult to grasp compared to the first shot, so he could imagine that the third shot would only be even harder. Cillin needed extra time to analysis the trajectory of the third shot. Even if it was only ten thousandth of a second, it would still increase his analysis chances of success. Requiem stared at Cillin from on top of the skyscraper. She didnt expect Goryeo would miss his second shot, and she expected even less that Cillin would come away with only some burns caused by the super heated bullet passing in between his fingers in an instant. How was that possible? According to Requiems knowledge, the type of bullet Goryeo used wasnt just capable of generating instantaneous super high temperature, but also tremendous air pressure. The bullet was named Purgatorys Thunder Snake. It was because the bullet traveled as quickly and as irregularly as lightning after it was fired, and it bit its prey like a snake. A snake doesnt blink; it doesnt give its target even an eye blink of an opportunity to escape. The bullet had an erratic trajectory and was capable of generating instantaneous super high temperature and tremendous air pressure. It was already incredibly difficult to dodge the attack, but its side effects were also nothing to scoff at. That was why Cillin shouldnt have suffered burn marks only when the bullet had passed through his fingers. According to Requiems calculations, he shouldve lost at least a piece of flesh even if the air pressure failed to break his fingers outright. But that wasnt what had happened in reality. It would appear that Cillins physique was not inferior to Punos. While Requiem was analysing Cillin, Goryeo had fired his third shot. When the bullet was discharged, the muzzle of the gun wasnt aimed at Cillin, but Cillin could sense very clearly that the bullet was targeted at no one but him. In reality, Goryeo himself didnt think that he would be using this special bullet on Cillin. After the second shot had missed its target, Goryeo decided to change plans and switched to this new bullet instead. It was because there was a 60% chance that he would miss if he used the same bullet as before. At best, he would only leave another burn mark on Cillins body. Goryeo was extremely confident with this bullets power; it was a bullet that not even Mrs. Griffin and the others would be able to dodge. Moreover, this bullet had incredible penetration power. It was made with a special material and could penetrate even a whole spaceplane. It was a special bullet made from a special material, and Goryeo was absolutely confident in it. Now this, was the real Purgatorys Thunder Snake! The first two bullet was at best a Thunder Snake, but this bullet was without a doubt the true Prugatorys Thunder Snake bullet! There was no telling if Griffin would flip out when she learned that Goryeo had fired a Purgatorys Thunder Snake bullet at Cillin. After all, there were only two outcomes when a target was snot by Purgatorys Thunder Snake: grievous injuries, or death. At the very least, Griffin didnt intend for Cillin to suffer grievous injuries just yet. Time to see some blood, Goryeo thought to himself. The bullet cut through the air between the two buildings and travelled swiftly towards Cillin while moving erratically. At the same time, Puno attacked Cillin once more. It couldnt be evaded. It was impossible to evade. Goryeo looked down with a smile on his face. Clang! The sparks of clashing metals looked incredibly glaring at night. It was like a snake smashing its head against a tough shield and sprayed blood everywhere. Goryeos smile froze. Puno also forced himself to a stop. The loud clang caused everyone to stop fighting and look at Cillins direction. The thin, long blade appeared inconspicuous due to the dark night and the lack of lighting. The dim stars on the sky painted a sheen of cold light on its body. It made all who saw it an indelible shock. In that moment, it was as if a shar claw had stretched out of the void to block the Purgatorys Thunder Snake bullet. It was a blade. It was Oskulos blade. It was a blade that was baptised by countless blood and accompanied a Star Rank Hunter through countless killing grounds. This one blade seemed to cause the surrounding temperature to drop down to the freezing point. Bel swallowed every swear word he was going to launch at these people for using a gun back down his throat. An aura of death. It was an aura of death that caused everyones hair to stand on their end. Puno could almost hear the anguished wails of countless vengeance souls. The theoretical target point of the bullet was Cillins right shoulder, but the blade had blocked it before it could reach its target. Still gripping the blade, Cillin turned his gaze from the tip of the horizontally aligned blade to the completely tensed Puno standing a meter away from him. There was a flash, and the blade was suddenly gripped upside down near his side. Clang! Sparks scattered once more. The fourth shot! Punos throat felt a little dry, and he swallowed his saliva several times in a row. Four shots! Goryeo had actually missed every one of his shots! This was the first time he saw Goryeo failing all four shots after knowing and working together with him for so many years! Zannys night vision was the best out of everyone present, so he could see clearly that Cillins blade was completely unblemished even though it was used to block two Purgatorys Thunder Snake bullets. This meant that the metallic sparks hadnt come from the blade at all, but the Purgatorys Thunder Snake bullets that were said to be capable of penetrating a spaceplane. Goryeo put away his gun after the fourth shot was fired. He dismantled the gun and put the parts back into the box. He knew very well that there was no longer any need to shoot at Cillin. After all Purgatorys Thunder Snake wasnt invincible, and he was utterly impressed by Cillins ability to calculate Purgatory Thunder Snakes trajectory to this extent. The reason Goryeo could calculate the bullets trajectory was because he was familiar with the weapon. But what about Cillin? First, Cillin had recreated the bullets shape in his head by examining its initial trajectory after it exited its chamber. Then, he deduced its future trajectory from the data. If this was a math problem in class, then there were countless people in AF1 who could came up with the right answer. But this was real combat, and the amount of time he had to perform the calculation was only an instant. What is the shape of this guys brain?! Is he a human computer or something?! Goryeo had always thought that he had a good head on his shoulders and strong calculation abilities, but compared to Cillin it was seriously poor. After he was done putting away his gun, Goryeo gave Requiem a helpless shrug. This guy is too strong. No wonder Mrs. Griffin think so highly of him. Seeing that Goryeo had put away his weapon, Puno too decided to cease all offense. He pressed the places he was struck by Cillin; it would appear that his injuries were more serious than normal this time. As Puno rubbed his wounds with his hand, the cracked bones inside his body began to recover slowly. Bel and Gen Xingming relaxed after seeing that the signs of withdrawal. However, when Puno accidentally dropped a lapel badge while he was rubbing his wounds, Bel and Gen Xingming immediately tensed up again. Puno hastily picked up the lapel badge he dropped, blew at its surface and gave it a wipe. He then gave the others an honest smile before putting it away carefully like he was holding a treasure. Zanny, Bie Yao and the others didnt react too much when they saw his lapel badge. They had their own lapel badge, and it was the source of their pride. It was a badge that earned them respect from the army even though they didnt hold a military post themselves. Dwei had also noticed the picture on the lapel badge through the night vision equipment in her cornea. As a result, the hand she used to wield her butterfly knife shook as a result. Wings! Wings was a special section in Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The lapel badge of Wings had a signature image: a pair of wings surrounding Mist Bodhisattva Empires national emblem at the center. Mist Bodhisattva Empires national emblem had a wing each on two sides. One wing was adorned with the Royal Guards emblem, and the other wing was adorned with the Imperial Guards emblem. Although Wings lapel badge contained the emblem of both imperial armies, they were in fact an independent organization. Wings had an extraordinary amount of authoritative power, and they could receive their appointments directly from the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor. This meant that their final leader was the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor themselves, and they were also the only section that dared to kill a noble directly under the special authorization granted by the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor. There were many noble descendants who were beaten up or killed by the members of Wings because they broke the empires laws. That was why the first reaction of any noble descendant upon witnessing a Wings member was to have a guilty conscience. After all, who didnt commit at least one offense in their life? Before this revelation, Bel and Gen Xingming only thought that they were AF1 and AF2 students. That was why they felt uncomfortable at worst, and they didnt think that they would cause too much trouble. But now they couldnt be sure. After all, who knows what kind of order these people had received, and who knows if these people might accidentally injure or kill them while performing their mission? It wasnt that Bel or Gen Xingming were cowards. As direct descendants of the royal family, they shouldve been as afraid as they were towards Wings. Unfortunately, Bel and Gen Xingming had never been good eggs since young, so they did all they should and shouldnt do throughout their lives. It was one thing if their fathers were here right now, but without the kings to back them up the duo were obviously lacking in confidence. Since when were this bastards recruited by Wings?! And how was there no news about it at all?! Bel and Gen Xingming couldnt really be blamed for not knowing though. If they were hanging around in the imperial capital, they couldve found this information easily if they looked into it. Unfortunately for them, they had left the imperial capital for quite some time already, so they were unfamiliar with the recent activities at AF1 and AF2. Zanny was feeling very pleased. After seeing that the two princes, Bel and Gen Xingming were intimidated by the badge, he flapped his wings to show off his existence. Ahem, Puno, you should store your lapel badge safely! Of course. It was just an accident. Puno really had no intentions of showing off. He began rubbing his wounds again after he put away the lapel badge. Zanny cast a glance at the wary looking trio - Bel, Gen Xingming and Dwei - and was prepared to show off for a little longer. However, he noticed that Cillin was looking at him, so he turned to look at him and said, What are you looking at, man? I know Im very handsome; you havent seen someone with actual wings before, have you? What can I do, my talents are so good that people always get jealous because of it Bie Yao and Inov had gotten used to Zannys attitude since a long time ago, so they skipped even the usual eye rolling and looked straight at Cillin. Cillin, is it? Our head wants to tell you that Cillin moved before Bie Yao could finish his sentence. Although Puno was rubbing the wounds on his body, he had never left his attention from Cillin. Therefore, he noticed Cillins sudden movements and open intent to use his blade right away. Cillins target was none other than the jabbering Zanny! Puno instantly awakened his full power and exerted strength into his legs. A hole appeared beneath his feet before he ran towards Cillin. Bie Yao also threw an extremely fast kick at Cillin. Right now, Puno was the closest to Cillin, and Bie Yao was just slightly far away from him. However, none of them was as far away from Zanny as Cillin was. Although Cillin was the farthest person from Zanny, he managed to dodge Punos punch, evade Bie Yaos kick, block Inovs fist and finally stab Zanny right in the stomach. Zanny was going to show off a little more before the two princes when a terrific sense of danger suddenly assault him. But before he could react in time, a cold feeling entered his stomach as a terrible chill spread throughout his whole body. Zanny felt great regret; his carelessness had caused him to suffer an ambush that shouldve been very easy to dodge! For a second, Zanny thought that he had tasted death. On the skyscraper, neither Requiem nor Goryeo imagined that Cillin would be so audacious as to assault a Wings member! Everyone who saw this scene including Bel, Gen Xingming, Dwei and the Vogel and Gen Family bodyguards secretly observing the scene felt that their heads were about to explode. Bel and Gen Xingming felt like fainting on the spot. Did he seriously just attack a Wings member with a blade?! The only ones who dared to do so would be suicidal maniacs and their direct superior, but Cillin didnt look like a suicidal maniac, and he definitely wasnt a member of Wings. So why on earth did he stab Zanny? Although Zanny definitely deserved a slap for his annoying mouth, he still shouldnt have stabbed him directly like this! Bel looked at Gen Xingming: Oh shit, Cillin must not know about Wings, or he would have never dared to stab him. Now whadda we do? Whadda we do?? Chapter 234: This Cillin Guy is a Master of Secrets [Part 2] Chapter 234: This Cillin Guy is a Master of Secrets [Part 2] Dammit, you bastard! Punos body abruptly grew larger. He was now twice as big as he was before. Inov and Bie Yao looked different too. They were seriously prepared to fight Cillin to the death. Reqiuem and Goryeo flew down on a fan-shaped hoverboard and landed on the bars rooftop. Goryeo was now wielding two guns that looked similar to the short-barreled gun he fired earlier. Wait! Requiem stopped them from moving. Zannys fine. Cillin withdrew his blade and frowned as he stared at Zanny. Just like before, not a drop of blood could be seen on the blade. When it came to those things, Cillin was far more sensitive than anyone else in the area. In fact, not even the victim himself, Zanny, had noticed it before him. But he attacked Zanny with his blade! That is unforgivable! Neither Puno nor Bie Yao showed any intentions of backing off. Stop! Zanny yelled. It was only then Puno and Bie Yao stopped taking an offensive stance. They both stared at Zanny in puzzlement. Zanny took in a somewhat difficult breath before exhaling slowly. It took him a great deal of effort before he finally extracted himself from the momentary shock that gripped him. When Inov attempted to hand over some medicine to him, he waved it away to show that it was unnecessary. Bel had already covered up his face when the grand battle looked like it was about to start at any moment, but he couldnt help but peek at the scene from the gap between his fingers. At first he was complaining on the inside that the hiding bodyguards hadnt come out to help them, but when he saw that the situation hadnt devolved in the way he thought he would, he began removing his hand and stared at the scene openly. Zanny raised his hand and popped five sharp nails that were even longer than his fingers before the puzzled crowd. Then, he pushed them into the wound Cillin had dealt with his blade. When Zanny pushed his long nails entirely into his stomach, Bel and Gen Xingming unconsciously rubbed their own tummies and shivered. That had to hurt a lot! When Zanny pulled out his fingernails again, everyone could see that he was holding a black object about the size of a quail egg. A bug? When Zanny saw the thing he was holding with his fingernails, he crushed it without a second thought. Then, he raised his head and let loose an inhuman howl. As he howled, his rather brawny body swiftly turned thin. However, his arms elongated as a result. Pu! Pu! Another two pairs of wings appeared behind Zannys back, and they were even longer than the ones that first pair of wings. A pair of sharp, long fangs had also grown out of Zannys mouth during the transformation. Under the dim star light, he looked just like the sinister devils of fairy tales. Cillin could feel that Zanny had become lighter - no, his bones had become lighter. His bones had become hollow, and it enabled him to move even faster in mid air. This version of Zanny was probably the real him. Compared to the him now, the earlier him who fought Dwei was like an adult playing with a child. Zanny let loose yet another howl after he took on this form. Although he didnt undergo a massive transformation like just now, there were some small but obvious bulges moving across Zannys body. However, these little bulges had suddenly moved to Zannys wings as if they were threatened by something. When the little bulges had been transferred completely to his wings, Zanny let out a third howl and flapped his wings abruptly. The bulging part of his skin broke apart, and a couple of small objects that looked just like the black bug from before fell onto the ground. Palapala. Bugs?! Could it be Bie Yao exclaimed. He poked one of the bugs with his small knife and examined it carefully. Zanny had almost killed the tiny bugs before he shook them off his wings, so they were all dead in just a short time. After every bug in his body had been shaken off, Zanny turned back to his original appearance and withdrew all of his wings. Zanny swore while panting, God dammit, what a blunder! Why do I keep making these blunders! Zanny must have caught this during their previous mission. Everyone involved hurriedly inspected their own body after seeing Zannys appearance. Although they found no such thing inside their own body, some of them were still worried and scared. Inov took out a bag and collected the bugs for evaluation later. Parasites? Requiem looked at the dead bugs before turning to look at Cillin. At this point, everyone had figured out that Cillins earlier gut stab was actually aimed at a parasite. However, how did Cillin know that these things were crawling inside Zannys body? And how was he able to figure out its exact position so accurately? How did you know that Zanny is infected by parasites? Requiem asked. Cillin looked at them and said, Do you guys always speak in such a snobby and condescending tone? He would have to be a saint to feel nothing after being attacked for no reason. Requiem paused for a moment and softened her tone. Sorry, but not for what we did to you earlier. We are just following orders. Still, we must thank you for helping Zanny. Hey, er, Cillin, is it? Thanks! Zanny had exhausted too much strength earlier, so he was sitting on the floor right now. Youre welcome. You wouldve been able to endure it even if I didnt help you. He could, but would look far worse than he was right now. Everyone knew this. Bie Yao was about to say something else when Requiem stopped him. Then, she passed over a card to Cillin. This is something our superior Mrs. Griffin told us to give you. You may use it however you like; we wont interfere with your decision. Cillin accepted the card and gave it a look. He didnt understand what was written on the card, however. By now Bel and Gen Xingming had grown enough courage to walk over and take a look themselves. Holy shit, this is going too far! Ive never seen a recruitment method like this! Bels stupidity had taken over his brain once more as he pointed at Requiem and her group while exclaiming. A recommendation card to AF1 huh Gen Xingming looked over the card left ad right before patting Cillins shoulders. Youre in luck, brother. Someone recommended you to join AF1. Cillin finally understood what the card was used for. This card was his ticket to AF1 if he brought it to the school during their next recruitment period. Gen Xingming continued, You dont know yet, do you? AF1 is a place where you can only join under recommendation. That bastard Tousen!! Bel abruptly interrupted Gen Xingming with a roar. That bastard Tousen must be the leak! That human garbage!! I knew that he cannot be trusted! Alright, were going to leave now. You may ask Mrs. Griffin directly if you have any questions about the incident today, Requiem said. They had already done what Griffin requested them to do, and they couldnt stay here for too long before they still had another mission to do. Plus, theyneeded to investigate the parasites and seal up that place temporarily. The moment Requiem said that they were leaving, the rest of the members suddenly thought something was amiss. It was almost as if one of their members were still missing The question just entered their minds when a noise suddenly rang from the edge of the walls. They saw a pair of cat paws grabbing onto the edge before the gray cats head suddenly popped up. It seemed to be holding something in its mouth. The gray cat looked spirited and unharmed. It was only after it jumped back onto the ground that they noticed that it was holding the black panthers tail. That was how the gray cat had dragged the black panther all the way back up to the rooftop, and it looked like it took it no effort at all. Their surroundings started to brighten up again; the lamps and the holograms brightening up this place once more. However, this place was likely not going to be as lively as before. After all, the planetary government had already evacuated all those who were hypnotised by Requiem. As for the black panther, it looked healthy but very dispirited for some reason. No one knew what kind of trauma it suffered except that there were swells all over its body and that it was lying powerlessly on the ground. When it raised half an eyelid to look at Requiem and the others, it covered its head with its paws. It wanted nothing more but a hole to hide in right now. Embarrassing, it was too embarrassing. It couldnt believe that it actually lost to an ugly cat! After the gray cat had leaped back to the rooftop, it surveyed the crowd before tossing the gray cat on the ground. Then, it walked proudly before Dwei like there was no one around it. Do you have any more wine? Im thirsty! Bel felt like worshipping the cat for a bit. It was just too amazing! Not only did it wreck the black panther, it was also an incredible drinker. Not only was it an incredible drinker, it also ignored the people from Wings completely! Like master, like pet! Dwei cast a glance at everyone on the rooftop before taking a step backwards and another. When she saw that no one was reacting to her movements, she immediately left the scene to grab more wine for the gray cat. Seeing that Dwei had gone off to grab the wines, the gray cat ran lithely towards Cillin before climbing up to his shoulder in familiar fashion. What are you holding? Its the invitation card to AF1. Cillin lifted the card so that the gray cat could have a clear look. AF1? Is it that First something Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences Bel mentioned? Yes. The gray cat looked at the card once before staring at the people feeding the black panther some medicine. Is it the same school as the one that panther is studying? Indeed. We are not going to that place. The gray cat swayed its tail without any hesitation. Theyre too weak! Itll be a complete waste of time! Everyone: ... This cat was way over its head. The gray cat lifted a paw and pushed the card away. Then, it yawned as if it couldnt be bothered to spare another word with the masses. Zanny couldnt hold himself from saying, Thats not true. We didnt go all out, you know. The black panther raised its paws and covered both its ears. It did, but it was defeated and manhandled before it managed to do anything. Requiem stopped Zanny after seeing the way the black panther was acting, Lets go. We still have a mission to do. Puno followed behind Requiem and the others for a few steps before he ran back to Cillin and asked, Am I really not infected by those things? Before Cillin could say anything, the gray cat answered with closed eyes, Do you mean the bugs? Nope. Puno cast a glance at the gray cat before looking back at Cillin. It was only when Cillin nodded that he happily ran back to Requiem and the others. After Requiem and her group had left, the gray cat urged Cillin to find someplace to eat. Hey, wait for me! Bel caught up to them while swearing through his communicator. Why havent you guys said about this earlier? And whats the point of telling me this right now? Im not going back and Im not listening to you people! He then broke off the connection before calling out to Gen Xingming still standing at the same spot. Were going! I know! Gen Xingming answered. He couldnt help but look at Cillins back with a bit of puzzlement, however. When Cillin blocked the bullet with his blade, a sense of great familiarity had suddenly assaulted him. The feeling had come to him again when Cillin was putting away his blade. It was very strange. Cillin was like a mystery. If he assumed that he was an average man with an average background, then how did he come by a subspace container? Although subspace technology had advanced rapidly in the empire, almost all people who possessed subspace containers were nobles or rich merchants. If he was poor, then how could he possibly own a subspace container? Also, his blade was no ordinary blade either. Could he be the bastard of some unknown family? The more Gen Xingming thought about, the more convinced he became. On the other side, Requiem and the others began analysing Cillin after they got onto their spaceplane and left the planet. There is no doubt that this Cillin kid is much stronger than his peers. In fact, I doubt the current students of AF1 and AF2 can beat him in a head on fight, Bie Yao said. But why did no one discover such a person before this? Mrs. Griffin had a whole team dedicated to finding talented people like Cillin. Zanny crossed his legs and asked, Say, who do you think will win if White Night were to fight against Cillin? Of course White Night will win! You know how strong White Night is! Inov said without hesitation. Zanny wagged his fingers. Its bad to worship someone blindly. You gotta analyse things objectively, you know. Goryeo didnt say anything. He didnt know who would come out victorious either. Bie Yao turned the question to Requiem when he saw the duo arguing with each other. What do you think, Requiem? You should know your own brother much better than we do. White Night was Requiems older brother. They were sent together to AF1 after they were discovered. Requiem shook her head and said, This Cillin guy is a master of secrets. No one said anything for a time. Puno scratched his head, unsure as to what to say. He then kicked the black panther who was playing dead beside him to change the subject, Hey panther, is that cat really that strong? Panther answered with a tormented look on his face, I dont think thats a cat at all; I wasnt able to cut through its skin in the slightest! Also Panther breathed heavily for a few seconds. Is that really the strength of a cat?! Its even stronger than King Kong! King Kong was a giant - no wait, tiny, because it was still an infant - ape about ten meters tall at AF1. Chapter 235: Guan Feng [Part 1] Chapter 235: Guan Feng [Part 1] Requiem and her gang could talk until their ears fall off, but Bel and Gen Xingming couldnt care less about it. Now that the tension had finally departed their bodies, they quickly turned back to the fops they were. The planetary government continued to feign ignorance; it was almost as if nothing had happened just a moment ago. They could neither afford to offend the members of Wings or the two royal princes, so they might as well selectively forget this part of their memory. Dwei had already called someone to fix the damages to the bar. The bill was footed by Bel and Gen Xingming, although neither of them cared about losing a tiny sum of money. Are you going to join AF1, Cillin? Cillin shook his head. I dont know. It depends. Right now there were too many variables in play, and he wasnt familiar with this place yet. Genyas final request was also troubling him. It wasnt difficult to bring Genya home, but the requirement to bring him home only when the ring gave a reaction was. What exactly did he mean? If you can survive AF1, you can learn a lot of things in that place. After all, the teachers of AF1 are all famous figures in the whole empire. Royal academicians, famous imperial generals, retired military officers and even old politicians shared their experiences in that place Gen Xingming actually wanted Cillin to make it to AF1. Although he and Bel looked disgusted every time the school was brought up, in reality they were very impressed with the people studying there. There were very few people in the royal family who qualified to enter that place, and those who did were always star pupils who were groomed and cared for a lot by relatives across several generations. In the royal family, their influence dwarfed even theirs even though they were the sons of the current kings. Unfortunately, they simply didnt possess the talent or the grit to survive AF1. But if Cillin attended AF1, then he could boast to others in the that he had a bro in AF1 in the future. Bel didnt say anything. He was certain that Cillin would be seduced into joining the army or some other opportunistic party after he joined AF1. If I join now, would my peers be much younger than I am? You did say that everyone in there are geniuses, Cillin asked. Gen Xingming waved a hand and explained, Not necessarily. The age range in AF1 is extremely broad, not to mention that the school itself doesnt care about peoples age. You saw that show off of a black panther, didnt you? They dont even care about racial differences. Plus, you wont necessarily start from the most basic level of study because there are no fixed grades in AF1. The courses in this place are arranged according to the school survey, so most of the time AF1 is less like a school and more like a base; a base that specifically nurtures talented people. If that was the case, Cillin had to admit that he was slightly interested. The knowledge he could learn there would benefit him a lot. Cillin thought for a moment before asking, What is that Wings you guys mentioned earlier? Bel and Gen Xingming gave him a detailed explanation of Wings. This was so that Cillin would know to keep his guard up if he ran into someone from Wings again in the future. Their fathers might not be afraid of Wings, but they were. What could they do, they committed too many dirty deeds and they just couldnt help but feel worried every time they saw them. The nobles extravagance was the reason Wings was founded in the first place. After Wings was founded they became the eyes and ears of Emperor Mist Bodhisattva, and the nobles visibly restrained themselves as a result. After all, Wings was born to supervise the nobles. They might possess special privileges, but Wings kept them from abusing their power too much. The consequences of being caught were severe to say the least. Thats enough, lets talk about something else. My stomach hurts every time we talk about this, Bel shook off the cold clinging to his skin and said. Alright. I actually do have something else to tell you all. Hehe, look, your bro bought a car for himself. Gen Xingming slapped the table spiritedly while boasting, Its a triphibian flying car produced by Whirlwind. Right now, there are only five of them in existence, and Im the proud owner of one of them. Whirlwind was a flying car brand and one of the most distinguished flying car corporation in the entire empire. It was famed for its design of low-key luxury, and it belonged to the top noble family in terms of triphibian flying car, the Sizer Family. Most of the series produced by Whirlwind had the ability to transform, so the car could look either reserved or flamboyant. Whirlwind was deeply loved by noble descendants and was the dream for flying car fans. Bel said jealously after listening to Gen Xingmings dragged out bragging, Whats the use of empty talk? Show it to us so we can see what this latest Whirlwind flying car looks like. If Bel hadnt gone away to experience life, he couldve gotten one car for himself. But now, it was already too late. Dwei cast a sideway glance at the proud looking Gen Xingming and shook her head. What a prodigal. Cillin wanted to see how a legendary big shot flying car looked too, but when the vehicle Gen Xingming was so proud of he could fly actually appeared before their eyes, they both wore odd looks on their faces. It was because the flying car looked exactly the same as one of the car models Fleka showed them for research that day. Bels jealousy vanished in a puff. In fact, the corners of his mouth nearly stretched up to his ears. And here I was wondering how impressive it was, but no, its just some second hand stuff we toyed with before. This time it was Bels turn to show off. Just admit youre jealous already. This car just came out of the factory, so how the hell could you possibly have toyed with it before? Gen Xingming said with an I-know-youre-lying expression. Tsk, why will I lie to you about this? Bel said before jumping into the car in familiar fashion. Then, he began playing with the settings on the control panel and transforming the car while explaining to Gen Xingming a lot of configurations the latter hadnt completely figured out himself in great detail. Fuck! How the hell do you know about this? Gen Xingming grabbed Bel by the throat and shook him with all his strength. Bel kicked him away, rubbed his neck and lifted his chin proudly. I was there when that fatty Fleka was designing the flying car. Your Royal Highness even lent a hand in the design. Next time we meet him, I think we should ask him to give us a flying car each. Cillin cast a glance at Bel but didnt say anything. He gave him face and didnt expose him for the fraud he really was. Under Gen Xingmings forceful demands, Bel roughly spoke of what happened that day. However, he embellished the story to make himself appear more prominent while downplaying Cillins importance in designing the flying car by a lot. He had to make sure that the Gen Family doesnt pull Cillin to their side. Gen Xingming picked his chin for a bit before looking at Cillin, When are you guys heading back? Let me come with you. I want to see the birthplace of this car. Well go back tomorrow. Bel had no problems with Cillins decision. Right now, he was pliable to anything but going back to school. Now that Gen Xingming was here, there was no reason for him to return to the imperial capital. Chapter 235: Guan Feng [Part 2] Chapter 235: Guan Feng [Part 2] The next day, the trio hopped onto Bels flying car and departed to Old Changs planet. Cillin had bought some items for Old Chang and the triplets, and a high grade electronic tablet and microcomputer for Chang Five. Gen Xingming and Bel bought a lot of things themselves - especially toys, because they can win a childs heart easily - after seeing Cillins purchase. Before they left, Dwei even gave away a dozen or so bottles of wine and a large bag of fish biscuit to the gray cat, cheering it up so much that it was euphoric all the way back to the planet. They had left on a different, more low-key spaceplane. The main reason they chose this spaceplane was because it had a depot that could fit Gen Xingmings flying car. At the shop, Old Chang was calculating his income for selling parts during the past few days. Life inside the city was a lot easier than life at Repair Street since the city people had a high consumption rate. Although expenses were also a lot higher inside the city, overall their living standards had improved and his burden was much lighter. The persistent knot in Old Changs heart had also vanished after Chang Fives illness was cured. The triplets were dividing and putting the parts into packages, but they would grab a handful of biscuits and shove them into their mouths every once in a while. It would seem that the three children had gotten a lot more plump than before. Old Chang was just calculating the amount of stock he needed to replenish when there was a commotion outside his shop. A flying car had parked itself in front of the entrance. Although the flying car didnt have a showy appearance, it was very soothing to look at. It didnt stand out among other flying cars, and yet that was the first thing that people paid attention to when they looked at the clump of flying cars. What really caused the commotion was the brand at the front of the car. Old Chang once dreamed of getting one for himself when he was younger. Who within their trade wouldnt want a car like this? Whirlwind was a top grade brand. Although this city was where the wealth of the whole planet was concentrated, it was incredibly rare to find someone who actually drove a Whirlwind. Old Chang saw a Whirlwind once when he was entering the city during his younger days, but only once. He never thought that hed be able to see one again. A man who looked rather young and handsome walked out of the car. In fact, he entered the shop immediately after that. Unlike some arrogant-looking nobles, this person looked very amiable. The smile on his face was so cordial that he left a good impression in everyones mind. However, Old Chang was certain that this man was an upper class gentleman from his attire and manners. Old Chang felt a little nervous. He wasnt quite sure how he should act around someone like this because the gap between the two of them was just too big. If he was just an arrogant noble fop then he at least knew the way to deal with him, but this man stumped Old Chang. For whatever reason, he felt like the man was born to make people look up to him. Even if the man was acting easy going right now, Old Chang still couldnt help but feel nervous. Truthfully, Old Chang felt inferior before this man, and he was a little embarrassed to face someone like him. Although the shop had service robots, Old Chang still went over to him personally. Is there anything you need? Old Chang asked carefully. The man smiled mildly. Theres no need to be nervous, Im just looking around. Its exactly because youre looking around that Im feeling nervous, Old Chang thought to himself. The man seemed to realize Old Changs thoughts but said nothing about it. He cast a glance at the parts put on display. I can see that you know a lot about the structure of a flying car, the man said, these parts were all arranged in a specific building order. Old Changs anxiety lessened a little when he heard this. As the man asked a couple of questions related to repairs, Old Chang felt his tension loosen bit by bit as he answered them seriously. Old Chang thought that the man was a pretty good person. He couldnt hate someone like him even if it turned out that he didnt buy any parts in the end. Fortunately for Old Chang, the man took a seat on the chair carried over by service robot and chatted with him for a time. Then, he accepted a glass of clear water and wetted his throat for a bit. Old Chang couldnt help but sigh in admiration. This man was a true upper class man. He looked so elegant that he looked like a living portrait just sitting there and drinking his water. He never thought that drinking could look so good. While the duo were chatting with each other, another flying car stopped in front of the shop with a swoosh. This car was a lot more showy than the mans car, and what nearly drove the people around the area insane was that this new car was also a Whirlwind. Just what kind of luck this shop owner was having today to be visited by two Whirlwinds? Some people were even starting to suspect that the shop owner was related to someone from the upper class. Ha, is this the shop? Its a bit small, but it does look pretty good. Gen Xingming put on a cool pose after he got out of the car to show off his existence to the world. Were back! The gray cat jumped into the shop and cried out loudly. Come out and help carry the stuff, little ones! The triplets and Chang Five all came out and surrounded the gray cat the moment they heard its voice. The service robots helped carry the items Cillin bought into the shop. Hey, little fellows. Im a friend of your brother, Cillin. Ive purposely brought some gifts for you! Gen Xingming hurriedly carried out the big pile of gifts he bought. The triplets eyes were shining when they saw the pile of gifts, but they didnt accept it right away. They looked at Cillin and waited until he gave them the nod before they accepted it. Gen Xingming was very confident in his gifts. He thought: that should win me a lot of favor points with these kids. Conduct yourself. Bel walked over and cast a disdainful glance at Gen Xingming. Dont you notice that theres another customer inside the shop? Conduct what? Its not like I stood in his way Gen Xingmings vigorous voice suddenly took a very rapid downward turn. The man chatting with Old Chang elegantly turned his head over and smiled at them. The smile was very amiable, but both Bel and Gen Xingming felt as if they were thrown into an icy land all of a sudden. A chill ran straight up their spine and into their brains as they took two steps backward from where they were in unison. Judging from how they looked, they would run away on the spot if they could. Right now Gen Xingming was sorely regretting his decision to come here. Why did he agree to come to this place? Its just a shop, isnt it? Now he ran into the one person he didnt wish to meet even in his dreams. Bel himself was absorbed in regret. He shouldnt have come here. He really shouldnt have come here. After smiling at Bel and Gen Xingming, the man said gently, Why are you two children blocking the door? Swoosh. Bel and Gen Xingming moved to a side like they were escaping for their lives. Cillin looked at the man sitting inside the shop. On the surface, he looked to be about Tousens age and seemingly harmless. However, Cillin had a feeling that he was the same type of person as the Hunter, Jiada. T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-teacher Guan. Both Bel and Gen Xingming were so nervous that they couldnt even speak properly. Guan Feng took a sip of warm water before saying, Dont worry, Im not here to catch you and take you back to school. Both Bel and Gen Xingming relaxed slightly when they heard this, but only slightly. While they were on the road they didnt stop chatting for even a moment, but now they didnt even dare let out a fart. After Cillin let the service robots deal with the items they bought, he took the triplets and Chang Five upstairs. Hey, come over and help, you two. Cillin shouted towards Bel and Gen Xingming from the stairs. Bel and Gen Xingming shot a careful look at Guan Feng. When they saw that Guan Feng was ignoring them, they immediately ran up the stairs like they were wind incarnate. Then, they collapsed on the floor like they ran out of energy. Oh shit, oh shit, why is he here? Gen Xingming pulled a long face while saying. I dont know, if I knew I wouldnt have come here even if I were to die! Bel rubbed his own face strongly. After telling the gray cat to take the four kids away and play with the toys, Cillin grabbed two bottles of iced drinks for the two completely listless men and said, Drink this and calm yourself down a little. The duo accepted the iced drinks and poured them down their throats immediately. Once they were finished, they let out a long sigh of relief. Suddenly, Gen Xingming asked as if he recalled something, Say, do you think that Guan Feng came over to see you, Cillin? The more Gen Xingming thought about it, the more convinced he became. They had just run into students of AF1 and AF2 not long ago, and today they even ran into Guan Feng. There was no way this was a coincidence. Also, Guan Feng was an amazing person. There was no way he would come to a poor place like this just to chat with an old man. Guan Feng? His name is Guan Feng? Cillin asked. Yep, thats his name Gen Xingming suddenly paused himself before looking at his surroundings. Can we speak here without getting overheard? Cillin nodded. This place has decent soundproof. After listening for a moment and confirming that Cillins words were true, Gen Xingming finally continued, Guan Feng is an AF1 teacher, a special teacher. He may look like hes about the same age as Tousen, but in reality hes eighty years old already. This guy is also a member of Wings and at a very high level too. I seem to recall that he holds a major general post in the army, although I cant say for sure. You absolutely mustnt underestimate this person. He had taught many princes and princesses of Mist Bodhisattva Empire in his life, and my father is one of his students. He was also given special permission to not salute a prince, so he doesnt need to salute us for example. In fact, were the ones who actually have to salute him. Oh, theres one more thing. That Goryeo of AF1 who shot you earlier is Guan Fengs disciple. Guan Feng is the one who taught him how to shoot. Right now Goryeo is using the E-type bullet of Purgatorys Thunder Snake - which is a pretty good bullet - but Guan Feng himself uses a K-type bullet. It is the most difficult type of Purgatorys Thunder Snake to master, so you may have dodged Goryeos bullet, but theres no way you can dodge Guan Fengs K-type bullet. Im not trying to scare you. If you really did plan to attend AF1 in the future, you will know that that Guan Feng is very dangerous. Gen Xingming shuddered when he recalled that one time his father had kicked him out of his home and into AF1 for staged training. That Guan Feng seriously aint human at all! Cillin knew that Guan Feng was a very dangerous person. The K-type bullet of Purgatorys Thunder Snake piqued his curiosity more, though. When Bel heard Gen Xingmings explanation, he asked, How do you know him so well? Even I know a bit about him only. Gen Xingming spread his arms. Guan Feng shares a bit of relationship with the Gen Family, but that is during my grandfathers time. You can say that his teacher-student relationship with my generation isnt very good; in fact he might not even want to admit that he had ever been our teacher. Whys that? Cillin asked. Bel curled his lips. Because he felt embarrassed to have taught such lousy students. Chapter 236: Guan Feng’s Gift [Part 1] Chapter 236: Guan Fengs Gift [Part 1] Bel and Gen Xingming had strong opinions regarding Guan Feng, but Cillin could see that that it was more reverence than anything. Guan Feng was so old that even their fathers were his students in the past, so of course they wouldnt dare mess around before him no matter how arrogant they acted in the norm. The doorbell rang while they were talking about Guan Feng. Cillin opened the door to find the triplets poking their heads inside and looking at Gen Xingming and Bel. They said, The brother downstairs wants these two brothers to meet him for a bit. The brother downstairs the brother, they say Bel immediately told the triplets seriously, You should call the guy downstairs a grandpa! The triplets looked very puzzled. They didnt understand why they should call such a young-looking man a grandpa at all. In fact, they were originally going to call him uncle, but because he looked so young they switched to brother instead. Gen Xingming pressed a hand to his forehead. Bel, that isnt our concern right now. What is is that Guan Feng just told us to go downstairs. What do you think hell do to us? Bels brain finally clicked as he answered with a conflicted look on his face. But he said he isnt here to take us back to school! Gen Xingming curled his lips. You cant judge Guan Feng by common sense, or did you forget how he thought day or night on ways to torture us back at AF1? If I didnt have strong determination and tenacity a different person wouldve gone insane already. No matter how reluctant they were, they had no choice but to head downstairs. Bel and Gen Xingming took two slow steps before they went back and pulled Cillin along to bolster their courage. Back then the Three Dissolute Musketeers suffered their punishments together, but Ulaganuo wasnt around right now. The two of them alone couldnt endure so much firepower. Guan Feng didnt criticise Bel or Gen Xingming. Instead, he said something that nearly drove the two of them insane. While drinking his tea elegantly, he said, Since Im here, I should inform you that AF3s semester exams are about to start. I heard that this semesters exams are going to be slightly harder. All students who didnt attend the exam, or failed and didnt attend the makeup exam will be demoted immediately. Bel and Gen Xingmings eyes twitched rapidly. They didnt doubt the truth of Guan Fengs words in the slightest, but they couldnt shake the feeling that this old man was largely the reason why their exams had gotten harder. Generally, Bel and his friends never skipped semester exams no matter what they were doing while playing truant. Even if they did, there were always the makeup exams. Although the exams were a little difficult, Bel and Gen Xingming were smarter than a lot of people. At the very least, their last minute preparations were well enough that they were able to cruise through the exams safely. But after hearing these words from Guan Fengs own mouth their scores were in grave danger! Guan Feng looked at Cillin after he said this. I heard you dodged four of Goryeos shots. No, I only managed to dodge two shots. I had to use my blade to block the other two shots. Cillin corrected him. Guan Feng shook his head. One missed shot is a fail in my book. Old Chang cleverly took the triplets away from the scene when he saw Guan Feng talking with Cillin, Bel and Gen Xingming. The shop had a few service robots, so they didnt need to worry about reception in case a customer came in. At first, Old Chang was ready to prepare a private room for them to speak, but it didnt look like Guan Feng was planning to conduct their conversation in private. Guan Feng put down his glass and moved his hand once. A suitcase immediately appeared in his hand. The suitcase looked very normal, but only those who touched it would realize that it had a completely different texture from normal suitcases. The suitcase was made from a kind of rare alloy and possessed a great degree of hardness. It wouldnt be crushed even if a spaceplane were to land on top of it. Guan Feng passed the box to Cillin and said, This is my gift to you. There arent many people out there who can avoid Purgatorys Thunder Snake, especially at your age. Cillin didnt turn down the gift. Judging from what he heard from Bel and Gen Xingming, it would just be a futile gesture. Guan Feng opened the suitcase before Cillin. There were two compartments inside the suitcase. One of them contained some parts, which Cillin deduced to be gun parts. The other compartment contained some strange-looking metals of varied sizes. The tip of the metals were somewhat sharp while the rear end looked a little the back of an arrow. Moreover, the thin metals looked like they were holding something. They werent completely made of metal. What surprised Bel and Gen Xingming was the pattern that was revealed after the suitcase was open. There was a snake resembling a snake that represented Purgatorys Thunder Snake, and then there was the character K at the corner of the suitcase. It was very clear now what the contents of the suitcase were. Not only did Guan Feng gift Cillin a Purgatorys Thunder Snake, it was a K-type weapon no less. They couldnt understand the logic behind Guan Fengs gift at all. Even if that was his intention from the beginning, he still shouldve started with the most basic B-type first. What did he mean by gifting Cillin a K-type directly? Hes totally looking down on us! The suitcase was opened at a ninety degrees angle, so it had blocked Guan Fengs gaze from view. However, Guan Feng wasnt looking at the suitcase. Instead, he stared at Cillin, moved his hands and spoke all at the same time. I know that Griffin had given you a recommendation card, so you may see this gift as a recommendation of mine. However, whether or not you can use it depends entirely on your own ability. His movements were too quick. Although Gen Xingming and Bel could catch a few glimpses, they couldnt put together what they saw into a logical sequence because they missed far too many movements in between. When Guan Feng was done, a short barreled gun appeared in Guan Fengs hand. Guan Feng rubbed the body of the gun once - Bel couldnt even see where he was rubbing exactly - and the gun completely took on a different color. Its color had changed from bright white to unreflective black. He was definitely a true master! Cillin looked very calm when he watched Guan Fengs movements. His expression didnt look close to Bel and Gen Xingmings puzzlement or astonishment. As a result, no one knew what he was thinking in his head. After the gun was fully assembled, Guan Feng picked the smallest bullet - the metal in the other compartment - available and loaded it into the gun. Then, he tossed the seven small parts he bought from Old Chang into the air and opened fire almost without any aiming at all. The sound of clashing metals sounded like they happened at nearly the same time. The seven parts had not been thrown in a single line, and they all had different straight line trajectories. However, the shot hit all of them. The bullets speed was too quick. It ultimately entered a wall after it struck all seven parts in succession. The most surprising thing of this demonstration was Guan Fengs mental responsiveness; he was able to calculate the parts trajectories, the angle of the gun and the timing the moment he tossed the seven parts into the air. Everything had happened in a short instant. It had looked like Guan Feng had thrown the parts and opened fire during a moment of absent mindedness, but the outcome was anything but that: a single bullet striking all seven parts in a row. When he was done, Guan Fengs hands flashed across the weapon and turned it into separate parts once more. The landing point of the gun parts was exactly the same as they were before in the compartment! He picked up the glass once more to take a sip of tea. He looked no different from he was prior to the demonstration, almost as if he wasnt the one who fired the gun. Cillin was quiet throughout the entire process. It wasnt until Guan Feng had closed the suitcase once more that he accepted the gift. Chapter 236: Guan Feng’s Gift [Part 2] Chapter 236: Guan Fengs Gift [Part 2] When Guan Feng was done drinking, he put down the glass, stood up and walked towards Bel and Gen Xingming. His movements immediately caused the stunned Bel and Gen Xingming to tense up in full. Guan Feng stopped in front of Bel and Gen Xingming before raising his hands to pat their shoulders once. Then, he said gently, Make sure youre well prepared. I hope that the two of you will pass your semester exams smoothly. After that, while holding his bag of purchased items, he walked out of the shop, got into his car and left the place. Cold sweat poured down Bel and Gen Xingmings backs. On purpose, old fox Guan mustve done that on purpose!! It was a threat wasnt it, wasnt it?! I hope that the two of you will pass your semester exams smoothly my ass, hes totally planning to shoot a crazy question during the semester exams! What do we do, Bel? Gen Xingming asked miserably. What else? Lets go back sooner and see if we can find any hints around the area. If we fall for old fox Guans trap and make an exhibit of ourselves then were going to be the butt of a joke for a while, and my dads probably going to whoop my ass for the next few years. Cillin asked curiously after listening to their conversation, You can find hints to an exam question in your school? Gen Xingming pointed at the direction Guan Feng left and said, The fact that he publicly told us this semesters exams are going to be harder means that a clue to the exam question is somewhere to be found. However, well have to find this clue ourselves. So you mean that the semester exams had actually begun from the moment he said that? Bel nodded. Thats right. In fact, everyone would spend a great deal of effort to search for the clues of the exam questions prior to every semester exam. However, the results were minimal at best. The three of us - ah, you remember Ulaganuo, the other friend I told you? - would normally work together to find a clue before the exams so that we would have a higher chance of passing them. Gen Xingming looked at Cillin sympathetically. Your exam questions are only going to be crazier if youre planning to attend AF1. There is still a clue to be found, but it will be pretty difficult to locate. Cillin wasnt scared by their warning. On the contrary, he grew even more interested in AF1 than before. These exams sounded a lot more interesting than the ones at Seven Lights. Many of the exams in Seven Lights were in fact quite inflexible, and even the ones that were had a scope of reference. All in all they werent difficult for most students, and were an absolute breeze for Cillin. It would seem every affiliated academies exam styles were different from each other After Guan Feng had left the parts market on his car, he turned on a communicator that was installed in the vehicle. His character is okay, he has the qualifications to get in, his background needs further investigation Its okay. Identity is secondary in AF1. Guan Feng was holding a part he bought from Old Chang. It was a flying car part assembled from a number of smaller second hand parts by Cillin himself. The person on the other side of the communicator said something that drew a small laugh or two from Guan Feng. You know me well. I am using Cillin to give those boys a wake up call. Bel and Gen Xingming was plagued by worries after they were terrorized by Guan Feng, so they hastily left the shop during the second day. They were students, and they werent completely free of responsibilities. Old Chang didnt know who Bel, Gen Xingming and Guan Feng were. He had asked Cillin about this before, but Cillin only told him that they were people from the upper class. Old Chang knew that those three men had only shown up because of Cillin, but he considered himself lucky to be able to bask in his limelight for even a bit, not to mention witnessing a total of three Whirlwinds in his life. It might not be a good thing to know about those trio too well, especially since he was just a commoner. There were some things in life that Old Chang got over very easily, and his meeting with the trio was one of them. So he stopped asking about them after their departure and instead switched the topic to Chang Fives education for a bit. Logically speaking, Chang Five should be sent to a primary school due to his age, but considering his current mastery of knowledge he was entirely qualified to study in a middle school immediately. They could try send him to one of the top three schools of this star region. These schools normally conducted their preliminary tests online during the recruitment period. The fact that some of the questions they asked during the preliminary tests would stump even some of the students who were currently studying in those schools showed just how high their entry standards were. There was a second round of tests after the preliminary tests and other processes such as interviews and so on. If they were nobles, then of course they could skip some of the processes. However, the only way someone of Chang Fives background could get in was to tread the difficult path just like Chang Three and Chang Four. Bel had talked to Cillin about the childrens future education while they were at Baelenbaatar. He could see that Bel was willing to deliver them straight into the best school of the star region or even the imperial capital, if that was the kids wish. But Cillin knew Chang Five enough to know that the boy held a great pride at the bottom of his heart. He would rather pass through the tests step by step than rely on Bel to get into a school. Cillin asked Chang Five about this, and as he expected Chang Five turned down the offer. He decided to challenge the exam with his own strength and get into Baelenbaatar just like Chang Three and Chang Four. His family was there, and it was more convenient to call back home from Baelenbaatar. The way the gray cat put it, it didnt matter which school Chang Five entered. The only thing he lacked was a stepping stone, and one of the top ten school of the star region, Baelenbaatar was a good place to start as any. It would enable Chag Five to progress even further than before. One day, the gray cat rolled back and forth across the bed because it couldnt sleep. When can we go back, Cillin? I still got some stuff stored up inside the base, you know. Im worried that Snowball and Dough will eat them while Im not around. There was no way it was admitting that it missed those fellows. Cillin sighed and scratched the gray cats chin, I dont know either Maybe, maybe he might be able to find some real ways to go home if he went to the imperial capital and got into contact with people at higher places. Lets go to the imperial capital, Wheeze. The imperial capital? That sounds like a nice place, and its not a bad idea to head out and relieve our boredom a little. Oh, that AF1 is also there. We should go there and take a look too. The gray cat wanted to know exactly how many more idiots like that black panther were there in that place. Alright. After he had made up his mind, Cillin informed Old Chang of his decision. The shop had welcomed a new employee, and Cillin himself was the guy who verified him. His name was Alai, and he came from the commoner zone too. He was a good lad, but what was important was that he didnt have a bad bone in his body. With him around, Cillin wouldnt need to worry about taking care of Old Chang and the little fellows. After all, the robots couldnt handle everything. There were many things that only a human could do. After he had arranged everything, Cillin and the gray cat went on a new journey and headed towards the imperial capital star region of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Chapter 237: Slave? Humanoid [Part 1] Chapter 237: Slave? Humanoid [Part 1] They had to change flight routes if they wished to head to the imperial capital star region from Old Changs planet. That was why Cillin checked the starports they must go through and booked all the necessary tickets ahead of time so that they wouldnt need to wait after they arrived at a certain starport. The benefits of being a noble showed when one was booking a ticket. Nobles had their own flight routes, starships and spaceplanes. They didnt need to follow the transport stations like commoners. Cillin had booked a ticket at the biggest transport station in the twenty third star region. The transport station was also known as an important transport hub of the twenty third star region. Of course, it was only important to a normal person. Nobles had their own flight routes and starports, so they wouldnt use the same transport stations and spaceplanes as the commoners. They believed that the act would degrade their own worth. From Old Changs planet, Cillin and the gray cat must ride on a passenger starship to the transport station first. Unlike the time Cillin and Bel flew to Baelenbaatar, this flight route would take longer time than usual. While sitting inside the passenger cabin, Cillin pulled out the foldable display in front of his seat and observed the scenery outside. It was not a direct flight. They would be stopping at a couple of stations midway, and each time they did a passenger spaceplane would leave the starship to fetch the passengers to their destinations. The starship would only depart once more after the spaceplane had left. This was exactly why the passenger seats were arranged by stations. All passengers who were headed to the same transport station were put in the same cabin. Once the starship had reached their destination, they would be transferred into a passenger spaceplane and transported to several smaller terminals. Cillin watched the scenery on the display. A passenger spaceplane was detaching itself from the starship and flying towards a smaller terminal. From the top, he could see that the planet it was headed to was pretty small. It wasnt the only planet within the vicinity though. Cillin could see another planet that was even further away from where he was. However, that particular planet was currently crawling with warships. Yes, they were warships and not passenger starships. He zoomed into that planet after he adjusted the visuals for a bit. Maybe it was because the display had a fixed setting, but he wasnt able to catch a clear look of that planet. He could only guess roughly the general situation from its external appearance. Still, it was enough for him - for anyone - to guess a lot of things. A war was happening on that planet. It was clear from the occasional flashes of light and obvious black mushrooms covering the surface of the planet. Not only was a very large scale war happening on that planet, weapons of mass destruction were being deployed without restraint too. The weapons potential to leave everlasting marks on the planet was clearly not a concern. Who on earth was fighting over there? The gray cat informed him of the truth not long after. It was a race war. As usual, the gray cat was hanging out in a spot that wouldnt be noticed by the humans, the starships defense systems and sensors. It had logged into some connected networks to understand what was happening on that planet. Cillin had an earpiece in his ear. It was used specifically to communicate with the gray cat, and it couldnt be detected by the passenger starships sensors. If Cillin wanted to say anything to the gray cat, all he needed to do was to write on the electronic panel provided to customers for leisure and entertainment. The gray cat would then pick up the message written on the electronic panel through the starships network. After the communication was complete, it hacked into the network and wiped clean all traces so that the monitoring crew wouldnt notice anything. The gray cat actually wanted to converse with Cillin through machine language instead, but Cillins understanding of machine language was surface level only. Machine language was far more difficult than human language, so for now human language was the language they conversed in. That being said, Cillin and the gray cat knew each other very well. Most of the time, they would use incomprehensible symbols that that no one else understood but them to communicate with each other. This way, an outsider might not necessarily be able to understand what they were talking about even if they saw the conversation. The gray cats voice rang from the listener inside Cillins ear. Its a conflict between the army and the locals. Oh? Those locals dont look the same as us. Theyre humanoids! Wow, thats a big bomb Cillin more or less figured out the situation the second it mentioned humanoids. Cillin had investigated into certain parts of Mist Bodhisattva Empire not long after he arrived, and one of the things the empire massively differed from GAL was its treatment of humanoids. GAL prioritized genotype rank over race. In fact, humanoids were the majority of many Sectors in GAL such as the Binger Family of Sector H and especially people like Warsaw, the Mermaid Princess. There were also Ba Dao, Scarlet Wind they could all be categorized as humanoids. However, they all led good lives in GAL because they were very capable in their own right. In fact, the Binger Family led better-than-good lives and was very influential in Sector H. Heres another example. People like Ba Dao and Scarlet Wind could also walk in the busiest streets of the most prosperous planet of the ten business Sectors and not be criticized at. At best they would draw some curious glances from the crowd, but they wouldnt be openly rejected. Things were different in Mist Bodhisattva Empire though. Here, a clear line was drawn between races. The rulers of Mist Bodhisattva Empire - the one emperor and three kings - and the nobles were mostly your average humans. Even when there were some differences, these people didnt look as clearly humanoid as a beast-type humanoid. Speaking of the latter, they were absolutely the object of oppression. Most of the empires slaves were made up of humanoids, and those humanoids who looked too different from an average human were even labeled as a repulsive race by the nobles. Zanny technically was an humanoid, but there were two reasons that separated him from the norm. One, his normal appearance was very similar to an average human and thus didnt draw attention to himself, and two, he had joined both AF2 and Wings, which elevate his status to much greater heights. Even if there was a noble who disliked him, they could only criticize him in private. That being said, if Zanny were to run into another humanoid who looked a lot more like those beast-type humanoids, he likely wouldnt feel any sympathy towards a fellow humanoid like himself. This is how strange a human heart is. The barrier between races and gaps between blood were like a deep crack on the ground that was nearly impossible to heal. Some of the people sitting in the cabin knew what was happening on that planet too, so as they chatted and laughed about the subject words such as those humanoids, those disgusting creatures and ugly monsters were thrown about casually Cillin had always thought that GAL was in many ways a cruel master, but Mist Bodhisattva Empires situation inflicted in his heart an even greater sense of helplessness. In Mist Bodhisattva Empire, an humanoid might not even measure up to a pure beast in the peoples hearts. Once this war was over, many of the humanoids of this planet would be turned into slaves and sold to people of various places. All those who resisted them would be killed, and all those who obeyed would be left alive. They might not necessarily be able to lead long lives, however. The gray cat sent some images to Cillins electronic panel, and he saw the humanoids on that planet for the first time. They had brown skin, no hair, and some hard bumps growing above their heads. They had many hard wrinkles on their epidermis like tree barks and very long feet In short, they didnt look like an average human other than the fact that they had a head, a pair of hands and legs, eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Even if they had their own civilization, language and words, a humanoid was alien to a denizen of Mist Bodhisattva Empire. It was one thing if they obeyed the empires plans like an obedient slave, but any signs of dissent were met with harsh retaliation. Cillin wasnt in the mood of listening to anyones discussion in the cabin. Should he be glad that he looked almost the same as these people? Cillin pulled down the sleep helmet above his seat and closed his eyes. It was a wordless sign to the person who was getting ready to pull Cillin into their war discussion: Im going to sleep, so dont disturb me. The starship finally reached the transport planet as he hoped. It was obviously a busy planet even from the outside. Countless starships and spaceplane went in and out of the planet be it day or night. When Cillin and the passengers arrived on the planet, it was daytime - or more specifically, morning - at the region he landed. The next flight Cillin booked was during the morning too, so he had a bit of time to find a place and comfort his stomach. The moment he stepped out of the door, he was left with only one impression - people, there were people everywhere! If he said the starport was crammed full of people, then this density didnt change by much even after he walked out of the starport. There were people rushing about their business everywhere, and they all shared one common characteristic: a humble, common identity. It couldnt be helped. The nobles had their own private starports, and they would never come to a place as crowded as a pig farm like this. More people also meant more thieves. Not all people who were dressed in ragged clothes like they were fugitives were necessarily poor people, it was just that they knew that they shouldnt show their wealth openly even if they were rich. The reason they dressed like a fugitive was to avoid catching the attention of scoundrels. Cillin was slightly more well dressed than the others; he didnt expect to run into a scene like this when he first landed on the planet. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Cillin punched a guy who was going to steal his stuff and quickly left the starport. After putting a fair amount of distance between him and the starport, he and the gray cat looked around for a restaurant to eat in. Unfortunately, the few restaurants they went to were all full of people. They still had some time before they had to return to catch the next flight, so Cillin and the gray cat hopped into a taxi and searched further away from the starport. There were some elegant places after they left the bustling starport, but the prices of these restaurants were downright obscene. Worse, the gray cats attention was glued to a large chefs special advertisement display outside a restaurant. Fish! Such a strange-looking fish, and a tasty looking one too! Lets go there, Cillin! The gray cat pointed at the restaurants direction. Cillin knew that the place would be pricey the second he saw its building design. Wheeze, lets make a deal. Were not as rich as we are at GAL right now, so we gotta spend our money carefully. You can order that Four Sea Fish Platter, but let me order the rest of the dishes, okay? Cillin didnt have the heart to turn down the gray cat seeing that its eyes were completely glued to the unknown fishes swimming about on the large display. He knew that the gray cat would probably get angry if he turned it down, and every time it got angry it was inclined to do stupid things. I know I know! The gray cat nodded repeatedly. Cillin took it into the restaurant after he obtained the gray cats promise. The restaurants service was pretty great. There was even a pet corner where all owners who brought their pets were arranged inside. They immediately saw a large mastiff the second they went through the door. It was likely that the pet animals in the pet corner were acting unusually obedient because the mastiff was around. Not only did they not let out a peep, they were cowering inside their owners laps while eating the food their owners fed them. The gray cat was an exception though. The gray cat walked proudly at the front and took a spin in the hall before it found a table it was satisfied with. Then, it jumped up the table, patted the furniture with its paw and motioned Cillin to come over. The big mastiff let out a series of low, intermittent growls to assert its dominance when it saw that the gray cat was ignoring him. The gray cat was probably feeling good today because it teasingly stuck out its tongue at the mastiff after hearing its warning growls. The big mastiff wasnt stupid though. It was the biggest animal in the restaurant, and every pet that came it had chosen to submit to it obediently. However, the gray cat had acted impudently right in its presence. The cat might be fine with this, but not it! A small cat-and-dog quarrel later, Cillin led the gray cat into a small room. Not only were they the only two in this room, and the restaurant attendants were the ones who invited them here without charging them a coin. It was because the restaurant would suffer far greater losses if they were to leave them at the pet corner. For example, the big mastiff at the pet corner had a couple of clear scratch marks on its nose. The gray cat didnt keep the animals it labeled as idiots in its mind. It was busy eating the Four Sea Fish Platter beneath its feet. Still, it would flick its head left and right occasionally like a radar. It was constantly paying attention to its surroundings and telling Cillin about them. Suddenly, the gray cat stopped eating and looked up. After licking its mouth once, it said, Somethings going on inside that room. Chapter 237: Slave? Humanoid [Part 2] Chapter 237: Slave? Humanoid [Part 2] The gray cats eyes projected an image on the soup inside Cillins plate. It was a luxury suite at the top floor of the restaurant. A few bodyguards were standing guard inside and outside the suite. A young master who looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old was enjoying a full table of delicacies alone. The bodyguards responsible for protecting the young master all wore the same uniform. The material of their clothes were of high quality; it was pretty obvious that their backers were no ordinary people. Logically speaking this young master should be a noble of sorts, but for some strange reason none of their clothes had any defining symbols on them. It was unclear which family they belonged to. When the youngster suddenly detected a small commotion outside, he told his subordinates to bring in whoevers outside. Two people were led into the suite. It was a middle-aged man and a beautiful young girl. The middle-aged man was a supervisor in the restaurant, and the young girl was a waitress who worked here. Cillin could roughly guess what had happened from the torn collar around the girls neck, the tears and the slap mark on her face. The youngster obviously knew what happened too despite his young age. When the young girl saw the youngster, she spilled the beans and told him everything about how the middle-aged man forcing her to do things like she had seen her savior. The youngster consoled her with a smile on his face for a moment before instructing his subordinates to send her away. Then, he picked up his spoon and began drinking the porridge in his bowl once more. The young girl was very grateful towards the youngster and took two steps forward, but the bodyguards stopped her from going any further. She gave the youngster a bow where she stood, wiped her tears and got ready to leave, but the second she turned around she and the middle-aged man who was kicked into the room and tossed against the floor produced a gun out of nowhere and opened fire at the youngster. The youngster was perfectly fine though. Nothing except a spark of electricity could be seen in the space not far from the boy. An invisible energy shield?! Almost immediately after they opened fire at the youngster, the young girl and the middle-aged mans neck suddenly bent at an unnatural angle before they collapsed limply on the ground. Their eyes turned forever glassy and dim. What was strange was that the bodyguards around the youngster didnt make any moves. It was almost as if the air itself had broken the two assassins necks. The youngster gulped down the spoon of porridge without changing his expression even once. He made a tiny wave with his hand, and the two dead bodies were dragged to the side of the room soundlessly. Again, none of the bodyguards had moved the bodies. Looking at the footage alone, it looked like the two dead bodies had floated to a corner of the room themselves. Cillin knew that there were invisible bodyguards beside the youngster. Those two assassins never noticed it from the beginning until the end. From the way the assassins necks were broken, Cillin deduced that the invisible bodyguards had killed the assassins in one swift motion. It was clear that they were veterans from their practiced movements. The youngster put down his spoon and looked around with a frown on his face. A bodyguard behind him asked, Whats wrong, young master? I have a feeling that Im being watched. The bodyguards exchanged puzzled glances with each other. They had confirmed that there were no security cameras in this room from the start, and they had controlled every piece of monitoring equipment in the whole restaurant too. No one should be able to see them even if there was a security camera inside the room. The youngster stood up and walked around the room once, passing by each and every bodyguard in the process. When he came to a stop, he suddenly said, Take out all of your communicators! The gray cat had cut off the connection the instant he said this. Wow, who on earth is that kid? Isnt he a little too sensitive? The gray cat cried. Acute, you mean. It means the same thing. The gray cat flicked its ears. I thought that there was something wrong with that room from the beginning. Now I know there are invisible people in there. Enough already. Finish your meal quickly so we can leave as soon as possible. I dont want trouble to come looking for us. Cillin patted the gray cats head a few times. Have you wiped out all traces? What do you think? Of course I did. Let that kid search all he wants. The gray cat stopped talking about the youngster after that and worked hard to clean up its fish. Inside the suite, the youngster stared at the communicators before his eyes and frowned silently. A long while later, he said, Send these back and have the technical department look through all of them! Also, I want you to investigate this restaurant thoroughly! Yes, young master. When the duo was finally done with their meals, they rested for a moment before returning to the starport for their flight. The gray cat quickly vanished in one practiced motion, and Cillin wasnt worried that it would be discovered either. He got up a spaceplane and found his own seat. He had gotten up his spaceplane an hour ahead of the takeoff time. After he sat down, Cillin closed his eyes and prepared to rest. He recalled the things he saw at the restaurant today even though his eyes were closed, however. Who on earth was that youngster? He was sure that the youngster was a noble; a high ranking one no less. How could a thirteen or fourteen years old kid react so calmly in face of an assassination attempt? This youngster was way too calm compared to Bel and Gen Xingming, and he seemed entirely indifferent towards death. A person like this had either gotten used to death already, or was born cold-blooded. Time passed swiftly while Cillin was engrossed with his thoughts. A minute before the spaceplane stopped accepting passenger, the passenger next to Cillin finally showed up slowly. The seats here were all coupled up in pairs. Cillins seat was on the outside, and the guys seat was on the inside. There was another row of double seats next to Cillin separated by a single corridor. The guy sitting next to him looked like a pretty optimistic person. Oh my god, I finally caught up. Phew The guy let out a sigh of relief before he sat down. Then, he glanced at Cillin and gave him a friendly smile. Happy journey, my friend! Happy journey to you too! As the saying goes, you should be polite to those who are polite to you. Cillin had no reason to reject a person who acted kindly towards him. The spaceplane went through a series of inspection and took off not long after the guy sat down. After the spaceplane flew into a starship inside a space station, the passenger cabin was transferred into the main cabin of a passenger starship just like before. However, not long after the passenger starship departed the planet, it came to a stop before it even entered warp flight. It was because a noble transport was in the way. It was a known rule that all commoner starships must give way to noble spaceplanes and starships. Cillin bought a commoner starship ticket because a noble passenger starship ticket costs way too much; almost ten times the normal price. Cillin had no intention to waste his money here. A normal passenger starship was slower, and some starports and flight routes werent available to them either. That was why their flight times were longer and their quality of life was much lousier. It was inevitable that a commoner passenger starship would experience many disruptive stops on its way. It was also why a lot of people chose to ride on a noble starship after deciding that they couldnt live with the interruptions any longer. Cillin looked at the guy beside him and discovered that he was sleeping so soundly that saliva was dripping down his mouth. Not even the loud discussions happening around him could disturb him. When the transport was finally able to continue on its journey once more, a voice from the speakers informed the passenger to put on their sleep helmets to avoid discomfort. It also informed them what they should do in case they experienced any discomfort etc in standardized language. In fact, it was entirely possible for someone to lose their lives if their reactions were especially severe. That was why the warning was normally given prior to every flight. However, it was mostly up to the passengers to decide if they wanted to put on the sleep helmet. After all, none of these people were nobles. It wasnt too much trouble even if some of them were to die during the flight. Cillin looked at the guy who was dead asleep next to him. After a moments thought, he ultimately decided to wake him up. What whats wrong? The guy looked drowsy. He made a sound with his mouth and wiped away the saliva trailing down a corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Although he was staring at Cillin with a bit of confusion, he didnt look annoyed for being awaken from his slumber. Were about to enter flight mode very soon. Are you going to put on your sleep helmet? Cillin pointed at the people around him. Most of the passengers inside the cabin had already put on their sleep helmets except a small minority who might have gotten used to flying in such conditions already. When the man heard Cillins words, he scratched his head with a smile on his face. Oh, thanks man. He thanked him, but he didnt put on the sleep helmet. Instead, he pointed at himself and said, My constitutions pretty good, so I dont need to wear one. And so Cillin ignored him and went about his business. Cillin himself wasnt wearing a sleep helmet; he preferred not to put it on when his surroundings were somewhat quiet himself. It was a somewhat suffocating equipment. During the flight, the guy beside him woke up once and asked for a set meal because he was hungry. The robot woke Cillin up when it was delivering the set meal. Sorry for waking you up. The man looked a little embarrassed when he was accepting the set meal. Its fine. Cillin ordered a set meal himself. This is a good time to replenish some energy anyway. The guy chuckled, unwrapped his meal box and started eating. He seemed to be very hungry because he was eating rather sloppily. After he was done, the guy chatted a while about the positives and negatives of the set meal with Cillin. He might have rushed through his meal, but his review of the set meal was pretty much spot on. Cillin pointed at a corner of the guys mouth while he was listening to the review. Leftovers. Oh. The guy wiped it with his sleeve. Cillin pointed at his nose again, and this time the guys licked it off with his tongue directly. Cillin: ... If his eyes werent playing tricks on him, the guys tongue grew longer just now The guy only noticed his mistake after he licked away the leftover. But after he noticed that Cillin wasnt showing any signs of discrimination, he did it again and stretched his tongue almost all the way to his eyebrows. Cillin only raised his eyebrows and commented, You have a pretty long tongue. The guys mouth fell open. Isnt it strange? It is. Dont you think its er The man opened his mouth again and pointed at his own teeth. Cillin watched as the guy ground his teeth together and forced out the food trapped between the gaps of his teeth. Cillin fell silent for a moment before commenting again. Thats pretty special. He could save on an electric toothbrush. When the guy confirmed that Cillin really felt no discrimination towards him, he smiled happily and said, My name is Libero! Im very happy to make your acquaintance! Im Cillin. He went back to devouring his own food. A humanoid. Libero was without a doubt a humanoid. Although he looked almost the same as an average human being, there were a few small details that highlighted their differences. For example, a careful look would reveal that Liberos pupils were oval-shaped instead of round. Liberos fingernails could also elongate and shrink to his will. These were just the differences that Libero was willing to show. You actually dont discriminate against humanoids. How strange, Libero said. I have no reason to discriminate against you. Im not a noble. Libero shook his head. In the empire, both nobles and commoners strongly discriminate against humanoids unless youve climbed to untouchable heights! Liberos eyes lit up brightly when he said this. Cillin nodded but didnt express his opinions on the subject. Libero was very happy to find a rare human who didnt discriminate against humanoids, so he and Cillin chatted about all kinds of things throughout their flight. It was mostly Libero doing the talking and Cillin listening to his words though. The journey became much quicker with a companion to converse with. The final destination of this starship was the imperial capital, but very few people actually landed in the imperial capital transport station. A lot of passengers began changing out of their common clothes and put on bright and expensive clothes when they arrived at the imperial capital star region. It was almost as if those expensive clothes could enhance their confidence if even a little. Cillin and Libero simply stared at those people and did nothing. They never thought that they would run into a situation like this, so they hadnt prepared as such. All those who sat in the same cabin were heading to the imperial capital, but neither Libero nor Cillin had explained in detail what they were doing in the imperial capital. Libero simply said that he was here to learn, while Cillin said that he was here to try his luck. A lot of people came to the imperial capital to try their luck. There were plenty of nobles and opportunities to be found in the imperial capital, but the ensuing pressure was just as big. Most of the people in the cabin had come to try their luck too. After parting ways with Libero, Cillin met up with the gray cat and began pondering about their next step. A moment of consideration later, Cillin decided to head to AF1 first. Right now the Gen Family was a conundrum he couldnt solve easily. To his surprise, he ran into Libero again at the entrance of AF1. Chapter 238: AF1’s Preparatory Campus Chapter 238: AF1s Preparatory Campus AF1 wasnt difficult to find, but it was very difficult to enter. The part Cillin went into was the preparatory campus. Right now, they werent qualified to enter to official campus at all. The preparatory campus wasnt located in the same place as the official campus. In fact, the two campuses werent on the same planet. That being said, they werent far from each other. Cillin could see the official campus planet from where he was. The planet where AF1s official campus was located was very big. There were three schools on the planet: AF1, AF2 and AF3. Several moons orbited the planet, and the preparatory campus of AF1 was one of them, so of course the planet was visible to the naked eye. AF3s entry test were few and less complicated, but the same couldnt be said for AF1 and AF2. The tests were normally directed by AF1. AF1s preparatory campus was the test location, and both AF1 and AF2s teachers would conduct the tryouts together. When the tryouts were over, the results decided which participants would be segregated into AF1, AF2, AF3 or be eliminated. The tryouts at AF1s preparatory campus were formulated by stage; it all depended on the total number of sent recommendation cards and timing. Cillin was lucky because the next stage of the tryouts was starting pretty soon. The imperial capital had specialized navigation robots. All Cillin did was to find a random navigation robot on the streets and entered his destination and ID information, and he was taken to a place with special cars immediately. After Cillin had shown his recommendation card, he was brought to this moon. The watermelon-sized navigation robot who was flying everywhere explained many things to Cillin while leading him to the preparatory campus entrance. It was also here Cillin ran into Libero. Libero hadnt come alone. He was accompanied by a brawny guy he called Ironhead. Ironhead was a humanoid too. Strictly speaking, both Libero and Ironhead were half-humanoids or mixed-bloods. Of course, this was just the polite way to describe them. Some nobles called them bastards outright; especially the self entitled ones. To them, a mixed-blood was the shame of humanity and the kind of people they disdained the most. Libero was surprised to see Cillin too; he didnt think that they shared the same destination. However, his surprise was quickly dyed by cheer. Libero was very happy to make the acquaintance of any people who didnt discriminate against mixed-blood. Before this meeting, he thought that he and Cillin were just passing strangers. But now, they were comrades in the same trench. Libero introduced Ironhead to Cillin. When Ironhead saw that Cillin didnt show him any disdain, he too returned a friendly smile. Have you reported yourself in yet, Cillin? Libeo asked. No. Cillin shook his head. He had stayed a little longer than expected at the station and spent a lot of time eating with the gray cat. There were always problems when the gray cat didnt get its fill. We already did. Let me guide you there! Libero was very passionate. They hadnt arrived for long themselves, and they were soon to be arranged into temporary hostels after reporting in. It would be nice if they could apply for the same hostel and avoid sharing the same living space with strangers or people who discriminated against them. The report process was very simple; all he needed to do was show his recommendation card. Every recommendation card contained the recommenders information, so the one Cillin was holding contained Griffins information. Every AF1 and AF2 teacher faced a certain amount of pressure after they sent out a recommendation card because the person they recommended might not necessarily be accepted by the school in the end. The ratio of the number of recommendation cards sent out and the people who were accepted by the school were strongly tied to these teachers. Naturally, those teachers whose recommendation applied more often than not enjoyed greater fame. When Cillin passed his recommendation card to the person in charge, the latter didnt pay him much attention at first. After all, there were plenty of teachers in the affiliated schools and plenty of recommendation cards being sent out. His attitude changed a little and a bit of curiosity entered his eyes when he read the information on the card though. He didnt imagine that Griffin would be the one to recommend such an average looking person. After he obtained his hostel card, Cillin, Libero and Ironhead headed towards their temporary hostel. The gray cat accompanied the trio as Cillins pet. It wouldnt be participating in the beast-type tests because it didnt receive a recommendation. But even if it did, the gray cat wouldnt have bothered with such nuisance. The arrangement of the hostel was almost the same as Chang Fours at Baelenbaatar. The difference was that it was a five-man hostel instead of four. Everyone had an individual bedroom, but they would be sharing a training room, living room and so on. When the trio arrived at their hostel, they discovered that someone was already living in it. Judging from his appearance, he had been staying in this place for quite a while. The man was just waking up and looking a bit drowsy when the trio entered the hostel. When he saw them, he stretched and asked, Yo, are you guys my housemates? All three of you? Libero introduced himself first before making a round of introduction for Cillin and Ironhead as well. The guy scratched his messy head before chuckling. My name is Walley. I come from a small, out-of-the-way planet in the seventh star region. Walleys nose twitched as he said this, Did you guys buy breakfast? Its lunchtime already, isnt it? Libero said exasperatedly. Walley rubbed his hands together. Never mind that. Can I join you? Sure. We bought a lot of food anyway. Cillin put the items of the large table at the living room while the gray cat crouched in front of its plate and chowed down in no time. When Walley stretched a fork towards its plate, it instantly cut the utensil into three pieces. As it happened, the young man liked toying with the gray cat a lot, so he switched to a new fork and tried again and again. Finally, he managed to grab a small fish from the gray cats plate, and the gray cat was so mad that it scratched Walleys face a couple of times. Walley was a pretty easygoing person though. When he spoke of the reason he came to AF1s preparatory campus, he summed it all in two words: debt collection. Technically speaking, the place Walley lived in had absolutely nothing to do with the affiliated schools. It was a planet that was even more remote than Old Changs. However, one day Walley ran into a person who forcefully landed his faulty spaceplane near his house. Because he was feeling good, he offered the person a meal, and then they fought a brawl that ended with Walley being crushed so badly that no one in the entire district could recognize him. In the end, the man kicked Walley twice, ate everything that could be eaten in Walleys house and took a French leave. Before he left, he tossed down a card and a small sum of money before telling Walley to find him in AF1, promising to free him from all basic necessities of life if he did. That was how Walley came to AF1 to collect the debt he was due. After listening to Walleys story, Cillin thought that the teachers of the affiliated schools were pretty eccentric. Everyone had an elusive personality. Walley wasnt a mixed blood like Libero or Ironhead; he was an average human just like Cillin was. However, he must have some outstanding talents considering that his teacher had him a recommendation card, even if the way he was recruited was a little unusual. Ironheads parents were the servants of a noble family. Because Ironhead proved himself to be a man of some abilities, the noble family had used their connection to acquire a recommendation card for Ironhead. However, if Ironhead was eliminated during the tryouts, it was clear that his whole family would be forced to go through a very difficult time. That was why Ironhead felt considerable pressure on his shoulders. Libero was apparently the same. He claimed that his teacher had spent much effort to collect a recommendation card for him, but didnt go deep into the details. It was obvious to everyone that things werent as simple as Libero claimed, but since he wasnt willing to tell they didnt prod further into the subject. The final person to show up was also the most special. He was an eight years old child of a noble family. However, he was a livelier boy than your average noble boy, and he didnt pretend to be proud, standoffish or eccentric like some nobles. Although he kept calling himself the young master, they could see from his eyes that he didnt mean to demean anyone. It was just a pet phrase he was used to. The person who sent in the boy was an old manservant. The old manservant reminded Cillin of the small old man, Berzett beside Lung. Although the polite smile on his face never wore off, he was absolutely not to be underestimated. AF1s rules forbad any people in the preparatory campus to bring their servants, so all the old man did was to escort the boy to the hostel. After that, he carried so many things into the hostel that the storage cabinets in the living room and the kitchen were completely filled with stuff. The old manservant claimed that it was his gift to everyone in hopes that they would more or less help out his young master in times of need. This was the first time he left home after all. Cillin and the others promised that they would. They were now housemates after all. Cillin believed that the old manservant mustve investigated into their backgrounds before he came. There was no way he would leave his young master here so easily otherwise. The boys name was Teita, but his surname wasnt revealed. The old manservant finally left after the boy chased him out impatiently. Teita then out a loud cheer while jumping around in the bedroom the old manservant tidied for him as if he was released from prison. The quartet exchanged a look with each other. He was just a kid after all. Teita really wasnt a kid who put on airs much even though he couldnt avoid a nobles way of speech due to his age. His actions were truly shocking, however. For example, Teita would say: Hey, the young master requests you to speak with him! But in reality, Teita was obediently making his way towards Cillins group and joining in their conversation. He knew a surprising amount of things for his age. Hey, young master Teita, do you happen to know how this tryouts will be conducted? Walley asked while leaning on his chair and biting on a walnut. Cillin didnt like to eat this type of walnut much, but the gray cat did, so he peeled the shells for the gray cat and gave Teita some too. While eating the walnuts Cillin peeled for him, Teita stretched out five fingers and said, There are normally five rounds in AF1s tryouts. It is called the Five Tests of AF1. The Five Tests of AF1? Is it difficult? Libero asked. Teita frowned as he chewed on the walnut. I heard its pretty hard. You even have to write on a paper during the written test of the first round. Did he say writing? You mean, we actually have to write down words on a piece of paper? Ironhead looked a little troubled. Even thought he was a manservant, he had almost never written anything with a pen and paper his whole life. He had always used electronic tablets instead. He doubted that he could stomach his own words he had to physically write them out on a paper. Libero had the same problem as Ironhead, but Cillin and Walley was a lot calmer than the two humanoids. The task wasnt unfamiliar to them. Cillin passed another peeled walnut to the boy. Continue. Teita accepted the walnut and tossed it into his mouth. It was crunchy and pretty good. Then, he stretched his fingers again and began explaining, There is also a stress test, three mini tests, a cooperative test and a final interview. But you guys dont need to worry about anything. The tests dont have a so-called passing standard, so no one actually knows what theyre based on. Some people obviously did horribly during the written test, but they were recruited into the school in the end. But some people who did well were rejected instead. Teita told them everything he knew, but the more they learned the stranger they felt: why are AF1s tests so unique? Chapter 239: The Five Tests of AF1 [Part 1] Chapter 239: The Five Tests of AF1 [Part 1] Maybe it was because everyones minds hadnt settled down yet after arriving at a strange place, but they chatted until a bit later than usual. The four of them helped out Teita a lot because he was the youngest person in the hostel. It was obvious that the boy lived like a prince considering that he even had a personal wash robot in the bathroom. That old servant had arranged everything for him. The four of them got to check out Teitas room after the old servant was done tidying the place. Almost everything was in place, and if the boy needed something done all he needed to do was to send an order to the housework robots and AI systems. The gray cat immediately felt an itch behind its back the moment it saw the thick, plush carpet spread out inside Teitas room. It couldnt wait to rub its fur against the carpet, and in reality it did exactly that until Cillin took it away by the scruff just before bed time. There are several hidden security cameras inside this hostel. There are three in Teitas room, one outside the kitchen, one in the bathroom, two in the living room The gray cat said discontentedly beside Cillin after it was brought back into the room. In the end, they discovered that every part of the hostel was monitored except the rooms of the other occupants. It seems that Teitas background is pretty deep. Cillin scratched the gray cats chin while thinking about the information Teita told them just now. Then, he closed his eyes and began to sleep. The young man was woken up by the gray cat before he could enter deep sleep. What is it? Cillin didnt even open his eyes. The boy cant sleep. He probably isnt used to this place and misses home. The gray cat could see what was going on in Teitas room through the security cameras. Well, hes here already. He will get through it eventually. Ten minutes later. The cats paw hit Cillins back. Now what? Cillin still hadnt opened his eyes. The boy looks pretty sad. You sure you dont have the heart? Humans are used to crying while growing tougher. It is one of our ways of growth. The gray cats ears flicked.There was no telling if it understood the statement or not. Another ten minutes later. Cillin abruptly opened his eyes this time. The gray cat was just about to hit him again right in front of him. Alright fine! At the same time, inside the room of a vast castle-like building complex on another imperial capital planet, a couple of people were staring at a big monitor and observing Teitas condition. When the eight years old child rolled back and forth on his bed and unable to sleep, two women holding handkerchiefs couldnt help but wipe the tears on their faces again and again. I told you we shouldnt send him in so early. Look, he cant sleep since its not home! Yeah, dad. Teitas still young, and you know what kind of place AF1 is. Plus, Teita shouldnt need to go through what we already did. We can protect him ourselves. I agree. Lets bring Teita back, shall we? Another man dressed in military suit asked. Everyone stared at man who still looked soldierly and handsome despite his age at the center of the group. The beautiful woman at the side wiping her tears glanced at her father standing perfectly straight at the center of the group and thought: He wont hold out for long. After all, hes the one who worries about Teita the most out of all of us. The old man had sent Teita into AF1 on the spur of the moment after someone in the military probably whispered into his ears, but right now no one regretted the decision more than he did. He just couldnt say it because his dignity wouldnt allow it. The old man let out a sigh of relief in his head as he listened to their words. I guess I should take him back; he is too young. They can talk all the way; its not like Ill lose anything if I take back my word. I can always send Teita back to AF1 in another two years; and Im sure he wont disappoint me. But now? hes just too young, too young. My poor boy. The old man was about to say something when the doorbell to Teitas room rang. Teita immediately sat up from his bed and tried to remove the dejection and helplessness on his face as best he could. The sight caused their heart to ache again. Teita opened the door, but before he could speak something was thrown right towards his face. When he hurriedly caught the incoming object, he discovered that it was the gray cat. Cillin yawned and said, Something to keep you company with. This cat likes your carpet, so please keep it around if you dont mind. Of course, if you do mind then feel free to toss it out of your room anytime you like. Once he said this, Cillin went back to his room and to catch his sleep. At the door, Teita blinked a couple of times before he stared at the gray cat in his lap. Then, he closed the door and walked back inside. The moment the gray cat entered Teitas room, it immediately jumped onto the carpet and rubbed its fur along the edges of the room. When it rolled all around the room once, it looked up and saw Teita staring at it unblinkingly. The gray cat shook its fur and said, Just ignore and go to sleep. Ill guard the door for you. Then the gray cat went back to rolling around the carpet. Teitas feelings improved by a lot after the gray cat intruded into his room. After watching it for a moment, he carried the soft bedding on his bed and put it next to the gray cat. Since the bedroom had a smart thermostat setting, there was no need to worry if he would catch a cold at all. Half an hour later, both the boy and the cat fell asleep together on the carpet. The people in front of the big monitor didnt say a word until a very, very long time later. In the end, the old man didnt bring Teita home. He decided to postpone the decision until he saw Teitas results. The tests anticipated by more than a thousand participants had finally begun. Every participant possessed a recommendation card, but they didnt all receive it at the same time. The countdown began when the number of participants reached a certain threshold. The first test of the Five Tests of AF1 was the written test Teita mentioned earlier. The previous written test only had one test paper, very few questions and a three-hour time limit, but the questions were incredibly difficult. This time though, things were very different. Todays written test was ten hours long with no breaks in between. All participants were to bring their own food, and the only two places they were allowed to be in during this period was the exam room and the toilets. No participant knew where their seats would be. After they were gathered in one place and requested to take a seat wherever they wanted, a cover rose from beneath the chair and enveloped the participants. They were then transferred to the exam room automatically. Inside the exam room, the participants could only see white light plates and compartments around them. They couldnt see through the light plates, but the people on the other side of the light plates could see them clearly. Therefore, there was no point in pretending that there existed trickeries that wouldnt be caught by the observers. If a participant was caught, the consequences were severe to say the least. When every participant was shifted to the exam room, they discovered that they were facing a thick book of test papers. Thats right, a whole book. The test papers contained questions about basic personal information and all sorts of other test questions. Cillin gave the papers a look. The first few pages of the test papers were all questions about basic information such as his hobbies, his habits, the books he read, the kind of information he studied, the kind of internet content he followed and so on. A lot of people embellished their answers in a positive way, but they had no idea that the teachers would prepare their test questions according to the information they wrote. If the teachers found out that someone was lying, they would make life very, very difficult for said participant. Cillin didnt write too much about himself. For example, he only wrote shooting under specialties. After all, Guan Fengs gun was right there. It was something that was going to be revealed sooner or later. These basic information revealed how much a participant knows about themselves. It was also possible to judge if a certain participant was arrogant or self-abased from their answers. That being said, Cillin had no idea what kind of stick he was going to be measured with in this written test. As Teita had said earlier, some people were accepted into the school despite not knowing how to write. When he wrote down his first word though, Cillin was starting to understand a little the point of this written test. A persons words reflected some sides of the writer themselves. One could even say that a written word was a reflection of their writer. Moreover, a persons words grew more forceful and steady as their age and experience increases. A persons words also revealed their emotions at the time. A person in a good mood would write a fine work, but a person in a bad mood would write a crooked and ugly work. The pressure of writing, the structure and style of the strokes, the size of the words, the amount of time the writer wrote without lifting their pen from the paper and so on could also reflect a lot of things. For example, the amount of strength a person normally used, self-awareness and the balance between thought and action could be seen from a persons writing. A persons writing speed was also related to their speed of understanding. The composition of a text could even reflect a persons view of the outside world. Naturally, a persons mentality was reflected in ones writing too. A persons words changed along with their mentality. Since this was a whole book of test papers, a lot of peoples handwriting were sure to grow more and more slovenly over time. However, there were also people whose handwriting never changed much no matter how much they wrote. This was where the difference lied. After Cillin was done filling up the basic information, he began reading through the test paper. It was a habit of his. Even though he didnt need to write anything at Seven Lights, he would still read through the questions before he started working on them. The first question required Cillin to define terms. It was a familiar type of question, but Cillin was at a loss for the first in a very long time. It was because 99% of the terms were uncommon words, and some Cillin hadnt even heard of despite arriving at Mist Bodhisattva Empire for some time now. He continued to flip through the pages. There were question and answer, math, discussion Unfortunately, there were no multiple choice questions or true and false questions in the test paper, so there was no chance for the participants to make a lucky guess. Moreover, the written test had a huge scope just like what Teita had told them, such as the formation of the universe, quantum mechanics, evolutionary history, molecular formula, human reproduction, normal or abnormal physiological indicators and even ancient questions that were similar to which came first, the chicken or the egg. When Cillin flipped to the fifth from last question on the third from last page, he raised an eyebrow. A short, unremarkable sentence was printed on the spot: Please complete thirty of any of the questions written above. No extra marks are given beyond thirty answered questions. Most of the time, a line like this normally appeared at the first or last page of the test paper, so the way AF1 did it was pretty unique and obscure. He wondered how many people would be bummed when they read this line at the end. Cillin shook his head and read through the last few questions. The rest of the questions were pretty much the same as the previous ones except the last question. Once he confirmed that there were no other hidden meaning in the test paper, he began writing. Two hours later, Cillin finished answering the thirty questions at the front and the last few questions at the back. All that was left was the final question. The final question went like this: If you believe that the earlier questions cannot express your qualities or abilities, please write whatever you wish here. After thinking for a moment, Cillin suddenly drew a cat - a round, fat cat holding a fish biscuit in its mouth - in the answer block of the question on a whim. Cillin didnt turn in his test paper immediately even though he was done answering the question. After inspecting his answers once, he lay on the table and caught a short nap. He had a feeling that the next few tests would consume a lot of energy, so he wanted to store up some energy in advance. Some AF1 and AF2 teachers were walking around the exam room, so they saw every little trick some examinees tried to pull clearly. They warned those who should be warned and deducted marks from those who should be deducted, but no examinees were disqualified from the test immediately. There were some people who finished their test papers ahead of time just like Cillin. These people either turned in their paper early or slept on their tables just like him, so Cillin didnt stand out among these people. That being said, all examinees who finished their papers within the first three hours were placed in a special record by the chief examiner. Cillin was woken up by the end of exam bell. After he got out of the exam room, he met up with Libero and the others at the agreed place. Judging from Libero and Ironheads dejected expressions, they probably didnt see the line at the third from last page until it was too late. Walley looked as careless as he was before. Teita didnt see the line, but mentally speaking he was doing pretty well. The test was done, and that was that. He didnt feel much pressure to begin with. The teachers didnt give the examinees who finished the first test much time to rest. Not long after, a spaceplane delivered them to the location of their next test. The stress test tested the examinees physical stress such as resilience, immune tolerance, physiological response under certain conditions such as low atmospheric pressure, low oxygen level etc. and so on. The examinees physical limits and physical disabilities were investigated as well. The final result of the test were graded in descending order: S, A, B, C and D. However, the examinees themselves were not informed of the final results. Humanoids had another category under their results; it contained the signs of their bloodline. However, these information were kept confidential from all examinees, and only the teachers in charge would know about them. Cillin went through a series of tests such as a basic drug allergy test, wound healing test, low atmospheric pressure test, low oxygen level test, heart rate test and many more. When he left the test room, the person in charge of grading him wrote an S in the final grade bracket. Things happened in the way Cillin imagined them to be. Again, the examinees were given very little rest time before they were sent to another location on the planet to perform their third test. This time, Cillin discovered that the number of examinees had decreased a little. It wasnt much, but about fifty or so people were definitely missing from the scene. The third test was also called The Three Tests. The examinees were required to choose three subjects from a list and be tested on them. Cillin chose shooting, melee combat and parts assembly. The reason Cillin chose these three subjects wasnt because he was most confident with these subjects. It was because these three subjects were his known skills. At the very least, he was sure Guan Feng knew about them. Needless to say, he breezed through the parts assembly test. The people present at the parts assembly test room had researched Cillins product and wrote very, very long comments on their appraisal form. As for what they actually wrote inside the form, Cillin had no idea. In the melee combat test, Cillin ran into a big guy like Ironhead. This man was good at strength, and he was able to punch a hole in the reinforced floor and moved onto his next punch without being affected whatsoever. At the beginning, Cillin fought defensively, took his time to figure out his opponents strength and allowed him to fully demonstrate his abilities. After that, he ended the combat in a single attack. The final subject he chose was shooting. Since there were a lot of people who chose shooting too, Cillin had to queue up and wait for his turn. Unlike the previous tests, the shooting test was semi-public. The examinees who chose shooting were allowed to see what was going on inside the shooting range. There were a lot of excellent shooters among the examinees, and everyone of them worked hard to show their expertise. Strangely though, the teachers in charge barely reacted to what was going on even though a lot of the examinees were cheering. Chapter 240: I Hate Three Plus One [Part 1] Chapter 240: I Hate Three Plus One [Part 1] Everyone knows that there was no lack of geniuses in AF1, and both AF1 and AF2 were pretty much stacked with all kinds of geniuses from every place and every class. So perhaps these teachers were simply numb to this scene. After all, there were only too many geniuses in this place. The round-shaped test zone was divided into eight smaller zones. Every zone took a forty five degree fan-shaped space. There was a ring of spectator stand outside the shooting range, and it was divided into the upper level and bottom level. The examiners were at the upper level, and the examinees were at the bottom level. All examinees who had finished their test or were waiting for their turn were watching the examinees in the test zone at the bottom level of the spectator stand. Shooting was a skill all students must learn. Even if there was a student who hadnt come into contact with a gun until now, they were still required to learn shooting after they were officially accepted into AF1. Therefore, one could say that shooting was an important course in every school. A lot of teachers loved to test their students on their shooting skills, and shooting had always been a course that took up a higher percentage be it in an exam or a tryout like this one. That was why a lot of people chose shooting as their subject. Curved shooting might be an ultra difficult shooting technique outside of AF1, but in here, a place where geniuses clash against one another, it was nothing more but an everyday technique. Maybe the teachers would give them a second glance if they hit every target while curving their shots. There were some actual AF1 and AF2 students from previous years who were watching the test too, and from their expressions Cillin knew that very few examinees actually came to their attention. Of course, it wasnt that these examinees had performed exceptionally poor. If they were further trained after they were officially accepted into an affiliated school, they would only shine brighter than ever before. The examinees went in and out of the test zones amidst the actual students chatter and the teachers absent-minded gazes. They were all so full of ambition before they came to this place, but it was only a matter of time before they learned why AF1 and AF2 could become the top schools in the entire empire. Gold always shines, but even gold becomes unassuming within a sea of gold. Cillin believed that shooting technique was just one of the aspects they benchmarked the examinees with. The other thing they observed was the type of guns they used. Thats right, the shooting test was set up in a way that allowed the examinees to bring their own guns. That was why the students werent forbidden from carrying firearms into AF1s preparatory campus. It also meant that some people in AF1 had the ability to prevent and control any undesirable situations that might arise from the missing rule. Cillin stared at the shooting range from the spectator stand. Libero and Ironhead didnt take shooting, but Walley and Teita did. Walley was in front of Cillin while Teita was behind him. The order was decided on a first come first serve basis. Walley and Cillin were put in the same test zone, and Cillin soon discovered that Walley had impressive shooting instinct. He reminded him of Tang Qiuqiu, which meant that he was either born with great shooting instincts or forced to develop them due to his environment. It could be the latter seeing that Walley came from a pretty messy place. Still, it couldnt be easy for a parent to raise and instill such a careless attitude in the young man despite living in a messy place like that. Walley picked a gun directly from the gun rack, gave it a look, fired a test shot and started his test immediately. He hit everything, and he never stopped shooting until it was over. Cillin couldnt see Walleys eyes when the latter fired his gun from where he stood; he could only see his shooting methods and results: maybe the teachers could see them from the cameras inside the shooting range? At any rate, when Walley was done shooting Cillin could feel that the teachers reactions in this zone were a little different from before. If he wasnt mistaken, it should be something like satisfaction. Cillin, its almost your turn, isnt it? Teita ran over and talked to him. Just now he was talking to a current student he knew. On a side note, the stress test didnt put any pressure on Teita. Mm. There are two more before its my turn. Cillin said while pointing at the fan-shaped zone before him. Teita waved his hand and said, No need to be nervous, just do like you always dol! This was an advice his father often gave him. Cillin smiled back. Im not nervous. Walley returned while the two of them were chatting. Theres nothing to see here. The real students are staring at pretty girls, the pretty girls are staring at pretty boys, and the teachers are yawning again and again. Im not sure if theyre trying to piss us off on purpose. Walley leaned against the fence and asked, So hungry. Say, do you guys have anything I can eat? Cillin tossed a compressed biscuit, a bag of jerkies and a bottle of water at him. Conserve your strength. The next test is probably going to just as tight. What a troublesome test this is. Walley caught the food and began replenishing his stamina. Walley didnt have a subspace container because it was a luxury to him. That was why he couldnt bring as many food as Cillin or Teita did. He didnt want to eat nutrient tablets either because those things were okay in the norm but completely insufficient in a test like this one. Oh by the way, I asked around and learned the third test is going to undergo a small change, Teita said. What change? Cillin and Walley looked at him at the same time. Teita sighed. I heard that The Three Tests is going to be changed into the Three Plus One Tests from here on. The three choose-yourself mini tests havent changed, but now there is a fourth mini test. The fourth mini test may be different each term, and it seems like were be running a marathon this time. Marathon? How far do we have to run? Cillin asked. Teita shook his head. I dont know, they dont know either. Only a teacher in charge would know about this. Walley looked up into the sky with a clear look of forlornness while chewing his jerky. I have a bad feeling about this Chapter 240: I Hate Three Plus One [Part 2] Chapter 240: I Hate Three Plus One [Part 2] Cillins number card shook a little. It was a reminder that his test was about to begin. Im going. You guys chat with each other first. Cillin walked towards the fan-shaped zone while carrying the box Guan Feng gave him. Subspace containers were disallowed inside the shooting range. Guan Feng gave him the weapon, so there was no need to hide it. When the examinee before him walked out of the shooting range, Cillin pressed the number card he received earlier into the card slot. A door opened to admit Cillin into the shooting range. Whats that box hes carrying? At the spectator grandstand, Walley asked Teita while eating a compressed biscuit. Its a gun, isnt it? Teita wasnt sure himself. There were very few people who used a box to carry a gun into the shooting range. The targets inside his area were flashing with light already. There was about fifty of them in front and behind him. The targets were only as big as a fingernail, and the speed and direction they moved at were unpredictable. Cillin stood still inside the zone, put his box on on top of a table and began assembling his gun. His speed was equal to Guan Fengs assembly speed that day. The instructor in charge who was absentmindedly staring towards his direction from the spectator grandstand abruptly jumped to his feet. He wasnt sure at first, bringing up the live camera feed to clarify his suspicions. Then, he let out an involuntary swear. That old fox! Fuck! How can he do this?! How can he do this!! A different instructor holding a teacup wobbled his way over when he saw his reaction. Whats wrong? Did you have sciatica or something? Your grandmother has sciatica! I asked him so many times to give me that gun, but he gave it to a child instead!? When the other instructor looked at the display, he nearly dropped his cup. Its given away already? The instructors in charge in the other zones were made curious by their reactions too, and they all had different expressions after they learned the cause. The box had undoubtedly attracted their attention though. Hmm? Why does Cillins gun look so odd? Walley stuffed his mouth with food until its full before grunting. Purgatorys Thunder Snake! Its Purgatorys Thunder Snake! The picture on that box is the Purgatorys Thunder Snakes logo, and, and thats a K-type! A K-type! Teita shouted out in excitement as he stared unblinkingly at Cillins zone. Teita had only seen the B-type and and E-type version of the PTS* in his life before. He hadnt seen a K-type PTS until today. According to his father, there were less than five people in the entire imperial capital who were qualified to use the K-type PTS. AF1 had tried to nurture someone who was capable of using the gun for the longest time, but the amount of people who actually qualified were very few. His father had said that Old Fox Guan was a very stubborn person, and he had turned away everyone who thought themselves good enough to use the gun to this day. *from now on Purgatorys Thunder Snake will be shortformed unless its mentioned in dialogue Teitas cry drew a lot of attention, causing some people who were conversing with each other to look over to Cillins zone too. Even those who knew nothing about PTS put Teitas reaction and the instructors gazes from the second floor together and started paying attention towards Cillin. The examinees reactions were obviously incomparable to the students. When they learned that Cillin was using a K-type PTS, they blanched like theyd seen a ghost before staring unblinkingly at Cillins test zone. After Cillin was done assembling his gun, the system spent ten seconds to announce unnecessary instructions such as how many targets were there, how much time he had and so on. In reality, these unnecessary instructions were a buffer for the examinees to adjust their gear and get into top form. The examinees physiological parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure were measured the moment they stepped into the shooting range. It allowed the examiners to inspect their psychological quality. When ten seconds was up, the system announced the beginning of the test. Cillin raised his arms and fired without hesitation. He missed The speaker blared target hit five* times before Walley could finish his sentence. *I know this number should probably be fifty, but Cillin only fired five times. Maybe the system tracks the shot first, then calculate if the shot had hit a target. Thats why it only said target hit five times. Also, I imagine the system will fry if it tries to repeat target hit fifty times in a row. After that there was no after that. Cillin withdrew his gun, disassembled it, put it back into the box and walked away. The entire place was silent except for a couple of the electronic voices that came from other fan-shaped zones. Then, an uproar happened. Walley had spat out the biscuit crumbs in his mouth and nearly choked himself. It took him a couple mouthful of water to recover himself. Five was it five shots?! Walley stretched out five fingers at Teita as if he was trying to confirm his senses. Yup! Five shots! Teitas eyes were bright. This was the K-type; the highest ranking model of the PTS! His father had always wanted to attract a K-type PTS user to their side, but Old Fox Guan never allowed it to happen. It was something his father complained about very often, but it was only until today that Teita realized just why his father was so insistent in recruiting a K-type PTS user. Although he was too young to fully understand what he just saw, the fact that Cillin hit fifty targets with five shots was all he needed to know. The instructor in charge of Cillins test zone checked the physiological diagram drawn by the system, and a long while later he sighed. Thats another one. Another one who fired a gun like he was eating a meal. Another one whose physiological parameters didnt look any different from normal. Walley was just the same before Cillin. Cillin! Cillin! Teita ran over to Cillin and stared at him with puppy eyes. Can I touch K for a bit? K was Teitas nickname for the K-type PTS. That was how he called it in private. That depends on your performance. If you do well in the test later, then Ill let you touch it. Promise! Promise. Alright! Wait for me! Teita ran towards the shooting range after he said this. It was almost his turn, but his test zone was on the other side. Walley stared oddly at Cillin. Hey, that Snake whatever gun you have, how does it work exactly? I want to take a look too. Ill show it to everyone once we get back. Hehe, thanks! Walley turned his head back to the shooting range while chewing his biscuits. His mind was already somewhere else though. Teita was young, but his shooting skills were pretty impressive. He didnt have brilliant techniques, he didnt know how to shoot at a curve, and he couldnt hit multiple targets with a single shot. However, every one of his shots hit the center of the targets, and he almost never hesitated when he fired. When the test was over, Teita ran back to them impatiently and asked, How is it? Its not bad, right?! It is. Ill show it to all of you once we get back. For now, lets catch a nap as much as we can. The test is almost over, and the additional test is about to be revealed, Cillin said. As Cillin said, the rest of the tests ended about the same time as the shooting test ended. The students were guided to an assembly spot where Cillin, Teita and Walley ran into Libero and Ironhead. Their expressions were all the telltale signs they needed to know that they did well in the test. The three tests werent a problem to them, but the additional test made everyones vision turn black for an instant. It was a marathon. A lot of people had learned about this before the announcement, but it was only now they knew about the details. And what were the details exactly? The details was that they had to run a lap around the globe. Yes, by globe they meant the planet itself. Right now everyone was standing at the Equator of the planet. Equator was also the name AF1 gave to this special running track they prepared. Equator wasnt as flat or narrow as your normal running track. It was wide and filled with all kinds of obstacles: forests, rock piles, hills and so on. Even if the planet wasnt that big, it was still a difficult marathon. Geographical obstacles aside, there was a black thing running towards them that made every examinee felt the brush of autumn frost. Is that a monkey? No, its a black ape. A giant black ape! Its seriously huge. The earthquake grew stronger and stronger as the giant black ape approached. Even my stomach is starting to shake, Walley said. Youre touching your kidney. My entire body is shaking, okay? No one taught me how to fight such a species! Walley pointed at the giant that looked like it was ten meters tall. Its not the only one. Cillin pointed at the other animals running over from the other side of the continent. This meant that they had to run around the globe and be wary of their surroundings at all times. It was because these giants would be chasing after them. I hate three plus one! Walley looked up and let out a long sigh. Cillin looked around and realized suddenly that the cat had gone god-knows-where to make new acquaintances. Chapter 241: Ssh—— [Part 1] Chapter 241: Ssh [Part 1] This additional test had no time limit. The examinees were forbidden from using flying tools, but of course those who were born with the ability to fly were a different story. There werent many overly imposing rules or restrictions. The examinees could group up and form teams as they liked. That was why Cillin grouped up with his hostel mates for this test. Cillin noticed from the beginning that Teitas expression was a little unusual. Unlike Libero and Ironheads miserable appearance, Teita looked like he just saw an old friend or two. However, the young boy did his best to maintain a serious expression. Teita might be small, but his stamina was incredibly good. At the very least, he hadnt fallen behind the team. They had to avoid the pursuing animals behind them and the ones who were causing trouble ahead of the road. Cillin and his team saw with their own eyes an unfortunate fellow being caught by the leg by the black ape and tossed way, way back across the running track. None of them doubted if the tigers, leopards, snakes and even cows were capable of similar feats. After running for a moment, the group of five rested temporarily behind a rock pile. One hour later, they continued along on their journey. Teita, you have unexpectedly good stamina, Libero praised. Of course! I trained a lot with my fathers subordinates since I was small. Teita was very proud of this. Cillin looked up to the sky. They couldnt outrun the planets rotation, so of course daytime wouldnt last forever. No one could tell what kind of danger would befall them after it was night though. The animals cared nothing for chivalry, and they were the ones who were going to suffer if the animals accidentally used too much strength, just like the poor guy who was flung into the air by the black ape. Had Cillin been running alone, he would have definitely been able to move faster and hide better than this. However this was just an additional test, and there was no need to fight for the number one spot. Plus, he could help his teammates and learn some other news from them. At first, Cillin was planning to send the gray cat to communicate with those animals. However, it left behind the message Im out to do some networking and was gone before the marathon even started. Its getting dark Walley sounded a little sad while leaning against a rock. He didnt look as careless as he used to. Are you afraid of the dark? Teita asked. No, Im just worried. Dont worry, were here. If you want to take a nap now then do it quickly. Were going to move again in about a moment. Libero moved outside so that Walley could sleep at the center. Stay here. Im going to inspect the terrain for a bit. They had zero understanding of this strange running track, and they were forbidden from bringing scanners. There were even signal jammers and magnetic interference devices nearby. It was very likely for a person with a bad sense of direction to stray off the path. Cillin looked around him for a moment before climbing onto a rock formation. Then, he hid himself inside the shadows and inspected the terrain around him. From the high ground, Cillin was able to figure out the meaning behind its arrangement a little. Some of these rocks were purposely arranged in a way that affects a persons mind. It was a maze that confused everyone who navigated it and nudged them into making the wrong choice. That wasnt all that was fishy with this terrain either. It wasnt too long before he noticed that some of the rock formations had shifted positions. When they entered the rocky maze, they made sure to mark the path behind them. But if the rocks shifted positions, then they would only be misled if they searched for the right path using the marks they left behind. The trapped examinees would stray off the path, attempt to return to the original spot only to stray even further if they couldnt find a way to escape the maze then they would be trapped straight until morning. Also, who knows what other dangers might lurk during this long night? Cillin thought that the sooner they left this place and found a new resting spot, the better. While Cillin was examining the rock formations, a figure had sneakily entered the area. A momentary pause later, it floated towards Cillin and approached him from the back. Walley, who was taking a nap at the center abruptly opened his eyes to look at Cillins direction, but before he could cry out a warning there was a bang that sounded like something heavy crashing onto the ground. Walley ran quickly towards the direction of the noise while followed by Libero and the others, but when they arrived they found Cillinstanding safe and sound on top of the rock formation while a stranger they didnt recognize lay motionlessly on the ground. Cillin had imprinted every examinee in his mind, so he was certain that this stranger wasnt an examinee of the test. This meant that he was a student from the previous term. The animals werent the only ones who were causing trouble for the examinees during this marathon. The students from a previous term were in it as well. The reason they were here was to catch those students who used illegal tools and cause some small troubles for the examinees just like those animals. Walley walked over and pushed the stranger lightly. Hes fainted. He tried to ambush me, so I knocked him out immediately. Cillin climbed down from the rock formation before looking around him. We should leave as soon as possible. Somethings wrong with the rocks in this place. The longer we delay, the more it impairs our judgment. His teammates nodded, but the ground suddenly shook before they could take a step. Its that black ape! We must leave now! Libero said. No we cant, not now. Cillin pointed in front of them. Someones coming. The team quickly hid themselves and wiped out the traces that proved they were there. However, they left behind the stranger whom Cillin had knocked out earlier. Three people flew over from the sky. It was a humanoid with wings and two common humans wearing flying suits and mini propellers beneath their feet. The trio headed straight to the spot where the stranger was knocked out. After they saw the unconscious person and inspected his condition for a moment, they gave him a medical injection that quickly woke him from his coma. One of the trio rejoiced in his companions downfall. You got careless, didnt you?! I told you to be more careful. There are plenty of strong people among the examinees even though they havent been trained by the school yet. The person who woke up sat up and rubbed his neck, swearing, Fuck, that guy moved too quickly. What a blunder! They should be around this rock formation still. That doesnt make them easier to find since our devices are jammed too. We can only find them by ourselves. Theres no need, all we need to do is to trap them here. Once an hour passes, the maze will confuse the hell out of them. The quartet jumped up a rock formation and paid attention to their surroundings while chatting with each other. The black ape moved closer and closer as they talked. Yo, King Kong! I heard you tossed a poor guy into the air? Did you grab his leg or his arm? One of them joked. The black ape walked over with its teeth bared, hit its chest and let out a roar. Then, it raised its chin, ignored the quartet and continued on its way. Heh, this fellows growing more and more arrogant. That being said, I dont think King Kong ever got lost in this maze. There is such a thing called animal instinct in this world. The quartet chatting on top of the rock formation was under no pressure, but the same couldnt be said to the team hiding in the dark. Cillin observed the black apes path for a moment, and he discovered that it would definitely pass by their location soon. However, they couldnt move to a new hiding spot because those students were still around. A single misstep, and they would be discovered immediately. Libero and Ironhead looked very troubled, and Walley was completely tensed up in a state of readiness even those his lowered head hid his expression. Cillin shot a glance at Teita. The young boy was grinning at the black ape until he noticed that Cillin was staring at him. Teita put a finger to his mouth in a gesture of silence before looking at King Kong once more. The black ape got closer and closer, and Liberos palms were covered in sweat. The second they were exposed, the black ape and the four previous term students would all become their enemies. He wanted very much to remind Teita not to look at the black apes direction, but before he could touch him Teita did something that nearly caused the hair on his hand to stand literally. Teita looked around and made sure that the four enemies couldnt see them. Then, just as the black ape approached them, he poked his out of this hiding, raised a finger before his mouth and said, Ssh Everyone: ... Chapter 241: Ssh—— [Part 2] Chapter 241: Ssh [Part 2] Libero, Ironhead and Walley were completely stiff. They were tensing up their muscles and getting ready to charge out of their hiding spots when they saw Cillin and Teita jumping towards the black ape One of the four students conversing on top of the rock formation threw a glance at the black ape. He frowned and thought for a moment, but he ultimately shook his head and joined back in on the conversation. The black ape walked farther and farther away until it left the rocky maze. Hey, does this count as taking a backdoor? Libero asked in a small voice. Right now they were clinging on the black apes stomach, and the black ape was facing away from the four students. Those students probably never imagined that this would happen. I guess so. Walley looked at the hair he was clinging onto. So tough. I wish I can take some with me as souvenir. The black ape stopped only when the rocky maze was completely out of view. Thanks, King Kong! Teita jumped back on the ground and patted the black apes arm. Hehe, youre welcome! A crisp baby voice rang. Allow me to introduce King Kong. Weve known each other since we were very young, and King Kong visits me at my home every year, Teita said. Finally Libero, Ironhead and Walley realized why Teita wasnt worried and Cillin didnt react to the black ape at all. As it turned out, King Kong was an old friend of Teitas. Since there were plenty of beasts that could speak in school, it wasnt really a surprise or anything. That being said why does King Kong have a baby voice?! Teita, is it still a child no, is it still an infant? Walley looked curiously at the black ape. Mm, King Kong is still a kid. Teita nodded. Everyone fell silent. Was this what they call gap between species? This is as far as I send you guys. I need to get to another road thats not your running track, King Kong said. Alright, have fun. Teita waved his hand. Ill play with you after tests over. Wait a second - King Kong, is it? I have a question to ask. Have you seen a gray cat? A gray cats about this big? Cillin asked King Kong while gesturing with his hands. King Kong scratched its head with its thick, black fingers. If you mean a cat named Wheeze then yes, I have seen it before. Yes, thats it. Do you know where it is right now? Cillin asked again. King Kong shook its head. I saw it half an hour ago. Wheeze bit Dahl and made it cry, so everyone remembers it quite well. Er and Dahl is? A small crocodile as big as I am. A small crocodile as big as it was?If this big relates to size then small just wasnt the right description. That being said, it would be a different story if King Kong meant age. Everyone including Teita could hardly believe what they heard. Did the cat who slept with him on the carpet not long ago really bite a crocodile to tears? That crocodile couldnt be small if it was King Kongs friend, could it? Cillin wasnt really surprised though. He sighed. That fellows bullying others again. After splitting ways with King Kong, Cillins team continued on their journey. They ran into a few groups of people along the way and found that many of them were wounded. Although their wounds werent serious, most of looked like them suffered a huge blow to their pride. They wondered how the people at the forefront were doing. Anyone who was lacking in food was required to find their own supply. The forest fruits were plundered by the people at the front and the animals they ran into were out of their league. Therefore, these people had no choice but to feed on some plants. In this regard, Cillins team was doing pretty well compared to them because subspace containers werent banned in this test. They ran and stopped multiple times along the running track. They had to find shelters that could hide them from the previous term students too. On the next day evening, Cillin finally met up with the gray cat once more. Judging from its appearance, the networking had gone rather smoothly. Cillin, allow me to introduce a new friend to you all. Its right there! The gray cat pointed to the front. The are before them was a swamp forest. As nightfall approached, the swamp forest looked increasingly eerie. No one knew what was hiding behind the thick forest or beneath the swamp; at the very least Cillin could sense danger from that place. Not long ago, they heard a short and rapid scream that quickly faded into silence, and by the time they got there they found nothing. It was exactly because they knew that the swamp forest was filled with many dangers that they decided to wait until the day when it was safer. Do you mean that forest? Cillin pointed at the nearby swamp forest. Mm. I have a friend there, its a pretty good fellow. The gray cat swayed its tail while crouching on Cillins shoulder. I even helped it in a fight. Right now? Of course. Arent you guys in a hurry? This is its territory, so it should be able to help you. The gray cat looked very proud of himself. This merit was its. Cillin told the others to follow the gray cat. Are we sure were going in during this time, Cillin? Teita looked at their surrounding and felt an uncomfortable chill. It was as if there were many big, cold eyes staring at them right now. Its fine, you can trust in Wheeze. Yeah, trust me! That friend of mine is pretty good-tempered, seriously, Im not lying to you. Youll know once you see it. The gray cat led the way and jumped from tree branch to tree branch. It was deep into the night. Cillins team finally saw the good-tempered friend the gray cat was referring to. A big animal was curled up near a pond with thick, tall foliage. Its thick body was covered in metallic scales that shone with a cold light under the stars. The cold light allowed them to see the dotted stripes and rhombus-shaped patterns covering its body and a split tongue that entered and exited its mouth from time to time. A pair of cold eyes with thin, long pupils stared straight at Cillins team. A frightening chill that was colder than even the night enveloped them all. Chapter 242: We’re Leaving Man Take Care! [Part 1] Chapter 242: Were Leaving Man Take Care! [Part 1] Everyone stared at the giant snake that could easily swallow all four of them whole if it so wished. If Cillin hadnt told them to put their trust in Wheeze they wouldve run off already, and even if they did, they were currently too close to the snake to have a good chance of success. It was impossible for them to beat a snake this big, and not all of them were going to escape intact even if they focused all their efforts into running away. This is the good-tempered friend the cat mentioned? Walley absolutely refused to believe it after seeing its eyes. Snake couldnt blink because it had no eyelids. Therefore, the glare coming from the snakes seemingly cold, cruel and absolutely frosty eyes made them felt like a hail was raining on their faces. Their hearts felt ice cool to say the least. Cillin didnt feel the same way though. Although the giant snakes eyes were very cold, he could see that it treated the gray cat fairly well. It was clearly not staring at them with coldness nor detachment either. The gray cat happily climbed up the giant snakes jar-sized body with its tail raised before standing on top of its slightly raised head. It patted the giant snakes head and said, Look, this is my new friend, the giant snake Boa! Its Anaconda. Boa added. Boas voice was slight raspy, and every timbre in its voice sounded naturally cold. It was obviously unlike King Kongs baby voice. However, it was clear that the giant snake was trying express friendliness towards them. Eh, its the same thing. The gray cat went on to introduce Cillin and everyone else to Boa. Hello. Cillin walked over and greeted Boa. The closer he was to Boa, the colder he felt. Thanks to the gray cat, the giant snake agreed to take them out of the swamp forest. Without Boas aid, it wouldve taken them a lot of effort to leave this place safely, not to mention that there other traps inside the swamp and the forest. Only an idiot would turn down the offer. And so a giant snake fetched five people and a cat away from the swamp forest under the dim starlight. The giant snakes body was very cold, and its scales had a metallic feeling to it. Walley couldnt help but rub them for a moment, but a quick tail slap stopped the behavior quickly. Ive never come so close to a big fellow like this before. Libero sighed. Me too! Teitas eyes shone excitedly. He had ridden on King Kongs shoulder before, but King Kong was a mammal, and Boa was a reptile. The feeling gave off by two different species were pretty different from each other. While Cillins team made their way boldly across the swamp forest atop the snake, another team hiding in the swamp noticed this unique combination of species. They were wary of the giant snake since the beginning and had moved cautiously until now. When they saw the giant snake moving swiftly towards them, some people moved faster to escape the swamp forest while others decided to hide in the surroundings because they didnt think they could escape its pursuit. However, they soon discovered that the giant snake wasnt pulling people out of their hiding spots or chasing after the people escaping at the front. Instead, it slithered right past them at an even pace. When the people hiding in the surroundings saw that there were people on top of the snakes body, their jaws nearly hit the ground. After Boa slithered past the forest area, a pair of eyes opened from inside a shrubbery with big leaves. Someone who was paying attention would notice that a man was actually hiding inside this shrubbery. The mans skin had taken on nearly the same color, pattern and even temperature as his surroundings like a chameleon. Even an animal with infrared vision would be hard pressed to find him. The man swore as he watched the giant snake slither away from his position. Fuck, those people are cheating! There are no rules that say you cant get a friend to help you. Its our fault for not knowing that snake. Some other people hiding behind the shrubbery said. As Boa continued to slither across the forest, it suddenly came to a stop and looked to the back as if to confirm something. Then, it abruptly moved a lot faster. Ironhead nearly fell off the snakes back. Barely clinging onto the giant snakes scales, he asked Cillin and the others, Whats going on? Someones coming, Cillin answered. The gray cat jumped onto the giant snakes head and patted. Hey, whats wrong? A troublesome fellow is catching up to us. Seriously, why the hell is she here?! Boa slithered hard as if it was running away from a disaster. The gray cat sensed that the person chasing behind them was a human. It was surprised to see such a reaction from Boa. The giant snake moved very quickly, but the person chasing behind them wasnt slow either. Five minutes later, a voice resounded from behind their backs. Stop right there Boa! It was a girls voice, but to say that her voice was loud would be a gross understatement. The sheer volume of the cry had awakened every insect that had fallen asleep in this swamp forest. Is she using a loudspeaker or something? Walley couldnt believe his ears. Kenancy has never needed a loudspeaker. Her voice is loud enough to make a loudspeaker explode. Boa continued to escape without looking back even once. And so the giant snake slithered like it wished it had wings while a girl chased it relentlessly from behind through the star lit swamp forest. At first, the girl would occasionally call out to the giant snake, but she stopped doing so after a while probably because she wanted to conserve her stamina. She didnt show any intentions of stopping until she caught up with Boa, however. Because the girl was chasing after Boa relentlessly at the back, the giant snake slithered at an incredible speed. By the time dawn arrived, they were nearing the edge of the large forest. That girl is still chasing after us! Isnt her stamina a little too good? Libero sighed. Had he been in her place, Libero was one hundred percent certain that he couldnt maintain her running speed for more than an hour. However, that girl had been chasing after Boa for more than four hours already, and she hadnt been given the slip even now! What an aggressive girl. Walley cast a glance at the slithering snake and wondered what the hell it did to the girl. Sigh, women truly were unoffendable creatures. When they finally got out of the forest, the gray cat and Cillins team jumped off its body. Run, Boa! Boa ignored them and changed a direction. Cillins team didnt manage to go far before they heard a loud BANG behind them. When they looked backwards, they saw that the giant snake was rolling on the ground like it was punched by someone. Standing right in front of the collapsed snake was a girl with a pair of braids hanging loosely beside her temple and a ponytail tied behind her hair. She was dressed in a tight suit and looked like she just came out of a training ground. Cillin thought that the girl looked a little familiar for some reason, but this was without a doubt the first time he saw her. Why did you run off?! Kenancy panted as she glared at Boa. Im not running, Im just slithering a bit faster than usual! Boa retorted. Is it my ears or are you still protesting?! BANG! Boa took another punch. The gray cats tail trembled. It touched its head with its paw before looking at Boa who was rolling on the ground again after being punched. Thats gotta hurt. Kenancy, Im warning you! Even a snake can throw a fit! Boa shouted. A fit? You dare throw a fit in front of me?! Kenancys voice climbed an octane higher. Seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, the gray cat jumped onto Cillin shoulders and yelled at Boas direction: Were leaving man take care! If youre gonna run then just run! Why do you have to tell me that and piss me off!? Also cant you bloody distract the enemy at least? Boa slapped the ground angrily with its tail. Fuck your ancestors Wheeze you disloyal bastard! Well jokes on you cause I dont have an ancestor! yelled the gray cat as it ran. It was the truth; it had no ancestors because it was a rare half-cyborg, half-biological lifeform that was born naturally in space. Cillin: ... I knew that it was a mistake to make friends with this cat. Chapter 242: We’re Leaving Man Take Care! [Part 2] Chapter 242: Were Leaving Man Take Care! [Part 2] They didnt know what happened to that poor snake afterwards, but they did know that they could hear noises coming from that area even after they had moved far, far away. After they went through the swamp forest, Cillins team encountered a desert and a grassland. The strange species in these lands caused a lot more troubles to the examinees who were attempting to pass through the area as compared to the previous term students. Most of them were simply watching them the sidelines and occasionally chuckled at their misery. Therefore, the local overlords (animals) were the ones they should pay more attention to. Just as they were about leave the desert, Cillins team saw a variant of an armadillo biting its tail, curling itself into a ball and rolling down a sandstone while mumbling unclearly, Run, run! It didnt take long before a large scorpion burst out of the sandstone and crawled towards their direction, driving Cillins team into a mad sprint yet again. The gray cat wanted to fight the scorpion, but Cillin had grabbed it by the nape and stuffed it between his armpit mid flight. There was no need to provoke unnecessary trouble. The marathon was definitely useful in testing a persons specific set of abilities. For example Walley was incredibly drought resistant, and Libero and Ironhead were much tougher than Teita because they were mixed bloods. In fact, they had to take turns carrying Teita on their backs for most of their journey through the desert. Cillin noticed that the few examinees they ran into didnt fare much better than them. Some of them even cut a sorry figure and looked downright ragged. After all, not everyone had the privilege to be escorted by overlords like King Kong and Boa. When the marathon was finally over, every examinee thought the same thing in their heads: One, thank goodness it was over and two, thank goodness the planet wasnt as big as the planet where AF1s actual campus was. Some people left after the additional test was over. These people had all quit of their own volition; so far AF1s instructors hadnt put them through a large scale elimination. They didnt even eliminate the examinees who fell behind during the marathon because two-fifths of the tests focus were on the result, and three-fifths were on the process. Everyone thought that they would get a rest period after the marathon was over, but unfortunately they were notified that they would be sent to the next test zone immediately once eighty percent of the examinees arrived at the finish line. Those who finished the marathon early fared better because they had a bit of time to recuperate themselves while they waited for those who lagged behind to catch up. Cillins team was one of those lucky teams because less than thirty percent of the examinees were present when they reached the finish line. However, some of the examinees who made it through last had to literally crawl up their transports while panting heavily. According to Teita, the cooperative test was next after the three-plus-one test. At first, they thought that they would be forming teams among the remaining examinees but as it turned out reality was different from their expectations. There were less than seven hundred people left to participate in the cooperative test. When the transports landed at the destination and Cillins group got off the plane, they discovered that they were at a wide outdoor training ground. It was obvious that this was an assembly spot and not where the test was going to be undertaken. A lot of people were warming up at the training ground by the time they showed up. A voice resounded from the training ground before Cillin could even discuss with the others about the cooperative test. Cillin! It really is you, my different-mum different-dad blood related brother! Do you even hear yourself your language teacher would kill themselves on a piece of tofu if they heard this. The guy shouting on top of his lungs was of course the idiot prince, Bel. He was also accompanied by his good friend Gen Xingming. Cillin had a bad premonition when he noted the wretched smiles on their faces. The excited Bel ignored the odd gazes the crowd was showering him with and gave Cillin a big hug. He then slapped him fiercely on the shoulder before saying, We were just talking about you before you showed up. You really are my brother! Cillin, its so nice to see you here! We didnt think youd be among this group of examinees! Gen Xingming also looked unbelievably excited. A new guy ran over after Bel and Gen Xingming. Cillin could guess from what Bel told him some time ago that this new guy was Ulaganuo, the poor prince of Snowstorm Wendyska Family who was unfortunate enough to draw the short straw and be thrown into the military for retraining by his father. So whats going on? Cillin swatted Bels hands away before asking. Bel still didnt give his an answer as he looked at the gray cat cheerfully. Wheeze, I miss you so much! The gray cat kept a stiff face and ignored him from on top of Cillins shoulders. It thought: he say he misses me, but he doesnt even have a fish biscuit to prove it. Wheeze, Ill treat you to a full fish course and freshly baked fish biscuits at AF3s restaurant once this test is over, okay! Bel added. The gray cat smiled widely. Im so happy to see you all too! Walley and the others: ... Holy shit that is so fake! Someone at the training ground complained when they saw Bel chatting with Cillin. You know someone from over there, Bel!? Thats unfair! Is that jealousy I hear? Too bad I dont give a shit! If youre really good you wouldve known a friend yourself! Bel retorted with a pleased look on his face: Look at me, I know an examinee whos guaranteed to enter AF1 or AF2 and hes also my different-mum different-dad blood related brother! Eh? Whys there a child here? Ulaganuo looked behind Cillin and saw Teita standing with Libero and the others not far away. Bel and Gen Xingming turned to look after the heard him. Oh, hehe. We just noticed. Teita was annoyed. You shouldnt look down on my height! Say, who is this kid? Do you know him? Bel asked Cillin. Kids at Teitas age normally went through a different set of tests. That was why not many people in their tens were participating in the tryouts. Oh, his name is Teita. Theres also Libero, Walley and Ironhead. All five of us share the same hostel, Cillin said. Teita? This name sounds a little familiar for some reason Ah! Youre that old oysters - Gen Xingming kicked him over before he could finish his words. Then, he smiled at Cillins team and said, Ignore him, for whatever reason he couldnt stop spouting nonsense as of alte! Chapter 243: The Fourth Test [Part 1] Chapter 243: The Fourth Test [Part 1] After he was kicked by Gen Xingming, Bel obviously recalled that there were specific places for specific topics because he let out a few laughs and kept quiet after he walked back. He couldnt help but stare oddly at Teita though. Cillin had no idea what was so strange about Teitas identity, but he didnt pursue it knowing that this wasnt the right spot to ask. He would know when it was time to know. Bel looked at Cillins five-man team and asked about the tests they went through earlier. Then, he turned around and asked Ulaganuo, So Gaga, what do you think? Should we team up with them? Gaga Libero and the others turned towards Ulaganuo in unison. No one realized that he had such a funny nickname until now. In fact he generally went by Ula in AF3, and Ganuo to a small set of close friends such as his royal relatives only. As for Bel and Gen Xingming, they just called him Gaga because they were best friends. Almost no one else got to call him that, and those who tried when they didnt deserve it either ate a bullet or got beat up badly. Thanks to Bels explanations, Cillin and his group finally learned what the fourth cooperative test was about. The cooperation part of this test was between the examinees and the AF3 students. The mandatory number of people per team was between five to eight. Of course, there were no rules that forbad them from making up a team of AF3 students only or test examinees only. That being said, most examinees and the AF3 students desired to work with each other. AF3 wished to borrow the examinees martial strength, and the examinees wished to learn the information that they lacked. After all, not only this test was a combination between their test and AF3s test, the AF3 students had bigger numbers over them. It was an element they couldnt ignore. At the beginning, Bel and Gen Xingming were full of bitterness when they learned that they would be taking their test here. They spent entire days planning how they could pass the test. Cillins appearance boosted their confidence greatly, however. To the examinees, this test was of the utmost importance. After all, this was the fourth test of the Five Tests of AF1 and the only test left after this was the face-to-face interview. There was no way they were going to drop the ball after coming so far. While Bel and Cillin were conversing with each other, a familiar voice rang. Eh? You guys know each other?! The gray cat immediately slid deeper into Cillins lap, pretended to be asleep and kept its ears wide open when it heard this voice. It hadnt forgotten how Boa was beaten up so badly that it didnt even dare throw a tantrum. Libero and the others also shivered when they saw the young girl approaching towards them. What a coincidence. Bel waved his hands in greeting when he saw her. Were full already, so go find someone else, okay? Tch, did you really think I want to team up with you?! The girl swept a glance across the group and paused her gaze on the gray cat for two seconds. During this two seconds, Cillin could feel the gray cat stiffening up clearly. It gradually relaxed only after the girl looked away. Bel looked at Cillin in confusion after she left. You guys know my sister? So shes your sister. Shes related to you by blood, right? No wonder I thought she looked somewhatfamiliar, Cillin said. Yeah, she is. My mother thinks the reason Kenancys the way she is is all because of me, but Im telling you its all bullshit! Bel complained. The fact that both her children had grown in the exact opposite way she imagined them to grow had always been a sore point to the queen of Blazing Eagle. Back in those days, Bel - well never mind Bel for the moment - Kenancy was such a cute and sweet little pie, and after she grew up she was still quite pretty because she had excellent royal genes. She was once the sweetheart in the queen and every Blazing Eagle royal members hearts, but today she was anything but that. The animals in AF1 secretly called her Kenancy the King Kong because her strength was crazy huge and she often sought out the animals of AF1 for a fight. Boa was one of her unfortunate victims. Cillin skipped past Bels complaints and said, We met your sister during the previous test. He briefly explained what happened at the time, but neither Ulaganuo nor Gen Xingming reacted much because they were used to it already. So she ran off the fight the animals again. No wonder that girl disappeared the moment we got here. Bel nodded. The examiners didnt give them much explanation about the fourth test; most of their knowledge came from the AF3 students; it was one of the main reasons the examinees were willing to accept AF3 students into their team. Of course, some people cared about the intel they held, and some people cared about the background they possessed. If it wasnt for these reasons, who in their right minds would be willing to accept a pampered noble into their team? Cillins team was already full, so they didnt need to waste time on finding another team member. Bel, Gen Xingming and Ulaganuo explained to Cillin the things they needed to pay attention to during this test. The testing ground of the fourth test was a small garden in AF1 not far away from the assembly spot. Of course, the small garden wasnt nearly as simple as it sounded. There were a lot of traps and dangers lurking in this small garden, and the previous term students were going to be a lot more active than they were during the third test. It was also why the AF3 students were desperate to get an examinee or two in their team. Although these nobles led an arrogant and domineering life in the norm, they werent unaware of their own limits. It would be very difficult for them to slip through the AF1 and AF2 students watch alone. While they were speaking to each other, a windy sound suddenly came from above. A man was flapping his wings and causing dust on the ground to rise into the air. The winged man flew past the crowds heads before landing atop a handrail at the edge of the training ground and looking down on the crowd. He looked mighty impressive as he withdrew most of his wings behind his back. Yo, there are quite a lot of people this term! The gray cat climbed onto Cillins shoulder and looked up when it heard his voice. Yo, isnt he that someone from that day! The guy with the showy appearance was none other than Zanny, the AF1 student whom Cillin encountered on the rooftop. Chapter 243: The Fourth Test [Part 2] Chapter 243: The Fourth Test [Part 2] Zanny looked at the crowd. Im going to be one of the opponents you guys have to face, and you better pray you dont run into me, hehe! After he said that, Zanny glanced at the group of people who obviously didnt belong to AF3. It was obvious because the examinees had just gone through a test and didnt look as tidy as the students of AF3. I would very much like to call yall my junior brothers and sisters, but the problem is I have no idea if yall have the right to call me your senior brother. His tone was mocking. In the end, only those who were accepted into AF1 had the right to call Zanny their senior brother, and it was obvious that some of the people in this test wouldn''t be part of that final group of people. Some of them would be eliminated during the test and the final interview. Zanny left the training ground and flew towards the testing ground where the fourth test would be taking place. When he got closer, two people wearing flying suits flew over to meet him. They had seen what Zanny did at the training ground earlier. Whats wrong, Zanny? Thats not even half a minute. Dont your speeches normally last five minutes at minimum? One of them smiled. They knew Zanny well enough to know that he normally mocked the examinees at the training ground very harshly. Today though, he left after dissing them for just a moment. Zannys lips curled. I saw a troublesome guy and dont feel like wasting my time there. Eh? Theres actually someone you want to avoid in that group? Who is it? Before Zanny could answer, a couple more previous term students came over to join them. They didnt have wings or flying suits. Instead, they had impressive jumping ability that allowed them to jump a far distance from a small tree. Moreover, the noises they created when jumping were as soft as wind blowing up a cloud of sand. One of them asked when they heard the groups conversation, Was it the guy who wielded K? The guy who wielded K? Yeah, the guy who wielded PTS K during the shooting range of the third test. PTS K?! Zannys voice climbed up a pitch when he heard this. He had just come back from a mission, so he didnt have the chance to witness the first few tests and was shocked to hear this. It was the PTS K! The PTS K that was given out by Guan Feng and no one else! You didnt know? Then who were you talking about earlier? Zanny thought for a moment before bringing up an image he stored in his communicator. Are you guys talking about him? It was none other than an image of Cillin. Yeah, thats the kid! After he carried the box holding PTS K into the shooting range, he hit fifty targets with just five shots. So it was him Zanny flapped his wings. Okay guys, I need to leave. After bidding the students goodbye, Zanny flew down a particular direction. Not long after, he saw Goryeo shaking his leg and playing video games while lying on top of a large tree branch. Hey, I saw your future junior brother. Hmm? Goryeo didnt even look up. The guy that dodged four of your shots? Your teacher gave him K. Mm, I know. Goryeo continued to play his game. I dont feel a sense of crisis from you at all! Zanny said while looking disappointed at Goryeos lack of reaction. Goryeo let out a snort. You should tell this to the others, not me. The reason teacher brought him here was to send a wake up call. So, do you want to meet him after the they enter the testing ground? Zanny asked. Nope! Goryeo said bluntly. Then Im not going either. If he has a good aim then Im going to suffer. If he has a bad aim then I might suffer anyway considering how high PTS accidental injury percentage is! Theres no way Im participating in a lose-lose situation like this! While Zanny and Goryeo were conversing with each other, the teams of examinees and AF3 students had entered the testing grounds. The testing ground was known as Small Garden in AF1, so of course there were plenty of vegetation in this place. However, there were plenty of poisonous plants as well. Most of the plant species in this place were mentioned during class, so the attentive students would find their paths clearer and easier during this test. The problem was that most of the students who were participating in this test were like Bel. Pay attention in class? The school authorities would feel lucky if they didnt skip their classes outright. And so the AF3 students wallowed in misery when they saw the familiar-looking plants they couldnt quite put their finger on. Why hadnt they paid attention during class? No wonder the teacher had smiled so uncannily after class was over! Right now Bel and Gen Xingming were feeling the exact same way. I have a feeling that weve been fooled by our botany teacher, Bel said. I havent attended his class more than three times overall. I dont recognize a lot of the plants here. Gen Xingming said while staring at the small, white flowers before them. He remembered the old man mentioning about this flower during class, but he didnt know what kind of poison it had or where the poison was stored. Long story short: its poisonous! Ulaganuo resolutely avoided these flowers. Libero and the others looked a little dumbfounded by this. These AF3 kids seriously dont know how to appreciate what they have. Everyone outside is trying their damndest to get into an affiliated school, but the actual students themselves are doing their damndest to skip class. What the hell man this is so unfair! The gray cat didnt follow Cillin because pets were disallowed in this test. Therefore, the gray cat went away to network with its new friends. Cillin looked at the flowers and gave them a sniff. Then, he cut open the stem and leaf and stared at the outflowing transparent, sticky liquid. This liquid contains a kind of nerve toxin, but its not fatal. At worst, it can knock out a person. Cillin collected some of the liquid for himself. Bel and the others also did the same after an idea struck them. They might be able to use this against their enemies. Hmm? Whats that noise? Walley leaned his head sideways and listened carefully. It sounds like a kid is crying somewhere, Teita said. Thats the sound of a man eating salamander. Theyre pretty dangerous, but we should also be able to find a water source down that direction. This one Bel knew because they all attended a zoology class. The man eating salamander was an amphibian. It has a flat upper body and a lean tail. There were clear wrinkles on both sides of its body. Although its skin was smooth and scaleless, it was covered in stripes and sticky liquid. Its teeth were sharp and densely packed, and it normally swallowed its food whole instead of chewing with its teeth. Its mouth could easily fit in a human adult. There was a stream down that direction as Bel had told them, but the group simply watched from the distance and didnt approach. Many gray brown man eating salamanders were lying on top of some giant rocks beside the stream and making crying noises. They opened their mouths and revealed the sharp teeth inside when they cried. Lets go. These violent creatures are not getting a meal today, Bel said. After they left the stream, Cillins group didnt manage to get far before Cillin suddenly came to a stop and looked at a certain direction. Everyone swiftly reacted and fell into defensive postures too. When the person approaching towards them grew clearer however, the Three Dissolute Musketeers immediately hid behind Cillins back. Gen Xingming was the fastest out of all of them. Everyone could more or less guess the newcomers identity as he walked towards them. He shared similar features to Gen Xingming, but he was definitely not an AF3 student. Chapter 244: The Ring Appears Chapter 244: The Ring Appears Hes from the Gen Family too? The man approaching towards them showed no signs of stopping. Cillin didnt move and simply watched him as he walked closer and closer. Suddenly, Cillins pupils shrank as he angled his head slightly to look at a large tree next to the approaching man. Then, a woman appeared above the tree trunk. The woman had short, tidy hair that didnt go below the ear. Her gaze was sharp and created an invisible pressure on ones shoulders despite the smile on her face. A serrated knife was sheathed inside her leather-made ankle boots. Needless to say, everyone knew that the woman was a difficult opponent from how little noise she made despite landing on the tree at the speed she did. If Libero hadnt seen her appear on the tree with his own eyes, he wouldnt have trusted his hearing to catch her arrival. Just like that, the woman folded her arms and watched Cillins group from the tree. The hint of a smile could be seen in her eyes. It was obvious that she was one of the previous term students. I see your younger brothers here. No wonder you ran down this direction, Xingyao, said the woman before a sweeping glance at Gen Xingming hiding behind Cillins back. Gen Xingyao didnt say anything. After he shot a glance at his younger brother, he focused his attention back onto Cillin. Bel poked his head out from behind Cillin and asked, Hey Gen Two, can you cut us a break here and pretend that youve never seen us? Gen Xingming kept quiet because he knew his older brother too well. There was no way his brother was going to let them go after he ran into them, so the only course left was to fight. Seeing that Gen Xingyao was ignoring him, Bel looked up towards the woman standing on the tree and asked pitifully, Please be merciful, Sula, big sis! Sula stamped her foot lightly against the ground, and the serrated blade inside her ankle boots was pushed into the air. Sula caught the blade between her fingers and shot a glance at Bel, smiling. Im very sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot go against the rules. My pay will be deducted otherwise. You should know that the fixed allowance we students get isnt enough to buy even a car door, so Ill be forced into robbery if I lose this money. Knowing that there was no avoiding this battle, Bel, Gen Xingming and Ulaganuo backed off in unison. While they were retreating, Gen Xingming grabbed Teita by the collar and pulled him to the back too. They left the battlefield to Cillin, Libero, Ironhead and Walley. Walley looked at Cillin and his team staying at the front and Gen Xingming and friends at the back behind a tree. Then, he ran towards Gen Xingming. Arent you going to fight?! The Three Dissolute Musketeers stared at him in astonishment. They thought that all AF1 examinees would be proactive. Walley shook his head and squeezed his way into Bels group. Please open up some space for me. Now, Cillin, Libero and Ironhead were the only ones left facing Gen Xingyao and Sula. Suddenly recalling something, Gen Xingming mustered the courage to run back towards Cillin and poke him, whispering, Please dont use those two things unless absolutely necessary! Then he ran back towards Bel and friends like his ass was on fire and waited for the battle to ensue. When Gen Xingming said two things, he was referring to the PTS K and Cillins blade. Gen Xingyao was his older brother, but he also believed in Cillins abilities. He knew very well how destructive those two weapons could be in Cillins hands. Cillin wouldnt have used them even if Gen Xingming hadnt reminded him. He had wanted to fight against another Gen family member since a long time ago. Sula twirled the serrated blade in her hands and dashed towards Libero and Ironhead in an instant. Even before the test, Libero already knew that they had no chance of victory against these previous term students if he maintained his current appearance. That was why sharp spikes began bristling out of Liberos body before Sula could jump them. Hardened, dark colored skin swiftly appeared throughout the surface of his body, and three rows of bone plates popped out from behind his back. The pointy ends of the bone plates were as sharp as swords. Ironhead didnt have bone plates like Liberos, but his entire body shone with a metallic luster that made him look like a living metal in solid state. Humanoids? Sula twisted her body in mid air after she came into contact with the bone plates behind Liberos back. Tiptoeing on top of one of those bone plates, she spun around and popped out a steel claw from her wrist. The steel claw wrapped around Sulas fingers like a glove. Cheeeee Sula grabbed onto the biggest bone plate behind Liberos back and heaved. Bang! The young mans entire body was slammed into the ground. Sula didnt press the attack against Libero after the initial success. Instead, she dodged Ironheads punch and scratched her steel claw across his body. The steel claw screeched and sparked against Ironheads body, but it only managed to draw some shallow marks on his body. Turning around and lying flat against a tree trunk, Sula glanced at her blunted weapon and tossed it casually to the side. The steel claw had already been damaged somewhat when she used it to grab Liberos bone plate, and now it was unusable after the wear and tear it suffered from Ironheads metallic body. These two humanoids definitely didnt make it so far by luck. Sula smiled and charged Ironhead again. Meanwhile, Cillin was fighting Gen Xingming on the other side of the field. The Gen Family preferred palm moves during single combat, that was the conclusion Cillin drew at from his tutelage under Genya. The fist strikes the skin, but the palm strikes deep. Only those who had mastered the palm technique to an extent could deliver such attacks. Cillin had some ideas on how powerful a palm strike was from Genya, but only some. At the time, Genyas body was already in decline and many of the techniques he taught Cillin were modified versions that emphasized on the cultivation of ones health. Gen Xingyao wasnt faster than Cillin, so the young man failed to find a good opportunity to attack him during the initial exchange. That didnt mean Gen Xingming was lacking in speed though. Cillin immediately took on a defensive posture when Gen Xingyao was prepared to step up his speed. He knew that Gen Xingyaos was about to throw a succession of counter attacks at him: the Triple Stack. The Triple Stack was three consecutive palm strikes overlapping one another until they looked like one smooth motion. Each palm strike was stronger than last. Although the Triple Stack looked fearsome, Cillin knew that it wasnt a killer move. It was a link in an actual killer move, and it wasnt meant to kill the opponent. Genya once demonstrated an incomplete version of the killer move to Cillin. It was incomplete because Genyas physical condition was poor, but his masters verbal explanation gave him some idea on how it worked. Therefore, Cillin had a way to counter Gen Xingyaos Triple Stack. The move that counters the Triple Stack was called the Watercut Draw. No blades were involved, and no blades were necessary in the move. Cillin shook his arms and caused his surrounding air to grow unstable. Convection occurred as two jets of air joined into one speedy air vortex. It was as if a sharp blade was drawn out of nowhere and sliced the palm afterimages in half! He couldnt have interrupted the Triple Stack with the Watercut Draw if the former was used as part of the killer move. Otherwise, it was doable. Cillin seldom used these techniques when he was in Vanguard because he was a Hunter. A Hunter strives to kill their opponent in combat, so what he needed were killer moves that killed his opponent in a single strike, not gorgeous fighting techniques back then. That being said, that was then, this was now. Cillin wanted to try out the techniques he learned since his opponent was a member of the Gen Family. He hadnt used Watercut Draw for a very long time, but the move felt as familiar as yesterday when he executed it. It could almost be described as an instinct as the move had appeared in his mind instantly after the afterimages of the Triple Stack were formed. Gen Xingyao was forced to withdraw his palm because of the appearance of the Watercut Draw. His eyes turned a little strange as doubt settled in his mind. However, he didnt hesitate too long before he moved onto the next attack. Behind the tree, Bel who was watching the fight elbowed Gen Xingming once and asked in a soft voice, Dont you think Cillin look a little too calm just now? Its as if he knew what move your brothers going to execute. He even seem to know which techniques are deadly and which arent. I have no knowledge of your familys moves whatsoever but, I have a feeling that Cillin is very familiar with them. Otherwise, your brother should be good enough to find an angle of attack at least, dont you think? Even if hes not trying to kill Cillin? Gen Xingming frowned and didnt answer Bels question. His mind had flown back to the day they fought at the rooftop of the bar. He had caught a glimpse of the moment when Cillin drew out his blade and blocked Goryeos bullet at the time. Although the scene lasted for only an instant, Cillins movements had mirrored the Watercut Draw somewhat. That was one of the reasons why Gen Xingming had felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity at the time. As for why it was just one of the reasons, it was because he hadnt figured out the other reason he thought Cillin was familiar to this day. Say Xingming do you think Cillins the illegitimate child of a stranded Gen family member or something? Ulaganuo asked while rubbing his chin. Although most nobles led a dissolute life, they valued legitimacy a lot. This was especially true for the One Emperor and Three Kings at the top of the pyramid. No one but those of legitimate origin would be acknowledged for who they were. All those who were illegitimate would most likely be killed, the nobles who caused this to happen in the first place would be punished severely. It was why Gen Xingming was especially careful about certain things despite his hobby of skirt chasing. If he accidentally caused an illegitimate child his father was sure to break his leg. Gen Xingming threw a kick at Ulaganuo when he heard this. Nonsense! Every person in the Elder Tree Fuji Gen Family has a proof of legitimacy! All those who dont have one are killed! If Cillin really was the illegitimate child of whoever in the Gen Family, then he would be facing the threat of death by the senior royals of the Fuji Family. This was something neither of them wished to see, so the topic wasnt brought up any longer. However, Gen Xingming couldnt help but think about that possibility despite keeping his mouth shut on the subject. While Gen Xingming was wrangling with himself, a change began to occur around Gen Xingyao. The distorted air began to refract light itself until Gen Xingyaos entire body became blurry and unclear. It was impossible to determine where he was standing right now. The Leaf of Blindness*! *Literally, the idiom means that your view can be blocked by a single leaf. Its a warning to not tunnel vision, and an advice to look out for the bigger picture. Cillin didnt act hastily. He lowered his hands slightly and waited in silence. Suddenly, Cillin sprang into action. The moment he decided to do so, a palm cut through the screen of distorted light and slapped towards Cillin from the side. He had no doubt that his organs would suffer serious injuries if he got hit. Again, Cillin had reacted out of instinct. His arm stirred, cut through the air in an arc before shaking again abruptly as he pushed out to meet his opponent palm-to-palm. The technique looked very similar to the one used to cut through the screen of distorted light. The cord in Gen Xingmings mind snapped the moment he saw this. Impossible! If he isnt a member of the Gen Family, if he isnt a core member of the Gen Family theres no way he wouldve known this technique! Even if theres a few minor differences, its definitely Bel exchanged a glance with Ulaganuo when they saw Gen Xingming gripping his fists so tightly that they were making creaking noises. They sandwiched their friend at the center just in case he decided to do something inadvisable out of impulse. A loud bang later, Cillin and Gen Xingyao backed off from each other and stood still. They appeared fine at first glance, but two seconds later the sleeves around the arm they used to hit one another slowly disintegrated into bits. Coincidentally, Cillin was using his left arm. The clash between palms caused his glove to disintegrate, and a curly leaf could be seen sticking to Cillins left thumb firmly. Gen Xingyao lost all mood to fight the moment he saw the pattern. Chapter 245: Proof of Identity [Part 1] Chapter 245: Proof of Identity [Part 1] In the Fuji Gen royal family, the legitimate members of the High Tree Fuji Gen Family all had a special proof of legitimacy. This proof of legitimacy wasnt a proof of identity, however. Was there a difference between a proof of legitimacy and a proof of identity? Yes, there was! The two terms might not differ much to a normal person, but the same couldnt be said to a royal family like the Gen Family at all. In the Gen Family, there were a lot of people who possessed a proof of legitimacy. For example, everyone in Gen Xingmings generation such as Bel, Ulaganuo, the cousins on their fathers side and so on all possessed a Gen Family proof of legitimacy. A proof of identity was different, however. The Gen Familys proof of identity was completely different from the ones possessed by a normal person. For example, Gen Xingming and his brothers were the only people in their generation generation to possess a royal familys proof of identity. It was because their father was the current Fuji King himself. To give another example, the leaf-patterned tattoo that surrounded Gen Xingyaos wrist like a bracelet was the mans proof of identity. Of course, if the next Fuji King turned out to be someone else outside the family, he would be granted an identical proof of identity as well. Unlike the Blazing Eagle Family though, the Gen Familys throne was passed down to the kings own son most of the time. Therefore, their lineage was purer than the other families. Gen Xingyao was shocked because Cillin possessed a Gen Family specific proof of identity as well! Moreover, he was sure that it was from a different generation because their proof of identity was supposed to cling to the arm or the wrist, not the finger! Gen Xingyao didnt doubt the authenticity of Cillins leaf pattern ring at all. He wasnt paying attention to Cillins finger earlier, true, but the moment Cillins gloves had scattered into many bits a sense of familiarity had immediately absorbed his attention like a magnet. That was why Gen Xingyao had completely lost the mood to create a little bit of trouble for his younger brother and his friends. After all, as a member of the Gen Family, what else was more important than the family itself?! But, Gen Xingyao pondered in his head, what generation does his proof come from? My fathers proof of identity was in the form of a lapel badge around the chest. My grandfather Gen Xingyaos pupils shrank as his heart beat strongly. His memory of it was very vague, but it probably was a proof of identity his grandfather wore. The more he thought, the weirder he felt, and the more he felt like contacting his grandfather and clarifying his doubts right away. Unfortunately, he knew little about his grandfathers generation. He could imagine the kind of waves he would set off if he tossed the question out carelessly, however. Gen Xingyao stopped attacking and fell into deep thought, his face taking on many shades of color during the process. Gen Xingming and the others grew anxious behind the tree. A bad angle had prevented them from noticing the leaf-patterned tattoo around Cillins finger, not to mention that Cillin had put his hand back into his pocket after revealing it briefly. It was Cillins intention to reveal the leaf-patterned tattoo from the beginning. At first, he wanted to reveal it to Gen Xingming, but he wasnt able to find a good opportunity to do so, not to mention that Gen Xingming himself looked like an unreliable person. He couldnt predict the level of commotion the young prince might cause if he were to be allowed to learn about this. When Cillin ran into Gen Xingyao though, he immediately started planning on how best to reveal this information. As he had expected, Gen Xingyao was a lot more mature than Gen Xingming. The older prince hadnt made a ruckus upon noticing the proof of identity around Cillins finger. Instead, he focused on the bigger picture and sought for the best method to deal with this sudden revelation. Seeing that the battle had come to a stop, Gen Xingming was about to say something when Gen Xingyao shot him a meaningful glance. They were brothers, so sometimes a glance was all it took for them to understand each others thoughts. After seeing the look in his brothers eyes, Gen Xingming abandoned his thoughts to question Cillin about the martial arts he used earlier. He knew that his brother mustve noticed more clues than he did, and Gen Xingming was aware that his brother was much more reliable than himself when it came to dealing with official business. In this kind of situation, it was better to follow his brothers call. Seeing that Gen Xingyaos fight had come to an end, Sula too ceased her attacks. Instead of knocking out both Libero and Ironhead as she originally planned, Sula simply tossed Ironhead away and came to a stop. It took a long time before the still dizzy Ironhead managed to stagger his way back towards them. The other humanoid who failed to make use of his bone plates much before he was slammed into the ground again and again, Libero was slowly recovering as well. He shook his head once to clear out the dizziness from his head. Tell no one about this until Ive figured things out! Gen Xingyao left after throwing down the warning. He left the task of supervising Cillin to Gen Xingming. Sula shot Cillin a puzzled glance but didnt ask any unnecessary question. She wasnt stupid enough to stick her foot into the Fuji royal familys business. After pressing her serrated blade back into her ankle boots with a finger, she too left the area with a meaningful smile on her face. It took Libero and Ironhead a long time before they finally recovered themselves. Fuck, that woman is ridiculously strong. Her individual fighting strength is no joke at all! said Libero after he returned back to normal and while rubbing his wounds. Cillin nodded in agreement. By GALs standards, Sula was a well trained rank A genotype fighter, so her superior strength was a matter of course. On the other hand, people like Gen Xingming and Bel might not even be able to fight someone with inferior genotype but was strictly trained despite having good genes. That being said, they didnt need to fight their enemies themselves. There were plenty of powerful and loyal people who would protect them from all harm. It was the special privilege a noble enjoyed and a perfectly normal occurrence in a system like this. Cillin had gauged Libero and Ironheads strength before. By GALs standards, Libero was definitely a rank A genotype humanoid. Ironhead was a bit weaker than Libero, but they might not necessarily be weaker than Sula after they were trained by an affiliated school. Chapter 245: Proof of Identity [Part 2] Chapter 245: Proof of Identity [Part 2] After this incident, Gen Xingming didnt act as naturally as he did around Cillin earlier as a matter of course. The young prince even wondered: Is Cillin an illegitimate son who wandered far away from home and somehow escaped suppression? Although he hadnt seen the leaf-patterned tattoo around Cillins finger, he couldnt help but think that way after witnessing the techniques his friend had used to fight his brother. Teita didnt think nearly as much as him though. The young boy simply thought that Cillin was really good to be able to fight Gen Xingyao to such an extent. In comparison, Libero and Ironhead were totally trashed by Sula. The education and environment Teita was brought up in was different from royal members like Bel. Teita respected experts a lot, and he had no intentions of being protected like a fragile good every step of the way. That was why he had agreed to participate in the affiliated schools tryouts when the matter was brought up by his father. Teita walked beside Cillin and asked him about the ways he normally trained himself in. His father once told him that an expert must undergo strict training in the norm. Cillin selectively answered some of Teitas questions and generalized his answers. After all, he couldnt possibly tell him that the reason he was this good was because he had survived the killing field for a long time, could he? It would be no different from instigating a kid to commit murder. Not every kid could pop a persons head and remain as cool as Tang Qiuqiu was. Strangely enough, Cillins group didnt run into any other previous term students after Gen Xingyao and Sula had made their appearance. It was strange because this test was specifically set up so that the previous term students could have the opportunity to teach them and the AF3 students a lesson. The previous term students themselves were only more than happy to oblige because they could subject the numbing misery they suffered every day from their teachers to another person. However, the fact was Cillins group had travelled a great amount of distance without encountering any previous term students at all. They had run into other participating teams, but they didnt do more except chatting about their past encounters before passing each other by. A couple of figures gathered around each other after Cillins group passed by a certain valley. Are we really not going to go over and say hi? Someone asked. Hell no. If you want to say hi then do it yourself! Another person replied. Someone else curled their lips. That guy is going into AF1 for sure. We can always meet him after he was admitted into the school, plus therell be an interesting show then. Wait a second, what do you mean hes going into AF1 for sure? How can you be so sure? Who knows, he might join us AF2 in the end! Teacher Griffins the one who recommended him into the affiliated schools, you know! Griffin was a teacher in AF2, and her words were very persuasive. Ceh, did you forget whos the one who gifted him the PTS K? Its Old Fox Guan himself! Do you seriously think that that old man is going to let him go? Hes coming to AF1 for sure! Nothing is certain in this world! The previous term students question regarding Cillins ultimate belonging was of no concern to the young man himself. To him, it didnt matter if he joined AF1 or AF2, and he personally thought that the teachers of both schools were more or less the same. Right now Cillin was busy researching the plants they ran into along the way. The problem, was that Bel, Gen Xingming and Ulaganuo had no idea what the plants standing in their way were. Whats the difference between a monocotyledon and a dicotyledon? Whats the difference between a gymnosperm and an angiosperm? Even basic questions like these earned nothing but confusion and headshakes from the trio, much less the advanced ones. In the end, Cillin had to figure things out by himself because it was pointless to rely on these three good-for-nothings. Even if they did manage to produce an answer, Cillin highly doubted the authenticity of the answer considering they had mistaken a chrysanthemum for a parsley earlier. Since no previous term students had tried to harass them, Cillins group only needed to focus on traps and the attacks of hostile creatures. These were all small problems though, and Cillin, Libero and Ironhead worked together to resolve all of them. To Teita this test was the equivalent of a camping trip where they hunted games and ate them for food, so he had a lot of fun throughout the whole thing. A few days later, Cillins group exited the Little Garden and completed the test. They were judged by the level of injury sustained within the group and their arrival time, and all things considered they did pretty good in the end. At the very least, the three Dissolute Musketeers got a good score for their test. As more and more examinees showed up, the group got to check out other peoples level of injury. The more they looked, the more lucky Libero and Ironhead felt for having escaped with just some external bruises because some of these people had suffered pretty serious injuries. There were people who became terribly dispirited having gone through the previous term students abuses, but there were also some who felt the exact opposite. No matter how hurt the examinees were hurt though, it didnt matter during the next and final test. It was because it was a face-to-face interview. After the fourth test had ended, the three princes left Cillins group and went their separate ways. Before they left, Gen Xingming ran over to Cillin and spoke with him in private. Basically, he told Cillin not to stand out too much for now especially when the Gen Family was involved. He told Cillin to wait until his brother figured things out first. Cillin didnt object. The two brothers could seek out answers he couldnt find. Gen Xingming left a bit awkwardly after getting a nod from Cillin. Before he left, Gen Xingming prayed that he wouldnt be greeting Cillin as a brother the next time they met. Speaking of the examinees, everyone thought that the final test of the Five Tests should be the easiest. After all, all they needed to do in a face-to-face interview was to speak with the teachers, right? The previous term students who already went through the interview before didnt think so, however. It was true that the only thing they needed to move during the interview was their mouths, but the question is: Can you really? Cillin entered the interview hall. Inside the round-shaped interview hall, there was a chair surrounded by a round of teachers, and the examinee was required to sit in that chair. It was easy to imagine oneself as a monkey in a zoo when everyone was staring at him from all directions. Stage fright didnt affect Cillin. The teachers could stare at him for all he cared; it wasnt like his flesh would fall off because of their stares. After Cillin had taken his seat calmly, the lead teacher smiled kindly and flipped through the papers in his hands, asking, You did quite well during the written test, didnt you? Overall speaking, you seem to know quite a bit about genes. A little, yes, Cillin answered. Alright, in that case Ill ask something thats related to genes. The lead teacher tapped the table with his finger as if he was formulating his question. A while later, he asked with an interested look on his face, Youve met King Kong, havent you? That naughty black ape? Yes. Alright, then tell me: between you and King Kong, who do you think has the bigger Y chromosome? Cillin: ... What the fuck! Chapter 246: Guan Feng’s Treat [Part 1] Chapter 246: Guan Fengs Treat [Part 1] Yes, it was just an interview. Yes, it was an activity where all that was required of the examinees was to move their mouths. However, there were many times the examinees thought they would rather go through another one of those physically taxing tests than one that was as mind boggling as this. The examinee who was interviewed before Cillin was made to leave through another door so that he and the rest of the examinees who were still waiting for their turns couldnt interact with him. But Cillin could already guess what kind of face the poor guy and everyone else who went ahead of him were making even without any interaction. Cillin stared at the kind smiling teachers in the interview hall that somehow made him feel like throwing a brick at their faces and sighed in his head: what the hell are these questions?! Two questions later, another teacher finally took over. He was an old, seemingly virtuous and reputable scholar with a Royal Academy of Sciences badge around his chest sitting next to the lead teacher. After looking through his papers for a bit, he looked at Cillin. Ive read through your written test paper, and it seems that you know a little zoology as well. In that case, let me ask you this question: suppose that youre a type of coelenterate, say, a sea anemone, yes. Suppose that youre a sea anemone, what kind of partner do you think you would find? ... Why must you compare me to a primitive, simple and brainless animal who feeds and shits through the same mouth?! And what kind of partner what?! When in doubt, the best way to answer a question you dont have an answer for was to throw in your own question. May I know if the sea anemone in question is hermaphroditic or dioecious? Cillin looked at the old scholar. Does it need to find a partner if its hermaphroditic? The old scholars smile was very kind. Can a sea anemone consciously seek out a partner? It cant? Have you researched it before? Five minutes later, the old scholar finally let Cillin go. He put down his papers smilingly, held up his cup and slowly sipped his tea. The next person to ask him a question was a refined-looking middle-aged man, but his appearance was absolutely not a reason for Cillin to take him off the crazy teacher list. Dont worry, my questions wont be as intolerable as theirs, the refined-looking middle-aged man said. Cillin thought in his head: like hell Ill believe you! The middle-aged man tapped a button and brought up a light screen. A long passage was written on it. This is passage from AF1s student rulebook. Its only about a thousand words or so, and the content is pretty simple. So, my request is: please recite this passage in two different languages. Cillin looked at the passage on the light screen and thought: I knew that these teachers were all trouble. Sure, the passage on the screen wasnt long, but the problem was that it was displayed in reverse order! It was very hard to read something in the reverse order, and the simpler the words and language used the easier it was to make a mistake. It was because the brain was conditioned to think inertially, so by the time you figured out a words meaning you would reflexively try to read out the word in the correct order, and not the other way around as instructed. He wanted him to read this in two different languages no less! He was totally making things difficult for him! Cillin read through the entire passage and thought carefully for a moment. Then, he read out the passage using the dialect he learned from Old Changs planet before repeating it again using the empires lingua franca. Overall, Cillin thought that his performance was rather satisfactory. He didnt get anything wrong, and his pauses werent too obvious. Mm. Very good! The middle-aged man nodded before turning off the screen. Then, he said harmlessly, Now, please recite the passage again in the correct order. Dont worry, just say as much as you are able. Thankfully, Cillin had a good memory and he had practiced a bit of reverse thinking when he was assembling parts in the past. So, the middle-aged mans question didnt trouble him too much. After Cillin had recited the passage in a fluent manner, the middle-aged man nodded and motioned for the next teacher to take over. He himself had gone back to his notes and wrote something. The next teacher to take over the middle-aged man was a fashionably dressed and intelligent-looking woman. She didnt look like a woman in her menopause, but since she was sitting in this hall Cillin was certain that she would be harder to deal with than the women who were actually in their menopause out there. The female teacher was all business and no smiles. Seeing that it was her turn to fire off a question, she asked immediately, Have you heard of the Beatrice Family, the one who was on the news not long ago? A little, yes. Cillin had learned some news from the media. The Beatrice Family was a medium level noble family. However, they had secretly broken many rules of the empire in the past due to a near complete lack of restraint. Not long ago, they even caused the heavy pollution of an entire planet while they were manufacturing medicinal drugs, and the slowness of their countermeasures even caused some nearby habitable planets to become polluted as well. As a result, several billions of people had become ill, whereas the dead numbered over tens of millions. It was this incident that triggered the destruction of the Beatrice Family. After the pollution incident had happened, the families who disliked the Beatrice Familys conduct or were their enemies made an appeal to the royal families of Mist Bodhisattva Empire and worked very hard to earn the favor of the three kings. In the end, the royal families declared the revocation of the Beatrice Familys noble title and title of nobility and executed them in the name of the empires law. Most of the populace were overjoyed to hear this. Alright. Please tell me about your opinion in this matter. Cillin let out a sigh of relief when he heard the female teachers question. This question was comparably easier than the others because a lot of medias had reported about it. Cillin briefly spoke about what he learned from the media, but he didnt reveal too much of his personal opinion. It was because he had heard this from the media only, and the media were the ones who shaped the populaces thoughts. No one except those who were actually involved would know about the truth of the matter. ... Seeing is not necessarily believing. If I have to give a subjective opinion on this matter, I will say that nothing can be determined unless one has investigated it thoroughly on their own. Therefore, this is just my limited Cillin kept his answer brief. He didnt think the female teacher would be interested to hear a tirade or a criticism on the ugliness of nobles. The female teacher looked pretty satisfied after Cillin had briefly answered her question, but that wasnt all that she asked. She followed up with another question: More than ten days ago, a humanoid revolt had happened on a planet of the Empires twenty second star region. However, a rare, large scale natural disaster had occurred not long after that. Some people said that God had acted to punish those humanoids for their rebellion. What do you think? What a sensitive topic. She was trying to draw out Cillins opinion on the humanoids. Her questions - even the questions by the questioners before her - was a test on his knowledge in regards to certain matters and his character as well. AF1s tests focused on testing a examinees physical deficiency, mental deficiency and physiological deficiency. The examinees had already been tested on their physical deficiency and physiological deficiency during the previous few tests. Just the same, their mental deficiency had been observed and logged as well. The purpose of the final interview was to confirm if their observation of the examinees mental deficiency was correct and check out for signs of extremism, racism and madness. After all, as the saying goes, there was a fine line between a genius and a madman. After the female teacher was done, the teachers after her fired off some questions of their own. Every single one of them was as crazy as the last. This test was seriously the strangest and most, most, most, most unbearable interview Cillin had ever gone through in his life. They had even framed some 18+ questions in an academic way and tossed them at him. If these were the teachers of AF1 and AF2, he couldnt see many students who remained normal under their tutelage. No wonder Bel said that AF1 and AF2 were run by a bunch of abnormal people; even a normal person would come out abnormal by the time they graduated. Cillin had a feeling that his interview was much longer than the rest, at least compared to the examinees before him. What he didnt know was that the reason these teachers were so proactive was because he was recommended by both Griffin and Guan Feng. Even the Gen Family had been pulling some strings behind the back. That was why his interview time was the longest out of everyone. In fact, the guy after Cillin was even wondering if the teachers had gone away for a lunch break of something. Why else had they taken so long? The irritation and anxiety gnawing at him would last for a very long time before it was finally his turn to enter. By the time Cillin finished his interview and walked out, he felt like a convict who was just released from prison. As he turned back and looked at the closed door of the interview hall, Cillin thought to himself: did he make the right choice when he chose to come to AF1? Chapter 246: Guan Feng’s Treat [Part 2] Chapter 246: Guan Fengs Treat [Part 2] After the interview was over, the examinees were allowed to return to their temporary hostels and await the final notice. Libero and Ironhead had already returned by the time Cillin made it back to the hostel. The lifeless expression on their faces made it clear that the interview hadnt been kind to them either. A teacher had asked Ironhead this question: With this interview hall as the center, how many stones are there within a one kilometer radius? Ironhead couldnt answer this question. Are you stupid? Just give them a random number. Its not like those teachers will actually investigate it, right? The gray cat stared at him scornfully. Ironhead sighed. The problem is, the teacher also said this at the end of the question: Please provide proof. The gray cat fell silent, looked away and went back to crunching fish biscuits. Although Ironhead felt very dejected when he initially walked out of the interview hall, he felt a lot more relaxed when he learned that everyones treatment was more or less the same. The results were quickly announced. The students who were enrolled would be given a communicator and contacted through the device at a later point in time. Everyone inside Cillins hostel had received a communicator. Ironhead and Libero were extremely excited, while Teita and Walley reacted a lot calmer than they did. Teita was taken away by the old manservant who sent him over in the first place right after he received the communicator, while Walley went to an unknown location according to the instructions he was given through the communicator and never returned as well. The next day a few people came over to pack Walleys stuff, and they claimed to be his dear senior brothers. Why did they call themselves Walleys dear senior brothers? For most enrolled students, their tests results determined which teacher they were assigned under. To the previous term students under Walleys teacher, the newbies who just joined their ranks were their dear junior brothers or sisters, unlike the previous term students of other teachers, who simply referred to each other as senior or junior brother or sister. That was the difference. Not long after Walley left, Cillin also received a call through his communicator. Youre at your temporary hostel, right? Guan Fengs image appeared on the communicator. He looked as harmless and seemingly serious as he used to. I am, Cillin answered. Good. Go pack your stuff; your senior brother will be heading over and picking you up some time later. Guan Feng cut off the call right after he said this. Cillin looked at the his communicator for a second before informing Libero and Ironhead about the call. Then, he grabbed the gray cat by the scruff of the neck and went back into his room to pack his stuff. The gray cat watched Cillin work as it lay lazily on top of a cabinet. From time to time, the cat would instruct, Ah, pack that one into the bag too. That a spoil of war I got from Dahl! Cillin pulled out a piece of crocodile skin from underneath the bed and threw it into the bag. Theres also a rhino horn down there! I bit it off a rhinos head! The gray cat said while pointing beneath the bed. Cillin threw the bag aside, grabbed the gray cay by the scruff of the neck again and pushed it beneath the bed, You pack your own stuff! As it turned out, the gray cat had hoarded a pile of random things and the shells of some insects it toyed to death but didnt consume beneath the bed. If youre not going to eat these things then throw them away! Dont let them turn into mold beneath the bed! But these insects wont turn into mold, Ive checked with them before! The gray cat said from beneath the bed, swaying its tail. By them, the gray cat was referring to the animals such as King Kong and Boa. I dont care, if you hoard another pile of insects beneath any beds Im putting you inside the same trash bag as these insects and will leave you outside. ... Alright. The gray cat was reluctant to toss away its precious insects just like that, so it swallowed everything. Cillin sighed as he stared at the gray cat. It keeps getting fatter Cillin hadnt kept much stuff in his room. Not long after he packed his stuff, Goryeo had shown up inside a car. Yo Cillin, we finally meet again! Goryeo greeted Cillin. Cillin returned the greeting and bid Libero and Ironhead goodbye before he entered Goryeos car while carrying the gray cat. Where are we going? Cillin asked. Our teachers place. Teacher Guan is going to treat us to a meal and introduce us seniors to you today. When he said this, the corner of Goryeos mouth twitched unnaturally for some reason. How many students do Teacher Guan have? Our teacher has a weird temper and extremely high standards, so there really arent that many of us. Theres you, me, a senior brother and a senior sister. Our senior brother is called Pistura, and our senior sister is called Fu Qingqing. However Goryeo paused for a moment before continuing, None of us were allowed to use the PTS K. Although they personally believe that theyre capable of using the weapon now, Teacher Guan still hasnt permitted them to use it. That makes you the only one out of all of us who was permitted to use K, so watch out. Senior brother and senior sister might not be as kind to you as they could be. Goryeo was giving Cillin a friendly warning, informing him that the senior brother and senior sister he never met in his life might be prejudiced against him. Conflict might even be inevitable. Cillin wasnt afraid though. So what, if they hit us well hit right back at them! The gray cat said on top of Cillins shoulder. Goryeo didnt interrupt the gray cat. He had researched the gray cat before, and he knew that it was powerful enough to bully Panther the black panther so badly that the latter wanted to hide in a hole and never come out, and bit the giant crocodile, Dahl into tears. Even he didnt think he could fight the gray cat. Another thought entered Goryeos mind: did Old Fox Guan nab Cillin from Griffin so forcefully because he had seen the power of this cat? Regardless, this was a buy one get one free deal alright. Goryeos flying car reached a slightly spacious location. A larger spaceplane was parked nearby. When the pilot of the spaceplane noticed Goryeos car, they opened up the hatch and allowed Goryeo to drive right into the spaceplane. This is Teacher Guans private spaceplane, but its not the only one he has. If you are free in the future, you can ask Teacher Guan to lend you one for a spin. He wont turn down a request like this. Goryeo said while leading Cillin into the cockpit. Guan Fengs spaceplane took to the space and flew towards the planet where the affiliated schools main campus was situated. The three affiliated schools took up a part of the planet each, but most of the time AF1 and AF2 loved to pretend that AF3 didnt exist at all. It was because AF3 didnt qualify as a true rival. AF1 and AF2 were the two best schools in the Mist Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Geniuses were everywhere in this place, and geniuses loved to compete with each other. That was why AF1 and AF2 constantly competed with each other overtly or covertly. AF3s students were a collected bunch. In fact, they were very happy to be ignored by the other two affiliated schools. After all, catching the attention of AF1 or AF2 students usually ended badly for them. Speaking of which, AF1 and AF2 usually referred to each other as the neighbor. They disliked calling each other schools name, AF1 or AF2, directly. AF2 especially was very displeased with the naming because it made it sound like they were far inferior to AF1. In reality, 90% of the courses in AF1 and AF2 were the same. Sometimes, the two schools even held their elective courses together. There was something even more important than the courses though, and it was the missions set up by their respective teachers. According to Goryeo, an affiliated schools mission wasnt nearly as simple as a normal schools. The teacher could very well instruct them to kill someone or do something that was extremely risky. Theres no need to worry too much though. Teacher Guan can be very extreme sometimes, but hes usually reliable during mission assignments. Plus, the pay is pretty good, Goryeo explained. AF1 and AF2 students werent required to pay any tuition fee. On the contrary, the school sometimes covered their living expenses. Therefore, their income normally came in two ways: the school and the teachers. There was no universal standard on how much a teacher should pay their students. Some teachers paid more, and some less. Of course, the pay was also related to the type of person the students had to deal with during the mission. If the mission was performed successfully and if the teacher was happy with the result, the student would be paid a large sum of money. Otherwise, well, they would be lucky their income wasnt deducted. Goryeo led Cillin to an arranged accommodation at AF1. They might be students under the same teacher, but that didnt mean they lived in the same area. Accommodation arrangements were purely random. His accommodation was a bachelors apartment, but it was twice as big as the bachelors apartment at Seven Lights. It looked pretty good too. Goryeo looked at the time and said, Alright, lets head over to Teacher Guans house now. I thought hes treating us to a meal? He is. Goryeos smile looked a little forced. Teacher Guan normally treats his guests in his own house. Hes also the cook Chapter 247: The Ten-Meter Spray [Part 1] Chapter 247: The Ten-Meter Spray [Part 1] Cillin didnt know why Goryeo looked so odd every time Guan Fengs dinner treat was brought up, and Goryeo didnt elaborate. The only thing he said was, Youll know later. Since this was the first time Cillin had come to AF1, Goryeo took him around so he could familiarize himself with the campus. There were three places that every student absolutely must attend when they got real busy: the apartments, the school buildings, and the training grounds. That was why Cillin needed to get acquainted with these places. Although were technically studying under Teacher Guan, he doesnt actually spend too much time with us. Every once in a while, well be required to submit a summary report on our studies and work. Missions are a different story. Dont you go thinking that writing a summary report is easy though. Sure, teacher Guan doesnt set a particular word count, but there are still things you need to pay attention to On the way to Guan Fengs residence, Goryeo explained their daily work and Guan Fengs expectations to Cillin. Here, the big difference between AF1 and Seven Lights was the degree of freedom and level of standards. In AF1, the teachers normally didnt spend much time teaching their students what they should do and what they shouldnt do. The only thing they taught were skills, and how much the students could pick up was entirely their own problem. The independent electives were all taught by members of the Royal Academy of Sciences, but everything else were subject to the teachers expectations and demands. Guan Feng had very high standards; this was something everyone in Mist Bodhisattva Empire knew about. But having high standards didnt prevent him from treating his students well. If his students needed a flying car, spaceplanes or other tools, they could seek out Guan Feng and borrow them directly from him. Considering that his tools were high quality, it would be a waste to squander this opportunity. Guan Feng didnt pay his students poorly either. Even when compared to the other teachers in AF1 and AF2, the wage Guan Feng paid out could be ranked among the top five. That was why his students didnt need to worry about daily consumption even if they skipped a mission. Guan Feng really didnt manage his students strictly. To put in a negative light, he didnt mind if his student was a murderer or an arsonist as long as they met his requirement of them. For example, he demanded his students to reach a minimum hit rate of 99.99% during training. As long as they could meet this requirement, you could kill or burn for all he cared. This was something about Guan Feng that most people couldnt get. Before Cillin showed up, Guan Feng never had a student who officially graduated from AF1. The first disciple he took in, Pistura was recruited into the Imperial Guards before he could graduate. The second disciple, Fu Qingqing was recruited into the Royal Guards also before she could graduate. In short, both his students were absorbed into the two greatest army of the empire. Goryeo himself was recruited into Wings, a division separate from the two armies. Guan Feng didnt care if his three students clashed against each other in private though. It meant that Cillin could join the rebels and Guan Feng still wouldnt give a shit about it. Teachers like Guan Feng were arranged in a private residential area away from the three affiliated schools. They soon arrived at Guan Fengs residence. Guan Fengs residence looked a little traditional. There was a small courtyard beside the building, complete with some flowers and grass. They looked pretty cozy. However, the moment they went through the door, the two people at the hall immediately caused the temperature of this cozy residence to drop by several degrees. The two people sitting at the sofa of the living hall were none other than the eldest senior brother Pistura and the second eldest senior sister Fu Qingqing. They were both wearing stern expressions on their faces. Objectively speaking, if either one of them were willing to relax their features a little, they were absolutely handsome or pretty enough to attract a lot of attention. However, they looked stern and extremely unhappy right now. Their presence was so ominous that no one could muster the courage to liven up the atmosphere. Pistura and Fu Qingqing turned their heads at the same time when Cillin walked in. They didnt look too friendly. After nodding once at Goryeo, they turned their heads back to the large screen displaying the recent speeches of a couple of scholars of the Royal Academy of Sciences. Goryeo had gotten used to this situation since a long time ago, so he simply gestured at Cillin to tell him not to worry before entering the kitchen to check out things. Goryeo had returned from the kitchen just as Cillin took a seat. I just reported to Teacher Guan. Hes cooking right now. And so all four of Guan Fengs students sat quietly at the living halls long, big sofa and stared at the speaking scholars. The atmosphere was bizzare to say the least. Cillin could sense that Pistura and Fu Qingqing were clearly harboring a kind of of hostility, or more specifically resentment, towards him. Were they mad at him because he was the only one who was allowed to use the PTS K, as Goryeo had mentioned earlier? Pistura and Fu Qingqing werent the only ones who were silent. Even Goryeos mouth seemed to have stiffened up after he entered Guan Fengs residence. Seeing that none of them were planning to speak up, Cillin kept quiet and listened to the speech on the screen. In order to show that it was a polite creature itself, the gray cat crouched seriously and primly on top of the sofa. No one objected to it its presence. Five minutes later, every bone inside the gray cats body began to itch. It unconsciously glanced at a large fish tank on the other side of the living hall. The fishes inside that fish tank are so huge! The gray cats claws itched as it stared at the lively fishes. It glanced sideways at Cillin before it sneakily shifted an inch away from the young man, then another. Meow it, you guys can stay here and blank out all you want! I got something else to do! The cat ran like the wind towards the fish tank and climbed up the edge nimbly, watching. Everyone was staring at the gray cat the moment it jumped towards the fish tank. But for whatever reason, no one tried to put a stop to its actions. There was an unusual air vent right above the fish tank. It allowed the scent of fresh flowers and grass to flow into the house. As the gray cat crouched at the edge of the fish tank and stared at the fishes, soft wind and warm light brushed across its fur. It began to feel sleepy as its eyes narrowed. Pak! One of the fishes felt a little threatened after the gray cat had appeared suddenly. It jumped out of the water and sprayed a mouthful of water right at the gray cat. The gray cats fur around its head was wet as a result. Cillin finally understood why Goryeo and the others didnt try to stop the gray cat. This was exactly what they wanted to see. Since a fish had taken the lead, the rest of its companions mimicked its movements and jumped out of the water to spray water at the gray cat. The gray cat was sleepy and caught off guard when the first fish spray water right at its face, but after it was refreshed the other fishes were unable to hit it as easily as the first fish. However, the fishes were numerous, so the gray cat couldnt completely avoid the barrage even though it jumped left and right to avoid them. Moreover, the water spray was fast, and the fishes themselves were extremely swift and agile. Prettiness wasnt their only good trait. The wind grew stronger, and the warmth the gray cat just gathered from sunbathing immediately departed. It shook its ears free of water droplets and swayed its tail once. Cillin knew the gray cat well enough to know that a devious idea had entered his head. As he expected, the gray cat found a suitable angle, ignored the spraying fishes and lifted up its tail. Eat my ten-meter spray! Spray Cillin, Goryeo, Fu Qingqing, Pistura: ... Can you be any less embarrassing than this?! Cillin felt like stuffing the gray cat into a crack on the ground. What kind of cat would piss into a tank of fishes in a situation like this?! When Guan Feng walked out, what greeted him was the scene of his four students staring at a fat cat bullying his tank of fishes. That being said, the fishes did stop jumping into the air to spray water at the gray cat. Cillin guessed that they were too busy vomiting the disgusting stench in their gills. Guan Feng returned to the kitchen after he set down the plate. He didnt express any opinion whatsoever. Cillin let out a cough to remind the fat cat of the occasion. The gray cat who realized things too late shook the water away from its body and ran to the dryer to dry its fur completely. Then, it ran back to Cillins side, licked its fur once, looked at Cillin, and then looked at the fur behind its back. The meaning behind its actions was: Come on, comb my fur already! Cillin thought to himself: This cat is getting more and more brazen as of late! Chapter 247: The Ten-Meter Spray [Part 2] Chapter 247: The Ten-Meter Spray [Part 2] It didnt take long before Guan Feng carried out all the dishes. Cillin suddenly understood why everyone was looking like they were heading towards the gallows as he stared at the table fullof dishes. Color, taste, and smell. The dishes Guan Feng cooked neither looked good nor smelled good, and judging from his senior brothers and sisters faces he understood that the taste might actually be worse than the other two. The quartet sat down around the table and stared at the plates before each of them. Guan Feng then added what looked like a big smear of mud into their plates. Cillin shot a sideway glance at Goryeo and asked wordlessly: What the heck is this greenish shit colored mud thing? Goryeo signalled a youre on your own with his eyes and looked down just like Pistura and Fu Qingqing, allowing Guan Feng to add stuff into their plates to his hearts content. The gray cat also had a plate of its own. Its content was exactly the same as Cillin and the others. The gray cat crouched from a heightened position and looked at the pile of things inside its plate. It restrained its desire to lick the food and test its taste after seeing that no one had started yet. After Guan Feng was finally done setting food into everyones plates, he sat down and clapped his hands. Alright, today we welcome Cillin into our midst, and it has been a while since we last had a gathering! Goryeo, Pistura and Fu Qingqings imaginary mouth twitched: we had a gathering just thirty days ago! Some teachers are totally fine with not meeting their students for hundreds of days! Alright, I shant waste anymore time. Let us begin. Cillin, this is the first time you eat my food, so make sure you savor it, okay? These nutritious meal incomparable to those meals outside; that food is pure trash. Guan Feng took the lead and ate first. Goryeo and the others also sucked in a deep breath before taking the lunge. Pisturas face was green as he mechanically stuffed food into his mouth. A vein was throbbing at the center of Fu Qingqings forehead, but she kept her expression perfectly blank. Cillin understood their feelings completely the moment he put the first scoop into his mouth. Guan Feng was right, it was incomparable to the trash food outside because that food was at least appetite inducing. The only thing that was induced by this nutritious food of love was vomit. Cillin forced himself to endure the discomfort. If Goryeo and the others could get used to this, the he could to. And so he hypnotized himself and mechanically shoved food into his mouth. In their heads, they screamed: its not that we dont want to eat your food, our guts just couldnt handle it! As for the gray cat it was chowing down its meal like no tomorrow! Teacher Guan, this is the best lunch Ive ever eaten in my life! ... Cough! Cough cough Choking, Goryeo had to drink the glass of fruit juice with bitter melon in it to clear his throat. His face looked distorted. Pistura had also choked on his food. Fu Qingqing stared at the gray cat with saucer eyes filled with disbelief. The best lunch of your life? Are you practicing your crosstalk or something?! Are you sure youre not buttering up Teacher Guan so he might forget the sin you committed against the fishes inside the fish tank?! After confirming that the gray cat wasnt actually joking, Guan Feng chuckled and answered, You have the best taste, Wheeze, unlike these four whelps! Yeah, I know right! The gray cat nodded in agreement. Like hell you are! Guan Feng didnt like to speak when he was having his meal. Goryeo and the others didnt like to speak during mealtime either because it would break the numbing process of swallowing food down the throats. Cillin felt like he fought a hard battle after he had finally finished all of the food. That being said, Cillin quickly discovered that what Guan Feng told them was actually real. The nutritious meal was extremely beneficial to the human body, a fact one only noticed after they consumed the meal. Pistura and Fu Qingqing looked a lot better after they finished their meals. Even their gazes on Cillin didnt look nearly resentful as before. At this point, the young man had figured out that he wasnt the cause of a large part of their resentment. Guan Feng briefly chatted with his four disciples. Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeo gave him a short report on their latest training status and the problems they encountered during training. That was all they said, but Guan Feng didnt care either way. He had already made it clear that he wouldnt interfere with anyones wishes even if the Imperial Guards and Royal Guards were to fight each other one day. Cillin paid attention the the way they made their reports and the emphasis of those reports. He would do the same the next time he reported to Teacher Guan. Youre all doing pretty good. Guan Feng didnt reserve his praise. Cillin, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask them. Come to me if youre really stuck in a problem. Goryeo shouldve told you all the things you needed to pay attention to, right? In that case I wont repeat them here. Familiarize yourself with your seniors and get along with them. After he said this, Guan Feng left for the second floor. What is Teacher Guan doing upstairs? Cillin asked after Guan Feng went up. Taking his afternoon nap. ... Goryeo did most of the talking, followed by Fu Qingqing and Pistura. Pistura even kept a stiff and expressionless face during the few moments he opened his mouth. After chatting for a moment, everyone left the place to attend to their respective business. Shouldnt we bid Teacher Guan goodbye? Cillin asked. He will shoot you for disturbing him with such a trivial matter, Goryeo said with conviction. In that case shall I deal with this now? Cillin pointed at the fish tank that was now filled with cat piss. Its fine. Someone will change it by the morrow. Cillin stopped asking. If no one cared about the fishes then why should he? And so the young man got back into Goryeos car while grabbing the gray cat by the scruff of its neck. Pitura and Fu Qingqing had already left the area. After sending Cillin back to his apartment, Goryeo left behind these parting words: Dont forget to ask for a flying car from Teacher Guan, this way youll be able to move easier on this planet. Dont worry, Teacher Guan has plenty of flying cars. Cillin got ready to rest after thanking Goryeo, but his doorbell rang not long after he lay down on the bed. Cillin looked at the group of people on the security display before he opened the door. Three men were standing outside his house. They were Gen Xingming, Gen Xingyao and an older man who looked slightly similar to the two brothers. He was probably Gen Xingmings oldest brother and the man who was groomed to become the king in the future, Gen Xingchen. If Gen Xingyao looked calm and steady, then Gen Xingchen was imposing the way of a superior. Even though he hadnt officially succeeded the throne from his father, he still felt oppressive just standing there in silence. Cillin didnt wonder why they were able to locate his apartment and track down his activities - there was no way they wouldve shown up at such a perfect timing otherwise - because they belonged to the royal family. Honestly, if they couldnt even perform something like this Cillin wouldve suspected that the Gen Family had undergone a decline. Come in. Cillin invited the trio into his house. There were a few more Gen Family members around the area, but they didnt follow the trio into the apartment. Gen Xingchen wouldnt allow them to do so even if they wanted to. He wished to keep the internal matters of the Gen Family a secret even from his most loyal subordinates. The gray cat had its eyes closed as it lay on the bed. It looked like it was asleep, but the fact that its ears would twitch from time to time was proof that it knew everything that was going on in the living hall. I just moved in, so I have nothing to treat you with. Cillin pulled over some chairs and invited them to take a seat. In that case, let us head straight into the main topic, Gen Xingchen said. Both Gen Xingming and Gen Xingyao kept quiet because their older brother was around. Gen Xingchen paused for a second before he turned to look at Gen Xingming. Leave us. But why Gen Xingming swallowed his complaints when he saw the glare Gen Xingchen was shooting him. Then, he muttered. Second brother is here too, and yet you send me out Xingyao, go with Xingming, Gen Xingchen said. Gen Xingyao clenched his fists so tightly that they crackled in response. As he narrowed his eyes at Gen Xingming, the latter curled his lips and walked into the bedroom. Although Gen Xingyao was reluctant, he obeyed Gen Xingchens orders and stepped into the bedroom too. Should we speak at the study? Cillin asked. Its fine. Gen Xingchen examined Cillins features closely, but he couldnt find a trace of similarity between him and a Gen family member at all. He then shifted his gaze to Cillins left thumb. Id like to see the Fuji symbol on your hand. Cillin took off his gloves and stretched out his thumb so that Gen Xingchen could get a better look at it. Cillin himself was puzzled as well. Why was the ring still dormant even though the future king was sitting right in front of him? It wasnt like Cillin never suspected that Genya was where he was because of a set up. However, he Genya had never complained about anything, and he often expressed his longing for his home. Genyas final message didnt mention anything about the Gen Family harboring malice towards him either. On the contrary, it had been Genyas lifelong dream to return to the Gen Family. That was why Cillin had ultimately decided to reveal the leaf pattern tattoo to Gen Xingyao. He could speed things up this way. It really is the real thing! Gen Xingchen revealed the leaf pattern on his wrist to Cillin too. The leaf pattern around Gen Xingchens wrist was very similar to the one around Cillins thumb, but there were still some minor differences, just like how there were no two fully identical leaves in the entire world. Every person who possesses the Fuji symbol are closely related to King Fuji. For example, Xingming, Xingyao and I have it because our father is the current King Fuji. But what about you? Who are you really? Cillin shook his head. I have made a promise to someone. I will not reveal the reason or the original owner of this Fuji symbol before the ring gives me a sign. Gen Xingchen wasnt surprised by his answer. He had predicted this outcome before he came here. According to my knowledge, my grandfathers generation is the only generation that wields a Fuji symbol like yours. It so happens that my grandfather is also the King Fuji of his time! Chapter 248: The Husk Cherry Cake Chapter 248: The Husk Cherry Cake Cillin didnt respond to Gen Xingchen. No affirmation, no denial, just plain silence. In fact no one could affirm anything about this matter right now. If what Gen Xingchen was true, this matter had to be traced all the way back to his grandfathers generation. Gen Xingchen could only figure out the truth if he sought out his grandfather a.k.a. The previous King Fuji. However, his grandfather hadnt dabbled in politics for many years already, and he showed up only once or twice in a while during a gathering to inquire about his grandchildrens wellbeing per year. As the next successor of the throne, Gen Xingchen was the grandchild whom his grandfather interacted with the most, but even then he never spoke more than ten lines of dialogue. That was why Gen Xingchen was unfamiliar with that generation as well. After Gen Xingyao and Gen Xingming had told Gen Xingchen about Cillin, the young man had decided to meet Cillin personally without alerting his father or other family members. Although Gen Xingchen didnt manage to pry much useful information from Cillins mouth until now, he still treated Cillin with some courtesy. His attitude would have been different if the Fuji symbol on Cillins finger didnt belong to his grandfathers generation though. Worse, if Cillins symbol was the same kind as his, he might have acted a little more forceful and coerced Cillin into revealing in depth information, even if the young man was Guan Fengs student right now. At the same time, at Guan Fengs house. Right now Guan Feng was sitting on a sofa in the living room with an extremely pissed off look on his face. The expression was on an entirely different spectrum compared to the smiling, cultured gentleman of the norm. He was very similar to Pistura in this regard. Three people were sitting on the opposite side of the living room, and one of them had a literal bullet hole in their collar. They were exchanging glances and trying to decide who would be the first person to speak with Guan Feng, because they had woken up the latter from his afternoon nap and put him in an extremely bad mood. Ahem! The leftmost guy and probably the one with the highest position of the trio was the one who spoke up. Guan Feng, we know how you operate. We wouldnt have disturbed you at such a time if at all possible. Guan Feng continued to glare at him icily. Talk now or fuck off! If a student was listening in right now their jaw wouldve hit the floor already. Who knew that Guan Feng was capable of expletives? Youre done throwing your tantrum, right? Look, you nearly cut off my neck! The guy at the center said. Guan Feng raised his eyebrows in response. I knew it was you. Or did you think theres another reason your neck is perfectly intact? Noticing Guan Fengs obvious impatience and his colleagues urging him to get to the point with their eyes, the leftmost guy finally said why they came today. Youre aware of sea blue gold, right? The man asked. Sea blue gold was a kind of alloy and the most important building material when it came to building deep sea probes and submarines. However, no specific ratios or ultrafine elements had been decided for the sea blue gold yet. The related researchers were still researching for a way to upgrade the sea blue golds formula. Im not going to waste my breath, Guan Feng said expressionlessly. He wasnt a researcher in that specific department, but he still knew a lot of things. Alright, The man passed over an electronic document to Guan Feng before explaining, This is the image and analysis data sheet we received earlier. The sea blue gold mentioned here is better than the standard sea blue gold everyone is using right now. This means that sea blue gold formula used in the process of making the probe in the data sheet is more advanced than everything we have right now. Guan Feng looked at the illustration in the document before saying disdainfully, So, youre saying that none of the academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences are able to come up with a better formula? No, we couldnt. All three of them felt embarrassed when they admitted this. It was true that there werent many people who were researching the sea blue gold right now, but it was also true that they couldnt come up with more effective formula than this. Still, the existence of this formula gave them the drive to do better. Im sure youre aware Project Abyss has reached a critical stage. If we can acquire this upgraded version of the sea blue gold, well be able to solve the problems that plagued us while were tackling the project very quickly. Guan Feng tossed the document back to the leftmost guy and tapped his forehead with his hand. He was aware of Project Abyss; it was one of the top ten research projects being tackled by the Royal Academy of Sciences right now. Some time ago, Abyss had run into a difficult obstacle they couldnt solve until this showed up, so he could understand why they had come to him so urgently even when he was enjoying his afternoon nap. Still What does this have to do with me? Im not a member of Project Abyss, Guan Feng crossed his legs and lay against his sofa. The man rubbed his hands together before answering, The man with the upgraded version of sea blue gold is at the nineteenth imperial star region. Wed contacted him by long range communication, and we learned that his situation is rather complicated. Thats why we want to send someone to talk to him in person. We can skip the honorary scholar title and promote him into an academician in the Royal Academy of Sciences directly, but we still need to send someone to negotiate with him, and that someone needs an escort Guan Feng interrupted him before he could finish. Get out of here, my students are way better than bodyguards, and they have neither the time nor the leisure to play bodyguard for your men! Haah, its not really a bodyguard job. The military will be escorting us, but we will feel more secure if we can bring someone from within the Royal Academy of Sciences with us. Weve already summoned a couple of students from AF1 and AF2, and we especially value whoever you can afford us during this trip. Everyones hoping that you can spare us one of your students., you know. The leftmost guy was the associate dean of the Royal Academy of Sciences, but he had to swallow his indignation despite being told to get out by Guan Feng because he already made a promise to grab one of Guan Fengs students as a bodyguard. Guan Feng was as popular as he was famous, so who wouldnt want to get his students aid? Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeo were all booked by all three forces of the empire even before they graduated. It showed just how much in demand they were. This also meant that this request was made by someone in Project Abyss, but the senior administration of the Royal Academy of Sciences were the ones who butted into this business in an attempt to cultivate relationships between their school and the students of the famous teachers. The reason they did this was to ensure that the students would maintain a level of relationship with the Royal Academy of Sciences that was beyond education even after they left their affiliated schools and joined other forces. Although the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences normally held themselves to higher moral standards, they knew that they couldnt survive if they practiced a holier-than-thou approach. This was something the three important men sitting in Guan Fengs living hall were well aware of. Guan Feng was without a doubt a husk cherry cake* in everyones eyes. He was the teacher of kings and future kings, the leader of munitions and firearms projects, and every student he taught turned out to be famous. Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeo might still be greenhorns, but it was only a matter of a few years before everyone in the empire would know about them. *in English there is an idiom called sell like hotcakes, right? Husk cherry cake basically has the same connotation. It means that Guan Feng is in high demand. Guan Feng waved his hands. Theyre all busy with their own work! You just recruited a new student, havent you? A new student wouldnt be bogged down by missions, not to mention that the new courses havent even started yet. A lot of people such as them knew that Guan Feng had recently taken in a new disciple. They had been been planning for this since. No way! I havent even had the chance to use him myself! Theres no way Im lending him to you easily?! The trios eyes lit up when they heard this. It wasnt outright rejection, so it meant that there was still room for negotiation. Cillin had no idea what his new teacher was talking about with the strangers. His own conversation wasnt exactly progressing well since neither parties revealed too much due to their own reservations. Gen Xingchens finger curled as he looked at Cillin. When do you think the Fuji symbol on your finger will react? Im not sure myself. I thought it would react when I met you guys, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. The lack of reaction was exactly why Cillin had decided to reveal it openly before them. In that case, I suppose I have to ask my grandfather himself. But, Gen Xingchen stared straight into Cillins eyes and said seriously, Please keep this a secret until we have an answer! Of course. Im not ignorant. Gen Xingchen looked at the time and stood up. Then, he said, Since weve met, why dont we have a meal together. Cillin had no good excuse to turn down the future King Fuji, so he was about to say yes when his communicator suddenly came to life. After checking the name on the display, Cillin excused himself and went into the study to answer it. What happened, werent you taking your afternoon nap? Cillin asked after Guan Fengs image popped into view. I was disturbed. Guan Feng was no longer wearing the stern expression he had when facing the trio. I have a mission for you, so pack your stuff and get ready. Ill inform the school about your absence and arrange your courses for some other time. Come here right away after youre done. You have two hours. Okay. Once the call was done, Cillin walked out of the study and apologized to Gen Xingchen. Sorry, I dont think Ill be eating with you. Guan Feng just called me for a mission. In that case, I shant impose on you. Work hard. Gen Xingchen didnt mind the change of plans. It meant that he could use the time to ask his grandfather if he had any siblings in the past. Gen Xingming and Gen Xingyao failed to pry anything useful out of the gray cats mouth despite working together. That was why they were full of doubt when Gen Xingchen finally gave them the okay to come out. But before they could get their answers from Gen Xingchen, the future king had already left while dragging them with him. Youre going to Old Fox Guans place again? The gray cat swayed its tail. Are you sure he isnt looking to take revenge for his fishes? You thought too much. Cillin grabbed the gray cat by the scruff of its neck and walked outside. He didnt have a flying car yet, so he could only get on a train on AF1s railway line to Guan Fengs house. When Cillin reached Guan Fengs house, he noticed that his teacher was bending his waist and pruning the plants in his courtyard. He looked like he was in a very good mood. Youre here. Guan Feng said while holding his scissors, Theres a document on the table of the living hall. Give it a look. Cillin read through the document at the living room and roughly understood the goal of his mission. Are you done reading? Guan Feng walked in and tossed another electronic document into Cillins hands. This is the best sea blue gold formula the the Royal Academy of Sciences internal divisions are using right now. Memorize it, and remember to confirm its authenticity after you went there. If there is no mistake, help them acquire the new formula. Cillin nodded before asking, How do we benefit from this mission? Guan Feng was important enough that he could turn down this mission if he wanted to, but he chose to accept it instead. Guan Feng stretched out two fingers. Funds and sea blue gold. With both, Ill be able to develop PTS S. PTS S?! Yeah. In the past, I can only imagine it in my mind, but now I can actually make it for real. Guan Feng tossed an imperial debit card into Cillins hands. Heres half of your payment in advance. The other half will be given together with the bonus for this mission. Cillins swiped the card on a card reader that was built next to a communicator and checked the number. The gray cat on shoulder couldnt stop staring at it. Goryeo was right, Guan Feng didnt skimp when it came to his students. Cillin put the card away safely before catching a box from Guan Feng. This box contained some emergency medical supplies and food rations that couldnt be bought outside. Some of them were products circulated within the Royal Academy of Sciences, and some of them were made by Guan Feng himself. Cillin was certain that these items would be worth a large sum of money if he were to sell them. After explaining to Cillin what the medicines and food were, Guan Feng added, The Royal Academy of Sciences have their own private network. You should be able to contact me anytime as long as you arent in a heavily jammed area or quarantine zone. Understood. Mm. If theres nothing else then go outside and wait at the courtyard. A flying car will come and fetch you later. Oh right, I dont normally restrict my students, but there is one thing that I must remind you of. Im all ears. You will encounter different students during each mission, and its only natural for some to not see eye-to-eye with one another sometimes. But whatever you do, youre not allowed to embarrass me, you hear! Yes sir. Cillin understood what Guan Feng meant. To put it simply, he wasnt allowed to lose if he got into a fight. After he was done speaking, Guan Feng closed the door and left Cillin waiting outside the courtyard. As expected, a car flew over to fetch Cillin not long after. It ran on autopilot, and it had brought Cillin to a port. Chapter 249: At a Different Level Chapter 249: At a Different Level Everything had been arranged in order, and all Cillin needed to do was to move his legs. The gathering place was on another planet; an inconspicuous satellite among many other satellites. Were heading out again not long after we arrived? Theres not even time to take a rest. The gray cat complained. At first it wanted to visit Boa and King Kong, but it didnt expect to be sent away on a mission before they even found their footing. Didnt ChangThree and Chang Four say that students should prioritize their studies? So why were the affiliated schools completely different? Cillin scratched the gray cats chin. Its not a bad thing; at the very least itll give the others some time to prepare. Remember that the imperial star region is the one emperor and three kings indisputable territory. If an unavoidable conflict were to break out then you and I wont be able to escape. The gray cat flicked its ears. Cillin, how on earth are you related to the Gen Family? Ive checked, and I know that youre not related by blood. But why do they keep coming back to you? ... Its a long story. It was the only way Cillin could describe it. Alright, if its too long then never mind. The gray cat narrowed its eyes and began to doze off. The satellite was even smaller than the planet where the preparatory campus was, but it seemed just as important judging from the quality if its buildings and equipment. The spaceplane descended beside a tall, round-shaped building. The building was the gathering place Cillin was supposed to attend. After Cillin passed over the student ID Guan Feng gave him for inspection, the main door opened to admit Cillin and the gray cat. The interior of the building was mostly metallic in color, and somewhat dull-looking. However, Cillin could sense a great amount of firepower behind these walls that would act upon any intruders at first notice. Every hallway door had a sign on it; a sign that didnt belong to anyone of the affiliated schools. It was the sign of the Royal Academy of Sciences, which also meant that the owner of this building was a member of the RAS. *from now on RAS is the short form for Royal Academy of Sciences An AI controlled building, very powerful equipment and a refined surveillance and security system that can deal with any situation that can arise*. Not bad. The gray cat assessed. *trying something new here. Literally, the text should be: ... a refined scanning system to deal with any potential situations. Cillin flicked the restless fellow on his shoulder before taking an elevator to the tenth floor. After waving his student ID in front of a scanner, the meeting rooms door opened to admit his entry. The first thing that entered his vision was the dozen or so people sitting around a round table. Most of these people were AF1 and AF2 students who had responded positively to the mission invite just like Cillin. Besides that, there were also some people who wore a badge that represented the RAS. Oh, youre here Cillin. Take a seat quickly. Were just about to begin, so youre right on time, A member of the RAS said. Cillin nodded politely before he sat down on an empty chair. Beside him, the guy who was taking a nap scratched his hair once before he looked up and shot a glance at Cillin. Eh? Youve come as well?! The student who just woke up from his nap was none other than his former housemate, Walley. Walley was here because his teacher, the guy who owed him money and acted all righteous about it had kicked him over to this place in the name of pre-school training. Walley had been extremely reluctant to comply because he was a lazy man to begin with and his goal was very different from most of the people around here. He didnt want wealth and fame; all he wanted was a full stomach. He didnt want outstanding military achievements; all he wanted was stability and peace. He was the kind of guy who would rather listen to old pedants passionately talking about seemingly profound things that no one was actually able to understand while leaking spittle all over the place than lead a life of travel, much less exit the school gates to accomplish a mission. If the old bastard hadnt paid him a handsome wage, he wouldnt have taken a single step out of the door even if he was beaten to death as a result. He had arrived here earlier than most, but it wasnt like he knew anyone in the meeting room anyway. Most of them were previous term students, and the only thing he heard so far was the students boasting about their glorious past achievements and gossiping about the affiliated school teachers and popular students, and the academicians discussing things that he couldnt begin to fathom. In Walleys opinion, the gossips regarding the teachers and the high level academic topics all fell under the hypnotic category. Since there were quite a number of people who still hadnt shown up, Walley decided not to participate in their discussion and to sleep on top of his table immediately. He didnt expect to run into a familiar face right after he woke up though. This was good news to Walley, because he mightve slept through the entire mission otherwise. Cillin was pretty happy to see Walley too. Yeah, my teacher had sent me on this mission. What luck. We both were sent on a mission before we even found our footing. Walley rubbed his face and forced himself to awaken. The meeting officially began after Cillin took his seat. The meeting organizer started off with a briefing of their mission. The mission was neither complicated nor difficult; it was something they already knew before they came. The organizer had also introduced the students who were invited to participate in this mission. Guan Feng had already told Cillin about the hidden motives of this mission before he came here. The mission was issued solely by the RAS, and not the nobles, the emperor, the three kings or the two great armies. Therefore, all the students who were invited to attend today shared a common trait, and that was their future hadnt yet been confirmed. None of them officially joined any forces, organizations or nobles. To put it nicely, the RAS valued these students and wanted to avoid arousing suspicion by excluding other forces. To put it not-so-nicely, the mission organizer didnt need to justify themselves to any particular forces if something were to happen to these students. Since a lot of their teachers were directly tied to the RAS, this entire mission could be considered their internal business. Therefore, any conflicts that arose were to be resolved as such. A total of ten students were invited to this mission, and they would be led by a couple of academicians and honorary scholars. As for the rest of the escorts, the RAS didnt employ the imperial army as previously mentioned. Instead, they decided to use their own escorts. Their numbers were small, but they were pretty reliable. After all, many of them were affiliated school graduates. After the short brief was over, the team leader immediately told them to prepare themselves. It would seem that this mission was rather urgent for the RAS. The surface of the RAS starships were all adorned with huge representative symbols. They also enjoyed the special privilege of private navigation routes and jump points. As it turned out, the RAS was pretty rich. The configuration and decorations of the starships interior showed. The ten students were given an entire floor to themselves. Their lounge was also on the same floor. In the middle of the entertainment lounge of the floor, Cillin and Walley sat in armchairs and enjoyed the fruit juices and snacks served by service robots. Alcohol was forbidden on the ship because there was an incident where some drunk students had gone on a drunken rampage and caused massive damage and losses. A student with an unusual alcohol craving who wasnt the type to go crazy after they had gotten drunk could produce their teachers written permission, sign a letter of guarantee, and get the signature of the highest ranking officer. Only then they would be allowed to get their booze. Although both Cillin and Walley preferred alcoholic drinks over non-alcoholic ones, they found the process more trouble than it was worth. Worse, they would have had to endure the criticisms and educational lectures of those RAS academicians and honorary scholars. Alcohol can affect the neurotransmitters in the central nervous system in many ways, and it also affects the release factor of acetylcholine, neuropeptide and corticotropin as well, blah blah blah blah blah Walley wanted nothing more but to take off his shoes and stuff them into these academicians and honorary scholars mouths for their habitually academic way of thinking. This was one of the common views he shared with his so-what-if-I-dont-return-the-debt-I-owe rascal of a teacher. Not far away, the gray cat was playing games with a previous term student called York. The gray cat had worked hard to improve its gaming skills after it was looked down upon by Dough in the past, so it managed to beat York two to one in a three round match. York was extremely dissatisfied with the results, so he held up the gray cat and kept challenging it to more rounds. That was how Cillin came to sit around around the corner, chatting with Walley while watching the ensuing battle. A mellow voice interrupted their chat suddenly. Are you Guan Fengs new student? Cillin looked up. The person who interrupted them was a sweet-tempered and pleasant-looking girl named Kenasenza. She was one term ahead of them both, and she was incredibly eye-catching because she was the only one who wore a long skirt among the ten students. The organizer had introduced everyones names during the meeting, but not their mentors. Still, Cillin wasnt surprised that Kenasenza had recognized him. After all, many students had heard that he was wielding a PTS K during the tryouts. Walley winked once at Cillin before he gave up his seat to Kenasenza of his own accord. Kenasenza stared at Cillin curiously with wide eyes after she thanked Walley and sat down. Cillin nodded in response towards Kenasenzas question. Yes, Guan Feng is my teacher. Kenasenza was very happy to hear Cillins confirmation. She turned around and shouted at a group of people sitting on the other side of the entertainment lounge. Eros, Vino, Daduo, he really is Guan Fengs student! The three students sitting there looked towards their direction before walking over from their seat. The big guy of the trio, Eros looked a little embarrassed as he scratched his head in response to Kenasenzas shout. Oh. Hehe. Meanwhile, Vino and Daduo were staring at Cillin with eyes that were full of doubt and suspicion. A few people sitting on other corners of the entertainment lounge were also staring at them anticipatorily. To tell the truth, Cillin had realized that some of the students were full of hostility the moment he entered the meeting room before. It wasnt jealousy that drove them, but it still wasnt a kind look. Guan Feng seemed to know that this would happen from the beginning; it was why he had said what he said earlier during the day. When Walley noticed that the situation wasnt going the way he expected, he shot a inquiring glance at Cillin: do you want my help? Cillin shook his head imperceptibly, indicating that he could handle the situation. This here is Vino, Daduo, and big guy Eros. As for me, do you know who I am? Kenasenza smiled at Cillin. Her curved eyes were glinting. I know them, and I know you, Kenasenza. Weve all been introduced during the meeting, Cillin answered. Kenasenza wiggled her fingers playfully. Fate has brought us all together on a mission, so theres no need to act like a stranger. Just call me Keke like Daduo does. Kenasenza and Daduo were the only two females among the ten students. Everyone else had a prick in their pants. Daduos outlook was completely different from Kenasenzas. She was lively, active, very sociable and principled despite her carefree attitude. These were all qualities Cillin picked up during the short time he came to observe these students. Vino walked before Cillin and looked down on him from an elevated position. Then, he pulled over a chair, sat down and raised his chin. I know Teacher Guan. His PTS series is very famous. The implied meaning was: I know you only because your teacher is Guan Feng, not because youre all that impressive. A lot of people had heard and seen the famous Guan Feng. After all, he had opened some courses before in the affiliated schools. Guan Fengs courses had a limited quota, and they were used up immediately every time one was opened. The fact that the slots were fought over every time his courses became available in the course selection platform showed just how famous he was. That was just on the surface though. Cillin neither minded Vinos statement, nor offered a retort. In fact, he didnt even say anything. Seeing that their target hadnt taken the bait, Vino exchanged a glance with Daduo before he sneered at Cillin. I heard that Guan Fengs students were all extremely proficient shooters. I agree with the sentiment myself. Although I havent seen your three-plus-one myself, Ive heard of your feat from my senior brothers. However, Vino paused for a moment and stared at Cillin as if he had seen through him. I wonder if a shooter like you is just as good when fighting in melee? Vino and Daduo moved at the same time right after he said this. Daduo was very quick, but Vino was closer and more aggressive than she was. Another prey in the same circumstances wouldve subconsciously focused more of their attention on him. Compared to the students who were just done participating in the tryouts, the two of them were undoubtedly more experienced and skillful. It was also obvious that they had removed some unnecessary movements from their techniques because the attacks were swift and straightforward. The duo came at him from the front and one side. The other side of his path was blocked by Kenasenza, and his back was blocked by the armchair he was sitting on. A pure shooter wouldve been troubled by a pincer attack like this, but the thing is Cillin wasnt a pure shooter. Vino and Daduos movements were cut short as quickly as they started. They stood stiffly and did not move a muscle. Vinos fingers were curled into a claw-shape and aimed at Cillins throat. Daduos fists were clenched into a fist and aimed at Cillins waist. However, the hunter had moved instantly so that their attacks wouldnt hit the ideal target areas, not that they were planning to continue even if this wasnt the case. Everyone was staring at them with dumbstruck expressions except the gray cat and York. It was because the duo were busy trying to best each other. So, what was the thing that had stopped Vino and Daduo from attacking? There were two things to be exact: a blade, and a gun. Cillin was pointing a thin, long blade at Vinos glabella, and pressing the PTS K against Daduos head. The bizarre atmosphere had even affected the engrossed York. This avid gamer had finally noticed that his surroundings were overly quiet and that his and the gray cats swears were the only sounds resounding inside the entertainment lounge. Unfortunately for York, the split second distraction resulted in him being killed by the gray cat in one decisive shot. As York stared angrily at the words that popped up on the screen, he slammed the arcade machine and shouted, Hey, what the hell is wrong with you guys?! Then, he was caught off guard when his eyes finally shifted towards Cillins direction. He poked the gray cat that was licking its paws happily and pointed at Cillins direction. The gray cat didnt even bother to look. Why do you care whats going on over there? Its no wonder you lost; your willpower is insufficient! Bullshit! One more round! York immediately threw the abnormal reactions around him to the back of his mind and worked his fingers, getting ready for yet another round of battle against the gray cat. The gray cat was very willing to accompany him because a bet was involved. It had won at least three bags worth of fish biscuits after a few rounds of victory. Mm, todays haul is pretty good. Its been a while since I run into an idiot like York. God knows what York would think if he knew that the gray cat had labeled him an idiot in its mind. On the surface, it wasnt exactly clear what Cillins retaliation meant. However, Vino and Daduo were the ones who attacked him first, so no one tried to accuse him for his actions. The problem right now was that no one was stepping up to defuse the situation. Had Cillin turned out to be an easy picking, some of them might have stepped up and used their seniority to defuse the situation. However, Cillin was neither an easy picking nor their direct junior brother, not to mention that they werent particularly friendly with Vino or Daduo either. No one wanted to get involved in such a mess, which was why nothing had happened after the initial surprise. Eros scratched his head again and looked at the still seated Kenasenza, motioning for her to defuse the situation. She was a girl after all, and she was undoubtedly the better choice compared to a big guy like him. The situation might take a turn for the worse if he chose to walk right into this awkward situation, not to mention everyone knew that Eros was a bad speaker. Walley crossed his legs and shook it as he slowly picked up a snack and put it in his mouth. He ignored the pitiable look Kenasenza was shooting his way. In the end, Kenasenza put down the teacup in her hand and put a smile on her face. Impressive! Very impressive. You are definitely Teacher Guans students. Its just a small joke, Cillin, Vino and Daduo are just curious about you. Why dont we stop this here, okay? Cillin looked at Kenasenza gave her a smile. She didnt know what his smile meant, but for some reason she felt his eyes could see right through her. Cillins arms shook once, and his blade and gun suddenly vanished from view. Then, he picked up his fruit juice once more. Not far away, an onlooker said to his companion, Is Guan Feng really his teacher? No wonder everyone fights like a maniac to grab a slot everytime Guan Feng starts a lecture. His companion nodded in agreement. His reputation is well deserved alright. Just look at his new student; who would think that hes this capable? Its no wonder that he was accepted even considering Guan Fengs high standards. Although they all admired Guan Feng, their admiration had mostly stemmed from his creation, the Purgatory Thunder Snake. Boys generally paid attention to their guns more than the other gender, and the mysterious PTS was obviously one of their main focus. Before Cillin had taught them a lesson today, they all thought that shooters must bad at fighting close range. Who was the one who said that shooters couldnt fight in melee? Look at Cillin! His movements were so quick that they couldnt even keep up with their eyes. His opponent, Vino had been held hostage by the blade in the blink of an eye! They doubted that even Daduo could move as fast as him. Cillin and Walley might not know who Daduo was yet, but not these veteran students. Daduo shared the same teacher as Bie Yao, a somewhat famous speedstar in AF2, which meant that Daduos strength also lay in speed. However, not even Daduo was able to gain the upper hand over Cillin. They didnt realize that Daduos senior brother, Bie Yao had his ass kicked by Cillin once upon a time. Otherwise, they wouldnt be astonished by his triumph over Daduo. After Cillin had put away his blade, Vino stared at him for a moment before offering a smile. You really are amazing. I concede that youre the better! His words improved Cillins impression of him a little. It was hard not to when Vino had accepted and admitted his defeat so frankly. Daduo shook her fingers before she collapsed ungracefully on a nearby recliner and rested a leg at the edge of the table. I knew I wasnt good enough; its no wonder my teacher told me that Im still lacking. Sigh, you just joined the school, dammit. I feel so under pressure. I wonder how my senior brother Bie Yao wouldve fared against you. The gray cats ears twitched once, and it spoke up while still manipulating the game controller with its paws. Bie Yao? Are you talking about that guy whos friends with Panther the Black Panther? The gray cats statement shocked York yet again. His hands wobbled and, fuck, he lost again! The gray cat grabbed over the stakes in a practiced manner, counted, and pushed them right under its feet. It was sitting on a pile of cash already. Do you know Bie Yao and Panther?! York jumped in front of the gray cat and asked. Right now the money was the lesser of concerns to him. The gray cat shot the curious and astonished York a sideway glance. Then, it moved a paw near his face and wriggle it a little. Fuck! York stuffed his hands into his pockets and fished for a little. He pulled out some cash, noticed that the number was a little too high, put it back and fished out a smaller one. Then, he passed it over to the gray cat. The gray cat glanced at the paper note, before moving down towards the pocket where York kept his money. It didnt accept the paper note or say anything. Meanwhile, Cillin was drinking his fruit juice so attentively that Walley couldnt stop the corner of his mouth from curling. He knew since their stay at the temporary hostel that both the owner and the pet were bad apples! Hey, ever heard of moderation and leniency? York shook the money a little. Hmph! The gray cat accepted the money and pushed it under its butt, saying, I know Panther the Black Panther, and we know Bie Yao too. You told me not to boast stuff, but saying someones name isnt exactly boasting, right? The gray cat curled its paws and said, We even know the guy with the wings Zanny, the honest-looking big guy Puno, Yenov and uh, whats that girl who blows the flute called again, right, Vega! ... This time everyone was stunned and silenced even deeper than before. Bie Yao and Black Panther aside, Cillin and the gray cat even knew Zanny, Puno and Vega. They were all people who were recruited into Wings before they reached graduation and were pretty famous within the affiliated schools. If they could make contact with people at that level, then They had thought that everyone here was at the same tier; that no one had chosen a side yet. That was why they were surprised to find out that Cillin had made contact with someone at that level. Walley didnt normally gossip. He knew Zanny because the latter once appeared during the tryouts, but every other name the gray cat mentioned was unfamiliar to him. Still, he could guess how prominent they were from the peoples reactions. Even better, he noticed that the the gray cat was acting even more offhand than usual when it recited those names, which seemed to imply that it didnt hold those people in high esteem. If his guess wasnt wrong then heh, the owner and the pet sure play their cards very close to their chest! The gray cat carried its winning with its mouth and brought it to Cillin for safekeeping, including the capital Cillin lent it in the first place. The young man didnt hold it against the gray cat, however. Wheeze crouched on top of Cillins shoulder and shot a glance at the nearby Eros. It said, Puno is brawnier than you are. The gray cat was just stating a fact; it wasnt trying to convey disdain towards Eros. Puno was definitely bigger than Eros when it grew bigger. Uh, hehe. Eros scratched his head in embarrassment. The gray cat: ... It was advisable not to hold Eros reactions against him because his favorite quotes are: Uhehe, ahaha and ohehe. They were used whenever a certain condition was met. Vino picked up the conversation of his own accord and talked about Eros in order to clear up the awkwardness that stemmed from the fight. To their surprise, Eros happened to be Ironheads dear senior brother. They shared the same teacher. The revelation was the last thing necessary to clear up the air. Even Walley joined the conversation and networked with everyone for a bit. Cillin wasnt a petty man himself. As Guan Feng had mentioned earlier, it was inevitable that there would be friction between students during first contact. A fight should settle most misunderstandings and bring them closer. When the ships finally arrived at their target destination, Cillin, Vino, Daduo, York and Eros had become much more familiar with each other. Unfortunately for York though, he was dealt him an even greater blow by the gray cat when he learned that he was inferior to the gray cat in both gaming and fighting. Wheezes claw marks could be seen on his face everyday. During the period of interaction, everyone learned that this fat cat was very familiar with the animals of AF1. Everyone one here could still remember the terrors of the tryouts, so it was only natural that they felt a bit wary towards the gray cat. After they landed, Cillin discovered that the buildings of this planet were in general quite short. No skyscrapers could be seen anywhere. However, they were built like fortresses of war, and it was easy to mistake that they were in a battlefield as they walked between the buildings. The feeling they had wasnt entirely wrong. A war had supposedly happened in this place before, although it wasnt a war between humans, but a war between humans and animals. The sea covered three-fifths of this planet, and the land two-fifths. However, almost half of the land were made up of deserts, so there werent many inhabitants in these places. Most of the population were concentrated in habitats with better environmental conditions. Cillin and the students had roughly learned about the situation here before they came: there was a battle between humans and the sea beasts that went on here, and there were some conflicts between humans as well. The cities on this planet were often attacked by sea beasts. Although the cities had protective shields, they didnt always keep them active. There were better ways to spend the energy resources. Neither side was willing to give up on their territory, so the war that lasted for generations had been ingrained into their habits. The humans kept improving their weapons, and the marine species kept evolving stronger. Maybe temporary peace would finally arrive on this planet when one side had achieved victory. If the humans won, they would be embroiled in greater internal conflicts after a temporary peace had passed. If the sea beasts won, the humans who lost might choose to fight to the death in their homes or leave the planet in search for other habitable planets. One thing was certain though: these people would forever be branded as losers who lost their own homes. The people here were extremely stubborn; it was something they inherited from their ancestors. If they werent, they wouldve accepted external reinforcements and won the war against the sea beasts since a long time ago. It was exactly because the RAS was aware of the stubbornness of these people that prompted them to send a group over to negotiate. If the people here were more open to negotiation, they wouldve settled this through long range communication. It wouldve been unnecessary to travel here all the way from the imperial capital. A lot of houses here had dried fish meat hung at the entrance. That was why one could smell the same scent everywhere. For example, the fat cat on Cillins shoulder couldnt close its mouth ever since they arrived on this planet. The only thing that was missing was saliva on its mouth. If Cillin hadnt forbidden it from running off on its own, it wouldve gone away to look for food the moment they touched down. Wow, guys, look at the teeth of that fish! York pointed at a halved fish head hanging at the doorsteps of a house. It might not be the complete fish head, but it was enough to tell them a lot of things. The fishs head was two meters long, and it had rows of sharp teeth inside its mouth. Its pharyngeal teeth were pretty sharp too. Any prey that somehow managed to escape the teeth in its mouth would still be ground to bits by its pharyngeal teeth. Yorks bluster made the RAS academicians feel very embarrassed, so they shot him a glare to stop him from testing the sharpness of the fishs teeth with his own hands. The young man winked once at Vino and fell silent after that. The RAS had informed the planetary government of their arrival prior to departure, and the latter had sent a group of people to welcome them. The welcome wasnt particularly warm though. Compared to how the RAS were normally received in other places, these people were practically giving them the cold shoulder. The faces of two prideful academicians immediately turned ugly at this, but when they recalled the meeting they had before departing, they decided that their business here was more important than their pride and forcefully swallowed their indignation. Cillin was very acute senses, so he noticed that some people in the surrounding buildings were pointing their guns at them. It wasnt that they were enemies in their eyes - he couldnt sense any killing intent from them - but it was a habit theyd nurtured across the years. They were used to examining another person through a scope or with a gun right by their side. Maybe this was the only way they could feel a sense of security, but it also meant that they had no concept how the act might offend an outsider. Cillin believed that everyone else could sense the same thing, but since they were given no clear orders everyone raised their guards but didnt do anything else. So this is how it feels to walk with every gun pointed at you. Vino tugged at the corner of his lips. Eros facial muscles twitched, but he didnt answer. The fact that he hadnt even used his catchphrase showed just how nervous he was to be at the end of a gun barrel - many gun barrels - and doing nothing about it. The feeling certainly couldnt be described as good, but Walley seemed to be extremely used to a situation like this. He wasnt nearly as tense as Vino, York and the others. Cillin was just the same; the two of them looked like they were just taking a casual walk down a street. Their casualness hadnt escaped the others notice. Maybe this is the gap between us and them? Daduo thought to herself. There was one more person who looked as relaxed as Walley and Cillin. It was Kenasenza. During the time he interacted with the gang, Cillin knew the Kenasenza was born with a precognitive ability just like Ticos rabbit despite sporting below average individual combat abilities. She was naturally sensitive to all sorts of danger. That being said, none of them overly relied on Kenasenzas precognitive ability even though they knew that her relaxed posture probably meant that they were safe for now. After all, there was always a chance that something unexpected might happen, and no one here had two chances in life. That was why they would rather be more alert towards their surroundings and be safe rather than sorry. Suddenly, Kenasenza came to a pause and frowned down a particular direction. Her movement immediately triggered the squad to go into high alert. Whats wrong, Keke? An academician asked. Kenasenza shook her head. Were fine, for now. So, somethings going to happen later? The academicians were less than confident because the only thing standing between them and danger was the group of students, not the planetary governments military forces. It was true that the human society of this planet was said to be rather peaceful, but it was another thing to be standing on this planet for real. They were starting to regret their decision against applying for an imperial capital military escort. The gray cats tail swayed. Personally, it hoped that they would land in a bigger conflict very soon. This was the first time they arrived on this planet, so the trip had to be fun and enjoyable to say the least. As for what the others might think, well that was nothing the gray cat cared about. It was a petty creature, and it couldnt be bothered to be considerate towards so many people. The planetary government center was very impressive, but just like the rest of the buildings around here it sported a short height. From the moment he saw the building, Cillins first impression was that it was a snapping turtle who protected itself with hard shells and was ready to attack its prey at first notice. The number of troops garrisoned outside the planetary government center was far bigger than the number of troops sent to receive them. Cillin, I sense a big fellow inside this building! The gray cat stared at a particular section of the building excitedly. Is it a sea beast? Cillin asked. Yeah. This poor thing doesnt seem to be doing too well though. Its being used for research. The gray cat was extremely averse towards the words used for research. A lot of alien creatures were captured and used for research in GAL. It was a reason why the gray cat wasnt able to act as freely as it did when it was at GAL. After it came to Mist Bodhisattva Empire, it discovered that things were a lot better for the animals of this place. At the very least, the alien creatures of this place couldnt be publicly detained and used for research. For example, the animals of AF1 were given their own rights. Although they often provided blood to the RAS for research, it was all done on a voluntary basis. They were also compensated richly after the blood transfusion. People like Panther were even recruited into Wings. Although the gray cat didnt have a high opinion of Panther - he was just another loser to the gray cat - but Panther would no doubt make decisions from the perspective of an alien creature. He fought to increase and protect the rights of alien species from being devastated by some crazy humans. It was why the gray cat still think favorably of Panther despite beating the latter. Of course, it was more convincing for the rights of alien creatures to be protected by an alien creature. It seems that the conflict between the humans and the sea beasts has reached a pretty serious stage, Cillin said. The moment Cillin was finished, a low growl spread far, far away to the distance. Is it a deep sea species? Cillin was able to deduce from the sea beasts voice that it was a species that lived very deep in the sea. It mustve taken the humans quite the effort to bring a big fellow like this all the way here alive. Chapter 250: The Mist Appears, the Sea King Emerges Translators Notes: Its already mentioned in the Reddit post, but just in case someone doesnt read it Ill put it here too. For the longest time, Ive translated è as the gray cat because that is the literal translation. However, I recently came to the realization that the author probably prefers to write the gray cat instead of Wheeze of Whebeze because its easier and shorter. Ive gotten some messages before asking why Wheeze isnt referred to by its name, and now you know why. So my question is, would you like me to refer to Wheeze as mostly Wheeze instead of the gray cat from hereon? Do reply in the Reddit post, thanks! Chapter 250: The Mist Appears, the Sea King Emerges What kind of sound would you make if you were caught by the enemy, put on an operation table and experimented on among other tortures? It would be common sense to think that this sea beast was crying out one last time in despair during its final moments. In reality though, that wasnt the case here. The locals themselves didnt thoroughly understand their long standing enemies. This was evident from the fact that they had to spend a lot of manpower and resources to capture this animal alive. Although they had built a database of the sea beasts which they upgraded and updated with new information for many, many years - and it was true that the locals understanding of the sea beasts had increased by a lot - there were still a couple of critical species that they were unfamiliar with. The gray cats ears turned backwards once before it said to Cillin. Something isnt quite right. That sea beasts cry shouldnt sound like this. Hmm? Cillin looked at the gray cat. That captured sea beast isnt going to live for much longer, right? To my knowledge, the captured sea beasts either committed suicide in despair or were used up in experiments. Whichever the case, they werent going to live for long, Vino said. The gray cat shook its whiskers. Judging from the sound it made it is true that that sea beast isnt going to live much longer. However, I havent heard any of the despair and sorrow you said earlier. I did hear ridicule and joy though. Ridicule and joy? The group turned to look at the gray cat in astonishment and waited for an explanation. Yeah. Although I couldnt understand the meaning it was trying to express, I could sense that the cry earlier was ridiculing and happy. A sea beast thats about to die had let out a cry of ridicule instead of sadness? Who is its target then? Was it the humans of this planet? Daduo pondered out loud while holding her chin. York shot a glance at Kenasenza. Was that why Koko is feeling unwell? There must be a reason why it would let out a cry like this. Kenasenza fell into deep thought, but she could only sense vaguely what was going to happen in the future. That was why she couldnt put a shape to her anxiety even though it was there. Meanwhile, the leaders of the planetary government finally came out. The ruler of this planet was a minor noble, but despite their lower status they were an extremely stubborn people that were difficult to negotiate with. Sometimes, minor nobles were more difficult to deal with than major nobles because they had less to lose compared to the latter. Welcome to our planet, friends from the Royal Academy of Sciences! The prime minister and the minor noble came out to welcome them with smiles on their faces. However, it was obvious that they actually meant what are you doing here when they said welcome if one would look at the smiles that didnt reach their eyes. The RAS negotiators took up one side of a grand meeting room, while the planetary governments people took up the other. Cillin and the group stood on the sidelines and daydreamed as the two sides negotiated. There werent too many guards in the meeting room, so clearly the planetary government wasnt that obstinate: they knew that the RAS might drag them to their graves if they offend them too much. Both parties had already communicated with each other about the sea blue gold before, but the planetary governments attitude was a little forceful at the time; unmoved by both persuasion or force. However, it was also a fact that the RAS had sent their negotiators all the way over to negotiate. As the saying goes, there was no such thing as a business deal that couldnt be closed. All that was lacking right now was the right bargaining chips. In order to make the other party yield, the RAS had even brought along their certificates, academician badges and contracts. Although the people of the planetary government definitely looked moved, they still wouldnt give them a definite reply. As the owner of this planet, the minor noble refused to allow the RAS to make contact with the researchers who invented the new sea blue gold compound formula. It was because he was afraid that the RAS would recruit them and take them away from the planet, causing them to abandon all their current responsibilities. On the other hand, if the RAS was willing to part with an academician of their own, the planet would no doubt benefit greatly. The minor noble had his own selfish wishes, so negotiations had proceeded slowly even though progress was made. Cillin reckoned that the negotiations would be prolonged until the minor noble had completely sorted out his own thoughts. Although the minor noble wasnt really welcoming of them, he did put them in comfortable housings. The planetary government center was located at the center of the continent; the land that was furthest away from the seashores. If the sea beasts were able to attack here, it meant the war that had lasted for hundreds and thousands of years had finally come to an end. Right now, the academicians and scholars were discussing countermeasures and making academic commentary regarding the situation of the planet inside their accommodation. A wall away, Cillin and the students were discussing with each other too. Hey, why do you guys think that minor noble isnt trying to come to an agreement directly with the RAS? Its obvious that the RAS are the ones who need them more, and that minor noble couldve asked for more benefits such as weaponizing the land defense system of this entire planet further. The RAS does research some pretty good weapons, York said while leaning on against the window sill and swinging his leg. If a foreign force were to interfere, it will be viewed as a different form of invasion. No one can predict what will happen next after the long standing balance between the humans and the sea beasts is upset. Also, hadnt a similar thing happened before on another planet? After the people recruited foreign forces to deal with their internal power struggle, the foreign forces were the ones who benefited the most and caused the entire planetary government itself to become reshuffled. Daduos insight on this matter was better than Yorks. That is true. Vino also nodded in agreement. Right now we probably look like an amalgam of a threat and a helping hand to that minor noble. Therefore, we can only wear down his defenses bit by bit and stay cool. Is that one formula really worth all this effort? Walley asked after he yawned and lay lazily on the table. That depends on who youre talking about. This formula is absolutely critical to a certain project in the RAS,and for every minute the project is dragged the RAS is losing a large sum of money. That is why time is of the essence here. Havent you seen how impatient those old men were? Another student answered from the side. Daduo shot a look at Kenasenza, who had remained silent until now. Keke, why dont you tell us your opinion? Kenasenza shook her head. Right now she wasnt in mood of discussing this with her fellow students. She frowned. I keep have this feeling that somethings about to happen keep an eye out, everyone. Something may happen today. Daduo immediately turned apprehensive. There was at least an eighty percent chance that whatever Kenasenza said may happen will happen. After that, everyone in the room stopped talking and got themselves ready to deal with whatever might happen in the next moment. Meanwhile, the gray cat that was lying in front of the window sunbathing and rolling about twitched its nose and opened its eyes. It grinned after it looked down at the streets beneath the window and up at the sky. Its coming! Wheeze was having a blast when it was suddenly caught by the nape and pulled back into the room by Cillin. What is it? Cillin asked. Didnt you notice? The gray cat pointed outside the window. Still holding the gray cat, Cillin walked to the window in puzzlement and breathed in. He finally realized what it was talking about. The air humidity is rising. The gray cats swaying tail and enlarged pupils showed just how excited it was right now. Its not clear yet, but Im certain that its related to those sea beasts. I could already smell the stench of the sea on their bodies. It didnt take long for the people around them to react. They had fought the sea beasts for a very long time, and they reacted quickly to the potential consequences that were caused by the changes in their environment. Moreover, air humidity detectors were essential equipment to every citizen on this planet. Even kids could deduce some of the things that were going to happen next using an air humidity detector as easily as they ate food. York turned on his microcomputer and started hacking into the planets global network. The reason he did this was because the planetary government wouldnt let them or the RAS personnel know many things or what was going on right now. Of course, the citizens of this planet thought that their actions were perfectly normal. Why on earth would they want to tell these foreigners something so common? The image that popped up in the screen stunned everyone present. The coastal defense line has been covered by thick fog. The thick fog is also spreading very quickly towards inland. Sea fog? Daduo moved closer as she stared at the data analysis York brought up. She seemed to be trying to confirm how authentic the data was. These data are the analysis of local researchers. Theyre professionals, so its highly believable, York said. Cillin shot a sideway glance at Wheeze crouching in front of the window sill, swaying its head and humming a soft tune while staring into the distance. Those things must be getting closer considering the cats rising level of happiness. People were already sealing off windows and slightly large openings in the nearby buildings. The planetary government center already looked like a fortress in the first place, and now it appeared even more solemn and closely guarded than before. Everyone inside the building were readying their weapons already. It was something they did regardless of whether or not the weapons were used. Cillin and the group only found some short battle scenes in the global network. However, these battle scenes couldnt represent what was going on in the entire battlefield, and they had very limited vision. Not only did the sea beasts rarely show up inside the videos, there wasnt even a video where the creatures were in full view. The fogs here, Cillin said. The light rays in the sky started to blur. They could clearly sense the water vapor in the wind. Lets close our windows too. Therere hallucinogens inside the fog. Two students took out their detectors and went to the windows doubtfully after they heard Cillins warning. After a scan, they confirmed that Cillins statement was true. The hallucinogen level in the fog werent high enough to affect them right now, but that was because the fog was still relatively thin. It would be difficult to remedy their mistake if they waited until the fog had grown thick enough to threaten them. Some of the students had already left to protect the academicians, and they were only separated by a single wall. If anything were to happen, they would be able to respond in time. After closing the windows and activating the HVAC system, everyone returned to the microcomputer to stare at the images. The fact that the fog had spread all the way to the center of the continent proved that this fight was going to be a big one. This is good. We should be able to witness the infamous battles between man and beast on this planet and know exactly how great their manpower and military force are, A student said. There were people who were looking forward to this, and there were people who were anxious about the attack. Wheeze was very unhappy though as it paced back and forth in front of the window sill. Meow dammit! There goes my outdoors fishing plan! Todays sea fog had spread further than usual. Judging from the satellite images, it would seem that one third of the continent had been covered by fog even though it had started from the edges of the continent. The fog was thick and widespread. No one knew how much longer this phenomenon was going to last. The border soldiers were in full gear as they stood guard in the middle of this low visibility environment. Anyone who didnt wear a gas mask in this fog would collapse in less than five seconds. At this point, the fog at the shoreline had become extremely thick. Normal cameras would only be able to capture images of blue in this environment. Yes, blue. If the color was any deeper, it would look exactly like the color of the sea. Cillin had noticed that the color of this planets sea was different from the other planets the moment he came here. The blueness of this sea was something that sent chills into ones heart. Its not just the sea fog. Some lowlands and archipelagos at the edges of the continent had already been flooded by seawater. York brought up a 3D see-through topographic map. Whats strange is that everything is still peaceful inside the sea A certain image silenced York before he could could finish. Something had appeared out of nowhere in the sky of a city near the shores. Blue fog continued to spread in the background. An extremely blurry, giant black figure of a beast had abruptly appeared on the sky like a floating skyscraper. They could even vaguely see the thorns behind its back. If the city beneath it wasnt perfectly unharmed, they mightve thought that the city was being trampled. Is that a hologram? Is it something like a mirage? I cant tell. Still, does this mean that some giant beast had appeared somewhere? York brought up yet another document and showed it to everyone. What is this? Vino and the students felt dizzy just staring at the words of the document. Maybe I should show this to the RAS academicians instead. Although, do you think those stubborn old fellows will criticize us for hacking into the network? Cillins lips curled. They might, but theyll definitely agree with you in their heads. Why would they bring York otherwise? York was far better at hacking networks than he was at fighting, so the RAS must have selected him with this particular skillset in mind. However, those old fellows would never admit it openly because they were very sensitive about losing face. Alright, Ill send it over to them directly. Two minutes later, an honorary scholar walked into the room and stared at Yorks innocent looking expression, sighing. Allow me to explain. The rest of the academicians were busy researching the document York sent over to them. The reason the honorary scholar came over was to explain what it actually meant and to hint subtly which direction York should be hacking next. Cillin listened to the honorary scholars explanation intently just like everyone else in the room, but he was also pondering about something else in his mind. The gray cat had dug out some info after hacking into the global network. The document York found earlier was a research report, and the test subject of the research was a kind of giant deep sea beast named the Sea King by the researcher. These Sea Kings were the ones who led the sea beasts every time they engaged the humans in combat. They also looked pretty similar to the black figure inside the image. According to the research report, the human race on this planet only managed to capture one Sea King for the past one hundred years. However, this Sea King had died very soon after it was captured. The research report had been created on the same year it was captured. The voice they heard from the planetary government center earlier didnt belong to a Sea King. It was the voice of a lower ranking species in the sea pyramid. The Sea King was a giant deep sea beast with a skin that was capable of ion exchange. They could absorb some kind of metallic elements from the seawater and conceal themselves as a result. Thanks to their unique skin, they were able to swim near the shore and not be detected by the humans detectors. As long as they didnt show themselves, they could avoid scans most of the time. It was why the humans here suffered had great losses for a certain period of time. The unique skin wasnt just the only ability the Sea Kings possessed. Their voices were very special as well. The Sea Kings could create a kind of sound wave that affects or interrupts a torpedo or a missile that was fired at them. Their throat was like a sound converter that could instantly a high energy sound wave powerful enough to destroy a torpedo or a missile outright or detonate it in advance. The Sea Kings super powerful directional sound wave ability had caused a lot of problems for the humans here. At the very least, that was how it appeared inside the research report. According to the document, the smaller fishes in the sea or near the shore would evacuate and open up a path every time the Sea Kings appeared. It was because the powerful sound waves and sonars created by the Sea Kings were powerful enough to kill them. Does this mean that the Sea Kings were capable of creating something like an infrasonic wave? Vino asked. The honorary scholar nodded. You can say that. An infrasonic wave was highly disruptive and penetrative. It also had a very long range. The fact that the roar of a Sea King could be heard in multiple cities was proof. While the honorary scholar was still explaining things, the gray cat jumped onto Cillins shoulder and said, I found it! It is related to the sea blue gold! When Cillin noticed how the skin of a Sea King functioned, he already suspected that the sea blue golds new compound formula had something to do with it. Now, he obtained confirmation from the gray cat after he had requested it to hack into the system for verification. Still, that minor nobles research team is only able to obtain part of the Sea Kings skin. Right now theyre trying to obtain the skin from other body parts of a Sea King because each of them has a different metal ratio. At least, the skin of a Sea Kings tail and claw didnt share the same metal ratio. What this meant was that Cillins group could obtain different upgraded compounds of sea blue gold if they could obtain analysis data from other body parts. They could also skip negotiations with the minor noble entirely. Say, Cillin. The gray cat worked its paws and chuckled. You want me to go get some for yall? Chapter 251: It’s a Trap? [Part 1] Chapter 251: Its a Trap? [Part 1] Frankly, the gray cat was the best choice here. Right now Cillin couldnt leave and acquire a sample himself, and it would be best if the action was kept secret. Guan Feng had told him about a couple of things, and among them was that tact was necessary even in the RAS. After all, there was nowhere in the whole world that was completely free of corruption. So again, this fat cat was the best choice to send out to collect the samples, especially since it was bored stiff anyway. However, Cillin didnt have an accurate estimate of a Sea Kings strength, so he wasnt sure if Wheeze was up to the task. The gray cat felt like exploding into a ball of fur when Cillin questioned its abilities with extreme skepticism. Do you seriously think that buncha fishes can threaten me?! Cillin thought for a moment before smiling in response. He still couldnt be sure if Wheeze could collect the samples smoothly, but there was at least no way for these creatures to threaten the gray cats life. After being together with the gray cat for so long, he had almost forgotten that it was a half-cyborg. Do what you can, but no more than that! Cillin emphasized. Wheeze flicked its ears before replying impatiently, I know! Then, Cillin let it out of the window. Eh? Cillin, why did you let Wheeze out of the room at such a sensitive time?! Daduo asked in astonishment when she saw the gray cat jumping out. It said it needed to get out. It was bored to death apparently. Well its not the only one whos bored. Im feeling stifled myself, Walley said lazily while lying on the table. Although the room was regulated by a life support system, none of them felt particularly comfortable probably because of the way the building was designed. They couldnt help but feel choked inside this place. Meanwhile, sea beasts had landed on the shores and made contact with the defense forces, even though they couldnt hear any cannon fire because the shoreline was quite far away. But judging from the blurry images they were watching on the network, they knew that the battle was ensuing intensely. The thick blue fog that enveloped the city and the sky also blocked some cameras vision. Unlike the normal fog, this blue fog contained some metal ions and other disruptive elements. That was why it was able to disrupt the humans scan systems. Right now the scanners functional range had shortened to just their nearby areas. Demand for scanners immediately rose like a rocket every time a situation like this popped up, although the people of this planet were used to fighting inside the sea fog. They hadnt been able to invent a scanner that could penetrate this particular type of sea fog, but they could still respond swiftly to the changes on the battlefield. A few people followed behind the honorary scholar and went to the other room. The people who remained all happened to be familiar faces. York continued to hack into global networks so they could keep up to date with the battle situation. He also brought up local scanner footages for the group to check out. The RAS actually has better scanners that should work even in this unusual sea fog environment. Eros said, Do you think they would try supplying some equipment and softening up that minor noble? I dont think so. Vino snorted. Assuming that that minor noble would even appreciate the gesture, do you really think those old fellows of the RAS would be so kind? On the contrary, they want this battle to go south for the people on this planet and for the sea beasts to reach us as quickly as possible. Once the planetary government suffers a blow, the minor noble would be forced to ask for reinforcements from us. This way, the trade would speed up and their reputation would grow. Youre right. Who knows, these old fellows may even try to pull some strings from the background. Daduo agreed. So, how long do you guys think this battle is going to take? York pointed at the images on the screen and asked. The rumbles of cannon fire and the roars of the sea beasts all sounded extremely eerie under the blue fog. The sea beasts should naturally return to the sea after the fog has dissipated. Thats what the people outside just told me. Kenasenza said the moment she reentered the room, Something about this fog still doesnt sit right to me though. What do the local citizens say? Cillin asked. Kenasenze shook her head. They thought that this was all par for the course. The fog is a little bigger than normal this time; nearly the entire continent is covered by a layer of fog. The central regions arent hit quite as hard as those near the shores, but the citizens also mentioned that a fog this big normally happens once every twenty to thirty years, or even seventy to eighty years. Every time it happened the shore cities suffered heavy damage, and defense lines had to be rebuilt. It hurt both financially and physically. Cillin took a seat and fell silent. The feeling that something wasnt right didnt go away. Two days later, the fog remained as thick as ever. Still, it was starting to weaken around the central regions. This was undoubtedly good news to the people of the continent and a boost of morale to the border guards. They seized the opportunity to take out as many sea creatures as possible before the fog faded away, and the enemies retreating with it. The threat level of a lot of places in the central region was lowered due to the improving situation. In fact, this was quite obvious in the area Cillins group and the RAS were staying in. Although the air vents of every building were still closed, everyone inside obviously looked a lot more relaxed. Sometimes, the local soldiers would even chat and laugh with one another. The RAS looked miserable, however. For the past two days, it was almost as if the minor noble and the planetary government had forgotten that they existed. Guards were left behind to ensure their safety - and make sure they didnt stick their noses where they didnt belong to - but no other contact was made otherwise. Cillins group also relaxed a little upon learning that the battle was going in favor of the humans. Their rooms surrounded the RAS, so everyone returned to their rooms and napped whenever they were out of business to tend to. Any news would reach quickly their ears anyway. Right now Cillin was flipping through multiple images quickly inside his own room. York and everyone would probably be flabbergasted if he knew that Cillin had hacked into the planetary network too. After all, so far they only knew that he was one, Guan Fengs student and two, pretty good at fighting. Cillin briefly checked the footages of every shore region before hacking into the border guards internal network and obtaining a report as a result. The report contained an in-depth log of the defense battle such as what level of sea beasts had appeared at what area, the number of sea beasts that had shown up, the number of sea beasts they killed, the damage estimates of local cities and so on. The young mans attention was quickly turned to the red labels on the map though. He fell into deep thought. The red labels marked where the Sea Kings had appeared. According to this research report, the sea beasts had gotten a bit closer to the inner continent compared to the last time they invaded en masse. They also broke through quite a lot of border defense lines. Something just doesnt feel right. What is it exactly? Cillin played a video and listened to the Sea Kings roars. They sounded scary even though it was just a recording, and the border guards who had to fight them likely felt even worse. The blue fog hid many things from view. All he could manage was a rough estimate of the damage suffered by the human side, the number of battleships and armored vehicles that were destroyed, the number of fighters and spaceplanes that were lost and nothing else. Again, the fog had hidden the true severity of that battle, and the people would only learn of it after the fog had completely faded away. Cillin tapped the table with his finger incessantly. He had reviewed the border defense lines, the buildings that looked like defensive fortresses and their internal weaponry and equipment, and logically speaking the Sea Kings shouldnt have been able to break through as deeply as they did. So were they really more powerful than he had imagined, or was there something else in play? Chapter 251: It’s a Trap? [Part 2] Chapter 251: Its a Trap? [Part 2] The gray cat jumped into the room while he was thinking. Things were going pretty well, judging from the way its tail was raised up high. You done eating? Cillin asked. Yup! Wheeze narrowed its eyes and said happily. The gray cat jumped up Cillins table and spat out a deep blue object about the size of a palm. What is this? Cillin asked. They were the only two beings inside Cillins room right now, so the gray cat didnt bother beating around the bush. Im not sure myself, but its probably the unique skin you guys mentioned earlier. Id chewed this piece off a big fellows body. Its skin is quite thick, and the outer layer of its skin didnt have the ability to perform ion exchange, so I had to go deeper into its body to get this. Why dont you check if this is the right one, Wheeze said. All Cillin needed to do was to touch the skin the gray cat brought him to obtain the data he wished to know. It is the unique skin we mentioned earlier. There is a special exchange layer in the middle of this thing that could absorb metal ion attachments. Say, is this the only piece you were able to get? The gray cat proudly curled its tail before opening its mouth wide enough to fit a water tank. Then, it spat out enough deep blue skins to make a mattress. Ive bit every part of the fellows body at least once, but I didnt memorize which part belongs to which. You can do this yourself. Did you actually eat an entire sea king? Cillin asked suspiciously. Wheeze smacked its lips. Not really, I guess. I didnt eat the one that showed up on the continent because I was afraid that the human troops might notice something amiss. Instead, I went below the sea to capture one for myself. I didnt eat all of it; just the tasty parts thatre worth eating. These sea kings have a burnt exterior and tender insides. I like its burnt skin more; its inner flesh didnt really impress me. Cillin nodded. This cat seriously could eat anything, and it had a stomach that seemed limitless. After that, the gray cat continued to several sea king skins for Cillin to analyse. At this point the young man had probably gotten more useful data than the minor noble himself. The sea kings seldom appeared on land, and they were almost never caught by the humans. On the rare occasion they were caught, the sea kings would always self destruct and take their own lives. As a result, the samples of their remains became a lot less valuable. In comparison, the samples the gray cat gave him were fresh, so they were far more valuable than the dying or dead samples obtained by the minor noble. Suddenly, Cillin noticed that the gray cats face was twisting. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. It its nothing blaargh The gray cat spat out a half man tall egg. The egg was covered in a deep blue, keratin-like attachment. Unlike a normal egg, this egg didnt have a smooth surface. The gray cat looked a bit better after it spat out the egg. It licked its paws and said, Its nothing. I just ate a little too much. Cillin: ... After holding up the gray cat and confirming that it really was fine, Cillin said, If you cant eat that much, dont. Whats the point? I can eat more actually, but these eggs are a little difficult to digest. I ate a little too many egg this time, so Im saving this one for another time, The gray cat said carelessly. Cillin: ... The young man decided to stop thinking about the gray cats appetite and went to inspect the egg. Then, he touched the egg with a finger and analysed the information he got from the contact. Eh? Its still alive! Cillin sighed. Of course it is, I never eat rotten, spoiled eggs! Wheeze said while licking its paws. Huh, so the sea king you caught is a female Cillin paused for a moment before correcting himself. Wait, thats not right. Its a hermaphrodite. Mm, you took out a pregnant sea beast. The gray cat slowed its paw licking motion when it heard this. Speaking of which, I noticed something when I took out that sea beast. What is it? The eggs are all wrapped at the end of its tail by a thick protective layer. However, when I scooped out the eggs to eat them, I noticed that the eggs are vastly different from one another in terms of size and shape. In fact, their genetic materials arent even the same; theyre made up of completely different species. They might look the same if you just look at its shell, but its a different story after I had crushed them with my teeth. The gray cat transmitted the information it acquire into Cillins microcomputer so the latter could perform an analysis. The eggs were quickly digested after they were crushed into bits, so the gray cat preferred to swallow them whole. This way, it could stave off the hunger. Cillin felt puzzled as he looked at the data and the genetic materials contained inside the crushed eggs. Its a sea king. Why would it bother snatching another species eggs? That I dont know. Give me a second The gray cat stopped licking its paws and shuddered once. What are you doing? Cillin asked. I just crushed two eggs I didnt digest in time. Cillin: ... Well thats new. The gray cat transmitted more data into Cillins microcomputer. This time, the data indicated that one of the eggs the gray cat just crushed was directly related to the sea king. The same couldnt be said about the other egg though. Again, it was from a different species and it was different from the two species the gray cat just showed him. This is odd. Cillin pondered as he stared at his microcomputer. The gray cat ignored him and looked at the egg it just spat out, wanting to swallow it into its stomach once more. However, the young man stopped it before it could do so. Keep this one around. After he said this, Cillin took out a large box and put the egg inside safely. Fine. Wheeze didnt mind. It wasnt hungry anyway, and it would be a waste of nutrition if it overate. After it was done licking its fur, the gray cat jumped onto Cillins shoulder and started to doze off. A truth of the world was to sleep after having a full meal. Cillin couldnt figure out the reason behind the different species of eggs despite spending a long time thinking. It the end, he put his questions to the back of his mind and went searching for information on the network. Cillin secretly hacked into many research facilities on the planet and obtained a lot of information while he was performing the search. However, most of the information he obtained couldnt solve his dilemma. A small and unremarkable corner caught his attention when he was sweeping through the networks at the shoreline though. This part of the area was under attack by the sea beasts, and a fierce battle was waged between the two sides. However, there were no scanners, no military comms or tactics discussions, and no alien roars to be found in this small corner. Although the battle had subsided a little, this place still shouldve been completely devastated. It didnt make sense that a citizen would browse the internet at such a place, did it? Cillin cracked into the network and looked around. Since it was a battlefield over there, he wasnt able to obtain any image or sound files due to limited conditions. He only knew that the owner of the microcomputer was recording something. The young mans eyes lit up when he read through the files. They were related to the sea kings, and the analysis were far more incisive than the ones made by the minor nobles research organizations. Cillin read through the persons previous logs, and he discovered that the sea beasts had once tried to dig their way into the inland from underground. However, they were quickly discovered because the activity was too obvious, not to mention that it was more trouble than it was worth to dig ones way to the middle of a continent from the sea. Many of the sea beasts were killed after their activity was discovered, and theyd not made another attempt since. The next log he found was about the changes in number of sea kings for the past near five hundred years. It was here Cillin discovered a data of the utmost importance - no offspring of the sea kings had been found during this period. Thousands of years ago, when the battle between man and beast was at its early stages, the offsprings of the sea kings would at least show themselves on the sea surface without going on land. The humans had also discovered sea king offsprings in areas that were covered in light mists. However, no sea king offsprings had been discovered in recent years. The minor nobles and the government he ruled assumed that the war was the reason the sea kings offsprings went missing. The sea beasts suffered huge losses after every battle, and the sea kings would only be faring worse since their birth rate was lower than the other species. Some of the minor nobles researchers even claimed that the sea beasts had been driven to a dead end and were unable to replenish their numbers with new blood. They claimed that it was only a matter of time before the sea kings became extinct on this planet. The report had won great support and response from the people at the time. Everyone on the planet was happy and looking forward to the the sea kings demise. However, this person had voiced a differing opinion on the matter. Although they had no direct evidence, they claimed that that was not what they discovered after gathering and analysing many circumstantial evidences. They even claimed that they had deciphered the sea kings behavior. The sea kings behavior? Its a sea creature! How could a sea creature possibly have a behavior to speak of?! The global academic circle objected fervently against this opinion after this person had voiced their doubts. The minor nobles research organizations especially had beat down hard against this man. It was because their words would not doubt disturb the good image the minor noble had just created for himself. It wasnt hard to imagine what kind of difficulties this poor person was put through as a result. In fact, they probably wouldve been killed already if they werent lucky and had always operated near the shores. In a way, Cillin agreed with this persons assessment. Did sea creatures really have no behavior to speak of? Were they really incapable of intellectual thinking and careful plannings? Not necessarily, no! Cillin though back to the time he participated in the mice extermination mission back at Seven Lights. At the time, the black mice had come up with one big, nasty plot. So, what were these sea beasts plotting? Chapter 252: Eggs! Chapter 252: Eggs! Right now, at a certain building near the shore, a white-haired, haggard-looking man was working hard in front of his equipment, analysing data and inspecting probabilities. His work ethic was proof that every deduction he made was backed by meticulous calculations. This working man didnt know that there was a person in the continent who was watching every step of his deductions, calculations and conclusions. This person knew everything he was doing before his microcomputer. Cillin checked the latest main fighting forces distribution map near the shore. The crowded areas on the map were places where the sea kings had shown up. Luckily for the man, the place he was working at just missed an attack and thus wouldnt be under threat for a short while. On the other hand, there was no telling if the short moment of safety would last longer. After all, it was one of the places where the sea beasts had climbed onshore and invaded. The sea beasts would retreat when the mist was about to disperse, and Cillin had seen more than enough after-battle footages to know what kind of damage they could cause to a city while they were retreating. Cillin thought that this man would be of great help to him. Although some of the mans data were inaccurate, his lines of analysis were mostly correct. At the very least, he was more reliable than the minor nobles research organizations. A moment of thought later, Cillin sent two copies of the skin data he obtained to the man at the shore. Stappen was busy with work in front of his computer when two data tables suddenly popped into his screen and caught him by surprise. However, his attention was immediately drawn to the data tables. Suddenly feeling an injection of a new spirit, Stappen deleted some of the conclusions he arrived at earlier and inserted the data Cillin just sent to his computer for a precise analysis. However, Stappen ran into some problems again after the new data was inserted to the equations. Every time he was stuck, Cillin would help solve the problem quickly. And so two men worked together to analyse the situation on the same network from two different parts of the continents. Cillin had disguised the network in a way that prevented anyone from finding out that he was working together with Stappen, even if on the unlikely occasion where a purposeful hacker like York had suddenly hacked into this network for information. Right now, Stappen was feeling incredibly excited. For so many years he had been fighting and hanging on by himself. The beat down, denial and rejection he had suffered for the past tens of years had thrown him into depression for a time, but his final obsession towards his homeland that ultimately pulled him from the brink of despair. Today, after Cillin had lent him his aid, Stappen suddenly felt a surge of motivation and energy coursing through every part of his body. He wasnt fighting alone on this planet! Stappen didnt care who this mysterious and unknown person was, or how he managed to obtain these accurate info on the sea kings. All he needed to know was that these data were extremely useful to his analyses. After working together for a while, both Cillin and Stappen had arrived at several conclusions: One, there was no way a king of the sea like the sea kings would experience a reproductive decline. Therefore, the conclusion that a sea king could no longer give birth to an offspring was absolutely false. Two, according to the some of the cases Stappen had gathered and the analyses of the sea kings habits, this life form was absolutely not a dumb animal who only knew how to charge towards the enemy blindly. Finally, Stappen had made a probability map of an answer. The sea king was the king of the sea, so it was only natural that this species had far greater thinking that the other sea beasts. It was a creature who considered the future from a racial standpoint and set long term goals. That was why it was qualified to be called King. Who are you? Stappen typed these words on his computer. The duo could only communicate by text because Stappen didnt have the ability to transmit any sound or images with the limited tools he possessed. Some of the equipment on the battlefield was too broken to be functional, not to mention that it was a lot safer to just work with text. Sound and image files were just too easy to discover. Cillin stared at the line of text that had appeared on his own screen and typed a reply: Does it matter? Stappen knew that his network had been invaded by an unknown party, but not only was he not angry, he even sent the message with the intention of befriending Cillin. Stappen was grateful because Cillin had lent him a helping hand. If this stranger wasnt willing to reveal his true identity, then Stappen wouldnt force him to act against his wish. Plus, he thought that the stranger was probably afraid of being discovered by the noble. If they were found out, both their lives would be in great danger. With Cillins aid, Stappen sent the conclusion they analysed to the planetary government under an anonymous name. However, the government was furious when they saw it: how dare he publish a file that could destroy the peace of the planet! It was an unforgivable act! Who knows how much fear would be incited amidst the public if they were to learn the viewpoints that were outlined in this document! That was why the planetary government had stomped their foot down on the document immediately. They failed to trace the emails origin though. The planetary governments response undoubted dealt Stappen a heavy blow. As I thought, they refused to believe this analyses If the planetary government wouldnt believe in this analyses, then Stappen would find the answer on his own. Stappen wasnt a man who could make careful deliberations or fathom a persons heart. That was why his analyses and conclusions were completely built on a basis of calculations. Right now, his probability analyses were urging him to visit a certain area near the shore and to discover the conclusion he sought for. Im off to search for the answer since the planetary government refuses to believe our analyses. If I dont return, I hope you could publish this incomplete conclusion. This is my final request. Stappen typed. He knew that the person he worked with had the ability to camouflage himself. He was also his final hope. After he was done typing these words, Stappen packed his tools and set off to the area he calculated to find his answer. Cillin frowned as he stared at the words on his screen. He could easily imagine this Stappen as a poor combatant just like the academicians of the RAS. A person like him was a cannon fodder among cannon fodders in the battlefield; he would be extremely lucky not to be crushed to death by the sea beasts or killed by a stray fire. Just how was he expecting to find his answer if he was dead in the process? Sometimes, there were researchers who would venture deep into danger in order to seek out their answers. Neither wounds nor points of no return could stop them from reaching their goals. Stappen didnt charge headlong into danger for himself or his ruler, but for the sake of the planet he called home. He was as stubborn as a fool, a fool who kept a golden heart in his chest despite the path of brambles he was set on. Fools like him were a rare species, in a world and day where even the academic world had become corrupted. Cillin knew from the information stored inside Stappens microcomputer that he was the true inventor of the new sea blue formula, not the minor nobles researchers. Stappen used to be a member of the minor nobles research team, but he was ultimately kicked out because he had a disagreement with the higher ups. Still, Stappens abilities didnt go completely unnoticed, or he would never have gotten his hands of the sea kings data. This, was a deal. There were a lot of people who knew that Stappen was kicked out of the research team since a long time ago. However, a person in charge in the research team had stayed in contact with him. This person in charge didnt have much research skills, but was compensated with a great political sense. That was how he had climbed to his current position. The world would never run out of cases where the inepts led the adepts, and this was no exception. Cillin had met with this person in charge before. From what he knew, this man was apparently climbing higher and higher up the totem pole, and he was backed by a huge load of research achievements. Now, it would appear that his results had all been stolen from Stappen. This man had exploited Stappens near foolish dedication in exchange for fame, wealth and power. While stealing Stappens research results for himself, he also attacked Stappens viewpoints and beat him into obscurity. That was how a man kept climbing higher, while another kept falling lower into the depths. Where are you going? Wheeze asked after it saw Cillin putting away the microcomputer and getting ready to leave. Im out to search for an answer. Arent you interested to know what kind of plot those sea kings had cooked up for this continent? The gray cat swayed its tail with obvious disinterest because it just ate itself full. On the other hand, it didnt want to be left alone hatching eggs while Cillin was away. Cillin left the place after he had informed the RAS person in charge. Guan Feng had probably talked with the him before, because the man had quickly agreed with his plans. Some of the students wanted to head out themselves, but they were all turned down firmly. It showed just how important a good teacher was! Cillin took out a hoverboard he borrowed from Guan Feng. The front of the hoverboard was designed to cut through the air, so it was a lot faster than a conventional hoverboard. Of course, it was a bad idea to navigate through a misty environment while most scanning equipment were down speedily, but that situation only applied other people. Cillin didnt need to worry at all because he had the best navigational equipment in the world: the gray cat itself. This cat was much more powerful than any other equipment, and it had many other functions that it could bring to the table. The mist grew thicker and thicker as they traveled towards the shore. The toxins in the mist were no threat to Cillin due to his special constitution, but he put on a gas mask anyway to keep from standing out. Right now the sea beasts were the first priority in everyones heads, so Cillin drew little attention even if he was caught on camera or radar by surveillance equipment. As they moved closer and closer to the battlefield, the air defense obviously grew in number and structure. The enemies might be sea creatures, but there were still some species that could take to the air. That was why the skies were watched closely by the military. The gray cat altered the defense forces scanners so that they remain undetected. Cillin flew closer to the battlefield under the cover of the blue mist. The sea beasts that had crept onto the roof of some civilian buildings were killed by the combined efforts of some citizens who hadnt evacuated. Human casualties were inevitably inflicted throughout the resistance, and both red and blue blood could be seen on the ground, the buildings, the sea beasts, the humans, the fighter aircrafts, the armored vehicles and more The red blood belonged to humans, and the blue blood belonged to sea beasts. The tone of the color differed according to ones species, but in general all sea beasts had blue colored blood. Cillin angled his hoverboard upward. This place wasnt his destination, and there was no point wasting time here. A flying sea beast happened to be on a direct course of collision with Cillin. It was only part bird, and it could only fly at low altitude for a short period of time. However, it still possessed considerable attack power while on air. Cillin cut the sea beast in half without slowing down even once. After he flew higher into the sky, the number of sea beasts he ran into decreased by a lot. In fact, he barely even saw one at the altitude he was at. By the time he passed through the zone and heard many roars coming from the distance, he knew that he had entered into the hot zone. The battles ensuing in the hot zone was a lot more intense than the previous zones. Sea beasts could be seen everywhere, and there were countless cannon and gun barrels sticking out of buildings shaped like large fortresses. The defense forces rarely used excitation type weapons, and even if they did it was only when they could one-hit-kill the enemy and maneuver to another position at the same time. The reason was because the laser beams attracted the enemys attention and exposed their own position. Cillin saw a large-mouthed sea beast that could resist the high voltage electricity blasts from armored vehicles after he descended to low altitude. Not only did it have a thick, bony exterior that was resistant to an armored vehicles blades and giant pincers, it was smart enough to attack the armored vehicles from an angle where the cannons couldnt aim at it. Its sharp teeth was tough enough to leave marks on armored vehicles, so death and destruction was certain for both the vehicle and the passengers if they encountered a creature like this and failed to escape within the minute. Cillin slashed at two large-mouthed sea beasts that were blocking an armored vehicles way while he was passing by the area. After the deed was done, the young man inspected the blade and found that it was as bloodless as usual. He had encountered little to no resistance when he cut through the creatures bony exteriors, and the armored vehicles blades were practically made of shit when compared to his weapon. The more Cillin used the blade, the more curious he grew. How on earth had Oskulos come by a blade like this? After the armored vehicle had freed itself from the large-mouth sea beasts clutches, it immediately aligned its cannon barrels and took out a couple of sea beasts who ran over but failed to find a blind spot and avoid the shots in time. I think someone just flew past us! A soldier said. What the fuck do you care! Keep shooting the sea beasts! Another person roared. The closer they approached the sea kings, the bigger the sea beasts Cillin encountered along the way. The armored vehicles here were stronger too; it was almost like two types of giants were trying to outdo one another. The sea beasts didnt show any signs of cowering despite being bombarded again and again by giant armored vehicles and flying war boats. No one cared if a tiny, almost imperceptible human had suddenly joined a battlefield like this, so Cillin was nearly caught in the crossfire multiple times. Found anything yet? Cillin asked. Nope. Wheeze shook its head. The reason he had flown closer to the ground was so that the gray cat could find the answer easier. Right now they were inside the area of probability where the answer lay; the one that was calculated by Stappen. The only difference between this place and the one Stappen was headed to was a lower chance of finding the answer. Never mind then. Let us keep moving. Cillin angled the hoverboard upwards once more. Right now this battlefield was ripe with fire, and considered a hot zone at the current stage. It was also where the sea kings were present. The areas nearer to the shores had been turned into ruins, so they were actually safer compared to here, but it was a high probability area Stappen had calculated, so that was where Cillin and the gray cat were headed to. After they flew out of the hot battle zone, Cillin saw the cities and the defense lines that had been trampled by the sea beasts. Of course, this was a normal occurrence every time a great battle was waged. After the war was over, the defense lines would be rebuilt as they were. Hmm? The gray cats nose pricked. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. They had flown near near to the ground once more; Cillin cutting down the sea beasts in their paths and Wheeze scouting. Eggs! Wheeze blinked and let out a chuckle. I definitely smelled eggs in this area! Chapter 253: Cillin’s Supporters [Part 1] Chapter 253: Cillins Supporters [Part 1] Where? Cillin asked. This way! The gray cat jumped off Cillin and ran towards a certain direction. Cillin wasnt afraid of losing track because he could sense Wheeze within a certain range. Although this area was a post war zone, there were still a lot of sea beasts lingering around the area. When the creatures saw Cillin and the gray cat, they charged towards them in an attempt to kill them. They came to an abrupt halt just when they were a dozen or so meters away from the gray cat, however. The sea beasts werent stupid, and Wheeze gave off an extremely dangerous feeling that made them worry. They only hesitated for a moment because they had numbers over the duo, but before they could pounce again, the gray cat let out a roar that completely killed off the intent. It was because the gray cats roar made them feel like they were facing a sea king. Cillin was staying very close to the gray cat, so the sea beasts couldnt find an opportunity to attack him. The sea beasts would attack him without hesitation if he moved slightly away from the gray cat though. The gray cat circled around a ruin once before pointing at the plot. This is it! Is it underground? Even Cillin could smell something at this point. Although his sense of smell was incomparable to the gray cats, it was still a lot more acute than your average human. Plus, the smell was slightly similar to the smell of the egg spat out by the gray cat. The gray cat dug a hole after it chose a spot. When it went fully underground, it mechanized its foreclaws and extended them to dig a hole that Cillin could fit in. Cillin followed behind the gray cat after he placed a round-shaped disc at the cave entrance. The device grew bigger and covered up the cave entrance before taking on the same appearance as the surrounding ruins. It was to prevent anyone or anything from discovering that a hole had been dug here from outside. Cillin put on a breathing mask before he chased after the gray cat. It was apparently getting better and better at digging holes because its digging speed was even faster than an excavator. The hole dug by the gray cat was very deep, and Cillin could sense the presence of sea kings around this cave. It was difficult for Cillin to imagine how the sea kings had delivered the eggs so deep into the underground. Ah, there they are! The gray cat cried out excitedly. Cillin and the gray cat found a batch of eggs after they had travelled a thousand meters or so underground. Just like last time, the eggs didnt all belong to one type of species. Cillin put a hand on one of the eggs and discovered that the life inside it was still unformed. This meant that he would only find a pool of egg white and yolk if he cracked it right now. However, all these eggs would eventually hatch into various sea beasts. Cillin understood the sea kings plans now. Where were they at? They were at the frontier right now! This ruined zone was in fact the third defense line facing towards the shores. The first two defense lines were just as ruined as this one, and a war was breaking out at the fourth defense line right now. No one dug deep into the underground near the shores, and these differently sized eggs were covered by a layer of tough substance just like the eggs spat out by the gray cat. This meant that the eggs were scan resistant, and that no scanner could detect them unless they were within fifty meters of range at least. Cillin compared the metallic composition of the skin samples provided by the gray cat to the compositions on the eggs and found them to be slightly inferior. It meant that the deep blue keratin-like attachment that covered the eggs had a better composition than the skin samples. However, the attachment on these eggs lacked the ability to exchange ions, which probably meant that both qualities couldnt exist on the same substance. That was why the composition ratio he found on the sea kings was inferior to the eggs. The gray cat was devouring an egg when Cillin turned around. ... I thought you were full already? A bit yes, but its been a while so I can fit these in just fine. Also, these eggs arent as difficult to digest as the previous ones. The gray cat replied while devouring the eggs. Was that egg that difficult to digest? Cillin recalled the egg spat out by the gray cat and thought that it looked almost the same as the eggs here. However, he also remembered that the eggs had very different-looking shells even though they were covered inside the same protective attachment. He counted very few eggs that were the same type as the egg spat out by the gray cat. There couldnt be more than ten of them inside this cave. Half of the genetic materials of those difficult-to-digest eggs are the same as the sea kings. I dont know about the other half though, The gray cat said while devouring the eggs. Cillin nodded and stored all the eggs inside his leaf-patterned ring; they could be used for research and as food for the gray cat. There was nothing he could do if these eggs happened to hatch inside the subspace though. Eggs were fine, but a sea beast would cause a subspace to lose its stability and collapse. I nearly forget you have that, hehe. The gray cat smiled happily when it saw Cillin storing the eggs inside his ring. This meant that it didnt need to force itself to devour them and feel bloated all day. Once everything was done, Cillin said, Come on, lets head to the next location. Are there more? The gray cats eyes gleamed. These were all food, so the more the better! There should. If the sea kings had hidden eggs beneath the third defense line, they probably had done the same at the first and second defense line too. Cillin and the gray cat travelled to the second defense line after they exited the cave. As predicted by the hunter, the second defense line was flattened and destroyed just like the third defense line. It would appear that the purpose of the destruction was to cover up the eggs that were hidden underground. Neither Cillin nor the gray cat smelled any eggs in the area, but the duo dug underground all the same using the eggs location at the third defense line as reference. It took them a while, but they ultimately found the eggs that were hidden in the area. Strangely, none of the eggs hidden in this place were the same as the egg spat out by the gray cat. Cillin inspected some of the eggs and deduced that they were hidden in this place during the man-beast war that happened tens of years ago. However, the sea beasts inside these eggs were starting to take form already. They were still a ways away from maturing fully, but there was a high likelihood that they would emerge from the earth and fight alongside the invading sea beasts when the next war arrives in the future. After all, the second defense line would be rebuilt after this attack had passed. These eggs were hidden right beneath the second defense line, and they would all hatch by the time the next attack occurs. They would be able to work together with the invading sea beasts to crush the humans. But why were there no sea king youngling? Logically speaking, these newly hatched sea beasts would be joining the next invasion. But why had no one found any sea king younglings for so many years? Maybe most of them were protected under the deep sea, but some of them shouldve participated in the wars. They couldnt have completely avoided all human sightings, could they? Cillin and the gray cat discovered the answer by the time they arrived at the first defense line. The first defense line had been breached by the sea beasts not long after the war began. In fact, the speed at which they broke through was practically unbelievable. Of course, the newly hatched sea beasts that were hiding underground were the main reason behind their success. This time the duo found the eggs hiding spot quickly because the gray cat had caught the scent of freshly hatched eggs. There were even some sea beasts crawling out of the ground and vanishing into the sea instead of advancing towards the continent. Ah, there are some that havent hatched out of their eggs yet! The gray cat strolled leisurely around the eggs before devouring a little thing that had hatched out of its egg, but hadnt crawled out yet. The creature apparently tasted terrible because the gray cat had spat a few times and complained after eating it. An egg suddenly cracked right after the gray cat was done speaking. Cillin experienced a very strange feeling when he stared at the newly hatched sea beast. The youngling put on a fierce appearance the moment it crawled out of its shell. The small, sharp thorns behind its back were completely erect, and it had sharp claws on its webbed feet too. It was protected by a layer of tough skin, and its gaping mouth were full of sharp teeth. The youngling didnt charge Cillin and the gray cat immediately after it saw them. Instead, it opened its mouth and cried out. This voice Its a sea king?! The voice was young, but it was undoubtedly a sonar type cry just like the sea kings. A young sea king almost looked nothing like a grown sea king! Moreover, it was easily missed when mixed among other sea beasts. It was no wonder that the natives never found a young sea king. Suddenly, the eggs that were silent earlier hatched all at once. Cillin recognized the large-mouthed sea beasts and a few other types of sea beasts among the younglings. They all charged towards Cillin and the gray cat and attacked them. Unfortunately for these younglings, most of the other younglings had departed for the sea earlier. They were also too young to do any real damage to the duo. They quickly dispatched the remaining sea beasts, while the little sea king was devoured by the gray cat. The gray cat sat there and looked thoughtful after it had devoured the little sea king. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. The gray cats tail swayed. This little fellow is a pure sea king. Its different from the egg I spat out earlier, but for some reason I feel like that egg is harder to digest than this sea king. Cillin looked thoughtful, but now was neither the time nor the place for deep thoughts. Come on, well discuss this later. The mist is about to dissipate completely, and Id stay away from the sea beasts path when they return to the sea. And so the duo avoided the returning sea beasts and arrived safely at the RAS accommodation. By the time they arrived, the martial law of that area had been lifted already. The people had relaxed, and the windows were no longer sealed tight. Meanwhile, the RAS members were discussing negotiation tactics with the minor noble. They were wondering if they should take a more forceful approach, although they were aware that it would damage their reputation. They would prefer not to use this unless it was the absolute last choice because the RAS public reputation was pretty good thus far. Cillin didnt communicate with anyone after he returned. Instead, he went straight into his room and declared that he was taking a rest. Chapter 254: Those Behind The Scenes Chapter 254: Those Behind The Scenes Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeos arrival was perfectly understandable to most people. After all, they were disciples under the same master. But the Gen Family? What was their reason to show up here? It still wouldnt be a big deal if the one who arrived was just a normal messenger, but no, he was the future successor of the Fuji throne, Gen Xingchen himself. The young princes actions were representative of the entire Fuji Familys will, especially since the current king had been transferring his power over slowly to the young prince. For example, Gen Xingchen had attended many occasions on behalf of King Fuji. His presence on the planet quickly silenced the people who wouldnt stop slandering and making wild guesses behind Cillin and Guan Fengs backs. Everyone had the right to think whatever they wanted about the royal families in their heads, but no one was allowed to voice those thoughts in the open. At this point, most people had shifted their attention away from the sea blue gold formulas and onto Cillin himself. Gen Liao, Gen Xingchens grandfather and the former king wasnt a good-tempered man. It was also no secret among the upper circle that Gen Liao and Guan Feng shared a less-than-amiable relationship with each other, so much so that even the juniors were caught in the crossfire. For example, it was no coincidence that Gen Xingyao and Gen Xingming had suffered a lot of pain in Guan Fengs hands back whenever they were stuck in the affiliated schools. Guan Feng was very influential in that place, so their royal identities didnt provide them with any protection. In fact, it seemed like no one whose name had the word Gen in it or was affiliated with the Gen Family had ever won any favors from Guan Feng at all. Guan Feng had never taken in a Gen Family member as his student. He also avoided attending any occasion that had Gen Liao in it, and vice versa. If they had to attend an occasion together, they would act like complete strangers and forego all courtesies. It was almost as if their eyes would hurt if they saw the other person for even an instant longer. But for some reason, the hostile duo had come together to help out the greenhorn, Cillin. Normally, as Guan Fengs student, Cillin should be grateful that the Gen Family hadnt slandered him to hell and back, much less expect them to have his back. However, what happened in reality was the exact opposite of everyones expectations. The Royal Army and the Imperial Army had to pick their eyeballs from the ground after they saw how amiably Cillin and Gen Xingchen were conversing with each other. Gen Xingyao and Gen Xingming hadnt come along with Gen Xingchen this time. He was alone besides the subordinates he brought with him. Right now Pistura, Fu Qingqing, Goryeo and Gen Xingchen were sitting around a table and chatting with Cillin. The young princes attitude towards Guan Fengs students was cool and indifferent, but he didnt give them a hard time despite their past relationship either. He always smiled when he was facing Cillin though. Cillin finally learned the reason he was watched as strictly as he was after he spoke to them. Originally, he didnt think that the sea blue gold was all that important, not even after the upgraded formulas were found, but apparently the subject had escalated in terms of importance right after Cillin had turned in his findings. There must be something the higher ups werent telling, and judging from his guests expressions they were all in the know except him. Unfortunately, they couldnt tell him anything since he was under surveillance. It was something that was best kept off the record. Gen Xingchen did drop a bombshell, however. My grandfather would like to see you after all this is over. He would come over right now if he could, but the situation is a little more complicated than expected. The first reaction of the observers listening in on the conversation was: what absolute bullshit! Their second reaction was: how is that possible?! Their third reaction was: Cillin is a member of the Gen Family! Pistura shot a glance at Cillin. He was certain that Guan Feng knew about Cillins background, but his teacher had never accepted a student that was affiliated with the Gen Family until now. He didnt know what was the truth behind all this, but his teacher must have broken his own rule for a reason. Obviously, Gen Xingchen wasnt sharing this for Cillins ears only. This is the man under the protection of the former King Fuji himself. I dare you to mistreat him. Goryeo and Fu Qingqing exchanged a glance with each other before thinking: looks like our little brother wouldve been safe even if we havent shown up. He sure plays his cards close to his chest though. Cillin had expected that the former King Fuji would want to meet him in person. It was something he had been expecting ever since he met Gen Xingchen for the first time. Was this years long quest finally coming to an end? After the guests left, Cillin returned to his bedroom, grabbed a seat and read a book. Wheeze was sitting on the waist tall egg it spat out. It was very bored and irritated, but it didnt feel like eating anything because the eggs it ate earlier were enough to last it for a while. So Cillin tossed Wheeze the egg and told it to play with it or eat it. Wheeze used the egg as a scratcher and a plaything because the attachment clinging to the eggs surface was pretty rough. Every time Cillin saw the gray cat sleeping on top of the egg, he had the strange feeling that the cat was hatching the egg despite the extreme size difference. Cillin was no longer as restricted as he was at the beginning thanks to his many supporters. However, there were still a lot of troops stationed outside the building. For some reason, Cillin felt that his guards werent just trying to prevent him from leaking the sea blue gold formulas. They were also trying to protect him? Have I become a target? Cillin often trusted his own instinct. Recently, he felt like someone was watching him and waiting for an opportunity to ambush him. Moreover, he was certain that this behind-the-scenes person - if they were indeed real - was probably the motivator behind the higher ups decision and his acquaintances silence. Cillin couldnt understand why the enemy had decided to make him their target. Even if he was Guan Fengs student, surely he didnt deserve such luxurious treatment? The next day, Cillin voiced his doubts to Goryeo. Have I become a target? Goryeo was caught off guard by Cillins question. He replied with a wry smile on his face, I knew we cant hide it from you. He then let out a long sigh before asking, You were the one who found that thing, havent you? Cillin understood that Goryeo was referring to the sea blue gold formulas. He nodded. Well, thats why. Maybe they cant get what they want, but theres still the person who found it in the first place. Cillin frowned. Wasnt this a little too presumptuous of the enemy? How different was this from rising openly against the empire? They even went so far as to butt heads against the RAS No, wait, there was an enemy who didnt mind fighting against the nobles or the RAS! Not every latest technology was controlled by the RAS. Inevitably, there were people out there who werent willing to join the RAS or throw their lives away for the nobles. They were a group that had scattered themselves across the empires territories to carry out various purposes. They were a massive headache and a constant thorn in the empires sides. Their name was Black Viper! Black Viper was the empires biggest criminal syndicate, and it was one that had existed since a very long time ago. Every time a new emperor rose to power, they would do their best wipe out Black Vipers criminal organizations to little or no avail. Worse, corrupted noble families could always be uncovered every time a large-scale sweep was carried out. The Black Viper obeyed the nobles, but sometimes it was the nobles who fell for their charm. Their members were unscrupulous to say the least. They could turn a prosperous planet into a dead one, or sell banned drugs or microbes to willing buyers, all without being caught by the authorities. Cillin had never fought against the Black Vipers before, but his senior brothers and sisters did. This meant they hadnt come to support Cillin only. Some things were better done by ones own hands. Cillins expression told all Goryeo needed to know. He clapped Cillins shoulders and said, Dont worry, we all have your back. Cillin rolled his eyes at him. Im not scared. Five days. If no progress is made, and no one is found five days later, well bring you back to the capital. Goryeo shot a glance at the napping cat on top of the egg before he left. Is it hatching the egg? Yeah. Goryeo imagined Wheeze keeping the egg warm until it was hatched, then swallowing the newborn in one gulp. Felids were seriously strange. When Cillin walked Goryeo to the entrance, he suddenly looked out of the window as if he just sensed something. What are you looking at? Goryeo followed Cillins gaze but saw nothing but the same-old clumps of dull-colored buildings. He didnt notice anything amiss. Nothing, I was just staring at the scenery. Its been a while since I got out, you know. Oh you, it hasnt even been ten days yet. Teacher Guan once put a gun to my head and made me reflect upon my actions for over twenty days straight! Your treatment is much better than mine in comparison. Goryeo threw him a punch while smiling. Just hang on there for a little longer. Its almost over. After Goryeo had left the room, Cillin shot another glance towards the same direction. Then, he looked away and flicked Wheezes ear. Come on, you can sleep inside the room. Wheeze opened his eyes, the lazy, drowsy look on its face was long gone. In fact, it almost looked like it was holding back its excitement. The gray cat kicked the egg off the table, jumped down and rolled the egg back into their room. Thank goodness the egg was tough as hell, or it wouldve shattered under the Wheezes abuses multiple times already. Suppose that the egg hatches one day, Cillin wondered if the sea beast would grow up with congenital concussion, every time he saw Wheeze torturing the egg. At a rooftop not far away from the building, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared and stared at Cillins back. Another four days had passed by since the talk with Goryeo. Absolutely zero progress had been made on the investigation, and the two kidnapped scholars seemed to have vanished into thin air. Its tomorrow, isnt it? Wheeze asked Cillin from above the egg. Yeah. Cillin looked outside the window. The gray cat flicked its tail before complaining, Whats taking so long Were almost there. Meanwhile, Pistura and the others was sitting together inside a building right next to Cillin while a serious atmosphere loomed in the air. They had all fought against the Black Viper before, and they knew that the closer the deadline, the more alert they needed to be. Guan Fengs disciples were currently watching at a live image of Cillin and Wheeze talking to each other while Cillin scratched Wheezes chin. Even Cillins bedroom had installed security cameras in it. The building Gen Xingchen was staying in wasnt far away from Cillins. Right now, the young prince was sitting at a table and clearing out some documents. He might be far away from the imperial capital right now, but there were still many things called government affairs that the future king of the Fuji Family needed to handle. Your Highness, Hature is here. A subordinate walked in to report to him. Hature was part of Gen Xingchens entourage. Earlier, the young prince had sent him and a few others away to conduct an investigation about the Black Viper, so he must have found something that warranted a return. Send him in. Gen Xingchen continued to work on his documents without even looking up. Hature, a tall and brawny man saluted Gen Xingchen respectfully before saying, Your Highness, I have something to report! Due to Gen Xingchens unique identity, the whole building and its surroundings were crawling with Gen Family personnel only. No other guards were allowed to set foot in the area. Gen Xingchen stepped out of the building while followed by Hature and a couple subordinates. He motioned for the Gen Family bodyguards to stay where they were because they were just heading over to Cillins. The admission procedure was the exact same as before after they arrived. Gen Xingchen was the only one who was allowed to walk in, and everyone else had to stay outside. Hatures group of five shot the guards evil looks as they waited outside, and the guards pretended not to notice. We all have our own boss to please and were just following our orders, so you can shove that attitude up your own ass! Cillin was rolling the egg around with Wheeze for fun when Gen Xingchen walked into the room. The young man looked up and smiled when he saw the young prince. Here it comes! Wheeze moved its paw downwards and left a couple of claw marks on the egg. Gen Xingchen nodded and pulled over a chair. I was told about something, so I came over to talk to you about it. So that youll be prepared. What is it about? Cillin got up and turned towards Gen Xingchen. I heard that things may not be so peaceful today. Is that so? Cillin ignored Wheezes protest and pushed the egg to a corner. Then, he looked at Gen Xingchen and said, Dont worry. I know. There was a silver flash, and Cillin cut down Gen Xingchen as quick as lighting. Zzzrat! Gen Xingchens smiling face was cut right in half, but not a drop of blood could be found on the decapitated surface. Electricity buzzed from the collapsed heap of metal. A robot! The fake prince was made of metal, not flesh! However, none of the scanners in the building had detected anything amiss! Next door, Pistura and the others saw everything that was happening inside Cillins room. Shit! Black Viper is on the move! The three disciples jumped out of the window and opened fire at almost the same time. The five escorts who came along with the fake Gen Xingchen were instantly shot in the head, but not a drop of blood could be seen from the bullet holes. Furthermore, they immediately moved away in an attempt to dodge out of the bullets paths. All five of them were robots as well! Meanwhile, at Gen Xingchens building. Gen Xingchen walked up to a heap of devastated metal while and shot it a glance. Then, he put his gun away, stepped on the robots face and walked out of his room. His subordinates were already on the move. No one had expected the Black Viper to send robots this time! The peaceful area was instantly engulfed by warfare the moment the attack began. Humanoids and animalistic robots kept pouring out of the surrounding buildings nonstop. Not only were Black Vipers robots immune to electronic detection, they could take on different shapes and forms too. For example, a robot that lost its arm had transformed into a leopard and dodged out of gunfire with incredible litheness. They actually felt less like artificial robots and more like trained special agents and hitmen. Pistura moved past the guards, jumped a couple of times to reach the ledge of a building and fired his gun backwards three times. Every bullet penetrated a robots chest and caused an explosion, turning the three enemies into useless heaps of metal. Wheres Cillin?! Pistura asked a guard who ran out from inside the building. I didnt see him, hes gone! Fuck! Find him now! Yessir! When Gen Xingchen arrived, every guard was tensed up until the misunderstanding was finally cleared up. They had to admit that the attack had rattled them a bit, especially because the enemys ability to transform into different shapes. It was very difficult for the guards to identify who was real and who wasnt. The tension was only heightened further after Fu Qingqing had taken out a few backstabbers in their midst. Everyone was wondering if the people behind their backs were robots, and unintended casualties had occurred as a result. Worse, the robots were clever enough to transform into many different people as they moved through the crowd at top speed. Some of them went so far as to collect human blood and wipe them on themselves to confuse their enemies after transforming. Theyre trying to delay us! Our main goal should be finding Cillin, not wasting time here! Pistura told Fu Qingqing and Goryeo. Alright! Fu Qingqing and Goryeo disentangled themselves from the battle without hesitation and let the Imperial Army and Royal Army deal with the remaining robots. Gen Xingchen had also sent away some of his subordinates to search for Cillin. Unlike Guan Fengs disciples he couldnt move as freely as he wanted, so he focused his efforts in stopping the robot attack instead. The Gen Familys bodyguards stayed near Gen Xingchen and killed anyone who got close to them without hesitation. That was why the robots wasnt able to find any opportunity to harm the young prince. By now, the surrounding buildings were almost completely devastated by warfare. Thankfully, the surrounding civilians were evacuated right after the armies showed up, so innocent casualties were kept to a minimum. The robots brought a lot of equipment with them, and they didnt tire like a human would. Lasers, guided lights and cannonfire cut through the air, fell, and landed with a rumble. The nearby civilians and government officials hurriedly escaped the war zone to avoid being caught in the crossfire. As the battle raged, danger chased after Cillin every step of the way. Chapter 255: The Descendants Chapter 255: The Descendants When Cillin cut down the fake Gen Xingchen in one strike, there was a person, no, a robot that looked exactly the same as one of the missing scholars standing not far away from the window. The fake scholar ran off, and Cillin gave chase while jumping from roof to roof. The reason he hadnt used a hoverboard was because the airspace was too limited right now. He could be targeted from all sides while he was flying, and a hoverboard ultimately wasnt as nimble as his own body. To be safe, he decided to rely on his own two legs. The robot moved quickly, and unlike a human it wasnt limited by its air capacity. It could run infinitely at high speed for as long as it had power in its body, and it could jump across several buildings at once while landing safely without error. It was as if every move it made was calculated to perfection. Speed wasnt its only advantage either. Careful with its selection of escape paths, the robot avoided the crowded zones and moved away from the city. Logically speaking, the robot shouldve run into a crowd of people and transformed into another human. This way, it couldve easily fooled the military that was trying to gun down the robot army. It didnt do that though. There was a large desert just outside the city. Assuming that the sea beasts somehow made all the way to the inner land, the desert would serve as a natural defense line and severely hamper the sea beasts progress. The sea beasts couldnt live without water, so the desert was literally their most disliked environment. There was nothing and no one in the desert except a couple of lookouts set some distance away from each other. It was incredibly empty. It was where the robot was heading to. Cillin was wearing a tracker, so technically Pistura and the others could detect him wherever he went. However, the only thing that greeted Pistura on his laptop was a complete blank. This meant that the tracker signal was completely jammed, and they couldnt detect it on the global satellite network or the private channels. The satellite probes and global radars have all been tampered with, senior brother. All systems are temporarily paralyzed. Goryeo informed Pistura through his communicator. How long will it take for them to recover? ... I dont know. The technicians are still making no progress. Ive already talked to Teacher Guan about this, and someone from the RAS will remote teach them how to fix things later. Theres no telling when the systems will come back up though. Understood. Now get moving and look around the desert! Got it. Pistura just received news that someone had spotted Cillin running towards the desert. However, the witness wasnt sure which direction Cillin was heading to, and he wasnt able to catch up to Cillin because the latter was moving too quickly. At this point the three disciples had cursed Cillin a thousand times in their heads already. They had told him many, many times not to move out of their sight, but the moment the attack began that worrisome bastard immediately ran off to god knows where! Wasnt he afraid of being kidnapped?! Mental complaints aside, they did their best to find Cillin. He was their junior, and they could hardly justify themselves if something really did happen to Cillin. Cillin was slowly being attacked by the enemy after he set foot into the desert. There were a lot of robots hiding here such as robot scorpions, robot lizards, robot eagles and so on. Not only could they adjust their skin color so they looked the same as their environment, they could even turn invisible entirely. However, their ability to go invisible was ineffective against Cillin because he was very sensitive towards magnetic fields. The robots used magnetic fields to distort the air and light around them to achieve invisibility, but Cillin was capable of sensing even the tiniest changes in a magnetic field with a bit of concentration. Cillin kept running while avoiding the laser beams fired by the enemy robots at his direction. Those he couldnt avoid were blocked using Oskulos blade. There werent many blades out there that could block laser beams. Oskulos blade was one of the rare few. Cillin cut a charging robot lizard in half and pushed the ground with his right leg. An instant later, a hole appeared where he stood as yellow sand melted and turned black. Cillin plunged his knife into the ground before he even landed and lifted the thing that was hiding beneath the sand. The tiny, half meter long snake that looked exactly like the sand spat a mouthful of corrosive acid at Cillins face, but the hunter dodged sideways before cutting it cleanly in half. tIt was clear from the cut surface of the decapitated snake that it was mechanical. Who wouldve thought that a robot snake would carry such deadly poison in its body! These animalistic robots definitely had many ways to kill a person besides the obvious. A huge gust of wind quickly caused the air to become covered in sand, but the little change in environment didnt impact the battle between man and robot. A mere sandstorm wasnt going to stop these animalistic robots from attacking. Even Cillin had to admit that it was quite difficult to avoid the attacks, kill any enemies that came too close and chase after the fake scholar all at the same time. However, after they had completely left the city, the fake scholar suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Cillin. At the same time, he transformed into an incredibly beautiful woman wearing a V-neck shirt that revealed her cleavage in full. I didnt think youd be able to follow me all the way here. Even her voice was full of magnetic charm. Cillin stopped not far away from the robot and cut a robot lizard in half without even bothering to look behind himself. Isnt this exactly what you wanted in the first place? Why have you led me all the way here? Do you really not know? The robot giggled softly before lowering her eyes. We were going to get the sea blue formulas from you, but my masters mind has changed. When the robot looked up once more, the sand behind her suddenly moved and gathered around Cillin. When the things hiding beneath the sand rose to the surface, they slowly took on human forms that Cillin was very familiar with: Pistura, Fu Qingqing, Goryeo, Guan Feng, Gen Xingchen Cillin revealed no emotion on his face or in his eyes. He simply cut down the enemies who charged at him one after another. The enemy robot leader was surprisingly well versed in psychological warfare. Although the robots were obviously fake, they all wore the same faces as the people around him. Some of their eyes even looked similar to the real thing. Not many people could kill these robots without feeling some sort of trauma. Cillins hands were very steady though. He cut through the robots without hesitation as if he didnt recognize these faces at all. Robots were robots, and humans were humans. Even if a robot had taken on a humans face and worn eyes that looked a bit like the real thing, they could never be identical to the actual person or replace them in any way. To Cillin, it was like two parallel lines that could never intersect with each other. The robots turned into old people, children, more familiar faces and so on. Cillin cut them all in half without showing any emotion at all. Tsk tsk, now I feel you are much more of a robot than we are. The robot leader said, Alright, I believe we can have a proper conversation now. The robot leader waved a hand, and the rest of the robots stopped attacking and backed away from Cillin. Cillin withdrew his blade and stood still just like before. The difference between then and now was that the floor was littered with robot corpses. Its pointless for you to hold them captive. They dont know about the sea blue gold formulas, and the empire and the RAS wont tell you anything, Cillin said. The robot leader knew that Cillin was referring to the two kidnapped RAS scholars, but she didnt provide an answer immediately. Instead, she said, Youve been here for around two weeks, havent you? You must have witnessed the war on this planet and learned about the humans individual combat strength and military equipment. Cillin stared at her wordlessly. He didnt know what the robot leader was trying to say. The robot leader continued, Compared to the RAS, you can easily say that the weapons on this planet are several leagues behind times. That minor noble kept all the power to himself and refused to share it with any external forces, even if it meant that the citizens of this planet had to live with a constant warfare. Of course, the citizens have no complains because of long term brainwashing and having no idea how far the outside technology has progressed compared to their own. War has made them numb and unreceptive after all. However, that will change starting today. The robot leader opened her palm as a hologram that was five meters long and three meters wide abruptly winked into existence. It was a display of the war that was happening inside the city right now. The three armies was currently fighting against the robots, and brilliant-looking laser and particle beams filled the entire screen. Even the locals who had evacuated from the war zone could see them from a distance. The robot leader then opened her other palm and displayed a battle scene between the locals and the sea beasts. Cillin himself had watched them while he was going through the network. There was a clear gap between the two wars. A villager who was isolated from the outside world wont realize just how poor and backward they truly are, but when the outside world broke the villages peace in the name of defending the weak and supporting progress, realization and the sense of inferiority will hit them like a hammer. Maybe now the citizens whore hiding at the distance will think: will the sea beasts still be a threat if we have this level of equipment? You sure talk a lot of nonsense. Cillin said. He didnt voice any reflections after listening to the robots speech. A human is a creature who will waver when their sentimentality is triggered, and if they wavered once they can waver a second time. This meant that the robot was planning to move on to another subject, attempt to influence his emotions again and crack open his mental defenses step by step. The robot leader smiled helplessly when she saw his reaction. You really are more like a prototype. Prototype? Does that mean you are the descendant of a line? Cillin asked. The robot declared proudly, Yes, we are the descendant. We think like a human, but we function as a robot. The decapitated parts of the robots that Cillin had cut in half earlier started joining back together until not a blemish could be seen on their metallic surface. The robots that he had cut from head to toe remained immobile, however. Cillin raised his gun and opened fired at the head of a newly recovered robot. Bang! The shot caused the robots entire head to explode. Without its head, the robot reacted once mechanically before it stopped moving entirely. The robot leader thought that it was an act of provocation. I dont want to waste time with you. I dont sense a shred of sincerity in you at all. Cillin said slowly. Sincerity? The angry look on the robot leaders face instantly turned into a smile. Does that mean youre willing to turn in the sea blue gold formulas? Show me the two hostages. Cillin said. He was demanding, not asking. It was clear that Cillins current position was quite dominant. Acceptable. The robot leader stretched out an arm as the image on the hologram turned into two scholars sealed inside two translucent pods. It looked like they were unconscious. Cillin shook his head when he saw this. I dont trust your images, it is only too easy for you robots to tamper with an image. Im also certain thats why the three armies still cant locate me even now. You sure are a crafty one. I knew you wouldnt tell us the sea blue gold formulas so easily. The robot leader withdrew her arm while replying. How credibility do you think Black Viper has? Cillin countered. The robot leader stared at Cillin for five seconds straight. Finally, she smiled and said, Alright, Ill take you to them. Right after she said this, the beautiful robot turned into an eagle and took to the air. This time, Cillin activated his hoverboard and chased after the eagle. The eagle landed on a sand dune before letting out a cry. One third of the sand dunes started transforming into two robots that were guarding two translucent pods in a crouching position, and inside the pods were the two old scholars everyone was looking for. Although the hostages were still unconscious, Cillin could see and judge from their wrist pulse and venous pressure that it was just a normal coma. Their lives werent in danger. Now that youve seen them, its your turn to show me your sincerity. The eagle on the sand dune said. Suddenly, it turned and looked at a certain direction as the remaining two-thirds of the sand dune suddenly moved and transformed into all kinds of robots. The whole thing was made up of robots! Pistura was driving a single-person airship towards them. Goryeo and Fu Qingqing was following closely behind. The eagle didnt look angry or anxious at the arrival of Guan Fengs three disciples. On the contrary, it smiled at Cillin and said, Your senior brothers and sisters are here, boy. Say, what do you think will happen when my subordinates clash against the three of them? Chapter 256: The Long Lost Ring Resonates, Gen Liao Chapter 256: The Long Lost Ring Resonates, Gen Liao When the robot eagle said subordinates, it was referring to the robots that had just extricated themselves from the sand dunes. Cillin could sense that these robots were tougher than the ones he had been fighting until now. Even if their offensive power was still a mystery right now, their ability to disguise themselves as sand dunes spoke volumes about their superiority already. There was also another method to detect how good a robot was, one that Wheeze had told him itself. It told him that the better a robot, the clearer, more complete and ordered its machine language was. Of course, not anyone could employ this method, such as those who didnt understand machine language. The first robot lizard charged towards Pistura, the vanguard of the group. It had incredible movement speed, running so fast that only a trail of sand could be seen. The robot lizard had reached Pistura by the time he jumped down from the airship, but his senior brother didnt pull the trigger of his gun. Instead, he landed solidly on the ground, grabbed the robot lizard by its throat and crushed it in one go. Pistura tossed the headless robot lizard away before he stared at the robot eagle standing above a giant robot. After shooting a glance at the two scholars who were sealed inside translucent pods, he slowly walked towards them. Fu Qingqing and Goryeo trailed behind Pistura in a triangular formation. Pisturas was unaware of the robot eagles question, but his unconscious action was the best answer nonetheless. Cillin smiled. The result seems pretty clear to me. The robot eagles eyes turned serious before it let out a distorted cry. All the humanoids and the animalistic robots except the giant robots that were guarding the two pods that had emerged from the sand dunes moved to surround Cillin and his seniors. The robot eagle flapped its wings, and the battle began as if the war bugle was blown. These enemy robots had much tougher bodies than the ones they fought before, and they engaged with their transformation abilities more flexibly. They were even smart enough to transform into other animals behind smoke cover so that they could perform better against the humans. Cillin ignored the hostages inside the pods and fought alongside his senior brothers and sisters with his blade. There was a chance these humanoids and animalistic robots might come back to life if their heads werent completely crushed, so it was a waste of energy to strike at any body part that wasnt the head. Moreover, they had to ensure that every attack was one hit one kill because the enemies were too numerous. Failure to kill an enemy in one hit would result in greater stress, and as human beings their physical endurance was always going to be inferior to robots. Cillin swung his blade again and again, but didnt use his gun. He was able to identify the best possible angle of attack in an incredibly short amount of time, and take off the enemys head with just the right amount of strength every time he swung. Cillin could sense the robots ability to learn and adapt very clearly. They werent just fast and skillful, they could even use combat techniques the humans employed against them just a moment ago. Their computation abilities were also incredibly scary. Goryeo and the others had fired their guns since a while ago. At the beginning, their hit rate was 100%, but that number slowly diminished over time. Some of the robots were starting to learn how to avoid bullets or use parts of their shields to cancel out some knockback. The longer the fight went on, the more it ground into a stalemate. Guan Feng didnt allow his disciples to go below 99.9% hit rate in training. But right now, all their hit rates had gone below that value. These robots were capable of analysing bullet trajectory and discovering the best way to block or dodge the attack. The could calculate the bullets final destination the second the human pulled the trigger. Although Pistura, Goryeo and Fu Qingqing were aware of this problem, they had no way of dealing with it effectively. The fastest bullet PTS E could fire was a half-bullet, and this type of bullet didnt contain explosive charges. But if they tried to use an explosive round, the slight difference in weight and speed was all the robots needed to dodge out of the way. As Cillins senior brothers and sisters started to struggle more and more, three robot lizards and two robot snakes made a charge towards them. Goryeo opened fire at them, but only one robot lizard was struck in the head and disabled. Goryeo kept running and gunning the enemies down one by one. Although he ultimately managed to take out the two robot snakes and robot lizards, new animalistic robots had joined the fray while he was occupied. Goryeos experience was ultimately lacking compared to Pistura or Fu Qingqing. At the very least, his mental fortitude was weaker than theirs in a desperate situation like this one. He was able to dodge out of the way of a robot snakes venom spit and a robot lizards laser shot by a hairs breadth, but he had nothing left to defend himself against the curved blade of a robot scorpions tail coming his way. Bang! The robots scorpions head exploded, and its tail slowed by a fraction. Thanks to the assist fire, Goryeo was able to dodge the attack safely. Bang bang bang! The animalistic robots surrounding Goryeo behind that robot scorpion were also headshotted one after another. Thanks! Goryeo seized the opening to thank Cillin for his help. Cillin fired his gun again and again, popping heads with every shot without stopping even once. Cillins intervention caused the humanoids and animalistic robots to switch their attention to him, but that also meant that Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeo were free to shoot at them without worry. The robots were good enough to dodge one shooters bullets, but not three shooters at once at least, not in such a short period of time. The robot army numbered almost a hundred at the beginning. Now, their numbers had diminished to less than thirty, and they were still decreasing. The robot eagle glanced towards the far distance. The army was steadily making way towards them, meaning that it had to make a choice now or never. Since it didnt look like these people were going to give it the formulas, the robot eagle flapped its wings and sent a command. The two giant robots gripped the translucent pods. Your answer is duly noted. Say The robot eagle was going to enjoy the humans faces after it crushed the two old scholars into meat paste right before their eyes, but before it could finish, two cutting noises suddenly came from below. When it looked down at the robots, it noticed that the giant robots were missing their arms. Electric occasionally sparked from their elbows. Wheeze dashed towards Cillin and sent a couple of animalistic robots flying because they happened to be in its way. Finally, it landed on Cillins shoulder and licked its paws calmly. Not even Pistura, Fu Qingqing and Goryeo managed to see what happened clearly. Pisturas secret order was to keep the formulas a secret and capture the culprit dead or alive, even if he had to sacrifice the two scholars lives. It was why he was mentally prepared to be greeted by the sight of gory death. He didnt expect to find the giant robots missing their arms when he turned around to look, however. Goryeo and Fu Qingqings reactions were about the same as Pisturas. They all looked a little absent minded. There were only seven to eight animalistic robots left now. Cillin seized the opportunity to kill all of them with his gun. The robot eagles gaze was completely fixed on the gray cat that was licking its paws on top of Cillins shoulder. It had no idea how the cat had suddenly entered its range without warning at all. Technically speaking, it should be able to detect any biological lifeform that had entered its range, but somehow that cat had managed to defy this logic. Even better, the robots arms and the translucent pods had suddenly vanished into thin air, an occurrence that it wasnt able to puzzle out even now. Is it another robot? No, my spectral analysis identifies it as different from us descendants. But why do I feel like Im missing something? Bang! The robot eagle came back to itself when Cillins bullet struck its protective shield. It had to acknowledge the threat Cillins gun represented: if the shield wasnt there, it wouldve been blasted into a pile of metal scraps already. The feather beneath the robot eagles wings turned into propellers as the eagle then took off to the sky. The two giant robots also transformed into fighters slowly before attempting to fly away. Boom! Boom! Two particle beams struck the giant robots and brought them down, the sheer impact of their fall causing a small sandstorm. The eagle managed to dodge a particle beam that was meant for him, but not the five consecutive bullets Cillin fired from his hoverboard. None of them were a direct hit because the protective shield was in the way, but the vibration of the impact slowed the robot eagle just enough for Pistura to fire an electric net at it. The net slowly ate away at the protective shield. The robot eagle let out a shrill cry, and both Cillin and Pistura immediately moved away from it. As expected, the robot eagle self destructed and exploded into a ball of fire, the shockwave pushing Cillin far, far away from ground zero. Lucky for him, he had a tough physique. A different person mightve walked away with some deep bruises and broken bones at least. Cillin turned around to check if Pistura was okay, but as it turned out his concern was entirely unnecessary. Would you look at those defensive equipment. When Cillin landed his how wobbly hoverboard on the ground, Pistura walked up to him and advised, You should probably use something else in the future. Its not safe. To Pistura, hoverboards were only good for kids and cool poses. He advised Cillin against using one in the future because their terrible lack of stability made them a dissatisfactory mode of transport at best on a battlefield. Cillin nodded and agreed verbally, but he had a different thought in his mind. He was more used to flying hoverboards, and the hoverboard he was riding was modified by him. It might look like a normal flying toy suited for entertainment purposes only, but Cillin still preferred it over other tools because it was convenient, and it provided a great degree of freedom. Pui! Suddenly, the gray cat spat out something. The items it spat out suddenly grew in size rapidly until they were restored to their original state. To Pistura and the others, the translucent pods and the arms holding them had appeared suddenly after a gray blur. They were also covered in bits of undigested sea beast flesh. The sight was so disgusting that Goryeo and Fu Qingqing had contorted expressions on their faces. Pistura managed to maintain a serious look on his face, but even he couldnt stop his eyes from twitching a little at the sight. So disgusting The two old scholars trapped inside the translucent pods were still unconscious. Pistura opened the pods and checked their condition for a bit. Theyre not in danger. They should be fine after an injection when we we get back. Pistura said. Then, he started examining his surroundings. As he stared at the buzzing, dead robots lying all over the sand, Pisturas felt like returning to Guan Feng and apply for the rights to use a PTS K. Every time he saw a PTS K at work, he couldnt help but recall how slow a PTS E was. This fight especially made him realize that the weapon he wielded could no longer keep up with the pace of his enemies, not to mention that Guan Feng was already starting to develop PTS S. It would suck still to be stuck with a PTS E when PTS S finally came into existence. It didnt take long for Gen Xingchen to show up. In fact, he was the one who ordered the firing of the particle beam shots. The young prince let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Cillin was safe and sound. The two old scholars wellbeing was of no particular concern to him. Suddenly, Pisturas communicator came to life. The fact that his communicator was working meant that communications had almost been fully restored. Weve been played, captain! Both Fu Qingqing and Goryeo were receiving the same news when Pistura accepted the call. They were all being told that Stappens side had been attacked. Cillin was without a doubt the crux of this entire incident, but a lot of people had forgotten that Stappen was a key person himself. Although he was staying under the same roof as RAS personnel, and he was protected by both the Imperial Army and Royal Army, something still happened to the scientist in the end. They might be the enemy, but their prowess had to be commended all the same. By the time someone realized that the RAS scholars, academicians and Stappen in the neighboring room had been attacked by Black Viper, they were all in a coma. It was soon discovered that they were hypnotized and forced to reveal many secrets. Strictly speaking none of the secrets they divulged were of paramount importance, but it wasnt an incident they could ignore all the same. Cillin could understand why the robots had targeted Stappen.He might not be the only one here who knew about the latest sea blue gold formulas, but Stappen was the first discoverer. If they couldnt get what they wanted from Cillin, then Stappen was an acceptable alternative. Cillin believed that Black Viper was smart enough to figure out several new sea blue gold formulas on their own based on Stappens research methods. It was a coin flip whether they would figure out that the best sea blue gold formulas came from the sea kings eggs, but one thing was certain, the RAS was going to be very busy after todays incident. They couldnt allow Black Viper to exceed them in terms of sea blue gold research, or it would be embarrassing to say the least. Meanwhile, a robot that looked very similar to the robot eagle Cillin had fought earlier decloaked itself not far away from a military starship garrisoned outside the planet. Then, a spaceplane revealed itself as well. The robot eagle flew into the spaceplane before the military starship could mount a response, and the spaceplane escaped at top speed after reactivating its invisibility cloak. A room was assigned to Cillin after after the officials ran him through a couple of standard questions. Of course, he was now in a different building the building he stayed in had turned into a pile of debris after the military and the robots had fought a battle there. The return trip to the capital was pushed back two days, so Cillin was currently lying on his bed and resting right now. Fighting the robots was an exceedingly exhausting task for the mind because he had to predict and counter-predict their movements, so heavy fatigue quickly settled in his mind after he relaxed, just like he had expected it would. Wheeze opened its mouth and spat out an egg after it circled around the room once. It was the sea beast egg that it used as a toy back when they were locked inside a room. Originally, Wheeze had spat it out as part of Cillins plan, but after the battle began it re-swallowed the egg because it seemed such a waste to leave it behind. If it was digested then so be it, was what Wheeze thought at the time. To its surprise though, the egg remained intact although it was a lot smoother because the attachments on its shell had all been digested. It really is quite hard to digest! Wheeze pushed the egg once with its paws, and the smooth egg rolled again and again on the floor. After playing with the egg for a little while, Wheeze jumped back up to Cillins shoulder and closed its eyes as if it was falling asleep. In reality, it was communicating with Cillin through an invisible method that none of their observers were able to detect at all. When the robots first appeared, Cillin had been struck by a sense of familiarity. Most of these robots especially the leader had displayed the ability to think independently for themselves. Despite sporting a metallic body, their psyche was very close to that of a humans. They had expressions and emotions, they knew anger. Their emotions were so rich that it reminded Cillin of Sigma, who was currently on the other side of the galaxy. His guesses were quickly confirmed by Wheeze. A machines type could be distinguished from its machine language. Using the humans evolutionary tree as an example, the enemy humanoids and animalistic robots were descendants of the same root even though they technically belonged to different branches. Their roots also happened to be the exact same as Sigmas. This meant that Sigmas master was definitely a denizen of this galaxy. Of course, Sigmas master was long gone already, but his legacy had apparently survived to this day. Could the descendant of Sigmas master really be working for Black Viper right now? At first, Cillin wasnt able to find anything regarding Sigmas master, not even after he went through some historical records. At one point, Cillin even thought that he wasnt in Sigmas galaxy. Now though, there couldnt be any mistake. Also, the robot eagles final cry was actually an inquiry to verify if the operation at Stappens was going smoothly. It self-destructed only after it had obtained a confirmation reply. Cillin, do we really have to fight Sigmas master? Wheeze asked. Frankly speaking, it couldnt feel a shred of goodwill towards those humanoids and animalistic robots at all. Its feelings were the complete opposite from when it first encountered Sigma. Sigma made Wheeze want to get acquainted with it, but these robots just disgusted it a lot. Im not sure. But well definitely learn about the truth in the future. Cillin said. Wheeze let out a long sigh. If they really turned out to be hostile forces, what happens if it couldnt stop itself from killing the Sigmas masters descendant? Cillin petted the gray cat comfortingly. Enough, theres no need to think too much. We dont even know the full truth right now, so theres no point troubling ourselves over it. The next two days went by peacefully, and Cillin didnt have much to worry about. Right now, the RAS were the busiest people of them all. Black Vipers attack was a real wake up call that prompted them to treat the research of new materials and information technology as their top priority. If they couldnt achieve a breakthrough, those robots could slip right under their noses again the next time they appeared. The senior level of the RAS, the scholars who thought themselves to be the magnates of the academic circle, held an emergency meeting after this incident. However, Cillin didnt or care to know what exactly what discussed during the meeting because he was flying back to the capital while accompanied by three armies. Three armies, because the Gen Family counted as an army themselves besides the Royal Army and Imperial Army. A lot of people started wondering why the Gen Family followed Cillin every step of the way. Guan Feng didnt contact Cillin, and it was strange thing because it wasnt like him at all. In fact, Cillin himself wasnt able to get in touch with Guan Feng. When Cillin reached AF1, he finally learned the reason he failed to contact Guan Feng. There were certain things Gen Xingchen and his subordinates couldnt do while they were at AF1, so the young prince only brought a few men with him into the school. The rest of his subordinates stood by at their designated spots. The first thing Cillin did after returning to AF1 was to seek out Guan Feng as a matter of course. However, he suddenly sensed an oppressive coldness before he even entered Guan Fengs house. Cillin shot a glance at Gen Xingchen. The young prince was looking down at his feet and feigning ignorance. In the end, Cillin pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard, and then his ring started vibrating around his thumb. It was a numbing pain that felt like electrocution, but at the same time he didnt sense any danger from it. On the contrary, it almost felt like the ring was getting impatient about something. This was the first time the ring ever reacted like this ever since it came into his possession. There was a loud bang, and Guan Fengs electronic house door was kicked open from the inside. In fact, the entire slab of wood was ripped off its hinges and sent flying through the air. THIS IS MY HOUSE, GEN LIAO! HOW DARE YOU KICK MY DOOR IN MY PLACE! Guan Fengs roar erupted from inside the house. When there were outsiders, Guan Feng was a smiling gentlemen. His roar though just shattered that impression into many tiny pieces. An old man with white hair stepped out of the entrance. His back was straight, and he showed no signs of aging whatsoever. The first impression he gave Cillin that he was like a second Genya. However, his presence a kind of hidden sharpness that was honed by many years was far more dominant compared to his masters. Genyas presence was very gentle; so gentle that it felt like a sunny breeze. A similar appearance, a different presence. Gen Liao was drinking tea and trading barbs with Guan Feng in the living room when his finger suddenly shook with activity. Just how many years had in been since he last felt this? When they were younger, their father had shown them three rings. The sensation had happened when they put on the rings, and the rings turned into a leaf pattern around their fingers. There was a time Gen Liao thought that he would never feel this sensation again. After their elder sister had passed away, he would often stare at the leafy ring around his finger and blank out, engulfed in waves of sorrow like never before. At the time, he had already retired from the throne. Every time the wheels of time spun, it was like its gear had left a mark in his heart, a mark that he could recall as clear as yesterday. It was time, and it was memories he could never forget. Gen Liao had felt like crying when the ring finally vibrated once more. However, the person who triggered the reaction didnt look like the man in his memories at all. Gen Liao had investigated Cillins blood and genes before the meeting, but the contradiction hurt him deeply all the same. Is he gone? Hes gone, isnt he... Its been so many years. Even the ring has a new owner. Gen Liao strode towards Cillin while trying his best to suppress his uneven breathing. After shooting a glance at the leaf pattern around Cillins thumb, Gen Liao grabbed his shoulder and dragged him towards the direction of the house. Gen Xingchen and the others were going to follow them, until a GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! sent them scurrying back to their original spots. Guan Feng watched as Gen Liao dragged his student into a room and slammed the door close. Swearing under his breath, the teacher walked over to Gen Xingchen and began demanding compensation for house damages and mental anguish. Cillin didnt retaliate when Gen Liao hauled him physically into a room. He thought to himself: hes so different from Genya, Genya would never drag a person like this. When Gen Liao looked at his surroundings, he abruptly realized that he had dragged Cillin into Guan Fengs spare kitchen. Finding his antagonists kitchen utensils an eyesore, he crushed them into one giant ball, opened the window and threw them right out. Once he was done cleaning up the room, Gen Liao activated a force shield and made the space they were in invisible and unhearable. You you you The old man was so excited he couldnt form a coherent word except you. Finally, he gave Cillins collar a pull and said, You speak! Cillin: ... Come on, elder, what on earth do you want me to say? I know nothing about the Gen Family! Cillin chose his words carefully before starting, Cough, my master left me this ring after he passed away. Is your masters name Genya? Gen Liaos voice was shaking and raspy when he asked this. He looked very depressed. Cillin nodded in response. Although he was mentally prepared for the bad news from the beginning, Gen Liao still couldnt stop the heat from surging into his eyes. It took a couple of deep breaths before he finally managed to force his tears back into his tear ducts. Did did he leave anything behind? Yeah. It was his wish to return to his roots. Cillin waved his hand, and a wooden coffin abruptly winked into existence. Although the coffin was sealed as tight as it was many years ago, Gen Liao could still sense that the person lying inside the coffin was Genya. He could sense that the man lying inside the coffin made of Fuji Tree wood shared his own blood Hmm? Suddenly, Gen Liaos face contorted the moment he touched the coffin. Then, he stuffed the coffin into his subspace container, grabbed Cillins collar again, kicked open the door and ran out. Distracted by the commotion, the group negotiating compensation at the courtyard turned around to look and found Gen Liao hopping into Gen Xingchens flying car and driving away like the wind. They stared dazedly at the back of the rapidly vanishing car. Chapter 257: Genya Chapter 257: Genya Cillin knew that the old man was very excited because he hadnt let go off his collar even after they had entered Gen Xingmings flying car. Moreover, he was clearly anxious about something the way his legs trembled like he had hypocalcemia and dealt with the pursuers behind them very impatiently. In the affiliated schools, under certain special circumstances, the school patrols were allowed to exceed the speed limit. No one else, no matter who they were was permitted to do the same thing. However, not only had Gen Liao pushed the speedometer to the max, he even took a few shortcuts to shorten the distance between two points as much as possible. He also completely ignored the warning blares of the patrols and robot enforcers behind them. Maybe it was because the school patrols and robot enforcers were being too noisy and irritating, but Gen Liao called a few members of the schools higher management directly and spoke in a very, very impolite tone. He obviously didnt care for their replies because he had cut off the call the moment he was done talking, leaving the people on the other side of the communicator green with fury. Half a minute later, the school patrols and robot enforcers were recalled. It was why it caused all those who saw the flying car some confusion. They thought: where are the pursuers? There were plenty of people who tried to car race inside the affiliated schools before, and the offenders were always dragged away by the school patrols and robot enforcers and punished without exception. This car in particular hadnt just broken every rule, it wasnt even flying in accordance to the designated flyway! The arrogance! Some students dutifully recorded the flying car and sent a footage to the closest surveillance console, but the personnel sitting in front of the monitors feigned muteness the second they noticed that it was that car. By the time Gen Liao drove all the way to the airport, a big spaceplane with the Gen Familys insignia on it was already waiting for them. The spaceplane departed the planet not long after Gen Liao drove the car inside. Even after the two of them had exited the flying car and entered a private lounge, Gen Liao still hadnt let go of Cillins collar. It was almost as if he was afraid that Cillin would run away the second he let go. He didnt say anything or explain himself, but it was clear to everyone that the man was surrounded by a terrible aura that bespoke massive urgency and irritation. Naturally, no one was stupid enough to engage him and be yelled at. The spaceplane was headed straight towards the Gen Familys territory in the imperial capital. The royal familys, or more specifically the Fuji Kings official residence could be found on a planet there. All the people staying on that planet were VVIPs such as Gen Liao, Gen Xingchen, Gen Xingming and so on. The planet was also called Planet Fuji*. If someone were to view the planet from space, they would find patches of green that looked like the green of forests or lakes. It was a planet filled with life and vitality. *Generally speaking, Fu means Happiness and Ji means Luck The spaceplane landed directly at a corner inside the palace. Still holding Cillin by the collar, Gen Liao impatiently ran towards a certain courtyard. This courtyard was Gen Liaos permanent residence after he relinquished the throne to his successor. It wasnt far from the Fuji Kings residence, and it was the most heavily guarded place in the entire planet. The guards were intrigued by Cillins identity when they saw Gen Liao dragging the young man straight towards the courtyard, but they wisely kept their thoughts in their heads, maintained a serious outlook and looked steadily towards the front. There was an incredibly thick tree in Gen Liaos courtyard, a tree that Cillin was very familiar with since young. It was the Elder Tree Fuji. It looked just like the tree in Genyas courtyard, except that this tree had a much thicker trunk and a lot more leaves. It was superior to Genyas tree in every way. Gen Liao shooed away the servants so that they would be alone. The guards protecting the courtyard outside were all his trusted aides. Finally, the hand that gripped Cillins collar all this time had loosened. Cillin rubbed his neck once, knowing that there was a line around his neck even without looking. The old man was old, but he had a surprisingly strong pair of hands. It was almost like he was dragging a chick, not a man. Gen Liao pressed a switch on a wall to reveal a green pond. Then, he took out the coffin and put it carefully into the water. The moment the coffin came into contact with the water, a huge amount of bubbles suddenly appeared from the gaps between the wood. At the same time, the lid of the coffin suddenly came loose. Cillin stared at the pond unblinkingly as a rare ripple of emotion coursed through his heart. He seemed to have an inkling what was going to happen next. Meanwhile, Wheezes head slowly poked out from Cillins shoulder. Wheeze had no idea how to handle the old mans excited reactions at the time, so it simply clung onto Cillin and allowed itself to be brought all the way to this courtyard. Since the old man hadnt tried to shoo or throw it out, and the guards hadnt shown any reaction whatsoever, Wheeze successfully made it into the courtyard in one piece. Naturally, Wheeze was aware of Cillins heightened heart rate. It was why it was curious about the old mans actions in the first place. There was a person lying inside the coffin it knew about this since a long time ago but what on earth was he planning to do? Was he going to perform an autopsy or something? Pata The lid off the coffin finally came off entirely and floated to the surface. It was pushed to the side by the turbulent pond water, revealing the man lying inside the coffin. Genya looked just the same as the day he put him into the coffin was before, peaceful and serene. This time though, there was a notable difference. This time, Cillin could clearly sense the life in him. No wonder he told me to bury him like that. No wonder Gen Liao tremblingly jumped into the pond and pulled out a syringe. Then, he injected the content of the syringe into Genyas body. His life force grew stronger, and his heartbeat turned from unnoticeable to powerful. Genya never died. His metabolism just came to a near complete stop, giving off the false impression that he was dead. The Fuji trees plant hormones had reanimated his suspended metabolism, and with enough care and nutrition, it was only a matter of time Genya before recovers. Gen Liao threw the syringe away and let out a coarse haha sound. It sounded like both like a laugh and a cry. Since Gen Liao had his back to Cillin, he wasnt able to see the old mans expression right now. However, he could sense his feelings keenly from his breathing rhythm. He was the same. Genya floated up to the surface, and Gen Liao carefully put his brother into the medical pod just next to the pond. The pod would automatically provide the patient with the most suitable nutrients and air in accordance to their condition and physiological needs. Cillin and Gen Liao stood next to the medical pod and waited in silence. The only sounds present in the courtyard were the pods beeps and Wheeze licking itself. An hour later, the indicator light turned from red to green, and Genya opened his eyes. The lid of the pod opened. Genyas eyes moved about before focusing at the two people standing in front of him. At first, he looked a little dazed and unfocused his eyesight was still a little unclear but gradually, his eyes got used to the light and regained its function. Cillin His voice was raspy in a way that betrayed his recovery from a long time illness just a moment ago, but it still sounded as gentle as it was many years ago. It was almost as if time had rewinded itself back to that courtyard of memories, where Genya sat on his wooden rocking chair under the Fuji tree, bathing under a scatter of light and mumbling slowly with every creak. Cillin, please grab me a bottle of wine, will you? Do make sure its a strong one Cillin, please massage my back for a bit, will you? Your master isnt as tough as he used to be, it gets painful if I lie around for too long Cillin, please Cillin felt like crying after hearing the voice he hadnt heard for such a long time. He raised his hands to cover his warming eyes, but he couldnt help but look through the gaps and stare at the man inside the pod. It is good to be alive. Wheeze blinked once as he glanced at the man inside the pod, then at the old man with a pissed off expression and blue veins popping out of his forehead. It sways its tail once and giggled on the inside. Guess whos forgotten? You are! Hehehe. Gen Liao was pretty angry right now. Did he not rush all the way back from the affiliated school just to revive this little bastard as quickly as possible? Hes just as heartless as the day he left without a word! Suffice to say, Gen Liao felt like running his head against a wall the second his brother spoke up. He was all set for Genya letting an emotional brother! cry, but no, it was the name Cillin that came out from his mouth first. In that moment, Gen Liao had felt like he had turned into a black-and-white sketch in the background*. *in mangas or animes, sometimes characters will turn into black-and-white sketches that makes them look like irrelevant or the third wheel of a scene, giving off the impression why the fuck are you even in this scene? GET OUT. I believe thats what the author is alluding to. Genya finally shifted his gaze and looked at Gen Liao after his older brothers face was starting to contort with fury. After staying quiet for half a minute, he finally said the word brother? tentatively. When Genya left the planet, he was just a young man at the prime of his life. He hadnt expected to meet his brother again only after they had both gotten old. However, blood ties is a truly miraculous thing. Although their appearances had been distorted beyond recognition by age, Genya could still sense the familial bonds that tied the two of them together. Genya smiled before Gen Liao could form an answer. He was certain that the person standing before him was his own brother, the man who was chosen to succeed the throne, Gen Liao. It had been so many years. When he left, Gen Liao hadnt yet succeeded the throne. When he returned, Gen Liao was already a retired man. Although Cillin wanted very much to speak with Genya, he was conscious enough to rein in his desires and leave the two brothers alone for the moment. He should probably stay out of earshot while the two men talk about those old secrets that werent meant for his ears. Cillin, Ill come look for you later. Genya told Cillin. Okay. Cillin grabbed the gray cat and went out the door. The guards standing at the entrance shot him a glance and was just about to ask him something when Gen Liaos voice came from inside: Take him to a room where he can rest! An old servant walked over with a smile comparable to that of a blooming chrysanthemum* and took him and Wheeze to a room. *do you know that in Chinese this word is a slang for anus? :P Its a derogatory term that implies that some people are willing to go so far to please you that theyre willing to let you plow them from behind I didnt know your master is a member of the Gen Family, Cillin! The royal family, and the younger brother of the former Fuji King! Hehe, we dont have to worry about cash from here on! Cillin: ... Gen Liaos senior servant treated Cillin like his own grandson. Despite his age, he had worked with Gen Liao for a very long time. In fact, his status in the family was so special that the branch families of the Gen Family had to use honorifics when speaking with him. Not even Gen Xingming dared to order him around as he pleased, which was why his dedicated treatment to Cillin was an incredible rarity. When the next day arrived, Cillin finally got to meet Genya once more. Genya brought up the topic of the ring and told him that only those who were very respected members of the Gen Family were allowed to wear it, or that was how it used to be in the past. Since Genya had already made up his mind to pass down the ring to Cillin, Gen Liao didnt object against his wish. If Cillin hadnt existed, this reunion would never have happened. Gen Liao definitely felt grateful towards him. Genya had drifted in the outside world for a very long time. He had never gotten married, and he had never had a child of his own. Although they had the technology to artificially create an offspring, it still wasnt a process that could be completed immediately. The fact that Genya had passed on his ring, an important symbol of the Gen Family to Cillin and not his offspring meant that Cillins special identity had been officially recognized. This meant that Cillin was now even more special in the family than Gen Liaos senior servant. Although he didnt have the right to succeed the throne, his treatment was equal to that of a prince of the Gen Family like Gen Xingming, if not better. It was because he was backed by two senior elders of the Gen Family. Genya used to have a large courtyard house to himself. Unfortunately, the incident occurred not long after. It was why he felt rather emotional when he set foot inside his house many dozens of years later. From this day onwards, both Genya and Cillin would be living in this courtyard house. When Genya passed away, Cillin would succeed everything in the house and more than half of Genyas personal belongings. He wouldve given Cillin everything if some of these properties werent tied too closely with the Gen Family, so he left those to Gen Liao instead. After being stranded in a foreign world for so long, Genyas competitiveness had long since been worn down by time. He was satisfied with just being able to return to his roots before he passed away. There was also a thousand-year old Fuji tree in the courtyard. Its canopy spanned half the courtyard, and it was like an enlarged version of the tree in his memories. Genya once told him that the Fuji trees had an intelligence of their own. It was a like a cross species between animals and plants. The Fuji tree wasnt as animate as the shifting plants Cillin saw back in the other galaxy. Once it had chosen a spot to settle its roots, it would probably stay there until the end of its life, hundreds or thousands of years later. For whatever reason, the Fuji trees liveliness seemed to be intricately tied to the Gen Family bloodline. Someone could try to transplant the Fuji tree somewhere else and provide them with the best possible living conditions, but they would never grow as well as the the Gen Familys. There were a lot of thousand-year-old Fuji trees on this planet. They looked very lush and vibrant, and they looked unblemished despite the test of time. However, they had undoubtedly lived for hundreds and thousands of years. They had witnessed the Gen Familys thousands of years of development, the birth and death of every generation, the fall of the old and the rise of the new, and many, many more changing times. Cillin supported Genya and walked him to the Fuji tree. Its enormous tree trunk and thick, winding roots was a testament to its longevity. Outside the courtyard, there were weaving roads, towering buildings, flying cars and soaring spaceplanes. It was a scenery that could make one lose track of the passage of time. Genya stared at the ancient tree of his memories; the gatherers of hundreds of years of time and space and stayed quiet for a very, very long time. Genya had just recovered from a long illness, so he went back to his room to rest after staying in the courtyard for a while, leaving Cillin to walk his cat in his lonesome. Wheeze was obviously very excited, jumping from one tree branch to another like it was a pine tree. Occasionally, it would shake itself to sleep on a tree branch or climb to the top of the canopy to revel in its own magnificence*. *you may substitute the above sentence with: canopy to mastrubate itself. for a more, er, fitting description. Cillin! Cillin! Wheeze ran over and climbed up Cillins shoulder in an instant. Are we a millionaire now?!! Of course Wheeze was aware that Genya had given Cillin a lot of belongings. We, it said. For whatever reason, Wheeze seemed to think of itself and Cillin as one entity since the beginning. If Cillin was rich, then Wheeze was rich too since Cillin always bought anything it wanted. Wheeze started picking its paws and wondered what it wanted to buy. Right now, the thing it desired the most werent fish biscuits or full fish course. Right now, it wanted a fish pond. Wheezes wish was fulfilled the next day. On the same night it had mentioned about it during dinner, and the next it jumped out of the window, stretched its back and discovered that a fish pond had appeared in the courtyard. It was Genya who had ordered the construction of the two hundred square meters wide fish pond. With the drill robots aid, the workers were able to finish it in a single night. Right now, the gray cat was walking circles around its fish pond, its territory while the fishes swam leisurely at the center. Wheeze thought to itself for a moment before going away. It rolled the egg it hadnt eaten all this time all the way to the edge of the pond, raised a paw, and pushed it straight into the pond. Youre trying to hatch this egg, arent you? Are you sure it can hatch inside the water? Gen Xingming asked. The young man was standing not far away from the pond. After learning that Cillin had become a member of the Gen Family, Gen Xingming resolutely skipped school in the name of visiting his elders. Really? Wheeze flicked its ears in response. In the end, it reluctantly jumped into the pond and threw the egg back up like it was just a ball. The way the gray cat was handling it, Gen Xingming wondered if the egg would fall apart one day. Oh right, I heard that your teacher is pretty angry. Gen Xingming turned to face Cillin. Many people knew that Guan Feng had a pretty bad temper. Although he looked pretty amiable in the norm, he was the kind of person who found it difficult to calm down once he was piqued. It was why a lot of people were wondering how Guan Feng was going to punish Cillin. Obviously, it was an open secret Guan Feng and the Gen Family were at odds with each other. It was why no one from the Gen Family had ever been a student of Guan Feng, until Cillin. Really, Guan Feng had students in pretty much every distinguishable power there was. The Gen Family used to be the sole exception to the rule, but now the rule was broken because of Cillin. As a result, there were countless people who were just waiting for the day he became a laughingstock. Cillin wasnt actually worried about this. Guan Feng was no fool; on the contrary, he was aware of their connection since a long time ago. The fact that he never told Cillin to cut ties with the Gen Family or something proved that Guan Feng didnt actually care as much as most people thought he was. Plus, he allowed Gen Liao to enter his house, hadnt he? This was also proof that Guan Feng and the Gen Familys relationship wasnt so bad that it was absolutely irreconcilable. Genya was walking slowly towards the courtyard. He smiled when he heard their conversation. Ah, Guan Feng. Its been so many years. He really shouldve let go already, but I guess hes still as stubborn and awkward as he used to many years ago. T/N: I cut the chapter title short because I dont want to spoil things immediately, but it actually says: Meeting Genya Once More Chapter 258: Sizer? That’s A Good Family Chapter 258: Sizer? Thats A Good Family Guan Feng, Genya and Gen Liao were all peers. When Guan Feng was still young, he was as famous as royal descendants such as the likes of Gen Liao. Gen Liao was the main reason Guan Feng came to dislike the Gen Family. In fact, they had loathed each other since young. In Guan Fengs eyes, Gen Liao was an uncouth human being who wore a noblemans hat but acted like a dumb bloke. In Gen Liaos eyes, Guan Feng was a priggish hypocrite that disgusted him. Both men were at the prime of their youth when they were studying in the affiliated schools, and every two or three days they would pick a fight with one another. Guan Feng never cared that Gen Liao was royalty, not to mention their backgrounds had much lesser hold in affiliated schools. This was a place where individual strength spoke the loudest. Gen Liaos physique was much better than Guan Fengs. However, Guan Feng had made his name since a very early time. He was famous for his studies and shooting skills in the entire school, and he was the one who proposed the PTS Project when most other nobles were busy chasing skirts and/or racing cars. Even the RAS had acknowledged that the PTS Project was a project with potential, turning him into a news headline for a time. Both the military and the RAS had also sent him their invitation ahead of time. Back then, Gen Liao was the one dumb bloke who dared to punch Guan Feng in the face despite his reputation, and Guan Feng had undoubtedly suffered quite a bit of punishment by his hands. However, the tables were turned when the first PTS finally came into existence. Since then, the two rivals started engaging each other in serious competition, scheming and slandering one another at every turn. At the beginning, there was Genya to act as mediator since he was the good guy who never offended either party. But after Genya went missing, their relationship worsened to the point where it looked like they would stay as enemies forever. There were a lot of noble descendants who bullied Guan Feng a non-noble as well, but unfortunately for them Guan Fengs talent was just too monstrous. Most of them ceased their attacks over time, and after Guan Feng was appointed as the royal princes shooting instructor even the backbiters had learned to shut their mouths. This was especially true after the prince Guan Feng taught had become the emperor all those dissatisfactions would just have to rot in their own stomachs. Of course, there were plenty of nobles who disliked Guan Feng, especially those few whom Guan Feng had put a gun to their head and yell in their faces. Why else would there be so many people fanning the flames every time something happened to him? However, no one was ever able to shake Guan Fengs status and influence in the empire. These days, Guan Feng was the shooting instructor of many princes of emperors and kings, and a renowned scholar in the RAS. Gen Liao, his long time rival was literally the only one who dared to denounce Guan Feng openly. It was how the entire Mist Bodhisattva Empire came to learn of their feud. However, it would seem that their relationship wasnt as bad as it seemed on the surface. Cillin could sense Genyas familiarity with the duo as he spoke about them. To tell you the truth, there is one other reason why Guan Feng is so disliked: his looks. Genya smiled. Guan Feng was extremely popular back then. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that a lot of noble ladies had fallen for him at first sight, so you probably understand why most of Guan Fengs enemies are made up of males. Even better, Guan Feng still looks as young as ever, while the rest of us are clearly aging. While Genya was talking, Gen Xingming was massaging his shoulders like a proper henchman, absorbing embarrassing stories about his grandfather with great intent. He nodded in agreement when Genya gave his assessment about Guan Feng. Guan Feng didnt just have a handsome face, his looks barely changed even though he was technically an old man already. Who wouldnt be jealous of him! Genya was sitting on a wooden chair beside the tree and talking about the past with a kind smile on his face. Everything Genya said was a precious memory to him, and he was very willing to share them with these juniors. The chair he sat on was made of the wood of a thousand-year old Fuji tree. Quality wise, it was a lot better than the rocking chair he used to sit on back at Planet Brown Earth. In Gen Liaos words, this chair could prolong ones life and delay aging, which was what Genyas body needed right now. A similar scene, two different locations. Meanwhile, Cillin was massaging Genyas legs. His master was old, and he had been comatose for an extremely long time. It would take a while before he could recover in full. Wheeze lazily rolled the egg next to Genyas rocking chair before sitting on top of it lazily. From time to time, it would swayed its tail, flicked its ears and listened to Genyas story and the fishes swimming inside the pond. Cillin had been staying in this courtyard for the past few days. During this period, Guan Feng showed up to meet with the old friend he hadnt seen for many years before leaving after approximately half a days time. He didnt tell Cillin to return to the school. Instead, he tossed a couple of reference books and textbooks into Cillins hands and told him to read them all before the upcoming basic exams arrived. As his student, Cillin wasnt allowed to flunk a course ever. Currently, Guan Feng was busy with the development of PTS S. Unlike other project researchers, Guan Feng had the habit of thinking on his lonesome when researching stuff. It meant that he had no time to spare for Cillin, and that his student had to rely on himself until the PTS S was officially created. If you do poorly in the exam dont expect me to beg Teacher Chen for your sake, get it? It is beneath me. Also, if you fail the exam you may commit suicide. Guan Fengs smile was exceptionally kind when he said this, so kind that Gen Xingming hid himself behind Genyas back. Thank goodness Im from AF3, or Ill be suffering just like Cillin. No distant relatives had come over to visit Genya. It wasnt that they didnt want to visit him apparently, Genyas one word could sway Gen Liaos mind, so that made him even more influential than the future king, Gen Xingchen. Who wouldnt want to hang onto such a thick* thigh? in fact, some of them had tried to obtain permission under the pretty pretense of visiting their elder, or performing their filial duty, upon hearing Genyas return. *or thicc, whatever your preference is. In Chinese, thick thigh or big thigh means that someones an influential person, the kind you want to cling onto or seek help from. But Gen Liao waved his hands once and said, Cut the crap! Everyone stopped trying after that. Genya was a hole in the Gen Familys social network. Many of his friends were long gone, and he would rather not to inject himself into his juniors social circles. It would be best if he stayed away from random guests since he was recuperating, not to mention that he preferred the silence anyway. That being said, he didnt want Cillin to stay by his side all the time. A youngster should look and act like a youngster. Cillin had always been excessively quiet and logical since young, and personally Genya wouldve preferred to see him act more like Gen Xingming. In the past Genya was weak and alone, so if Cillin had caused trouble he might not have been able to protect him. But he had returned to his home, and he was no longer powerless. That was why he wanted Cillin to get out, cause some trouble and enjoy a bit of fun like Gen Xingming. Today, Gen Xingming came over to hide in Genyas place again after causing some sort of trouble. Not long after, Bel and Ulaganuo showed up and talked about leaving and enjoying life elsewhere since the semester exams were over. All three of them barely made it past the safety line, but a pass was a pass. Who cares about marks as long as they passed, right? Anyway, they planned to get out of the capital and celebrate their success, which came with the side benefit of helping Gen Xingming escape his fathers punishment. After all, he couldnt hide in Genyas place forever. Forget his father, he would be pissing off his grandfather if he kept this up and be punished even harder. Genya told Cillin to follow them after learning of their plans. Cillin agreed since he had more or less gone through all the reading materials Guan Feng gave him already. This bit of workload was nothing for a person with good memory. As a show of support, Genya gave Cillin a large sum of money and told him to spend and play to his hearts content. He even gave Gen Xingming some pocket money too, causing both Bel and Ulaganuo to goggle at their friend. If only they had a relative like this! Grandpa two, you truly are my grandpa! Gen Xingming accepted the money and smiled so brightly that his eyes had narrowed into one straight line. Genya knocked Gen Xingming once in the head while smiling. You grandpa will split your butt if he learns about this. Gen Xingming winked back. We should keep this a secret from him then! While the group was discussing where they should hold their celebration, Kenancy, the girl known as King Kong who was also Bels sister, came over. Kenancy didnt act out of order during the visit, and she brought a few tonics for Genya too. She even brought over a bunch of fishes for Wheeze, although most of them were for ornamental purposes. After learning that there was a fish pond here, Kenancy worked hard to acquire a few rare species that looked extremely pleasing to the eye. They were the type of ornamental fishes many upper class nobles loved to keep around the house. Unfortunately, Kenancy made a small mistake: what would Wheeze need good-looking fish for? The important thing here was taste, not aesthetic. So it was heart wrenching for Kenancy when she put the fishes into the pond, only for Wheeze to swallowed one of these precious fishes immediately before showering her with a look of disdain. After that, the girl immediately contacted someone and told them to deliver over a couple types of fishes as soon as possible. Currently, Kenancy had nothing to do in school, especially since lecture courses were as ineligible as heavenly books to her. After learning that Bel and Ulaganuo had gone to Genyas place to meet with Gen Xingming, she immediately figured out that they were planning another escape. So she joined their ranks by force and refused to return home no matter what Bel said. In her opinion AF3 was dull as hell, and she couldnt always go to AF1 to play with King Kong and the other animals. In that case, she might as well follow them and relieve her boredom elsewhere. Im so going to get lectured if they hear about this! Bel was extremely reluctant to accept Kenancy because their mother had always blamed him for Kenancys maldevelopment when he was in fact, completely innocent. They wont. Ill send them a report later, Kenancy said indifferently. Bels lips curled downwards. What was the point of the report when he was was going to become a scapegoat either way? Ah! Right! Kenancy suddenly slapped her hands together in excitement as if she had just recalled something. Lets go to Naimis place. I want a custom-made flying car and I heard that his family just launched a new model. Im going to get one and try it out myself! Did Naimi run away too? Gen Xingming asked. Of course he did. He ran away the second semester exams are over without even waiting for the results to come out. I suspect that hes hiding something from us! Kenancy replied. Ulaganuo nodded in agreement. Youre right, he should be punished. How dare he keep all the good stuff to himself. Wheres the friendship? Gen Xingming knew that Cillin didnt know who Naimi was, so he gave him a brief introduction. Naimi was a member of the Sizer Family and about the same age as Gen Xingming. He also studied at AF3, but unlike the rest of them Naimi spent far, far more time being away from class than in class. The Sizer Family? Genya took a while to recall the name. You mean that family whos famous for making flying cars, right? Thats a good family. Heh, grandpa two, Ill tell them about your praise. Im sure theyll be so happy they could fly, Gen Xingming said. Boot licker! Kenancy muttered. Still better than those who cant even boot lick correctly. Gen Xingming was referring to her failed attempt to please Wheeze. Genya waved his hands before they could start arguing with each other. Alright alright, listen here. I have a task for you two. Genya turned to look at Cillin. Do join them and get a custom made flying car for yourself, will you? And dont forget to drive it occasionally after you bring it back here. No youngster should go without a flying car, not to mention that the Sizer Familys flying cars are pretty impressive. Although Genya made it sound like he was asking Bel and Kenancy to help Cillin with his order, their real function was to back Cillin up. Cillin wasnt a noble, and the Sizer Family was a pretty influential noble family. Genya was worried for Cillins sake because nobles were used to looking down on all non-nobles. They might be fops, but they werent stupid. Everyone here understood what Genya really meant. Dont worry, grandpa two! Cillin is my brother, and anyone who dares to bully him will suffer my wrath! Gen Xingming declared. Yeah, dont worry. Who would dare do such a thing while were around! Ulaganuo echoed his sentiment. Bel had an odd look on his face, however. Actually, you might be underestimating Cillin a little, uncle. We are be the ones wholl probably be borrowing Cillins face later. Eh? What do you mean? Genya asked curiously. And so Bel told him about his experience at the twenty third star region. Genya didnt recognize Fleka because the latter hadnt yet existed when he drifted into another galaxy. But after listening to Bels explanation, he figured out that Fleka was an incredibly important member in the Sizer Familys design team, if not the very backbone of their business. His words mattered a lot when an important decision was made. Genyas worries decreased significantly after he heard this. He was very happy that Cillin was able to make the acquaintance of such important people too. A persons influence wasnt just made up of their individual strength. The connections they made mattered a lot too. At first, Genya was worried that Cillin would suffer in this department because of taciturn his nature. However, his disciple turned out to be far more capable than he initially imagined. It was a revelation that gratified Genya a lot; a feeling that was akin to watching his own children growing into adulthood nicely. The abandoned baby in the forest had grown up to become a formidable person, and he was very happy and very proud of him. Good, thats good Genya vented his emotions for a bit before continuing, Cillin, the ring on your finger represents me. If there comes a time you need to use it, use it. The leaf was the symbol of the Gen Family, and the ring around Cillins thumb was in no way inferior to Gen Xingmings wristband. Genya wanted Cillin to know that he had the backing of the Gen Family and the Fuji royal family, and that he was in no way inferior to the nobles. The group of youth immediately departed once their mind had been made. But before they left, Cillin was troubled by a certain gray cat. Earlier, the person Kenancy contacted had sent over a school of fishes that was completely different from the ornamental fishes from earlier. These fishes were born tough, and practical to use. Many of these fishes had sharp teeth, and some even carried poison in their bodies, but they should all be very tasty once they were properly processed. Wheeze stared wide-eyed at the fishes swimming happily inside the pond while salivating non-stop. Now this is what you call a food supply! This is how you enjoy life! The gray cat couldnt wait to jump into the pond and engage all these fishes in close contact, but Cillin caught it by the scruff of its neck and had a chat with it. At first, Wheeze was planning to join Cillin and the gang on their fun, but its mind was changed the second it saw all these fishes. Now, all it wanted to do was to protect this fish pond and continue persuading Genya to fill it to the brim. Once that was done, it should invite its friends at AF1 for a gathering Cillin couldnt help but feel worried when he learned that Wheeze had changed its mind. He knew that it was cooking some schemes in its mind the second he read the frequency at which it was swaying its tail. Its fine, Cillin. I can use a companion anyway, Genya said. Cillin stopped objecting since Genya had given his word, but that didnt stop him from holding Wheeze by its ear and lecturing it on a whole bunch of stuff. Cillin knew its capabilities too well if the gray cat so wished, it could be a troublemaker on par with the Three Dissolute Musketeers over there, if not better. I got it I got it, do I look like one of those dumb felines to you? Wheeze promised. Yes you do! Cillin wisely thought the retort in his own mind instead of voicing it out loud. After everything was said and done, Cillin, Gen Xingming and everyone else left the capital for the Sizer Familys headquarters. Meanwhile, after circling the fish pond a couple of times and spending a moment in thought, Wheeze quietly skipped towards Genya and jumped onto his thighs. After snuggling itself into a comfortable position, Wheeze spoke up sweetly, Oh, master grandpa two. If Cillin was here he would be sweating goosebumps. Genya was resting on his rocking chair with his eyes shut. Upon hearing Wheezes call, he opened his eyes, met its expectant eyes with a smile and scratched it under the chin, Whats wrong? Lets eat fish everyday, master grandpa two. Why not. I want a full fish course, I want fish burgers, and I want Wheeze counted down on its paws the menus it had been saving in its mind as its eyes grew brighter and brighter. Genya was extremely amused by its reaction. Of course, of course. Ill tell them to prepare everything. Hehe. Oh right, we need to replenish the fish pond constantly, dont you agree? After all, itll be empty once everything is eaten. Observe how smoothly the word we came out of its mouth! No problem, Ill speak with them. Just tell me which type of fish you want, and Ill ask the men to bring them in. Wheezes smile was so wide it nearly touched the ear. It rubbed its head against Genyas hand and said, You truly are my grandpa! Genya: ... Genya was just about to say something when it suddenly caught a bit of movement from the corner of his eyes. At first he wasnt sure, but when it happened again he knew his eyes werent playing tricks on him. That egg moved. Hmm? Wheeze didnt react immediately because it was absorbed in its wonderful delusions. That egg. Genya pointed at the sea beast egg that had been neglected for a long time. It just moved on its own. Chapter 259: Meeting Fleka Again Chapter 259: Meeting Fleka Again The Sizer Familys headquarter was located in the ninth imperial star region. The Sizer Family had great influence throughout the entire empire, and although there were families who were even more reputable than the Sizer Family, they were the most influential family in the ninth star region. Ninety percent of all the news and information Cillin and the others picked up after they entered the ninth star region were related to the Sizer Family, and eighty percent of these news and information were all talking about the same thing, the Winds of Freedom. Winds of Freedom was a grand flying car racing competition organized and sponsored by Sizer Family. It was a pretty famous event not just in the ninth star region, but also the whole empire. It was rumored that many years ago, when flying cars werent as convenient as they were today, the ancestors of the Sizer Family were once trapped after a certain disaster had occurred. When both their food and supplies had run low, they decided to send out a group of people on flying cars to scavenge for resources. The first time they set out, only half of the group returned due to the terrible environment, so they had no choice to send more people into danger the second time around. But that didnt stop them from going out again, and again, and again in the end, the Sizer Family managed to survive thanks to these brave people risking their lives again and again to scavenge for resources. It was also why flying cars became an indispensable tool to the Sizer Family. Although the reliability of the story was suspect, it was undeniable that the Sizer Family was unusually obsessed with flying cars. A Sizer family member who didnt know how to drive a flying car didnt deserve to hang out with the family. A Sizer family member who couldnt drive a flying car for whatever reason would be laughed at and rejected by the entire family. Today, the Sizer Familys Whirlwind was a famed brand in the entire empire. It was a symbol of identity for the rich, famous or noble, and any race loving noble who didnt own a Whirlwind would be ridiculed by their peers. Even those who didnt have the ability to buy cars like this would dream of owning a Whirlwind. An ancestor of the Sizer Family once said that their wish was for the brand Whirlwind to pop into everyones minds every time a flying car was mentioned. Today, his wish had basically been fulfilled. The grand racing competition Winds of Freedom was also a critical factor in the promotion of Whirlwind. The point of the grand race was to prove that Whirlwind wasnt a fancy name without substance. It was an philosophy, a goal, and a symbol of technique. Winds of Freedom didnt have qualifier matches. Most of the racers who participated in this racing competition were in the global rankings, individual or otherwise. Not only would the Sizer Family bear the car modification costs for all racers, they would even supply certain parts for free. All racer uniforms and racing cars would bear the proud logo of Whirlwind. It showed just how influential Whirlwind really was. Both the money and the fame to be won from this competition were enticing. The Sizer Family even offered to buy flying car designs off the owners hands if they found one they fancied. Naturally, Gen Xingming and his buddies werent going to miss out on this grand car racing competition. They had watched last terms Winds of Freedom from start to end, and to this day they could still remember clearly the excitement they felt. The only grand flying car race Cillin had ever witnessed was the one Udoze had participated in. Obviously, the Winds of Freedom Gen Xingming mentioned was a lot bigger than that. Naimi cant have gone back home for the race, can he? Ulaganuo asked. Kenancy nodded. Its possible. Its his familys racing event, he has to go back and help, right? But isnt there still a bit of time before the event starts? Naimi ran home right after the semester exams had ended. Thats way too soon, hed have to wait a long time if all he planned to do was watch. Both Gen Xingming and Bel disagreed with Ulaganuo. They knew Naimi well, and they knew that he wouldnt be nearly as proactive if being called back to help the family was the only thing in his mind. On the contrary, he wouldve dilly dallied until a few days before the event so he could rush back just in time to watch the opening. So, why do you think Naimi had run off so early? I dont know! Well be meeting him soon enough, so lets just ask him then and get the answer. The groups spaceplane landed directly in the Sizer Familys headquarters territory. The chief butler of the Sizers main residence welcomed them warmly because one, they were all from the royal family and two, they were all familiar faces except Cillin. The chief butler was very curious to know about Cillins identity, but it wasnt a good place or time to voice his question. The fact that he had arrived with the princes and princesses while looking relatively at ease most likely meant that he had a big background. The chief butler ordered his men to inform Naimi while he received Gen Xingming and the others. It didnt take long Cillin hadnt even finished his cup of tea yet for the young man to show up. Naimi had messy hair, and he looked like he had just crawled out of his bed. The servants had given his clothes a quick ironing before he put them on, but the crinkles were still visible. Naimi himself looked very tired for some reason. Naimi had run out complaining. His expression also made it clear that his schoolmates arrival had brought him shock, but no joy. In fact, he looked like he had been constipated for several days straight. Naimi greeted everyone, and his eyes lingered around Cillin for a moment before he withdrew his gaze. Then, he slumped into his chair like had had no bones left in his body. Cillin could more or less guess how these people interacted with each other from the casualness behind Naimis greeting. Gen Xingming and the others didnt act bossy in front of Naimi either. Whats wrong, Naimi? Bel asked, I heard you ran back home the moment semester exams ended. Whats the hurry? Theres still some time before the racing competition begins. I dont want to hear it, Naimi waved a hand weakly and complained, Four years ago they forbad me from participating because I was too young and incapable of mastering a racing car. That was why I did everything I could to prepare for the race this year. Ive participated in several small racing competitions across several planets, and Im absolutely qualified to participate in this terms race! But! Those bastards rejected me unconditionally yet again! Gen Xingming looked unaffected by Naimis outburst through. It practically impossible for people like us to participate in a competition this scale. If it was me, my father wouldve sent someone to drag me home before I got into the car. You should be thankful they turned a blind eye on the other things. This race? Just forget it. King Fuji will be out of his mind to trust you unskillful lot! Kenancy mocked all of them without any reservation at all. Gen Xingming shot her a sideway glance. Sure, I have no skill, but arent you the same? Maybe the one who drives like theyre in a bumper car should shut up. Fuck you! That was an accident! Ai ai, Kenancy, you are a royal princess, arent you? Can you not be so foul mouthed all the time? Naimi said. What the fuck does this have to do with you! ... Meanwhile, Cillin was observing their surroundings as he smiled at the group arguing with each other. He had to admit that the Sizer Family decorated even their homes to look like flying cars. For example, the wall lamps looked like headlights, and the wall paintings all contained flying cars in them. Some abstract paintings were mixed within them, and all of the decorations in the house were related to flying cars one way or another. Hey Naimi, is your uncle around? Theres something we need him for. Gen Xingming stopped arguing with Kenancy before turning to look at Naimi. My uncle? Which uncle? Naimi failed to figure out the person he was referring to immediately. The Sizer Family was huge, and there were plenty of people who qualified as his uncles and aunties. How on earth was he going to pinpoint which one he was talking about? You know, that fatty, Fleka. Naimi immediately shot Gen Xingming a wary look when he heard this. What do you want him for? Dont say I didnt warn you, but Ive already reserved a flying car for myself. If youre planning to make him design something, youll have to wait until my order is done first. Also, there is this many people whore waiting for my uncle to design a flying car for them! Ulaganuo stared at the two fingers Naimi stretched out and ventured a guess. Twenty? Its two hundred people! Naimi said proudly while shaking his legs. His fat uncle was definitely popular, because who wouldnt want the famous Fleka to design a flying car for them? Fleka was a member of the Sizer Family, a.k.a his family, so his uncles glory was his glory too. Tsk, take a look at yourself! Why are you looking so smug when youre not even the one who designed those flying cars! Gen Xingming picked up a nut and threw it right at Naimi. Naimi caught the nut and crunched it loudly between his teeth, smug face never wavering. Seriously though, my uncle is completely booked. The Winds of Freedom is about to start, and my father specifically told me to turn down people like you. That being said, theres no way I can stop you guys, so if you really wish to design a flying car of your own you can visit him yourself. Im not going to help you on this one. Naimi had no intentions to offend the royal family or take a beating from his father, so he put himself in the clear immediately. Naimi, how busy is your uncle right now? Is he so busy he cant even afford to come over and meet us? Bel asked. You guys are princes and princesses, arent you? Of course hell come. Naimi answered with a straight face. Never mind then. If we really did summon him like this, well never get the ideal flying cars of our dreams. Ulaganuo knew Fleka a bit better than the others. What do you think, Cillin? Gen Xingming turned around to ask Cillin. Chapter 259: Meeting Fleka Again [Part 2] Naimi took a look at his friends before reexamining Cillin once more, finding it difficult to understand why the princes and princess were treating Cillin so well. It wasnt easy to impress the gang, and Cillin was obviously not member of royalty. He couldnt remember the last time his three friends had acted so courteously towards a non-royal. Cillin pondered for a moment before answering Gen Xingming, If he isnt free to come over, then well visit him directly. Sure, its not like we have anything else to do anyway. Itll be nice to check out the pre-race preparations of The Winds of Freedom! Bel strongly agreed with Cillin. The young man was rubbing his hands with glittering eyes planning god knows what. No one had an objection to offer, so a clap later they went straight to Flekas place. Fleka happened to be at home today. For the past couple of days, he had run himself ragged outside doing inspection work for The Winds of Freedom and so on, so he planned to enjoy a nice rest in his own home after everything was temporarily settled. He ordered his guards to turn down all visitors no matter who they were, because he had had just about enough of noble youngsters pretending to know the industry for appearances sake when they were actually completely idiots who knew nothing at all. Thankfully, he was now in his familys territory, and he had all the excuses and power in the world to keep those nuisances outside. Even the family had sent over a team to ensure that he gets his peace and quiet. It didnt matter what family they belonged to, who they were related to or how much they were willing to pay to get in: no one was to get in no matter what. Trying to bribe your way in? Feel free to check if the Sizer Family cares about your chump change! A lot of people were standing in front of the Fleka manors front gates while looking left and right. Most of these people were here to feel out Flekas status and report to their masters the moment they spotted him. The security detail standing guard outside the Sizer Family manor wanted very much to shoot these sneaky-looking bastards in the head, but of course that wasnt a viable option. Very gloomy and annoyed, they watched the unwelcomed personnel closely as if they would kill all trespassers without mercy. The day wasnt going to improve for them, however. When an all-too-familiar vehicle flew over and stopped right in front of the gates, the guards feelings immediately took a turn for the worse. This little ancestor had caused them quite a lot of trouble as of late. They didnt open the gates, but everyones backs started sweating as they got ready for the upcoming verbal battle against Naimi. Unexpectedly, Naimis car window opened to reveal a couple of new faces. When the guards standing in front of the gates got a good look of the passengers Naimi had brought with him, their misery immediately turned up a notch. How how do you stop a motherfucking party like this!? If Naimi was alone, they could keep him at bay. But the people sitting in his car were royal members from all three royal families! God knows what kind of malicious rumors would spread if they stopped them here! Naimi knew that he was putting the guards between a rock and a hard place, so he shot a glance at their miserable expressions and said, If anything happens, you can put the blame on me. Thats exactly what we want to hear! The guards quickly opened the gates and let Naimi in after they heard his promise. Curious about the flying car passengers identity, the people loitering outside the walls tried to look into the car. Unfortunately for them, the window had already been rolled back up. Fleka had just fallen asleep when his beloved nephew opened the door and shouted. Uncle! Uncle! Your smart and cute and handsome and infinitely charming nephew is here to see you, my beloved Uncle Fleka! Fleka felt like dumping his smart and cute and handsome and infinitely charming nephew into the toilet. You trying to wake a soul or something! Fleka covered his ears and rolled on his bed once. Unfortunately for him, Naimi was way too familiar with this place, and his servants hadnt tried to stop his nephew from barging in. His dream of having a nice rest died there and then. Wearing pyjamas, Fleka dazedly made his way to his bedroom door and opened it. He was immediately greeted by a couple of faces. Fleka blinked once, blinked twice, and then he shouted and jumped on his feet, causing the fat on his cheeks to ripple outward. Its you! Hello. We meet again, Cillin said. Fleka shoved Naimi, standing closest to the door out of the way and walked straight towards Cillin, ignoring the four princes and princesses standing beside the young man completely. He then gave Cillin a slap on the shoulder and squeezed his elbow once, grinning, Heh, I guess Im not dreaming after all! Meanwhile, Naimi was having trouble controlling his facial muscles. I thought Im your beloved nephew, uncle! How can you ignore your smart and cute and handsome and infinitely charming nephew like this! His uncles reaction made Naimi feel even more curious about Cillin, however. Although his uncle treated most people well, he wasnt the type to show his true feelings on his face. He could see that his uncle was truly overjoyed to meet Cillin though, so much so that he pushed even his beloved nephew away! Uncle, do you know each other? Naimi shot a glance at Fleka and Cillin before turning to look at his friends. Of course! Were old buds already! Hehe, its not easy for us to meet like this, Cillin! You and I have a lot to talk with each other. Speaking of which, there are a bunch of stuff that I need help with, and I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I am to see you here! Youve shown up just at the perfect time! Fleka grabbed Cillin and started running towards his workshop. Right now Naimi was gripped by a sense of horror for two reasons: One, he didnt have time to digest Flekas words. Two, Fleka was running towards his workshop while still dressed in his pyjamas. Normally, Fleka would put on his work clothes before he entered his workshop because it was dirty and it had some high radiation producing equipment, but the man had obviously forgotten these safety measures. Uncle, wait! Youre still in your pyjamas! Naimi ran forward to stop his uncle before it was too late. In the end, Fleka didnt put on his work clothes or enter his workshop. He wasnt alone, and his guests today came from the royal family. He had neither the reason nor the excuse to leave them behind. After settling Gen Xingming and everyone else, Fleka inquired about their reason to visit. I see Fleka paused for a second to gather his thoughts, I can custom make a flying car according to your preferences, sure, but I dont have the time to do that right now. You should know how busy I am from Naimi already, right? Everyone nodded to show their understanding. Your flying cars will have to wait until after The Winds of Freedom is over. In fact, itll have to sit a while until Im done with certain tasks. When a grand race is over, we are required to perform a statistical analysis of the car models based on their performances in the race. Then, well absorb all the car designs that are deemed valuable or with potential and use the data to upgrade or modify the existing car models Gen Xingming, Bel and the others couldnt say anything even though they were all impatient to get their flying cars. After all, Fleka was willing to give them his word. Had they been anyone else, Fleka would merely smile at them and delay their request until god knows when. They would just have to endure the delay and wait patiently. Speaking of which, Cillin, you dont need my help to design a flying car, right? Considering your abilities, you should be able to design a fantastic car yourself Say, do you want to cooperate with me? Chapter 260: I’d Like to Participate Chapter 260: Id Like to Participate Cillin had to admit that he was a little tempted by Flekas offer, but he was also aware that his car designing skill was actually incomparable to the latter. At best, hed be able to rectify and improve the assembly process, but improving a racing cars design? He knew better than to accept a task that was beyond his abilities. A car designer must have the right experience and considerable amount of familiarity with flying cars to design a good racing car. However, Cillin had never truly designed a racing car in his life. The things he made at Mo Hengs workshop were considered parts of a project at best, and he had never handled an entire project in his life. Moreover, he wasnt familiar with the car racing industry. He might have been told many things about The Winds of Freedom, and he himself had read up on the subject, but he still needed actual experience to design a racing car that would be better than the existing ones. Weather conditions, geography, driver habits etc., these were all criterions that needed to be factored into the equation. After Fleka showed him a couple of documents, Cillin was made even more aware of his current lack of qualification. The circuit of The Winds of Freedom involved terrains such as rain forests, explosive swamplands, howling snowfields, gigantic deserts, meandering mountains and so on. Every section of the circuit had a different terrain, weather and environment of its own. Complicated weather and geography aside, there was one more thing that separated Cillins racing experience with The Winds of Freedom: the number of passengers. Every racing car in this race was manned by two people consisting of a driver and a navigator. A drivers duty was to unleash their extraordinary driving skills to the max, whereas a navigators duty was to handle some necessary trifles such as pointing out the right directions and paths to take in each section, identifying the road conditions ahead and so on. The aid of a navigator could greatly reduce the drivers burden in a long distance race like this. Nearly all the participants of this race were pairs because it would almost certainly be too much for one single person otherwise. Moreover, unexpected emergencies were to be expected in a long distance race like this. If there was only one person behind the wheels, the driver would have to escape the dangerous situation they were engulfed in and pay attention to any external variables that might alter their situation any second all at the same time. Not everyone had a machine for a brain, which was why having a partner was the best and safest option. It was no easy feat for any racing team to raise an excellent racer or modify a race car. Naturally, theyd like to reduce the risks they might encounter on their path to become champions as much as possible. Which leads back to the point: if a two-man racing car wished to gain a bigger advantage in the race, they had to be designed differently from a one-man racing car. Fleka kept trying to persuade Cillin into working together with him. He had no intentions of letting someone as valuable as Cillin go without a fight. Ever since Fleka was forcefully deported by his own son and taken back home, he couldnt help but recall the way Cillin had assembled the toys. Then, he looked at the people around him and sighed again, and again, and again. It was only human nature to raise ones standards after experiencing something better, and it was why Flekas emotions were considerably unstable after he left Cillins side. For example, the assembly team (who thought they were good at their work) were keen to share goosebump inducing stories about the sighs of Fleka Sizer, or the confounding looks of dissatisfaction and regret by Fleka Sizer. Everyone except Bel was surprised by Flekas persistent urgings for Cillin to join his team. Naimi especially was making weird faces at his friends, meaning: why didnt you tell me you invited over a master!? Gen Xingming responded with an innocent look. He had heard some stories from Bel, but he never realized that Cillin was so good that even the famous Fleka would try to cajole him into cooperation. Meanwhile, the person in question was reading the race data he was presented. He noticed that many of the past champions drove racing cars that really shouldnt be called a racing car because their forms were completely different from what one would expect from the average flying car. For example, the most normal-looking racing cars he could find within that specific list were shaped like a crescent moon or a dagger. Fleka paused for a moment to wet his throat after seeing that Cillin was silent and absorbed in thought. He thought to himself: hmm, he must be considering my offer seriously. Ill should be able to change his mind if I give it another push! Just as Fleka set down his cup and got ready for another round of persuasion, Cillin suddenly said, What do I need to do to participate as a racer? You want to participate as a racer?! Suddenly, Fleka forgot everything he wanted to say a second ago. He knew that Cillin was an excellent assembler, but he had never seen Cillin participate in a race before. The last time he saw Cillin, he didnt look like he could afford something so luxurious, could he? Fleka wasnt looking down on Cillin, but racing was an expensive hobby, and there was nothing he saw in Cillins previous living environment that suggested that was capable of affording it. Moreover, Fleka thought that Cillin was too young to have been able to practice both his racing skills and assembling skills to the same astounding extent, not to mention that his first impression of Cillin was that he was nothing like his race loving peers. Fleka wasnt the only one who was astounded by his declaration. Gen Xingming, Bel and the others were caught off guard as well. Cillin couldnt possibly afford to participate in a big race like The Winds of Freedom before he got involved with the Gen Family, right? Also, Gen Xingming had never heard of Cillin within the smaller races either. Did he participate in those small, unknown races? Cillin, you need to think through this carefully! A large race like this can be very dangerous! Gen Xingming said seriously. He and his friends wouldve ignored their families warnings and participated themselves if the race wasnt quite so dangerous. It was exactly because they were well aware of the dangers and their familiess increased resistance that they didnt allow their desires to lead them by the nose. They were also self conscious enough not to risk their lives just for a moments pleasure. A race like this was very exciting and very risky, and most people just wanted to enjoy the adrenaline from outside the circuit. They would get cold feet if they actually had to participate in the race. Also, how was he going to justify himself to his other grandpa if something did happen to Cillin? Do you really want to participate in the race? Are you absolutely sure about this? Fleka asked seriously. Cillin nodded, Dont worry, I know what to do. Gen Xingming scrunched up his face. Like hell we can not worry! Cillin called Genya so as not to put Gen Xingming between a rock and a hard place. To Gen Xingmings surprise, Genya only asked Cillin one question: Are you sure you really want to participate in this race? After he confirmed Cillins intentions, he simply said, Watch yourself, and make sure you have fun. Gen Xingming thought that grandpa two was pampering Cillin, but he didnt know that Genya had agreed to Cillins participation because he knew him too well. There was no point objecting to something Cillin had already made up his mind about, and Genya thought that Cillin needed to vent the air that he had been holding in his heart all this time. Cillin was already carrying a lot of weight on himself even before he was suddenly thrown into a completely unfamiliar galaxy. He didnt even know if he could ever make it back to his home galaxy. Genya also noticed that Cillin often touched the bone pendant around his neck unconsciously since he awoke from his coma, but there was nothing he could do about this either. He was in a coma, but that girl that girl was gone for real. Gen Xingming said nothing since even Genya had agreed to Cillins participation. At the same time, he and his pals suddenly grew excited. A brother of theirs was actually going to participate in the race, so things suddenly felt a lot more exciting. Gen Xingming could already imagine himself pointing at a dashing car on the day of the race and shouting, Look, thats my bro over there! It was impossible for most people to participate in the race so suddenly, but with Flekas intervention the impossible was made possible. The name list was decided since a long time ago, and an official announcement had already been made every participant had an official name list already so injecting Cillin into the race wasnt going to be an easy task. That being said, Fleka wasnt going to go against Cillins wish, not to mention that he was the vice chairman of the committee. They will cut me this slack, Fleka thought to himself, Ill just have to endure some unpleasant looks. The racing teams will probably be very annoyed if Cillin actually wins something in the race, Kenancy smiled. But it will decrease some peoples profits as well. They werent completely unaware of the underground deals behind this race, such as gambling. Cillin shook his head, I just want to participate in the match. I dont mind if I dont show up on the list or win a prize. They dont interest me. Now Fleka understood what Cillins motive was: he wanted to experience the race himself so he could design a better racing car. First hand experience usually inspires deeper understanding and imagination; Fleka himself had done the same thing when he was still a young man. Alright, I understand what youre trying to do now. Just leave it to me! Fleka went into his room to deal with some procedures right after he said this. A while later, he came out and told them that he had spoken to a few decision makers in the committee and got things done. What he needed Cillin to do right now was to design a flying car that suited his preferences. I own a couple of prototypes that I havent finished yet, but you can use one to enter the race. Fleka said. Fleka performed most of his work on the planet named Whirlwind the venue of the grand race and he was about to head back soon, so he told Cillin and the others to accompany him to that planet. With Fleka around, they could also skip past the verification process completely. Currently, the entire planet was under partial lockdown in order to better prepare for The Winds of Freedom. No one except relevant personnel such as the racing teams, the maintenance crew and the organizing committee was allowed to enter the parts of the planet that were used to host the grand race yet, including those who had bought a ticket to watch the race. Gen Xingming and his friends grew obviously restless after they had entered Whirlwind. It was because the madness from four years ago had been reawoken in their hearts: the feeling of adrenaline coursing through one''s veins, the excitement roars that erupted due to excessive stimulation, the atmosphere that made one felt like they could roar out their very lungs That was how much the racing planet Whirlwind" affected its visitors. Anyone who watched a race here - especially the flying car hobbyists -or easily affected youngsters like Genxingming- would be left with a deep impression in their minds. The first thing Fleka did after arriving on the planet wasn''t to bring Cillin and his friends to his workshop to check out the cars. Instead, he took Cillin to the organizing committee to acquire the latter''s documents and identifications. Without them, Cillin couldn''t even get into the racing tracks. Everyone in the committee was pretty busy as of late. For example, they had to communicate with racers and racing teams from all kinds of places everyday. That being said, everyone still did their part to process the documents Fleka requested because it was for Fleka. However, the person who brought over the participation documents and documentations was none other than the chairman of the organizing committee himself. The chairman was a pretty senior figure in the Sizer Family, and the main person in charge of The Winds of Freedom for many terms already. Because Fleka was the one who had requested the documents, he had no choice but to perform the delivery himself - no one else had the power to control Fleka. Privately, a lot of people were displeased with Flekas selfish actions, and the chairman was the only one who could deliver the necessary reprimands effectively and prevent the same incident from recurring in the future. Fleka had expected this from the beginning, so he smiled and pretended to be unaffected when the chairman passed him the documents with a frigid look on his face. We made an exception this time only because it was you. Please ensure that this doesn''t happen again in the future. I know, it so happens that this is a special situation just like last time. I''ll tell you the details in the future, but trust me, Im fully aware of the stakes at play here. It definitely won''t happen again. Fleka extended his hand with a smile, but the chairman ignored his gesture and turned his gaze towards Cillin instead. His meaning was obvious: You''re the one who wanted to participate in this race, right? Don''t tell me you lack even the courage to take these documents from my hands? Cillin had no reason to make life difficult for Fleka, so he walked forwards, gave the chairman a simple but polite salute, thanked him for his troubles and accepted the documents with both hands. The chairman was a respectable senior, the chairman of the grand race and the person who helped processed all the documents he needed to participate as a racer. He had to show him the proper respect he deserved. For one rare moment, the chairmans features relaxed. Unlike those rich kids whose eyes seemed to grow on their heads, Cillin had stayed calm, showed proper decorum, and even accepted the documents with both hands. Then, he saw the tattoo'' on Cillins finger and felt his pupils shrink. Although his expression barely changed, even Cillin could sense a clear change in the pressure surrounding the chairman. Just a moment ago the chairman looked like someone had stolen a great talent from right under his nose, but now his entire person had relaxed considerably. Fleka had no idea about this. He hadnt even checked out Cillins tattoo'' yet. He didn''t pay it close attention because tattoos were the hot among youngsters these days. Although the chairmans obviously improved tone confused him a little, he didn''t attempt to get to the bottom of the matter. Old people his age tended to act in unfathomable ways anyway. After the procedures were done, Fleka led Cillin away from the building and straight into his workshop. The rest of the gang waited inside their car outside the building. The chairman immediately contacted someone in the Sizer Family after Fleka and Cillins departure. He was a lot more senior and experienced than Fleka, so of course he knew what the pattern on Cillins finger really represented. If the pattern was real, he would need to change his opinion of Cillin. Flekas workshop was different from the usual workshop. It was very wide, and there were a couple of open air repair points at the edge of the building. The workshop could be used as a temporary repair station. A lot of racing teams had come over to familiarize themselves with the environment since a long time ago. Both the racers and the crew had to acclimate themselves with this planet and get into the optimal state as soon as possible. This preparation was no small matter; sometimes a single speck of dust was all that stood between victory and defeat. Flekas mood had obviously improved since Cillin showed up, not even feeling the tiredness that usually accompanied this work. He even taught Cillin some things to pay attention to, and what kind of part matched what kind of weather and terrain the best. The grand race had certain thresholds that racing teams must obey when designing their cars such as scale, weight, displacement, power and so on. Everything else within these limits was acceptable. Right now, Fleka was guiding Cillin down this path of acceptable thresholds so the latter wouldn''t have to waste unnecessary time and effort. Flekas workers - those who had worked under him for a very long time - were making guesses as to which family Cillin came from, seeing that even Naimi was completely ignored by him. At first, Gen Xingming and co. followed Fleka and Cillin around in the name of learning valuable knowledge, but they quickly lost their patience after two days of learning. Bel was more familiar with the work, but even he was forced to surrender under the barrage of Flekas professional lingo and retreated to the stands, where he watched the racers practice alongside the others. Fleka had a lot of work to do, and Cillin couldn''t possibly take up his time all the time. Therefore, three days later, he told Fleka that he would like to practice his new learned knowledge alongside the repairmen outside. This would give him the chance to understand these racing cars as well. Fleka didn''t turn down Cillins request. He really was swamped with work. Cillins assembly skills were as classic as a priceless art, so the workers quickly shedded their suspicion of him being a quitter and answered any question he asked them. One day, after Cillin was done repairing a flying car and taking a water break, a fiery red flying car suddenly zoomed into the repair station. A young girl in racing suit around fifteen to sixteen years old hurried off her car, glanced around and sped towards Cillin the moment she spotted him, or rather his repairman uniform. Chapter 261: Bro! Let’s Team Up, Okay! Chapter 261: Bro! Lets Team Up, Okay! Hey, you, yes, you! Come here quickly! Cillin walked over to the female racer whose face was unclear because she was wearing a helmet. He put down his water bottle and looked at her in puzzlement. She sounded like a pretty young girl. I need you to check our flying car, and be quick were on a timer here! The girl said before walking over and pulling Cillin to her car. While Cillin was familiarizing himself with the racing cars in this repair point, Fleka had thrown a fitting overall that looked like what the other workers were wearing into his hands. After all, It was important to have protection when repairing a car or when handling things that shouldnt be touched carelessly. If a persons resistance was low, they might become sick due to exposure to localized radiation, hot metal gas leakage that was caused by human error or an inherent fault in the car, so on and so on. The Sizer Familys overalls were very expensive, any one of them could cost up to five digits. It showed just how wealthy they were. Since the back of Cillins overall was marked with the words Whirlwind Repair Point and its designation code, the young girl had obviously assumed that he was a worker around here. The flying car was shaped like a pyramid. The floor beneath it had automatically changed to give it better stability and mobility after landing. The roof of the flying car was retracting while the girl was pulling Cillin. There was another girl inside the car, although she was sitting at the navigators seat rather than the drivers seat. The other girl had already taken off her helmet before they arrived, revealing the gentle and pretty face of a fifteen to sixteen year old girl. It was quite unimaginable that a quiet girl like this one who looked a little shy in the presence of strangers would be the navigator of a racing car. After Cillin was pulled all the way to the vehicle, the first girl ran a self-diagnosis test on the control panel. The number 8.2 was displayed after the test had run its course. This repair point and workshop of Flekas was built on the plains, which was a better environment than most of the places on the planet. Since the main circuit was sealed off, racers could only practice at areas outside the main circuit. But the environment was so harsh that even a simple practice could impose risk on both the racer and the car. This meant that even the smallest problem with the car must be treated seriously, or the racer in question risked crashing before the race had even begun. In general, all flying cars must turn themselves into a repair point for repairs if the self-diagnosis value ever fell below 9. It was agreed upon to be the safest threshold. Cillin read through the test details before asking, When did the number fall below 9? It started falling after we entered the glacier zone, and after we came out it suddenly fell a lot faster than before. Thats why we changed our plans and came here directly, this being the nearest repair point. Sigh. So whats the problem? How long will it take to repair it? We need to head back as soon as we can! It was almost evening in this area, so her anxiety was understandable. Flying here became much harder once night fell. Let me give it a look first. Cillin said before reading and examining the functionality of various parts by tapping a series of commands through the control panel. He discovered that the car was pretty well assembled, and it was installed with the latest main operating system there was. In fact, the matching main and sub operating system had been chosen based on the girls habits. Since male and female drivers had different habits and control methods, naturally that the operating systems that best suited either gender differed as well. The two girls exchanged a glance with each other after they watched Cillin reading a bunch of symbols and characters they didnt recognize one bit flashing by at indecipherable speed. This guy wasnt just pretending, was he? He was flying through the pages so quickly that it was impossible to read. They didnt know that the impossible was just Cillins average reading speed. Cillins finger suddenly came to a stop. He read a certain line on the screen, tapped in a command on the control panel, and walked to the back of the car. He touched its exterior with his fingers, causing a perfect blueprint of the car to appear immediately in his mind. Basing off the mental image, he quickly found an unassuming bend at the back of the car, pushed sideways, and popped open a hood. The girl wearing a helmet watched Cillin closely from the side to prevent him from potentially sabotaging her car. After the hood was popped open, he swiftly dismantled the surface parts underneath it and placed them on an unfolded tool tray. However, his action agitated the girl beside him so much that she picked up the parts from the tray, then put it back down. Hey be careful! You cant treat these parts so carelessly! In her eyes, Cillin cared little for the parts he just dismantled. She knew that careless treatment of a part could damage it, and her older brother once told her that even the slightest damage on a part could reduce performance after it was assembled onto a car. Tobia! The other girl inside the car called out in a quiet voice. After catching Tobias attention, the girl shook her head to tell her not to disturb Cillin. If serious damage was done to their car due to Cillins negligence, they could always bring him to account and file for compensation. However, it was very much ill advised to disturb a repairman while they were performing repairs. If an accident did happen because an observer couldnt keep their mouth shut during the maintenance process, the repairman was entirely in their right to put a portion of the blame onto the disruptive observer. Tobia quieted down after she was reminded of the consequences. She let out a hmph! before staringclosely at Cillins every move. But by the time her attention was drawn back to Cillin, the latter had already finished dismantling one whole section of the flying car. Right now, he was typing something on the communicator around his wrist. Every worker in the repair point had a specialized communicator around their wrist. Not only did it allow them to communicate with each other, it could be used to send orders to the service robots parked at the warehouse as well. If a repairman had need of a certain part, all they needed to do was to enter the name and model number into the communicator to get a service robot to bring it over from the warehouse. This saved the repairman the time and effort of running between the warehouse and their workplace. It didnt take long before the service robot delivered over the parts Cillin needed to make the repairs. They were very simple things: a few double row wires, a few small parts, and a small cleaner. Maybe it was because Cillins actions had piqued her curiosity, but the girl sitting inside the car had come out and sat beside Tobia, watching. Cillin knew exactly what problem was plaguing the car once he had dismantled the surface parts. When the flying part was passing through the glacial zone, a single part in the thermostatic device had loosened up while the system was coming online. As a result, a tiny gap had appeared on the exterior of the car. The gap might be tiny, but it was a flaw that couldnt be underestimated considering the environment it was in. This single gap allowed cold air to slip under the hood, penetrate the loosened part, and freeze the original double row wires to the point of breaking. The aged double row wires was one reason, the loosened part another, but the biggest reason behind the cars failing was a lack of cohesion between the surface parts that were used to construct the defense mechanism, even if they were the highest grade parts there were. One should ask only for the best, and not the most expensive. The loosened part and the shattered wires werent located in critical areas of the car, so the self-diagnosis test hadnt listed them as primary threats. However, after the wires had fallen apart, the special powdered substance on these wires had become charged with electricity and gotten stuck inside other parts of the car, triggering a large-scale magnetic decay and damaging the stability of the car. That was why the flying car had fallen below 9.0 rating. Cillin used the cleaner to suck away all the powder sticking against the interior parts before installing the new wires. He also switched the original surface parts with the most compatible model. Unless the car got into a some serious collision, it shouldnt come apart again. The two girls watched as Cillin put back the parts together as easily as he would assemble toy bricks. But unlike his seemingly flippant movements, the resultant assembly looked firmly connected and secure. Cillin closed the hood and went back into car to clean up the minor problems inside the main and sub operating systems. Ten seconds later, he pressed the self-diagnosis button. After the test was completely, the value went back up to a pristine 9.7. Alright, this number should stay like this until you made it back to your base, Cillin said. Ah? The girl named Tobia seemed to be in disbelief. She stuck her face in front of the control panel and stared at the big 9.7 on the screen. It didnt look like it was going to change anytime soon. That was it? All it needed was a cleaning and changing a few unimportant parts?! Tobia jumped into her car, turned it on and gave it a test. It really was fixed! The entire repair process hadnt even lasted ten minutes! Tobias originally estimated that the repair would take at least thirty minutes or so, but in reality her car was fixed in less than a third of that time! The two girls sat inside their car, and the car roof covered their heads once more. The sealed, pyramid-shaped flying car rose into the air. Thanks! Tobias voice came from a peripheral speaker. Youre welcome. By the time Cillin walked back towards the center of the repair station, the sky was darkening, and the people were getting ready to go home. Cillin also decided to stop working for now since he needed to visit Flekas place at night. As for his choice of a racing car, there were still twenty days or so before the official match. Cillin planned to familiarize himself with the racing cars first before making his final choice. Just because one needed to hone ones skills didnt mean that one had to stop working, and Fleka trusted in Cillins ability. Before that though, he needed to find a navigator, although it didnt matter even if he didnt find a suitable one in the end he could handle it all on its own. And of course, it wouldve been nice if Wheeze was here. Right now, Cillin was practically fighting all on his own. Perhaps Fleka would arrange a few people to coordinate logistics and repairs during a later date since the race lasts for a very long time. Accidents were obviously common in a race like this, so repair points were set on every section of the circuit, including the racing teams logistics and maintenance staff. If a racing car needs fixing or modifying, they would do their best to service the cars as quickly as possible. There was a time limit in this race, and all racers who were too slow and exceeded the time limit would be disqualified from the race. Moreover, disqualified racers would be unranked in the final result. A racing teams chances of winning was much higher than a lone racers. After all, the members of a racing team would have rapport with each other, and there was only so much an individual could do in a hectic race like this. Not even Cillin had absolute confidence that he could win a top 10 or something in this race, although finishing the race safely was a different matter. Cillin didnt care about ranking. The final ranking was decided through total points. Every racer must follow the route planned out by the organizing committee strictly and reach all the checkpoints within the given time limit. A top 10 ranking would be listed at the end of every section of the race, and in descending order the leaders off the race would be granted 40, 30, 25, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, 2 or 1 point accordingly. The total amount of points accumulated by each racer would decide the final result of the race. Besides that, every racing car must finish their maintenance within the allocated time. The faster a racer, the more points they earned, the bigger the lead they had over their competitors. After all, there was a 40 times difference between the amount of points earned by the first place racer and the tenth place racer. Of course, not all racers were all rounders who could perform well in every terrain. On that note, some racers were exceptionally good in certain terrains, so the tenth place racer of a certain circuit might be the first place racer in the next one. Cillin exhaled deeply. Three more days of practice, and he would start assembling his flying car. After that, he would drive around and familiarize himself with the environment. On the same night, when Cillin walked into Flekas personal workshop, he ran into Naimi, whom he hadnt seen for the past couple of days grinning like he was afraid no one would notice he had good news to share. Cillin! Naimi, who was shaking his legs hurriedly jumped off the large box he was sitting on and broke into a run towards Cillin. The excitement on his face was very silly and dumb looking. Naimi didnt care that he was grinning like a buffoon, however. He gave Cillins arm a pat after he reached him. Bro! Lets team up, okay! Cillin: ... Whats going on? Then Fleka walked over and explained the reason. Not long ago, after watching a few practice races for a few days straight and getting into a small argument with some young nobles, Naimi had contacted his father. After making a passionate plea to logic and emotion at first, then crying, throwing a tantrum, begging, and finally discarding his shame altogether, Naimi finally got his father into letting him participate in the race, under one condition: he could only race as a navigator, and not a racer. The reason behind this condition was that a racer was twice as likely as to get into an accident than a navigator. Naimi refused to accept his fathers condition at first, but it was a take-it-or-leave-it offer. In the end, he accepted it. Then, he recalled Cillin was participating in the race and that he hadnt found a suitable navigator yet, so he ran all the way to Flekas house and roped his uncle into helping him. He was sure that Cillin would agree if Fleka spoke to him. Naimi might be an underachiever in school, and he looks like an unreliable person, and hes never had a serious moment in his life, and he laughs a little like an idiot, but he has dabbled with flying cars and races since a young age. Also his ability to analyze is pretty good, Fleka said. At first, Naimis eyebrows were about to fly off his head when he heard Flekas criticism of him. Uncle, youre my uncle arent you? How can you disparage your own nephew like this!? He figured out what Fleka was doing though near the end. Mm, this is tactics! This is what you call bow first puff later! I knew my uncle is smart! Nodding in satisfaction, Naimi turned to stare at Cillin with hopeful eyes: youre a sinner if you dont say yeeeeeees Cillin felt his eyes twitch. A very, very long time later, he finally agreed to take Naimi as his navigator under the uncle and nephews gazes. Hehe, hehehe Naimi started laughing like an idiot again. Fleka shot a glance at his nephew, shook his head and looked at Cillin, He really does have some real talent; his father held him on his lap while driving even before he was weaned. Its just that his family had never allowed him to participate in a highly risky race until now. Cillin had accepted Naimi only because Fleka was the one who asked it. But when they started assembling their racing car, he had to admit that Naimi was actually a person of talent. Naimi had offered a lot of practical suggestions when Cillin was designing their flying car. In a flying car race, victory wasnt decided by just a powerful engine, a high quality energy block and expensive parts. The flying car must also be able to adapt to all kinds of weather conditions and unexpected situations. Moreover, the racer and navigators ability to adapt, drive, analyze and cooperate with one another etc in face of obstacles or dangers were also sorely tested. After a few days of rapport building, Cillin could say that he was starting to know Naimi a little better than before. As a member of the Sizer Family, Naimi definitely had outstanding talent when it came to flying cars. Of course, exactly how far he could develop inborn talent was another story. The first checkpoint is Rainbow Heaven, also known as the First Rainbow. Here, the main circuit is split into seven different tracks of each color. However, the tracks will intersect each other often, and no one knows what kind of obstacle awaits at the end of each track, or even how many vertical or horizontal curves each track has because its randomized. If youre lucky, you may make it out of Rainbow Heaven early and proceed to the next circuit. If youre unlucky, you may be delayed for longer than average. Again, the choice is purely random. The tracks starts changing from the other end after a car enters the circuit, so not even the designers know which route will save more time. The first ranking list will appear the racers made it through the course. This is a circuit of pure luck designed to remove pre-race hesitation and reduce analysis paralysis, as some racers may not be able to come to a decision and blame themselves later for making the wrong choice. A lot of racers will discuss amongst themselves and vote for the kind of colored track theyre going to race on beforehand so no one will argue after the fact. So, what color are we choosing, Cillin? Cillin thought for a moment. Like Naimi said, this was pure luck. Everyone who got into this race had real skill, so luck was the deciding factor of the first and temporary ranking list. So, what color should they choose? Lets choose the first color we see when we open our eyes, on the day of the match. Er, whose color are we going to choose though? My heads all blurry everytime I wake up. I cant really remember the first color I see. Ill choose. Okay! Naimi unfolded the preliminary design sketch again and continued, We need to choose the right tyres, or well be blown away by the hail. That section of the circuit is best traversed on ground. I suggest we use narrow studded tyres because it increases ground pressure and gives better grip When they were done discussing, the final blueprint of their racing car was finally decided. However, Fleka had a strange look on his face when he saw their final design. Chapter 262: Welcome to the World, Vege-Fritter! Chapter 262: Welcome to the World, Vege-Fritter! Despite answering some of their questions occasionally, Fleka hadnt participated in the design process or voiced his opinion regarding the specifics. He wanted to know what kind of flying car the two young men would come up with. Honestly, Fleka had been looking forward to this. Sometimes he would think of Cillin and Naimis car design even while he was working. But when he actually held their final design papers and looked at them, he discovered that all of his fantasies and expectations were silenced at once. How should he put it? Knowing Naimi, and knowing that Cillin was providing input and suggestions, he was expecting the final design to look a little newish. After all, a lot of youngsters preferred flamboyantly styled flying cars, such as big spoilers, wings, fin-shaped wings and so on. They even wanted it to look as bright and colorful and possible. However, the final design Fleka was holding was completely different from what he had imagined. This car had an exterior that would be considered exotic on the streets, but here in the Winds of Freedom it was a completely outdated design because the first version of the car came to existence at least tens of years ago. The car had also raced multiple times in the Winds of Freedom, but the final result was less than ideal. Although flying cars with this design had achieved some good results when they first came out, the design soon became outstripped by other strange, original or eye-catching designs. The moment it passed its peak, it became a nostalgia-filled parent that led to the creation of many other designs such as the crescent-shaped flying car and the bullet-shaped flying car. So, Fleka couldnt deny that he was disappointed upon discovering that this was what Cillin and Naimi came up with after spending days researching and designing. The design papers in his hand displayed the 3d image of a round-shaped object. It was the fruits of effort both Cillin and Naimi spent days to create. Many car hobbyists loved to call a car that was designed this way a vegetable fritter, and if this was how someone commented on your car, you could imagine that they were totally mocking you. It was no compliment for sure. The reason The Winds of Freedom was famous wasnt completely because it had an exciting and very challenging racing circuit. It was also where concepts were proven. What exactly does proof of concept mean in The Winds of Freedom? It was the culmination of car manufacturers skills and technological development. Since the design that wasnt restricted by the production process, racers and designers were allowed to fully unleash their talents to the point of ridiculousness and display the a cars unique charm to the max. It was a kind of avant-garde, an art that was birthed at the intersect point where the present, the future; the dream and the reality lay. Judging from the exterior alone, lots of people were going to sell it after it officially enters full production. This was his view as a member of the Sizer Family at least. But would Naimi, also a member of the family not know about this? Of course not! He was the kind of guy who got very excited every time a flying car with an unusual shape came out. Both Cillin and Naimi looked like they knew that Fleka would look like this since a long time ago. Instead of worrying, they simply beamed at him, so Fleka stopped himself from whatever he was going to say and read further. After all, the first part of the design was focused on introducing the exterior. Maybe he would be pleasantly surprised after this? Well, the latter parts of the design had definitely gave him an entirely different feeling. However, the surprise was far bigger than the pleasant. The further he read, the more serious Fleka looked. When he was finally done reading the whole thing, Fleka let out a long sigh before looking at Cillin and Naimi, Are you sure this is what you want to design? Just because a race encourages innovation doesnt mean you should squander the opportunity, take risks and imagine something that exceeds the rules and the bottomline! No, uncle, this is definitely the best flying car I currently have in my mind right now. I believe that this design is perfectly capable of replacing spaceplanes, or should I say it is a culmination between a triphibian flying car and a small-sized spaceplane. It has some of the functions of a triphibian flying car and a spaceplane, and other than the fact it doesnt have a warp drive its practically not much different from a spaceplane. Of course, it is entirely possible to fit in a warp drive with a bit of spending The more Naimi spoke, the more excited he grew. Soon, he was overflowing with it. Stop! Right now I dont care if your car has a warp drive function or the speed of a spaceplane. My question is, can you two really finish this project on your own? I told you before I wont be lending you a hand in the design process, and dont tell me youre going to hire a scholar from the RAS Engineering Department to finish this project?! If thats the case, then this car is just a money burning failure thats inferior to a normal spaceplane! Flekas tone was a little heavier than usual. After all, he wasnt the kind of person who normally throw words like failure right in the face of a designer and a racer. However, when he looked at the design that was more idealistic than realistic, and then at the two young men whom he had high hopes for, the word had spilled out of his mouth before he realized. Also, you should know that the cars are normally introduced before they make their debut, and this includes a rough estimate of the construction cost. According to the rules, the amount of money spent to make the car cannot exceed one hundred million, and the sweet spot is between ten million to fifteen million because it means higher investment value. But! Fleka picked out two of the papers before continuing, I estimate that itll take at least two hundred million MB* to complete this design, and dont try to lie about this, there are no idiots in the organizing committee. Ive already helped you once, and I wont allow you to break the rules again! *after some consideration, I removed the coin behind MB coin because this is sci-fi no ones actually using coins. The reason I put coin in the first place is because I was worried that people wont get what MB is, but on second thought what the hell was I thinking back then? Relax, relax, uncle, you need to control your emotions. Take a deep breath Relax, my fart! Fleka was seriously regretting his decision to allow them to participate in the race. Hes just making his own life difficult, isnt he?! A deep breath later, Fleka pressed a palm to his head. He had no idea if he should call these two kids arrogant or ignorant. After putting a hand to his heart as if trying to push away the irritation in his heart, he continued, Alright, lets not talk about construction cost for the moment, money isnt that important to you to begin with. Lets talk about the tech issue, shall we? This project is so big that not even our familys designers and the builders dare claim that they can definitely finish it in such a short time, much less me! Maybe you can find a legendary Black Viper member or hire a professional from the RAS to teach you, but even then you cant possibly build it in just ten days, can you? Were only fifteen days away from the grand race now, and you need the last five days to familiarize yourselves with the car, the environment and the terrain! You dont have time to finish this thing! Er Naimi scratched his head, Cillin said he can probably build it in ten days. Cillin! Fleka looked at Cillin. He nodded, If there are no shortage of materials, ten days is probably enough. Flekas eyes twitched once, twice. He sucked in a deep breath once more. He couldnt exactly find an angle here because Cillins assembling ability was clear for all to see, not to mention that it was the most efficient assembling skills he had ever seen with his own eyes. After thinking for a moment, Fleka said, Ill get you the materials you need as quickly as I can. Just give me a list. All the materials you need must go through me, and Ill get them at the current lowest price point in the empire. If the total price exceeds the limit set by the rules, I will declare forfeit immediately on your behalf. Both Cillin and Naimi were aware that this was Flekas final concession. They agreed to his demands completely. Ill also find you an assembly field to build your car in, and until youre done youre not allowed to leave that place. If you have an additional demands, tell them to me directly. I cant be supervising both of you all the time. Be conscientious, its all I ask. Ah? Isnt this like a detention? Can we at least have visitors? Naimi complained. No! Fleka was very firm on this matter. After all, who knows if they might ask someone to bring in some illegal goods? Fine, its not like we have time to walk around once the assembly begins, Naimi said. What about you, Cillin? Fleka looked at the young man. If Cillin planned to object to this, he would bar him from participation right now. Im okay with this. Cillin had no objections to offer. Alright. Ill take you two to the assembly field right now. The assembly field Fleka led them to was his own. After he was done cleaning out some items, he conceded the place to Cillin and Naimi temporarily. The lounge and the workshop were kept apart, and there were some sports equipment and first aid equipment as well. All in all, it was a pretty complete and standard Fleka style work factory. After receiving the material list from Cillin, Fleka said, From now on, the two of you will stay here until youve finished assembling the car. Got it. We will obey the rules youve set. Cillin promised. After Fleka left, Cillin ran over the tools for a bit. They were all practical and advanced tools, and they normally came in a complete set. At the very least, Cillin found everything he needed for the assembly. Are you done checking? Naimi asked Cillin after circling the factory once himself. Mm. Everythings here, and the tools are pretty complete. I know right? This is uncles factory after all. Plus, any factory that belongs to uncle only allows a certain kind of people. For example, Ive only ever entered uncles factory three times since I was born, and the first two times were when I was still a kid. As promised, Fleka ordered a transfer of all the materials Cillin had listed to the factory. Although he didnt understand what Cillin was planning to do with many of the materials on the list, he had no reason not to fulfill Cillins request to his best. Many of the parts Cillin requested werent the latest fabrications or models, but Fleka could see that their compatibility was the best. He still didnt know what some of the parts were meant to do, but it wasnt like he could turn around and ask Cillin without making things awkward. Never mind, Ill ask after theyre done assembling their car. If they fail, well, then theres no need to ask, is there? Soon, Fleka had delivered more than ninety percent of the materials Cillin had requested, while the rest would take a day or two. There were some rarer materials mixed within the list, but he had the power to procure all of them. Fleka made a rough count on the cost using the lowest price point and arrived at around fifty million or so. Of course, the number would be different if Cillin needed to replenish some materials. Cillin started assembling the moment Fleka delivered the materials into the factory, but the first thing he made wasnt something Fleka had ever seen before. He didnt understand what Cillin was making, but it wasnt like he had time to supervise them all the time. As for Naimi, his assembling skills werent exactly up to par, so Cillin had no use of him. The young man simply grabbed a chair, sat down and watched Cillin work even though he understood none of the process. Basically, his only job was to run around and grab a tool for Cillin when necessary, but somehow it was still an enjoyable experience. It was a great pleasure to watch Cillin assemble because his movements had a strange way of guiding a person into a very inexplicable state: it was like he had forgotten the outside world and entered a state of empty mind. If someone were to ask Naimi: can you describe how Cillin assembles his parts? He would definitely answer in a daze, I dont know. It was because he couldnt recall any detail at all. He would have a feeling that a certain process had definitely been completed in a certain way, but the actual details were blurry when he tried to recall. At the same time, at the base of the second runner up racing team of last terms Winds of Freedom. After Tobia was back at the base, she informed the staff members that the car had been repaired at a repair station. At first she was worried that Cillin had done a poor work, but since the value never fell below 9 she ultimately stopped paying attention to it. Today was Tobias rest day, and she was very tired because she had been test flying for the past several days. She had gone straight to the lounge after she returned. Tobias car was sent away for routine maintenance per the rules of the racing team. It was mandatory to perform a full overhaul even if the self-diagnosis number never fell below 9. Tobia was sleeping comfortably in the lounge when suddenly, her older brother pushed her to wakefulness. PIssed off, she grabbed a lunch box on the table without even looking and threw it straight at the person who woke her like she had done this before. Unfortunately, she missed. Tobia, wake up. Theres something I need to ask you about! ... Ignore. Cmon, Tobia, I really have something important to ask you. What is it, you cant strip me of my usual rest time even if youre the captain of the team! Tobia still refused to open her eyes. It would be very hard to fall asleep again if she did. Its related to your beloved car! Tobia abruptly opened her eyes, Whats wrong with my car?! Just come with me and put on your jacket first! Danny her older brother and captain of the Spearhead racing team immediately dragged Tobia towards the maintenance factory after she was done putting on her jacket. Upon arrival, Tobia noticed that her partner and navigator, Qiu Xu was there too. The repair staff were surrounding the tail of her car, staring and discussing something. Whats going on? Tobia asked Qiu Xu. Qiu Xu shook her head, Im not sure about the details. They seem to have discovered some sort of problem while they were repairing, and they asked me what happened when the car was repaired at the public repair station. I told them everything, but they dont believe me, so they asked to call you over. The person in charge noticed Tobias arrival, and he asked her to summarize and even provide a few details about the repair, just like what Qiu Xu had told her. Whats wrong? Is something wrong with my car? I knew that guy was playing a trick on me! Just tell me directly if somethings wrong, Ill find him later and settle things with him! He may be wearing a work uniform and a cap at the time, but I still remember his voice. Ill definitely be able to spot him if we go through their repair staff one by one, also every repair station has security cameras installed, right? If the first method doesnt work, we can request to check out the recordings. Im sure well be able to drag him out then! Tobia said angrily. But the repair staff shot strange looks at Tobia, and the person in charge coughed once to break off her chain of complaints, Actually, its the exact opposite of what youre thinking. The guy who repaired your car did such a good job that this particular part wont be needing any repairs for a while. However, what we really find hard to believe is this persons ability to spot the defect and fix everything in such a short time. If what the two of you are saying is true, it means that youve run into a true expert this time. Its amazing how many talented people there are in the Sizer Family! Tobia frowned, I seriously doubt hes as good as you claim. He was working pretty carelessly when I watched him. Thats how a true expert works! A repairman next to her said excitedly. The person in charge nodded in agreement before pointing at the surface parts beneath the cars exterior, We dare not even touch these because we were afraid that we cannot return it back to what it was. This seriously isnt something any of us can do. There is a saying which goes an expert judges by the knack. A staff in this field could easily identify an assemblers skill just from the two simple, merged parts, and the parts at the tail end of the car were assembled so perfectly that they werent sure a machine could perform the same, much less a man. Tobia, Qiu Xu, can you take us to that person? There are some questions Id like to consult him about. The person in charge asked. Seriously? Youre going to consult him? He looks just like a young lad! Tobia was very much in disagreement with his decision. You dont understand, even if Im overall a better repairman than him, my assembly skill is still far behind his. Im going too! Wait for me! Theres a minor problem with my car too. I may as well let him try fix it. ... Besides the person in charge, the racers and the rest of the repair staff were very curious about the mysterious repairman too. They all wanted to witness his work with their own eyes. Unfortunately, when the racing team finally went to the repair station, they discovered that the person they were looking for was already gone. Moreover, Flekas subordinates werent so unscrupulous that they would divulge Cillins whereabouts carelessly, so they had no choice but to return in disappointment. On the ninth day after Cillin and Naimi had entered the factory, a round-shaped fellow that looked nearly the same as the one that was drawn on paper floated above the ground. Naimi waved at it: Hi, Vege-Fritter! Welcome to the world! Thank you! A smiley face appeared on the exterior of the disc-shaped car. Chapter 263: It Really is a Vege-Fritter Chapter 263: It Really is a Vege-Fritter Vege-Fritter wasnt the first ever super AI flying car to be created, but its predecessors were all custom-made vehicles that were used for other purposes than racing. After all, its demand for manufacturing skill, excellent circuit design and technology was far higher than a conventional flying car. It was also why Fleka didnt think highly of their idea to add a super AI into the car. Moreover, it was bad to grow over reliant on a super AI as it would affect the racer and the navigators ability to make decisions. That was why most racing cars had defense or computational AIs, but not super AIs the equivalent of a high end robot that was far superior in terms of intelligence. The addition of super AI would definitely attract more attention, but it wouldnt be the good kind of attention. After all, anyone who knew the intricacies of the industry would be aware that a super AI was costly, disruptive, and not worth the effort that was put into it. Of course, Cillin and Naimi had their own way of thinking. Will it really work? Naimi walked circles around Vege-Fritter before asking Cillin, That plans pretty risky, dont you think? Cillin sat on the floor directly and watched Vege-Fritter tossing and turning around like a coin. He smiled, It was an attempt from the beginning, wasnt it? Im so looking forward to perform and enjoy all of their expressions. Youll know them once the race begins. Naimi chuckled at that. There werea lot of people in the Sizer Family who thought they knew Naimi pretty well, but in reality there were only a handful of people who truly understood him. Fleka wasnt one of them, or he wouldnt have been nearly as surprised. Cillin didnt drive Vege-Fritter out of the factory immediately. All the work he had done for the past few days not to mention that he was just done building Vege-Fritter had taken a lot out of him. In fact, he was so tired that he rested next to a pile of parts without even bothering to change out of his work clothes. Yep, there was still a pile of parts remaining after Cillin was done. His list included spare parts just in case he failed to assemble some of the more challenging components of the flying car, but to his surprise the assembly had gone unusually smooth overall. In fact, Cillin felt like he had never been more focused when assembling a machine, not even when he was studying at Mo Hengs workshop. When Cillin was finally done with the assembly and verified that all of Vege-Fritters systems were fully functional, he abruptly realized that it had been nine days already. Naimi rubbed his hands together, clapped once and called out to Vege-Fritter, who was tossing and turning excitedly in celebration of its own birth, Come, Vege-Fritter. Sing a song for your bro, will you? Vege-Fritter stopped turning and asked in a baby voice, What do you want to hear? Naimi thought for a moment before answering, I want to hear the traditional version of the empires national anthem! Cillin felt amused as he continued to rest with his eyes closed. Naimi was young, and most youngsters preferred the popular version of the national anthem far more than the traditional one. Normally, only an adult would prefer the latter. And so Cillin fell into sleep while listening to the music played with classical instruments; one that symbolized a distant era. The next day, Cillin woke up feeling refreshed and energetic. Although he hadnt slept for a very long time he had certainly slept way for way longer in the past before he entered this part of the universe his sleep quality was unusually good. It was the tenth day. Fleka had purposely set aside his work so he could visit Cillin and Naimi in the factory they were working in. He had been waiting at the front door for more than thirty minutes now, and he had no idea what was going on inside because he hadnt activated the interior surveillance system. Since he found it too embarrassing to ask the two brats to open the door and admit him, he pretended to instruct the factory personnel on their car maintenance skills not far away. However, not only was there none of the kindness he usually carried himself with, his aura was so terrible that everyone present was shivering in fear. Naturally, the unfortunate people who were caught up in Flekas lesson understood what their boss really wanted. They thought: Little ancestors, please come out already, we cant take this much longer! The door finally opened when Fleka was forcing down his irritation. Everyone stopped working and turned to look at the door, and if this was any other day Fleka wouldve criticized them to the ground for halting in the middle of a repair. Luckily for them, Flekas attention was completely absorbed by the seven-meters wide disc-shaped flying car flying out of the entrance. Most of the workers were aware that Cillin and Naimi had spent the last few days assembling a flying car, but they had no idea what car they were actually making. That was why the same question popped into everyones mind except Flekas when they saw Vege-Fritter: A Vege-Fritter? But why?! Vege-Fritter was without a doubt a negative term in the flying car industry. In fact, one might say that it was a laughingstock from the start. Therefore, one might say that Naimi was shaming the Sizer Family just by creating it. They could already imagine Naimis father and grandfathers reactions when they heard this; at the very least his father would definitely regret his earlier decision to let Naimi participate in the race. Unlike the workers, Fleka couldnt stop staring at the Vege-Fritter. He noticed that there was a pile of leftover parts inside the workshop immediately while Vege-Fritter was making its exit. They were unused parts, not broken parts. Was this a sign that the cars construction cost was lower than fifty million MB? Vege-Fritters exterior was a metallic color. Naimis proud voice rang through Vege-Fritters the ridicule of the flying car industry speakers, Vege-Fritter, say hello to everyone! A simple smiley face made of two dots and a curve appeared at the naked chassis of the flying car. The sky blue colored lines made the onlookers feel like it was a warm smile that came straight from the heavens, Hello, everyone! My name is Vege-Fritter. I was born yesterday. Im very happy to meet all of you! The sound of sudden inhalation happened at the same time. Everyone here was a professional who had worked in this industry for five years at minimum, so of course they understood what this voice really meant. A super AI system! This flying car wasnt built with a main-sub operating system like all other flying cars. It actually had a super AI system in it! Fleka only needed to listen to its voice to know that this machine was truly equipped with a super AI system, and how well done it was. It was almost impossible to think that a flying car that was considered a wash out and ancient history could be equipped with a super AI system! Even if this super AI system wasnt particularly high end, it was definitely not scraping the bottom of a barrel. Everyone here knew what it meant to equip a racing car with a super AI system. Are we sure this car hasnt exceeded the cost? Right now words couldnt begin to describe the level of shock Fleka was feeling. He could scarcely believe his eyes. How on earth did Cillin make it? Did he seriously complete both the ring design and the super AI system in just ten days?! Fleka had to admit that his occupational disease was starting up again. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to drag Cillin over and research this flying car right away. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about his itch because Naimi had said, Im heading out to test it before driving away. Neither Cillin nor Naimi were driving the car. Vege-Fritter would fly along a test flight path they had agreed to earlier, and they would observe if it could respond properly to the obstacles it would encounter with its mid-end equipment. The flying car first travelled to a rainforest. The forest beneath the car was dense, and birds occasionally took flight into the air. The light markers that made up the racing circuits were only a dozen or so meters away from the canopies, and there were a lot of moving plants in this forest that swung their thick, branch-filled rattans to strike down their prey. The rattans would then wrap around their prey and stick their sharp barbs into its body to absorb nutrients. Occasionally, a flying car would run into some big birds as well. On a good day, these birds would ignore the foreign entity, but on a bad day they would attack anything that passed before their eyes even on a full belly. It was basically natures version of youre an eyesore and Im attacking you. Moving trees, big birds, predatory animals that could fly and so on these were all obstacles that would slow down a racing cars progress. Since the racing circuit was currently blocked off by an electric web, no birds or animals came within fifty meters of that area. A hundred or so meters away, Vege-Fritter was flew at the same flight level as the racing circuit. It travelled at a leisurely pace, recording everything it saw, heard and received (external signals) while refreshing its database constantly. Eh? That isolation web emits a kind of frequency that repels all nearby animals, but it doesnt actually affect the plants. In fact, some of these moving plants seem to be attracted to it! Vege-Fritter exclaimed in surprise. Cillin was very satisfied with Vege-Fritters initiative to analyse without needing a command. In the past, a self proclaimed smart ass tried to emulate the isolation webs frequency while they were passing through this area. Although they were successfully in repelling the birds and the animals, it was the exact opposite with the plants. In the end, they were dragged away by a rattan tree and had to await rescue. Naimi explained with a smile. Vege-Fritter, continue to collect all external signals as you are doing, and pay special attention to the audible and non-audible frequencies emitted by the animals and plants at the top of the local food chain. Okay! Cillin and Naimi werent doing nothing as they watched Vege-Fritter avoid the attacking birds and branches. They also jotted down noteworthy places so they could prepare countermeasures after they got back to the factory to avoid screwing up during the actual race. The deeper they travelled into the forest, the more attacks they received. In the end, Vege-Fritter failed to dodge all the attacks and was whipped twice by a tree. Suddenly, Vege-Fritters exterior began to transform into another form. Although it still looked like a round disc, it was now covered in tree branches and leaves. The rattan trees appearance wasnt the only thing it emulated, it was giving off the same scent as well. As a result, the rattan trees and other plants attacks had diminished considerably. Its load lightened, the only thing Vege-Fritter needed to focus on avoiding now was the animals attacks. Not bad, youre pretty smart! Cillin praised. Vege-Fritter let out a proud laugh, but it was immediately cut off by a big birds attack. A scratch mark was left on its exterior. Its bad to be complacent. Retribution is swift, isnt it? Cillin slapped his car seat once while saying. Oh. Vege-Fritter spoke like a child who had just been caught doing bad things. Naimi laughed loudly before patting the walls of the car, Let us go on the offense then! Take the fight to the bullies and show me what youre capable of! Cillin shot Naimi a glance but said nothing. Seemingly emboldened by Naimis words, Vege-Fritter began analysing its surroundings. Both Cillin and Naimi could see what it was planning through the control panels display. Is it going to Suddenly, Vege-Fritter fired off a bunch of laser blades and cut off the rattan trees branches before Naimi could finish his sentence. The chopped rattans were thrown into the air, and Vege-Fritter grabbed them as it was passing by using the mechanical arms it popped out of its exterior. Then, it swung the branches straight at the attacking birds. Cillin: ... How violent. The birds incessant cries could probably be heard a couple miles away from here. That being said, Vege-Fritters counter attack was pretty effective. The birds and the animals werent stupid, so most of them moved far, far away after deciding that Vege-Fritter was a real threat. A long silence later, Cillin said, Youre not going to be able to do this when were speeding in the actual race. Vege-Fritters movements halted for a second. Luckily for them, the whipping had been so terrible that no birds had decided to jump on the opportunity, not to mention that they were about to exit the rain forest area pretty soon. Thats another mistake you just made. Cillin said. Obviously, Vege-Fritter was also well aware that its earlier pause in movement was a mistake. Its okay, its not like were racing yet. For now, Vege-Fritters performance is adequate. Naimi said. Its adequate, but Ill be driving when were actually in the race. You should record what you learn from the race, there are many important things that youll learn only when youre actually competing. The latter half of the sentence was directed at Vege-Fritter. From the start, he wasnt planning to rely on the super AI he created for the entirety of the race. It really was made for a particular section of the race. Okay! Vege-Fritter sounded like it looked forward to this very much. And so the flying car passed through the sticky swamp area, the howling snow area, the vast desert area, the meandering mountain area and so on at the same pace. Three flying cars were parked at a cliff at a section of the mountain area. A few people could be seen leaning against their cars, laughing, drinking and chatting a little about the race. Suddenly, one of them spat out the alcohol in their mouth. Holy shit! A Vege-Fritter! Is my eyes playing tricks on me? Are you getting drunk already? How Holy shit! It actually is a Vege-Fritter! There are still people who parade themselves in a Vege-Fritter at this age and era? The man who said this seemed to find it very difficult to believe. Where did that car come from? A museum? Or an exhibition hall? Vege-Fritter flew past the mountain they were on in an instant. None of them noticed that Vege-Fritter wasnt flying during the first part of the circuit because it had transformed back to flight mode after detecting their presence. In his seat, Naimi watched the people standing at the cliff on the display and tabbed the back of his chair once. Whats so shameful about a Vege-Fritter? Naimi felt like gifting these people a brick to the face when he saw their disgusted looks. Technically, flying cars dont have shame. It wasnt a term that it should be burdened with either. It was a product that carried humanity through an era, and no one should deny its achievements even if it turned out to be flawed in many ways. It wasnt a failure, and it even had its moment of glory once upon a time. It was the brightest star of its era, and improved versions of it such as Crescent or Knife* wouldnt have existed if Vege-Fritter hadnt come first. *referring to the crescent-shaped and knife-shaped flying cars mentioned during earlier chapters The first time Naimi saw a Vege-Fritter, he was just a young kid. When he saw it sitting alone in his familys also the empires biggest and most complete flying car commemorative museum while being frequented by no one, he suddenly felt like he could hear its sorrowful cries. All other exhibition areas were surrounded by at least six circles of people as the self-proclaimed professionals boasted about their favorite flying cars. Naimi had felt that the flying car everyone derogatively called a vegetable fritter was just waiting for someone to save it from this lonely abyss. Compassion, understanding and dignity were all basic qualities of a person. However, these qualities normally werent reflected on an object such as a flying car. A lot of people couldnt understand the Sizer Familys obsession with flying cars and thought that it was just their way to earn money, but not everyone in the family was actually like that. At the very least, Naimi himself didnt love flying cars for the sake of profit. That emotion had come too quickly and too strongly to Naimi that day, and he had never forgotten about it. It was why Cillin had smiled when Naimi suggested to name their new flying car Vege-Fritter. Cillin thought from the bottom of his heart that the name was really good. A successful person didnt need to give themselves a deep sounding name because their name would become shiny on its own the moment they succeeded. Just the same, a successful flying car didnt need a name so flamboyant it almost seemed like it was afraid that people wouldnt recognize its depth. If it succeeds, then depth will come to it naturally. Naimi went to Cillin because he wanted to bring this discarded car back to the peak once more. He wanted to accompany it on its journey to the top, force everyone to recognize their own errors and take that heavy term of its back once and for all. Well win, Vege-Fritter! Of course. I think Ill win too! Vege-Fritter said affirmatively. Can you stop dreaming? Theres a problem we need to solve right away. Cillin cut off the duos conversation. What is it? Naimi asked in confusion. Did you bring any food along? Cillin looked at him. Naimi: ... Fuck! Chapter 264: The Brat No One Dares to Provoke Chapter 264: The Brat No One Dares to Provoke Naimi was so excited by the idea of taking Vege-Fritter out for a spin that he had forgotten that the test drive would take up a considerable amount of time and not fulfill his stomach along the way. But luckily for them they were inside the mountains, so it was possible to find wild fruits and small herbivores, not to mention that this was a remote planet that only got crowded during the races that occurred once every four years. It was why an abundant amount of resources and species could be maintained to this day. Cillin and Naimi got off a valley to search for food. There was a simple multi stage heater on the car that could heat up the food they gathered. Since no one had brought any seasoning with them, they had no choice but to search for spices or raw seasonings that could stimulate the sense of taste and make it easier to swallow. There was a rule that fires werent allowed to be started at places with rich flora. Not only that, it was illegal to create big fires using heating equipment such as electrical heaters, microwaves, laser equipment and so on. Anyone who got caught would be penalized accordingly or even disqualified in the case of a serious offense. Cillin and Naimi werent planning on making a feast. It was fine as long as the food was swallowable. Someones coming. Three cars, seven people. Vege-Fritter suddenly spoke up before displaying a hologram that showed their approximate distance. They mustve found us. Theyre obviously heading towards us. Naimi said while stuffing meat into his mouth. Cillin hadnt told Vege-Fritter to hide itself, so their discovery hadnt come as a surprise. None of the three flying cars that came after them possessed racing team logos that he recognized, so they were likely to be privately owned vehicles. They looked fearsome a flamboyant exterior with adorned with sharp, wavy patterns but they were not suitable for racing. Cillin could see that they were custom made vehicles, and that they had just been made recently. They were probably the new transports of some young nobles. As the cars came closer and closer, an arrogant voice blasted from the external speaker of the roof of the leading black car. Haha, are my eyes deceiving me? Or is a young master of the Sizer Family actually driving a relic from the past? Naimi felt nauseous the second he heard this voice. He spat out the meat inside his mouth, and Vege-Fritter very kindly held a nail-sized, wave focusing microphone right in front of him. Pah! Can you feel that saliva on your face? Do you think that your taste will grow better just because youre driving a car that only you think is flashy? An amateur who doesnt even know where an energy coupling device is installed inside a car will remain an amateur even if theyre driving the best flying car out there in the whole empire! Youre a slowpoke who drives like a freaking turtle and you think you have the right to question my preference!? The three cars stopped about twenty centimeters above ground before the passengers inside jumped off and landed safely on their feet. They were about as typical as a young noble could be, from garments that looked so flashy it was almost as if they were afraid that someone might fail to recognize them, to expressions of arrogance and disdain so frequently worn that they became more habitual than intentional. Did you twist your neck, Brielles? Whyre you holding your chin like that? Naimi called out the leading nobles peculiar gesture snappily. The way Brielle held his chin high and faced other people with his nose reminded Cillin of Pride from GAL. Brielles put Cillin out of his mind after glancing at him and confirming that he didnt recognize him one bit. Brielles remembered every noble descendant of the upper class roughly, but Cillin was clearly not in his list, so he thought that he was a flatterer of Naimis just like the ones behind him. Brielles looked at Vege-Fritter again before letting out a disdainful snort, Your taste really is something, Naimi. To think that you would bring out a literal relic like this back to life and parade it across the streets. I would be ashamed for you were I a member of the Sizer Family. We would definitely be ashamed if someone like you actually turned up in the family! Naimi sat on Vege-Fritters rim and stared right back at Brielles with equal disdain. Are you sure you have the right to say that? The Sizer Family is famous for their flying cars, right? So why arent you racing in the Winds of Freedom? Whats the point of showing off in minor races and nowhere else?! And who says Im not? Is something wrong with your eyes? Youre actually participating in this race? Brielles was very surprised. He was just saying it to kick Naimis edge down a notch; it was rare for anyone among the nobility to actually participate in a large-scale, high risk race like this without fear of consequences. Did the Sizer Family seriously gave permission to Naimi to participate in a race like this? Werent they afraid that it would turn out to be a one-way trip? Show off your pettiness at different place, Brielles, do you think everyones as cowardly as you are? Tsk. Whats with that glare? Not everyones a limp dick just because youre one! Brielles didnt actually look too angry despite Naimis scathing remark. He asked, Your father actually agreed to this? Of course he did! Naimi said proudly. Brielles rubbed his chin and looked around before pointing at Vege-Fritter. And youre going into the race using this thing? Naimi gave Vege-Fritter a pat. Exactly! Hahahaha Brielles and his followers laughed so hard that they nearly ran out of breath, but Cillin barely showed any reaction to their ridiculing laughter. There often was no better counterattack than the truth itself. They would learn soon enough just how wrong they were once the race had run its course. A moment of silence later, Brielles said, Hey Naimi, do you want to make a bet? What kind of bet? Naimi asked. Fifty million MB. Youre racing, arent you? If you manage to get into top five, then this money is all yours. Ceh, is that all? Do I look like that poor to you? Naimi kept up a tough appearance, but the fact was he really didnt have fifty million MB in his pockets, not to mention that it was enough money to build a second Vege-Fritter already. So he was tempted, of course. An extra fifty million MB in the pockets meant that he could modify Vege-Fritter further, upgrade most of its parts and enhance it in every department. Yes, or no. Thats all Im asking. Alright, lets do this then! Do you think Im scared of you?! There was no need for proof. They might act like a fop, but they had their own pride and honor. They would never renege on a verbal bet like this. Brielles laughed again when he shot a glance at Naimis Vege-Fritter. Naimi raised his eyebrows and was just about to say something when Vege-Fritter spoke up, Another flying car is headed this way. Theyll be arriving in fifteen seconds. Brielles laugh abruptly died in his throat, which prompted his followers to do the same. Unlike his followers who were looking confused, Brielles eyes were narrowed in disbelief. In fact, he was even more shocked than the time he saw Vege-Fritter making it back to the living. That thing had a super AI installed in it! Was Naimi an idiot? Had he gone insane?! There was absolutely no way he was going to win like this! Brielles was going to say something when the flying car Vege-Fritter mentioned finally showed up. It was exactly fifteen seconds. The new car wasnt as showy as Brielles and his followers cars, but it was still very new. Moreover, it looked like a war blade one with a blood groove no less but of course scale wise it wasnt as long as the real thing. Still, the immediate impression the vehicle gave was a deadly, hidden war blade that would cut through anything that stood in its way. The vehicle was extremely well made, and made up of nearly the best equipment the military had to offer. After having assembled a real flying car with his own hands, Cillin could now gather some info about a certain flying car immediately just by glancing, listening and feeling the way it cut through the air. That being said, a military vehicle? Who on earth was the owner of the car? It was clear that it was coming for them too. Brielles and Naimi wisely kept their mouths shut. They werent ignorant, and as members of the upper nobility they instinctively knew that the passengers of that car were no ordinary people, even though their depth of professional knowledge wasnt as deep as Cillins. The flying car finally descended on the ground, and its door opened like a blade that was being unsheathed. The person who appeared though didnt quite match the outlook of the vehicle, so much so that the people behind Brielles felt like laughing there and then. However, they dared not act out of turn because Brielles hadnt given any clear indication of action yet. It was a kid who had jumped out of that menacing flying car, and it was even someone Cillin whom recognized. It was none other than Teita. An elderly, familiar-looking servant and three bodyguards stood behind the boy. Brielles and Naimis eyes twitched the second they saw Teita. What is this kid doing here! Some time ago, the Yurong Family one of the three heads of the military had made an announcement among the upper class nobility to declare the existence of Yurong Teita. Anyone slightly below the rankings wouldnt even know about this. Yurong Teita was Sir Yurongs youngest son you heard that right: not grandson, but son and as the saying goes when an old oyster produces a pearl, it becomes very protective of it. Sir Yurong* was normally very strict with his own children, but his youngest son was an exception to the rule. *imagine your grandpa having a new son, in case it isnt clear enough. Currently, everyone in the upper nobility knows about Yurong Teita. There were two kids in the empire that no one except those under the emperor and the three kings dared to provoke, and they were Yurong Teita and Gleason Dodge. It was well known and with precedent to boot that anyone who provoked them would be landed in a pile of deep shit, and it was why Brielles was currently experiencing the regret of his life. I mustve been possessed by idiocy when I drove all the way here just to trade spits with Naimi. Seriously though, what is this hot potato doing in this place! Seniority wise, Teita was a level above everyone present! Teita didnt shoot anyone a sideway glance. He walked straight towards Cillin. Why didnt you greet me when you saw me, Cillin? That was what he said, but anyone could see that Teita wasnt scolding Cillin at all. He obviously looked very happy to have encountered a familiar face as he ran and stood next to Cillin. Long time no see. Dont you have homework and missions to finish? Cillin asked. In fact, Id just finished a mission my teacher gave me, and he was so happy with the results that he gave me a long vacation, just enough to watch this race! Ive been looking forward to this since a long time ago, and I just arrived today! I have no idea that Id run into you on a random spin around the place though. Its so nice to meet a familiar face. Teita chirped happily. Both Brielles and Naimi thought at the same time: your teacher obviously opened you a back door! Those old foxes may look like model teachers and everything, but theres no way those they would fail to read that honest face of yours! Whod dare to make you sad in this empire?! Hey, what were you guys talking just now? Teita asked with a look of deep curiosity. Cillin turned to look at Brielles and Naimi. Brielles opened his mouth, but he couldnt force out a sound no matter how he tried. One of his followed thought that he was too lazy to speak, and he was just about to answer like the loyal dog he was when Brielles caught him in the act and elbowed him right in the stomach. It was such a painful blow that he swallowed all his words with a painful look on his face. The rest of Brielles people still couldnt understand the meaning of this, but they all wisely kept their mouths shut. Seeing that he would get no answer from Brielles, Teita turned to look at Naimi. Naimi gave the boy a stiff smile, having no idea how best to react to a dangerous character like this. We were making a bet just now. Naimi answered. What bet? After Naimi was done explaining, Teita looked at Cillin, Are you racing together with him? Cillin nodded, Yeah, I am. Alright, Im partaking in this bet as well! I bet that you guys will win the bet! Brielles smile was quite stiff. God dammit, why are you meddling in an adults affairs, kid!? If Naimi lost youre definitely going to be unhappy, and were the ones who have to suffer for it! Sure, at worst Im going to get yelled at by my parents, but its still uncalled for! Brielles didnt want to stay for even a second longer after this. After making up a random excuse, he escaped with his followers at top speed. Chapter 265: Match Begin! Untraceable! Naimi didnt relax much despite Bruces departure, staring at Cillin and Teita as they chatted with each other. He seriously didnt expect Cillin to be so friendly with Teita. The fact that Sir Yurongs youngest son was a wee younger than even his grandson was something not many people knew at all until the news was announced by the family head himself. Even those who did had only heard of Teita; they had never seen him in real life before. On the same day Teita was recruited into the youth class of AF1, Sir Yurong was so happy that he publicized his youngest sons existence for the first time. The declaration itself was also a warning: no one touches my son, or Ill maim or murder you even at the cost of my life! Everyone in the upper nobility knew that Sir Yurong wasnt one to throw empty words, and then he was entirely serious when he made the threat. Since no one wanted to face Sir Yurongs wrath, they instructed their children never to provoke Teita. Unfortunately, it meant that no one was willing to interact with the youngest, most pampered son of the Yurong Family. Even those who did want to get close to Teita couldnt help but worry since their attempts might backfire on them, so they just opted to avoid him entirely. As a result, Teita barely knew a handful of familiar faces despite his age. Teita asked to follow when Cillin got ready to leave. After all, he was here to enjoy a vacation. How he planned to have fun was entirely his own decision. That was how many people came to witness an odd scene that day: a relic Vege-Fritter and an absolutely intimidating flying car flying side by side. Teita knew little about flying cars, so he wasnt as shocked as the people around him in regards to Vege-Fritter. The reason he was curious was because Vege-Fritter could speak like a robot. The car his dad gifted him also had a super AI installed, but didnt his brothers tell him that racing cars normally didnt come with such systems? Teita was very young, so he was incapable of driving his own flying car at the moment. That was why Sir Yurong had purposely hired a driver to drive Teita around. The drivers driving skills were in no way inferior to the racers of the Winds of Freedom at all. After the first test drive was done, Cillin and Teita landed at a large rest point. A lot of racing teams were parked here, and individual bases were set up so that the best repairs could be provided to their own automobiles. Of course, they didnt trust anyone who wasnt part of the team and stayed constantly alert because deception and trickery happened every term. Their own maintenance staff aside, the Sizer Family repairmen working at the Sizer Family public repair points were the only outsiders they really trusted. Countless racing team logos were raised high up in the air, including powerful longtime contenders such as Spearhead, Aero, Lightning and so on. Spearhead and Lightning were originally grassroots racing teams. As their need for capital and development grew, they gradually acquired the sponsorship of some nobles and financial groups. Backed by a tremendous amount of capital, both racing teams grew better and better. In return, they nurtured quite a number of excellent racers for the nobles. There were plenty of racing teams like them, and flying cars were by nature a very costly investment, especially when they were racing in big races like this one. It was simply impossible for a racing team to continue existing without the support of a powerful group. Aero was a racing team that belonged to a spaceplane manufacturing company, which was why most of their flying cars were made from parts of a spaceplane. They were known as the racing team whose automobiles were the closest to a spaceplane, and their parent company had worked with the Sizer Family on several Whirlwind projects in the past. There were a lot of people who envied them. Technically, Cillin and Naimi didnt belong to any racing team, but if they had to choose a side it would probably be the Sizer Family*. That was why they headed straight to the public repair point. *normally, the organizer of a competition also participating in the competition itself constitutes a huge conflict of interest, but it was mentioned earlier that the track is randomised so that not even the Sizer Family knows what will come out in the end. That being said its still a huge wtf, although not uncommon at all. A real life example would be OGN having a CJ Entus team participating in OGN LoL. Teita joined Cillin the moment he got off the car, his old servant following closely behind. There was a saying that all visitors are guests, and they were in the Sizer Familys territory, so Naimi was obligated to show them hospitality. That was why he had invited Teita and his people to head over to the repair point and rest. Cillin and Naimis Vege-Fritter attracted nearly everyones attention. It was the subject of great mockery, and the crowds disdain only increased when they noticed that the Vege-Fritter was headed towards the public repair point. They found it difficult to mount any respect towards a relic that didnt even have a racing team of its own. However, when they noticed that the racers coming out of the public repair point displaying an unusual amount of respect towards Cillin and Naimi, some of the crowd was smart enough to notice and shut their mouths. Not long after, a few PICs walked out from inside the repair point and led the new arrivals into a room while wearing friendly smiles on their faces. Hey, who are those people? No idea, but they look like pretty important people. Theyre driving a Vege-Fritter though? Who knows, maybe thats their fetish. Of course, there were some people from every racing team who recognized Naimi; both Cillin and Naimi had taken off their helmets after they got out of the car. It was also why they told their squadmates to keep their voices down. They were on the Sizer Familys territory, and it would be foolish to criticize them and be penalized as a result, even if they were the ones who did something embarrassing. There werent many important nobles who frequented places like these such as Naimi and Brielles, so nobody had recognized Teita. The young nobles including Gen Xingming and his friends had gone away to have fun, and Cillin didnt think it was necessary, or that it was his turn to worry about them. Naimi had informed his family about Teita prior to their arrival, so everyone who came out to welcome them were people who had real authority in those repair points. It was to show that Teita mattered to them. Normally, no business family would turn down the opportunity to improve their relationship with the military, especially since the Sizer Familys relationship with the military was so-so at best. It was the reason why they had never been able to incorporate military use vehicles into their races. Originally, the Sizer Family was planning to stick by the rules of professionalism when they caught wind of Teitas arrival, but Naimis report had deeply shaken their original resolve. This was an opportunity, a rare opportunity. General Yurong wouldnt give a damn if they became friends with his older sons, but Teita? It might just be a completely different story. They simply couldnt let this chance slip past their fingers. Thanks to this, the familys dissatisfaction towards Cillin and Naimis Vege-Fritter had also largely subsided. After resting for a moment, Cillin and Naimi got ready to head back to Flekas. Teita announced that he would like to follow them too. The maintenance staff of this repair point had wanted to give Vege-Fritter a quick checkup, but they just couldnt find a good place to start even after Cillin and the others had returned. It was because this Vege-Fritter was very different from the relic they knew, not to mention that the super AI itself had forbidden them from touching it. Its fine, we can deal with Vege-Fritter ourselves. Go spend your energy somewhere else. Naimi said while jumping into the car after the door had slid open automatically. Cillin brought the car up into the air slowly. He had also rolled down the window so that he could speak with the people on the ground as he waited for Teita and his servants to follow them. It was at this moment a flying car passed right by Vege-Fritter. The car wasnt moving quickly, but they were less than five meters away from Cillin when they passed by them. Cillin turned around to look at the inconspicuous, silver-colored flying car with puzzlement. Whats wrong? Do you know them? Naimi tipped his chin towards the silver car. Cillin shook his head as his eyes returned to normal. In his head though, he though: Was that her? Why is she here? What happened? Although he couldnt see who was inside that silver car, he had heard some soft noises during that brief moment of contact the passengers clearly hadnt activated the soundproofing system that was how he had deduced who was inside that car. Moreover, Cillin had felt three different gazes on him when they passed by each other. One of them was Sula, a member of the Gen Family he had met in the past. Sula wasnt accompanying Gen Xingyao this time, but the two people he didnt recognize probably belonged to the Gen Family as well. There was no way they were here just to watch the race. Could they be protecting a member of the Gen Family? The personnel tasked to guard Gen Xingming were fixed, and from what he heard from Gen Xingming neither Gen Xingyao nor Gen Xingchen would be showing up for the race. In that case, why on earth were they here? Their motive puzzled Cillin deeply; there had to be a reason why Sula had intentionally flown by their vehicle like this. Perhaps she was trying to warn him about something. By now Teitas car had gotten up to eye level. Lets go! Teita said while leaning against the car window. Okay. The windows rolled up, and both cars quickly vanished before their sight. Meanwhile, at the resting point, a racing team was talking to each other. The main focus of their subject wasnt on the Vege-Fritter, however. It was Cillin they were talking about. Are you sure? The current leader of Spearhead asked to his own sister. Tobia nodded. Im at least eighty percent certain. His back looks very familiar to me! I think so too. He was wearing a workers hat at the time, so we couldnt see his face clearly. We havent paid close attention to him because we were in a hurry, and most of our focus was on the car. However, his body size is almost identical to what I remember of him. The way he walks, the rhythm and even the distance between each footstep is very similar as well. Qiu Xu added. Its probably him then. Danny trusted Qiu Xus judgment. If that was her conclusion, then it must be correct. Cillin didnt know that there were people who were guessing his identity at the repair point. Right now, his main focus was on Sulas message. Sula probably didnt expect him to notice her, did she? Was it some sort of test then? After he had returned to Flekas place, the first thing Cillin did was to contact Wheeze. Honestly, he was surprised that the gray cat hadnt contacted him after so long. Normally, it wouldve called him by now. Sure, it was probably busy managing its fish pond, but it wasnt like it was hunting a prey right now. Its patience really shouldnt last this long if it was just fish farming. Cillin didnt think that any danger had befallen Wheeze because Genya was present, and it was currently staying in the Gen Familys headquarters. Moreover, that cat was pretty adept at using its social network to attain its goals. This meant that something else mustve caught Wheezes attention. Cillin pressed Genyas contact number and stared at his mentor through the screen. It looked like he was recovering nicely. He asked about Wheeze after briefly talking about what he had been doing as of late, and Genya smiled. It was going to be a pleasant surprise for you when you return, but since youre asking now here, take a look. Genya moved to a certain spot and pointed the communicator at the scene ahead of him for Cillin. The fish pond was larger than the he last remembered it, and the lotus flowers that used to adorn the water surface were all gone. Wheeze was currently crouching beside the fish pond. Occasionally, it would grab a piece of meat from a plate next to it and toss it over to the pond, and a strange creature would jump out and catch it. The creature would either swim backwards in a straight line or circle around the pond every time it was done eating, all the while making barking sounds that made it sounded like a seal. At first, Cillin really thought that the creature inside the pond was a seal-like animal, but when Wheeze tossed another meat into the pond, the creature started chirping like a cicada. The third time, it barked like a dog. The fourth time, it roared like a lion. Cillin stared at the screen with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Is he watching a pet training exercise? Is that Wheezes pet? Cillin didnt know that a strange piece of news was circulating within the Gen Family as of late. It started like this: Some time ago, a person who went to see Genya noticed there was a deep blue reptile crouching next to the newly built fish pond. For whatever reason, the pitiful creature didnt retaliate despite being slapped repeatedly on the head by a gray cat that was at least several times smaller than it was. The second time the same person went to see Genya, the same reptile still didnt retaliate as it was being slapped by the gray cat that was now ten times smaller than it was. The third time they went to see Genya, the gray cat was now dozens of times smaller than the reptile, but nothing had changed in the slightest You see that? Genya pointed, Wheeze is busy training its pet lately. Cillin thought for a moment before asking, Was it that egg? Wheeze had nearly devoured all of the sea beast eggs it acquired from that planet like they were nothing more but candy, but this egg alone had the luck of being Wheezes plaything for a considerable amount of time. Cillin never thought that it would hatch so soon, however. Wheeze finally noticed that something was amiss and looked at Genyas communicator. Wheeze, Cillin saw everything. Genya walked over with a smile on his face and passed the communicator to Wheeze. The gray cat flicked its ears unhappily because its surprise was spoiled ahead of time. What do you think, Cillin? This is my new pet, in times of need it may even function as a food source! Wheeze said with a pleased expression. The fellow inside the pond shrank visibly when the gray cat said this. What is its name? Cillin asked. I was going to call it Balls* since it hatched from an egg, but grandpa two said that it isnt very nice, and that I should give it a fearsome name. So after spending two days flipping through a countless amount of data, I finally found with the perfect name! *You are meant to interpret this sexually Cillin had a bad feeling about this, so he decided to ignore that grandpa two title for now and asked, What is it? I call it Third*! *I wouldve translated this as Mistress since in Chinese it implies the third person in a relationship, but I couldnt for reasons youll see immediately Cillin: ... Wheeze even lifted a finger proudly as it explained, You see, Im the world no.1 and youre the no. 2, so I decided to call it Third. Cillin facepalmed as he said, Rejected! Wheezes whiskers trembled when it saw that its suggestion was shot down by Cillin, but before it could argue Cillin said, If you call it Third, then what about Snowball, Sigma, Czedow and Scarlet Wind? Wheeze shifted its ears backwards and fell silent. It was how it acted every time it fell behind an argument. In Wheezes head, everything was ranked by familiarity, so everything old was filtered from its head until it was reminded of them. Alright, go figure out something better. Tell me first when youve thought of one! Hmph! Wheeze pressed the end call button immediately, swayed its tail and walked back towards the pond. Ill think of a new name for you! The sea beast swimming underneath the water wagged its tail happily. Finally, it didnt need to suffer such a terrible name anymore! Bark bark bark bark* *seal, not dog Shut up, dont think I dont know that youre meowing laughing under the water! Genya shook his head and slowly walked back to his rocking chair beside the tree. He sat down, closed his eyes and rested. Cillins smile slowly vanished after the call broke off. He hadnt just communicated verbally with Wheeze, he had also used non-sound wave machine language that Genya didnt recognize, and wouldnt recognize until Cillin believed that it was the right time one day. Right now, Genya needs to rest and recuperate. Wheeze might be training its pet lately, but it hadnt neglected its information gathering activities. From Wheeze, Cillin learned that Gen Liao had sent some men to the race in secret. On the surface, they were there to assist the Sizer Family in managing Whirlwind. Beneath the surface, they were there because they received a secret report that Black Viper was lurking somewhere. If Black Viper was moving, then their target could be Cillin himself. No one was certain, but it was better to be safe than sorry. That was why Gen Liao had sent some people over. No wonder he felt like he was watched a couple of times already, although the gazes he sensed were probably all from Gen Liaos men. So far, he hadnt seen anyone that came from Black Viper yet. The RAS had developed a new scanner since that incident. Assuming Black Viper hadnt developed a new stealth technology, they would be able to detect any robot infiltrators at first notice. The Sizer Family themselves had set up multiple passes and scan barriers to prevent any kind of unlawful entry into the planet. However, no one could say that their security wasnt foolproof. Black Viper always tended to surprise everyone after all. Cillin told Wheeze to keep investigating and report to him once it found something. His request for Wheeze to find a new name for its pet was a good excuse for Wheeze to call him again. A few days prior to the match, Cillin and Naimi went out again in Vege-Fritter. Sometimes they let Vege-Fritter take over the wheel when they felt tired, although Cillin was driving most of the time. After that, they started analyzing the weather conditions of each circuit. As more and more people visited the planet, Wheeze finally contacted Cillin again. Unfortunately, Wheeze didnt have much information to offer him, probably because Gen Liao himself hadnt figured out much yet. Wheeze wanted to join him, but he forbade it. For one, it was already too late. And two, it would draw great suspicion onto both of them. In the end, they agreed that Wheeze should continue to train its pet and accompany Genya at the courtyard. Very soon, the day everyone was expecting arrived. Just as Cillin and Naimi had agreed earlier, Naimi placed a rainbow lamp in Cillins room and set the color choice to be random. Cillin would choose whichever racing track color that matched the first color he saw in the morning. When Cillin woke up on the day of the match, the rainbow lamp was glowing red. Naimi was happy because there was an old saying called a red start*! *it means a good beginning. Red is a lucky color in the Chinese culture. Mm, this is a good sign. Ive a good feeling about our ranking for the first circuit. The top 3 is right in front of us! Naimi declared confidently. Dont you think youre being a little overconfident right now? There has been cases where the red circuit turned out to be the longest one of them all. Fleka said as he walked over. He came because he thought that Cillin and Naimi would need him to clear out some anxiety, but the first thing he heard after arriving was Naimis bold claim. Uncle, you are my real uncle, right? How can you say that? Anyway, Im glad to see you two doing well. Keep it up, and dont forget Safety first! Cillin and Naimi said at the same time before Fleka could finish. Good. Just think of this race as a rare experience. You dont have to stake your own lives like those other racers. Remember, your lives are much more important than theirs. We got it, uncle, we know. Didnt you check Vege-Fritters safety measures already? Dont you feel even a bit of confidence? It has nothing to do with confidence Lets go lets go its time to step onto the stage and flash the hell out of everyones eyes! Not wanting to listen to Flekas ramblings any longer, Naimi beckoned Cillin, jumped into Vege-Fritter and drove straight toward the racing ground. The racing circuits covered the entire planet. The racers would start off at First Rainbow before proceeding onto the rainforest area, swamp area, snow area, desert area, sea area and finally the mountain area. Spectator stations were set up in each circuit so that the spectators could watch the race through the provided viewpoints whenever they wished. The circuits werent designed to have plenty of straight lines. There were so many turns and corners that it would take even the fastest racer a lot of time to finish the race. Therefore, if permitted by time, the spectators could proceed to the next circuit and continue watching the race. The Sizer Family was working together with several major media companies to track and broadcast the whole race so that those viewers who couldnt show up personally would be able to watch it on specific channels. Naturally, the further apart the two planets were, the longer the delay between the broadcast and the actual race. The ticket to the first circuit was the most expensive out of all seven circuits, but that didnt stop it from being the most popular ticket. Every participating automobile and racer was introduced during the opening ceremony, and of course the veteran teams won the most attention. Every time their automobile made an appearance, the spectator stand would bubble up in excitement. The pyramidical flying car Cillin saw some time ago was participating in the race as well, although it wasnt Spearheads first seed. Cillin and Naimi entered the stage last, although to be fair they had come into the match during the last minute. All the madness from earlier couldnt save Vege-Fritter from being greeted with absolute silence, until the first snort broke out and led to a roar of laughter. This wasnt the first time they were laughed at, so Cillin and Naimi had grown enough skin to enter the stage calmly. The person in charge of the mike was just about to introduce Vege-Fritter, the racer and the navigator when someone shouted through a megaphone, Cillin, Naimi, Vege-Fritter do your best! It was Teita who let out the cheer. The spectators laughed even harder when they heard Teitas childish shout, and someone even tried to mock him until the muzzle of a gun was shoved against their head. After that, everyone learned that there was a kid who was best left unprovoked. Teita wasnt the only one who was cheering Cillin and Naimi on. Gen Xingming and co.s shouts of support surprised the youngsters who were watching the race beside them. Are the passengers of that relic their acquaintances? Gen Xingming pointed at Cillin and said, Thats my bro right there! Which translated to, I dont care what hes driving, but you aint allowed to mock him, you hear me!? Cillin told Naimi to prepare some calming and antihypertensive drugs one day before the match. They were one of the few drugs racers were allowed to bring during the race. After the racers and the items they carried had all been verified, the flying cars moved to their chosen circuit. The First Rainbow is a cylindrical-shaped circuit made of seven special materials. Each racing track had a unique color of its own, and no one in the race could look into another track. Each track was identifiable by color, but only at the beginning because the colors eventually faded away into one color. When that happens, it becomes very difficult for the spectators to identify which racing track a racing car was on, especially because the racing tracks were closely tangled like the knot of a rope. The media would follow the racing cars from behind and make their reports. It would take about half a minute before the overall length and difficulty of a racing track could be identified. There were many who claimed that the first circuit was very unfair, but the world itself was an unfair place filled with randomness in the first place. The reason the Sizer Family included randomness into their race was to inform people of this undeniable fact. Of course, bets were involved in the race. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that every spectator be it the ones on the platform or those watching from other planets were hoping that the team they supported would select a shorter racing track. Cillin drove Vege-Fritter onto the red racing track. There were three other flying cars who chose the same track as they did. For better or worse, none of them were former top 3s. Not many people chose red this time, and the racing track with the highest amount of vehicles twelve in total turned out to be purple. After every racer had sent out the ready signal to the person in charge, the latter declared the countdown of the match. The spectators were silent when the clock started counting down from ten. They were all holding their breaths and waiting for that moment to arrive. Naimi shot a glance at Cillin. The young mans eyes were closed, and he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the control panel. His breathing was so even that Naimi almost thought that Cillin had fallen asleep. Naimi felt his own excitement-induced anxiety brimming inside his own heart. This was his first big race, and the most important race he had ever participated in his life, but thanks to Cillin he felt his breathing grow a lot stiller. When the countdown ended and the horns blared, the entire planet boiled up in passionate cries. Vege-Fritter surged forward when the horns blared, but Cillin didn''t drive into the inner lane as quickly as possible like the rest of his competitors. The spectators watched the race through the giant screen provided or their own equipment. So far, nothing interesting was happening at the red racing track. The three flying cars were moving at about the same pace, but Vege-Fritter, as expected, lagged behind a lot. I told you this relic isn''t suited for racing! That''s why I wisely chose not to bet any money on it. My bet is on Spearhead. I''m betting on Aero! I betting on Lightnings first seed! Cillin neither knew nor cared what the others were saying about them. Right now, he was fully focused on flying the way he had planned out beforehand. There weren''t many curves or spirals during the first part of the track. They were also easy to run through and suited for speeding. But Cillin didn''t speed up to max immediately. We can go faster, Cillin. Naimi urged after they had fallen behind. No hurry. Cillin said calmly. But we''re in a speeding lane. We''ll lose out a lot if we keep running at this speed! Don''t worry. Vege-Fritter continued to accelerate at the same pace. The three cars ahead moved further and further away from them, and Naimi was just about to voice out his worries again when Cillin said, Do you remember the time I told you that you need to spend time winding up your body to the right level, or your performance will suffer? Naimi did remember now that he mentioned it, but he hadn''t taken it to heart. Naimi didnt believe he needed much wind up time because he literally grew up with flying cars! Half a minute later, when the conclusive reports of the racing tracks conditions came out, Fleka thought: It''s over. As it turned out, not only was the red track the longest track of them all, and it also had more junctions/intersection/nodes and spirals than any other racing track. Cillin and Naimi had chosen the worst possible starting point out of all seven! Gen Xingming was feeling very dejected as well. It was to the point where even his excitement had dimmed a little. Teita didn''t feel dejected though. He was of the opinion that the first circuit didn''t matter too much because it was just one out of seven circuits. Even if Cillin and Naimi failed to get good results during the first circuit, they still had six remaining chances to fight their competitors on even ground. That would be when their skills were truly tested. Just because a child tripped while they were learning how to run, didn''t mean that they were actually incapable of running. Just when everyone thought that it was impossible for the Vege-Fritter to get back into the race, just when Naimi himself was feeling cold feet after he learned about the track conditions, Vege-Fritter had sped up to a point where it was positively dangerous to round a corner. Even better, it was still accelerating. By the time Naimi regained his cool and checked the speedometer on the display, he nearly jumped on his feet. We need to slow down, we''re about to hit a spiral! It''s fine. Cillin looked as casual as ever, but his hands hadn''t slowed down one bit. It''s not! We''re might run into an accident if we accelerate any further than this. It''s not like our situation is hopeless because our track is the hardest of them all. We still have plenty of chances to catch up! This is just the first of seven circuits! Naimi actually started consoling Cillin, believing that Cillin was speeding because of the bad news. The spiral wasn''t your standard flat-land left or right turn, or consecutive hairpin turns. The spiral was literally shaped like a spiral, and the shape of spirals weren''t uniform. Both big and small spirals joined to make one complex spiralling track, and it was followed by a number of spins and even an inverted 270 degrees half-helix turn. No turn had one fixed radian, and sometimes it felt like the circuit was tied into a knot. As a result, the racer was forced to adjust their flight path according to the road conditions ahead of them almost all the time. Turns like these couldn''t be solved with drifting alone. That was why most racers would choose to slow down on a circuit like this instead of accelerating at max speed. Naimi was advising Cillin to slow down when suddenly, he realized that he could no longer see the racing track in front of him clearly. Was that a turn they just passed through just now? It probably was. Now it was a spiral, or was it two spirals? He couldn''t tell. For the first time, Naimi doubted his own eyesight. Despite having flown through countless spirals in his life, he couldn''t accurately tell the strange scene that was happening before his eyes. Then he glanced at the speedometer and felt his feet shaking unconsciously in reaction. Meanwhile, the commentator was talking about the leading flying cars. Aero, a flying car that was shaped like a swordfish was currently leading at first place. It was able to round corners at high speed because of its curvy exterior and the racer''s impeccable driving skills. Not far behind Aero''s top seed was Spearhead''s knife-shaped car and Lightning''s crescent-shaped car. These three vehicles carried the audiences emotions to a new peak, and it made them feel like they were sitting right in those cars experiencing both weightlessness and excessive force all at once. It was so exciting their kidneys kept pumping adrenaline into their veins. Most of the audiences were flying car hobbyists, and they had all run a spiral or two in their lives. They all could understand just how it felt to lose sense of gravity again and again at those speeds. A weak hearted or ill prepared person could easily lose consciousness from sheer anxiety under such conditions, in fact the weaker minded audiences were feeling short of breath already. The commentator was working on carrying the audiences to a new high when suddenly, his passionate voice came to a sudden stop. Eh? On the red track, the Vege-Fritter that had been forgotten by everyone had somehow pulled closer to the three flying cars ahead of it before anyone realized it. In fact, it was gradually gaining ground on them. Look! It''s the Vege-Fritter we''ve all thrown to the back of our minds! It''s here, it''s actually catching up! Oh my god this is unbelievable, I''ve just received news that the Vege-Fritter is still accelerating at this moment! What''s going on!? What happened to it!? The three flying cars leading ahead of Cillin sped up as he gradually caught up. Since none of these flying cars were seeds, their overall skill and power were obviously inferior to other racers. This also meant that the racers in the red racing track was the overall last place out of all other racing tracks. However, the commentator still couldn''t help but be impressed by the Vege-Fritter just judging from the data he had gotten. Holding the navigator''s chair with a death grip, Naimi made sure to stare at the still climbing speedometer instead of the front mirror. He was afraid that he would faint if he tried. He could tell from motion alone whether they were passing through a turn, spiral or a junction, but exactly how many spirals they had passed through, he couldn''t tell. It was exactly because he knew how difficult the track was that he was shaking. At this rate they would die, they really would! However, Naimi slowly recovered from his shock as they passed through one spiral after another. Earlier, Naimi had ridiculed Bryce for fearing death, but in reality there was no one who didnt fear death. However, under certain circumstances it was possible for other emotions to overcome even the fear of death. This feeling was commonly known as ones deepest emotions. Right now, Naimi was undergoing exactly such a change. His fear toward death was slowly being converted towards this so-called deepest emotions. Meanwhile, the media discovered that their tracking camera was losing track of the Vege-Fritter speeding down the lane. Every tracking camera at every track shared the same speed, but this particular flying car was moving so fast that they had lost track of it. The person in charge of the red racing track requested to increase the cameras moving speed, or he wouldnt be able to catch the Vege-Fritter on camera. Chapter 266: Did They Cheat? The person responsible for tracking the red racing track sent a relevant footage to support his request after making his report. It didnt take long before he received a message notifying him that tweaking the camera tracking speed of the entire track was unnecessary; they would be sending someone to follow the Vege-Fritter specifically. At the same time, nearly every big media and the Sizer Familys research team were following the race and the flying cars from every angle. Naturally, they noticed Cillin and Naimis progress as well. Since Naimi, a member of their family was participating in the race, they had sent someone to follow him even though he hadnt looked good at the beginning of the race. In fact, the main reason they did it was to be able to respond immediately in case the Vege-Fritter got into an accident, not because they were expecting to be wowed. It looks like Naimi isnt who we think he is after all. A person-in-charge said. Another person agreed. Youre right. This is a show of their true strength. It isnt that no one has ever attempted a circular, cyclical design in the past, but no one was truly able to express its strength to the max. That was why the Vege-Fritter was disqualified in the first place. This racer though, he can clearly handle this design! If I remember correctly, this design functions with a combination of electromagnetic effects and AI control. This is so that the racer can exploit the cars rotation and take corners faster. But that design has always existed in theory only, I never thought Id be able to see it come true one day. The racers control over the spiral curve and activation corner is practically perfect. Another person pointed at a slow-motion video of the Vege-Fritter while saying. If I remember correctly, One of the Vege-Fritters back was designed using the Squamous Propulsion Model, right? Everyone fell silent the moment the Squamous Propulsion Model entered the conversation. A dozen or so seconds later, someone said, The Squamous Propulsion Model only exists in theory, assuming they had made their car based on the old design. However, no one could say if Squamous Propulsion Theory still remained a theory because a theory had just turned into reality just a moment ago. All vehicles that had evolved from Vege-Fritter and several newer car models had tried to include the Squamous Propulsion Model in their design, but none of them had actually worked as intended when deployed in actual races. When everyone realized that it was impossible to realize the Squamous Propulsion Model at least not exactly as the theory states they had no choice but to make some changes to better fit reality. The variations of the original Squamous Propulsion Model were given different names based on their shape and style. Aeros pyramid-shaped flying car, Spearhead blade-shaped flying car and Lightnings crescent-shaped flying car were all using secondary propulsion units that were designed using bits of the Squamous Propulsion Model. For example, Aeros flying car had secondary propulsion units in certain areas that made it resemble the pelvic fin, pectoral fin and caudal fin of a fish. Spearhead and Lightnings flying cars also had secondary propulsion units that fitted their design. Secondary propulsion units makes a flying car go faster, but it also demands more from the driver in control. A single mistake could cause unimaginable consequences, and in severe cases both car and man could easily perish in an accident. However, that was part of the excitement of a race. Cillin slowly caught up to the three flying cars that were ahead of him. One of the racers was probably too nervous while they were speeding and feeling the pressure from Cillins Vege-Fritter, because they slipped up and crashed against the wall while they were passing through a spiral. Thankfully, the flying car had sufficient safety measures, and the people inside the vehicle were in no life threatening danger. The support staff would soon arrive and lift them away for treatment. They werent the first car to make a mistake; several others had screwed up before them. That being said, most of the competitors were performing well. Cillin zoomed past his two remaining competitors in the red track and went further and further ahead. The red track was supposed to be the longest track with the highest amount of spirals and intersections. It had to be the most taxing and time consuming track out of all seven. But at this rate The technicians were analyzing Vege-Fritter from the outside, not knowing that Naimi, the navigator himself was even more astonished than they were. Naimi knew that Vege-Fritter had great flying speed, but that was only on a straight track with barely any obstacles. Right now they were facing spiral after spiral, intersection after intersection one after the other! Even better, Vege-Fritter barely slowed down when it made all those turns! Finally recovering, Naimi checked the latest circuit conditions and rankings as announced by the officials. We have a chance, we absolutely have a chance here! Cillin kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the control panel. What surprised Naimi was that Cillins actions be it the left hand or the right hand were a complete blur to him. Even if Naimi concentrated with all his might, he just couldnt catch Cillins movements clearly. Cillins driving skills were far better than he and everyone else imagined. How many spirals and intersections are left? asked Cillin. His eyes never left the front mirror, however. Naimi sucked in a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then, he began analyzing the situation, Excluding the one we just passed through, there are seventy three spirals left to go. Twenty nine of them are triple loops or more. As for intersections, there are seventeen; five big, twelve small. A quadruple loop spiral is right ahead of us, the numbers are Although Naimi was speaking clearly and concisely, his legs were still shaking, and the fingers touching the display screen were still ice cold. However, he was no longer frozen in fear like he was before. Burning hot excitement was slowly but surely replacing his emotions. Now this is racing, real racing! Cillin didnt need much advice or supplementary analysis. In fact, Naimi felt that Cillin couldve performed even without a navigator. By now, the two flying cars behind them had completely vanished from view. Vege-Fritter also jumped up by one on the overall ranking board. Finally, the audiences at the stands learned that the so-called relic was baring its fangs on the tracks. When thirty three spirals were left on the red race track, Vege-Fritter had climbed to the forty first place. When nineteen spirals were left, Vege-Fritter had climbed all the way to the eleventh place. When the seven spirals were left, Vege-Fritter had reached the fourth place and was right behind the top three seeds. Live or not, everyone watching the race had gone wild at this point. The reasons were simple: One, the Vege-Fritter was racing on the red track, also known as the unluckiest race track of this years Winds of Freedom. Two, the car that entered their sight was a Vege-Fritter, a relic that had been abandoned to history many years ago. Three, no one had even heard of this dark horse in their life! Almost all the racers and flying cars that were invited to participate in the Winds of Freedom had many notable racing competitions under their belts, so no one was truly unknown. But this racer, this Cillin guy was so foreign that literally no one in the racing circle had heard of him until today. It wasnt an illusion. They had been watching the Vege-Fritter for some time now far more than they watched the top three seeds and they all noticed that the speed at which it passed through the spirals and intersections were downright inhuman. At the very least, it was something many people had never seen until this point of their lives. Did they cheat? Someone asked. Why dont you give it a try then? If thats cheating then it has to be the most ridiculous cheat Ive ever seen! This is just freaking unbelievable! Gen Xingming groups original plan was to move onto to the next circuit when the midpoint was reached, but that was until Cillins Vege-Fritter started making moves all over the place. And so they just stood where they were, staring at the screen blankly because that was the only place where the media had set up live capture and analysis for the Vege-Fritter. At first the gang was reluctant to stay, but over time no one asked to leave any longer. Gen Xingming put one foot on the fence, one hand on his waist and one finger pointing at the screen where Vege-Fritter was shown. Then, he declared loudly, You see that? Thats my bro! It was obvious that his statement was more boastful than threatening this time. Three spirals were left near the end of the first circuit, and it was impossible to tell which among the four cars would hit the final checkpoint first. Again, Vege-Fritter had a longer way to go compared to anyone of its competitors tracks. But no one dared to underestimate one another, and they all sped up to score a perfect start for themselves. Naimis heart thumped as he stared at the ranking and circuit overlay. He didnt say anything to Cillin, and Cillin didnt bother asking how many obstacles he still had to go through. He simply maintained his speed knowing the remaining part of the circuit and the spirals like the back of his hand. BEEP There were barely any time differences between the four cars as they rushed out of the first circuit. The first car to make it through was Aeros pyramid-shaped flying car, and the second was Spearheads blade-shaped car. Cillins Vege-Fritter was the third to exit the circuit, followed closely by Lightnings crescent-shaped car at the fourth. Their emergence lifted the crowds mood as they cheered. The fifth placing flying car was a notable distance away from the top four; at the very least it didnt show up on the same view screen. Twenty five points! Naimi was satisfied even though they werent first. After all, they had chosen the unluckiest circuit possible of this terms Winds of Freedom. In fact, Naimi couldnt help but wonder if Cillin couldve seized the number one spot had he not purposely drove slowly at the beginning to help him adjust. Naimi felt ashamed when he thought until this point. He had dragged Cillin down. Prepare for the next part! Cillin broke Naimis train of thought as he made swift adjustments. The next circuit was a rainforest; a huge one hundred meter wide race track surrounded by walls of light. There was a height limit now, so it wasnt going to be as easy as before. Everyone was informed of their ranking and everyone elses after they rushed out of the first circuit, but they were too busy speeding their way through the second circuit to offer much opinion about it. After all, this was the time to push down the pedal and shorten the distance between themselves and their opponent as much as possible. However, the racers noticed a glaring problem when everyone was finally gathered on one racing track. Everyone who saw the Vege-Fritter without the aid of a camera felt like they were watching a bolt of lightning zipping towards the front. They couldnt help but feel goosebumps on their skin. They were flying at such speed all this time? Spurred by the image of Cillins Vege-Fritter, the top seeds of Aero, Spearhead and Lightning sped up in unison despite having never communicated their intentions with one another. In the past, they were the only ones who dominated the top space, and strategically speaking it was unwise to fly at top speed so early into the race. However, their pride wouldnt allow them to be surpassed by this extreme newcomer who had gotten ahead of them. As a result, the top four racers slowly pulled away from everyone else, sorely tempting many opponents who were unlucky in their choice of race tracks to go full throttle as well. The rankings of those at the back were beginning to change as well. The triangular pyramid car Tobia and Qiu Xu was on had started at thirty or so place. Now they were the twenty eighth placed. They hoped to catch up after they officially entered the second circuit. Cillin was currently ranked number one, but he remained as calm as he was at the start of the match. Naimi was very impressed. Cillin had to be a legend or a robot There was no other way to explain how calm he was acting, especially considering that he had never participated in a race this big. The start of the second circuit was the same as the time they did their test flight. They had to fly at a certain range above the forest. The three cars behind the Vege-Fritter activated both the special sound wave and the magnetic wave. This way, both plants and animals would be discouraged from impeding their progress. Cillins choice was different, however. Cillin had Vege-Fritter activate the sound wave everyone knew to have an obvious weakness. It was the sound wave that repelled all the animals, but attracted the plants. Everyone knew that the plants could be a lot more troublesome than the animals in this forest, so they couldnt understand Cillins choice when they deciphered the sound wave the Vege-Fritter was emitting. Cillin quickly revealed the answer, however. When Vege-Fritter started emitting the sound wave, the giant birds changed course and went for the easier targets, but the mobile vine trees beneath it grew restless. It was at this moment a ring of saw blades popped out of Vege-Fritters exterior and cut all the flailing vines into pieces. At the same time, electricity flashed across Vege-Fritters exterior until its surface suddenly became unnaturally smooth. It was so smooth that the few vines that slipped past the deadly saw blades couldnt cling onto the vehicle with their cilia. The plants with suction disks for leaves could still grab onto the Vege-Fritter, but all Cillin needed to do to get rid of them was angle the vehicle slightly for the saw blades to do their work. Thanks to the double insurance, Vege-Fritter shredded through the vines like a lawn mower while barely slowing down at all. Something bothered Naimi, however. Cillin was acting according to plan, but something felt different about him. It was a combination of the unnatural speed they were flying and the pressure Cillin was exuding that made Naimi feel very uncomfortable. It didnt feel like Cillin was racing. It felt like he was venting his emotions. Naimi didnt understand what came over Cillin, but he dared not ask what was going on with him. He wasnt smiling, he wasnt tensed, he wasnt even wearing an expression on his face, and yet still he somehow gave off a terrifying and dangerous aura. Naimi dared not even breathe loudly as he sat less than half a meter away on the navigators seat. There was also no advice he could provide because Cillin was probably more familiar to this particular geography and environment than he was. Or maybe Cillin didnt care what terrain they were on at all if anyone dared to block his way, he would crush them all the same. Vege-Fritters saw blades won a lot of love from the flying car hobbyists and young racers. They didnt know if the saw blades would affect flight speed, but who wouldnt get pumped after seeing something like this? There were some people who chose to move out of the vines way, and there were some people who chose to face them head on. The latter choice would definitely slow them down though, so it wasnt the easiest choice to make. Still, maybe the saw blades would be a good choice for those who wanted to fight the vines directly. It shouldnt slow them down too much, right? Just take a look at the Vege-Fritter! The Vege-Fritter was flying very quickly, but it wasnt flying in a straight line. It was constantly curving and angling to ensure that none of the vines had a chance to cling onto its body. Sure, it had a smooth surface, but that wasnt enough to stop the suction disks from holding on to it, not to mention that there were some unusual plants that posed a certain amount of threat. Every racing vehicle were equipped to deal with this specific situation. Some of them carried saw blades as well. However, they were much smaller compared to the Vege-Fritters, and thus a lot less effective as well. Right now, the Vege-Fritter looked like a fish swimming in a sea of forest. It either slipped right through the predators tentacles, or bit them off with its saw blades if it couldnt. The second circuit tested the racers driving skills and their vehicles ability to adapt to the circumstances around them. The second circuit was one of the circuits that the use of weapons was permitted, so all kinds of weapons such as lasers, mechanical and even biological weapons filled the screens. The spectators got to vote what they liked after the race was over, and it was a rare opportunity the Sizer Family exploited to gather more data. The second circuit was the shortest out of all seven circuits. This time, Cillin and Naimis Vege-Fritter was the first to make it out of the second circuit, followed by Spearhead, Lightning and Aero. Just like before, all four cars werent too far away from each other. However, while Spearhead, Lightning and Aero were very close to each other, the distance between them and the Vege-Fritter was slightly bigger. It was a matter of vehicle superiority. Some flying cars simply performed better or worse in certain environments. Forty points! We have sixty points now! Naimi was overjoyed, but he hadnt lost his sense of measure. After all, there were still five circuits to go through. Not long after they passed through the sea of forest, they were met with a world of deep colors. The gushing mud that looked like pillars towering over their heads signalled the start of the third and dirtiest circuit of them all. When every flying car had flown through the forest, two people walked out and talked to each other about something. Then, they vanished back into the forest once more, leaving behind only a series of dry footsteps. Chapter 267: Who’s That? It was impossible to tell if the deep colored swamp was deep or shallow. Some parts of it were also bubbling loud enough to be heard by a nearby car. Mud geysers appeared only at the deeper parts of the swamp. That particular mud were very thick and sticky, and any car who got caught in it would be having a hard time if they didnt clean themselves in time. Not only would they slow, their balance would be destroyed as well. Cillin kept Vege-Fritter inclined at a certain angle as he flew past the mud geysers; greater verticality meant more room for dodging. The three cars he outran earlier kept pace with him, and there were other cars who were catching up slowly but surely. Perhaps the circuits they had a disadvantage in were behind them, and they decided that now was the time to catch up to them. The rankings refreshed every time the racers enter a new circuit. Although there were a lot of lagging racers who hadnt gotten a single point until now, none of them were worrying too much. It was clear they were veterans who were well aware which circuit played well to their strength, and which didnt. As long as the car was still running, it was only a matter of time before a chance to catch up presents itself. We currently sit at sixty, no, sixty five points. Twenty five from the Rainbow of Beginning and forty from the second circuit. This means all we need to do is to maintain this pace theres no need to hurry just yet. Cillin mmed in acknowledgment. Naimi used Vege-Fritters global surveillance system to mark down the places with high threat level, places they could speed up and places to pay attention to due to various circumstances for Cillin. He didnt do anything else because Cillin could take care of the rest himself. Sometimes, a mud geyser would splash into another mud geyser, causing an unavoidable torrent of mud. Not even Cillin could dodge out of the way of something like this. However, just as the dark colored mud hit Vege-Fritter at high speed, a white light flashed across its surface and froze it all in an instant. It was then followed by an ultrasonic wave that shattered all of the frozen mud into powder. This method of dealing with mud was pretty common, so Vege-Fritter wasnt the only car that was doing the same thing. However, it was a different story if a car took a direct hit. If the hit racer couldnt react in time, the mud would cling to the vehicle and drag it down to the swamp through sheer stickiness and pressure. Unlike the time back in the rainforest, Naimi felt that Cillins emotions had calmed down considerably. Maybe his loss of composure earlier was because he was in the process of adjusting his feelings? Cillins dodging skill was impressive. Many times, he was able to slip through even the tiny space between three separate mud geysers. Although he wasnt able to completely avoid the mud completely, it was a far better outcome than taking a direct hit like some of the cars behind him. At this point, Spearhead had caught up to him. In fact, it had taken the lead. But Cillin showed no intentions of speeding up whatsoever, not even when Aero and Lightning had overtaken him as well. What really caught Naimis attention was Cillins expression, however. He hadnt shown pride when he overtook the leaders earlier, and he hadnt shown worry now after being overtaken by them. Again, Cillin looked so calm it was like he was a robot. That being said, Naimi sensed something lurking in Cillins eyes even though the latter was busy staring at the road ahead of him. If Cillin was venting when he was flying in the rainforest circuit earlier, then now he felt like a bottomless depth. It felt like the moment a spaceplane just escaped gravity, and was greeted by the endless galaxy. Just like before, Naimi inspected the circuit map and gave reminders when necessary. Cillin didnt try to chase after his competitors after they overtook him immediately, and there were several reasons. One, his competitors had to shoulder the pressure of being ahead. Two, there was still some distance before they reached the end of this circuit. That was why Cillin planned to maintain this speed and stay at fourth place until they hit the latter part of the swamp map. By now Cillin had gotten used to this environment and weather. The mud of the swamp always vibrated a little before they exploded into a geyser, and Cillin was able to sense it clearly through Vege-Fritter. In fact, he could tell where they were going to appear from, and at what angle and volume before responding accordingly. He was like a carbon-based robot who spent every second calculating an impossible amount of things while still being able to perceive his surroundings. His ability to sense turbulence was far better than Naimis as well. The reason Naimi thought Cillin was amazing was because he had no idea how Cillin was able to react as precisely despite the small time window. It was around this time it sunk in for every spectator that the three top seeds werent the only ones who had a real chance of becoming champion of Winds of Freedom. Like it or not, a relic of the past, the darkest horse of this race, Vege-Fritter was in it as well. The sprinting part of the circuit was a chance to pull away from the other racers, so the fifth place racer fell even further behind the top four. Almost nothing changed between the top four cars, however. When the cars reached the final part of the circuit, three mud geysers suddenly cut across the air and formed a raining dome. It was the moment the leaders knew that they had to go their separate ways: the cars flying on top, Spearhead and Lightning pulled their vehicles upward, whereas the cars flying at the bottom, Vege-Fritter and Aero sought out a gap between the geysers. The top four of the swamp circuit was decided when the racers had passed through the final obstacle. Aero was number one, Vege-Fritter was number two, Lightning was number three and Spearhead was number four. Naimi exhaled audibly when they finally passed through the third circuits finish line. He thought that they were going to end at third or fourth place, so this was a better outcome than expected already. Repair shops were set up at the end of every circuit, but most cars hadnt gone in during the first two circuits because it was just the beginning of the race. At the end of the third circuit though, some flying cars finally entered their repair shops to get some quick maintenance. The reason they chose to do this was because the fourth circuit was a circuit they couldnt afford even the slightest bit of hiccup. It was desirable to maintain a self-diagnosis number of 9.5 and above, and anything below 9.0 was absolutely unacceptable. The first four cars didnt stop for a check up. They sped up and pulled even further ahead of their competitors. The dark swamp and the murky gas that seemed to fill every corner gradually vanished behind them. The four cars flew down another direction after making a big turn. A bit of white was showing at the horizon, and it was clear from the temperature indicators that the air was growing colder the closer they got to their destination. It was because they were approaching the polar region. Cillin chewed on an energy supplement tablet before downing the water Naimi passed him. He stared at the distance. By the time they finally reached the polar region, it would probably be night time already. Everyone used the break to replenish their energy level. The navigators also took this opportunity to explain to their racers the circuit they were about to face, confirm countermeasures and even act as a temporary psychologist. It was important to keep their racer in a steady frame of mind, and they couldnt allow their racer to get complacent or aggressive because of their latest standing. Just like Cillin had predicted, it was night by the time they reached the fourth circuit of the race, the Arctic Lands. The starry sky here was very beautiful, but the wild winds were a completely different story, blowing at the glaciers until snow was everywhere. It wasnt snowing, but it was worse than snowing. It was a snow storm. Tiny bits of ice were mixed within the powerful gales, and they were the main reason of vehicle damage such as the one Tobia suffered last time. The battering of ice could easily cause certain parts inside a vehicle to loosen and trigger a chain of negative reactions if its surface defenses werent completely secure. All things considered, Tobia was lucky her car only suffered a minor breakdown. This was exactly why a lot of cars chose to enter the repair shops for checkups and enhancements before this circuit. No one tried to fly higher and avoid the snow storm altogether because of an even deadlier threat: low temperature. The air pressure up there was completely different from the air pressure on the ground. Someone once did an experiment and flew a robot-controlled flying car up there, but the vehicle had frozen all over in just a matter of minutes. It crashed on the ground and shattered like glass the moment its energy system was paralyzed and its propulsion unit was completely damaged. The weather of this polar region was slightly different from other planets, so no one took the high route when they were racing on this circuit. Of course, it wasnt too much easier to fly near the ground. The glaciers presence meant that a wind could come from any direction at any moment, and a strong gale from a glacier could easily flip a car upside down. Therefore, the safest way to traverse this course was actually to drive on the ground. All the racing cars that entered this race were triphibian flying cars. Therefore, air performance aside, they were all perfectly capable of ground travel. Studded tires started popping out of the cars before they landed on the ground. Compared to before, they were practically running at a turtles pace. Vege-Fritter was an exception, however. It didnt have studded wheels like the rest of the flying cars. Instead, sharp teeth appeared on the outer ring of the vehicle before the latter rotated vertically and started spinning like a motorcycles wheel. The teeth were different from the wrist blades Cillin used to chop off the vines during the rainforest circuit. Its sole purpose was to give them better grip as they travelled on ground. Since Vege-Fritter was round to begin with, and at this moment it looked just like a giant spinning wheel. Although the outer ring was spinning rapidly, Vege-Fritters core remained fixed at the center as a matter of course. The teeth werent the only thing Vege-Fritter had to offer. A lot of mini wheels meant to balance out airflow were spinning inside the outer ring as well. Their purpose was to weaken the effects of air turbulence and provide some mechanical energy in the process. Gliding wasnt a good choice here because the ice here wasnt completely flat. There were a lot of dangerous bumps they could easily run into if they raced this way. While the cars continued to race across the icy lands, the blurry shape of five invisible figures could be seen on a glacier not far away from the lighted circuit. After they shook off the ice and snow, practically nothing could be seen except a near invisible outline drawn by the wind. Currently, they were all invisible. Thirty minutes. An emotionless voice rang. The sound of ice crushed by boots could be heard right after the voice was done. However, the noisy wind did well to mask it. Twenty minutes Suddenly, the voice came to a pause. Pew pew pew pew! A couple of special bullets penetrated the gale and headed straight for the five-man group. Crack However, a shield about ten centimeters away blocked the shots and shattered in the end. Six people appeared a couple hundred meters away from them. Sula was among them. The Gen Family? The five invisible figures dropped their stealth and faced their enemies. Unlike Sula and her companions, they werent covered from head to toe. In fact, they werent wearing any winter clothes, bullet proof vests, or even an oxygen mask despite the environment. Their attire was something you might see on a summer day, but they didnt seem to feel the cold in the slightest. Cillin continued to drive as normal, but his mind was currently somewhere else. From the beginning of the match, he noticed that he was being watched by many parties. One of them belonged to Sulas group, he was certain of that, but who was the other group? Cillin really didnt think he wasnt anyone important in Mist Bodhisattva Empire. He knew of the sea blue gold formulas, true, and he was affiliated with the Gen Family, but there was just no way he was more important than people of royalty like Gen Xingming. Moreover, Gen Xingming and his friends were constantly sticking together, and they were technically a wonderful target for anyone who was planning to get at the royal members. However, there was no denying that he was the one who was at the center of attention right now. When Cillin had asked to participate in this race, he really was just aiming to vent a little. There were too many things he kept hidden inside his heart, and it was an unpleasant feeling to say the least. Sometimes, he couldnt help but recall his friends from Sixth B Squadron, and every time he saw Gen Xingming and his friends he couldn''t help but recall that idiot Lung, Knight, Ci Jincheng It was pure reflex on his part. Sometimes, Cillin couldnt help but wonder: if he really couldnt find a way to return home, would their memories eventually fade away from his mind? Would he return to the life he once led back at Planet Brown Earth? Genya was here. It wasnt like he hadnt made any new friends here. However, he just couldnt feel a sense of belonging here. Genya had told him that man are creatures of habit, but he knew that no one could truly deny their past memories not even a half cyborg like Wheeze. It was something he was reminded of every time he heard Wheeze mumbling to itself in its dreams. Genya had returned home, but what about him? Was his home this star system that remained unfamiliar to him to this day, or was it Suddenly, Cillin broke out of his train of thoughts and turned towards a certain direction. Whats wrong? Naimi had noticed that Cillins strange behavior since earlier, and he was just about to give him a reminder when Cillin had surprised him with his action. Cillin didnt give him a reply. He stared at the snow ahead of him and continued to frown, thinking god knows what. On the other side of the glacier, Sula and her group were faring surprisingly bad. They thought themselves strong enough to deal with anything that was thrown at them, but in reality the situation was far more difficult than they had planned for. They couldnt call in reinforcements because their communication was cut off. Four out of six of their members were hurt in the fight, with two being grievously wounded. What do we do? Sulas companion asked as they stared at the charging robots. Sula didnt give them an answer. Her broken tiger blade was stuck in ice, but she had no time to pull it out and use it against her enemies. Calming her breathing quickly, she grabbed her laser blade tighter and got ready for a countercharge. It was at this moment a white flash suddenly cut an incoming robot in half. Sula stared at the man who standing above the robot and let out a sigh of relief on the inside. That man had white hair, white brow, and a pupil surrounded by two rings of white and black respectively. He looked like snow under the night. Chapter 268: A Few Strangers and Two Animals Ka After the last robot was cut in half from top to bottom, White Night put his laser blade away. Unlike Sula and her companions, he wasnt wearing a protective suit. In fact, he looked as immune to the cold like the robots who assaulted them earlier. After giving her teammates some basic first aid treatment and confirmed that their life was not in danger, Sula walked towards White Night and asked, Why are you here? White Night shot her a glance before kicking the decapitated robot beneath his feet to a spot. He replied expressionlessly, Teacher Guan. Sula was surprised for a moment, but she quickly accepted his explanation. They really couldnt hide anything from Guan Feng. Thanks. Are you the only one he sent? She was just done asking when her eyes were drawn towards a certain direction. A big wolf about 150 centimeters tall with snow white fur was running towards them in an elegant and orderly manner, its footsteps unaffected by the treacherous terrain. Anyone who caught its gaze would discover that it was a haughty wolf if it looked you in the eye, then it was granting you a huge honor, or so it thought. Rubu?! Who else is coming?! This time Sula was well and truly shocked. She just couldnt believe that someone like them would personally attend to a mission like this. What on earth was Guan Feng thinking?! What on earth happened? Whats so important that even you two are Sula stared at White Night. It was at this moment White Night took out a protective suit and put it on, muttering, Its cold. Sula: ... So not even you were immune to the cold! White Night was neither a robot nor a wolf with thick fur like Rubu the wolf. He was a human just like them, so of course he could feel the cold as well. However, he disliked wearing insulated clothing, protective suits or even breathing masks while conducting his mission because they were a hindrance. It was only after he killed all of the robots that he put his insulated winter protective suit back on. Rubu was holding something in its mouth. It was something it had dug out of a robots head. After stopping before White Night and spitting out the item it was holding, Rubu said, Its tough. Its tougher than it used to be. The robots Sula and her team encountered werent everything. There were robots scattered in other parts of the glacier as well. That was why White Night and Rubu had split up and attacked their enemies from two different directions. Sula shot a glance at the crouched Rubu. Right now the wolf was busy picking out deformed metal stuck from between its teeth in a rather inelegant manner. She asked White Night again, How many of you have come? White Night didnt answer her. He walked up to Rubu and patted its head once, Time to go. White Nights attitude pissed off Sulas companion a lot. Although White Night had saved their lives earlier, that didnt mean they liked the way he treated them. He was just about to step forward and give him a piece of his mind when Sula stood in his path and shook her head. She was familiar with White Nights behavior. Lets leave. The situations taken an unexpected change, we should check with the higher ups and see if there are any new instructions. Oh right, we should also gather the robot remains. We can use them. Sula said. When Cillin drove past that particular glacier, everyone had evacuated already. The snow had covered up the ground and eliminated most signs of battle except for an incredibly long crack stretching down from the top of an iceberg. Naimi, you drive. Cillin said. Ah? Naimi asked after his brain caught up with Cillins request, But why? Im tired. Oh, I see. I can only do so much though. The other racersll probably overtake us. Naimi was at least aware of his limits. Vege-Fritter might be holding the first place right now, but it hadnt managed to shake of its tails. Its fine. Let Vege-Fritter assist you. Cillin ran his fingers across the control panel for a bit and switched seats with Naimi. The latter accepted the wheel a bit nervously with Vege-Fritter acting as support. After Cillin had left the drivers seat, he began typing on the navigators analysis panel and producing many smaller windows such as wave frequency analyses or image analyses. The multifaceted data was more than enough to make Naimis head dizzy, so Naimi looked away and focused on his driving after the initial glance. Cillin was able to deduce many things using Vege-Fritters analyser. For example, he was able to narrow down the locations where the robots had appeared. He had seen the crack on the iceberg after intercepting and processing the footage of nearby surveillance cameras from the Sizer Family and the media. He had even nailed down the location where Rubu had fought the robots. From the looks of it, Sula and her teams goal was probably to wipe out Black Vipers robots. There were a lot of details that escaped Cillins understanding, but he was certain that he had picked up the robots presences back at the rainforest. Since they showed up in this circuit as well, it meant that they would make an appearance in all remaining circuits as well. It was impossible to know if Sula and her team could stop them all. Naimi was speeding up while Cillin was performing his analyses. It was night time when they first arrived at the snowy lands, and it was almost dawn when they reached the end of the circuit. Although Naimi had done his best, his skill ultimately couldnt compare to the veterans when it came to adapting to the minute changes brought about by the environment. That being said, the lead Cillin accrued while he was piloting the race was strong enough to guarantee them the second place for this circuit. The first place was claimed by Lightnings crescent-shaped car, the third place was claimed by Aeros prism-shaped car, and the fourth place was claimed by Spearheads blade-shaped car. There still werent many racing cars who stopped for maintenance at the repair stations after the fourth circuit was over. The next circuit they were about to enter was a vast desert. The fourth and the fifth circuit were two different extremes. It was only possible because of the unique geography of this place. Everything was white in color even though the racing cars had left the snowy lands for quite some time now, but anyone who was keeping an eye on the thermometer would realize that the temperature outside was completely different to that you might expect from the arctic. The temperature outside was almost the same as the human body temperature. The white things were sand, all of them. It was a line that separated the snowy lands and the desert. The temperature here wasnt as hot as it could be at the desert. In fact, one might even say that this area was relatively cool and humid. You want to take over, Cillin? asked Naimi, but in reality he didnt really want to switch places with Cillin just. Although he made a small mistake earlier and failed to take first place during the sprint, his craving for racing was brought up to the surface. Frankly, being a racer was just a lot more exciting than being a navigator. Its okay. Keep it up. Cillins answer pleased Naimi, Dont worry, Ill do my best! The white sand eventually turned yellow as they flew deeper and deeper into the desert, and the temperature outside was definitely rising in a straight line; hot enough to turn anyone into dry meat in just a matter of hours. Thankfully, the thermostat kept the internal temperature at a relatively bearable level. When Cillin saw some animals crawling across the sand from his monitor, he couldnt help but admire the tenacity of life for a moment. They were incredibly tiny, and they werent aided by any equipment whatsoever, and yet they were tenacious enough to live in a place like this through the sheer power of adaptability and evolution. Hmm? Finally, Cillin caught some unusual activity on his device. It originated from the robots, and it was similar to machine language in some ways. However, Cillin couldnt decipher it due to external interferences. Even his attempts to deduce a precise coordinate was hindered because of said interferences. It was impossible to tell if the interfering source was made by the robots themselves or a third party, but one thing was certain: there were robots lying in wait for him. Cillin had seen what these robots were capable of before, and it was the main reason he had to pass control to Naimi. The race literally wouldnt matter if he were to die here. Fleka had seen Vege-Fritters blueprint before, and Naimi was right next to Cillin when he was assembling it. However, neither of them knew that Cillin had installed a very, very well hidden, multi-password protected and independent weapons system inside the vehicle. Right now, Cillins plan was to activate this weapons system and deal with any unexpected situation when necessary. The good news was that the weapons system barely affected Naimis driving, in fact the young man had no idea that Cillin had activated a dangerous program in Vege-Fritter. The materials Fleka provided him was restricted, and he was forced to work under a budget, so the weapons system Vege-Fritter was currently carrying couldnt do any real damage to those robots. That was why their main purpose was to buy time for himself. Also, Cillin had a couple of weapons inside his ring, including the PTS K and its bullets. He inhaled deeply. He couldnt place all his hopes on Sula and her team. He must prepare his own path of retreat. Naimi was deserving to be called a member of the Sizer Family. After the somewhat shaky start, he was slowly but surely growing more and more familiar with driving Vege-Fritter. Although he couldnt get to Cillins microscopic level of control, he was honestly not far behind, and thanks to Vege-Fritters support, they were still among the top four. The fact that Vege-Fritter, a forgotten car type, was ahead was already a miracle to most people, and it had more than proved itself during the first four circuits. Of course, only the real pros and experts knew that not anyone could drive Vege-Fritter to that level. Cillin was just done preparing his countermeasures when the unusual activity on the analysis screen suddenly vanished all at once. It was almost as if the robots had winked out of existence. Cillin stared at the screen for two straight seconds before he quickly conducted a scan for unusual activities, comparing it to the other analysis results on the screen. However, the final result proved that the robots in this area really have all disappeared. There were some minor machine language activity in other places, but none of them are close enough to impose a threat. Something must have happened to the group of robots Cillin had narrowed down on his screen. Either they were taken out by Sulas team, or they were taken out by someone else. The rest of the robots were making a run for it. Who could it be? Cillins concentration heightened as they moved closer and closer to the designated coordinate. Fixing his eyes firmly before him, Cillin got ready to act on first notice the second he saw any machine language activity, even if it would cost him the race. The good news was that he detected no machine language activity whatsoever. Even better, he detected biological lifeforms not native to this desert. He couldnt determine who they were or what faction they belonged to because of the interference device, however. Still, some of Cillins tension slipped away from him. Whoever this group might belong to, they had taken out the robots hiding in this area. This meant that they werent his enemies at least. By now a sand storm had descended upon them, and it was impossible to see anything outside without some sort of special sight. However, Cillin as able to catch a glimpse of a round-shaped thing about two meters wide on the desert floor. It was almost completely buried in sand, but Cillin could see some scales on it. When Vege-Fritter flew away from the area, Cillin saw through the surveillance camera the round-shaped fellow shaking off the sand on itself before rolling down a certain direction. At a sandstone somewhere on the desert. The huge rock formation was a natural shelter that blocked both the sunlight and the violent winds on the desert. A man could be seen lying in between the gaps. His hat was pressed as low as possible to prevent any sand that managed to slip in from getting into his face, and his clothes looked ragged from fighting or self-tearing. Probably both. The man was resting on his arm and shaking his legs leisurely, the half-rolled strip of cloth on his legs flapping almost in sync with his movements. He sure looked like he was having a good time despite the environment. Not far away from the rocks, the wind continuously rolled sand across something that obviously didnt belong to this place. However, it wasnt completely buried in sand yet, a small corner of the object reflecting light like a metal would. If someone was paying attention, they might even catch the sound of electricity buzzing just beneath the sand. It didnt take long for the buzzing sound to grow weaker and weaker until it died off completely. Gulugulu. A spiky, round-shaped object rolled closer and closer towards the rock formation. It was the ball Cillin had seen earlier. The ball tried to roll its way into the rock formation, but it soon got stuck between the rocks. It rolled backwards and tried charging into the rock formation again, but the result didnt change. Finally, the ball gave up after a few failed attempts. The entire rock formation might fall apart if it kept trying to force its way in. The spiky ball unrolled itself and revealed its true appearance. It was an armadillo lizard nearly five meters long. The armadillo lizard shook off the sand on its body before strutted its way between the gaps of the rocks. This time it didnt get stuck. Fang Fang, everythings gone smoothly. We can go back now! The armadillo lizard said to the man lying inside. The man called Fang Fang let out a long sigh. It was almost as if he was sad that his free time had come to an end. He pushed his hat higher with a finger, revealing a pair of small, thin eyes before glancing once at the armadillo lizard. Then, he yawned, slowly got up to his feet and stretched his back lazily. Lets go. Our works done. The man and the armadillo lizard walked out of the rocky formation and into the sandstorm. Some time later, they arrived at a small sand dune. He hit one part of the sand dune with his hand while yelling loudly, Open the door, were back, the sandstorm outsides really big! It didnt sound like he was striking sand when his hand made contact. In fact, when the wind blew away the sand covering the part he was hitting, it revealed a yellowish exterior that shared nearly the same color as the sand outside. It was a spaceplane disguised as a sand dune using protective coloring, material and the sandstorm itself. It took a lot of hitting and yelling before the hatch finally opened to admit them. It closed just as quickly after both man and armadillo lizard had entered the spaceplane. Inside the cockpit, a young girl who looked to be around seven to eight years old was busy playing a game on the main pilots seat. She was completely absorbed by the screen in front of her, and she didnt react to the man and the armadillo lizard at all when they entered the cockpit. It was a driving game; a flying car game developed by the Sizer Family not long ago. The armadillo lizard was just lying down on the floor to rest when the girl finally spoke up, Armadillo* you brought a lot of pollutants into the spaceplane again! Youre up for the next cleaning duty! *I dont know what I expected, but the armadillo lizards name is Armadillo. Yep. The armadillo lizard Armadillo froze in mid step. Then, Its huge, armor-like scales swelled like it was about to pop out of its skin as it yelled, What! Why me! I was the one who cleaned the ship last time! You didnt shake off the sand on your scales before you came in, so you only have yourself to blame. The girl was still staring at the screen, but there was no doubt that she was speaking to Armadillo. Armadillos eyes rolled cunningly before he pointed a tail at the man lying on his chair like he had no bones inside his body, I want to make a report, Nikki. Fang Fang was goofing off and doing nothing for nearly the entire mission! Meanwhile, I nearly lost my tail while I was fighting those robots! Look at my missing scale! The man lying on the chair jumped to his feet immediately and pointed at the rags that were barely covering his body, complaining, Nonsense! Look at my clothes! I did fight, and I was one step away from being completely naked! You have to help me, boss Nikki! Youve gotta raise my pay! It was plain weird to see a twenty years old young man addressing a seven to eight years old kid as his boss. Nikki was still absorbed in her game as she snorted, Chi Lafang, Armadillo, both of you will clean the spaceplane next time. This is injustice! Im serious, I really did give it everything I got! Look into my eyes and see my sincerity if you dont believe me! said Chi Lafang while moving his face closer to Nikki and pointing at his own eyes. The girl was finally done completing her mission as she set down the controller. She turned around and stared closely at Chi Lafangs eyes still as thin as slits despite his best attempt to widen his eyelids searching for his so-called sincerity. Finally, she concluded, Your eye boogers are extremely profound today. Not only was Chi Lafang completely unaffected by her words, he put a finger to the inner corner of his eyes before replying, Exactly! The weather outsides so hot that my eyes are tired and dry, and I think Im coming down with sunstroke and fatigue! Hmm, they might even become inflamed soon, or should I say theyre already inflamed, so you absolutely should increase my pay dont you think! Oh, and more holidays, or even better a sponsored vacation trip! At the back, Armadillos tail twitched before it buried its head between its hand and kept silent. A moment of silence later, Chi Lafangs attention suddenly shifted to Nikkis ears as he asked, Eh? Boss Nikki, when did you reach thirty five years old? I thought I saw only thirty four teeth on your ears just a while ago. Nikkis ears were sharper than most people, and there was a ring of teeth running along the edge of her ear. The number of teeth on her ear represented her true age. The question was immediately followed by a loud thump inside the spaceplane and Chi Lafangs bloodcurdling scream. All in all, things went pretty well during the dessert circuit. Vege-Fritter was still among the top four, and Naimi was driving faster after he shedded his anxiety and injected himself with a boost of excitement. Sadly, he finished the circuit at fourth place, falling behind his opponent by one centimeter despite being in good form. The third place of this circuit was Aero, the second place was Lightning, and the first place was Spearhead. Five out of seven parts of the race were over already. Right now, the current score of the top four racers were: Aero - 150 points, Lightning - 145 points, Vege-Fritter - 145 points and finally Spearhead - 140 points. The point difference wasnt so big that a decisive victor could be spotted. It was still anyones game since there was no telling what might happen during the last two circuits. Naimi felt a little depressed because he came in fourth place. Moreover, he was seriously dehydrated and fatigued due to a prolonged period of high tension and concentration. His amazement towards Cillin had climbed to a whole new level, however. He was already feeling this way after finishing just one circuit, but earlier Cillin had flown through four circuits without rest. If this was the level of concentration and mental power a racer must maintain throughout the whole race, then he must admit that they were incredibly capable. In fact, Naimi thought that some racers and navigators must have switched positions mid-race just like them. Not anyone could stand or master an endurance race like this, and it was pure torture for those who were unqualified. It wasnt like Naimi had never participated in an endurance auto race before, but his competition was so-so, and the obstacles blocking his way werent particularly difficult. That was why he was able to endure until the end. But now that he was fighting in the Winds of Freedom for real, he could only sigh at his own powerlessness. He needed more training and experience. In the past, he and a bunch of noble youngsters thought that racing on a safe road from one circuit to another was an incredibly simple task. Its just driving! Its just an endurance auto race, right? Bullshit! Naimi insisted on entering a repair station for maintenance before he told Cillin everything about his thoughts. I give up, Cillin. You should take the drivers seat. Right now Im not good enough yet. Cillin gave it a thought and agreed, Okay, Ill drive. Vege-Fritter wasnt the only automobile in the repair station. In fact nearly every participating vehicle was planning to visit the repair station because the sixth circuit would take place under the sea. Death was a real threat if anything were to happen to their vehicle while they were driving underwater, and there was no guarantee that the rescue team could get to them in time every time. It was definitely better to be safe than sorry. One of the top fours, the blade-shaped car was the only automobile currently parked at Spearheads repair station because they had arrived earlier than most. For example, Tobia and Naimi hadnt shown up yet. While the repairmen were busy performing emergency maintenance to their car, Spearheads racer and current captain of the Spearhead racing team, Danny was talking with his navigator. Somethings off about that Vege-Fritter earlier. It was still very fast, but it didnt feel as hair-raising as before. The navigator said. Danny nodded in agreement. True, its almost like it was a different racer altogether It was at this moment both men recalled that Naimi, a member of the Sizer Family was also participating in the race as a navigator. Although Naimi was young, he had participated in many flying car competition before. Even if he had no experience in a grand race like the Winds of Freedom, he shouldve no problems racing in his racers stead! So Naimi, that young master from the Sizer Family was driving during the last circuit? Youre probably right. But Danny, do you think the actual racer will switch back during the last two circuits? Its possible, no, its very possible. As long as their racer isnt wounded, theyll definitely switch back during the next circuit. We need to work harder, that racer is an insane driver. A similar conversation was happening between Aero and Lightnings racer and navigator as well. They had all figured out that Naimi and Cillin must have switched during the fifth circuit. They had finally arrived at the final two circuits, the mad dash that would decide who would be the victor Time to go! When the top four flew out of the repair station, the rest of the competitors were just making their way in. The gap of skill was absolutely clear. The lit signs of the circuit led the flying cars down a cliff and into the sea. All four vehicles had already made the necessary adjustments and settings to minimize water resistance as much as possible prior to entering the sea. The most troublesome part of this circuit was the big fellows roaming under the water. Although the authorities had done their work to remove them from this part of the sea, they could just as easily swim back during the race. The good news was that the circuit didnt lead into the deep sea, so the chance that a racer would run into a big fellow wasnt high. Of course, some racers had run into this problem in the past, and there was nothing they could do except to dodge out of the way and hope for the best. However, the act of dodging itself was time consuming, and one second was all it took for the lucky competitor in front of them to gain a sizable lead. The sea was very beautiful since there werent many industrial facilities or man-made pollution on this planet. There were plenty of coral reefs on the sea floors, and the strange fishes and sea creatures going about their business beneath the sea looked very lively. Contrary to expectations, the sea was quite the lively place. Cillin didnt stop enjoying the scenery around him just because he was racing. It was because sights like these never failed to invoke emotions that were beyond his control. A colorful cast of countless sea creatures coexisted in the sea, and the surrounding coral reefs made it look like they were living in a sea carnival. It was a beautiful, natural ecosystem that Cillin rarely saw in his life. Even the coral reefs could be separated into two different kinds, the ones that swayed like flowers and the ones that were as tough as rocks. The sea was the playground of these creatures and their home. There was a big turtle leisurely moving its forelegs, there was a huge grouper swaying its tail clumsily and honestly forwards, there was a parasite opening its big mouth and allowing small fishes to clean its oral cavity, and there was a goby and a mud lobster building a home they would share while the other stood guard Anytime Cillin saw a scenery like this, every time he saw a scenery like this, he would recall the myth-like era the people spoke on TV. After he had left Planet Brown Earth, Cillin witnessed many myth-like sceneries that were pure creations of nature that were completely unblemished by man or science. But as beautiful as they were, some people would never get to see them in their lives. Cillin was enjoying himself, but Naimi was experiencing quite the anxiety attack. It was because Cillin was looking at three windows the front screen, a live view of the corals, and a wave diagram he knew nothing about at the same time! If Naimi wasnt afraid before, he was definitely afraid now that he had taken over the drivers seat once for a full circuit. Three windows! Cillin, havent you heard the saying that one shouldnt divide their attention into two, much less three! Every time Vege-Fritter brushed past a big fish, Naimi felt like his breathing had slowed a beat. This this is just too worrisome! And so Cillin drove, watched, and checked for any abnormal activities on his wave diagram all at the same time. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, a figure emerged from beneath the seawater and walked to the shore. The mans body was covered in scales, and some of them looked damaged and worn. In fact, blue colored blood was seeping out of the less serious wounds, although a scab quickly formed over them. The man shook his arms once after he left the water, his hand never letting go of a certain object he had dug out of a robots head. Swearing under his breath, the mans scales receded into his body until he looked more or less like a human. Luckily for him, there was no one around to catch sight of him, or they would be screaming about a naked man on the beach. The man produced a communicator from seemingly nowhere and made a call after he was sure that there was no one around him. He didnt turn on the video feed though. Hey, its me, Sediya. This place has been taken care of Yes, I know, no one saw me I know, I know, I should pay attention to my image, right? Of course Im not going to streak, do I look like that kind of person to you? Stop accusing me of immorality and unprofessionalism, will you right. I got the best sample possible out of all possible targets, Ill deliver them to you in a moment Sigh. Its nothing, its just a few hits deep enough to see the bones and a copious amount of bleeding. Im telling you, youve gotta gimme a raise this time Seriously, Im not lying! Didnt you notice that the sea is particularly blue today Cillin didnt pick up any abnormal machine language activity this time, so the sixth circuit ended in relatively smooth fashion assuming that the giant squid that had appeared out of nowhere during the middle of the race, and the giant school of fishes who were probably chased over by sharks during the latter half of the circuit didnt count as an obstacle, that is. When Vege-Fritter burst out of the sea and claimed first place like it was on steroids, the three competitors following right behind it thought: As expected, that racers back in the drivers seat. Hell yeah! Lets hold onto this momentum and finish this final circuit with a bang, Cillin! Naimi was so excited that he couldnt stay seated, although he was a young man in his twenties, so it couldnt be helped. How anyone this young be expected to stay calm in a situation like this? Then Naimi glanced at the zombie-like Cillin next to him and scratched his own head. A stranger mightve thought that Cillin was much older than Naimi judging from his reaction or lack thereof, when in reality they were pretty much the same age. Just why were they so different? Cillin didnt stop for a maintenance check this time because one, Vege-Fritter was doing fine and two, he had a rough idea on what really was going on with Black Vipers robots and was no longer as worried as he was before. He thought to himself: Lets get this over with. Cillin activated every squamous propulsion engine there were in Vege-Fritter as his hands kicked into a blur across the control panels. Naimi subconsciously clutched onto his seat the second he saw Cillins movements, and a moment of thought later stuffed a pill into his mouth for the first time since the beginning of the race. Naimis reaction was understandable considering the impression Cillin had left him during the first circuit, and the young master had a feeling that things would go very badly for him if he had chosen not to take the appropriate measures. He was right. The last circuit was set on a mountainous, rocky terrain, and a collision here was nothing like a collision against sand dunes. One single mistake might mean the end of the entire race. The closer the racers were to the end of the race, the more cautious they became. No one wanted to see all their efforts go down the drain. The sky had gotten dark again, and this without a doubt added to the difficulty of the circuit. Moreover, the lit signs indicated that the racing track were encircling a mountain, so the racers must race around the mountain several times before they reached the bottom. Assuming that the racers made a poor judgment during their flight, they would either slam into the sharp corners in the best case scenario or explode into a ball of fire in the worst, killing both man and car at the same time. The closer they got to the mountain, the shorter the track became, but the risk associated with danger also grew proportionally bigger. Racing in such an environment demanded a lot of skill, and it was why Naimi felt like his heart would jump out of his throat every time Vege-Fritter brushed past the protruding rocks on the face of the mountain. Just now Naimi took a peek at his analysis data and discovered that they were less than five millimeters away from collision during that last turn! A lot of racers couldve done this in the norm, but this was a race and Cillin was flying as fast as he was during the first circuit! Naimi felt like he could faint at any moment, and a nauseous feeling was sitting firmly in his stomach. Was this the legendary carsickness the normies were talking about? He would be laughed all the way to his death bed if a member of the Sizer Family were to hear about this! A Sizer Family member experiencing carsickness, is that a joke?! Naimi wasnt the only one who thought that his situation was ridiculous, the racers behind them were just as astonished. Was he seriously flying in a circuit like this at that speed? Was he trying to win or was he trying to commit suicide?! Every time Cillin made it past a mountain, the people waiting at the finish line would cheer like mad. It was nighttime now, but the live feed on the giant screen was processed so that every flying car was marked with glaring highlights, so everyone could see the Vege-Fritter that was highlighted in silver zooming past the screen like a literal beam of light. Gen Xingming was yelling go faster and charge like crazy, not caring at all if Cillin could even hear his cheers. The people around him didnt care that it was the nth time he shouted thats my bro! either. Everyone was screaming and cheering like they were in a carnival. Brielles stared quietly at the giant screen at the center of his vision for a very long time before he chuckled quietly and shook his head. His followers didnt know what his reaction meant. Everyone here was aware that Brielles, Naimi and a young boy had made a bet with each other, and it looked like that relic Vege-Fritter was actually going to win the race. If that was true, then Brielles was going to lose 100 million MB. 100 million It was literally the sum of years worth of pocket money. Had they been in Brielles position, they would probably have to roam the streets as beggars. It was only natural for Brielles to feel terrible after losing so much money in one go. That was why no dared to speak up for fear that they would become Brielles practice target. Brielles suddenly got up to his feet and caused everyone of his followers to quake in fear. However, the young man paid no heed to their reaction and turned to his servant, Prepare the money. About the general Ill speak with him about this. Yes, young master. Done speaking about money, Brielles waved his people away and walked into his private lounge. Then, he made a call on his communicator. It didnt take long for a figure both Cillin and Bel were very familiar with to pop up on the screen. It was Nuhatch Tousen. Whats wrong? Judging from the time, is there some shit you need me to wipe off your ass again? Tousen was wearing his military uniform and looking a little travel-worn, but overall he looked pretty spirited. He had probably just come back from a mission not long ago. Brielles smiled at Tousen before saying, I lost money today, brother. By now Tousen was very familiar with this line already, so he asked carelessly while cleaning the dust on his clothes with a cleaner, How much? 100 million. Thats ok what did you say?! The cleaner shattered into countless pieces in his hand as veins popped out of Tousens forehead. 100 million MB. Tousen sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. Oh no, I feel like running to the other side and end that little bastard once and for all. He inhaled deeply again, and once more. When Tousen finally got his emotions under control, he started talking with barely suppressed anger, Did you mistake our family for a business-based family like the Sizers?! You lost 100 million in a goddam race?! Do you think 100 million falls from trees or something? Do you know how much allowance I get from the military, and how little I get from bounties despite hunting down a dangerous criminal?! Do you know In the middle of throwing a bunch of do you know your bro, I, do you know our papa and do you know our family at Brielles, Tousen suddenly noticed that something was amiss. In the past, the little bastard wouldve cut him off impatiently with a wave of his hand, but today something wasnt right. Something really wasnt right. Tousen looked closely at his younger brothers image. It was just a video feed, but it was enough for Tousen to tell that Brielles was acting strangely. Were you bullied? Tousen asked tentatively. Money was money; it was something that could be earned as it was spent. But bullying was a different story altogether because it was something that was tied closely to a mans pride. At a certain level to borrow his mommas words it was something that affects a growing mans mentality, especially a young man who was already kind of twisted already. Brielles shook his head and smiled, No, I just realized a few things during my time here. In the past, Brielles had always thought that his brother and his father were just making excuses when they made him pilot flying cars instead of battleships. After all, a battleship was a battleship and a flying car was a flying car; how could they possibly be the same? To make a comparison, a flying car was a land coward and a battleship was a space hero. It was why Brielles had always hated flying cars, his grudge extending even to Naimi of the Sizer Family. It was the main reason they often butted heads against one another. But now after that match, Brielles felt like he found something he had lost a long time ago. The feeling of being so fast that time itself seemed to freeze in limbo he felt like the boy who saw a battleship for the first time again. Flying cars werent a mistake. He was. If he kept fooling around like this, where he stood right now might be where he was ever going to be for the rest of his life. He would always be watching others fly from a viewing platform, unless he changed this with his own hands. At the 23rd military zone, Tousen suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body. What did he just hear? Did his little bastard of a brother really say he realized a few things? Did I run into a ghost today*?! *meaning something like the sun rises from the west You, youre watching that winds of something, right? Dont think too much and dont do stupid things, okay!? Just stay there and wait for me! Tousen turned off his communicator and contacted Brielles men immediately; they were all people his papa had sent over to guard his little brother. Unable to question anything useful from their mouths, Tousen ordered them to watch Brielles every move and stop him in case he does anything stupid at all cost. After that, he immediately rang his papa at the imperial capital and exclaimed the second the call went through, Papa, this is bad, Brielles said hes realized some things! What?! Did he suffer a shock or something?! Tell the men to stop him from doing stupid things, quickly! Meanwhile, Brielles stared at his communicator while feeling a little confused. Shouldnt his brother feel happy for him? So why had he looked at him like he was about to commit suicide? By now an ear deafening cheer was shaking the world outside, and Brielles put away his communicator after he read a message he received. Then, he beckoned over his servants and subordinates and left the place. The cheers were loud, and the atmosphere was exciting, but it was, after all, not a stage that belonged to him. If he couldnt walk away from someone elses stage, if he always lived under the shadow of anothers stage, then he would never truly be able to take a step forwards. When Vege-Fritter raced past the finish line, Gen Xingming literally ran over the people in front of him to reach Cillin. Cillin had parked Vege-Fritter at a private parking lot to avoid the overly excited crowd, but that didnt stop Gen Xingming from racing towards him the second he got out of the vehicle. Bel and Ulaganuo were following closely behind him, and Cillin caught a glimpse of Sula somewhere amongst the crowd too. Sula gestured for him to follow her later, and Cillin gave her a nod before he welcomed Gen Xingming and the others. After receiving a fist-salute congratulations from his friends, he mentioned that he needed to leave a bit for business. Gen Xingming had seen Sula and a couple of people waiting since a while ago, so he didnt try to stop Cillin. Then, he turned to look at Naimi still sitting inside Vege-Fritter. Hey Naimi, what are you waiting for? Come out already! Im so excited not even shouting three times can quell the boiling blood in my veins! Yeah, Naimi, come out and party with us already! Naimi, the prize, dont forget to claim the prize! And dont forget to wear and handsome formal attire and show off later! Naimi looked a little pale even after he looked up in response to their chit chat, but there was no mistaking the excitement in his eyes. I want to go party too, but my legs are completely numb after such a long ride! Give me some time to catch my breath first, Im not a robot like Cillin. It was a lie. His legs were in fact shaking with fear, not numbness, but it wasnt something that Naimi was going to admit readily. Still, his scalp tingled like that of a character in a fairy tale who barely escaped through the gap of a devils teeth. Seriously, he wouldve fainted already if he hadnt wisely taken that pill earlier. On the other side, Sula led Cillin to a room while saying, Black Viper had sent their greetings, and we were here to help you. However, your master Guan Feng was the one who really did all the work. When the door opened, Cillin was immediately greeted by several unfamiliar faces and two animals. Chapter 269: Where Lies The Answer? Cillinwas immediately greeted by this scene when he opened the door: A white-haired young man staring at his receiver and watching the live broadcast of none other than the Winds of Freedom, a young man wearing what seemed like rags lying crookedly on the bed and sleeping,a third young man listening to music from his earphones and shaking his head rhythmically, and finally a young girl playing a game with her full attention. If they shared one thing in common, it would be that they were all busy with their own things and couldnt be bothered to spare even a glance at him. A wolf with snow white fur was lying on another sofa; its ears had moved once when Cillin came in. Out of all these people and creatures, the one with the biggest reaction was the armadillo lizard. Although Cillin had only caught a glimpse of it, he was certain that it was the spiky ball he saw at the desert. The armadillo lizard looked up, swayed its tail once and stared at Cillin curiously. Cillin had never seen them before. He could guess that they were probably members of the affiliated schools, but they were still largely different from the ones he had met in the past. For starters, they stood out a lot more compared to Requiem Vega and her group when they first attacked him at the bar. Their threat level was far higher as well. After Sula had brought Cillin to this room, she left without seeming unnatural. They didnt belong to the same faction, and she had no reason to stay behind. Also, White Night and the rest of the group wouldnt speak up if she had decided otherwise. As expected, White Night looked away from his receiver the moment Sula had stepped out of the door. When he looked at Cillin, he looked less like he was staring at a person, and more like he was confirming the correctness and authenticity of his target. When he was finished, White Night took out a square object that was smaller than one quarter of his palm and placed it on the table. He gave it a tap, and the square object expanded just like the Vanguard exclusive receipt Cillin used a long time ago. It was a slip. Cillin accepted it and gave it a look. It was stated on the slip clearly that these people had come over to help Cillin take out the troublesome robots so he could participate in the race without worries. If the mission was completed successfully, he was to sign his name and make payment. While Cillin was looking at the slip, Chi Lafang got up from his sofa and said, If possible, please add a comment saying that the mission was completed fearlessly, heroically and beautifully and that we deserve a reward, like a raise! Even Sediya had stopped listening to his music and moved closer, Yes, yes, you must mention that we deserve a reward! Cillin shot them a glance as they watched him closely. Finally, he began moving his hand. The slip had a sensor inside it, so it could only be written on with a finger. If he wished to sign on the slip, he could do it with his finger. The same went with writing a comment. Cillin wrote the comment deserves reward in the performance column after signing his name, pleasing Chi Lafang and Sediya so much they they couldnt stop grinning. After that, he produced his student card and waved it near the card reader of the slip. A beep indicated that the transaction had taken effect. All done! Chi Lafang took back the slip and let it shrank back into cube form. Then, he put it away carefully like he was holding a treasure. It was proof that he deserved a raise. We should return now since the deed is done. Well talk again if anything else pops up in the future, yeah. Sediya gave Cillin a pat on the shoulder before turning around to discuss with Chi Lafang in secret. Whatever they were talking about, the smiles on their faces looked suspicious to say the least. They were probably talking on how best to waste their money after they had gotten their raise. White Night also stood up. Before he left, he said, Teacher Guan told you to find him after you were done here. At his house. Okay. Thank you. No need. The group and the two animals left without another word after that. Outside the door, they didnt even bother to greet Sula and the others. Cillin asked Sula after they were gone, Are they the graduates who stayed with the school? A large majority of the students in the affiliated schools joined factions while they were still studying, and those that didnt normally had their own directions to follow after they had graduated. Some who were absorbed into the RAS. Not all who studied in the RAS affiliated schools belonged to the RAS alone. There were also an extremely small amount of graduates who chose to stay with the school instead of joining other factions. They had a fixed salary, and they had plenty of options to earn extra money. This mission was one of them. Sula nodded, Thats right. I wasnt expecting Teacher Guan to send them myself. It looks like this incident was a lot more serious than we know of. Sula had a lot of doubts regarding this matter that still didnt have an answer, and she couldnt get an answer from the robots or White Nights group either. Although not all graduates who stayed with the school were tight-lipped, White Nights group in particular was infamous for being difficult. It had been a couple of years since they graduated from school, but the teachers still couldnt help but curse them whenever they entered the topic of a conversation. They were a subject of both love and hate. Sula introduced White Nights group briefly and mentioned that she was sent over by Gen Liao. They had had to work with little to no info, and they couldnt confirm that Black Viper was indeed waiting to ambush Cillin. In fact, they were only there to prepare for any eventualities. It seemed like there were many things that eluded Gen Liao as well. The robots that were waiting in ambush seemed to have undergone an upgrade. Their core was tougher, their wits were better, and they had all successfully circumvented the RAS latest safety net and scanners. In the end, the RAS was one step too late. Even now, Sula didnt know exactly how many robots had infiltrated this planet. Considering the robots abilities and their target, Sula was certain that they had had a lot of opportunities to take Cillin away by force. So why hadnt they acted until White Nights group and hers had finally arrived to intervene? She gave up thinking once she discovered that she didnt have an answer. Sula herself was but an executor in this matter, and she should leave the thinking to the higher ups. By now Gen Xingming was urging Cillin to walk with him. The award ceremony was about to start, and Cillins presence was urgently needed. Please take care of whatever you have to take care here as quickly as you can. Then well escort you and the princes back to safety. Sula said. Alright. The award ceremony was going to take place at the finishing line, and everything had been set in place already. There were lights everywhere, and it felt like daytime even though it was night already. When Cillin finally arrived, Gen Xingming dragged him over urgently like his pants was on fire. The first place driver and navigator were required to take a snapshot with their vehicle and give a speech during the award ceremony. Cillin left all the talking to Naimi since he was a chatty guy to begin with. Tonight was a night that marked an epoch in the history of flying cars. From this night onwards, Vege-Fritter was no longer a tragic character that was used frequently in black humors. After having been buried for so many years, Vege-Fritter was finally standing in the limelight like during its glorious days once more. The audiences were all cheering madly. No one noticed that a large man who was waving and shouting like all others had flashes in his eyes that looked like that of a reflected light. At another spot on the planet, a robot dropped its invisibility and walked into an empty repair room. Were done here. The other operation is underway already; we dont need to expose ourselves any longer. We will leave after he leaves. Understood. Cillin and Naimi won a large sum of prize money since they took first place in the Winds of Freedom. After Brielles lost bet was also added to the pile, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that Cillin had turned wealthy over a single night. The overall second place of the race went to the flying car who was carried by the winds, Spearhead. Not only had it flown very well during the latter half of the race, it had clung to its chance and seized second place the moment Aero made a tiny mistake. Lightning had almost gone past the finish line at the same time as Aero, but that was all. Aero mightve slipped up and lost the top two spots to its competitors, but it was still better than Lightning and claimed third place. Tobia and Qiu Xu failed to enter among the top 10, but this was just the first race of their life and a practice race focused on familiarizing themselves with the Winds of Freedom. In the future, they might be able to do better. What are you looking at! Tobia gave Qiu Xu a clap before tracing her navigators gaze. As it turned out, she was staring at the shiniest spot of the award platform where the Vege-Fritter and the champion pair were standing and receiving their award. Dont lose heart. Were still young and this is our first match! Once weve gotten used to a race at this level, its only a matter of time before that spot belongs to ours! Lets work hard for the next Winds of Freedom, okay? Four years is going to pass in no time! Tobia said. Qiu Xu turned her head and gave Tobia a smile. She didnt give her a reply though. Tobia suddenly recalled something and pointed at Cillin with wide open eyes, Wait, youre not falling for that kid, are you? Give it up, girl. My brother said that he seems pretty close to the noble descendants, and you know what type of people they are. Plus, they may be higher up than even the people whore sponsoring our team. Cut your guesses, its not like that! Alright alright. Come on! Lets go check out the medal our team got! Tobia relaxed after confirming that Qiu Xu really wasnt crushing on that boy. After all, no one in the team wanted to attract more nobles attention than necessary. They would be nothing more but cannon fodders if they were caught in a fight between nobles. Qiu Xu followed behind Tobia as they walked towards their racing team, but the emotions in the formers eyes were murky and unclear. She suddenly looked at a certain spot on the viewing platform, and the big man who was waving his hands there suddenly stiffened for an instant. He quickly regained himself, however. How troublesome. Qiu Xu sighed quietly to herself. No one heard her because the surroundings were too loud. Meanwhile, Naimi was making his statement on the light-filled stage in an overly excited manner. ... our ride is the Vege-Fritter, a model everyone thought was trash. Personally, I dont think we did well this race. We were just a bit faster than our competitors, and we were just the champions of the race, thats all It was such a provocative speech that some of the participating racers felt like throwing their shoes at him. When the ceremony was finally complete, Cillin was dragged into the afterparty by Gen Xingming. Some time later, a huge number of people had knocked themselves out with alcohol before their caretakers carried their limp bodies back to wherever they came from. Cillin himself was dragging Gen Xingming, Naimi who was so drunk that he wouldnt stop talking nonsense even while unconscious the sleeping Ulaganuo and Kenancy by the collar back to the Sizer Familys lounge. He happened to run into Spearheads racing team exiting the venue from another entrance and caught Qiu Xus gaze, but they both looked away from each other quickly. Doubt had already taken root in Cillins mind, however. On the day he saw Qiu Xu at the repair shop, he already had a feeling that she was a lot more than she appeared. At the time, he thought that they would do very well in this race, and that they were easily a top ten contender but only if Qiu Xu was the one who was doing the driving. As it turned out, she was just a navigator, and they didnt do remarkably well in this race either. Why was she hiding her strength? Cillin had no idea. But he had had a very strange feeling when he caught her gaze, and he was certain that she knew something. That being said, it was just a suspicion. Now wasnt the time to investigate her even if he wanted to. The next day, Cillin turned down Naimi and Flekas attempts to detain him and dragged the hangover bunch back to the Gen Family with Sula. On the way back, he briefly investigated into Qiu Xus background and discovered many traces of forgery that an average person wouldnt normally see through. Whoever did this must be very familiar with their job because he couldnt find any alterations to the files at all. Although everything inside could be proven one way or the other, some logical analyses and probability analyses quickly revealed that some parts of her files were suspicious. If it was only one part he couldve signed it off as coincidence, but clearly her profile data was forged. Who on earth had the power to perform such deep level forgery? It didnt feel like Black Vipers handiwork, but Cillin couldnt shake off the feeling that they were at least tied to this in some way. It was intuition without any basis, but it was still his intuition. Cillin spent his whole time on the ship thinking about Black Viper and Qiu Xu. His attempts to call Guan Feng hadnt yielded any fruit either, entering voicemail every time he tried. He had no idea what his teacher was doing. Maybe he was busy working on PTS S, since he heard that the weapon was almost complete. Cillin immediately noticed the big fellow the moment he walked into Genyas courtyard. It was impossible not to considering how conspicuous it was. Its that fellow from the egg? Cillin said while pointing at the fifty meter tall sea creature in the courtyard. Right now the big fellow was keeping its mouth open while Wheeze instructed the servants to clean its tongue and teeth. The servants seemed to have gotten used to the task already, showing no fear at all despite working inside the sea creatures mouth. In fact, they were talking and scrubbing both at the same time. Wheeze proudly ran over to Cillin and boasted the moment it saw him, Look, thats my pet. How does he look?! Cillin shot a glance at the big fellow who was keeping its mouth open but also looking his way, This guy must have a huge appetite, right? There was no other way to explain how it grew like someone had pumped hormones into its veins. True, but grandpa two says this is nothing! Wheeze said while flicking its ears. Grandpa two cant believe you actually address him like that! Oh right, I came up with a new name for it. Im calling it Blueskin because its skin is blue! Wheeze jumped up to Cililns shoulder and asked anxiously, How is it? ... Itll do for now. And so poor Blueskin had its name decided just like that. Cillin told Genya how the race went roughly, and he glossed over some details here and there. Genya had to know some of Sulas movements at the race, so Cillin mentioned her briefly, but didnt go into the heavy stuff. What?! Theres prize money?! How much?! Eyes shining, Wheeze clapped Cillin with its paw while asking. Cillin ignored Wheeze, grabbed it behind the neck, and informed Genya that he was going back to his room to rest and left the courtyard. His departure didnt stop the servants from continuing to brush Blueskins teeth. Any news? Cillin asked after returning to his room. No, I cant find anything thats too useful from here, and the Gen Family hasnt found anything yet. One thing is certain though, those robots are definitely scheming something. Cillin fell quiet for a moment before saying, Come with me to Teacher Guans tomorrow. What for? Wheeze looked a little reluctant. Something. You can stay here if you dont want to go. No, Ill come. Ive stayed here long enough anyway, its about time to take a walk. was what it said, though in reality the gray cat was simply coveting the money in Cillins pockets. Plus, it meant being able to buy more fish biscuits. Alright, then we will head to AF1 tomorrow. In that case Ill go settle a few things. Wheeze went out to remind the servants to feed its pet on time. Genya didnt make a comment despite Cillin leaving again so soon after he had returned. The boy still had his studies, and there was no way Cillin could stay here forever. Blueskin cried loudly when it heard the news, seemingly very reluctant to part ways with Wheeze. It quickly quieted after Wheeze slapped it around a couple times though. Be good. Well bring you food when we come back. Cillin said. Blueskin: Meow Cillin: ... He hit Blueskins head once and said, Youre a sea beast, not a cat! The Gen Family escorted Cillin and Wheeze to AF1. Gen Xingming and his friends were still absent from school, unwilling to listen to the teachers ramblings even when during their moment of boredom. Cillin hadnt left AF1 for long, but he felt a lot different after his return. It could be because he had successfully vented some of his frustration,or it could be because the school seemed like a relaxing environment after a bout of extreme racing. When he first came to AF1, he thought that life was rapid and that everyday was filled with work. But now, he thought that it wasnt a bad pace it was at least much easier to deal with than the tension of a race. Within the acceptable speed limit, he drove all the way to Guan Fengs house and parked his car at the courtyard. However, he felt wrong the second he entered the courtyard. Although everything looked the same as ever, the place felt lifeless for some reason. Had Guan Feng not return home from his research lab even once? Didnt White Night tell him to come here directly? The house door opened automatically after Cillin swiped his student ID card on the card reader. Cillin walked in, but the house was empty. The fishes swam happily inside the fish tank, but the entire house was giving off a strange feeling. Chapter 270: The sVanished” Place Guan Feng loves to cook his own food, so he had several kitchens in his house alone. However, a quick check inside the kitchens made it clear that all the equipment had ceased to function. Even the household robot was standing quietly a corner and not reacting to Cillins arrival at all, its indicator light completely dark. Cillin opened a baking machine in the kitchen a find a half-baked Guan style biscuit still inside. The rest of the decorations were untouched just like how he remembered them to be. There was neither a mess nor any traces of conflict to be found. Cillin went upstairs to take a look. Every room including Guan Fengs bedroom was locked tight behind a pass code, and there were no signs of forced entry. It looked like Guan Feng was the one who suddenly vanished to some place. When he went back down to the living hall, Wheeze was just jumping out of the fish tank. It was holding a fish in its mouth. It stepped on the fish and tore it from head to toe after landing on the ground. There were no flesh or blood. It was a mechanical fish. Trying to fool me? No way! Wheeze turned to look at Cillin after swallowing the fish whole. Wheres Guan Feng? Cillin shook his head. I dont see anyone. His gaze shifted towards the sofa where a projector lay on the table in front of it. The indicator light of the device was blinking, hinting that a projection was prepped to be played. When Cillin hit the play button, every light in the living hall turned off on its own, and the curtains pulled themselves close, sinking the place into darkness. A man suddenly appeared on a sofa. He was an incredibly average-looking person, the kind that who wouldnt stand out in a crowd. Cillin knew that he was a robot though. If someone were to ask why he was able to deduce this in a single glance and from a projection no less, he could only tell them that it was his instinct speaking. Dear guest, Im sorry that the master of this house wasnt able to welcome you. Our boss had invited him away to talk about old times, and not even we have a clue when hell be able to return from this excursion. If you are in a hurry to meet him, you may visit him at A huge star chart appeared at the end of the monologue. It was clear from the planar arrangements that it was the subsectors of twenty or so imperial star regions, and out of the twenty region worths of planets one particular planet was glowing with unusual brightness. This was the destination the robot mentioned in his speech, but Cillin was certain that this planet didnt exist in the star charts he had read before. The star chart remained for five seconds before it vanished into nothingness. The robot sitting on the sofa was gone as well. The curtains pulled themselves back open, the lights turned back on on their own, and the living hall returned to its former state. Cillin had the star chart fully memorized even though it had appeared for five seconds only. After the projector had turned off on its own, Cillin dimmed the lighting in the living hall again and took out his own star chart. As he thought, the planet technically didnt exist in the star chart he was currently holding. Besides that, there were a couple of planets and a star that were missing from the star chart as well. The rest of the star chart looked more or less the same as the one showed by the projector though. Judging from the position of the planets that existed in his star chart, gravity was pulling them towards the location where only a blank existed. It was proof that there should be a star around that area. Gravitational force was clearly still pulling its weight in that area, but for whatever reason the star and the few planets surrounding it were missing from the official star chart. Since this area was situated at an inconspicuous corner of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, there was no reason for anyone to give it special attention and discover the oddity. Of course, there mightve been someone who had noticed this before, but they either found nothing, or vanished during their search for answers. For the most part, every person who owned a star chart of the entire empire would find their version to be the exact same as the one Cillin was currently possessing right now. This also meant that the marked planet on this new star chart technically didnt exist in the galaxy. So someone mustve wiped out all traces and records of this planet and others around it. The only people capable of doing such a thing were high level personnel of the empire, but who was this person, and why would they do such a thing? Could they be a spy for Black Viper? Cillin didnt know the answer. He couldnt even venture a guess. He knew too little about the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, and the overt and covert games of the higher class had little to do with his current life. Originally, he had no intentions of participating in them, but Guan Fengs disappearance had given Cillin a different idea. Cillin sat on the sofa and thought in silence. Wheeze didnt disturb him and went on its own way, circling around the living hall once in boredom before running to Guan Fengs kitchen for an illegal snack. Some time later. Oh my meow! Cillins train of thought was broken by the strange, muffled cry of a certain cat that sounded like it came from a tin. What now?! Not really having a choice, Cillin got up and went into the kitchen. He was immediately greeted by a furry, fat butt frantically waving its tail outside a biscuit maker. The gray cat was trying to pull its head out of machine. You got stuck? Cillin went over to help it get unstuck. Wait a second, stop pulling I got stuck! Wheeze cried out from inside. I thought you can change forms Cillins words were cut off by a loud crack coming from inside the machine. The noise continued for a moment before the gray cat finally got itself out of the biscuit maker, its face dirty with biscuit crumbs that was colored like green poop. Besides that, it was also holding a circular tube in its mouth. This is the only thing I managed to get out of that machine. Theres another box inside, but I cant get it out. said Wheeze while licking its claws and wiping its face. As it turned out, the biscuit maker was hiding a secret beneath the ground, and Wheeze accidentally found it while it was busy stealing biscuits. That was why it had bitten through the biscuit maker directly in an attempt to pull out the objects. It wasnt expecting to get stuck multiple times during the process though. Cillin took a look at the tube and gave it a shake. He didnt know what was inside the tube, and since it looked like it would take some effort to get it open he decided to set it aside for the moment. He put his head through the hole Wheeze had made and checked out the box hidden beneath the biscuit maker. Damaging Guan Fengs property while he wasnt around definitely didnt count as a good thing, but this was an emergency situation, so... Cillin brought out his tools and took apart the composite cooking machine that was blocking the hole. Then, he pulled the box out of its hiding spot. The box was password protected just like the tube he found earlier. It couldnt be opened immediately. Do you know whats inside these things? Cillin looked at Wheeze. I dont. I cant see through its exterior, it seems to made out of some special material. Wheeze took another bite of biscuits while it was answering Cillin. You might wanna watch out for diarrhea if you insist on eating these half-baked biscuits. It wont happen! Its not like this is the first time I ate one. Do what you want. Come break this passcode when youre finished. Cillin assembled the composite cooking machine back in one piece after he said this. Wheeze carried out Cillins wishes obediently after it was done eating. The first thing it decrypted was the tube. The front part of the tube opened to reveal the design drawing of PTS S. I think I saw something thats supposed to be a secret He put it back into the tube. He had a hunch what was inside the box now, and as he expected it was none other than the weapon itself. The white-painted PTS S felt icy to touch. It also gave off a pure and uncaring feeling. It had a hexagonal-shaped muzzle that reminded Cillin of snowflakes. The body of the weapon was marked with the PTS logo and the character S. To think that Guan Feng would come up with this weapon so quickly, not to mention hiding something so valuable beneath a biscuit maker no less! It was something only Guan Feng would do, although in hindsight it was a pretty good hiding spot. It was impossible to imagine that Guan Feng would dump a priceless, fresh made weapon like this at a corner of his kitchen. This discovery made Cillin realize something, however: Guan Feng was in such a hurry that he didnt even bring the PTS S with him. Was it because he was in too much of a hurry? Was it because he wasnt given the opportunity? Or was it because he had no intention of revealing its existence to Black Viper at all? After the tube and the box were put away to safety, he sat back down on the sofa and thought to himself: what should I do next? Wheeze was lying on its back and scratching itself against the sofa, letting out a yawn of boredom. Suddenly, its ears twitched as if it had heard something, and turned towards the door. Di The front door opened, and a person walked in. It was a familiar face, one that Cillin had just met recently, in fact. White Night? Cillin stared at the young man in puzzlement. If he wasnt mistaken, Guan Feng must have restricted the type of people who had access to his house. For example, Cillin was permitted to enter because he was Guan Fengs student. But what about White Night? Why was he able to walk in? White Night didnt look surprised by Cillins presence. He looked around once before setting his gaze at the fish tank. One of the fishes inside the tank was missing. There was a mechanical fish inside. Ive dealt with it. Cillin explained. I know. I came here earlier. I decided to leave it be at the time. White Night walked to the sofa and sat down. Following closely behind him was the snow wolf Rubu. The wolf and the cat immediately started staring down each other the moment it came in. Wheeze had just rubbed its scent on the sofa, and the only one it hadnt touched was the small sofa on the other side of the table. However, White Night had already occupied that seat for himself. Rubu wanted to lie down on the sofa, but it just couldnt help but feel irritated every time a waft of cat scent entered his nose. It was almost as if someone had declared this place its domain already. Wheeze didnt look ashamed in the slightest. On the contrary, it stared at Rubu provocatively while refusing to budge an inch from its position, all the swaying its tail back and forth. Rubu bared its fangs at Wheeze. Wheeze flicked its ears once and ignored it. Have you seen that message? Cillin pointed at the projector on the table and asked White Night. I did. Cillin raised an eyebrow at White Nights reaction. Why is he so collected?! At this point, Cillin was starting to wonder who was the real target of the message. Was it him, or was it actually White Night? What are you going to do? White Night asked. Cillin tapped himself in the forehead once before answering, Im going there to take a look. What about you? Im going. Is it for Guan Fengs sake? Im going because Im bored. Cillin: ... Cillin had to admit that his chances of success were pretty low if he were to face off Black Viper alone. However, he didnt wish to borrow the Gen Familys help either. More specifically, he didnt want to get too close to anyone in the Gen Family except Genya. In that case, should he recruit White Nights aid? It was at this moment White Nights communicator rang. Whats wrong? asked White Night after answering the call. Did you find him yet? Im kinda urgently need some cash here! Sediya said loudly from the other side of the communicator. No, but I have news to share. Cillin looked at him. Is he going to leak Guan Fengs disappearance? Where is he?! Has he gone into hiding or something? He may be Teacher Guan, but not even he can delay paying our dues! Come to Guan Fengs house. Well talk later. Bring Chi Lafang and Nikki with you. We have a job? Gimme a moment, Ill be right there! After White Night had turned off the communicator, Cillin asked, Are you going to publicize this? No. But itll be a suicide mission to visit Black Viper with just the two of us. Cillin gave the idea a thought. It was acceptable. White Night and his companions were considered freelancers and werent overly tied up with the forces of the empire, so they were convenient to work with. At the very least, he wouldnt be triggering a series of large-scale movements by cooperating with them. Sediya and the rest showed up pretty quickly. Maybe it was because Guan Feng went missing, or maybe it was because they didnt get the pay they were due, but they looked pretty resentful when they walked into the house. Eh? Are you the cat that made Dahl cry? The armadillo lizard Armadillo stared curiously at the gray cat that was lying on the sofa and swinging its tail lazily. Who are you people? Wheeze countered with a question. Smiling, Armadillo crawled over to Wheeze and introduced himself and the snow wolf Rubu. However, Rubu continued to maintain a prideful appearance and refused to acknowledge Wheeze. Wheeze couldnt be bothered with the dog itself because its attention was currently drawn somewhere else. Nose twitching, the gray cat stared at Sediya sitting rudely on the sofa. What are you looking at? Sediya tried to pinch Wheezes nose, but his hand was swatted away in no time. You smell like fishes. Fishes? Sediya sniffed himself. There shouldnt be. I didnt eat any fish today. Wheeze swayes its tail once. I know. Youre an alien! A sea alien. Even White Night and the others were surprised by Wheezes insight this time. They didnt think that its nose was this sharp. Sediya grinned as his teeth suddenly turned into several rows of sharp teeth. He looked very scary like this. Yeah, Im a sea alien. So what? Wheeze yawned at him before replying, Oh get off your high horse, will you, whats so rare about a sea alien? Sediya: ... Wheeze jumped onto Cillins shoulder and asked, Cillin, are we taking these people with us to find Guan Feng? Sediya interrupted loudly before Cillin could answer, What happened to Guan Feng? Did he owe you your pay too? White Night gave everyone a brief summary of things before pressing the play button on the projector and replaying the scene. I see. Luckily for Guan Feng Im free enough to go on a trip, although hell have to increase my pay after this. Hey White Night, you know youre coughing up if Guan Feng refuses to pay us, right? You are his direct disciple. Sediya said. Guan Feng was White Nights teacher? An immediate superior no less? Cillin had not heard about this until now. Now it made sense why White Night was able to waltz into Guan Fengs house without triggering any alarms. In fact, Pistura wouldve to address White Night as his senior brother if they ran into each other, but White Night made no such demands to Cillin. He couldnt care less about such things, and he cared so little that even Goryeo didnt make a blip in his mind. White Night was the first person to play the video. After that, Cillin played it a second time. When the third replay was finally complete, the projector broke down on its on and took all the records inside to its grave. It was also impossible to replicate the star chart in the replay. Interesting. I didnt think that Black Viper would be hiding at a nook like this. Chi Lafang broke his long silence and spoke up. Instead of answering, White Night looked and Cillin and asked, Well be heading there together. What about you? Will you join us? Of course. Itll be suicide if I head there alone. Cillin said. Wheeze got up on its feet. Dont forget about me! Ill teach those trash robots a hard lesson this time! By now, Cillin realized that these had cooperated with each other quite frequently, and their knowledge of the empire was pretty diverse. Itd be a lot safer to work with them. If you hold us back we reserve the right to kick you out anytime we want. Nikki said. No problem. White Night and Cillin used their ID cards to open Guan Fengs storehouse and acquire some equipment and supplies. They also chose an excellent spaceplane for their trip. Judging from White Nights practiced movements, Cillin had a feeling that this guy had been doing this for a long time already. That being said, almost all of Guan Fengs direct students seemed to share the habit of taking Guan Fengs stuff like they owned them in the first place. They were entering Black Vipers domain, so they were expected to be away from school for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, Cillin had an upcoming test during the period he was gone, and he would fail the course if he decided to skip it. It was something Guan Feng absolutely would never allow, not to mention that failing his first ever course in the affiliated schools would be an embarrassment on its own. That was why Cillin had resolved himself to speak with the teacher-in-charge before they left for the mission. Cillin had already gone through the reference material Guan Feng gave him multiple times before, so there was no chance he was going to fail the test. What he planned to do was to apply to have his test brought forward. The teacher-in-charge was a white haired old man whose qualifications in the affiliated schools was said to be the equal of Guan Feng. Although his face was covered in wrinkles, they werent as deep as what youd expect from an old man. Moreover, he had a loud and powerful voice probably because of his occupation. The old man looked very angry by the fact that Cillin had asked to take his test in advance, I dont care what business or background you have. Here in the affiliated school you are a student first and foremost, and as a student your studies should always be your top priority! Moreover, you are an AF1 student. You shouldnt copy the bad habits of those fops at AF3 Cillin had to admit that the old man was worth his salt. Not only was he able to deliver his lecture without any pauses, the lecture itself was well founded in logic and righteousness. As a veteran educator and and of the few scholars who had given over hundreds of speeches and lectures in his life, words were the one thing he never ran dry. The non-stop and non-repetitive lecturing lasted for two painful hours, but Cillin was ultimately allowed to take his test in advance. The old teacher had taken it upon himself to supervise Cillin throughout the entire test and prevent him from cheating. Moreover, the tests difficulty was increased as a response to Cillins request. However, the questions were ultimately all within Cillins capabilities, and he didnt encounter any particular difficulties while solving the problems. The only thing that slowed him down a little was a derivative question. The old teacher wasnt just supervising Cillin, he was marking Cillins answers directly in his mind every time the latter had finished a question. By the time Cillin was done with the test, he was done scoring already. The old man didnt loosen his expression. He let out a humph before waving Cillin out of the room. That was that, then. One of his biggest troubles was settled, Cillin left the old man and went on with his business. After Cillin had left the room, the dissatisfaction on the old teachers face suddenly transformed into helplessness, What a troublesome matter. Seriously, what on earth are you people doing? It cant be helped. A young man walked out from an adjacent room. Well, whatever. Im too old to stick a hand in this matter. The old teacher walked out of the room with Cillins test paper, but when he slowed a little when he was passing by the young man. Dont go too far, alright? I know, itll be fine, teacher. Chapter 271: Gray Plane t After the business with AF1 was dealt with, Cillin and White Night immediately departed towards their destination. Cillin hadnt informed Genya about this because the latter definitely would have involved the Gen Family. Right now, he had no idea who was involved, or how many high level officials were in on this matter. Just how many were working for the empires greatest underground faction? It was like squeezing a drop of ink into a pool of water. The water itself might look just the same as before, but there definitely was a drop of ink inside the pool. Although the star chart that was left behind in Guan Fengs living room was irreplicable, and the projector itself had self destructed, the group had a good enough memory to recreate the star chart from scratch. Does this place really exists? Inside a spaceplanes control room, Sediya asked Cillin sitting next to him while examining the local projection of the star shart. It should. Even if those planets were fake, there must be other planets in that area. Cillin said. Thats true. I had never noticed this until now, but to think that the old charts I have didnt mention such a place at all. What a mystery. Sediya poked at the marked location. I wonder whats waiting for us there. Chi Lafang spun his sun hat with fingers while saying, Its got to be trouble, whatever it is. Oh right, I heard that Black Viper has a lot of robots? I wonder if theyve upgraded themselves since our last meeting. I would be terribly disappointed if theyre still as useless as before. Nikki stopped playing her game for a second to shoot him a glance, The useless trash youre talking about can still turn you into walking sieve if a thousand of them fired a gun at you at once, not to mention that were flying into their headquarters right now. I would suggest you to write up a will and give up all your possessions while you still have the chance. Chi Lafang stopped twirling his hat before chuckling, It sure doesnt sound worth it to toss away my life before I got a chance to spend all of my remaining possessions. Then get serious, and dont fuck up or grow careless when the time comes. Its bad enough we have to rely on someone who falls asleep during shooting classes, and dont think I dont know that Armadillo was the one who did most of the work during the last mission. Shooting classes are so boring that I cant imagine how not to fall asleep, and also, you cant say that I havent put it any effort! Ive fought some robots, you know! Nikki ignored Chi Lafangs nonsense, looked down and went back to her game. Beside her, Armadillo swayed its tail once. It wasnt the first time Chi Lafang had fallen asleep in battle. Hey, where did those two go? Chi Lanfang kicked Armadillo once. The latter pointed at the entrance with its tail and replied, They went away to patrol their territory. Since the moment they got onto the spaceplane, the two territorial animals Wheeze and Rubu had immediately started snatching up territories of their own. Since the spaceplane wouldnt allow them to dump excrement as they pleased, Wheeze had decided to rub its scent onto choice objects like usual. The snow wolf Rubu was the same. The duo had nearly gotten in a fight over this, and in the end Wheeze was the winner with slightly more territory than Rubu. Rubu was afraid that Wheeze would play dirty, so it would go out on a patrol of its own every time Wheeze went away to patrol its territory. It was to prevent Wheeze from taking over his territory while he wasnt looking. Wheeze chose this exact moment to stride proudly back into the control room, followed by a somewhat annoyed looking Rubu. Yo, you guys done with the patrolling? Armadillo greeted them both. Rubus expression immediately took a turn for the worse when he heard this. I wouldve bitten this cat to death if it wasnt a temporary member of our squad! Wheeze had jumped up to Cillins shoulders and was licking its paws when Rubu had made the statement. It pointed a paw at Rubu and said disdainfully, Do you have any idea how many of you Ive eaten when I was just a kitten? Cillin smiled at this because he had recalled the first time he encountered Wheeze; it was undeniable that the cat had eaten plenty of wolves in the past. He flicked Wheeze on the ear and said, Alright, stop arguing. Were all comrades in his mission. Wheeze let out a hmph before saying, Scarlet Wind is a canine too, but hes so much better than this loathsome wolf. Rubu bared its teeth at Wheeze. It would take a ear off this cats head if it said another word! Wheeze was going to chip in a couple more words, but it was interrupted by a blare of alarms. Whats wrong? The sleepy Chi Lafang abruptly snapped out of his short nap. Everythings fine, we just received a transmission. Nikki put down her game console and started decoding the encrypted message she had received into readable characters. A while later, the message read: Come here first before you seek out Black Viper, or youll regret it. The people inside the control room fell silent as they stared at the mysterious message. Nikki continued to work on the message. A simplified star chart was attached to the message, pointing them towards a certain planet. The planet wasnt exactly close to their target destination, but just like their target destination it existed in a forgotten corner of the galaxy. It was a planet no one would pay attention to even if they could find it in the star charts they possessed, and that there were barely any data about it at all. There was a simple answer behind all this: the planet was very, very poor. After a while, Cillin turned to White Night and asked, Does anyone else know about this mission? White Night shook his head, We are the only ones who know where were going. If this wasnt Black Viper, and no one had said anything to anyone, then who on earth had sent them this encrypted message? There was no doubt that the message sender was well aware of their groups objective and whereabouts, but none of them had a clue regarding the persons identity. So, what do we do? Should we head there, or? Sediya looked around at everyone. Same rule. Lets decide this with a vote. Nikki moved a finger and caused a light screen to appear in front of everyone. There were three choices to choose from on the light screen, and they were Go, Dont Go, and Abstain. In the end, everyone voted Go on this matter. It looks like everyone here is of the same mind. Thats great. Sediya smiled. After the decision had been made, the spaceplane changed course and flew towards the new planet. On the way, everyone tried to search for information regarding the planet, but to their surprise all searches had returned with the same meager result. This only made them more and more suspicious because they were no ordinary people. Not only did they fail to find anything substantial about the planet, they couldnt even confirm the authenticity of the information they had gathered. Even if we assume its a planet thats so poor that it cannot manage itself, it still shouldve left a record or two in the database. But the result of our combined efforts is so meager that its almost as if someone had wiped out all relevant information beforehand. Nikki said heavily. Her expression matched her youthful face very poorly, and had Cillin not known that she was around thirty years old instead of eight like her appearance would suggest, he wouldve thought that she was a person with a special background like Tang Qiuqiu. Whatever it is, we better be careful. Bring the gear. The group including Rubu and Armadillo gathered around to discuss strategy. Out of everyone in the control room, Wheeze was the most relaxed one. The cat didnt care if the planet was odd or not because it was all the same hunting game as far as it was concerned. Not only was it not nervous in the slightest, it was very much looking forward to the trip. If there was fresh food on that planet that could quell the hunger in its stomach then all the better. Lately it was starving because it had gobbled up all the sea beast eggs Cillin had collected some time ago. The group soon arrived at their destination planet using the coordinates they were given on the message. The planet turned out as small and poorly maintained as advertised. It was survivable for humans, but definitely not livable. The scan readings came back with the same results. The planet wasnt just resource-poor, it lacked even surveillance satellites or a planetary defense network. Development was extremely poor and backward worldwide. Hows the planet? Armadillo asked. Its poor. Its so poor you can see the end of the bowl*. The city areas have higher metal content as youd expect from a city, but thats about it. The soil of this planet is gray, and its lacking a lot of important elements. There are very few plants that can survive on a soil like this, and the number of plant types that managed to adapt to this environment is less than a hundred. Still, those that survived are extremely tenacious; survival of the fittest and all that. Nikki explained. *Chinese idiom. Means that you can hear your chopsticks making noise inside a bowl because theres no rice (food) in it. From space, parts of the planet looked completely dull gray. It was a gloomy and lifeless color. The surveillance monitors continued to capture what was going on on the planet. The reason almost all of the planets metal had been gathered at the city was because the cities themselves were practically made of metal. In fact, calling them cities would be an inaccurate description; they were closer to giant fortresses built for the specific purpose of keeping something away. A while later, they finally saw the things the creatures that prompted the cities design. There were a lot of black figures moving at high speed not far away from the cities, and they were the animals that had adapted to the planets poor environment. They were about three meters tall, and they had very long, sharp claws. The weapon allowed them to bury underground to hunt for small animals, or strike down a human. Humans were clearly part of their diet. These black monsters were everywhere on the planet. Say, why do you think that mysterious sender had summoned us to this planet? He cant possibly want us to clean up those monsters, right? Chi Lafang asked while staring at the display screen and lying on a chair with his arms across his chest. White Night didnt answer his question. Instead, he turned to Nikki and asked, Was there anything else besides that message and that star chart? Nikki shook her head, There was nothing else. Its whats puzzling me right now. They received another message right after she said this. Nikki quickly decoded it to reveal a single word: Welcome. Sediya read out the message after Nikki was done decoding. He then looked at her in puzzlement before asking, Is that all? That is all. Nikki was feeling just as helpless as he was. Was this mysterious sender making a fool out of them or what? Nikki scratched her ears it was something she did whenever she got irritated and said, Logically speaking, this planet shouldnt be this poor considering the senders level of technology. Thats true, this planet is so backward it cant even compare to our mysterious sender. Cant you track down the source of the message? White Night asked. No, our mysterious sender is extremely cunning. There are signal traces coming from nearly every city on the planet. I see, an expert. Are we absolutely sure theyre not part of Black Viper? Chi Lafang rubbed his chin as his eyes narrowed into slits. It was impossible to tell what kind of emotion he was harboring behind his eyes. No one said anything. No was one calling any moves such as landing on the planet or staying in orbit either. Cillin turned to look at the gray cat lying on his shoulders. Although Wheeze was doing its best to appear serious and nonchalant, Cillin knew from the frequency of its trembling whiskers and the angle of its tail alone that it was feeling extremely pleased with itself for some reason. There was only one answer. You know where the message came from? Cillin gave Wheezes ear a pinch. The latter batted his hand away but didnt say anything. It was practically an admission at that point, but it became an absolute certainty when the cat lost its composure and started grinning like mad when everyone in the control room turned to look at it. How is that possible? Rubu couldnt bring himself to believe it. White Night opened up a scanned map of the planet and placed it in front of Wheeze, You know where they are? Wheeze proudly pointed a paw at a particular city and declared, Theyre hiding in this city, I dont know their specific location yet, but if they dare send us even one more message Ill be able to track this rat down immediately. White Night turned to look at Cillin, and the latter nodded in a show of support. Lets head to this city. White Night told Nikki. Alright. Nikki started piloting the spaceplane towards their new destination. Rubu opened his eyes wide at the decision. Seriously? Theyre trusting this cat so easily?! The citys airspace was covered in a layer of electrical net, and there were watchers keeping watch as well. It was to prevent some deadly birds from making an entry. From time to time, some simplistic-looking flying cars would fly in and out of the net. They looked very heavy and unwieldy, but all things considered it was a practical design. They werent mobile, but they were tough enough to take a couple of attacks from the birds. Occasionally, groups of people would move out of the city in tanks to hunt for game. Meat wasnt a bountiful resource in this city. In this scenario, the food chain worked both ways for both beast and man. Both sides were making food out of the other. In general, everyone living in the metal city was stronger than normal. There was also a kind of killing intent in a man, woman, or even childs eyes. There was a saying that the environment makes a man, and on this planet it definitely had an influence on their personalities. Tang Qiuqiu was a prime example of this. These children knew how to wield a gun and a blade, and were taught how to fight monsters by their elders. To them, it was a compulsory course they must go through to survive on this land. The group had no wish to appear high profile as it was unwise to reveal themselves too much before they had figured out the situation. However, there was a problem. The citizens of these metal cities were extremely averse to outsiders. In the end, the group decided to land at a nearby place and get a feel of the planet first before entering the city. After all, they wouldnt want to walk straight into a death trap. When nighttime arrived, the spaceplane landed stealthily at the designated location where a couple of hills acted as cover. No one had discovered them because their spaceplanes had gone into stealth mode prior to their entry, but the same couldnt be said about the monsters in the area. Those fellows showed up rather quickly. Sediya said while looking at the outside scenery from the screen. It would seem that these monsters have extraordinary senses. Im heading out for a meal! Wheeze jumped down from Cillins shoulders and ran outside. Im heading out too. Not wanting to fall behind the gray cat, Rubu quickly followed behind it. Um, I guess Im hungry too. Armadillo said and went out after the two animals were gone. Chapter 272: Cats are Disadvantaged Animals? All of It! Part 1 Chapter 272: Cats are Disadvantaged Animals? All of It! [Part 1] Armadillo wasnt actually hungry, but it was worried that the two creatures would start fighting one another the moment they got out of the ship. Their health wasnt really its concern both of them had great resilience anyway but they couldnt afford to expose their presence to the mysterious sender before they had figured out who he was. They also didnt know if there was a trap waiting in the journey ahead of them, so it was unwise to act recklessly. The sky gradually brightened, and from the hillside the hills looked completely gray. Most of the plants on this land except the white ones shared the same oppressive color as the soil, but only a few. Meanwhile, Rubu was tearing apart a Sharp-Clawed Beast at a nearby forest. It didnt actually need to torment its prey so, but since it was feeling extremely unhappy right now the prey it just caught became its venting target. From the hills one could see that a couple of black dots were moving around the area, although their numbers were being depleted rapidly due to a certain cat consuming them to to satiate its hunger. These black dots were black sharp-clawed beasts, and they were one of the most common creatures that existed on this planet. Wheezes gray fur acted as protective coloring in this gray world, so it looked pretty inconspicuous especially from a distance. The average human being wouldve been hardpressed to follow its movements without some sort of tool. However, neither Rubu nor Armadillo were human, and their eyesight were excellent to say the least. They were able to track Wheezes movements perfectly without the use of any tools. The cat looked tiny, but when the black sharp-clawed beasts tried to attack Wheezes mouth suddenly grew ten times bigger and swallowed the first creature completely, followed by the second, the third These sharp-clawed beasts werent stupid, and they quickly learned that the unassuming animal before them was no pushover. They immediately started running away, but judging from Wheezes movements it was doubtful that many of them could make a successful escape. Now I understand why Dahl was in tears back then, if that cat was really hungry it could probably eat even our little crocodile for lunch! Seriously though, how big is that cats stomach? Armadillo shot a glance at Wheeze while it crawled slowly to Rubus side. Armadillo noticed that Wheeze was extremely strong just from the way it was capturing those sharp-clawed beasts alone. Its tremendous speed aside, Armadillo knew that there was no way it could hunt as quickly as the cat did, especially the part where the cat just swallowed its live prey whole without biting even once! It wasnt like it was a giant boa like Bona! This technique alone would place the cat among the top animals that roamed AF1. Rubu bit down on the sharp-clawed beasts bones loudly before replying impatiently, Why would I know about that?! At this rate itll be stuffed in no time! Coincidentally, Wheeze came to a sudden stop just as Rubu had finished his sentence. Then, it crouched on the ground and did something the duo couldnt quite see from where they were, ears twitching and tail swaying left and right in a wide arc. The few remaining sharp-clawed beasts seized the opportunity to run away as quickly as they were able. Whats wrong with it? Armadillo asked. Rubu stopped biting and turned to look at Wheeze as well. Wheeze maintained its crouching position for a moment before it opened its mouth wide and vomited a single black sharp-clawed beast. Armadillo, Rubu: ...... That is so disgusting! The black sharp-clawed beast hadnt stayed in Wheezes stomach for long, but it was already partially digested by the time Wheeze had regurgitated it. Even its claws had melted, turned short and become softer than before. The half-digested creature looked like it had undergone a long period of catabolism and was nowhere as fearsome and bloodthirsty-looking as it was at the beginning. That cat doesnt normally ruminate, does it? Armadillo asked. Rubu looked away and said, Absolutely disgusting! I knew that all felines are eccentric animals. He knew that there were a couple of large cats at AF1 who enjoyed crippling their prey before eating them, but this cat was even worse than they were! To think that it had a habit of chewing the cud! Wheezes absolutely disgusting behavior had caused Rubu to completely lost his appetite. He kicked the remains of the black sharp-clawed beast in front of him and sent it flying to the nearby forest, where a couple of small, rodent-like animals had instantly burrowed out of the ground and pounced onto the leftover. Soon, even the bones were completely picked clean. Hey, something seems off about that cat. Could it be food poisoning?! Armadillo poked the resting Rubu with its tail before asking. The snow wolf immediately opened his eyes interestedly when he heard this. He had eaten half a sharp-clawed beast earlier, and he could confirm that it was probably safe to consume. After all, he could sniff out most poisonous meat barring a few exceptional circumstances as a matter of course. The two animals watched Wheeze closely. Wheeze was currently jumping all around the half-digested creature like it was experiencing a seizure or something. A while later, Wheeze extended its claws literally and started disemboweling the poor creature. Armadillo, Rubu: ... They knew that felines were weird, but since when did felines develop this eccentric behavior as well? If Wheeze was just trying to eat its internal organs, they could at least understand why it had disemboweled the sharp-clawed beast, but that wasnt its motivation at all! No, it was dissecting the poor creature! For whatever reason, the eager cat had swallowed its prey, suddenly decided to spit it back out, and then started dissecting it in the middle of a hunt! What the fuck! Neither Rubu nor Armadillo was truly privy to Wheezes current feelings. Right now, it was feeling very, very excited because it had discovered something extremely fun it hadnt had a chance to play with for a very long time already. It was because they hadnt ran into natural one until now, and Cillin hadnt artificially made one for it to play with. Just now, Wheeze had discovered a different type of creature inside the sharp-clawed beasts while it was digesting their bodies. If its assumption was correct, it must be one of those parasites Cillin had mentioned! Wheeze liked parasites a lot because Cillin could always tinker up something interesting every time they had discovered a parasite with great potential. In fact, Wheeze liked these tiny little things a lot more than those big fellows that only had size but no real strength to boast of. Wheeze first cut open the half-melted skin of the sharp-clawed beast. Then, it split open its stomach and found a couple worm-like creatures that looked like tiny scorpions about the size of an adult humans thumb. They were clinging firmly to the stomach wall, and it was obvious that the flesh they were clinging to were much thinner than the rest. After Wheeze had cut open the sharp-clawed beasts stomach, the tiny worms realized that they were in danger and tried to flee the scene. They tore apart the thinned stomach wall they were clinging to and scattered in every direction. Unfortunately for them, they ultimately werent faster than Wheeze, and the gray cat easily dragged them back to where it had found them again and again. On top of the hill, both Rubu and Armadillo were stunned by what they had just witnessed. What the hell is that? Rubu asked. Im not sure. It looks like they were inside that sharp-clawed beasts stomach. You didnt eat its stomach earlier, did you? Armadillo asked worriedly. Without careful study, it was impossible to tell if the worms could affect them negatively. In fact, the more Armadillo thought about the worms, the colder it felt. It was to the point where its armor-like scales were standing up like hair. No, I lost my appetite before I got to that spot. Right now Rubu was extremely glad that he hadnt continued eating, or he might have consumed the whole beast including those eerie worms inside its stomach! In the past, neither Rubu nor Armadillo had cultivated the habit of checking their food before consuming them, but Wheezes actions today had left behind a terrible trauma in their minds, one that wouldnt be fading until a very, very long time later. Im absolutely not eating any meat until Ive checked them for worms from hereon! Hmm? This time, Armadillo slapped Rubu once with its tail the latter busy checking its stomach for worms and pointed its chin down a certain direction. Rubu followed Armadillos chin and saw a young human boy hiding behind a couple of large rocks about three hundred meters away from Wheeze. From his attire, it looked like the boy was someone from the city. He was holding a gun and a bow, and he was observing the gray cat carefully from behind cover. Although the boy looked very tensed, he was also doing his best to stay calm and collected. Overall, he wasnt a bad hunter. Say, do you think we should give that cat a reminder? Armadillo asked. A reminder about what? Rubu didnt really care. About not eating humans just because it felt like it. Rubu: ... Okay, that could be a problem. This morning, Dantu had joined up with the citys hunting squad to hunt down some Claws just like usual. However, his plans suddenly took a turn when he saw a big, injured Claw while he was resting by luck. He didnt want to give up on the beast because a big Claw could be traded for a lot more resources and was worth way more than a small Claw, not to mention that it was already injured. Dantu thought that this was a great opportunity, so he spoke to the captain of the squad about his intent and was given thirty minutes to roam freely. If he didnt return after thirty minutes had passed, the hunting squad would move on about their business and leave him behind. Regardless of ability, any hunter who ventured the wilds alone would mostly like be eaten because anywhere that wasnt a city technically belonged to the Claws. Moreover, they normally turned off their communicators while they were out on a hunt because the Claws were extremely sensitive towards magnetic fields and were drawn to it. Dantu had learned many techniques from veteran Claw hunters at a young age, and he was already accompanying the hunting squad on hunts since he was just ten years old. Today, he was considered an experienced hunter who knew how to hide and track down preys. Dantu looked out for the best time to act while he was following the injured Claw carefully from behind. He couldnt attack it if there were other Claws nearby because he wasnt sure if he could take on multiple Claws alone. Finally, Dantu found the chance he was looking for. However, the injured Claw suddenly let out a screech before running down a different direction restlessly just as he was about to launch an attack. Did it notice me? Dantu was just about to give chase when suddenly, he sensed something moving towards him and concealed himself once more. Before long, two more Claws had run past him in a hurry, almost as if something terrifying was chasing them from behind. It was probably why the injured Claw had decided to make a quick escape all of a sudden. Dantu shot a glance down the direction the two Claws had come from. Why had that big Claw acted so afraid? What had the running Claws seen to make them run like mad? This was a rare sight because the Claws normally thought themselves as kings of the gray land. He had fifteen minutes left in the clock before the captain and the squad would leave him behind, and there was no way he was catching up to the injured Claw at this point. Should he go back? Dantu didnt want things to end like this, however. Puzzled and reluctant, Dantu finally allowed his curiosity to lead him down the path where the running Claws had come from. It didnt take long before he saw a cat sitting on a flat land at the foot of a hill. Dantu was well aware that there were no cats on this planet. He had only ever seen them on books, pictures and televisions, and in fact those who had never had the opportunity to consume media wouldnt even know that there existed such a type of animal. Why is there a cat in this place? What confused Dantu was that cats were supposed to be weak animals according to the books he read. However, the small cat in front of him was standing in front of a glob of flesh that took him a long while to realize that it was a Claw. If he didnt know the bodily structure of a Claw well, he wouldnt have been able identify the defaced creature that looked like it had taken a dip inside an acid pool at all. How did the Claw turn out like this? And why was the cat blanking out right next to it? What happened next surprised Dantu even more. First, the cats claws had extended unnaturally right before his eyes. Then, it easily cut open the Claws skin and dissected it after. Dantus face was white when he saw the worms, just like the first time he had killed a Claw. Not only was the boy afraid for his life, he was regretting his decision to obey his curiosity like never before. Why had he come over like a suicidal person? Also, he knew that everything in the books and the televisions were all lies! How could a cat possibly be a disadvantaged animal? Would a disadvantaged animal be able to dissect a Claw like it was nothing?! At this point, Dantu was absolutely certain that the cat the tiny creature that wasnt even the length of his forearm was the one that had scared away the Claws earlier. Dantu did his best to calm down his beating heart while coming up with a solution. First, he absolutely couldnt turn on his communicator. He would be discovered the second he tried it. Second, he couldnt ask for help, not that anyone would come and help him even if he did. Therefore, his best choice was to retreat quietly while he still could. However, the moment he turned his head, a voice rang from right next to him. Hey kid, where do you think youre going? Heart skipping a beat, Dantu reflexively tried to fire his gun at the source of the voice. However, his eyes turned dark, and he fell unconscious before he could do anything. Chapter 272: Cats are Disadvantaged Animals? All of It! Part 2 P.S. Crow has been renamed to Claw Chapter 272: Cats are Disadvantaged Animals? All of It! [Part 2] Wheeze sniffed Dantu once before shooting a disdainful glance at the gun and bow lying next to the boy. Cillin was right, this place really was poor and backward. On the other hand, the boys constitution wasnt quite as bad as his equipment. It could test the worms on him later. There were only three worms left by the time it was done digging. Wheeze had only wanted to knock out the parasites, but it wasnt able to grasp the right amount of force at the beginning and accidentally killed or gravely wounded several. It wasnt sure if the parasites would recover, but it wasnt really an issue. Worse comes to worse, it could always capture a couple more of these sharp-clawed beasts and find more. One of them had to have a parasite or two in their stomach. Wheeze didnt have anything that could hold the three knocked out worms and the gravely wounded ones. However, Dantu did have a tough leather pouch that was made out of the sharp-clawed beasts processed skin. Therefore, it should function as a temporary pocket. Meanwhile, Armadillo and Rubu were already making their way towards Wheeze. They had come to the consensus that they would stop Wheeze from feeding on the human and take him back to the ship for interrogation instead. However, the moment they got closer to Wheeze, they were immediately greeted with a flying leather pouch. Hey you two, help me carry that stuff, will you? Wheeze said while pointing at the pouch containing the worms. Armadillo and Rubu immediately moved away from the leather pouch like they were avoiding a plague. Take that yourself! Wed rather drag that human back ourselves! Rubu said. I cant allow that! I need him for my experiment! Wheeze ignored Armadillo and Rubu after that and tied the leather pouch to Dantus body instead. For safety, it even reinforced it with a length of rope it found among Dantus possessions. Finally, it grabbed the boys collar with its mouth and started dragging him towards the spaceplane. The activity wasnt really a slog to Wheeze, however. A couple of steps later Wheeze started leaping large distances while looking completely effortless. Armadillo and Rubu exchanged a glance with each other before shaking their heads. Then, they followed closely behind the gray cat. They had no idea what Wheeze was planning to do the boy once they got back to the ship. Experiment? What experiment? Was it planning to stuff the worms into a human body? How disgusting! Meanwhile, back at the spaceplane, Nikki had begun her task of hacking into the citys network and had acquired some basic information as a result. The citys network was simple and not up to date, and the equipment the citizens were using might as well be relics in their eyes. While Cillin and the rest took their time to absorb the new data and analyze the potential problems they might encounter during their trip, but they still werent able to find the mysterious rat Wheeze had spoken of earlier. Just where in this city was this mysterious person hiding? The gang was just discussing the viability of capturing a local and interrogating them for information, when the image of Wheeze dragging a human towards the spaceplane was displayed on the screen. Everyone looked at Cillin in unison. Cillin spread his arms and denied any responsibility, It wasnt me. Sediya gave him a thumbs-up. You sure train your pet well, friend! Cillin curled his lips in response because he was a hundred percent certain the cat hadnt dragged in a human for the reason they were thinking of, and he was right. After the ins and outs had been explained thoroughly, everyone showed great interest in the worms Wheeze had spoken of. However, it was dangerous to conduct an observation in the open, so they brought the worms into the isolation room first. Heeding Rubu and Armadillos advice, no one entered the isolation room for a closer look after the isolation barrier was lowered. Instead, they would be observing from the other side through the transparent isolation barrier. By now Cillin was very familiar with the procedure, having worked together with Wheeze many times in the past. First, he used a device to simulate a stomach-like environment. Then, the three worms that had already awakened from unconsciousness and the gravely wounded worms excitedly clung to the stomach walls and secured themselves. The stomach walls where the parasites had clung to were a lot thinner than the untouched areas, and the parasites soon began absorbing the nutrients inside the stomach. Miraculously, the gravely wounded parasites started regenerating even the torn parts of their bodies. So? Its great, isnt it?! Wheeze declared proudly. Its fine. Cillin sealed the parasites inside the small box he had used to simulate a stomach-like environment while saying, However, theyre not quite useful to us right now. Well soon be facing a bunch of robots, and robots dont have stomachs, do they? Wheeze twitched in ears in a bit of dissatisfaction. But, you did a very good job this time. You deserve praise! Cillin rubbed Wheeze once on the head, and Wheeze narrowed its eyes while thinking: now thats what Im talking about. It wondered if it should capture a couple more sharp-clawed beasts and see if it could find more of these worms. It was boring to stay holed up in this spaceplane and do nothing anyway. Now that the parasite research was over, everyone turned their attention back to the boy Wheeze had dragged back to the ship. The boy only looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, but his physique, attire and carried equipment all pointed towards him being a formidable person. Dantu immediately tensed up when he woke up and opened his eyes. He was in an unfamiliar environment and breathing unfamiliar air. It didnt look like he was in any one of the cities on this gray-colored planet, and it was so alien that it might as well be from another world altogether. In the next moment, Dantu spotted the gray cat sitting on a strangers shoulder. That cat was the culprit behind the mess he was in right now! Surprisingly, Dantu felt less afraid than when he saw Wheeze for the first time. Humans were at least a known, more reassuring factor compared to a creature he couldnt make head or tails of. Even better, he couldnt sense any malice from these strangers, although of course it could just be an appearance. Wheeze gave its paws a lick while it was sitting on top of Cillins shoulder. Its movement frightened their newly awakened captive so much that he shuddered and shrank backwards a little. Cillin gave Wheezes ear a flick and asked, What did you do to him? It was obvious that the kid had had quite a huge fright before. Sediya glanced at Wheeze first, then at Armadillo and Rubu before sighing. He never thought that there would be a day that they would be less fearsome than a tiny cat. The young boy was clearly on his guard, so Nikki stepped in and took over the reins. After all, a girl about seven to eight years old of age at least in appearance was obviously going to look a lot less intimidating. Dont be afraid, we wont hurt you as long as you dont struggle. We just want to ask you a couple of questions. Nikki said. Dantu stared at the supposedly seven to eight years old girl that felt absolutely off for some reason and stayed silent. Nikki tried a couple more questions, but Dantu still stayed silent and tensed. It was at this moment Chi Lafang pointed at his mouth and said, Does he understand our language? Nikki slapped herself in the forehead. She couldnt believe she had actually forgotten about this! The imperial common language wasnt the lingua franca on this planet, and their native language was so minor that even the empire didnt have a corresponding record. Thankfully, Nikki had gathered enough bits and pieces of the native language to setup a language package for the translator while Wheeze, Rubu and Armadillo were out hunting earlier, so Nikki simply activated the translator and repeated her question. Finally, Dantu spoke up in a somewhat raspy voice, What do you want to know? Cillin passed him a drink. Its a fruit juice. Theres no poison in it. Dantu hesitated for a moment before sneaking a glance at Wheeze. The gray cat was currently licking its paws lazily and not paying attention to him. Dantu carefully accepted the offering, took a sip and paused for a second. Then, he abruptly poured the entire content of the box down his throat at once, licking the mouth of the can longingly even after he had drank everything. Cillin passed him another can of fruit juice. This time Dantu didnt hesitate too long before he accepted the fruit juice and drank in big gulps. Dantu had never drank something like this in his life. It was more delicious than even the most expensive drink the city had to offer! He would like to bring this fruit juice back to Uncle An because he knew the old man had probably never drank something this tasty in his life despite his age, but unfortunately his own life was in danger right now. He didnt know if he could ever see Uncle An ever again. Dantus guard barely went down despite the gift, but his voice was no longer raspy, and he seemed to have calmed down. This was a good sign. Now that Dantu had calmed down, he was able to answer several of Nikkis basic questions. For example, he had told the group his name, and the name of those black creatures with sharp claws. In their native language, Claw basically meant sharp claw. However, Claw was just a general term used to address those black creatures because they were actually made up of many different species, and they were mostly hybrids. However, there were some special Claws named Glass that were several times larger and more powerful than the average Claw. However, their numbers were comparatively fewer. Nikki then asked if it was possible for Dantu to bring them into the city, but the boy shook his head and said, No one except the city guards and hunting squads are allowed to enter or exit the city, unless they were granted permission by the castellan himself. Castellan? What kind of official rank is that? Nikki asked. Although she had learned a little about the city through their communication network, there was a limit to what she could do because the network was so backward that the people here seldom communicated with one another through it at all. It was the kind of social relationship and setup that was cultivated in a special technological environment like this. The castellan is the highest official in our city. This time it was Dantu who asked a question after a pause, You guys are from another planet, arent you? Nikki didnt attempt to deny the question. It wouldve been utterly pointless. Yes, were visitors from another planet. In that case, theres even less of a chance youll be let into the city. We are naturally averse towards aliens, and our castellan even more so. There was a spaceplane that had entered our planet because it had suffered a malfunction, but it never went back to where it came from. Although it hadnt happened in our city, I heard that something similar had happened in our city before. Are you threatening us? Nikki smiled disdainfully at him. No, Im just giving you fair warning. Dantu looked down and stopped talking after that. His hidden expression kept anyone from figuring out his thoughts. It was at this moment Wheeze opened its mouth and said, I think this kid hasnt told us the whole truth. Should we test the worms on him? Both Rubu and Armadillo standing at the back thought in unison: Cats really are evil creatures! Dantu abruptly looked up as fear flashed across his eyes. He tried to reach for his gun and hunting blade out of habit, only to touch nothing and recall that his possession had all been confiscated by these aliens. Although he wasnt tied up, he knew full well that he was no match against them, not to mention that that cat was right there. Stop trying to scare the kid, Cillin gave Wheeze a flick again while the latter snorted in response. Scaring the kid was all it was trying to do. How boring. Nikki asked a couple more questions after that, but she wasnt able to get the answers she wanted. For now, there was no way they could release Dantu, so they had no choice but to keep him locked up for now. Plus, they could always refer to him once they had gotten any new intel. They gave Dantu a small room of his own. Although the room was just a simple room to Cillin and the others, it was unimaginable luxury to the boy, not to mention that there were fruit juices and food he had never eaten before in his life. That being said, the boys nerves were constantly challenged to the point where he wondered if he would diagnosed with mental illness in just a couple of days. It was because that cat kept visiting him during its free time, doing nothing in particular except sitting and licking its paws. Every time Dantu saw its paws, he couldnt help but recall the time Wheeze had disemboweled a Claw with ease. He would then tense up and be on his guard all day. On the contrary, Wheeze was very satisfied with this setup: I cant believe theres someone whos afraid of cats! Chapter 273: It Can’t be Her? Dantu was brought out to the control room again when evening approached. Although the young boy was still watching Wheeze overcautiously, the fear and astonishment that had gripped him when he saw Cillin and the others for the first time was already gone. Maybe it was because he was born into a harsh environment, but it was clear that that he was more cool-headed and mature than a well-born peer on a peaceful planet. All things considered, his mental fortitude was praiseworthy. However, Dantus cool facade cracked nonetheless when he saw the projection on top of a desk in the middle of the control room. It was a complete map of Dantus entire city. Nikki had slipped a couple of mini probes past the citys defenses when an outgoing patrol was making its return. After the mini probes had entered the city, they split up into even tinier components before splitting up and performing a full scan on the metal city. Finally, the data was transmitted back to the spaceplane and joined together to form the map before their eyes. The citys defense system was so backward that it wasnt able to notice that a bunch of foreign probes had slipped past its security and transmitted information to an outside source at all. Although Dantu had lived here for over a decade, the citys complete appearance was an enigma to him until now. He was able to identify the iconic buildings in the projection immediately even though the map before his eyes was a miniature version of the real thing. Dantu was afraid that these aliensplotting something sinister against the city. If both sides were to engage in physical conflict, that any victory they took would come at a terrible cost considering how wide the gap between their technology was. Worse, people at the lowest rung like him or his solitary neighbor, Grandpa An would definitely be used as cannon fodders in this war. Nikki smiled at Dantu when she saw his reaction, We dont really care about your city; were just looking for someone who happened to be hiding inside your city. Their level of technology is the same is ours, and theyre the ones who called us over in the first place. We would have no reason to visit this ridiculously small and impoverished planet otherwise. Dantu relaxed a little when he heard Nikkis explanation, but the mysterious person Nikki mentioned had piqued his curiosity. Who was the person hiding inside their city, and why would they do such a thing? At the same time, he finally had an inkling on the groups true objective. I dont know the person youre talking about. Ive never heard of anyone with such advanced technology in our city either. Dantu said. I wasnt expecting you to know, Nikki pointed at the city-wide projection rotating on top of the desk, We would seek them out ourselves. However, we do need your help with one thing. What is it? We need to borrow your home for a bit. Nikki paused the projection and moved it in front of Dantu. Dantu pursed his lips in silence for a moment. Then, he glanced at the group before asking, Do you plan on harming anyone in the city? Sediya snorted when he heard his question, Boy, were not begging you for help. There are other ways we can solve our problems without you. However, that also means that we may have to hurt someone in your city to achieve our goals. You wouldnt like to see a fellow citizen get hurt, would you? So talk quickly, because our patience only stretches so far. There is a cunning wolf waiting for us to capture inside that city. Relax, were no executioner. We wont be killing innocents. Chi Lafang intentionally emphasized his last two words so that Dantu understood that their no-killing rule didnt extend to those who werent innocent. After all, anything relating to Black Viper must be dealt with caution, or they were the ones who would come out dead during the exchange. Dantu hesitated for a moment before he walked toward the projection and pointed at his home. It was at the slums where most of the people living there were either alone or impoverished. Dantu lived in a six-storeys high metal building where the biggest available living space didnt exceed forty square meters. Dantus own space was only ten or so square meters wide, less than one third of the size of this control room. Rent was a huge problem for Dantu because he, as well as the people living there could only afford that much. Anything better, tougher, and with more facilities required a fee that was completely out of their reach. After Dantu had told them where his home was, the probes hiding inside the city stealthily made their way toward that location. It didnt take long before the entire building came under their full view. In the projection, Dantus left neighbor was drying jerkies and speaking to a couple of people standing at the corridor. The probes were able to capture even their conversation perfectly. The door where Dantus right neighbor lived was shut tight, and they had no idea what kind of person was living in there. However, Cillin could tell from Dantus eyes that whoever living in that space was very important to the latter. For starters, he didnt look like he care about the people on the projection at all. Two, the first place Dantus eyes had shifted to when the building appeared in the projection wasnt his own space, but his right neigbors. The good news was that there werent many patrols around that area because it was situated in the slums. In fact, they were clearly more active the upper rung residential areas, protecting the residents from flying beasts that were lucky enough to make their way into the city. Nikki stopped asking Dantu questions after she had investigated all there was to investigate in that area. Instead, she turned to focus her attention on Chi Lafang and Sediya, who were investigating the so-called upper rung residential area of the city. They would wait until it was completely dark before they begin their operation because the patrols would be the only ones who were active around that time. Due to their hostile environment, the city people seldom went out of their homes after nightfall. No one gave Dantu a second glance, but Dantu didnt try to escape during their moment of inattention. It was because he knew that he had no chance of success considering the level of his opponents. Whoosh A flying car model flew in from outside, and a gray cat was standing right on top of it. It was also holding a box with its mouth. Dantu reflexively shied away from Wheeze the moment it appeared, but his attention was quickly grabbed by the flying car model. The difference in technology made Dantu extremely curious towards the foreign flying object. Wheeze stopped the flying car model in front of Cillin before setting down the box, Cillin, you can assemble this thing, right? The item inside the box was one of the secondary prizes Cillin won during the racing tournament. It was one of the two Vege-Fritter style flying car models the other one was in Naimis hands Fleka had made personally, although of course it didnt have the wealth of complexity and internal diversification of the original. However, it was still an extremely luxurious creation for a toy, and its cost could almost cover the purchase of a whole new flying car luxury cars and racing cars aside, of course. Since there was still some time before the departure, Cillin grabbed over the box, sat on the floor where he stood and started assembling the flying car model immediately. Wheeze stayed on top of its flying car model while it watched Cillin, tail swinging. From time to time, it would shoot a proud glance at Rubu and Armadillo sitting at another corner of the control room, causing the duo to grit their teeth in anger: so what if you have a toy and we dont! Dantu was extremely curious toward the flying object. It was probably one of those flying car mentioned in the TV, because they looked like the same type even though their appearance was different. He didnt think that such a tiny toy could exist until now. Dantu wanted to move closer and watch Cillin work, but he was still extremely wary of Wheeze. In the end, his curiosity won over his fear, and he slowly shifted closer and closer toward Cillin. Wheeze only shot him a glance before ignoring him, and Dantu let out a sigh of relief. Cillins assembly speed wasnt quick, but it was very rhythmic and clearly practiced. He was able to assemble every component to their right place with perfect accuracy. As Dantu stared at the object that was growing rounder and rounder in Cillins hands, he felt like all his attention was sucked into a whirlpool he was glad to be in. Do you have your own flying car? Cillin asked in a lower, slower tone. Dantu shook his head, but kept his gaze fixed on the model that was growing more and more complete. This is a flying car model. For a long time this model was looked down on by a lot of people, but their impression of it was changed after a racing tournament Cillin talked a little, but didnt stop moving his hands. Then, he asked, What will you do if you have a flying car of your own? Dantu looked very confused by his question. Then, he started thinking, Ill take Grandpa An outfor a spin. Ill show him how the citys developed recently. The city has grown twice as large since some time ago, and there are a lot of new places to look at. Grandpa An? Mm. If it wasnt for Grandpa An, I wouldnt have survived to this day. Chapter 273: It Can’t be Her? Part 2 Chapter 273: It Cant be Her? [Part 2] Dantus mother had passed away since a long time ago, and his father hadnt returned from a hunt since he was seven years old. In fact, less than one fifth of the hunting group had returned to the city because they were unfortunate enough to encounter a Glass, a higher species among the Claws. At the time, it was impossible for Dantu to have gone on a solo hunt, and there was no one who would lend him a hand. There were so many cases like Dantu in the city that the people had become desensitized to their presence. Then, just when Dantu was about to starve to death, Grandpa An, the strange old man who rarely exited his room and wasnt particularly close to anyone, had given him food. Grandpa Ans savings was something his offsprings had left behind, but after they were gone he became a lot quieter than he used to be. He almost never left his room either because he was a disabled person.For as far as Dantu could remember Grandpa An had always sat on a wheelchair, and there was no one who would take care of him. Chi Lafang and Sediya exchanged a glance with each other while everyone in the control room was listening to the conversation. Assuming that they hadnt misjudged the situation, Cillin must have cast a hypnosis spell on Dantu! Considering how cautious the little guy had been since the beginning, it made no sense for him to become so talkative all of a sudden. Dantus expression became much gentler when he spoke of the time after he came to know Uncle An, but when Cillin and the group started asking about entering the city and borrowing Dantus room, his face suddenly distorted as if he was trying to resist something. Sweat beads started pouring down Dantus forehead like the rain, and a while later the boy suddenly looked up and glared at him with such anger and madness that felt Cillin like the little guy would attack in the next instant. What did you do to me?! Dantu breathed heavily as he asked. His hands were clenched into fists, but he couldnt stop himself from shaking. He had said far too much just now, and he could only imagine consequences it would bring! Cillin smiled at him before pushing in the final component of the car model. Then, he passed it to Wheeze to play with at the side. Your willpower isnt bad, Cillin commented. You You cant hurt Grandpa An! You cant! Dantu shouted at Cillin. I never said I was going to hurt him, Cillin stood up, patted his thighs and started walking towards the exit of the control room. However, he came to a stop after just two steps before turning around to look at Dantu, You were smiling when you were talking about your time with that Grandpa An. Someone once told me that a person who was reminiscing must be truly happy if they blinked as they smiled. Dantus fingers loosened for a second before he clenched them once more. There was a time Dantu had thought himself to be happy and blessed. Although he was an orphan in every sense of the word, he still had Grandpa An at the time. The old man who always wore an amiable look on his face had told him many stories that he had never heard before, and he had also taught him how to hunt and protect himself. Dantus wish was to accumulate enough money the kind that was circulated within the city from his hunts and move in to one of those tougher, wider buildings that looked like a fortress one day. He wished that they could both lead a better life The final hunting squad had returned to the city just before the sky had darkened completely. It was none other than the hunting squad Dantu had been part of earlier. Dantu hadnt returned to the hunting squad within the promised time, and they hadnt been able to contact him through a communicator either. Their experience had told them that Dantu had either lost his direction or had gotten himself into a pickle. It didnt matter either because the outcome of both scenarios was the same: the chances of a lone person surviving was close to zero, not to mention that Dantu was just fifteen years old. He might have had nearly five years of hunting experience under his belt, but he was still lacking in many ways compared to the veteran hunters. After failing to contact Dantu even after they had gotten ready to return to the city, the hunting squad decided to give up waiting and return to the city with whatever prize they had gotten. However, no one had noticed the man hiding inside a Crows dead body, just as they had missed a small, unassuming bump attached to their armored vehicle as they passed through the city gate. Very good, Cillin had successfully infiltrated the city, Inside the spaceplane, Nikki commented while staring at the signal on her screen. It was a transmitter that they had installed on Cillins body. Rubu and Armadillo were the only ones left inside the control room behind Nikki. Dantu was also sitting on the side, watching them nervously as they made their move. Sediya and Chi Lafang were hiding somewhere not too far away from the city; Cillin and White Night were the only ones who were making the infiltration. White Night had infiltrated the city by concealing himself among the second last hunting squad to pass through the city gate, and his objective was different from Cillins in that he was heading towards the castellan while Cillin was heading to Dantus apartment. Since the citys equipment was very backward, they had failed to detect White Night or Cillin in any way. Well for Wheeze, it was even more out of their league. After Cillin had entered the city, he waited for an opportunity to detach himself from the hiding squad and hid in a secluded spot, waiting for night time. When the sky had turned completely dark, and the citizens had all secured themselves snugly behind closed doors, Cillin started moving towards Dantus apartment. Most of the people living in the city were experienced hunters, so their senses were honed to be extremely sensitive towards danger and unusual activity. Moreover, most of these traces were impossible to conceal through technology alone. That was why both Cillin and White Night had practiced caution as they were moving through the city. Cillin had memorized the citys entire layout. It didnt take long for him to reach the building where Dantu was staying. Cillin had excellent hearing, and he caught several households talking about Dantus disappearance through the walls. The hunting squad had brought news that Dantu hadnt returned with them to the city, and they all thought the boy mustve been lost forever to them. However, it was obvious from their tone that they didnt really pity or miss Dantu in any way; he was just a convenient topic to bring up and spend time on after dinner. These people were indifferent because they were numb, and in this city the relationship between people was as cold as cold as the metal that made up their homes. Moreover, the citys unique environment-driven social structure also meant that no one could be bothered to point fingers over minor injustices, and that the right belonged only to the living. Cillin arrived at the floor where Dantus room was situated. There was no one lingering outside the building because there were always some unknown danger lurking behind the darkness. To these people living in this city, the one place that was truly safe when it was night time was their home. Cillin paused for a second and shot a glance at Uncle Ans room. The main door was tightly shut, and the lights inside the room were completely off. After that, he moved on to Dantus room and took out the keys Dantu had given him, but he sensed someone inside the room the second he had opened the door. Inside the spaceplane, the feed on Nikkis screen suddenly started blurring before it cut out completely. It meant that the transmission had been disrupted by an electromagnetic jammer! Why would such a high level piece of technology exists in a rundown place like this?! The person were looking for is right there! That was the first thought that entered Nikkis mind, and she immediately contacted White Night, Sediya and Chi Lafang outside the city. Cillin had immediately gone on high alert the moment he noticed that there was someone inside the room. He dodged a blow that was directed at his face, blocked the follow-up attacks that came after, turned sideways and leaned backwards towards the ground. Then, he pushed the floor with a finger and bounced to the side before pulling out his long blade with his free hand and pointing it at his opponent. The transmission didnt stay disrupted for long thanks to Wheezes countering the electronic jammer. Although there was no light inside the room, the faint ray of light entering the room from outside was all Cillin needed to see his attackers face clearly. It was the same with the people inside the spaceplane thanks to the night vision filters on the transmission device. Surprisingly, the person with the biggest reaction wasnt anyone from Nikkis group. It was Dantu. The young boy had jumped up from his seat with eyes that looked to be filled with disbelief, Impossible! It cant be her I thought shes already That girl looks a little familiar to me. Chi Lafang commented after giving the photo Nikki had sent them a look. Nikki shook her head in response, Ive never seen her. Well, I did just a while ago. Ive never spoken to her, but Ive seen her in the same racing competition our Cillin boy had participated in, Sediya said while staring at the image. Inside Dantus room, Cillins opponent had ceased attacking after her initial failure. In fact, the reason Cillin hadnt turned her into a corpse already was because he didnt sense any killing intent from her. Cillin pointed his blade at the girl before him. Honestly speaking, he hadnt expected to run into her here of all places. We meet again, Qiu Xu. Chapter 274: Guan Feng’s Background Qiu Xu wasnt nervous despite being pointed by Cillin with a blade. On the contrary, she looked calm enough to suggest that everything had gone according to her plan thus far. The room lights werent turned on, and the door wasnt shut. Wheeze walked into the room and shot a glance at the two strangers before deciding that they werent worth the attention. It was sure that Cillin could deal with them both. Dantus accommodation was as tiny and simple as he had said earlier. Wheeze circled around the room once before staring at a particular wall. Dantus neighbor, Grandpa An lived on the other side of the wall, but Wheeze jumped up the wall and swiped a tiny device out of its hiding spot. The device was capable of monitoring everything inside the room, acting as an alarm and a basic security system. However, Qiu Xu had turned off the security system before Cillin arrived, or he wouldnt have been able to enter the room with just the key. In fact, the device would paint him as the enemy and electrocute him. Besides this device, the device that looked like a ceiling light next to the real ceiling light turned out to be an intelligent laser transmitter. Besides that, Wheeze had dug out a couple more devices inside the room. The devices were all security-based, which meant that they were meant to protect the master of the house, or more specifically Dantu. The technological level of these devices didnt match up with the planets development at all. Inside the spaceplane, Dantu himself was completely dumbfounded by their findings. Not only did he not recognize the devices, he had no idea that there were this many unexpected equipment lying inside his shabby little room. In fact, if Nikki hadnt explained to him each and every one of their functions, he wouldnt have had a clue what they actually did even if he had discovered them by accident. He might even have sold them out as trash. Qiu Xu didnt say anything. She didnt display any dissatisfaction towards Wheezes behavior either. All she did was to look outside the door. It didnt take long before a shadow appeared at the entrance of Dantus room. It was White Night. White Night had rushed over right after he received Nikkis message. After all, their objective was to seek out the message sender, not research the governor. After White Night had slipped into the room, Qiu Xu said, Now that youre both here, please come with me. Qiu Xu once again ignored Cillins blade and walked out of the room. Putting away his weapon, Cillin made a signal at White Night once before they both followed Qiu Xu. Just because they were puzzled didnt mean that they should lower their guards except for a certain gray cat that had dug its way to the other side of the wall maybe. Just like Wheeze and Cillin had predicted, Qiu Xus destination was just next door. They were heading to Grandpa Ans room. Cillin had sensed some mechanical activity when he was walking past Grandpa Ans room earlier, and he figured that it was something that exceeded the average technological level of this place. After all, where there were machines there was machine language, and it was an advantage Cillin and Wheeze had over others. The electronic interference that was supposed to disrupt monitoring had been suppressed thanks to Wheeze, so everyone on the spaceplane had a clear view of what was going on. And out of all the people on the spaceplane, Dantu was the least calm out of all of them. He desperately hoped that things wouldnt turn out the way he imagined them to be, but the moment Cillin and White Night had entered Grandpa Ans room, his heart had turned as cold as ice. It was all a lie. Grandpa Ans room wasnt big, but it was still wider compared to Dantus. Cillin saw an old man sitting on a wheelchair the moment he had passed through the door. The old man was holding a book in his hands, and the solar-powered desk lamp beside him cast dark shadows around him. However, the weak lighting was all Cillin and White Light needed to see everything there was to see inside the room. Wheeze shook the dust of its body after it had drilled all the way over from Dantus room. Then, it scanned the room once with its enlarged pupils before jumping up to Cillins shoulder. Qiu Xu closed the door after she had led the guests in. Then, she moved to stand behind the old man. The old solar-powered lamp was weak, but it wasnt so dark that the people on the spaceplane couldnt see what was inside the room. Meanwhile, Dantu wore a puzzled expression as he stared at Qiu Xu. You know her? Nikki asked. Dantu nodded, then shook his head, She looks very similar to someone I know, but now that Ive gotten a good look there are some slight differences. Who does she look similar to? Nikki asked another question. She looks like Grandpa Ans daughter. Dantu had met this woman before when he was just a boy. His father had told him that she was an incredibly strong female fighter. However, the woman had gone missing during a hunt, and she had never come back since. Everyone had said that the woman was dead, but the girl on the screen looked like she was around his age at most. What on earth was her connection to Grandpa An? And why did she look so much like that woman? Inside the room, the old man on the wheelchair folded his book shut before looking up at Cillin, White Night, and Wheeze looking all over the place. Then, he gave them a smile. So, youre finally here. The old man stood up from his wheelchair, took two steps towards a bookshelf, and left his book there. Thats thats impossible?! Grandpa Ans supposed to be Right now, Dantu was completely confused. The old man on a wheelchair wasnt actually lame?! It was at this moment Nikki let out a derisive sneer, Whoever said that those who use wheelchairs must be lame? She was right. There was no rule that stated that those who use wheelchairs must be a lame person. It was then Dantu recalled that Grandpa An had always been wearing long robes that completely covered his feet. He had never allowed anyone, not even Dantu, to touch his feet either. For the longest time, Dantu had thought that Grandpa An hadnt allowed it out of a sense of pride, but today that illusion had been shattered by the hammer of reality. Who was Grandpa An? And how long had he been lying low in this city? Dantu didnt know. Grandpa An had been the way he was as far as he could remember. He doubted that there was anyone in the entire building who knew that the old man was an outsider, and that his pitiful, lonely and helpless image was all just a front, a false impression. What they thought and what they thought they saw was all a product of the old mans machinations from the beginning. The old man returned to his wheelchair after he was done putting his book back in place. Then, he looked at Cillin or more specifically where Cillins signal transmitter was at and said, Youre there too, arent you Dantu? Hehe, you have nothing to worry about, Dantu. They wont hurt you. After that, the old man looked back at Cillin, Please cut off the transmission. There are some things that should remain a secret to others. Alright. Cillin turned off the signal transmitter without hesitation, and Wheeze cooperatively stopped suppressing with the electromagnetic interference of this place as well. It meant that no one else except those who were inside the room would be privy to the conversation that was to follow. White Night had turned off the signal transmitter on his person as well. Then, he waited quietly for the old man to continue. The old man looked very satisfied with their lack of hesitation. Im the one who had sent out the unnamed message you received. My intentions arent malicious. All I was trying to do was to warn you that you were going to suffer heavy losses if you continue on your journey to Black Viper. The old mans voice was calm and amiable. It was almost as if he was talking about a matter of no importance. Who are you? White Night asked. White Night had stayed in AF1 for many years, and he had heard most of the secrets there was to know. However, he had no idea who the old man before him was. His instincts were telling him that the old man was no ordinary person, and he was reminded of a hermit who was sitting in his corner and holding his book in silent observation of the many changes that affected the empire. Who am I? Hehe, The old man chuckled softly, You wouldnt have known even if I told you, but if I dont tell you you wouldnt trust what Im going to say next, would you? The white hair covering the old mans head wasnt untidy, but hanging strands just happened to cover half of his eyes each. It prevented them from seeing into his heart. Do you know who the current leader of Black Viper is? The old man asked. Cillin frowned, but didnt answer because his knowledge was limited. He only knew that the current leader had inherited their position from the previous leader, and that they all shared the same surname, Kristi. If someone was referring to Kristi of Black Viper, then they must be speaking the current Black Viper leader. White Night waited for a moment before answering, Feng Anlang. Kristi Feng Anlang. Feng Anlang. Thats right, Kristi Feng Anlang, The old man repeated with a mutter before he looked at Cillin and White Night again, Everyone thought that Feng Anlang was one persons name, but they were wrong. Feng Anlang actually represented three peoples names. Cillins eyelid twitched. He had a bad feeling about this. The old man revealed the truth, My name is Gu Changan. There was an An in Gu Changan. The current person in charge of Black Viper is called Kristi Lang. As for Feng, well, you both know who he is. Cillin let out a sigh on the inside. He thought so. Guan Feng, Gu Changan, Kristi Lang. Feng Anlang, leader of Black Viper. He doubted that anyone knew that Black Viper was actually led by three leaders. Anyway, what on earth was Guan Feng trying to do? The old man made a waving gesture, and a projector floated between the three of them. Then, a planet was projected on top of the projector. Qiu Xu turned off the lights and enlarged the image further. This time, Cillin and White Night could see the rough layout, environment and geography of the planet itself. This is the planet youre heading to, The old man said. This isnt Black Vipers headquarters, Cillin said without hesitation. No, it isnt. But it is where you need to be. If Guan Feng is one of Black Vipers leaders, then why would we need to go find him? Cillin asked. Thats because hes the one who recommended you both. And what are we recommended for? Gu Changan didnt answer cillin question directly. Instead, he said something that stunned both Cillin and White Night, Its about time Black Viper has a change of office. Change of office? Why? Black Viper was the empires biggest underground force. Why on earth would they need to have a change of office? Hehe, that you will need to find out yourself. Dont turn me down, this isnt a bad thing. It wasnt? It wasnt a bad thing to go up against the empire openly? Guan Fengs over there. You need to meet him to get an answer anyway, dont you? Gu Changan looked very happy. Both Cillin and White Night were silent. Lets review Guan Fengs personal information: an imperial mentor who had taught many royalty, one of the biggest heads of AF1, a senior scholar of the RAS and the organizer of a government funded research subject. Besides that, every one of his students was a famous, capable person in their respective departments, and his influence counted among the top few within the entire Mist Bodhisattva Empire. But why was he one of Black Vipers leaders too?! Go. Youll know the answer once you head there. That being said, you are expected to strong enough to survive the environment. After all, youre not the only ones who were under recommendation. Gu Changan switched to a new image while he was speaking, Here are some very basic info that you may use. A new species that looked somewhat similar to the Claws on this gray planet was displayed on the projector. However, they were a lot faster than the Claws, and their skin looked tough and impenetrable. They also exhibited amazing reactions and high intelligence. Besides that, a new batch of robot army and bio-soldiers were put on display. Cillin had encountered plenty of bio-soldiers in the past, and he knew that none of them had one absolute weak point. For example, some bio-soldiers weak point was at the head, but there were also some whose weak point was at the heart or some other places. Although it was possible to identify their weak points by analysing their special nerve structure, on-the-spot verification in the middle of a real battle was an extremely difficult to do. Wheeze wasnt paying attention to the creatures or the bio-soldiers. Instead, it was staring at a couple of seemingly inconspicuous robots within the robot army. They looked like a familiar face! This is just a small part of the enemies youll be facing, and therell be a lot more when youre there. My friendly advice to you both would be to familiarize yourselves with the geography. Youll at least be able to survive no matter who your opponent might turn out to be. Neither Cillin nor White Night had bothered asking something as stupid as why should we trust you. Gu Changan must be telling them the truth, but he must have concealed a lot of things as well. It was how he drove them both into a state of indecision. If they hadnt known about these secrets or Guan Fengs true identity, they couldve had chosen to forget everything that had happened today and return to their old lives. But they knew, and that meant that there were only two paths left ahead of them: They either choose to betray Guan Feng, or the empire itself. There were a couple more possibilities lurking inside Cillins mind, but he couldnt voice any of them without sufficient evidence to support his deductions. Right now, he would only be courting death by doing so. After all, he wasnt in GAL. If he were to publicize his thoughts in a system like this, he would be chased all the way to the end of the galaxy. No force would dare to accept him, and even Genya would be sacrificed as a scapegoat because of his choice. In that case, lets go and find the answer. Personally, Wheeze was very supportive of the idea of going, but it decided that it would tell Cillin of its choice another time. It was because this room made it feel very uncomfortable, and the old man sitting on the opposite side had a smile that reminded it of a fox. The only way to beat a fox was to be more cunning than it, but the gray cat knew that it didnt have the smarts to do that. Humans were such strange creatures; their lies stood at the pinnacle of all their achievements. It was a peak that Wheeze could never hope to climb. You said the the two of us were recommended by Guan Feng. What about you? Who do you recommend? Cillin asked. Me? Hehe, Im just waiting to retire in peace. Gu Changan accepted a cup of water from Qiu Xu and took two sips. Then, he waved his hand and said, Alright, out with you. Its about time you people stop disturbing an old man and his peaceful life. Cillin and White Night exchanged a glance with each other before deciding to leave. Before Cillin left, he asked Gu Changan one last question, What is the final deadline? Theres no final deadline, but I would suggest that you finish your preparations as soon as possible. The longer you drag, the more youll be on the defensive. And one last thing: Dont judge Black Viper with your former lens. Gu Changan turned to look at Qiu Xu after Cillin and White Night had left the room. Do you blame me for not recommending you? It was such a good opportunity too. No I dont, grandpa. Im the one who is lacking in strength, Qiu Xu answered calmly. Gu Changan let out a long sigh, When it is time to give up, it is time to give up. Never place too much expectations into something that isnt yours. After that, he smiled at her and said, You should go with your parents when its time. This years candidates are pretty good. Will that person be coming as well? Of course. We are picking blades* for him after all. *Meaning choosing an executioner, or picking a worthy person to carry out a task Chapter 275: Bunch of Weirdos Part 1 Chapter 275: Bunch of Weirdos [Part 1] Cillin and White Night didnt stay in the city for long. They ran into an anxious-looking Chi Lafang and Sediya right after they found an opportunity to slip out of the city, but they didnt say anything no matter how hard the duo had tried to pry some answers out of their mouths. It was because the more they knew, the more likely that they would be in danger. After they had returned to the spaceplane, Cillin and White Night had a private conversation with each other. No one else knew what they were talking about, but after White Night had come out of the room everyone came to an eventual agreement. Cillin and White Night would be venturing into the planet alone, whereas the rest of them would be standing by on another planet. Of course, the group hadnt agreed to the proposal at first. After all, they had always been working together as a team in the past with good results, so why must it be different this time? Its just Black Viper! Theres nothing to afraid about! In the end though, Nikki was the first to nod the head and acquiesced under Cillin and White Nights insistence, and later the group. The next day, Dantu was released back to the city. After they had left the gray planet, they sought out a pretty well developed planet on the star chart and parked there. After that, Cillin, White Night and Wheeze took a separate spaceplane toward their original destination while Nikki and the others stood by on the planet. Cillin and White Night didnt forget to instruct them to watch out for themselves. After all, Black Viper could be watching the group in secret. It was better to be safe than sorry. After Cillin and White Night had departed, the group gathered around and had a serious discussion with each other. They wondered what had happened to Cillin and White Night at the city to make them so forceful and tight-lipped. Whatever secret it was they were hiding, it had to be an incredibly important. But what is it? Sediya asked with a look of puzzlement, shaking his legs while he was sitting on a chair. What puzzles me the most is why Cillin and White Night only? Why cant we go with them? Chi Lafang said. Thats because you havent been recommended, A voice answered. The voice hadnt come from any man or beast in the group. It sounded slightly childish and completely unfamiliar. Who is it?! Nikki, Armadillo and Rubu jumped to their feet in alert. However, they couldnt see anyone, and their scanners hadnt picked up anything either. Everything seemed to be completely normal. Then, a crawling viper covered in striking black stripes appeared on every screen in the control room, even the analysis screens and the projectors. On the other side, Cillin and White Night was still flying towards their destination planet. Soon, they had entered the marked area that was missing from every official star chart. Many the planets they saw on the way were unfamiliar to them, and the majority of them were clearly uninhabitable. The environmental conditions were clearly unsuitable for natural human life. Another moment later, they finally found the planet they were looking for. From space, the planet they saw looked almost the exact same as the one Gu Changan had shown them. The old man hadnt lied about this at least. Several satellites could be seen orbiting their destination planet. There were a couple of microarray mini surveillance defense deployments as well. Cillin was just wondering if their passage would be barred by the satellite array as they got closer and closer to the planet when Wheeze suddenly opened its eyes and stared at the spaceplanes display. Immediately after, a message appeared on the screen: Welcome. A navigation route was also attached alongside the message. Cillin and White Night followed their given instructions and parked the spaceplane at a port on the planet. The port was incredibly huge, but there was no one around except except the sounds of running machines. In fact, more than ninety nine percent of the port was made up of automated machines. A navigational robot flew over to guide Cillin and White Night on their way. Please come with me. Someone is already waiting for you. Someone? Who? After they had exited the port, Cillin immediately spotted a flying car parked at the side. When the car window was lowered, the drivers face was finally revealed to him. It actually was Guan Feng. Guan Feng waved a hand at the duo and smiled when he saw them, Get up, boys! A wave of indescribable feelings assaulted both Cillin and White Night at the same time. They had come all the way here and even gotten themselves in trouble, but the culprit behind it all not only looked perfectly unharmed, he seemed to be fully relaxed and enjoying the hell out of this situation. Are you playing with us, Teacher Guan?! Cillin asked the second they got settled inside the car. Hehe, if that is what you think then sure, why not. Seriously though, this is a great opportunity for you both. I trust that you wont disappoint me, After that, Guan Feng started the car and left the port. The car was on autopilot. The car windows were laminated in a way that prevented Cillin and White Night from looking outside. Guan Feng turned around from the drivers seat and shot a glance at Cillin and White Night, who was keeping silent. Although the old man was wearing a warm smile on his face, it only made him look like a fox in the their eyes. Youve met with Gu Changan, havent you? Guan Feng asked. It was a question, but he sounded like he knew the answer already. Cillin and White Night nodded together. That means you must have heard of a couple of things already. I admit that my background is pretty complicated, but that doesnt mean you should overthink things. This place does belong to Black Viper, but I must ask you not to judge Black Viper through your former lens. This was the second time Cillin had heard this line already, first from Gu Changan, now from Guan Feng. If they shouldnt judge Black Viper through their former lens, then what was the right lens they should judge it by? Guan Feng didnt mind Cillin and White Nights silence. He continued, I know that youre holding a grudge on the inside, but some things are not up to me to decide. I had to find a suitable, trustworthy candidate, you know? What did Gu Changan mean when he said recommendation and change of office? Cillin asked. Oh, that? Guan Feng tapped his knee once with a finger, Recommendation is probably exactly what you think. I had a quota of recommendation, and I recommended you both as potential candidates. As for change of office, again the meaning is quite literal. Some of us in Black Viper have reached our retirement age, and no longer have the strength to carry out our duties. Plus, the young always deserves a chance, dont you say? Black Viper is changing leaders? Yes, we are. We three old fellows have been holding on this position for long enough already. Cillin fell quiet for a moment before continuing, What is the relationship between Black Viper and the royal family? Guan Feng wasnt surprised that Cillin would ask this, All I can tell you now is that Black Viper is a gift a certain emperor had given to his younger son. However, Im sure that emperor had never imagined that his little gift would bloom to the astounding state it was today. It was as Cillin had predicted before coming here. No wonder the royal family had only ever labeled Black Viper as an underground force, and not rebels. If the royal family had really wanted to wipe out a force from the surface of their galaxy, they wouldnt have been as ineffective as they were for so many years. What they were really doing was using Black Viper as an excuse to take out a couple of nobles lawfully. Feeling relieved now? Now you dont have to worry about being labeled as a traitor, Guan Feng smiled. Guan Feng looked very much at ease and in his element here. Moreover, Cillin could pick up Guan Fengs sense of belonging to this place, or more accurately a sense of belonging to Black Viper. He looked like a man who had just returned home and dropped the mask he normally wore when he was outside. That was why he looked as relaxed as he was. But why would Guan Feng feel a sense of belonging to an organization like Black Viper? Cillin couldnt understand this right now because the outside worlds impression of Black Viper was mostly negative. It would seem that one really shouldnt judge a book by its cover. If Black Viper was affiliated with the royal family, then that means that their current activity was permitted by law. The only question left was whether or not they would be forced to undergo a memory wipe. As if reading Cillins thoughts, Guan Feng smiled, Dont worry, we wont force wipe your memory if you come out alive. And if we dont? Im certain both of you will come out alive, Guan Feg didnt seem worried about their chances of survival, What Im really concerned about is whether or not youre worthy of that seat. Cillin fell silent at that. Guan Feng patted both of his disciples lightly on the head, No need to think too much, this is a good thing for both of you. The answers you seek will come to you very soon. Chapter 275: Bunch of Weirdos Part 2 Sorry, content is lost, You are reading Novel on Novelhall.COM, we will fix it as soon as possible, thank you Chapter 276: The Strange Neo After living in the forest for three days, Cillin and Wheeze had mostly figured out of its laws of survival. The bio-soldiers and the wild fauna were basically two sides of this world, but both factions could be broken down into smaller, different categories. For example, the bio-soldiers were separated by ranks. The higher ranking a bio-soldier was, the deeper the color of their skin. This meant that the bio-soldiers Cillin and Wheeze had ran into earlier were pretty low on the totem pole. Cillin had witnessed exactly one high ranking bio-soldier with very dark skin in the past three days, and he was able to get a feel on how tough its skin was just by watching from a distance. His crossbow arrow could sink into a beginner rank bio-soldiers flesh completely, but not a high rank bio-soldiers. Even in the best case scenario, the most it could do was puncture the first layer of its skin, unable to deal any real damage at all. Since then, Cillin had been thinking up ways to upgrade his crossbow. Food wise, Cillin ate raw meat directly just like Wheeze, and a diet of plants and fruits on the side. He didnt feel repulsed or disgusted because he had had similar experiences since a long time ago. The reason he avoided cooking his food was because heat energy was a source of attraction to all kinds of bugs and wild animals in this place. Every time they picked up a heat source, they would rush over madly like moths to flames. After three days of surviving in the forest, Cillin could confirm that most mechanical equipment became a crutch in this place. It was probably why Cillin hadnt seen any traces of gunfire despite having stayed here for three days. He was certain that the rest of the entrants had also been avoiding using firearms whenever possible. Cillin, a couple more beginner rank bio-soldiers are coming towards us, Wheeze contacted Cillin from atop a tree. Cillin looked towards the direction Wheeze had pointed to and spotted a couple of brown figures as expected. However, they werent coming for them specifically. Cillin stayed completely still in his hiding spot with his crossbow notched and its arrowhead already smeared with toxins. Cillin had acquired all of his toxins from the forests plants. He had also been experimenting on some bio-soldiers and wild animals for the past three days to see their exact effects. Unfortunately, what shouldve been lethal to the average person barely affected both entities, and he found only two toxins that were actually combat effective. Both toxins were nerve agents, and they had their own separate functions. The reason most of the toxins Cillin had gathered and experimented on the local fauna was ineffective was because a large majority of the forest was made out of poisonous plants. The wild animals would sometimes consume their fruits and eventually grew resistant towards them. The bio-soldiers were similarly resistant to these toxins, but the source of their resistance was their genes, not natural adaptation. The two toxins Cillin found to be effective could suppress their polysynaptic reflexes and disrupt their neuromuscular transmission, causing their muscles to become relaxed. The bio-soldiers were very muscular and capable of explosive force, and neither of these toxins were capable of incapacitating them outright. However, they could slow them down and buy enough time for Cillin to deal with them. Suddenly, Wheeze ears flickered once before it said, A large group of bio-soldiers is coming our way! I sense some high-ranking bio-soldiers among them too! Cillin frowned. Where did these bio-soldiers come from? Unlike a normal person, a bio-soldier was no social creature. Their numbers were scattered, and sometimes they would even engage each other in battle. So what was going on here? The commotion was close enough for even Cillin to pick up with his ears. They moved quickly almost as if they were chasing something A bio-soldiers footsteps were heavy to begin with, and when they ran it sounded like there was a stampeding beast. Put ten of them together, and the commotion was probably loud enough to shake the earth itself, not to mention that more and more wandering bio-soldiers were joining in on the chase because they were lured in by the noises. It was like a chain reaction that kept growing bigger and bigger. The bio-soldiers in Cillins vision had obviously heard the nearing commotion as well. They turned away and walked towards the source of the noise. A while later, Cillin finally saw the culprit who had started all this. A somewhat thin and weak-looking young man could be seen running for his life with almost twenty bio-soldiers behind him. He was quite fast too, or he wouldnt have been able to elude capture for this long. Two high rank bio-soldiers with much darker skin could be seen leading in front of the chasers. Cillin was bewildered: How on earth did this person come to provoke this many bio-soldiers, and two high rank bio-soldiers no less? The person being chased by the group of bio-soldiers cut a sorry figure from a distance, but in reality he looked pretty energetic. Cillin was impressed; he might not know how long this person had been running away from the bio-soldiers, but it certainly didnt look like he wasnt going to falter any time soon. Still, he no longer needed to worry about the local fauna thanks to the group of bio-soldiers. No wild beast was foolish enough to get in their way. The person and the bio-soldiers grew closer and closer, but judging from their running path Cillin estimated that they would pass by his hiding spot by around twenty meters or so. It was why Cillin had chosen to stay instead of running off himself. Based on his understanding of these bio-soldiers over the past few days, the bio-soldiers shouldnt be smart enough to discover his hiding spot, not to mention any sudden movement now would only get him involved in this mess. Right now, he had no intentions of provoking an entire group of bio-soldiers and two high rank bio-soldiers at once. Cillin was just wondering what this person had done to cause such a relentless pursuit when the person made a sudden turn and ran straight towards Cillin just fifty meters short from his hiding spot. Cillins eyelids twitched as a bad premonition struck him. Clearly this person had discovered Cillin sometime on the run. Is he trying to drag me down with him? Cillin packed his stuff swiftly and motioned at Wheeze to take off. This wasnt the time to deal with their griefer. The person ran towards Cillin like the wind. The idiot let out an impatient yell just as he got close to Cillin, Are you waiting to die or something? Run! Cillin: ... If Cillin hadnt seen the worry and total lack of malice in his eyes, he wouldve choked this bastard to death right there and then. Youre the one who led the bio-soldiers straight towards us! Faster, faster! Follow me The person was in mid-shout when he suddenly discovered that Cillin was running even faster than he was. Dont run to where the forest is thick! The man hurriedly shouted. Cillin curled his lips downwards. You think I dont know that?! Now the bio-soldiers were chasing two people instead of one. Cillin had the terrain of this place memorized in his head, and he had even set up a couple of traps a day ago just in case he might need them. Today, his caution turned out to be well founded. Cillin was in the lead while the person closely behind him. Seeing that Cillin wasnt heading towards the thicker parts of the forest, the person decided to keep following him. While they were passing through the side of a hill, Cillin suddenly ran in an arc before changing directions slightly. The person following behind him copied his movements and stayed on Cillins path. A couple of thumps soon rang behind him, but he didnt turn around to catch a look. Also, since Cillin hadnt stopped running, he didnt stop running either. Thanks to the traps, Cillin was able to slow but surely shake off his pursuers. When he was certain that he had shaken off the bio-soldiers completely, he stopped at a small, secluded cave and walked in. Cillin had found the cave on his first day, and he every night he would return here with Wheeze to rest. The cave was made up of pretty sturdy stone, and he could prevent most local fauna from slipping in just by sealing off the main cave entrance. For safety purposes, Cillin had set up a lot of disguises around the cave and placed tree branches that could effectively conceal their scent. He had even dug out two separate exits inside the cave that were just wide enough to fit one single person, preventing any large animals from making their way into the cafe through the side exits. As for the bio-soldiers, they were a tad too muscular for their own good. They could come in through the side exits, but it wouldnt be an easy task. The person had followed Cillin all the way back to his cave. He immediately dropped down on a heap of dry grass and rolled the moment he went in. So so tired! At first Cillin was preparing to interrogate the person with a knife, but the latter had simply rolled on top of his temporary bed and fell asleep right away as if he couldnt sense his hostility at all. The persons heartbeat, blood circulation and pulse all pointed towards him being either a master actor and manipulator, or a complete idiot. Cillin was more inclined to believe the latter. Wheeze circled the person once and gave him a sniff, I cant smell anything else from him except some plants. He also has nothing on his person except a dagger. He knows how to hide his own scent with the plants too, but who on earth is he? He doesnt belong in a test like this. Cillin grabbed the persons dagger and gave it a look. It was sharp, sturdy, light, and anti-corrosive. The weapon suited this person very well. Should we kick him out? Wheeze asked. Lets just ignore him for now. We should rest up ourselves. Cillin sensed no malice from this person, and he had always trusted in his own instincts. That didnt mean this person wasnt annoying though. There were always some people who thought that they did a good thing, but had no idea that theyd achieved the exact opposite. The sleeping man looked like a simple and guileless person just like Wheeze. Moreover, there was nothing noteworthy about his physique except his running speed, which also meant that his combat ability was probably next to nothing as well. What really puzzled Cillin was that the persons clothes indicated that he had at least spent ten days inside the forest, meaning that he was here even earlier than Cillin was. There were a lot of scrapes on his shirt from both plant and animal alike, but somehow this person was able to survive to this day. The deep dark circles around his eyes seemed to indicate that he hadnt had a good sleep since he arrived in this forest, and it was probably the reason why he was able to sleep like the dead after running all the way to this cave. Finally, the person woke up after two hours of deep sleep. He looked a little drowsy since he had just awakened, but he immediately let out an ah when he saw Cillin and Wheeze. He had probably recalled what happened two hours ago. Who are you? Cillin asked. The man scratched his messy hair once before answering, My name is Neo. Suddenly, Neo spotted his dagger in Cillins hands and grew angry, You stole my dagger after I saved your life? Those bio-soldiers would never have found me if you hadnt ran my way, Cillin showed no intentions of returning Neos dagger. Seeing that Cillins tone and expression was completely serious, Neo pressed his eyebrows together before replying, Is that so? But I really was just trying to warn you. Cillin stared at him suspiciously. You dont believe me? Look at my face and you shall find your answer. You mean the dark circles around your eyes? No, I mean sincerity! Neo replied very, very seriously. Well, I guess your sincerity is buried too deep for me to see. All I can see are dark circles on your skin. Then that is your own problem. Let me tell you, the truth can normally be seen on a persons face. An expression, a look, even pupillary responses can reveal a lot of things Neo started dropping all sorts of explanation before raising an example, Take you for example, you look pretty angry to me right now. There are even some signs of violence. However, I dont understand why youre angry, does one misunderstanding really infuriate you this much? Also, heres a friendly reminder: According to a study, workplace violence is closely related to domestic violence This is not a workplace, Cillin cut off his long-winded explanation. It is, to me! Why did you follow me here? Cillin asked. Thats because I had come to the conclusion that following you can provide me with better security. Looking at that situation and the way you had reacted, I compared the two options following you and running off myself, did a safety probability analysis and discovered that the option of following you is about 12.26% higher than the option of running off myself. Youre a very arrogant person, Cillin aid. No, this is confidence. I did a test, you know. On average, I am 2.1792 times higher better than the empire. What test? Ear twitching frequency test? Cillin pointed at Neos ears. They had been twitching non-stop since he came awake. No, an intelligence test. Cillin: ... Was the base reference a pig or something? Alright, Mr. Highly Intellectual Neo, may I know why you were chased so hotly by an entire group of bio-soldiers? Cillin asked. Sigh, its a long story, The mention of the subject clearly depressed Neo, As you know, money doesnt mean anything in an almost primitive environment like this, and knowledge is something that needs constant refreshing. Here, the only thing that truly belongs to yourself is the food in your stomach. You mean you were chased while you were looking for food? Yes, I was looking for a particular kind of fruit, but then an extremely unlikely event chose that exact moment to happen I was accidentally found out by those dumb-as-rock bio-soldiers. Alright, Mr. Highly Intellectual Neo, do you mind describing to me the fruit you were looking for and how you came to be pursued by a group of bio-soldiers who was as dumb as a rock? Not at all, Neo replied directly without any sign of shame whatsoever. Chapter 277: Common Sense My Meow! Part 1 Translator Note: FYI, the bio-soldiers are cyborgs. In the raws the text for bio-soldiers and cyborgs are almost identical so the author didnt need to provide a separate explanation. Chapter 277: Common Sense My Meow! [Part 1] When Neo said that this place was a work environment to him, he wasnt lying. Neo was a Black Viper member, and to borrow his own words he was a local who had been in Black Viper for as far as he could remember. However, Neo had no idea what kind of organization Black Viper was, or how many imperial heavyweights were part of Black Viper. The only thing he was concerned about was his own research. Neo had no fixed research project, allowing his interest to lead him wherever it wished. If a topic happened to pique his interest, he would devote his entire person into researching it such as today. Neo was looking for a substance that would work against cyborg, and many tests later he finally set his eyes on a particular plant. This plant was a variant that could only be found on certain planets, and it wasnt recorded in the books. The first time Neo ran into this plant had been a complete accident. In fact, Neo had tested the two toxins Cillin was using on the cyborgs, but they failed to achieve the ideal effect Neo was looking for. He was looking for a plant that bore tri-colored fruits of interlacing red, black and yellow throughout the year. The fruit was colorful, vibrant, and sweet smelling. Any nearby animal would be attracted by its intoxicating scent. Any animal that consumed the fruit would become paralyzed immediately before dying shortly after. The dead animal served as fertilizer for the plant, and the plants roots would secrete some sort of special substance that alters its nearby soil and make it suitable for microorganisms to live. These microorganisms ensured that the dead animals would rot even faster. To the plant and the microorganisms, this was a symbiotic relationship. To the animals, this was a cooperative murder. I name this plant the Tri-colored Bean. The problem is that the plant is very difficult to find, and Id found only two so far. Id used up already one fruit, and my attempt to pluck the second fruit was spoiled by a low probability event and those dumb-as-a-rock bio-soldiers, Neo looked a little depressed when he repeated his story. His hand had been less than ten centimeters away from the fruit before he was forced to retreat! What a shame. In this case, Neo didnt think he was in the wrong at all because he concluded that his failure was completely caused by a low probability event. This so-called low probability event was a bird shit that fell from the sky at the most inopportune time to hit the branch right next to Neo, drawing the nearby bio-soldiers attention. This was why nothing was certain in this world. Even if Neo had arranged everything perfectly from the beginning to the end, he couldnt have predicted the heavens to choose that moment to plop a bird shit right next to him. It wasnt a loud noise, but it was enough noise to attract the aurally and visually sensitive bio-soldiers. Cillin mulled over Neos story and thought that the fruit he mentioned shared pretty similar effects to the two toxins currently in his possession. It was obvious that Neos Tri-colored Bean was poisonous, however. Where is that fruit you mentioned? Cillin asked. If he could get a Tri-colored Bean, not even a squad of bio-soldiers would be a problem to him. Neo thought for a moment before answering, Its a bit far away from here. I had run for 113 hours straight before I met you. This meant that they wouldnt reach that Tri-colored Bean in time even if they were to walk for an entire half of a day. Cillin took a look at the sky and noted that it was almost night time. It was a bad idea to head out during the night because the contrast between body temperature and ambient temperature was even bigger than normal. To the local fauna, they would look like a walking target made of red hot iron. Although Cillin and Wheeze could alter their body temperatures, Neo didnt have such an ability. Gu Neo rubbed his stomach and asked, My poor stomach is starting to grumble. Do you have food? Cillin grabbed a fruit from a corner and tossed it to Neo, This should hold for a while. Ew, this fruit is incredibly disgusting! Neo caught the fruit, took a look and complained with a look of disgust. He hated excessively sweet food. You can stay hungry then. ... Fine, energy replenishment is the most important thing. In fact, this type of fruit is very nutritious and has plenty of sugar, said Neo. It was more of an attempt to convince himself than placate Cillin. Cillin watched as Neo took small bites from the fruit with a painful expression, looking like he was consuming poison and not food. He even gave himself a pep talk every time he was done swallowing to convince himself to keep eating. Cillin pressed a hand to his forehead and thought to himself: How did such a person come to exist in the world? Was Black Viper overflowing with weirdos like these besides robots? Some time later. Aiya! Neo suddenly cried out. Whats wrong? Both Cillin and Wheeze turned to look at him. Neo clutched his stomach and rolled back and forth on the dry grass heap. He rambled, Im feeling unwell, my heart rate is abnormal, my stomach hurts and I have a strong desire to defecate right away! Basically, he meant that he needed to take a shit. Cillin gave himself a facepalm: What can I even say about this!? To prevent Neo from losing control of his bowels and polluting their little hideout, Cillin dragged him to a relatively safe spot some distance away from the cave. Fifteen minutes later, he brought a winded-looking Neo back to the cave the same way. Judging from the shape, color, smell and consistency of my excrement et cetera, and excluding other factors such as parasites, indigestion, biliary obstruction and intestinal infection et cetera, theres a 72.42% chance that my current condition is caused by a gastrointestinal disorder. This means that the culprit behind this is very likely that fruit of yours. Cillin: ... He was very, very tempted to kick Neo out of the cave. Before the day turned completely dark, Cillin and Wheeze went away to collect some nuts to ensure that the smoothness of tomorrows operation, and eat. Today, Cillins meal was a small beast that he ate without cooking. Of course, he wasnt stupid enough to offer this type of food to a certain idiot with a weak stomach. Nothing good except trouble would come out of it. That being said, Neos knowledge of this place was noteworthy. Even better, he had a base somewhere in the area. As a member of Black Viper, the base he was provided was pretty well constructed and strong enough to keep both the wild animals and bio-soldiers away. Moreover, Cillin wished to procure some equipment from Neos place. It was the only reason he hadnt knocked Neo out and left him behind a long time ago. The planets magnetic field was a bit odd, and Black Viper had added an extra layer of disruptive magnetic field that further increased the instability of subspace objects. That was why Cillin made sure not to use his ring as much as he could afford even though it was quite special in its own right. He carried his crossbow, his gun and even his food on his person. Nuts turned out to be more compatible with Neos stomach, and the young man quickly recovered his strength and spirit after consuming all the nuts had brought back to the cave. At the very least, he wasnt shooting his mouth and causing unnecessary fury like the time after he was done defecating. Night time finally arrived, and Cillin lay down on the ground and rested after blocking the cave entrance and disguising its surroundings. A pitch black canvas and a starry sky lay behind that rock, but it was also a world full of bloody murder. Countless bloodthirsty predators lay in wait for their preys, and invigorated nocturnal animals were busy fighting tooth and nail against one another after a days rest. From time to time, heavy footsteps and the odd cries of a beast would slip through the gaps of the walls. Cillin withdrew his gaze and looked at Neo and Wheeze. The bit of starlight leaking through the top of the cave entrance was enough for him to see everything. The cat and the man was currently curled up against one another above the dry grass heap, and Cillin noticed that both their ears were moving slightly. Neo said that his ear vibrations could sense danger around him, but it was only limited to strangers, dangerous beasts, bio-soldiers and so on. In reality, Neo hadnt reacted at all when Cillin had tried putting a blade to his throat while he was asleep. That being said, the lack of reaction was probably because Neo had decided that Cillin was a harmless to him earlier. As for how he had arrived to that conclusion, it was impossible to tell. Chapter 277: Common Sense My Meow! Part 2 Chapter 277: Common Sense My Meow! [Part 2] The next day, Neo was so energetic after a good nights sleep that he actually started doing aerobics inside the cave. Cillin said, Conserve your strength. Im not helping you if youre chased by a bio-soldier or a wild beast again. Dont worry, I know. Cillin shot him a suspicious glance regardless. For all he knew, his understanding and Neos understanding of the phrase I know could be two completely different things. Cillin tidied up the cave and disguised it properly before leaving. Although he wasnt sure if he would be making a return trip later, it was no reason to squander a backup base. He couldnt allow another person to discover this cave and claim it for themselves. Although Neo acted like a fool sometimes, his survival experience in this forest was definitely something. Both Cillin and Neo had successfully avoided all the bio-soldiers and wild animals while they were heading towards the base Neo told him about. However, while passing through a certain area, Cillin suddenly discovered three recently deceased bio-soldiers on the ground, and a couple of small beasts were munching on their bodies. When the small beasts had discovered them, they let out a couple of warning growls before running away. It seemed like they were aware that the two humans were not ones to be trifled with. All three bio-soldiers had been shot in the head at the exact same spot, the glabella. However, it was clearly not the bio-soldiers true cause of death. There were a couple more visible bullet holes on the back of the bio-soldiers bodies. These were probably the real cause of death. Moreover, someone had spared the effort to dissect these bio-soldiers after they were killed. It was clear from their handiwork that they were very experienced and efficient in their craft. Hua Li? said Neo. Who? asked Cillin while looking at Neo. Judging from this scene, theres a 98.68% that Hua Li is the one who dissected these bio-soldiers. However, she normally couldnt be bothered to kill these bio-soldiers herself. Analyzing the cause of death is more her thing than killing. This means that someone else had killed these bio-soldiers before she came over to dissect them. Is she a part of Black Viper too? Of course, we grew up together. I didnt know she was here until just now though, she wasnt with me when I came over. Neo seemed very used to the bizarre scene before him. Hua Lis dissection technique is top notch. Give her one scalpel, and she can dissect a persons body from head to toe in a minute with all the muscles properly separated and the nerves A weird thought entered Cillins mind while Neo was rambling about his childhood friend with the weird hobby of dissecting bodies: Black Viper couldnt seriously be filled with robots and freaks only, could it? We should leave immediately. It wont be long before big scavenger or two shows up. Cillin dragged Neo away while the latter was still observing the peeled nerves of the bio-soldiers. Todays operation was a smooth one considering that they hadnt encountered much bio-soldiers or wild animals. At least, not on the route Neo had led him on. Cillin had to wonder if someone was trimming their numbers, because it was hard to explain why they were having such an easy time otherwise. Also, who was the person who killed the three bio-soldiers? Was it another Black Viper member, or was it a test candidate just like Cillin or White Night? Half a day later, Cillin finally arrived at the place where Neo claimed that the Tricolored Bean was growing. The Tricolored Bean was slightly different from what Cillin had imagined it to be. There was one Tricolored Bean in this area, and it was only about as tall as a bush. What was unique about the plant was that nothing was growing within ten meters of it, not a plant or even a tiny shoot of grass. The Tricolored Bean was the only plant that existed in that circle. Cillin also noticed that soil around the Tricolored Bean was softer and looser than normal ground, almost as if a layer of sand was covering on top. However, this sand was stickier than what youd expect from normal sand. These were the microorganisms that shared a symbiotic relationship with the Tricolored Bean. The sand looked the way they were because the microorganisms were squished together in one place. Cillin was going to touch the microorganisms with his finger, but Neo slapped his hand away immediately with a look of shock, Are you trying to commit suicide? These microorganisms are poisonous! Cillin thought to himself: Of course Im aware theyre poisonous. I just have a body that is immune to them. Sensing that Neo was about to give him another round of lecture and theoretical analysis, he pointed at the colorful Tricolored Bean and said, If you dont finish your business now before a bio-soldier or animal shows up, or youll miss your chance. After weighing the pros and cons, Neo decided to give up on his lecture and focus on grabbing the Tricolored Bean. Wheeze was currently lying on a tree branch and keeping an eye out for the duo. It spotted a wild beast some distance away from them, but since it wasnt headed towards them it didnt really count as danger. Neo pulled out a pair of gloves from his shabby clothes, put it on and took out a thin bag. Then, he plucked the fruits off the Tricolored Bean and put them inside the bag. This particularly Tricolored Bean had twelve fruits in total, and Neo stored them carefully like they were incredibly precious. While Neo was busy dealing with the Tricolored Bean, Cillin touched the microorganisms on the ground and the Tricolored Beans stalk when the former wasnt looking. His body immediately started analyzing the plant and the microorganisms and revealing much of their information to him. The plants toxin was definitely deadlier than the two toxins Cillin had collected earlier, although the ones that were especially effective against the bio-soldiers were mainly concentrated inside the fruits. If he could extract the toxin contained inside them, they should turn out to be very useful. As discussed earlier, the duo headed straight for Neos temporary workplace after collecting the Tricolored Bean. The journey almost took them a quarter of day, but they were finally at Neos place. It looked like a giant tree growing out of the edge of a cliff. A tree? Yep. The tree was actually just a door, however. Neo opened something on the tree to verify his identity, and the tree trunk transformed into an 18 meter tall door. Someone was here, said Neo with a frown. The door closed up after they had gone inside the tree, but somehow sunlight was able to shine through the door. It was just that no one from outside could see what was actually inside the tree. There was a backup light source in Neos workplace, and the structure was made of special materials that prevented anyone from picking up heat signatures inside the tree. Therefore, it was possible to use firearms or electrical equipment in this place. An elevator inside the tree brought Cillin, Wheeze and Neo to the underground. More accurately speaking, they were inside the mountain cliff right now. For whatever reason, Black Viper had chosen this spot to build a workshop. While they were still inside the elevator, Neo brought up a screen to check who had entered his workplace while he was away. He got a man and a girl. The man looked to be about the same size as Cillin was, except that he had darker skin and a queue behind his head. He looked as fit as a wild animal, although in in the recording he seemed to be in poor health for some reason. He was swaying uncontrollably while he was standing on his feet. The girl was very pretty, and she looked to be around thirteen to fourteen years old only. However, she had been crying non-stop since the start of the recording, so much so that she was crying and burping at the same time. Her cry seemed to irritate the an greatly, but he failed to silence her even though he had shouted at her a couple of times to stop. Is she your friend? Cillin pointed at the girl. I guess so. How troublesome. I thought she was a quick runner, so how on earth did she get caught in the first place? I pity all those who have poor intelligence. Cillin thought that Neo would be better off if he just forget about the word intelligence altogether. When the elevator was about to reach its destination, Neo jumped behind Cillin and stayed hidden. According to his calculations, staying behind Cillin would increase his margin of safety by a whooping 513%. Cillin pulled out his dagger and kept his guns at the ready. He had no idea what the strangers intentions were, so it was better to be safe than sorry. The elevator door opened to reveal an empty hall. Cillin couldnt see anyone inside the hall, but he picked up an unfamiliar scent from an empty cup. Cillin bumped Neo once and shot a glance at a tightly shut room at the back of the hall. Over there? Neo asked soundlessly. Cillin gave him a nod. Neo actually wasnt afraid anymore after knowing where the strangers were hiding. This was his territory after all. He summoned a light screen from the wall, tapped a few buttons and locked the room completely. Neo entered his laboratory and stored the Tricolored Beans carefully. Then, he jumped back into the hall and rolled once on his sofa. Im finally back! Ahahahahaha! Cillin: ... I think you forgot that the hostage inside that room was someone you know. Neo started introducing his workplace to Cillin proudly. He even offered him some food that he had made himself. Although Cillin didnt think that it was all that tasty, Neo and Wheeze clearly had a great time eating. Maybe it was because they were having too much fun, but the people hiding inside the room finally lost their cool. There was a communication device in the room and the hall. While the trio was still busy filling their stomachs, the communication device turned live before a broken, crying voice resounded, Neo burp there is a burp bad guy in here burp. Even Cillin felt tired for the girl who burped three times before she could complete a sentence, but Neo was clearly not a man with a rich amount of sympathy. He brought up the rooms surveillance feed and saw the man pointing a gun at the crying and burping girl. Then, he asked, Why did you bring him in here? Uuu he said hell kill me if I dont burp. Neo looked at the man on the screen and said, Nausea, increased body temperature, erratic heart rate, muscle spasm and retinal bleeding. Youre poisoned, arent you? My suggestion for you two is to cook your meat completely before you eat the local fauna because most of them contain a high amount of toxin in them. Its common sense that high temperature will break down these toxins. Common sense my meow! Everyone except Neo thought at the same time: if only I can strangle this backseat bastard! Neo didnt need to worry about heat or energy source at all because he lived here, but outside his workplace either one of these factors could easily attract dangerous predators towards them. The man inside the room was clearly aware of his own condition, but he couldnt find anything he could use, and the medical supply room and the lab were completely inaccessible. The bedroom was the only room he could even enter. The man looked rather fearsome, but it was obvious that he didnt really want to kill the young girl. After all, would a bad person hand out a pillow to his hostage so that she could cry to her hearts content without suffering a backache? Not only that, he looked irritated, lost and even regretful for being unable to stop the girl from crying. Normally, the man wouldnt have revealed his emotions this openly. Unfortunately, he had deteriorated to the point where his thoughts were slipping out regardless of his attempts at self-control. Staring at the man who just wanted to use the girl as a bargaining chip, Cillin said, Youre a test candidate too, arent you? Come out. Everyone here is the same. We can see that you dont want to hurt her, and youre going to die in at most half an hour if you dont get treatment soon. Its 27 minutes and 46 seconds, corrected Neo. Cillin shot him a sideway glance, and Neo curled his lips without any self-awareness whatsoever. In the end, the man decided to heed Cillins advice and tossed his gun to the side. At this point, he was starting to have breathing problems, insufficient blood flow inside his brain, and blurring vision. His muscles were spasming so much that he could only sit on the ground and lean against the wall just like the girl was, and even just the action of keeping his gun pointed towards the girl earlier had taken a lot of energy out of him. Cillin motioned for Neo to unlock the door. Neo unlocked the door, carefully pushed it open before jumping to the side immediately so as not to get caught in a potential crossfire. Although the man looked to be in pretty bad shape, Neo had a feeling that he still had one last shot in him. The girl was still crying and burping on the floor even though the door was already open. Hearing no sounds of fighting inside the room, Neo poked his head out and said to the girl, Ah Shou, get over here quickly! Burp my legs burp my legs are numb burp. Neo: ... On the ground the man was starting to lose consciousness,and Cillin shouted, Grab the medicine, Neo! Neo vanished for a while before tossing a bunch of drugs into the room from outside. Im not sure what medicine to use since I have no idea what meat he ate, but this one has a broad range of treatment. If they still didnt work then you can just toss him out I guess. Cillin and a certain guy lying on the floor: ... Cillin let out a sigh and said, It all depends on you now. Cillin picked up the bottle and grabbed a syringe from inside. Then, he gave the man an injection. The man didnt try to resist or reject his help, but Cillin knew that the man would fight to the death if he had tried to kill him. To this person, it was just a conditional reflex. If Cillins guess was correct, this man had a military background. The man closed his eyes after the injection was complete. His temperature was still rising, and outside the door Neo was starting to take notes and measure the effects of the drugs. In his eyes, the man was now a test subject to him. Eh? Neo looked at the instrument he was holding. The drug is working. His body temperature is still a little high, but his heart rate is stabilizing and his physiological parameters are swiftly returning to normal. Half an hour later. The girl named Ah Shou was drinking a glass of fruit juice on the sofa with reddened eyes. She wasnt crying anymore, but her burping was still happening from time to time. The symptom was slowly subsiding, however. The man had recovered from his near death experience and was eating the food in his plate in large gulps. There was a contract placed next to his hands. It was an agreement he had signed with Neo. The mans name was Gu Xin. He didnt know if he was a test candidate as Cillin said because of the circumstances surrounding his arrival. One day, he went to his bunk bed after returning from a mission, and when he opened his eyes again he was already stuck in this fucking planet. He was left with nothing except a gun and a dagger. Even now, Gu Xin was still at a loss about the recent past, the present and even the future. Neo had requested Gu Xins help to procure a couple of plants he needed for research on the basis that he had saved his life. Gu Xin agreed to the arrangement because one, this workplace seemed relative safe and two, he had nothing better to do. He might as well help this nutcase find his plants until he figured out the ins and outs of his situation anyway. Cillin drew a map of their surroundings before pointing at a certain spot, asking, This is where you killed the three beginner rank bio-soldiers, didnt you? Gu Xin nodded. I did, yes. You used two bullets to kill the bio-soldiers; one to the head and one to its weak spot. My question is, how are you able to determine their weak spots? Cillin was puzzled because Gu Xin clearly wasnt using the same method as he was. When he killed the bio-soldiers, he made sure that he did it in one hit. Gu Xin thought to himself for a moment before he decided to tell the truth. At first I always shot them in the head, but I soon discovered that it wasnt really an effective method. Only one in ten bio-soldiers died to a shot to the had. Later, I noticed that their core would transmit a survival command every time they were shot in the head as a means to keep the bio-soldiers functioning, and this core is also their weak point. So thats why. Cillin gave him a nod. Oh right, where on earth is this place? asked Gu Xin. Neo was too long-winded, and he failed to give him an answer throughout the signing of the contract. Ah Shous two reactions to him thus far was crying and burping, nothing more. That was why Gu Xin had directed the question at Cillin. Were in Black Vipers territory. Cillin left behind the stunned Gu Xin and went with Neo to extract the toxins from the Tricolored Bean. Chapter 278: What a Formidable Cat! Part 1 Chapter 278: What a Formidable Cat! [Part 1] Cillin didnt contribute much to the effective extraction of the Tricolor Beans toxin. Most of the time, he was simply observing Neo from the sidelines. He had experience in restoring an imperfect toxin molecules after extraction, so he knew that this line of work required a lot of analysing and calculating, as well as a higher knowledge ceiling from its workers. Normally, it would take more than half a day to complete the extract process from start to the end. However, Neo was used to working alone. He singlehandedly completed all the work in just two hours time, and he had even performed a second restoration to the toxins molecules based on its effectiveness against a cyborg. It was skill that even Cillin had to be impressed by. Technically speaking, Cillin could complete all the work within this period as well, but the main force behind his speed would be his unique constitution, not his skill. At the very least, Cillin hadnt seen anyone else who was able to do so much work in such a short time frame. Even the students in the affiliated schools were slightly lacking compared to Neo. Neo was like a precise machine who possessed an extraordinary amount of instinctive intelligence and predictive power whenever he was researching something. The moment he started working, he was already planning the next step, the next next step or more and calculating the result of his work. Ignoring the fact that this machine didnt run quite as you expected it to be sometimes, Neo definitely deserved to be called a genius. Neo was very demanding and strict when he performed his experiments, just like how he couldnt help but convert elements of the normal life into data like he had OCD. After two hours of concentrated work, Neo held up a small bottle with orange yellow liquid in it and cried our excitedly, Its finally done! This toxin was slightly different from the Tricolored Beans natural toxin, but theoretically speaking it should work even better on the cyborgs. Here you go. Go use them on some cyborgs preferably nearby, since Id be able to observe and record all the data from here and inspect its effects. said Neo after handing Cillin three bottles of toxin. Cillin had gotten used to Neos self-centered way of speaking by now. Because Neo seemed to have no idea about the word tactful, those who didnt know him well would probably mistake his tone as an order. He was so direct that sometimes one just felt like slapping him in the face. Incidentally, Gu Xin had almost recovered to full, although the main contributing factor behind his recovery was his own body. Just like Neo had said earlier, Gu Xin s constitution was pretty impressive, and his body was already starting to adapt to the toxin after the initial poisoning. Hed probably be safe even if he came into contact with the same poisonous meat again. Arent you worried about being poisoned yourself? asked Cillin to Neo. Although Black Viper members had safe bases they could enter and cook their food, the method couldnt possibly work for every type of food, right? Considering how picky Neos stomach was and how Ah Shou hadnt managed to stop burping and reduce the swelling in her teary eyes even now, there was just no way their constitution was better than Gu Xins, right? Oh that? Wed been injected with vaccines, compound serum and antibodies before we came here, so we were always going to fare better than you no matter what happens. Also, wed also been given a bunch of antidotes and backup medicines just in case of an emergency. Speaking of which, why are you still staying here, Ah Shou? Dont you have your own base to return to? Neo was very displeased with Ah Shous actions so far. Cillin and Guxin facepalmed themselves. Ah Shou was starting to cry (and burp, though that hadnt stopped since the start) again. My base burp was stolen by some bad people burp It was like a water tap behind her eyes had been turned on. Earlier today, Ah Shou had gone out of her base to inhale some fresh air and have a bit of fun in the mountains, but when she returned to her base she discovered that it had already been invaded by strangers. Those people had even tried to capture Ah Shou, so she ran away like the wind and escaped. Unfortunately, she escaped the frying pan only to land right in the fire that was Gu Xin, and that was how she eventually ended up in Neos base. It was why Ah Shou was feeling extremely aggrieved today. The fact that she was able to come all the way here proved that Ah Shou had her own life saving skills. She was an even faster runner than Neo was because her bones were much lighter than the average human being, and her small and delicate frame only added to that advantage. Neo wasnt exaggerating when he said that Ah Shou could almost run as fast as a tornado, and his claim was further supported by first hand experience from Gu Xin. If he hadnt played a trick or two on Ah Shou, he wouldnt have been able to capture her at all. Why didnt you lure him to your place and let them fight each other to the death!? asked Neo. Gu Xin looked back at forth between Neo and the crying, burping Ah Shou. Ah Shou was a better companion, he thought. Ah Shou paused for a second before crying even harder after hearing that. Uu, he said to burp bring him to a safe burp place, but burp my place burp isnt safe anymore. Neo stared at her disdainfully. Im seriously starting to suspect your intelligence! Wheezes ears suddenly perked up while it was sitting on the floor and licking its paws. It shot Neo a glance, but merely returned to its paws a second later. Cillin reckoned that the bad people Ah Shou was referring to were test candidates who were kidnapped to this place just like Gu Xin. However, there was no telling what other forces was involved in this test besides the military. Gu Xin didnt hide the fact that he was from the military, but he refused to tell them which army he belonged to. Both Cillin and him had kept a tight lip about their own backgrounds, but luckily for them Neo and Ah Shou had no interest in such matters, so their interactions hadnt suffered from the secrecy so far. Gu Xin was definitely Gu Xins real name, but it seemed like the soldier wasnt afraid that someone might try to investigate his background through it. Cillin had a feeling that anyone who tried to search the name Gu Xin within the military would only come up with a KIA report or something. No one here was an average person, and Gu Xin had to be one of the special types whose profiles were modified for various reasons. Enough, go test out my work already, will you? urged Neo. The original plan was to shoot the cyborgs through the hidden windows on the cliffside, but unfortunately a flock of birds had recently passed by the area. Neo gave up on the idea immediately after reaching the conclusion that there was a 5.37% chance that their hiding spot might be discovered. Instead, he told Cillin and Gu Xin to climb up to the crown of the tree and wait for an opportunity. Cillin and Gu Xin arrived at the highest spot of the tree while holding Neos modified gun. Every tree branch was thick enough to hold exactly one person. While Cillin and Gu Xin chose their respective hiding spots, Wheeze offered to lure some bio-soldiers over. Your army allows you to keep a queue? asked Cillin. Normally, a military officer wouldnt like that at all. Not at first, but I was given permission later on. Gu Xin didnt elaborate on the matter, but Cillins question had reminded him about the past. Gu Xin had had a queue since he was young. The first day he entered the military, an officer had tried to give him a full shave only be knocked flat on the floor. He was a difficult person to deal with, and every military officer who had been his instructor both loved and hated him for countless reasons. In the end he wasnt able to keep his queue, not until he entered that special place and slow grew it back to what it was. Here they come! Cillin and Gu Xin held Neos gun and watched as five bio-soldiers ran after a certain gray cat. Wheeze was yelling and running in front of the bio-soldiers arrogantly like it was a game, which was exactly what this was in Wheezes head. The tree was about three thousand meters away from the bio-soldiers, and wind occasionally blew over from the direction of the cliff. Therefore, it wasnt exactly an easy shot to make. At the very least, Neo wouldnt have been able to scratch the bio-soldiers skin, not even if they werent moving, and he fired every toxic bullet he had. When the bio-soldiers reached the spot Cillin had calculated in his mind, he immediately opened fire without hesitation. A bio-soldier got hit right in the stomach, and it collapsed to the ground immediately before passing away in just two seconds flat. Cillins shot was about five centimeters away from a vital spot, but that was something Neo had requested him to do earlier. He had requested Cillin to avoid hitting a vital spot with his first shot so that he would be able to measure the toxins effectiveness. Very good, now shoot one in the head! Neos excited voice came through from the communicator. They had to speak with Neo through the latters special communicator, or their conversation would be picked up by any passing birds. The equipment was so effective that there was one time a bird had landed on the same branch as Cillin to peck its feathers, and it didnt notice anything unusual at all. The second shot was fired by Gu Xin. He hit a bio-soldier squarely in the head, and the result was almost the same as Cillins. Alright, hit the next one in the vitals, said Neo. Cillin fired and hit the third bio-soldier in the vitals, and this time it had died almost immediately. The bullet and the amount of toxin contained inside them wasnt particularly large, so assuming that a bio-soldier was hit in the vitals with a clean bullet, it still wouldve been able to struggle for about three to five seconds. However, the result was clearly different with the new toxin. Gu Xin raised an eyebrow at Cillins shot, but didnt say anything. He was astonished that Cillin was able to find the bio-soldiers vital spot immediately without having to test with a shot to the head. Have you gotten the data you need? asked Cillin. He was planning to shoot another bio-soldier in the vitals if Neos data collection wasnt complete. Shoot one more bio-soldier in the vitals just in case. Alright. Cillin raised his gun and fired again. Another bio-soldier fell while it was chasing Wheeze around in circles. Now, there was only one bio-soldier left. Confirmation is done. Lets shoot the last one in the arm. Neo sounded pleased. It would appear that the toxin was very effective and reaching almost ideal values. Gu Xin was the one who fired the last shot. He hit the bio-soldier in the right arm, and this time its time before death was extended a couple of seconds longer. Still, this was pretty good results. With this toxin in hand, their life was more secure even if they ran into a group of bio-soldiers. Is this all? asked Cillin. This is all for now. Come back in. Chapter 278: What a Formidable Cat! Part 2 Chapter 278: What a Formidable Cat! [Part 2] Cillin told Wheeze to come back before returning to the safe zone beneath the tree. Neo had gone back to his lab to process the data they collected. There were some compressed food inside the cabinet that could be eaten after decompression. A display equipment in the living hall allowed them to see what was going on outside the base. The group filled their bellies with decompressed food as they watched the scenery outside through the screen. Wheeze was the only one who didnt eat with them because it had already had its fill while it was toying with the bio-soldiers earlier. Suddenly, Gu Xins queue caught its attention while it was licking its paws. After lifting its butt and stretching its back once, it ran to the back of Gu Xins chair and started playing with it. Gu Xin used his spoon to block Wheezes paw, but it kept trying anyway as if it had found a new toy. The soldier shot Wheeze a dumbfounded glance when suddenly, Ah Shou still burping while she drank her fruit juice scratched her arms and whispered, Its about to hail. Hmm? Cillin and Gu Xin looked at her in unison, causing the young girl to shrink back timidly. A burp later, she said again in a small voice, A hail will come here in about an hour. Both men were very puzzled by her declaration. Even Gu Xin couldnt be bothered to take offense with a certain cat that was taking advantage of his distraction and playing his queue with both paws. The weather looked fine, and they hadnt sensed out of the ordinary while they were outside shooting bio-soldiers just now, Basing on past experiences, theres a 99.99% chance that Ah Shous prediction will come true. Neo had just walked out of his lab after he was finished processing his data. Would the hail affect this place? asked Cillin. No, the buildings here are pretty reliable. However, the hail here normally lasts for five days, and Neo looked at Cillin and Gu Xin as he said this, the food here hadnt been stocked with the lot of you in mind. Itll be difficult to get out once it starts hailing, so Id suggest you start stocking up on some food before it begins. Cillin and Gu Xin exchanged a glance with each other before they cleaned out the food ASAP and grabbed their gear. Before they took off, Neo passed them a list of plants and ingredients he needed them to gather like it was the only right thing to do. Cillins eyelids twitched as he said, Well see what we can do. If we happen to run into any of the stuff listed here, well bring them with us. Of course, replied Neo nonchalantly before he went back to his room for a nap. If this was in the past, I wouldve beaten the shit out of that guy, said Gu Xin after they left the base. Neos tone was definitely a difficult thing to swallow, especially because he had no idea that he was offending the other person. Even a heartfelt praise would sound like sarcasm when it came out of Neos mouth. Is everyone in Black Viper a weirdo like him? Gu Xin asked Cillin. I dont know. However, these two are the only Black Viper members I ran into so far, and they are definitely weirdos. If Cillin included that weirdo with a dissection fetish he hadnt encountered yet Hua Li it would bring the count to three in total. Cillin and Gu Xin set their sights on smaller animals they could take down quickly and easily. The meat were processed and put into bags to be brought back for heating later. The duo moved very quickly, and after Gu Xin had regained his strength he was starting to display an extraordinary amount of skill. Smaller animals were barely able to put a dent in their energy, and they easily took out the two large-sized animals they encountered along the way with proper cooperation. Wheeze was out looking for nuts it could use to grind its teeth; it wasnt interested in provoking animals after it had had its fill. While Wheeze was packing its nuts, its ears suddenly perked up in attention. Someones coming! Cillin and Gu Xin quickly hid themselves after the warning. Their bags had scent-isolating and camouflaging properties, and they were almost invisible after they had been disguised with grass cuttings and tree branches. In his hiding spot, Cillin waited quietly as the newcomer came closer and closer. The man moved quickly like he was running away from something, and he was holding a bone blade. It was probably something he made after killing a large animal, and the bone looked tough enough to handle the average wild beast. Gu Xin frowned after he saw the mans face. It was him? Cillin shot Gu Xin a glance after seeing his reaction: You know him? Gu Xin blinked once in confirmation. Lying on top of a tree, Wheeze noticed that another creature was coming their way. A roar shattered the silence of the forest immediately after. The man swore in a low tone as he quickened his footsteps, searching for a place to hide as he ran. Suddenly, his gaze was attracted by Cillin and Gu Xins hiding spot, but it wasnt because he had spotted the duo. Simply, it was one of the easier places to hide considering their surroundings. Gu Xin shot Cillin another look that said that he wanted to handle this man himself. Cillin agreed. The running newcomer suddenly paused in his tracks and swung his blade sideways. Prepared for the attack, Gu Xin easily deflected the blow and made a hand gesture that caused the newcomer to look distracted for a second. Although the newcomer still looked wary of Gu Xin, he couldnt afford to ignore the danger that was probably just seconds away behind him. That was why he decided to follow Gu Xins lead for now and hide behind a shrubbery behind a hill. The man had sprayed some plant liquid on himself to cover up his own scent, but its effects was fading because it had been some time since he last applied the spray. Gu Xin took it upon himself to reapply his spray, and the man didnt reject his gesture. However, he never let go of his grip on his blade and was prepared to kill the second he sensed anything strange. Although the man was clearly tired, he managed to adjust himself into a physical state that was well suited for concealment. Not long later, a lizard-like creature about five meters tall crawled into view. Unlike the average lizard, this fellow had two pairs of nippers in front of it, a mass of standing spikes behind its back, and a body covered in thick, bony scales. It was obvious that this ferocious creature was no easy opponent. The big fellow paused in its tracks as the two feelers above its head twitched. It was how it searched for its prey. From the moment Cillin saw the feelers on the big fellows head, he knew that hiding was probably pointless before this big fellow. He shot Wheeze a glance, and Wheeze gave him a yawn in response. Just when the big fellow was about to make way towards their hiding spot, a timely cry caught its attention and shocked Gu Xin and the newcomer. The only reason Cillin wasnt surprised was because he was prepared for it. After all, anyone would be frightened to hear a strange cat cry from right above their heads during such a tense moment. Gu Xins eyes widened as he stared at Cillin. Is he planning to sacrifice his cat? But Cillin clearly looked calm and unperturbed, so Gu Xin and the newcomer placed their attention to the front once more. Wheeze ran towards the big fellow and quickened its pace suddenly. A gray flash later, the big fellow only had one feeler left. Wheeze shook its tail arrogantly as it held the feeler in its mouth. Gu Xin, the newcomer: ... What a formidable cat! Wheeze started running away while still holding the big fellows feeler in its mouth. Angered, the big fellow roared and chased after Wheeze. It so happened that the roar was loud enough to knock some nuts off the trees. Well, that makes the nut collecting a lot easier, Cillin thought to himself. After the big fellow had gone far enough, Cillin and Gu Xin immediately started collecting the nuts on the ground while ignoring the other guy. Its almost time. We need to get back! said Cillin. They were ten minutes away from Ah Shous one hour time limit, and although Cillin had no idea how the hail of this place was like, he was sure that it wouldnt be a pleasing experience. Best they got back to the safe zone while before it began. Gu Xin nodded before looking at the other guy once more, Are you coming with us, Erty? Erty shot Gu Xin, the guy who knew his identity and the youngster who was still collecting nuts a short distance away a wary glance. He knew that they were no ordinary people, but he had to admit that the situation wasnt favorable to him. However, he still decided to turn down their offer because he didnt trust easily. A hail is coming up very soon. I dont think youll fare well in the state youre in, said Gu Xin before Erty could voice his rejection. The latter stared at Gu Xin as he tried to identify the truth behind his words. Lets go! Cillin urged Gu Xin to leave again. Whether or not Erty decides to follow them was his own choice. This time, Erty decided to follow the duo before they had gone far. Wheeze had returned to the treehouse even before Cillin and Gu Xin. It was still holding the feeler with its mouth and pulling it happily with its claws. Neo looked very unhappy when they returned with Erty. Why do you guys enjoy carrying baggage back home so much? Ba baggage?! Erty felt like murdering someone. As far as he could remember, he had never been called a baggage until today. Erty felt like he could kill this thin bastard who had clearly just woken up from his sleep with just two fingers. Luckily for everyone, Neo was still feeling sleepy. A toilet break later, he went back to his bedroom and slept some more. Inside the living hall, Ah Shou shrank deeper into a corner of the sofa as she stared at the new murderous stranger. Her burping seemed to be starting up again. Cillin directed Erty towards a room where medical supplies were placed in. He knew that Erty wouldnt be comfortable to leave his treatment to another person. While Erty went away to treat his wounds, Gu Xin filled in on Ertys identity. Erty was somewhat infamous in a circle in the seventeenth star region. There was a high ranking underground gang called the Blood Orchid, and its former leader had adopted Erty as his son a long time ago. Later on, some outside factors had instigated a civil war within Blood Orchid that resulted in the assassination of its former leader, and the beginning of Ertys revenge. In the next two years, several important gang members were assassinated by Erty. There were even a couple of extraplanetary government officials and nobles who made it to his kill list. Not long after, people started referring to Erty as the Flower of Misfortune. I heard that there was one time he was shot like a sieve, but there was no body to be found. A short time later, this fellow showed up again and successfully assassinated a couple of government officials who were participating in a star region meeting. Since then, Erty became the most wanted person in the entire seventeenth star region. However, Erty had vanished completely after the fact. He never showed his face again after his revenge was complete. I never thought that Id see him in such a place. Erty, the Flower of Misfortune was probably dissatisfied with his nickname by virtue of his gender, but it was undoubtedly a nickname that struck fear in the hearts of some people in the seventeenth star region back then. To any noble who had partaken in that civil war back then, this name was the equivalent of a nightmare. Chapter 279: R-B13 Not long after they had returned to Neos safe zone, the sky started to change color. In just a minute, the blue sky had turned completely dark, and the surrounding humidity had gone up in a straight line. Pa pa pa Hailstones started falling towards the ground. The hail had come as abruptly as like the sudden change in the sky. If Ah Shou hadnt told them about this earlier, not even Cillin couldve predicted this until after the weather had started to change. Roaming wild animals and poisonous plants quietly growing in their territory werent the only elements of dangers that resided in this area. There were all kinds of harmful germs and viruses floating in the air, which meant that a normal, unvaccinated person couldnt live long in this place even if they were lucky enough to avoid the bio-soldiers and wild animals. The pathological reactions caused by these germs and viruses alone was enough to kill a person. Cillin and Gu Xins constitution was pretty strong, but not even they were immune to these invisible dangers. So far Cillin was still doing okay, but Gu Xin and Erty had had some close calls to say the least. If they hadnt found Neos shelter, if they had to hole in a cave like the one Cillin had made for himself earlier, they would survive, but they wouldnt nearly be as comfortable as they were now. Cillin took a sip from his hot milk tea. Everyone except Neo who was still sleeping inside his bedroom were sitting in the living hall and watching the hail falling outside through the screen. By now Erty had relaxed much of his guard. His wounds had mostly healed, and he supposed that Cillin and Gu Xin counted as fellow brothers in hardship. That being said, he still didnt know why Gu Xin was able to recognize him, not that he had encountered any normal human being ever since he was dropped on this planet. All he knew was that he wasnt alone because he had encountered both the corpses of bio-soldiers and wild beasts multiple times while he was exploring the area. He just hadnt crossed paths with the killers yet. Why was he dropped on this planet? Erty had no idea. It had almost been two years since he had gone into hiding, and as the most wanted person in the entire seventeenth star region Erty had thought that he had done a good job lying low after completing his revenge, or at least he thought so until he was knocked out by an underhanded trick not long ago. All he remembered before blacking out was seeing a couple of people, and when he woke up again he was already here. Unlike Gu Xin though, he didnt have a gun or a blade with him. He had no choice but to take down the bio-soldiers and the wild animals in his way himself. Well, it didnt matter as long as he survives. How long will this hail last? asked Erty. Cillin and Gu Xin turned to look at Ah Shou in unison instead of answering. The girl shivered under their gaze and let out a burp. Five five days. Five days? Thats not bad. Thats survivable. Erty let out a sigh of relief. But itll snow right after the hail stops. Erty: ... The temperature outside had fallen almost twenty degrees since the time Cillin and Gu Xin had gone out to look for food, and it was looking to fall even further. They didnt know what else were lying in store for them in the future either. How long will the snow last? asked Cillin. Six to seven days maybe I cant confirm it right now, replied Ah Shou timidly. Lets try not to go out there as much as we can, and I guess well be eating less, saving up and sleeping more often, said Gu Xin. The safe zone in had its own internal temperature controlled system, and its warmth was a stark contrast to the terrible weather happening outside. Fist-sized hailstones could be seen striking the ground before shattering into bits. Even the bio-soldiers and wild animals had gone into hiding the power of nature was best avoided even by the strongest beast out there. The trees of the forest were pretty tough, able to withstand the barrage of hailstones without trouble. Those that couldnt had to grow beneath the lush trees because it was the only way to survive the natural disaster. There were also some plants who stood no chance under the hail and got crushed into pieces, but once the hail passed they would regrow again like it was nothing. They were all perfect examples of the power of life. Most of them spent their time resting during these five days. Neo turned out to be a pretty adept sleeper, which was a good thing because every time he spoke he made people feel like slapping him across the face. Neo was very unhappy that his territory was invaded by so many baggages, so in order to make himself feel better he ordered Gu Xin, Erty and Ah Shou to do some house chores. In order to save energy, most of them had to be done through manual labor. Cillin was the only exception to the rule because: I saved your life and I found the Tri-colored Bean for you. Admitting to the correctness behind his reason, Neo withdrew the chores he had originally planned for Cillin. Sometimes, Cillin wondered if Neo had ever thought of the possibility of them ganging up on him and taking over his place by force. He probably didnt. Five days later, when the hail was just being replaced by a heavy snowfall, Neo suddenly let out a scream from his bedroom. It woke everyone in the living room from their sleep and nearly caused Erty, who had just finished scrubbing the bowls and feeling pissy on the inside to jump on his feet. The fuck are you screaming about! complained Erty irritatedly while scratching his messy hair. Oh Neo let out a weird sigh again. Oh my god, great grand aunts and uncles above! Ah Shou glanced at a bracelet-like object around her wrist, or more specifically a metal link in the bracelet that was blinking non-stop. She pressed it once and caused a small light screen to appear into view. There was an encrypted message on it. After five days of peace and quiet, Ah Shous cry finally restarted once more. The trio had a bad feeling after seeing Ah Shou and Neos reactions. My god, how could they release those secondary metabolites here?! Neo walked out of his room gloomily while gripping his standing bed hair with both hands. Whats wrong? asked Cillin. RB13 will soon be released on this planet, answered Neo dejectedly. RB13? Gu Xins eyes flashed once. If I remember correctly, there used to be an illegally created artificial creature called RA13. RB13 is the evolution of RA13, replied Neo. Werent they all destroyed back then? Gu Xin remembered that the entire planet and the RA13s on it were destroyed at the end of that incident. That being said, Black Viper was the one who had destroyed the planet, so it wasnt exactly a surprise that they had acquired some RA13s for themselves. However, why would Black Viper be interested in a failed experiment like that? RA13 was the secret project of a noble a long time ago. The empire tried to shut down the project after it was discovered and exposed, but because too many people and conspiracies were involved the operation had ultimately ended without being resolved. Then, Black Viper suddenly showed their faces and destroyed the entire planet. RA13 is a complete and utter failure, and RB13 isnt much better than that. Although they managed to resolve the issue of premature ageing, there were still countless problems with that experiment. Why would they dump those imperfect experiments on this planet?! This is Blah blah blah. Cillin had no interest in Neos commentary. He interrupted the man and asked, Why do you say that RB13 is an imperfect experiment? Its because they dont have perfect self control. They go crazy the moment they get excited. Do you have introduction materials of RB13? Yes, but I dont have everything. Neo produced a couple of still images, and Wheezes eyes immediately turned round and wide. Mice?! The first image was the only image of RB13 that looked like a rat. The rest didnt look like they were remotely related to the mouse in the first image at all. Unlike the big black mice Cillin had encountered at Seven Lights, the bioweapon before him was mostly white in color. At first glance, RB13 looked just like the standard white mice, the near staple of every artificial creature experiment. However, very few such experiments had ended in success. Why does this one look like a porcupine? asked Erty while pointing a finger at a different image. Thats one of the forms they can assume after getting excited. So all these unmouse-like creatures at the back are the forms it can assume? I didnt think that you were this smart. Neo shot Erty a kind, fatherly look, causing the latter clench his fists as he tried to suppress the urge to beat the bastard to death. How many of these creatures are there? asked Cillin. I dont know, but it cant be few. Neos clearly looked depressed. He didnt think that he would run into these things prior to coming to this planet. At the time, all he had wanted to do was to rush over to this planet and perform his research as quickly as possible, so he had signed the agreement after a rough check and gotten on the spaceplane immediately after. Now, it was too late for regrets. Isnt this place good enough to stop them? Gu Xin looked at their surroundings. After all, Black Viper did build the place. Itll be difficult. Theres a 65.27% chance that those artificial rodents will dig through the defenses. All we can do is defend this place when that happens. Gu Xin shot a glance at the white world on the screen. Right now, there wasnt another place to move to even if they wanted to. Then Ill leave the defense to you all! said Neo. What weapons do we have? asked Cillin. Right now, they needed good weapons they could comfortably use, or those artificial creatures could prove to be a real trouble. Theres not much here. Come have a look yourself. Neo opened the door to a room and revealed a couple of guns and a rocket launcher inside. These weapons probably arent going to be too useful when the attack arrives, but theyre still better than nothing. Lets hold onto them for the moment and prepare our defenses while we still have time. Cillin swept a glance across the room before declaring. At the same time, at a mountain on the other side of the forest, an entrance suddenly appeared on the wall without warning. It was another base just like Neos. However, it was a lot smaller than Neos base, and it was completely covered up by both the hail and the snowfall. The walls were covered in a sheen of ice, and even opening the window didnt allow fresh air to enter the base. One must first shatter the ice outside the window first. The face on the window was none other than Hua Li, the woman Neo claimed to have a dissection fetish. Hua Li stared at the falling snow above the sky and the forest at the distance before shutting the window in one fluid motion. She returned to her room and opened up a couple of huge boxes, taking out some of the stuff and setting them inside a rectangular-shaped box. A couple of gun barrels and weapons could be spotted inside as well. After she was done packing everything, Hua Li set up the passcodes and shut down the base completely. Once she was outside, she walked to the edge of a cliff, put two fingers into her mouth and whistled. It was noisy and hazardous enough outside that she didnt need to worry about attracting the bio-soldiers or the wild beasts attention. A silvery white figure flew up from the bottom of the cliff a while later, Hua Li jumped right down and landed squarely on its back. It was a huge bird about three meters tall if it was standing in an upright position. After Hua Li had found herself a secure position, she ordered the bird to fly away from the mountain. The duo quickly passed through the forest without any troubles. Right now, there were very few flying predators in the sky, and the entire world was white and blurry. The snow was thick, and the cold wind felt like knives cutting against the skin. The good news was that Hua Li had put on a breathing mask beforehand. A beastial roar came from the front without warning, and a couple of flying predators took to the sky and flew towards Hua Li and her ride. We dont want to waste any time on them. Lets change course for a moment, said Hua Li. The white bird shot a reluctant glance at the aggressive predators flying their way before changing directions. They would have to circle around a valley and travel longer, but it would take less time than dealing with those predators. Hua Li was in a hurry, and she had no time to bother with petty obstacles. The white bird flew very quickly, clearly used to this kind of environment. It didnt take long before they had shaken off their tail completely. Just when the white bird was about to celebrate its success, alarm bells suddenly rang inside its head as it let out a cry at a particular direction. Hmm? Hua Li immediately pieced together the parts inside her waist bag and fired a shot down that direction. The bullets suddenly spread out in mid flight. Bang bang bang Something blocked the bullets before they could hit their target, and a figure suddenly flashed across the air. Hua Li opened fire a couple more times, but she couldnt keep up with her opponents speed. Still, she was used to this kind of situation and was able to keep her enemy from getting close to them with collected shots. Suddenly, her opponent sped up and fired their own gun at Hua Li. However, she was prepared for this as she switched her gun to a new mode and pulled the trigger again. A giant electrical web burst out of the barrel and blocked the incoming bullets. Her opponent was forced to change directions and rest their feet on a mountain face so as not to get caught in the web. Hua Li finally got a good look of her opponents face. He was a man, a humanoid to be exact. The humanoid had a pair of wings and was barefooted. His toes could grab onto the uneven surface of a rock and hold steady just like the claws of an eagle. His eyes were dark golden in color, and his exposed skin were etched with narrow, blackish brown patterns. The man stood on the wall and stopped trying to attack Hua Li. Hua Li kept her gun trained on the man, ready to fire the second he did anything unusual again. The snow flying between the duo nearly covered up their figures completely. A normal person wouldve lost sight of the other party a long time ago, but these two never let down their guards until the white bird had carried Hua Li completely out of sight. The humanoid relaxed only after he was sure that Hua Li and the white bird was gone. Hey Oriville, whats going on up there? Someone called out to the man from below. There was a woman riding on a huge bird. Do you know where theyre headed to? No. She flew down that direction. There? Never mind, well talk later after we get back. Lets find something to eat and get back as soon as possible. I dont want to wait and see if the hail will start again, also the captain said he had something urgent to tell us. Alright. Orivlle extended his wings and retracted his toenails. Then, he flew back down to the ground. Cillins group had no idea of this exchange. They were busy watching Neo arguing with a certain person standing outside their base. No way, this base is completely full already! Your presence will overpopulate this place, put pressure on our living environment and complicate our social relationship. Amd That was the end of his rant because Hua Li had held up a rocket launcher at the entrance. After conducting a feasibility analysis inside his brain, Neo reluctantly pressed the open button. Barbarian!! Hua Lis bird wisely went over to the cliff to rest its feet instead of following her inside, causing Neos complexion to ease up a little. He wouldve gone insane if that giant bird had insisted on squeezing with them bird shit is so disgusting! If the white bird knew what he was thinking, it wouldve crushed him to death with its talons. Why did you come here? asked Neo impatiently. I cant deal with those things alone. Do I look like I can deal with them? You have the equipment I need. Hua Li shot a glance at Neos lab. Neo immediately ran up to the entrance of his lab and stretched his arms wide, Im warning you, Ill fight you to the death if you dare lay a finger on my lab! Youll have to walk over my corpse to enter my lab! Hua Li gave him an expressionless look before turning to face Ah Shou, Did you lose your base? Ah Shou pursed her lips unhappily and said tearily, Mm. Dammit! Hua Li put down the box she was carrying on her back and sat on the sofa. She had never glanced at Cillin, Erty or Gu Xin, not that the trio was interested in speaking with her themselves. Maybe it was because Hua Li had dissected too many bodies, or because she had a cool temperament, but they couldnt help but feel that Hua Lis eyes were cold and creepy. She gave the impression that everything in her eyes was just a corpse, and she looked like she would grip a scalpel and dissect a body at any moment. Hua Li was sitting somewhat close to Wheeze, and the sleeping gray cat twitched its nose before opening its eyes. It shot Hua Li a strange glance before walking a circle around her, sniffing. Hua Li didnt react to Wheezes unusual movement besides shooting it a glance. However, it was clear that Wheeze was impervious to Hua Lis laser gaze, or maybe it just didnt care in the slightest. I smell a bird on her, said Wheeze. She came here on a huge bird, answered Cillin. Not that one, a different one. It reminds me of a humanoid. Everyone turned to look at her at once. Hua Li slowly set down her cup before answering, Im not a humanoid, but I didnt encounter a humanoid who can fly on my way here. When Hua Li was done drawing Orvilles face on the screen, Erty immediately swore in a low tone, Fuck, why is he here! Gu Xin rubbed his chin in thought. He knew this person as well, although he had never come into direct contact with him before. It looked like no one Black Viper had kidnapped over to this test was a small fry. This Orville at least had a blacker criminal record than even Erty. Chapter 280 The fact that Hua Li behind had left her base to seek help from them meant that the RB13s definitely had the ability to damage the reinforced materials outside of the base. Not long after Hua Li had arrived, a lot of large boxes were dropped onto the surface of the planet. The boxes were made of special materials and password locked. Parachutes opened above the boxes after they were dropped from the sky. A couple of wild animals looking around for food stared at the falling objects curiously. They moved closer to the boxes after they hit the ground and gave them a sniff, but they failed to pick up anything at all. The boxes were sealed so tightly that they didnt leak even a molecule of scent. The exterior of the boxes had also also processed so that none of the wild beasts sensed anything at all. Bang! The noise caused the beasts to jump back a little in surprise. A while later, they moved closer again curiously. Bang! This time, the noise was even louder than before. It seemed like something was knocking against the box from the inside, the entire box shifting a little from the impact. Bang! Bang! Bang! The noise grew more and more rapid, but the beasts had already gotten used to them. Instead of backing away like the first time, they hung around just three meters away from the box. Di The passcode lock outside the box rang, followed by the unlock sound. The, the box opened to reveal a mouse with fur as white as snow. It was the RB13 Neo had spoken of. On the surface, RB13 looked perfectly harmless. It looked just like a lab mouse except it was bigger and over a meter tall. Compared to the wild animals around it, RB13 was way smaller. The white mouses red eyes scanned its surroundings for a moment. They didnt seem to be affected by the cold, and their gazes eventually stopped on the lingering animals after a sniff. The wild beasts stopped being afraid after they saw what was really inside the box. The white mouse was nothing more but food in their heads, and they bared their fangs at their prey hungrily. One of the wild beast pounced towards the white mouse, and afraid that they would lose out on the delicious meal the rest quickly followed suit... Painful screams filled the forest, followed by the sound of chewing and flesh being torn apart. A short while later, the only things left on the scene were the empty boxes and bloody leftovers The passcode lock on the boxes flashed once, and the string holding the parachute and the boxes together automatically broke apart. The boxes then closed themselves, shrank to a smaller size, and sat there motionlessly until the snow covered them up completely. At the living hall inside Neos base, everyone was gathered in front of a screen and watching a video captured from a hidden camera Neo had placed at a corner of the forest earlier. The camera hadnt been activated because it could be detected by some bio-soldiers and wild beasts at a close enough range, but right now he couldnt care less about that. The weather was bad enough that the chances of detection were pretty minimal. A beginner rank bio-soldier and a wild beast were fighting inside the video, and a white mouse was attracted by their conflict. Although both wild beast and bio-soldier had suffered a bit of injury, they were nowhere done and the arrival of the white mouse did nothing to deter them. Neither combatants paid the white mouse too much attention after the initial glance, but the wild beast disliked being ambushed by an unfamiliar creature while it was in the middle of the battle. That was why it had let out a threatening roar at the white mouse. But before it could finish growling, the white mouse had already bitten off its heck. Tossing the dead animal aside, the white mouse turned its attention next onto the bio-soldier. These things didnt understand the concept of fear or retreat, so it charged towards the white mouse instead. A splatter of brownish color painted a stark contrast on the white snow. The bio-soldier had been decapitated instantly. A white mouse on a sheen of white snow. The combination of pure colors struck fear in everyone present. What amazing speed! Gu Xin exclaimed. Its claws are very sharp too. Erty stared at the departing figure in the video for a while before turning to look at the diced flesh and blood on the snow. That white mouse had torn that bio-soldier to bits in just an instant, and its claws were sharp enough that the bio-soldiers bones failed to slow its momentum in the slightest. Hua Li didnt say anything. She simply caressed her long box once. They still have room to grow, Neo added. If the rest of the mice are the same as this one, then they are allonly at the starting stage of their growth. Their appetite is huge, and their metabolism is swift. They can give birth to more mice very quickly in just a day. What? That thing still has room to grow? Doesnt that mean itll grow even more powerful? Erty asked. Of course. As an artificial creature and a test subject, they have low stability rate but very high mutation rate. They may change and evolve at any moment, and they have no fixed evolution path. This one could evolve into an armored defender, but another one might evolve into a hard striker. Its impossible to predict. Thats why I said RB13 is a pretty huge failure. Although RB13 was pretty threatening, Neo still looked down on them. From the standpoint of an experimenter, RB13 was a failure to Neo no matter what. Really? I wonder if youd turn into their feces in a couple of days, taunted Erty. Do you think Im stupid? Why would I head out and provoke these failures? Thats your job. Neo didnt look worried for his life in the slightest. Hua Li gave her gun a wipe and said, Idiot! Neo was just about to shoot back a retort when Cillin pulled him once and asked, Will the Tri-colored Bean work on them? Neos attention was successfully pulled towards Cillin. That I dont know. We can give it a try, but youll have to use a different gun. The ones youre using wont even penetrate its skin. Cillin nodded and walked into Neos weapon cache. A short while later, he walked out and said, Neo, let me borrow a couple of parts from your lab. No way! But Neo immediately charged to the door of his lab and raised his arms. Youll have to walk over my corpse if you want to touch my stuff! Erty, Gu Xin and Hua Li looked towards Neo at once. Gu Xin started spinning his gun, Erty started toying with a short knife, and Hua Li straight up pointed her assembled sniper rifle at Neos direction. Neo: ... A minute later, Neo raised his neck stubbornly and yelled, Id rather die! This is my place, Ive already shown you enough kindness by letting you in! Its only a matter of time before you die if you run into those things alone. You know this base couldnt hold them back. Sure, you have an isolation tank, but do you really think you can hold out for ten days with that weak body of yours? Hua Li verbally attacked Neo without mercy. Neo fell silent. It was true that living on nutrient solution alone was suffering, not to mention that his body didnt sit well with them. Moreover, he firmly believed that hibernation would affect his intelligence, so neither choices were appealing to him. Hua Lis words was without a doubt a like a sword through the chest. Hua Li didnt like being on the passive. That was why she had sought out a partner immediately after learning that RB13 would be released to the planet pretty soon. It would be very difficult to survive alone, not to mention that she couldnt sit on her birds back all the time. Plus, people were generally the greatest threat out there, not the animals. She was aware that a lot of strangers had arrived in this region before her, and she could guess that these people were probably the reserve newbies the organization had mentioned. Ah Shous base wasnt the only base that was occupied. Hua Li knew of three more excluding Ah Shous, although she couldnt tell if they had been taken over by force or cooperative partnership. When Hua Li came, she hadnt known that Neo had visitors with him. Her reason was purely because Neos base was built on pretty good terrain, and he had some lab instrument that could prove pretty useful. Most people in the organization knew that Neos standards for experimental research were very high, which meant that most of the high-end parts of his instrument could be used to make weapons. That was why she had come all the way here. Hua Li was less worried of her chances of persuading Neo after seeing Cillin, Gu Xin and Erty, however. The extra hands meant more security in this situation. Neos face scrunched up like a bun. A moment later, he finally said, In that case you may use some of them. But you must tell me every instrument youre planning to use! Without my orders they wont come active anyway! Of course. After Cillin walked into Neos lab, he stopped in front of a test bench like he had done this many times. There were a couple of instruments on top of the desk, and Cillin swiftly dismantled a couple of parts from them after Neo had unlocked them with his passcode. Neo couldnt stop making noises from the sides, worried that Cillin might slip up and damage his instrument permanently. Both Gu Xin and Erty were astonished when they saw how Cillin had dismantled Neos instruments with just a multi tool knife. He sure hid his skill well! Neither Gu Xin nor Erty knew anything about Cillin at all. They hadnt even heard of such a person until today. If Gu Xin was still in the army, it would be childs play to dig info regarding Cillin. But of course, he wasnt in the army right now. As for Erty, he knew almost all the infamous criminals such as Orville, but he had never heard of Cillin before. Cillin used the parts he dismantled from Neos lab instruments to assemble a couple of simple devices. It would allow him to modify the guns in the warehouse. Complex modifications was impossible of course, but simple ones were easy enough. An hour later, Cillin tossed Gu Xin and Erty a gun each before shooting Hua Li her a glance. He then tossed her a gun, and the woman accepted it. Cillin had also modified the bullets. They were not lacking in toxin since Neo had made plenty earlier. Lets head out and give it a try. If the toxin doesnt work then we need to find another way immediately, said Cillin after distributing the bullets. It was always a bad idea to resign oneself to ones fate, and Cillin especially loved fighting battles where he was prepared. If one must fight, then one must first understand their enemy. It was still snowing, and the temperature was very low. The group of four wore a thin protective suit, put on a gas mask and left the base immediately. Their protective suit was colored white, and it had the ability to insulate body temperature. This way, the animals wouldnt be able to detect them using their heat source. However, the trade off was a bit of mobility. Although Neo had mentioned again and again that he wasnt interested in a failed, second-rate experiment like RB13, he was very concerned about the reaction his toxin could generate within them. So after the group of four had set out into the snow, he went into the data processing room as well. There were a lot of RB13s, and they had been airdropped over a wide area. Cillins region alone had three RB13s, and the one they were tracking right now was the one who had appeared in Neos hidden camera. It was also the closest to the base. When a white dot came into view, all four people held their breaths at the same time. The white mouse had just killed a wild animal and was chewing on its flesh. According to the plan, Hua Li and Erty were to cover for Cillin and Gu Xin while they pump their target with poison bullets. That was why Hua Li and Erty were carrying normal weapons and penetrative bullets. Using the trees as cover, Cillin and Gu Xin slowly made their way towards the white mouse. Behind them, Ertys eyes flashed once in astonishment as he watched Cillins soundless movements. Just based on stealth ability alone, Cillin was as good, if not better than Gu Xin. However, neither of them had never heard of such a person. Speaking of which, he wasnt expecting Cillin to trust him this much. It was common sense that one should never leave their back open to another person easily. What Erty wasnt aware was that the gray cat sitting next to him and yawning would swallow him in a gulp if he dared to point his gun barrel at Cillin. In fact, it was exactly because Cillin didnt trust Erty and Hua Li fully that he decided to leave Wheeze behind. The second they acted strangely, the gray cat had permission to eat them the way it liked. After making their way to their positions without being spotted, Cillin gestured at Gu Xin with his hand. Since the hand gesture was commonly used in the military as well, Gu Xin of course understood what he meant and returned a ready hand gesture of his own. The duo pointed their guns at the huge mouse and opened fire. Originally, Cillin was planning to fire into the mouses ear, while Gu Xin was aiming at its eyes. However, the white mouse had noticed them the second they opened fire and moved its body, causing both bullets to miss their intended target and hitting it in the body instead. However, both gun and bullet had undergone a modification, and the shots had successfully penetrated some of its skin. The drugs should be able to make it into the mouses body. Cillin had taken off immediately without even checking if his aim was true after opening fire at the mouse. The next second, the wounded mouse was already jumping after Cillin already. Cillin didnt stop running. The moment he noticed the movement behind his back, he moved sideways to dodge a powerful swipe and turned around to throw a kick straight at the mouses neck. A white mouses neck was generally very fragile, but that only applied to normal white mice. Cillins kick contained enough force to break a tree trunk with the width of a man, but the white mouse had only staggered a couple meters sideways. Thanks to Cillins kick slowing down the white mouses movements, Gu Xin, Hua Li and Erty were able to pump the mouse full of bullets. A couple of red spots appeared on the mouses body. It was a clear sign that their shots had penetrated its skin. However, the white mouse looked as vigorous as ever as it chased after Cillin relentlessly, ignoring the people shooting at it. Was the toxin ineffective against RB13?! Chapter 281: Can I Grow a Pair? Part 2 Chapter 281: Can I Grow a Pair? [Part 2] Erty and Hua Li should be thankful that they were at Neos place at not somewhere else, because there no lack of antitoxins here. Erty had begun recovering at the end of the treatment, and even the weaker Hua Li had regained consciousness. The two of you look like youre recovering well, Cillin said after inspecting their injuries. Erty leaned against the back of a chair while wearing a dark look on his face. You have my pity. Its only natural for anyone who got caught by those mice to feel frustrated, Neo said with kindness and forgiveness towards the injured duo, not realizing at all that it only sounded like he was taunting. Erty narrowed his eyes and forced down the spurt of anger Neo had incited. Then, he said slowly, Someone fucked me over. Hmm? Neo motioned for Erty to explain, but it was clear that he was looking at the man with suspicion. Right now Erty wasnt in the mood to banter with Neo. In fact, his increasingly calm-sounding voice was actually a sign of rising anger. I couldve avoided that attack, but someone shot me in the leg, said Erty while rolling up his pants. Although his legs looked fine on the surface, a closer glance would reveal a tiny needle protruding from his skin. Neo put it through a scanner and confirmed that Erty had been shot with a plant-based tranquilizer. In fact Neo had researched this plant before, but he didnt study deeper because it was useless to him. The plant could be found inside the forest, and it was relatively simpler to fine compared to the Tri-colored Bean. Cillin did notice that someone was nearby, but he didnt chase after them because Erty and Hua Li were injured. That person had even tried to follow their tracks, but they gave up after Cillin told Wheeze to lure over some wild beasts and stop them. Gu Xin had no idea this had happened. Ah, incoming message! Neo suddenly cried out as a metal piece on his bracelet flashed. One press later, a photo with three people in it appeared into view. Eh? Its the guy who followed us earlier! Wheeze pointed at a man with four eyes. Hei Dou sent me this while they werent looking. You will clash with them if you want to get your materials, said Neo. Hei Dous place was taken as well? Ah Shou said with a look of sympathy. It seemed that she wasnt the only one who was plagued with misfortune. Hei Dous place has the bullet enhancement materials you need. If you want to get them you better start moving. Although Hei Dou said that those three people were planning something similar, but with their level of intelligence theres a 21.93% chance that theyre just wasting resources. If you move now, you may be able to secure 17.76% to 56.33% of the materials, said Neo. Erty rolled his eyes at him and asked, Why do you always count down to two decimal points? Theres no need to explain to someone with your intellect. Neo turned back towards Cillin and relayed even more instructions. He was asking Cillin to collect some chemicals and a couple more stuff he had been eyeing for a long time, but was stopped by Hei Dou. And that is why you should return with these stuff. Neo passed Cillin a list he had prepared last minute. Cillin took a rough glance before replying, Ill bring them back for you if theres time. Im sure youll find the time! Where are you going? Ill come with you. Im not injured anyway, said Gu Xin. It might be difficult for Cillin to handle all those ammo and materials himself. Its fine, Wheeze and I can do this ourselves. You should stay behind to protect our base, Cillin turned down his offer. Gu Xin was about to object until he heard that Wheeze was going. Erty and Hua Li had a bad viewing angle at the time, but he had a clear view of the gray cat biting the white mouse by the neck and pulling it backwards by force. If it wasnt for Wheeze, Erty would be mince meat already. Wait! Hua Li said, Mercury can carry you there. Mercury? Cillin asked in puzzlement. Aiya, shes referring to that dumb bird of hers! Neo explained, But dumb as it may be, it will save you a lot of travel time. Thats perfect. Cillin was pretty curious about the white bird himself, although Mercury was definitely a strange name. Hua Li spent a moment to explain Mercury to him and taught him some techniques. Then, she walked into the fores with Ah Shou and Cillins help before she placed a pair of fingers to her mouth. A whistle later, Mercury soon appeared in front of them. Hua Li gave Mercury a couple of instructions and made it get used to Cillin and the whistling sound he made. Mercury couldnt speak, but it was smart enough to understand their meaning. After crying out twice to signal that it understood, Mercury lowered itself so that Cillin could jump onto it. Wheeze had already made a full round on Mercurys back before Cillin had even moved his leg. At first, Mercury wasnt very used to having a different person on it. After shaking its head and flapping its wings for a bit, it slowly found its balance and calmed down. After Cillin had jumped onto Mercurys back, Hua Li rubbed its head and told it to be careful. Finally, Mercury let out a cry and jumped into the air. Hua Li and Ah Shou waited until Mercury was just a dot in the sky before they finally climbed down the tree. This was the first time Wheeze rode a giant bird, so it was very excited about the experience. Not only did the harsh wind and falling snow deter its passion in the slightest, it even started rubbing its fur against Mercurys back out of habit. Unfortunately for them, its movement made Mercury extremely uncomfortable, and Cillin was nearly thrown off its back after an unsteady sway. Cillin had to give Wheeze a literal knock in the head before it calmed down and allowed Mercury to stabilize. Although Cillin had a tight grip on Wheeze, its tail was clearly swaying with purpose. Cillin knew instantly that Wheeze was plotting something nefarious again. He flicked the gray cats ears and asked, What are you thinking now? Wheezes mouth split into a grin. Do you think I can grow a pair of wings in the future, Cillin? Maybe even multiple pairs? Maybe, but right now you have no wings, and you need Mercurys help so dont bully it, said Cillin while pinching Wheezes ear. I know! Wheeze flicked its ears, but it just couldnt forget the wings. If I have wings Ill be able to fly. If I can fly Ill be able to hunt birds Unconscious or not, it appeared that a gluttons thoughts would always trend towards food. Cillin didnt need to give Mercury directions at all, because it was obvious that Mercury was very familiar with Hei Dous hideout. It led Cillin straight towards his destination. The snowfall had become even bigger than before, and everything above or below them were completely white. If there were still some predators hunting for food at the beginning, they were almost all gone at this point. Cillin even saw two white mice while they were flying towards their destination. Technically speaking, it should be difficult to spot them since their skin was as white as the snow, but Cillin didnt have any difficulties differentiating them from the white background. The good news was that the two mice were still some distance away from Neos safe zone, so the group had nothing to worry about for now. It had been ten days since he landed on this planet. There was another twenty days to go. Twenty days At first, Cillin thought that Black Viper was trying to choose the best of the test candidates and absorb them into their organization. It was so that they could replace some of their aging members. But after ten days had passed, Cillin had deeper ideas about his purpose for being here. As it turned out, the test candidates werent the only ones who were on this planet. Some Black Viper natives had come to this planet as well. These people were ordinary in some aspects, and extraordinary in others. Although they didnt have strong constitution like Cillin, Gu Xin or Erty, they werent lacking skill or expertise. Sometimes it was difficult to understand how they thought, but even he had to admit that they were extraordinarily talented in some areas. Why on earth had Black Viper put them together with the test candidates? Especially considering that some of the candidates were literally kidnapped to this place? Both Guan Feng and Gu Changan had told him not to view Black Viper through old lens. In that case, what was Black Vipers true form? Everything was still a mystery just like the snow flying all around the sky. A short while later, Cillin and Wheeze gradually approached their destination. Mercury turned its head slightly to point Cillin towards the exact location he was looking for. Then, it flew sideways and found a less conspicuous spot to land. I know the path. Find a place to hide and Ill call out to you later, Cillin said to Mercury after landing. Mercury nodded once before shooting Wheeze a glance. After realizing that the gray cat was staring rather curiously at its wings, it flew away hurriedly like it was being chased. Cillin poked Wheeze once and said, Come on, time to work! Hei Dous base was near the mouth of a volcano. It was impossible to tell if the volcano was active or extinct, but it hadnt spouted lava for the past century at least. This was evident from the many plants in its surroundings. This planet was mostly covered by evergreen plants. Occasionally, it was possible to glimpse a greenery or two despite the snow. Wheeze started scanning the terrain and the blueprint of the base beneath the ground. They quickly found the entrance to the base. Of course, Cillin and Wheeze werent going to enter right through the front door. The plan was to slip in through a narrow air vent. There was no way the invaders occupying this base would know its layout too well. After all, they had only been here for a while. Cillin and Wheeze stopped at a concealed air vent where several layers of wire mesh were keeping them from entering. Wheeze easily cut open the wire mesh and connected with the circuits of the base. Cillin then took out of his tools, dismantled the window screens completely and entered the base through the narrow vent. Cillin and Wheeze arrived at a room after some crawling. Wheeze had already scanned a blueprint of the area, so they knew what the room was even before they went in, the instrument spare room. Hei Dou was locked in the lab right next to it. Cillin and Wheeze worked separately after that. Hei Dou, a dark-skinned child with a chubby face and a childish appearance was sitting inside the lab. Not far away, a fearsome-looking man was playing with a small knife alone. Even further away were two men discussing with each other about something. The fearsome man suddenly withdrew his knife and walked next to Hei Dou. Then, he looked at Hei Dou and smiled. Your reinforcement is about show up, right? Hei Dou trembled in surprise. Even Cillin was caught off guard by the sudden reveal. Did he figure out that Hei Dou had contacted Neo? The fearsome mans smile didnt cause Hei Dou to relax in the slightest. On the contrary, they looked even more afraid than before. Unfortunately, some people were born with a face that looked scarier when they were smiling. Sensing their fear, the big man rubbed Hei Dous head before saying, Dont be scared, little girl. I wont let them know about this. Cillin: ... Hei Dou is a girl? No wait, thats not important. Somethings strange about this big man. Are they not completely on the same side? Cillin decided to wait and observe a bit longer. They werent using the materials he was searching for just yet, and he wanted to see exactly what this big man was planning. Lets talk, shall we? The big man lowered his voice and started conversing with Hei Dou. There was no way the other two people could hear his voice from their position. Hei Dou looked up and stared at the big man in confusion. She had brown iris. She was listening because the other two invaders had planned to eliminate her directly, but he had changed their mind to leave her alive, for now. The big man gave her a helpless smile. Although his smile was still scary, it managed to relax Hei Dou a little. If your classmate is coming over to save you, I can take out those two people for you. However, I want you to help me with something later. Hei Dou mulled over the proposition for a moment before looking at the big man for further explanation. She would agree if his explanation was acceptable. The big man looked relieved as he continued, Its like this. I need a place to rest. When your companions arrive, promise me I can join you at your companions place. I dont want to freeze to death outside. This sounded like a pretty simple offer. Hei Dou agreed to it without any pressure at all. The big man grinned with his teeth this time. It caused a shiver to course through Hei Dous body. Although the other two people in the base had no idea about their conversation, Cillin had heard everything from his hiding spot and sent Wheeze a signal. If the big man was as sincere as he seemed, then he didnt mind having an extra pair of hands. But if he didnt take out his two companions as he promised, then he wouldnt mind Wheeze killing him and saving him the trouble. Inside another room, the four-eyed man who ambushed Erty and tried to track them down was speaking to his companion. The content of their conversation was about Cillin and his group. Cillin stared at the duo conversing with each other before his moving his hands. Bang! Bang! One of the person collapsed on the ground. The man on the ground had begun moving the second Cillin had opened fire, which it was a sign of impressive reaction. However, Cillins bullet still went right through the center of his head. There was only a short interval between Cillins shots, but the four-eyed man still managed to dodge out of the way. It was at this moment a blade caught the dodging four-eyed man in the neck and nailed him to the wall. Chapter 282: Integration Eyes filled with shock and hatred, the four-eyed man never closed his eyes until his life ran out completely. He hadnt expected his comrade to deal him the killing blow without any hesitation or mercy, even if he himself had wanted to kill the big man a long time ago. He didnt think that the big man was harboring the exact same idea. The fatal attack had been swift and clean. There was no hesitation, or even killing intent. By the time the four-eyed man realized what was happening, his windpipe had been cut open, and his cervical vertebra had been nailed to the wall. Assuming that this base was made of the same material as Neos base, it should be pretty hard to leave a scratch on it. However, the big mans blade had penetrated the four-eyed mans neck and dug a hole in the wall, proving that it was no ordinary weapon. The brownish gray-colored blade wasnt big, and it was non-reflective. From afar, it looked just like an ordinary weapon. Cillin saw the big man toying with his blade earlier, and he could tell he had used it for many years. Some peoples killing intent grew more and more withdrawn past a certain amount of kill count. This big man was like an old hunter standing in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to deal the fatal blow to his prey. That was how Cillin knew that this fearsome-looking man had killed at least a thousand people in his life, unless he was literally born this way. The two enemies had been taken out in less than five seconds. A fight to the death between experts normally ends extremely quickly. When the four-eyed man finally gasped his last breath, the big man walked over and pulled out his blade. The blood quickly dripped off the tip of the blade, leaving no mark behind whatsoever. Cillin watched the big man warily. He didnt point his gun at him, but he was ready to attack the second he noticed something amiss. The big man folded his blade and raised his hands slightly after seeing Cillin to show that he meant no harm to him. Are you the reinforcement the kid called over? The big man asked. Instead of answering, Cillin looked at the room behind him and shouted, Come out, Hei Dou! I need you to talk with Neo for a bit. Hei Dou had hidden herself in a corner after hearing the commotion outside, but her eyes lit up immediately when she heard Cillins words. The big man shifted away from the door to give way to Hei Dou, and after shooting him a careful glance she walked out of the room and stared at Cillin. Step by step, she made her way toward Cililn. Cillin threw Neos list into Hei Dous hands as she was walking toward him. Neo is looking for these. Hei Dou relaxed when she saw the familiar writing on the paper. After jiggling her bracelet a bit and sending a message to Neo, she walked into her lab to prepare the chemicals Neo requested. Now, Cillin, the big man and the two cooling bodies were the only people left outside the lab. Wheeze leaped onto the two bodies and started scavenging for tools. However, it couldnt find anything except two modified guns and a blade of unknown origin. The guns belong to the girl, the big man said. Wheres yours? Cillin hadnt noticed any gun on his person. I dont have one. The big man shrugged before continuing, They didnt trust me, so they forbade me from owning a gun. I ran into them in the forest and killed a couple of wild animals for them. They said they found a safe place and invited me to join them, so I followed them here. Oh right, the girl wouldve died if I hadnt stopped them. The big man sat on the floor after that, paying no heed to Cillins obvious caution. He didnt try to unfold his blade either. Cillin watch him quietly before asking, Who are you? The big man gave him a self-derisive smile before answering, Im just a prisoner, thats all. How did you come here? I dont know. When I woke up, I was already here in this strange place. If I still didnt have this blade with me, I wouldve been eaten by the wild animals in the forest a long time ago. The big man sat cross legged on the floor with one hand on his thigh and the other propping up his chin. He looked a little depressed for some reason. Inside the lab, Hei Dou felt a lot better after she was done communicating with Neo and learning that her rescuers name was Cillin. Cillin, Ill come with you two in a moment! Ive prepared everything you need, and there are some spares left in the lab. Well carry them all together when we leave, Hei Dou said happily. Youre going too? Cillin asked while looking a little troubled. He wasnt sure if the bird could carry two people, a cat and all these supplies at once. Yeah, Ill be bringing my lab with me as well! Hei Dou said while packing her things. Your lab? Mm. My labs a little special. It can function as an independent object and fly in the air. Cillin was surprised. Wheezes scan hadnt revealed anything out of the ordinary, so he couldnt know that the lab was actually capable of flight. Can I come with you? The big man said while looking at Cillin. Then, he turned back to Hei Dou before saying, You promised. Also, this place wont be safe after your lab is gone. Hei Dous lab was the heart of this base, so it was only natural that the bases defensive capabilities would drop drastically after its separation. Hei Dou nodded before recalling something. She looked at Cillin and asked, Can we bring him with us? Cillin didnt agree immediately. It was true that they needed more manpower, and this person didnt look like a heinous criminal, but they were also in a unique environment. There were too many factors to consider, and an internal strife would destroy them all. Cillin pulled Hei Dou over and whispered to her for a bit. The girl nodded and ran back into the lab. A short while later, she came back out and whispered a reply, which caused Cillin to shoot a curious glance at the big man. Finally, he motioned for Hei Dou to return to whatever she was busying herself with, and told her that they would be leaving immediately after she was done packing. Cillin walked until he was in front of the big man. The latter had been waiting for him to give a reply. Tu Ba? Cillin asked. The big man narrowed his eyes briefly before relaxing again. I didnt think someone would recognize me. A friend in our base recognized you and told us to bring you. I look forward to working with you. The big man paused for a moment before letting out a laugh. I look forward to working with you as well. Hei Dous base was only half the size of Neos, and when Cillin asked Hei Dou why she told him that it was because Neo was overly demanding, and he had claimed that base immediately when the bases were being distributed, using all kinds of reasons and analyses that came out of nowhere to support his claim. Cillin thought that it was an acceptable answer. Neo had always been a self-centered person, and words such as humility or tactfulness simply didnt exist in his dictionary. Hei Dou also had guns in her base, but they were different from the ones held by the four-eyed man and his companion. She had given them preliminary prototypes instead of real functioning guns, which were locked inside the labs secret storage box. Hei Dou also gave Tu Ba a gun, but Cillin didnt speak against it. Gu Xin had vouched for Tu Ba, meaning that the latter must be related to the military somehow. Of course, he didnt know what really happened to Tu Ba, but for now he was someone he could trust and a helping hand they sorely needed. From the start, Cillin had always thought that humans were the most dangerous creatures on this planet, not the artificial creatures or wild animals. The invasion began when the candidates had gathered into tiny groups, and it was impossible to tell what would happen during the remaining twenty days. That was why Cillin planned to integrate all the power he could gather from his surroundings before these human groups could mature completely. Once they were done packing, Hei Dou set the bases systems into hibernation mode and sealed off all doors and windows, shutting down the base completely. Cillin let out a whistle when they stepped out of the base. Unfortunately, two bio-soldiers hiding inside a nearby cave heard the whistle as well and started running towards them before Mercury could show up. Cillin lifted his gun and fired twice at them. He used the gun that was equipped with toxic bullets. Althoughthe Tri-Colored Beans toxin was useless against the white mice, it had more than proven its effectiveness on the bio-soldiers. Tu Ba shot Cillin a meaningful look after the two bio-soldiers collapsed. Mercury finally showed up, and they discovered that the poor fellow was covered in ice and snow, probably because there was no suitable place to hide in. The wind was so cold that it had nearly frozen into an ice sculpture, so Cillins signal had been a godsend to Mercury. This time though, Cillin didnt fly on Mercury like before. The lab itself was capable of flight after detaching from the base, so there was no point suffering the terrible storm when they could be basking in the warmth of the lab. Wheeze still chose to sit on top of Mercury though. Sitting on something with wings just puts you in the mood, you know? On the way back to Neos base, Cillin checked the radar in Hei Dous flying lab for a bit. The white dots on the radar represented the white mice, the blue dots represented the wild animals, and the brown dots represented the bio-soldiers. Most of the blue dots and brown dots were concentrated in several locations that were probably well insulated from the cold. The white dots were more scattered, however. By the time they finally reached Neos base, seventeen white dots had appeared on the radar. Their numbers were a lot more numerous than the time he first took off to Hei Dous base, and it looked like he needed to finish the gun modifications as quickly as possible. Hei Dous lab joined up with Neos base from the cliffside before fitting itself into the exterior facilities. Neo was extremely displeased because Hei Dous lab had messed with his territory, and he hadnt stopped complaining since the moment they met. Interior stability, harmonious development, local factors and macro-control; he just couldnt stop shooting his one hundred reasons why the lab was a dysfunctional addition to his base. No one gave a damn about his complaints, however. Everyone except Tu Ba had gotten used to Neos antics by this point, and the mans protest was completely ignored. Hei Dou had her hands full merging and refitting her lab to Neos base upon arrival. Cillin also started working on creating new explosive bullets after obtaining all the materials he needed. Erty felt very frustrated when he heard that the four-eyed man was dead. Revenge was meaningful only when it was completed by his own hands, or the unpleasant feeling would linger for a long time to come. Gu Xin was the most welcoming of Tu Ba out of everyone. Tu Ba had a military background, and he was even a high ranking military officer for some time. But a couple of things happened, and he was thrown into the imperial prison and sentenced to life imprisonment. Three years. Three years is all it takes to destroy a person completely, wipe out all of their merits and turn them into a person who was spurned by everyone. Three years, said Tu Ba with a sigh during a conversation with Gu Xin. Its not your fault. The empire is too big, and its inevitable that some parts of it are corrupted, Gu Xin consoled. I used to wonder if my belief was wrong, and that the oath everyone had sworn to uphold was a lie while I was inside. I stopped thinking about it after some time though. Why? Its because you cant afford to think about such things in prison. Look away for a second, and you may be dead in the next. Tu Ba pointed at his own chest when he said this. Multiple times he was nearly killed by a blow to the chest. How can this happen in an imperial prison?! Gu Xin exclaimed in shock. Imperial prison? Heh, Tu Ba rubbed his forehead before continuing, There are many kinds of imperial prison, you know. Gu Xin stopped asking and gave Tu Ba a friendly slap on the shoulder after seeing that the latter had no wish to elaborate. He felt a lot more comfortable now that there was another person with a military background. Oh right, theres something I want to ask you about, Tu Ba asked. What is it? Before you start, you should know that I have no idea about this place just like you. I was here the moment I woke up. No, thats not what I want to ask. Do you know who that Cillin guy is? Him? Gu Xin shrugged and said, I dont know either. A person like him should have a file in the military, shouldnt he? I havent seen him in my area of responsibility at least. Meanwhile, Wheeze was rolling on top of the table until it caught sight of Gu Xins queue. Feeling an itch in its paw again, the gray cat grabbed Gu Xins queue and started playing. Tu Ba looked at Wheeze with interest before poking it once in the body. He was immediately scratched in the arm. Wow. Its pretty fast! Instead of getting angry, Tu Bas interest in Wheeze only grew stronger. Gu Xin elbowed him lightly before saying, Dont provoke it. Its stronger than you think. Tu Ba didnt give up immediately, however. He kept trying until Wheeze finally persuaded him to stop with a scratch on the face. The materials Hei Dous provided him were excellent, and they perfectly created the effect he wanted. Although there were only so many types of explosive bullets he could create, it should be enough to deal with the white mice. Cillin had created three types of explosive bullets in total, and all of them had different explosive power and penetration power. It was so that they could effectively attack the white mice from any angle. Hei Dou and Neo worked together to reconfigure the bases defenses and create a small batch of mini surveillance devices scattered around the nearby forest. They also set up some scanners further away and made sure that both the surveillance devices and the scanners were concealed to a degree. As long as the animals didnt come too close, they shouldnt be able to detect the equipment. Theres a white mouse 1.5 kilometers away. Do you guys want to take it out? Suddenly, Hei Dou shouted at the people sitting in the living hall. Cillin had just finished making a batch of explosive bullets, so he swiftly distributed the weapons to everyone. Lets take out that mouse, or it might damage the base if it gets close. Hua Li grabbed the gun and the bullets Cillin spread across the table. Im going. Erty grabbed a gun and immediately went outside. He had made a full recovery, and he felt like venting the vestiges of his frustration. Lets leave this to Erty, Gu Xin and Tu Ba. You should stay here because you havent recovered completely, Hua Li. The three of them can take care of it, Cillin said. Hua Li frowned and tried to say something, but Neo interrupted her like a gust of icy wind and said, A wounded like you would only be wasting bullets. Ignoring the bickering Hua Li and Neo, Erty stepped out of the door. Gu Xin made a hand gesture meaning dont worry before catching up to Erty. Tu Ba was the last person to follow them to the lift. Cillin grabbed Neo by the collar before dragging him into lab, saying, Go check the new bullets power and summarize the data, will you? Data was more important than Hua Li, so Neo abandoned her and went to his instrument. Hei Dou moved closer to get a better look at the screen, while Ah Shou and Hua Li watched from the living hall. On the screen, Erty, Gu Xin and Tu Ba quickly reached the marked coordinates and spread out towards three directions. It was a good idea to encircle the white mouse so that two people at least would be able to shoot it no matter where it escaped to. Bang! The first bullet brushed past the white mouses eye socket, penetrated its epidermis and destroyed its entire eye in a fiery explosion. Before the white mouse could even summon its anger, another two bullets hit the same spot from two different directions and destroyed its entire head. The third bullet was probably unnecessary because the second bullet was already enough to kill it. Judging from the data, the first shot dealt pretty good damage. The target froze for a moment because its brain nerves were damaged, which made it easier for the shooters to follow up with a second and third shot, Hei Dou explained excitedly. But if my guess is correct, Erty was actually aiming for its eyes, so he actually missed his shot, Neo fired of a merciless criticism. Thats because the white mouse had reacted too quickly. The old bullets couldnt have destroyed its entire eye. Cillin recorded the summary data on the screen to serve as a reference for future modification. Ah Shou was drinking her fruit juice at the living hall when she suddenly blinked her eyes and said, The skys clearing up soon. Erty had just stepped through the door when he heard Ah Shous comment. He asked, How long will it take to clear up? Two days. So, those things will come out in two days again, Erty said while spinning his gun around his finger. He wasnt afraid of those things any longer because he had both the weapons and the manpower this time. Cillin told everyone to take a good rest after hearing that, knowing that rest could very well be a luxury two days later. What would happen after the sky clears up? According to Ah Shou, the temperature would start rising very, very quickly, so the thick snow was sure to melt into ponds and swamps. Who knew what other strange creatures would emerge after that? Moreover, Cillin couldnt help but feel a lingering sense of unease. He had a feeling that something bad was about to happen soon, so he needed to prepare as much as possible before the inevitable arrives. Be it the white mice, the wild animals, the bio-soldiers, the humanoids Hua Li encountered or those enemies who hadnt shown their faces yet, some conflicts could only be solved with violence. Two days later, the new defense system Hei Dou and Neo were collaborating on was more than half finished, and Cillin hadnt been idle himself. Sometimes, he would head out and improve the disguises of their surveillance devices. Erty and the gang werent the type to stay idle either. Without forgetting to get enough sleep every day, they weathered the storm in protective clothing and practiced their skills on some wild animals in the forest. When the last snowflake fell from the sky, the sun finally showed its face. The hailstorm had ended as quickly as it came, and the rising heat quickly flooded some low-lying areas. Then, flat, round heads suddenly appeared on the water surface of these areas and started running towards higher ground. Chapter 283: That Nutcase The local fauna started crawling out of their hideouts after the weather had cleared up. When Cillin first arrived, things were still pretty quiet. But now, it was pretty common for the surveillance system to pick up some roars and cries of pain from somewhere. The role of the predator and prey were always changing. In the past, the wild animals were one of the hegemons of the forest, but they were nothing but prey in front of the white mice. Cillins group had cleaned out almost all the white mice who were lurking in the forest, but more had moved in after the snowstorm had passed. The noises had attracted their attention, not to mention that the forest was a good source of nutrients. Gu Xin, Tu Ba and Erty had just returned from a trip to the forest. They had taken out three white mice and a couple of bio-soldiers during their journey, and they had brought back two dead animals as todays food. Every time anyone came back from outside, they were required to go through a sterilization procedure. Neos mysophobia wasnt completely unfounded, however. There were plenty of harmful bacteria outside, and no one could tell how many new ones had appeared after snowfall. The mutation rate was so high that they couldnt afford to let down their guard. Cillin and Neo worked together in the lab to create several types of composite antiserums. Everyone was injected with a shot of each antiserum to prevent infection, with emphasis given to Ah Shou and Hei Dou. They were the ones who had the lowest chance of survival if they caught a heavy infection because they had the weakest constitution out of all of them. Every day, Wheeze looked at its claws and counted the remaining days until their return. How are things today? Cillin asked the trio who just came back from outside. Gu Xin, Tu Ba and Erty walked in after they were sterilized in the new sterilization room. They were scanned for bacteria first before sterilization. If any new bacteria were found on their person, a sample would be taken so that Cillin and Neo could refresh their database and create new antiserums. Things are going relatively well. Were used to dealing with the white mice now, and it doesnt take too long to kill them. There are more and more of those black bugs as of late though, Gu Xin said while wiping his face. Ever since the weather had cleared up, a lot of black bugs had popped out of nowhere. Their heads were flat and round, and they had no eyes. Instead, they relied on sensory cells that looked like eyes to perceive their surroundings. They had no individual limbs, and they moved like snakes. Their speed was very impressive. Although these black bugs were only as big as a human palm, they had thin, sharp teeth that looked like the barbs on a felines tongue. These special teeth gave them the ability to rasp the meat from the body of their prey. The most important to take note of was their impressive numbers, however. Cillins choice of weapon against these bugs was a cold beam weapon because they were strong against heat, but weak against cold. Of course, that didnt mean it was a bad idea to throw a firebomb into a group of black insects. Theyre heat resistant, not fire resistant. These things normally hide underground. They probably came out because most of the low-lying lands are currently flooded by water, Erty said. He had killed plenty of black bugs today. The important thing is to not let them bite you. They may be tiny, but a single bite would still put a hole in your body. Tu Ba had performed a test to check their bite force, and he discovered that it could crush a piece of wood into bits like a saw. It wouldnt be a fun experience on the human body. Cillin wasnt really paying attention to the black bugs, however. He had a feeling that this was just the calm before the storm. He shot a glance at Ah Shou and found the girl hugging a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice and drinking to her hearts content. Judging from her lack of reaction, the storm was probably not a natural disaster. Wheeze was rolling across the table idly when its ears suddenly moved. Seemingly unsure, it jumped to the floor and circled around the living hall once before looking at Cillin, An earthquake is coming! Ah Shou choked on her fruit juice and coughed for a moment. Then, she stared at the gray cat doubtfully and asked, Are you sure? I havent sensed anything. Its an artificial earthquake, not a natural one, Wheeze said with confidence. It had sensed a bunch of machines operating underground. Cillin told Wheeze to come closer before opening a local map. Roughly speaking, which area do you think will be affected? Cillin asked before putting the light screen in front of Wheeze. The rest of the group had gathered around with curiosity as well, and Neo in particular was staring at Wheeze with suspicion in his eyes. He would be performing his own analyses to confirm Wheezes conclusion after it had pointed out the affected areas. Wheeze raised its paw and pointed at a couple of spots. The good news was that their base was nowhere close to the center of these earthquakes, just the fringes. This meant that they would be feeling some tremors, but that would be the worst of it. When Neo was done calculating, he let out a sigh of relief and said, If what this cat is saying is true, then the base will not be harmed by the earthquakes. Its tough enough to withstand the tremors. But, isnt that Mondes place? Hei Dou said while pointing at a spot near one of the epicenters. Monde? You mean that nutcase? I dont know him. Neo clarified so quickly it was as if the very notion of knowing Monde would lower his intelligence. Neo and Monde always addressed each other as that nutcase. Everyone shot Neo an odd look. Neo was obviously the most neurotic person in their group, so they couldnt help but be curious about the person whom Neo called a nutcase. Monde is a person who knows animal language. He can understand their cries and read their facial and body language, Hua Li explained. No, thats incorrect! Neo immediately corrected Hua Li, That nutcase doesnt understand animal language at all. Its all just an underhanded trick, get it? Dont you know that he always fails his language class? Thats the undeniable fact! Hua Li ignored him and continued on her brief explanation of the person named Monde. She was just finished speaking when Hei Dous bracelet suddenly lit up. Feeling no need to find a private space to take the call, Hei Dou tapped a button on her bracelet immediately. A light screen popped open, and a young boy with a flattop haircut (broom head). My dear Hei Dou, I need your he whos that behind you? What is that nutcase doing at your place?! Monde said with a look of disgust. Neo pushed Hei Dous face away with glee before wagging his finger, saying, There are two mistakes in your sentence. One, Im not at Hei Dous place, Hei Dous at my place. Two, the nutcase is your eternal, inseparable tag, not mine. Mondes eyes twitched before he forced himself to look at Hei Dou, saying, Dear, can you tell this nutcase to get out of my face? I want to talk with your alone. Its urgent! Hei Dou glanced around her before mouthing an apology. Then, she picked up the light screen and ran toward her own lab. Is Monde calling because he discovered that his base is near an epicenter? Hua Li asked with a frown. Impossible. Theres no way he would know about that. Neo absolutely refused to believe that Monde possessed that level of intelligence. But Hei Dou walked out soon after and informed everyone that Monde was aware of an upcoming earthquake in his area. His original plan was to hide at Hei Dous place, but he didnt know that Hei Dou had moved to Neos base. Unfortunately for Monde, Hei Dou was the only he knew around the area, and he would rather die than beg for Neos help. How did that broom head know that an earthquake is going to hit his place? Gu Xin asked. Cillin pointed at at a black bug specimen on Neos lab shelf and said, Its probably through that. These insects live underground all the time, so they should be more sensitive to underground changes. You mean that broom head really can understand their language? Erty asked while touching his chin. How on earth did he manage that? It was so weird. He only figured it out because of an underhanded trick and a statistical analysis on the species. Nothing more, nothing less! Neo maintained his stance. Cillin ignored Neos rant. He had other things to consider. The earthquakes wont affect us because were at the edge of the epicenters, but were almost certainly going to have to face hordes of escaping creatures. Thats true. Tu Ba voiced his agreement, I believe well be quite busy when that happens. The group were discussing countermeasures when Hei Dous bracelet lit up again. Er Please give me a minute! Hei Dou ran into her lab again in embarrassment. It didnt take long for Hei Dou to return to the living hall, but this time her bracelet wasnt turned off. On the screen, Monde stared at them like he was having a constipation. Knowing that Monde was too embarrassed to make his request, Hei Dou spoke up timidly, Monde and his friends want to come over Rejected! Neo turned down the request immediately. The veins on Mondes forehead bulged a bit, but he forced himself to stay quiet and stared at Hei Dou instead. Unwilling to turn Monde away just like that, she turned to look at Cillin instead. Out of all the new friends she had made, Cillin was the one she trusted the most, not to mention that he was the only one who could speak with Neo about those high level stuff that were completely incomprehensible to her. Plus, Neo would listen to him. Monde had obviously noticed Hei Dous gaze too, but he couldnt see who she was looking at due to the angle of the screen. But whoever she was looking at, it definitely wasnt that nutcase Neo. Friends? Cillin asked. Mm. Monde has three people with him just like you guys, Hei Dou explained. Dont worry, theyre all good people. They saved my life before! Afraid that Cillin would turn him down, Monde hurriedly clarified for his friends. Understandably, no one wanted to accept a stranger into their midst in an environment like this unless the circumstances were exceptional. Although he couldnt see Cillin from his end, he understood that this person must have some level of authority at Neos place. Oh, no! That nutcase has a bunch of liabilities too! Neo yelled. All three people standing not far away from Monde heard his comment and felt their facial muscles spasm. Liability? Youre the liability! Your entire familys a liability! Also, thats not how you use the word liability! That nutcase has a huge base, so Im sure he can accommodate us. In return, we promise to take care of some of your troubles, Monde continued while pointedly ignoring Neos refusal. Thats unacceptable. Who knows if youll become invaders? Are you questioning my integrity? Integrity? Do you even have such a thing? Seeing that Neo and Monde were about to get into an argument again, Cillin tapped Neos shoulder before pointing at the lab, saying, Your molecular map is done. The need to deal with his molecular map immediately took priority over his argument with Monde as Neo rushed into his lab. The place was much quieter without him. Lets continue with our conversation. Theres a total of four of you, right? Id like to see your three companions, Cillin said. Hei Dou shifted her light screen slightly so that itd display Cillin. She kept Gu Xin and the others out of the picture, however. Cillin raised an eyebrow when Mondes companions had appeared on the screen. One of them was the Orville Hua Li had encountered, and Gu Xin and Erty had spoken of. Please give us a minute, Cillin left to speak with his group and confirm if Orville was trustworthy or not. Orville? Tu Ba twirled his blade and said, That boy isnt a good person, but I do trust his ability to read the situation and act as appropriate. Cillin looked at Gu Xin and Erty and got nods of agreement in return. Orville was definitely not a good personhe was even infamous in a certain circlebut for all his flaws he wasnt a man without principles. Finally, Cillin checked with Hua Li to see if she could accept Orville. If they couldnt bear each other, then keeping him around would be like keeping a time bomb thats waiting to explode. Surprisingly, Hua Li didnt object to Orville. Neither of them were hurt in the fight, and the past was in the past. Cillin went back to Hei Dou and was greeted with a look of expectation from Monde. He allowed both groups to meet each other, and it looked like everyone seemed to know each other to a certain extent (besides Cillin). Cillin went to Neo after obtaining the Mondes promises, and it took quite a bit of effort to finally convince him into accepting four new guests into his base. The fact was, Neo just wanted to see Monde acting meek after he arrived. He was certain that it would be a very pleasant experience. As for the rest of Mondes group, Neo didnt care about them at all. They werent even close to being as attractive as the experiments he was conducting. As for how Monde and his companions were going to make their way over, that was their own business. The most Cillins group was going to do was send someone to escort them after they had reached the perimeter. Right now, Cillin and Hei Dou were busy inspecting their systems and reinforcing some defenses. Everyone had their own things to work with, and no one was paying attention to the gray cat lying on top of the table. Wheeze was closing its eyes like it was asleep, and its tail was perfectly still, meaning that it wasnt plotting something devious as usual. Its ears were vibrating at a frequency that was almost indistinguishable unless someone was paying close attention to it, and Cillin decided not to bother it while he was passing through the living hall and shooting it a glance. Wheeze probably discovered that already. It didnt take long before the forest started growing noisy. It almost sounded like the animals were arguing with each other as some animals from other regions joined the battle and made an even bigger commotion. Theyre here! Hei Dou said looking at the screen. Gu Xin, Erty and Tu Ba grabbed their guns and went out of the base without a word. For the past few days theyd been incredibly bored, and there was nothing they could do to help with Hei Dou and Cillins work, much less Neos. They were incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that they were almost useless besides the usual hunting. Was this what Neo meant when he said liability? Hua Li chose to stay inside the base. By now, She knew that she was as fragile as an egg compared to the fighters of the group, but she didnt grow depressed because of it. They simply had different areas of expertise. The person who really astonished Hua Li was Cillin. Up until this point, he had helped Neo to refresh their bacterium database, create antiserums and antidotes for several types of plant and animal toxin; modified his own weapons and bullets; cooperated with Hei Dou to reinforce the bases defenses and created hidden surveillance devices with limited resources. Combat wise, Cillin was at least as good as the fighters, and his constitution was out of the world. She had never seen him getting sick or poisoned so far. Just who was Cillin? People like him were rare even inside the Black Viper, and he was obviously not one of them. Man If only I can dissect him and take a look! Hua Lis dissection fetish was piqued for one rare moment, causing Cillin to feel a chill behind his back and shiver while he was setting up their defenses outside. Some time later, Gu Xin, Erty and Tu Ba returned with Mondes group. One of them had been scratched by a flying beast, and their wound was already growing infected. In fact, it looked like a superinfection. Monde only looked a little pale, and the other two people only suffered minor injuries. The fact that they all made it here safely was proof that they were no weaklings. The journey wouldve been much harder if we were slow to depart, Monde said while gulping down a glass of water, his breathing still heavy. He was right. The forest had been noisy when they departed from the base, but it wasnt too bad. But now, it sounded like a war was going on inside the forest. Most of their injuries had been inflicted during the latter half of their journey, and the guy who took a swipe was hurt during the last twenty minutes. Everyone went through the sterilization procedure after they came in, and the group was surprised to find six new types of bacteria in Mondes group. No wonder the scratch had deteriorated as quickly as it did, Orville and his companions thought to themselves. After Monde had regained himself, his curiosity was piqued by the gray cat lying on top of the table. He liked animals, and he often interacted with them to read their thoughts. Wheeze got impatient after it was poked repeatedly by Monde, so it taught him a lesson and scratched him on the back of his palm, bleeding the boy who hadnt taken a single injury during the journey here. When Wheeze opened its eyes and stared at Monde, the boy gulped and meekly sprayed his wound with the recovery spray Ah Shou passed him. He had read the meaning and emotion in Wheezes eyes in a glance: touch me again, and your hands arent the only thing thats going to be hurt. Rumble The earthquake finally began. The screen showed everyone what was happening outside in real time. The surface of the ground near the epicenter was already starting to fall apart. Although this was no natural earthquake, no one would think that it was artificial if Wheeze hadnt discovered this. A lot of animals were starting to run their way, the black bugs being the most numerous of them all. They hadnt seen many white mice or predators yet, however. It would probably take a while for them to show up. Cillin took out a box and split the guns and ammos he had modified to the fighters. There were cold beam weapons and a couple of fire bombs that would burn up to several thousand degrees Celsius. Chapter 284: Underground Web When the earthquake struck, Hordes of animals escaped the source of the epicenter in panic. Some didnt bother to linger and ran to the other side of the hills. Some moved closer towards Neos base when they noticed that something wasnt right with the cliff. The price of their curiosity and bloodthirst was a lifetaking bullet by Gu Xin and the others. The chaotic environment covered up the fighters tracks pretty well, and the sniped beasts didnt attract too many attention. Right now, the greatest threat in their minds were the earthquake, not the hidden snipers. The fighters used different bullets to kill different creatures. For example, the white mice were treated with the improved explosive bullets, the wild animals with a different kind of bullet, and the bio-soldiers with the toxin bullets. The modified rifles also had multiple modes that could be switched into, resembling a simplistic version of multifunction gun. Although it was inferior to the guns they had used in the past, it was impressive how much improvement was made with the limited amount of resources in hand. This was why everyone was impressed with Cillin. In their eyes, Cillin was a walking puzzle. He seemed capable of holding a conversation with anyone, and he even had in-depth discussion regarding dissections with Hua Li. Could he be a member of the RAS? The thought had passed everyones minds. They were the only ones besides Black Viper who had delved deep into all academic fields. Erty had tried asking Cillin about this, but the latter neither agreed nor denied his guess. Since the group had made sufficient preparation before the earthquake hit, they were able to deal with the white mice, animals or bio-soldier with varying degrees of calm. If someone grew tired, someone would take their place while they returned to the base to catch a breather. The panicking animals were more violent than usual, and their escape path was complete chaos. The fact that Gu Xin and the other were able to hit their weak spots consistently and conserve ammo despite all the disruptive elements proved that they were much stronger than your average fighter. Sometimes, climbers or flyers would show up around or below the cliff. Those animals and bugs that could climb especially often burst out of the forest area and attacked them with a ferocity that was unmatched by other creatures. However, their numbers were few, and the bird Mercury made sure to take out any bugs that attempted to climb their way into the base from the cliff walls. Ah Shou and Hua Li also helped by shooting at larger animals that Mercury couldnt take out easily from the windows. Right now, Mercury was clinging to the wall and flapping its wings at a large group of little bugs, throwing them back down to the ground. Sometimes, these bugs could be more threatening to the base than the bigger animals. Mercury used its sharp beak to take out any bugs that didnt fall off after its flap. Bang A sudden noise cause Mercury by surprise, and when it turned around to look every feather on its body had puffed up in reaction. Ga?! Orville in his transformed state was clinging to the wall not far away from Mercury. He was clinging to the wall with his sharp talons like Mercury, but unlike Mercury he was able to fire the feathers behind his wings like bullets at the larger bugs. Of course, Mercury didnt like Orville one bit. Their first meeting had gone pretty badly after all. But they were now cooperating with each other, and Hua Li had talked to it about this already. it would controlled itself no matter how much it disliked him, and it definitely wasnt because it was jealous of Orvilles ability to fire his feathers like bullets. Hei Dou and Neo were responsible for watching the bases defense network. Their job was to inform the others about any anomalies so that the invaders were taken out as soon as possible. But what about Cillin? Cillin wasnt shooting the animals or watching the defense network. He wasnt even with the group right now. Instead, he had gone underground with Wheeze. He had to admit that Wheezes digging skills had improved by a lot. Practice makes perfect, and Wheeze had had a lot of practice. Somewhere on a planet not far away from the location Guan Feng had led Cillin to, there was a low building mostly filled with robots. Specifically, it was filled with advanced robots who looked no different from humans on the outside. The few humans in this building all had great authority in Black Viper. Guan Feng was there, and Gu Changan had shown up with Qiu Xu as well. Right now, they were gathered in a wide, circular meeting room on the third floor. There was a light screen in the middle of the meeting room displaying a rotating planet. There were a lot of red and blue dots on this planet, and all of them represented a person. The red dots represented outsiders who were brought to the planet for a test like Cillin. The blue dots represented the Black Viper locals. On the first day, the red dots and blue dots were scattered all across the planet. Over time, the dots started to interact, mix, and finally ally with each other. Of course, some of the dots underwent different changes. For example, the two red dots representing the people Cillin and Tu Ba had killed had turned black in color. The leader of the group sighed as he stared at the conglomerating regions and said, I wasnt expecting to reach this stage in just half time. There were three spots on the rotating planet with the highest amount of dots gathered. One of them was Cillins location. All three spots were quite far apart from each other, each having to face different geographical and weather challenges. Cillins spot was set in mountains and forests, whereas the other two spots were set in a desert and a plain. Neither spots shared similar ways of conflict, or even reasons to group up as one. But if a comparison were to be made, then the way the people had come together at Cillins spot was the most peaceful of them all, also the way Guan Feng liked the most. This meant that Guan Feng was very satisfied with Cillins performance. He wondered if he should just obtain internal acknowledgement for Cillin and allow him to bypass his exams at AF1 directly. A guy who can make Neo give up his place willingly does deserve to take over your seat, the leader said again while looking at Guan Feng meaningfully. But of course! Did you forget who his teacher is? That being said, the person you recommended isnt bad either, Ah Lang, Guan Feng said while shaking his legs on a chair. It looked like both his recommendation were a success. The man Guan Feng called Ah Lang was one of the three person-in-charge of Black Viper, Kristi.Lang. Gu Changan let out a chuckle and said, There are a lot of people who can compete the other two candidates, but this Cillin cant be replaced nearly as easily. His brains computational ability is comparable to that of a robots. Xi Kai, this Cillin may be able to help you complete that Original vision of yours, Kristi.Lang said. A man sitting on a row of tables near the exit slowly looked up and stared at the light dots and rotating planet on the light screen. He asked in a doubtful tone, Really? Perhaps hes right. Guan Feng suddenly thought of something and turned around to look Xi Kai. Hey, do you think that the robots you stored underground would all be annihilated? Xi Kai frowned a little before replying, Is that possible? Theyre the latest advanced robots we have. Its true they werent installed with a pseudo-Original artificial brain, but their offensive power is still nothing to be scoffed at. Well see. Kristi.Lang tapped at the light screen once and brought up a dot-filled map. Xi Kai stared at the new picture and said, Im more curious about the reasoning behind his decision to go underground. Is it only because he knows that somethings triggering the earthquake artificially? Is it because he wants to stop the earthquake? No one had a clue why Cillin had a gone underground either. In fact, the many mysteries surrounding Cillin was the main reason why they were paying far more attention to Cillin than the other two spots. Meanwhile, Cillin trailed behind Wheeze into the underground. The deeper he went, the clearer the machines activities became. The object that was creating the earthquakes were further away, but Cillin had arrived at an underground passage. This passage was several hundred meters beneath the ground surface, and surprisingly not even Neo and Hei Dous scanners were able to detect it. On the surface, it had felt like a natural passage, but the deeper they went, the more he could feel something artificial and mechanical beneath it. There were also a lot of mechanical traces all over the place. Wheeze scanned their surroundings after they had entered a section of the passage. The scan returned a web-like underground network. Once Cillin was done memorizing the scan results, he and Wheeze walked towards the center of the spider web. The spider web was completely silent. It was as if a silent predator was waiting for its prey to fall into its trap. Cillin didnt believe that he was a prey, but it was true that there were a lot of things that were waiting for him inside. For example, there were a bunch of robots near the center area of the web. The robots around the heart of the underground network were moving towards him from every direction. He would have to break through their wall in order to go to the center. Lets go! Cillin unsheathed his blade and charged. Wheezes eyes flashed green for a second before it charged forwards in excitement too. These robots immediately went into attack mode the second Cillin and Wheeze had entered their vision. Their speed was fast, and their movements were smooth as water. They had sawblades around their arms and legs, but none of them were equipped with excitation weaponry. It was probably to avoid causing great damage to the structure. Still, these robots were pretty strong despite not having any excitation or laser weapons. Cillin dashed swiftly through the robots, every swing of his blade cleaving a robot in half. Headless robots could still function properly, and they were capable of delayed movement even after their heads were destroyed. These were not the robots Cillin was looking for. These had no self-conscious to speak of compared to the ones he had to fight some time ago. Their weapons were pretty good, but without a consciousness they were no different from a blade or a gun. They were all dead. He stamped his foot on a robots head and pushed it against the wall, flattening it like a pie in an instant. His hands werent idle either. After plunging his blade into the robot, he used some sort of imperceptible vibration technique to dig a large hole in its torso. Meanwhile, Wheeze was smacking the robots left and right with every swipe of the paw. It had zero qualms fighting robots like them, not to mention that their armblades couldnt do more than a scratch on its body, a scratch that healed almost immediately no less. About three hundred robots had attacked the duo, and they crushed them all like a pair of walking meat grinders. Inside the meeting room, the people watched as the number of signals on the screen decreased rapidly. Guan Feng stared at the expressionless Xi Kai as a wordless smile crossed his lips. Anyone who knew Guan Feng would know there was nothing more he loved than smile silently when pleased. It was an infuriating look. All three hundred signals on the screen had vanished in less than half an hours time. If the robots were human, they would be all dead already. Guan Feng shook his leg and tapped the armrest of his chair rhythmically. It looked like he was tapping to a tune; in fact he would be singing out loud already if he was anywhere else. The scholarly and gentlemanly persona Guan Feng normally assumed when he was away from Black Viper was completely missing. Back to the underground. After Cillin and Wheeze had taken care of the robot guards, they continued to approach the heart of the underground web. He didnt encounter any other robots on the way until he reached the very center of the area. It was a robot that looked just like the robots they took out earlier, but its expression looked nothing like the lifelessness of its peers. It even had eyes that expressed emotions. A person could show what they were thinking through their eyes. It was one way to express ones emotions. This concept could be applied to this robot just like the few other robots Cillin had encountered before. They all had their own independent consciousness. Upon closer inspection however, Cillin discovered that this robot was more conscious than all of the robots they had encountered earlier. Every look in its eyes gave off the illusion that it was alive. This sensation was so familiar to Cillin and Wheeze that they could hardly suppress their excitement. This robot was the reason why Cillin and Wheeze had spent all that energy to reach the underground. Finding the source of the earthquake was just a side mission. Neither Cillin nor Wheeze tried to lift a finger against the robot, and the robot didnt try to attack them either. It simply stared at Cillin and Wheeze without anger or surprise, looking like an old man whose emotions had been completely drained away by the passage of time. Cillin slowly walked towards the robot. There was a round desk beside the robot, and it was the reason behind the unnatural earthquake. Some of the buttons on the desk allowed adjustments to the epicenter and the magnitude. The robots didnt react to Cillins approach. It seemed to know what Cillin was planning, and it moved out of the way so that Cillin could interact with the round desk. After look over the round desk for a bit, Cillin pressed a couple of buttons. The earthquake started to subside after the operation, and the escaping animals gradually calmed down over time. Did it stop? Erty asked Gu Xin. I think so. Lets wait a moment and see if it resumes. Right. The end of the earthquake helped alleviate much pressure from the fighters. Although they could deal with the animals and bugs, it wasnt like it was easy. If Cillin hadnt modified their weapons and ammos beforehand, the white mice alone couldve driven them off already. Back to the underground. Cillin looked at the robot standing not far away from him after the earthquake was stopped. No, this wasnt it. This robot wasnt as sentient as Sigma. Although he was more conscious than all the robots he had encountered in the past, it was obvious it was a tad inferior to Sigma. Even if its appearance was closer to that of a humans, even if it had facial expressions and lifelike eyes, it still wasnt as sentient as Sigma, a robot with a primitive exterior. Why was there so little progress even though a millennium had passed? Chapter 285: The Might of Purgatory Thunder Snake S Part 1 Chapter 285: The Might of Purgatory Thunder Snake S [Part 1] Wheeze circled the robot once before flicking its ears, saying, This isnt right. This definitely isnt right. Cillin strongly agreed with Wheezes comment, but at least he was able to confirm something. Sigmas master must be related to Black Viper, or he wouldnt have encountered only one pseudo-Sigma robot since he came to Mist Bodhisattva Empire. At first, Cillin thought that the robots here would possess more of Sigmas designs and circuitries, but reality was vastly different from expectation. This robot and the robots he encountered earlier were better at emulating the human consciousness than the robots made by the Robert Family from GAL, but they were still nothing like he had imagined them to be. Who is your master? Cillin asked the robot, eliciting a thoughtful, reminiscent look from the latter. The robot replied, I have many masters. Many masters? Wheeze jumped onto Cillins shoulder and looked at the robot, asking, Do you know Sigma then? Sigma?! The robots eyes lit up as if it recognized the name, but it was quickly replaced with doubt instead. The name felt familiar to it, but it couldnt remember anything about Sigma no matter how it tried, which was strange. Logically speaking, a robots memory should be phenomenal enough to store everything theyd seen and heard. If they needed to recall a specific memory, all they needed to do was to look inside their memory bank. However, the robot couldnt find any memory regarding Sigma no matter how it tried. It should be familiar with Sigma, but the memory simply didnt exist in its brain. Sigma I should know this name, and yet I have no memory of it at all. Strange, how strange The robot muttered to itself. Cillin shot Wheeze a look, and the latter shook its whiskers in reply. This robot must be experiencing dementia! Wheeze scanned the robot in front of it carefully again before saying to Cillin, Lets go, we arent getting any answer from it. When this is over, we can seek out the creator of this robot directly and maybe get some answers from them. I suppose thats the only way. The robot in front of them was still trying to recall its non-existent memory. After inspecting the surroundings once, Cillin and Wheeze left the underground network. Things above the ground were starting to return to normal after Cillin had turned off the underground earthquake generator. The mess that was left behind was slowly repairing itself as well. When Cillin returned to the base, he saw Gu Xin, Tu Ba and Orville cleaning up the corpses in their territory, burning or storing those that could be processed into meat. There were still a dozen or so days left before the end of the trial, and no one wanted to starve before then. Of course, the animals who were shot with the toxin bullets were completely inedible. The corpses must also be scanned with a scanner Neo created last minute to check for their viability as food. The safety level was set based on Neos constitution. If the scanner returned a value that exceeded the safety level, then the animal must be disposed of no matter how tasty they were. On the other side, Hei Dou, Hua Li and Monde were chatting with a couple of strangers. A long-faced Neo was also present on the light screen projected from Hei Dous bracelet. Obviously, it was another group looking to cooperate with them. Two of these strangers belonged to Black Viper, although they probably hadnt arrived on this planet together. The strangers they brought with them all looked like pretty good fighters. One brawny man in particular was covered in beast blood, but didnt look like he suffered any wounds of his own. It started while the earthquake was still ongoing. Everyone was busy shooting animals, killing white mice, cleaning and so on when a communication request had appeared on Hei Dous bracelet. The girl was supervising the bases defense systems at the time. The caller was someone who knew the ropes, deducing immediately from the returning signals that Hei Dous place was safer than theirs the moment she accepted the call. After that, they and their group of candidates headed straight for Neos base. Hei Dou was put in a difficult position because this was Neos base, not hers. Before she could even explain things properly with the group, a new caller had contacted her through her bracelet again. Hei Dou was a person of good character, and she was very good at what she does. It was why most Black Viper members would rather contact her that exchange spits with the likes of Neo and Monde. The mind of a Black Viper member was often unimaginable. Some of them were twisted beyond imagination, and some seemed to have a screw loose permanently. As a result, any meeting between these people normally resulted in a huge argument. That was exactly what was happening right now; Neo exchanging verbal bullets with the outsiders through Hei Dous bracelets. For once, even Monde was on Neos side. One crazy plus one crazy equals two retards, and everything that came out of this retarded duos mouths made people feel like slapping them with the sole of their shoes. The Black Viper natives were able to retort calmly by picking out the grammatical errors in Neo and Mondes statements, but the non-natives looked like they were about to burst a vein. Erty and one of the people in Orvilles group sat together as they listened to the ongoing argument happily. Before today, they were the ones who had to suffer the abuse, so all they could feel was jubilance when the two crazies joined forces to fight against their common enemy. They laughed so hard that a cramp threatened to settle in their stomachs. Already buckling under pressure even before they returned, Hei Dou ran towards Cillin like he was her only hope. Please dont move your bracelet while Im speaking, Hei Dou. It makes me very uncomfortable Neo was complaining again because Hei Dou had moved her bracelet away while he was in the middle of an argument regarding the theory of molecular patterns. He was now facing Cillin instead of his enemys. At this point, Hei Dou couldnt care less about consoling Neo. She broke off the connection on her bracelet on the spot and told Cillin everything that had happened roughly. The two groups who trekked hard to get to Neos base were very surprised by Hei Dous action. When they looked at Mon De and Hua Lithe other two Black Vipers of the groupand found that they were approving of Hei Dous decision, their curiosity only grew even bigger. Why were these Black Vipers with different personalities and attitudes listening to and obeying an outsider? For example, Monde had accepted Orvilles group to his base earlier, but it was only because the latter had saved his life once. Internally however, he hadnt truly accepted them. He had categorized it as a mutualistic relationship formed under the pressure of a special environment. If Orvilles group had tried to order or limit Mondes actions, he wouldve grown unhappy and rebelled against them. It was exactly because Orvilles group knew what kind of person Monde was that they decided to use a milder method to use Monde and his network to survive in this unfamiliar environment. They didnt disagree even when Monde had suddenly asked to be the captain on the spur of the moment. Survival was the most important thing right now. If the boy wants to play captain, then theyll let him play. But things at Cillin and Neos side were different. Monde was inclined to trust Cillin, especially after he had gotten to know his abilities. However, he didnt tell the others that Wheeze was the one he really trusted because he could see that the gray cat was making the right choices. It was something to do with his ability. Wheeze believed in Cillin, Monde chose to believe in Cillin as well. After listening to Hei Dous explanation, Cill mulled things over for a moment before saying, Tell them to wait outside for a bit. Ill go speak with Neo right now. Okay. Thanks, Cillin. Hei Dou let out a sigh of relief immediately, glad that someone else was bearing the difficult task instead of her. Cillin and Hei Dou walked back to the base together, but almost ten mice suddenly burst out from the underground not far away from them. Every single one of them was in a berserk state with sharp spikes on their backs, thick scales around their claws and ring-shaped spikes all around their tail. It looked like a thorny whip. The defense system had failed!! Someone had tampered with it! But who? Chapter 285: The Might of Purgatory Thunder Snake S Part 2 Chapter 285: The Might of Purgatory Thunder Snake S [Part 2] This entire area was supposed to be under surveillance, but the white mice had somehow evaded detection by the scanners and appeared from the ground. They were even in an berserk state, which made them even more difficult than normal to deal with. Hei Dou had turned on automatic surveillance mode instead of overseeing the base herself because of the new arrivals, and Neo was busy arguing with the two Black Viper locals. As a result, no one noticed if the defense system was working as normal. Although they hadnt heard or seen any alarm or warning sign, that didnt mean that the system wasnt tampered with. The change had been too sudden, and no one noticed anything until it was too late. Gu Xin and Tu Ba were still processing the meat, and Ert was chatting idly with the newcomers. Cillin and Hei Dou were the ones standing the closest to the horde of white mice. Cillin could escape on his own, but Hei Dou couldnt. What if he carried Hei Dou with him? He would be slowed down too much. The dozen or so white mice shortened the distance between them to twenty meters in just the blink of an eye. At this point, Hei Dous had turned completely blank. From the moment she saw the white mice, she had calculated the time for the white mice to catch up to her. The answer was less than two seconds. Even if she started running now, the berserk white mice were several times faster than before. Again, it would take less than two seconds for the white mice to kill her. Bang! The twelve berserk micesome had already leaped in the air, while the rest were sharpening their clawssuddenly collapsed to the ground. Every mice was shot in the head, and every bullet wound was shaped like a hexagon. Bangbangbangbang Despite being dead, the momentum still carried the white mice toward Hei Dou and Cillin. Everyone of them skidded to a halt just a step away from the duo. The bio-creatures unique stench caused hei Dous stomach to churn, and combined with excessive shock the poor girl failed to control herself and vomited on the spot. Meanwhile, Gu Xin and the others were still holding their guns. They were either too slow to line a shot, or fired a shot but missed completely. The berserk white mice were both too quick and too impervious to damage. A shot that didnt hit a weak point was completely ineffective. So when all the white mice collapsed on the ground due to a shot to the head, they knew immediately that it wasnt a product of their own attempt. The group stared at Cillin like he was ghost, and Mondes jaw almost hit the ground. A monster, this guys an absolute monster! They didnt even see clearly what happened just now. All they knew was that there was a bang, and all twelve mice dropped dead with a hexagonal shape gunshot wound on their heads. Cillin was holding a white gun amidst the dead silence. The gun wasnt big, and its shape was incredibly odd. Its proportion was also different from a normal gun. Still, it was difficult to imagine that a mere gun could produce such an outcome. Twelve berserk white mice! They were moving so quickly that Gu Xin wasnt certain if he could hit even one in the weak point and kill it while he was fully prepared, much less twelve. Cillin looked at the white gun with a symbol and the character S on it. The gun was of course Guan Fengs Purgatory Thunder Snake S! The gun wielder thought to himself with a sigh: this truly is the pride Guan Feng had given his blood, sweat and tears to create. It was also most destructive weapon of the PTS series yet. Great people possess great temper, and the idiom was applicable to guns as well. The greater the gun, the harder it was to master properly. Suppose that the PTS S was a human, it would belong to the monstrous category. Not everyone could endure its temper. Cillin watched the blood slowly drip off his hand. Although the shot had amazing power, Cillin himself was hurt by the recoil. Had his physique been any weaker, his whole hand wouldve been destroyed. Cillin had expected this, but the PTS S was truly different from the PTS K. Each version in the PTS series had different tempers. Cillin didnt know that the higher-ups of of Black Viper including the three heads themselves were watching the scene in a faraway building. Of course, they hadnt caused the incident, but they had been paying attention to Cillin even before he did what he did in the underground. That was why the epic moment was caught perfectly by an array of satellites from multiple angles. Everyone including Guan Feng had sucked in a chilled breath when they saw the twelve mice. However, the seemingly impossible situation was turned around completely in less than two seconds. For a time, the meeting room was dead silent as everyone stared at the twelve mice that was headshotted at almost the same time. In the end, Kristi. Lang was the first to exhale and say, Thats your proudest creation, isnt it? Im surprised youd trust him to use it. Guan Feng had just created PTS S, so no one else shouldve had the chance to test it out yet. Guan Feng always set up a newly designed PTS for a long inspection period, and only those he acknowledged was given a weapon of the series. Every full student of Guan Fengs who applied for the PTS must go through many tests, trials, exams; countless strengthening training and adaptability training before they were finally gifted a gun with the PTS logo on it. The greater the weapon, the longer the tests and inspection period lasted. There wouldve been a lot more PTS K users otherwise. Guan Feng wasnt purposely making the bar too high and too strict for anyone to pass. He had to because the series had unique characteristics that demanded quality from its users. A PTS was incredibly powerful, but in the hands of an unqualified user it was no different from a suicide tool that might injure nearby innocents as well. It was exactly because everyone knew this that they were impressed by Guan Fengs preferential treatment toward Cillin and his uncharacteristically bold decision. Cillin was an amazing person. If he was incapable of controlling the PTS S and accidentally killed himself in the process of using it, what else could Guan Feng do except mourn his star students death? The group was looking at Guan Feng in a new light, but they had no idea that Guan Feng himself was just as shocked as they were. The man bore the gazes, let out a low chuckle and wiped his forehead, noting how chilly they felt. That little bastard was the reason behind it, of course. Although he allowed Cillin to keep the gun with him, he never thought that the latter would actually use it. It was because it wasnt completed yet. Back then, Guan Feng had already told Cillin that he wasnt finished with the weapon, and that reckless use could easily backfire on its user. Did Cillin not know this beforehand? Of course he did! He was the owner of a PTS K! If everything hadnt happened so quickly, if Cillin hadnt taken out all twelve mice in the blink of an eye, Guan Feng wouldve privately contacted the little bastard who had no idea how big the universe was and stop him already. This was without mentioning the three flaws Guan Feng had purposely left behind in his design. Anyone who dared to steal and use the PTS S without his permission would only be shooting their own foot. No one knew just how frightened Guan Feng really was. Even now, his fingers were still icy. Thankfully, the fact that Cillin was able to take out all twelve berserk mice with the PTS S meant that he had finished the weapon already. He had to admit that Cillin had the talent for perfecting weapons, seeing that he had figured out immediately what needed to be done to complete his flawed design. Of course, it was one thing to have the talent to perfect gun designs, and another to actually succeed. Two things a PTS user was required to have among many other requirements to was a calm head and powerful calculation ability. Every time a new gun of the series came out, its demand for calculation power would climb to a whole new level. The S series was particularly demanding in this regard. How much brain capacity must Cillin have to complete such a massive number of calculation in just an instant? He wasnt just aiming at one target either. Every time a new target was added, the amount of calculation needed to perform the shot would multiply, and this guy took out twelve targets at the same time. Twelve! What kind of brain did it take to do this? The idea of sniping over ten targets at once with the PTS S exists in theory only. Guan Feng might be vain, but even he knew that he couldnt kill twelve targets with one shot. He could use the PTS K, but not power of the PTS S was something that he could only prove in theory until now. To be honest, he didnt expect to encounter someone who could use the PTS S so soon after its inception. Unfortunately, Guan Feng wasnt even given time to bask in his emotions for a bit. He damn near choked on his own spit when Cillin started skinning the white mice with his blade. The amount of energy necessary to perform the calculations needed to wield the PTS S was massive, so the shooter was expected to be exhausted, lose consciousness, or even die. The little bastard was clearly an anomaly, however. He was currently skinning the white mice so energetically it was as if he had never fired the weapon! Cillin had no idea how many times he nearly gave Guan Feng a heart attack. The reason he decided to skin the berserk white mice was because its skin was very sturdy; perfect for making special protection suits and tools. Since the amount of available tools and materials in this place were limited, he saw was no reason not to use quality goods that had waltzed into his doorsteps on their own. When Cillin was finished with one mouse, he lifted the used carcass and tossed it to the nearby ground. The creature slammed into the ground like a giant rock, shattered the ground and caused a puff of dust to spread in the air. It didnt take a genius to figure out that these bio-creatures in their berserk state weighed at least several tonnes, if not more. The loud crash broke everyone out of their shock. The first person to move was Hua Li, whose desire to dissect had skyrocketed after seeing Cillins movement. She immediately took out her own special scalpel and started operating on the skinned white mouse Cillin had tossed aside. Gu Xin and the others still hadnt put down their guns as they stared at Cillin and Hua Li blankly. Weirdos are a common breed, but this year especially so. When Cillin finally informed them of his objective, everyone joined in on skinning the white mice as well. Over time, their shock was replaced by interest toward the dead bio-creatures. This berserk white mice is seriously powerful, Erty praised while staring at a processed skin, running his hands up and down the spikes for a bit. This thing can make skewers out of people if it fell into a crowd. Monde didnt participate in the skinning activity because he didnt have the strength, so he simply observed from the sidelines with Hei Dou and made comments from time to time. Monde said thoughtfully, Their final expression told me that they died in a state of ecstacy. So, you mean they died before they got to feel anything else. Gu Xin played with the hexagonal hole on a white mouses head for a bit before grabbing its tough whiskers. He pulled upward and brought its nasty-looking teeth to full view. Hey, can I borrow a knife? Id like to use one of these as a dagger, Gu Xin said to Tu Ba. Tu Ba didnt hand him a knife, but he personally helped cut a couple of teeth himself. It took a lot of effort. Tsk. Its so tough! Of course it is. I wouldnt want to use it as a dagger otherwise. Gu Xin nodded with a satisfied look as he played with a curved tooth for a bit. Tu Ba also passed a processed tooth to Hei Dou and said, Here, for self-defense. Hei Dou hurriedly accepted it and said, T-thank you. Tu Ba waved a hand and continued cutting more teeth. Inside the base, Neo finally couldnt hold back his curiosity any longer and came out to watch the bizarre group activity. He also took a couple of samples for research. It didnt take long before all twelve berserk white mice were skinned, leaving behind a messy pile of smooth flesh. None of these meat could be eaten because the toxin inside their bodies were produced multiple times faster when they were in a berserk state. In fact, it was even more toxic than normal, and it contained a lot of unknown toxic protein. These randomly created toxic protein was what Neo needed for his research. The stripped, reddish brown-colored flesh of the white mice turned darker and darker like an exposed apple until it was completely black. They sprayed some solutions on the flesh so that the ashes wouldnt contain active toxin that pollutes the surrounding environment. Only then did they throw the incendiary bombs an burned the corpses into nothing. The reason Cillin had brazenly processed the white mice was because he knew that the danger had already passed. The enemy Wheeze found had fled the moment the ambush had failed. Wheeze had memorized their signal, however. When the time comes, they would pay back the debt with interest! After everything was done and dealt with, Cillin told Gu Xin to carry the processed materials back to the base. He still needed to talk with Neo about the new arrivals. At first, the newcomers were just planning to scout out their strength, but their minds were changed after witnessing Cillins legendary feat. Working together with a real expert was obviously going to increase their chances of survival by a lot, and although theyd have to deal with a couple of crazies, this base was obviously their best choice at the current stage. The new arrivals werent even using the same haughty tone they did before. They acted completely respectful and showed full sincerity. Cillin took some time to think things out a bit. Neos base couldnt accommodate any more people. It wasnt like they dont have the space to fit everyone in, but an overcrowded environment was a recipe for disaster. The earlier quarrel was the perfect example. If the two groups had to see each others faces everyday, conflict was going to become a daily occurrence. In the end, Cillin suggested that the new arrivals moved their base nearby. Their relationship was a cooperative one, and both sides would be close enough to help each other in times of need. Some of the technology the newcomers possessed could also improve the bases defense network further and prevent something similar from ever happening again. Had Cillin been anyone else, the only outcome would be a mangled body. Part of the base of the newcomers were mobile just like Hei Dous, so Cillins idea was perfectly sound. Once the migration was complete, a bit of time was all they needed to rebuild their base. If they needed help, they could count of Cillin and his comrades to arrive in short notice. Being able to stay in their own base also meant they didnt need to meet Monde and Neo on a daily basis, which was perfect. Everyone helped in the rebuilding of the newcomers base. Most of the fighters were bored anyway, and Gu Xin happened to recognize two of the newcomers. A brief talk revealed that the newcomers had no idea about this place either. All their info came from Black Viper members they ran into thus far. Cillin borrowed some materials from the newcomers and briefly discussed about the defense system with Hei Dou. They then adapted the newcomers technology into their own and built several defenses above and below the ground. Surveillance had a much wider range than before, and their camouflage technique was improved further. When the twentieth day arrived, the three settlements on the screen had grown to a considerable size. Barring any unexpected mishaps, they are the three who will succeed our place, Gu Changan said. Well, if one thing is certain, Guan Fengs successor can only be Cillin! Kristi. Lang said while staring at the screen. Xi Kai sat quietly in his chair. He hadnt spoken much ever since he received the message from the robot at the underground network. Chapter 286: You Cover Me in Shit, I’ll Drop You in a Cesspool Part 1 Chapter 286: You Cover Me in Shit, Ill Drop You in a Cesspool [Part 1] When theres one, theres two. Not long after the second base was built, another group had requested to move in and settle nearby. The geography of Neos base was simply too good; it remained a safe place even after suffering a couple of natural and unnatural disasters. Of course, the real reason Cillins group attracted many peoples attention was because of their overall capabilities. It didnt take a genius to look at the bullets they used to hunt the white mice, their equipment and their configuration to know that they had technology on their side. No one had arrived on this planet with any good technology. One could even say that they were thrown back to stone age. It was why Cillins group stood out among all others. Robbing them was out of the question. It was impossible to defeat Cillins group at their current state, ambush or not. Most people had formed temporary groups, but there were some who were still drifting in and out of the area. After scouting out the situation at Cillins place,they all expressed their intention to join them. The more people they gathered, the harder it was for the wild animals to set foot on this settlement. Everyone who was invited to this test that no one could make head or tails of had plenty of blood on their hands, so grouping would only increase their chances of survival. The reason they hadnt done so from the beginning was because the person that could win their trust and build a group around them hadnt shown up yet. Now that Cillin and his group had emerged as the clear leader of the zone, everyone was willing to show some sincerity and join them. There were a lot of Black Viper members in this place. They all had a skill of their own, and they provided a lot of resources and materials the base urgently needed to better itself. As the main person-in-charge, Cillin ran everywhere with Hei Dou to construct the defensive facilities. No group could survive without skill and talent, so Cillin gathered all the skilful people together and assigned them tasks that complemented their skills well. In just three days, another two secondary bases were created in this settlement. Both bases systems and constructions were completed together by Cillin and Hei Dou. There were people who was suspicious of Cillins identity and goal, but even they had to admit that his ability to militarize them was impressive. Most of the newcomers respected Cillin the way a citizen of the empire would respect a member of the RAS; a high-skill individual. Many people found it difficult to believe the rumor that Cillin had killed twelve white mice in one shot, and some had even tried to challenge him to a spar. However, these challengers quickly had their senses knocked back into their heads. Cant you see that Cillin is busy?! Base construction of course took first priority, the spars could always take place at a later time. Neo was technically the owner of the base, but somehow Cillin became the one who called the shots. Everyone in Black Viper knew Neo to be an incredibly difficult maniac, and no one was willing to waste their breath on him when Cillin could do the same and actually change his mind. On the other side, the candidates much preferred to talk with their own kind; people who were kidnapped and forced to participate in this test against their will, which was an understandable reaction. Not everyone had the ability to accept the Black Viper at a moments notice, especially considering that most peoples impression were corrupted by the views spread by the empire. In fact, if Guan Feng and Gu Changan hadnt told Cillin not to treat Black Viper the same way he treated them before, he would probably be watching the Black Viper members closely just like the others. Hei Dou wiped the sweat on her forehead. She was directing Tu Ba and the others to carry some items to their designated locations. When the scanner in her hand displayed a satisfactory result, she did an OK gesture to signify a job well done. The combat personnel provided labor, while the technicians provided skill and ingenuity. Were roughly done. Three out of four bases are fully constructed, and the base for the group that just joined today is in construction right now, Hei Dou reported to Cillin. Cillin looked at the completed data and nodded. Lets take a break. If we cant finish it today, we can put it off until tomorrow. Im going to check up on Neo. Cillin gestured to Tu Ba to stay alert, and he went into Neos basethe heart of this settlementonce he received an affirmative reply. Neo was currently analyzing the efficacy of some drugs, and he didnt notice Cillins arrival at all. The man could spare almost no attention for anything when he was performing experiments. Cillin was the only other person who had access to Neos laboratory. In fact, Neo was the one who gave the permission himself. It was because he thought that Cillin was the only one smarter than a chimpanzee in this whole place. Cillin asked after looking at the results on the screen, Have you created the drug? Neo turned around in surprise, but he quickly went back to work when he saw that it was just Cillin. Yes, but its a little unstable and needs to be improved. Otherwise, its effects are somewhat limited. There was a deep frown on Neos face while he was speaking. There were a lot of people who were scheming to use his base as of late, but he wasnt in the mood to entertain or bicker with those chimpanzees right now. Cillin had produced a plan some time ago, and right now he was in the thick of it. Neo didnt like researching the white mice. In his opinion it was nothing more but recycled waste, and his weird and twisted point of view made him incredibly disdainful toward it. However, his curiosity was piqued after getting to know the white mice, and he was eager and raring to start when Cillin had proposed an experiment to him. He even boasted that he could finish Cillins request in three days at most. But contrary to expectations, he hadnt succeeded even though three days had passed. The drug was created, but its effect had failed to reach the theorized levels. In the eyes of an extremely strict person like Neo, it was nothing more but a failure. The harder the setback, the greater the comeback. Neo was one-track minded when work was involved. If he didnt succeed in one thing, he would set aside everything and work on it until it did. Is the molecular formula still the same as in theory? Cillin asked. He had been busy militarizing the new bases after he passed he proposal to Neo. He had no time to check on its progress and results until now. Neo brought up the drugs protein structure and pointed at three places. He said, These are the unstable spots; the protein folding couldnt produce the desired effects. He then brought up another diagram and continued, Ive made a couple of changes since and stabilized two of the spotsall verified and everythingbut the last one is still a no-go. Cillin and Neo worked the whole night using the analysis results, the sequence and the level four structure of the active biomacromolecules, and finally they were able to come up with a stable theoretical molecular structure that they went on to create and verify. This finalized molecular structure was much more stable than the previous ones, and the drugs effects met both Cillin and Neos expectations. Its finally done! said Neo while making lab records. It was a habit of his. Cillin created the drug with a fabricator next to Neo before saying, Dont forget to rest after youre finished recording. Neo hadnt slept for over three days, and he disliked taking adrenaline or nutrient shots to keep his system running. He had eaten irregularly for the past few days, and his complexion was clearly sickly. The only reason he looked better now was because the relief and joy of having completed an experiment was pouring out of him like a waterfall. I know that. You dont have to remind me that. Oh right, dont let anyone come in and disturb me unless absolutely necessary! Got it. Cillin pocketed the drug and walked out of the base. Then, he let his gaze wander before stopping at a certain dumb cat playing with a feather Orville shedded. Come here, Wheeze! Wheeze held the devastated feather in its mouth and ran toward Cillin. Then, it climbed up his shoulder and planted it on top of Cillins hair. Haha, you look like an idiot Cillin! Cillin flicked the feather away from his head and gave its whiskers a pool. The drug is complete. Its time to take out some mice. Wheezes eyes brightened immediately. It bored to death, so the change of pace was very welcomed. Chapter 286: You Cover Me in Shit, I’ll Drop You in a Cesspool Part 2 Chapter 286: You Cover Me in Shit, Ill Drop You in a Cesspool [Part 2] Cillin told Hei Dou about his intention to head out before finishing his tasks and giving out all the necessary instructions. Are you going to search for the guy who ambushed you? Gu Xin asked. Mm. I can do this alone, but if I need your help Ill send you a signal. Just make sure to keep the base safe. Show no mercy if you notice anything suspicious. Of course. However, are you sure you can do this by yourselfahem, with Wheeze? Isnt it a little too dangerous? Gu Xin fixed his mistake before Wheeze could unleash its wrath on him. Cillin was certain that that person who lured twelve mice into their base was plotting something for the past few days, so he was going to take them out before they made another move. It was his policy to treat those who treat him well better, and drop those who covered him in shit in a cesspool. Dont worry, I know my limits. Alright, if its too much then send us the signal. Weve enough manpower to take out those people now. Cillin shook his head and said, They have a hypnotist who can control the animals. Numbers wont solve the problem. Gu Xin didnt know how Cillin was going to do this alone, but the latter had proven himself to be a resourceful person. So he stopped prodding and said with a smile, I wouldve liked to witness their downfall. Thats not a problem. If everything goes smoothly, Ill send Hei Dou a connection request and live stream everything. It would make good material to keep the troublemakers in line. Gu Xin shivered. He hadnt known Cillin for too long, but the young man was pretty high up in his book. Even Tu Ba and Erty was deeply wary of Cillin; the young man hadnt failed to surprise them yet. Alright. Ill be waiting for the good news. Cillin and Wheezes departure didnt draw too much attention because the new bases were still in construction. There might be five days left before they reached the end of the time limit, but it was no reason to stop building, not even if there was only one day left. Every second spent on the construction was an added chance of survival. There was a group some distance away from Neos base. They were far enough that not even Cillins new scanners could detect them. The group was made up of three people, and one of them was the guy who had ambushed them. The other two people following him was brainwashedor more accurately, deeply hypnotizedbeyond the point of recovery. This technique was banned in the empire because it left the victims retarded and impossible to recover. Their memory cells were rearranged, and their original memories were forcibly replaced with new memories. In short, they were puppets that obeyed the puppeteers every whim. The hypnotist had left their skill-related memories untouched. This way, they would still be able to fight for him. However, every other memory besides that were completely foreign. The hypnotist also had were several animals, white mice and even high level bio-soldiers under his command. There was no denying that he held a sizable advantage in his own lair. At the minimum, wild animals could do nothing to harm him. This hypnotist was the one who had tried to ambush Cillin and Hei Dou with twelve white mice that day. He never thought that Cillin would kill them all in a second, however. Right now he was taking a break because deep level hypnosis took a lot of mental energy to perform. The stronger a persons willpower was, or the greater a creature was, the more mental energy he had to spend to hypnotize them. He had just performed deep level hypnosis to three white mice, and the effort had left him breathing heavily. Cillins force had grown to the point where it was starting to grow famous throughout the zone. Most people chose to join and cooperate with him, but this hypnotist wanted to claim the whole base for himself. That was why he was preparing a new troop of bio-soldiers and animals to attack the place. He would then hypnotize the core members ruling that base and claim it for himself. Cillin and Wheeze split up before they reached the hypnotists lair. The newly synthesized drug had the ability to excite the white mice and draw them toward the source, and they had just scattered it all over the area. All that was left to do now was wait for their plan to come to fruition. The best way to deal with an animal was to set another animal against it, right? The hypnotized white mice couldnt feel stress or excitement because their brain regions were altered, so all they stayed put exactly where the hypnotist wanted them to be. Just the same, they didnt react to the drugs Cillin and Wheeze scattered at all. Moreover, the drug was specifically engineered to work on the white mice only, so it didnt affect the bio-soldiers or the wild animals at all. The hypnotist was very confident in his pets, so he was completely relaxed while he rested inside his lair. Wheezes ears moved before it sent a message to Cillin: theyre here! Cillin also noticed the approaching footsteps. He and Wheeze watched the hypnotist quietly from their hiding spots. A short while later, the hypnotized white mice and animals finally noticed the intruders. They immediately let out a shrill cry of warning. The hypnotist woke up from his sleep and looked around him. He pulled out a gun from a hypnotized person and retreated to the back, leaving it to his puppets to protect him. Behind him was a cave. If the intruders was too much for his puppets to hold off, hed seal off the cave and plot his next move later. He wasnt worried about losing his forces. His puppets might be killed, but he could always hypnotize more. He just have to spend a bit more energy. The first white mouse ran into the lair, and it was clearly in a state of berserk. The hypnotist shot it a look of puzzlement. Obviously, this wasnt one of the mice he hypnotized, but he couldnt understand why a wild, white mouse would run straight into his lair while berserk. Anyway, that doesnt matter right now. He could always think later after killing the intruder. The hypnotist sent three white mice to take it out, and they didnt disappoint him. The berserk white mouse was quickly bitten to death by its kin. This was just the beginning, however. More and more white mice showed up in the lair, and it wasnt just because Cillins drug had led them straight toward the hypnotist. The screeches and sounds of fighting were like a drug to these creatures. The bigger the commotion, the bigger faster they became. It was almost as if the act of waiting would kill them. Cillin shot Wheeze a look, and the gray cat immediately sent a connection request to Hei Dou. At the base, Hei Dou took out a projector and clicked accept after receiving Wheezes signal. The video displayed by the projector was what Wheeze was seeing right now. At this point, the puppet was panicked and confused. He didnt understand why the white mice were charging his way, and he had had to send out all twenty or so white mice, bio-soldiers and animals he accumulated to deal with the invasion. The brainwashed people were the only ones still by his side. The bio-soldiers and wild animals were completely powerless against a berserk white mouse. All they were good for in this battle was being torn apart or stomped to death by giant claws. The real eyecatcher here was the battle between the white mice. Both sides were in their berserk state, but the hypnotized ones had poorer skills because their brain regions were affected. In a one on one scenario, a natural white mouse was slightly more skilful than a hypnotized white mouse. At first, the hypnotists white mice had the numbers advantage, but the amount of white mice pouring into the lair was ever increasing. Ten twenty thirty The sight of the white mice biting and tearing each other was chilling to say the least. Everyone already knew this, but the battle made everyone appreciate how excellent they were as bio-weapons. Every attack sent spikes flying everywhere, and it wasnt long before every wall was covered in broken spikes. The situation was starting to become one-sided, and the hypnotist decided it was time to hide inside his cave. He felt something hitting him right before he got in, but since there were no injuries he decided that it wasnt worth the attention. He didnt realize that Cillin had shot him with a soft bullet, and the drugs inside it spilled out and clung to his body. Thanks to that, the hypnotist became the target of every white mouse that had invaded this lair. The hypnotist and his two human puppets sealed off the cave and retreated to the back, but mice was a race that excelled in digging, much less the berserk white mice. One two After all the hypnotists puppets were dealt with, the white mice started digging into the cave. Wheeze seized the opening to slip right through the hole. The reason it was so focused was because it was burdened with a very important tasklive streaming. Chapter 287: The Top Decision Maker? Part 1 Chapter 287: The Top Decision Maker? [Part 1] There was no light source inside the cave, and nothing from outside made it in either. But Wheeze could see everything clearly, which meant that Hei Dou and the others could also see everything clearly. In fact, the live stream was so clear that they could spot even the tiniest detail, making the viewers feel like that they were inside the caves themselves. Ah Shou and Hei Dou were completely pale. Everyone else was more or less used to bloodshed, but their scalps still tingled when they saw the rampaging mice horde. At the same time, Cillins threat level rose like a rocket in everyones heart. While it might be difficult to estimate how effective Cillin was in their group, no one could deny how impressive he was. Gu Xin and the gang might know more about Cillins method, but the rest of the strangers couldnt possibly know how he drove the white bio-creatures into attacking the hypnotist. Because Cillin had spent the past few days building and guiding them through the process of constructing a base and defense system, most people thought that he was an expert in those fields, but not the field of medicine. Cillin probably wasnt the absolute best of the best, but he was definitely a high-skilled worker compared to these people. A powerful hypnotist can hypnotize someone with any gesture, and this Majik loves turning people into puppets. Thats why his technique is dominating and completely irreversible. The only way to avoid being hypnotized into a retard like those two is to have a stronger willpower than him, Gu Xin said quietly. Gu Xin recognized the hypnotist. His name was Majik. He had never met Majik in person before, but he had read about him in a couple of classified files. The hypnotist was listed as a high risk threat within the military. Everyone felt cold as they watched Majiks victims rushing forward to block the white mice despite bleeding all over the place. In fact, two of the viewers had the misfortune of running into Majik before. One had strong willpower and managed to extricate himself out of Majiks influence, and the other was saved by his companion and narrowly avoided a terrible fate. Out of all the people watching the live stream, they were the ones who felt for Majiks victims the most. Inside the cave, the puppets obeyed Majiks order and held back the tide of white mice until they were completely consumed. Their faces never changed even when their limbs were bitten off by their enemies. Majik was trying to escape through an escape tunnel his puppets dug earlier, but the first thing he saw after poking his head out were two mice running straight toward him. Majik had surrendered to despair at this point. He tried to hypnotize the white mice, but the only thing he got for his efforts was a massive headache. He was in too much of a panic to perform his skill, and it came with certain side effects due to its forceful and irreversible nature. Him not being at his best and the dire situation being pressed into his lap caused him to explode into full blown panic. Bloody footprints were left on the ground as one of the white mice inside the cave charged toward him. Majik pulled out his gun and opened fire at it, but both the weapon and the ammo were completely useless against a berserk mouse. Moreover, his shooting skill was utter shit compared to his hypnosis technique, and he aimed at the mouses blood red eyes only to hit its scaly toes instead. It was so bad that Wheezes whiskers were shaking as it crouched on a rock at the roof of the cave. Majik kept shooting randomly and screaming. It sounded like the last cry of a dying man, and the echoes inside the cave made the viewers felt even more afraid. Finally, a deadly white claw struck Majik. If he was anyone else, the white mice would eat him immediately after a bite or a claw swipe, ending the life of their prey immediately. However, he was marked by Cillins drug, so the berserk mice didnt treat him like the human puppets that tried to stop them earlier. Instead, they surrounded Majik in a circle and scratched at him curiously. The scratches was bone deep but not immediately lethal. But the mice was plenty, and they all wanted to take a swipe at him. Majiks screams lasted for a very, very long time even as more mice made their way toward him from both inside and outside the cave. Eventually, the scream subsided until all that was left was the scratching sounds. The hypnotist Majik had died due to blood loss. It was a very cruel way to go because he could clearly feel his life and blood leaving his body every passing second. It was to the point where Majik had wanted to apply his own hypnosis on himself, but he didnt manage to do it until the moment he died. Cillin himself didnt foresee this happening to Majik. In his imagined scenario, the white mice simply pursued the drugs scent and kill the hypnotist in a single blow. Instead, they killed him in a way that could only be described as bloody as torture. Gu Xin closed his eyes. Who wouldve thought that the infamous hypnotist, Majik would pass away like this? He wondered what kind of expression some people in the military would make if they learned of Majiks fate. After all, they were the ones who categorized him as a high risk threat. After this, a thought entered the minds of everyone who watched the stream: do not provoke Cillin no matter what the circumstances. There were some people who were planning to take it easy and let the group carry their weight before this, but they all changed their minds after watching the stream. No one here was an idiot, and everyone was aware that Cillin was taking out their enemy and warning them about the consequences of undesirable behaviors. If they dared to step out of line, their fates would probably be the same as Majik. On the other side, Wheeze closed its eyes and cut off the signal after Majik was dead. After a yawn it licked its lips and stared hungrily at the miceso many Cillin sighed mentally when the sound of fighting started inside the cave. Some of the white mice were even tossed straight of the cave. Theres a time and place for everything, you know. He sent a message to Wheeze and told it to cut it out and leave. Wheeze played for a moment longer before escaping. Not even a berserk white mouse could catch up to Wheeze if it escaped at full power. Cillin fired another three drugged bullets into the cave and waited until the white mice were all inside. Then, he tossed in a couple of timb bombs and ran away like the wind. When a mushroom-shaped cloud rose from the distance, Cillin let out a small sigh of relief. He took out the hypnotist and trimmed the white mices number a bit. All in all, the result was worth all the valuable materials he used to create the time bombs. Cillin then lifted his head and looked at Wheeze, who was licking its paws on a tree branch. Its mouth was covered in thorny bits from the white mice. Remember to wipe your mouth. I got it! Back in the building where the supervisors were watching. Guan Fengs colleagues were singing Cillins praises as they watched the bright dot that represented the white mice disappear from the screen, and everything that the satellites captured so far. Guan Feng, you raised a good student, Kristi. Lang said. Guan Feng curled his lips but said nothing. Raised a good student my ass, it wasnt even too long ago since I ran into the little bastard, much less raise him. In this case, he was a Bo Le* at most. *someone with an eye for talent So, are we still deploying those things or what? someone asked. Kristi. Lang thought for a moment before drawing a circle around the area Cillin was in. We proceed as planned except this area. Are we just going to ignore this area? Yes. Itll just be a pointless waste of resources. Anywa, this area is Cillins now. Everything else will still proceed as planned. Alright. Gu Changan smiled at Kristi. Lang after hearing his orders. Someone out of the loop wouldve thought that Cillins your candidate, not Guan Fengs. Kristi. Lang accepted the dig easily. It cant be helped. There just arent many people who can succeed my position. Thats true. Still, whether the boy makes it is still up in the air. All three heads fell silent at the same time. He was right. They still needed the approval of one important decision maker before Cillins succession was truly decided; the approval of the founder of Black Viper. Chapter 287: The Top Decision Maker? Part 2 Chapter 287: The Top Decision Maker? [Part 2] The peoplesespecially the newcomersattitude toward Cillin clearly changed after he returned to the base. Before the live stream, they were casual enough around him to crack jokes and bump fists with him. After the live stream, they were much more restrained and cautious around him. They were only a few days away from the deadline, and there was absolutely no need to bring a fiend onto themselves. Their last few days on the planet was puzzlingly quiet. After the horde of white mice inside the cave were dealt with, the last of their numbers and the occasional roaming bio-soldiers and wild beasts were unable to threaten them at all. Wheeze was so bored that it spent the entire day rolling downhill, literally. After it was done teasing the animals in the area, it climbed up the cliff back to the base and bullied Mercury. As a result, the latter took to the sky like its life depended on it every time it saw Wheeze. Thank goodness the cat didnt have wings, or only god knows what would happen to it! After finishing the defense network with Hei Dou, Cillin went to discuss with Neo about several research projects that were still incomplete. In the end, nothing notable happened during their final days despite their worry and puzzlement. The deadline was calculated based on Cillins time of arrival. When Guan Feng said thirty days, he meant that the tests would end on the thirtieth day since Cillins arrival on this planet. On the thirtieth day, a huge amount of spaceplanes appeared on the sky. The passengers were all robots with human exterior. The Black Vipers members didnt follow the test candidates onto the spaceplanes, but they werent worried in the slightest. They would be evacuated on special spaceplanes that would carry them, their lab and their workshop altogether to a safe area. Cillin was the first one to enter the spaceplane, followed by Gu Xin, Tu Ba, and everyone else. Cillin split up with the gang after the spaceplane brought them to a group of buildings. His role was different from the rest of them. Guan Feng drove a flying car himself to receive Cillin and White Night at another reception area. Unlike Cillin, White Night was covered in wounds. Everyone on the spaceplane White Night was onscratch that, everyone besides Cillins groupmore or less cut a sorry figure. When Guan Feng saw the doubt behind Cillins eyes, he smiled at him and said, Youre different from them. How? The role youre going to play, the position youre going to succeed, and whatll be demanded of you are very different from theirs. Cillin raised his eyebrows and asked, Succeed? Guan Feng hit Cillin in the head gently before replying, Whats with the reluctant look? Its good news. No noble will dare to offend you if you successfully take over my position, even without the Gen Familys backing. If someone does, just send a lackey to fuck them over, easy. Cillin and White Night filtered Guan Fengs last line straight out of their heads. Who teaches their student like this?! Where are we going? Cillin asked. A place. Well, duh! Cillin rolled in his eyes in his imagination. We would like to contact Nikki and the others first. Theres no need, Ive already spoken to them. It sounds like youre prepared for everything. Not really. For example, I absolutely wasnt expecting you to take out twelve mice with the PTS S. I had to pretend that everything was alright and bullshit the old bastards even though I was really covered in cold sweat! Guan Feng was annoyed the second he was reminded of that incident, but at the same time he was very proud of Cillin. He had never felt so many emotions at once in such a short time. White Nights eyelids twitched when he heard Guan Fengs comment. PTS S?! Twelve white mice?!! He knew just how powerful those white mice were. At the very least, they were as strong as the monsters that showed up during the latter half of the trial. But what did Guan Feng say just now? Cillin taking out twelve of them with the PTS S? That was a feat that stunned even White Night. At first, he thought that Cillin mustve had an easier time than him since he looked untouched, but that was clearly not the case. Guan Feng stepped down on the pedal and drove like the wind until they reached a spaceport. The spaceport was different from the one that received Cillin and White Night before. The building was still mostly operated by robots, but there were more life here than in the previous building, and no one looked like an insignificant small fry. They probably held important positions inside Black Viper. A couple of gazes were directed his way the moment he got off the car, but one of them was unusually sharp. When Cillin tracked the source of the gaze, he saw an average-looking man with an average constitution, but was brimming with machine language. He clearly wasnt a robot, but he was surrounded by machine signals. Wheezes tail swayed left and right as it whispered to Cillin from his shoulders, His signal is similar to Sigmas. It meant that this man was who they were looking for. This wasnt the right time, however. After Cillin and White Night got out, another flying car descended swiftly before stopping nearby. The exiting passenger had a similar appearance to White Night, but his aura was incredibly powerful. Although he had withdrawn his battle spirit, people like him naturally exuded a kind of aura that demanded respect from others no matter where he went. Obviously, Wheeze and Cillin were different from him. A feather from Mercurys body was stuck to Wheezes tail, and every time it swung its tail the feather would hit Cillins hair. As a result, the duo were like a comedic duo in the middle of what seemed like a serious atmosphere. The cat was swinging its tail idly, and the man was pushing the annoying feather away. They showed no regard to the heavyweights present whatsoever. Aiya, its you again, old man!! Wheeze pointed a paw straight at Gu Changan, who was being pushed over by Qiu Xu. Gu Changan was still sitting on his wheelchair, and Cillin couldnt understand why. Why the hell would anyone want to sit on a wheelchair when their legs were perfectly fine? Did everyone in Black Viper have their own eccentricities? The meeting was a serious one, so their surroundings were mostly silent besides some mechanical noises. So Wheezes shout was loud to say the least. Old man? Who wouldve thought that a cat would address Gu Changan, one of the three heads of Black Viper like this? It wasnt even trying to pretend to be polite. Everyone including the imposing newcomer turned to stare at Gu Changan with surprise in their eyes. To Gu Changans credit, he wasnt angered by Wheezes impoliteness in the slightest. He simply fished inside his pocket for a second, took out a bag of fish biscuits and waved a hand at the gray cat, saying, Come here, little kitty. I have a bag of freshly made fish biscuits right here. Everyone: ... Wheeze lifted its head high and replied, You think you can bribe me with just a bag of fish biscuits?! That was what Wheeze said, but it did nothing to stop its legs from carrying it right next to Gu Changan. After pulling the bag into its lap and finding a comfortable spot to snuggle on Gu Changans legs, it happily tore into the fish biscuits. Wheezes master, Cillin facepalmed hard. So embarrassing That being said, the gray cats antics helped loosen up the atmosphere a lot. Guan Feng chuckled and spread his hands at Kristi. Lang and the rest of his colleagues, meaning that this was a perfectly ordinary thing to happen when Wheeze was involved. Throwing the gray cat to the back of their minds, Kristi. Lang called Cillin, White Night and the newcomer named Hadar toward him. I believe youre all aware of the positions youre going to succeed? White Night nodded. Hadar nodded. But Cillin shook his head. Kristi. Lang wasnt a patient man, but he made an exception for Cillin. He explained that Black Viper was led by three people, and everyone of them had their own areas of responsibility. For example, Guan Fengs area of responsibility was academics, and most of his operations were overt and plain to see. White Night was taking over Gu Changan, so he would mostly be dealing with people like them. Hadar was taking over Kristi. Lang, so his area of responsibility involved decision making and coordination. They hoped that Cillin would succeed Guan Feng. Cillin didnt give them an answer. What did he mean by people like them? The phrasing confused Cillin greatly. You want to know the answer? You may find it yourself. Youll know everything about Black Viper in that place, Gu Changan said from his wheelchair. Another spaceplane descended from the air while they were talking. The exiting passenger was a young man Cillin had seen before at AF1, but he didnt know who he really was at the time. The heavyweights of Black Viper including Krisiti. Lang saluted the young man after he appeared. The young man responded with a different kind of salute. Hell be leading you three on the last legs of your journey, Krisiti. Lang said. What will we be doing? Cillin asked. Youll be meeting the top decision maker, also the primogenitor of Black Viper. It was clear that everyone, be it Kristi. Lang or the young man viewed this so-called top decision maker in very high regard. Again, Cillin was confused by the use of the word primogenitor. Just how impressive was this person to be called the primogenitor of Black Viper, and win the wholehearted respect of these people? Cillin, White Night and Hadar got up the third spaceplane. Wheeze followed them with the bag of unfinished fish biscuits. No one tried to stop it. The hatch closed, and the spaceplane took off and left the planet completely. Their destination was a nearby planet. If he remembered the star chart correctly, the planet was within the vanished zone. Chapter 288: Meeting The sPrimogenitor” Part 1 Chapter 288: Meeting The Primogenitor [Part 1] The young man leading Cillin, White Night and Hadar was a member of the royal family, MB. Kensa. He was one of the more influential princes within the empire. He kept a low profile in the affiliated school, so much so that the sons of the three kingsGen Xingming, Bel and Ulaganuowere more high-profile than he was. Of course, the prince had to be special to appear at a place like this. In fact, Cillin had reason to believe that Kensa was the next successor of the throne. Kensa made friendly conversation with them while they were flying to their destination planet. They were all youngsters, and their age was close to each other. Although the gap between their backgrounds were huge, Kensa said that they would all become servants of the empire if the primogenitor chose to accept them. White Night was as silent as usual, even though he was aware that the prince could very well be the next emperor. Neither Kensa nor Hadar were bothered by his attitude, however. They really dont. There were many things White Night and Hadar knew, but not Cillin. He supposed that this was the natural gap between a local and a foreigner. Although he had read a lot of the empires history, most of its secrets remained a secret to him. Who is this primogenitor? Cillin asked. White Night didnt know either, but Cillins words finally prompted him to look up and stare at Kensa and Hadar. Hadar knew a bit more than White Night and Cillin, but he didnt feel like saying anything because he hadnt truly seen the primogenitor with his own eyes. Everything he knew about this person had come from his grandfather, Kristi Lang, and to this day he didnt know what they looked like or how their temper functioned. Moreover, no image or video recording of the primogenitor exists in the world. No one in Black Viper had even met them besides the three heads. You want to know about them, huh Kensa let out a sigh before continuing, To tell you the truth, Ive only met them one time not too long ago, so I think its better if you come to your own conclusions after meeting them yourself. I can give you a heads-up, however: dont panic when you finally meet them. Even now, his meeting with the primogenitor felt like a dream to him. It was a shock that shook him to the core. Every time he shut his eyes, he would recall their cool eyes watching him silently in the dark. The nightmares persisted for a long time before they finally subsided. Before the meeting, he only knew them as the primogenitor of Black Viper, and that the successors of the three leaders were required to meet them. The successor of the throne would also be meeting the primogenitor a couple of times before the succession took place. Kensa didnt believe in god, but reality often overwhelmed the imagination more times than one could count. So Kensa couldnt help but shiver every time he remembered that. Since Kensa refused to go into details, Cillin had no choice but to speculate on his own. Sitting on Cillins shoulder, Wheeze leisurely stuffed a bunch of fish biscuits into its mouth while swinging it tail. Its table manners were so bad that Cillins shoulder was completely covered in crumbs, leaving a fishy smell that could be spotted from miles away. Their destination planet, the planet hidden in the vanished zone was a very strange planet. Why? Although the scan results revealed indicated that the planet was very suitable human life, they felt strangely chilly when they set their eyes on it for the first time. It was a feeling without cause or reason. The planet had no satellite arrays, but there were a lot of space fortresses protecting it from a certain distance. Anyone who wished to enter the planet must go through a stringent inspection, and not even Kensa was an exception to the rule. When the inspection was finally over, the quartet was finally allowed to continue. However, they werent be entering the planet on the spaceplane they came. Instead, a special pilot would be flying them on the rest of their journey on one of the space fortress spaceplane. The occupants of the space fortresses only took orders from the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor. No one else had the authority to command them even if they were a prince, the three kings, or even the previous emperor. The atmosphere of this place was tense, serious, and panic-inducing, but they werent so weak that they were intimidated by it. All four of them were very impressed with the defenders quality, however. Everyone here was made of the best of the best, and they were sufficiently obedient and merciless. They were like machines in human flesh. Even the pilot of their spaceplane was focused his fully on his work after giving Kensa a standardized greeting. He wasnt bothered by the quartet at all, and his attitude itself was a clear signal that no one should interrupt him. His expression didnt change even when Wheeze purposely made loud noises while it was chewing its fish biscuits. This guy is quite similar to you, Cillin said to White Night. White Night shot the busy pilot a look, but didnt reply. They got a clearer picture of the planet when they finally entered its atmosphere. Few parts of the planet were mechanized. Most of the environment were primitive and natural. There were plenty of forests and mountains here just like the planet they were tested on, except they were bigger and older. It was almost like they had entered a primal country of giants. All kinds of dinosaurs could be seen on the ground and the sky. A lot of unknown species existed on this planet. Even the leaves of a random fern looked ancient and old. If the primogenitor of Black Viper really lived here, then it was no wonder they were called this way. The spaceplane entered a industrialized zone with by a semicircular shield. There was a landing pad for visitors here. It was the only place where machines and buildings were present. However, there were only robots working in this place and no people, and they gave off the same feeling as the robot Cillin encountered in the underground. Familiar, yet not entirely there. Lets wait for a moment. That one will show up on their own time once theyd heard of our arrival, Kensa said and pointed at the robots. The robots that looked almost identical to humans brought them a tray of food before conversing with Kensa for a bit. Wheeze stared at the robots for two seconds before ignoring them completely. It then went to the food on the table and ran circles around it, sniffing at the food from time to time. Neither White Night nor Hadar were bothered by its behavior. They even cut a few pieces of meat and fed it. Cillin didnt eat much. Not everyone was a glutton like Wheeze after all. His curiosity was drawn to their surroundings. He could see several giant creatures through the translucent shield. There were also hordes of animals that should only exist as fossils at this day and age; creatures whose existence in history had been short and brief. It wasnt just one or several extinct species of a planet. They were a massive group of species that entered the limelight of a planets history briefly before vanishing completely. Even with todays technology, it wasnt easy to revive these ancient creatures. Most of the time, resurrecting DNAs from fossils were impossible due to excessive damage or other reasons. Cillin had seen plenty researchers calculating sequence alignments and cloning an animal based on them, but most of these creatures either exists in an unstable state or were flawed in some way. Even if they exist in a stable state, they often werent identical to the creature the researchers were trying to clone. The sheer amount of randomness involved meant that it was impossible to restore most ancient species to life. This had always been a sore spot to researchers. But here, Cillin saw a tonne of species that the authorities had claimed was impossible to restore to life at their current level of technology. If it really was impossible, then where did these creatures come from? Cillin didnt believe that these species were natural. After all, he had seen at least one hundred extinct species during the time they were waiting for the primogenitor to arrive. Moreover, one couldnt just throw a bunch of species together and expect them to form a stable ecosystem. It was clear that whoever had created them had spent a lot of time and effort to ensure that the stability of the ecosystem, and that an injection of a new species wouldnt trigger a massive change or chain reaction of extinction. Just who on earth had the ability to do this? Chapter 288: Meeting The sPrimogenitor” Part 2 Chapter 288: Meeting The Primogenitor [Part 2] While Cillin was thinking, Wheezes ears suddenly stood up before it stared toward a certain direction with wide eyes. At the same time, the robots conversing with Kensa told them that the primogenitor had arrived. The animals who were walking lazily around them suddenly ran away like their lives depended on it. The half-globe shield withdrew itself after nearly all the surrounding animals were gone. Cillins eyes focused when a scented wind hit his nose. It cant be Wheeze jumped up a building and looked toward the distance. Then, it shouted loudly, Wah! What a snake! Its seriously huge!! A snake?! White Nights pupils shrank as he chased after their gaze. Kensa and Hadar took the time to tidy their clothes and stand where they were as obedient darlings. Cillin could feel tremors from the ground even before he saw the creature. At the distance, rows of tree branches gave way to the sides as something passed between them. It was all he needed to see to know the ridiculous size of the creature moving toward them. The sounds of tree trunks breaking and tree branches being crushed grew closer and closer. Eventually, the gigantic creature appeared in full view in front of everyone. The creature had armor-like scales and dark-colored spots. Two lines of protrusion could be seen behind its back. Its huge, triangular head was covered in tough scales, and the horn on top of its head looked like a natural crown. It was a sign that the creature was born to rule. Cillin felt the surrounding temperature drop drastically after the giant snake showed up. Even the light reflected by its scales was cold. The snake didnt crawl up to their location. Although the shield had already been turned off, it looked like itd rather avoid mechanical places. Kensa took two steps forward and gave the giant snake a bow upon seeing it. Unlike the salute he showed to the heads of Black Viper, this salute was the kind a junior would give to their senior within the royal family. Not only was Kensa acting way more respectful than he was before, even his voice became tinged with cautiousness. Hello! Hadar also saluted the snake. It wasnt a royal salute, but the respect was all there. However, their response made Cillin and White Night stand out because they didnt react to the snake at all. They were staring at the giant snake in front of them and wondering: is this the primogenitor everyone was talking about? No wonder Kensa told them not to be too surprised earlier. The primogenitor wasnt a human. Cillin finally understood why the Mist Bodhisattva Empire treated its alien creatures* better than even GAL. It was because of the existence of this snake. *not to be confused with alien humanoids Despite its size, the snake was a viper, not a python. Cillin had no idea how a viper could grow this large, or how it managed to grow a horn on its head, but it was undoubtedly a venomous viper. The giant snake looked at them and flicked its tongue. Its clearly didnt care much for them, and its round eyes felt like giant globes of ice hanging above their heads. However, Cillin had a feeling that the snake was feeling very impatient for some reason. If it was a person, then the tongue flick would probably be the equivalent of a person spitting on the ground. The giant snake turned away and looked at Wheeze, the latter staring at it curiously even now. This was the cat that shouted earlier. Who are you? The giant snake asked. Cillin saw rows of sharp teeth inside the giant snakes mouth when it spoke. No doubt about it, this snake was venomous as hell. Kensa and Hadars backs were still bent when they turned sideways to look at the cat and the snake. Then, they saw Wheeze leaping beautifully across the air and landing perfectly above its two giant nostrils. Everyone: ... Where the hell did it find its courage from? Kensa felt so cold that the sweat behind his back was practically freezing, his hair almost standing on their end. Around them, the robots moved closer toward Kensa and primed themselves for combat. The moment the giant snake showed any signs of going into rampage, they would take the candidates away to a safe place. They absolutely couldnt allow any harm to come to the candidatesespecially Kensa the future emperor of the empire. After landing on the giant snakes nostrils, Wheeze met the giant snakes long, narrow pupils and patted the thick, cold scales beneath its butt. It said, Hello, my name is Whebeze. You may call me by my nickname, Wheeze. Cillin covered his face with his hands. No one gives a shit about your nickname at this time! Surprisingly, the giant snake didnt break out in fury. It said, Youre a bold little guy. Thank you for the praise! Wheeze answered proudly. Kensa swore inside his head: Its definitely not praising you! Why are you acting all proud!? Yo, youre over two hundred years old, arent you? The giant snake asked. This time, there was warmth behind its tone. Over two hundred years old? White Night, Kensa and Hadar all turned to look at Cillin. They asked with their eyes: is that pipsqueak really that old? The corner of his mouth twitching, Cillin gave them an affirmative nod. What about you? Wheeze asked. It couldnt calculate the snakes precise age because it was too huge and strange. Its unusual size and shape probably wasnt natural, which meant that something had caused it to mutate during its formative years. Me? The giant snake flicked its tongue again. I dont remember anymore. A thousand years, give or take. A thousand years old snake? This was the first time Cillin saw one. It was no wonder that it was called the primogenitor. The snake didnt mind Wheeze playing around on its nose. It directed its attention back down to the ground and asked, Are they the new candidates? Yes, Kensa answered before wiping away his sweat in secret. That was a fright. I should stay away from cats in the future. The giant snake looked at Cillin, Hadar and White Night before nodding at them. It said, Come on up. Ill carry you to the place. Kensa also motioned for the trio to climb up to the giant snakes back. They would be taken to a place where they would learn about the origin and the development history of Black Viper. This wasnt the first time Cillin had climbed onto a snakes back, but this particular snake was way bigger than Bona. Just the mere sight of its scales sent chills down ones spines. The giant snake didnt bother bidding Kensa goodbye. After the trio had climbed onto its back, it turned toward another direction and left. The giant snake was absolutely the apex predator in a primal environment like this. Any animal in its path either chose to run away or hide themselves from view. Naturally, they had a smooth passage. The giant snake moved faster when they passed through the forest and entered the flatlands. Soon, they arrived at a mountain range. There was a large cave on the walls of the mountain range. It was probably the snakes lair. Chapter 289: Those Whose Souls Were Eaten by The Devil Part 1 Chapter 289: Those Whose Souls Were Eaten by The Devil [Part 1] The giant snake entered the cave while carrying Cillin, Hadar and White Night on its back. It was clear that there was a lot more space inside the cave, and some parts of the mountain were dug out to make even more room. The passages were wide enough that not even the giant snake had problems traversing; the scale of the project obviously grand judging from this alone. The best thing about the construction was that the entire mountain range was a perfect blend between the natural and the mechanical. Countless mechanisms and secrets were installed into the mountain range; high end technology applied onto a foundation of nature. If someone tried to invade this place without permission, they could flip the entire mountain range around and not find anything unusual. Further transgressions might even result in the planet exploding. This place was in every sense of the word, the real core of this planet. There was no artificial illumination inside the passages, only traces of light peeking out of the gaps of certain rocks. Some time later, Cillin finally saw a place with light. It was wide area that was surrounded by walls. Light entered through a hole on the ceiling and brightened the place considerably. As they approached, a large, circular pond entered everyones vision. Light was reflecting off of it. There was a tiny house floating above the pond, but the giant snake didnt allow them to approach it. There were also some small flowers growing on the grassy land around the pond. It was a very warm place. The trio got off the giant snakes back and enjoyed the scenery before them. The walls were littered with drawings. They were processed so that rain water couldnt corrode them, and that they could be permanently preserved. The drawings were very simple drawings. The ones at the beginning even looked childish. However, they gradually grew in maturity, smoothness and depth as if they were the records of someones growth to adulthood. As Cillin stared at the drawings, he had a feeling that it was a tale about the snake and a person. There was a sketch of a little man with a thread surrounding his arm. It was probably the snake at its youngest. Most of the drawings were about a man and a snake. A little man tossing a snake to their head, a little man holding a snake by the tail and swinging it in circles, a snake trying to eat a fruit and somehow getting itself stuck like a ribbon Three light screens appeared and flew to each person. Some pictures and written logs were recorded on them. The light screens flashed once, and they were surrounded by a rectangle hologram. The hologram was meant to give them a full body experience, and the light screen their guide to whatever they wished to look, check or analyze. Under the table of contents, Cillin chose the origin of the organization that was Black Viper. It wasnt a popular category. Most people chose to start with a summary of Black Vipers origin, but Cillin chose to start with the stories under the category. The hologram around Cillin changed after he made his choice, almost as if he had teleported to a different location. A boy was sitting quietly inside a courtyard. He looked like he didnt belong there, and he was different from the other children present in that scene. No one wanted to talk with him, and even if they did they normally left with uncomfortable expressions. It was because the boy either reacted with a blank stare or words that made no sense in context. It was no wonder that things turned out like this. The boy was the other key person behind the beginning of Black Viper. Thousands of years ago, he was the fourth son of the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor, MB. Freeman. Cillin was very interested in MB. Freeman, and he learned a lot about him from the logs. He even took the time to watch every video recording with MB. Freeman in it. The development of Black Viper, the combat strength and destructive power they possessedhe only gave those a perfunctory glance. MB. Freeman had incredibly low presence among his brothers. In fact, he was often the subject of a gossip because of how different he was from other children. He was quiet, he spoke infrequently, he looked at everyone like they were strangers even when he was facing his parents, and he was absorbed in his own entertainment. It was like he was living in his own world. Some time later, Freeman found a little viper with black spots in the garden and decided to raise it. The viper was injected with injected with toxin decomposer so that Freeman wouldnt be in danger of being poisoned. And so Freeman made his first friend ever when he was seven years old. His friend couldnt speak, couldnt smile, and wasnt even a person. Freeman called it Black Viper. Just like Cillin thought, most of the drawings on the walls were drawn by Freeman. Freeman was a quiet person, but he spoke more than usual when he was around Black Viper. To others, it might look like he was talking to himself. Cillin was attracted by Freeman not only because of his curiosity. The very first video recording of the boy was when he was just two years old. Inside the video, Freeman was playing with a floating blocks game that was pretty popular at the time. Since Freeman was a loner, he spent most of his time alone inside his own room. Currently, Freeman was building a toy plane. The floating blocks game was a fine game that allowed any child to unleash the full power of their imagination. Most of the kids would try to assemble a weird object while playing or treat it as a hobby, but Freemans level of concentration was at a completely different level. When he played the floating blocks game, he looked like he was performing a mission. His creation looked similar to the toy plane on the table beside him. Every movement he made looked like they were practiced beforehand. He didnt make any mistake from beginning to the end, and it wasnt long before he finished assembling the toy plane. Setting aside whether a normal child could even complete a task like this alone, they would normally brag about it to their parents or their peers to win their praise and envy. But Freeman did no such thing. Instead, he disassembled the toy plane to pieces with one swipe of the hand and began assembling a second time. However, this time he didnt refer to the original toy plane model. He didnt even start from the head of the toy plane; he chose to assemble the body of the toy plane first. Not only did he use much less time to finish assembling the toy plane, the end product was much more perfect than the initial product. He was building with toy blocks, but the way they fitted one another was almost flawless. Freeman was only two years old at the time. When Freeman was done, he disassembled the toy plane again and began the process a third time. This time though, the toy plane he made was slightly different from the original model. To confirm this, Cillin brought up the real plane the toy was modeled after and gave it a look. Some details of the real plane were omitted from the toy as a matter of course, but Freeman was able to reproduce all of them without having seen the real thing during his third assembly. Freeman was undoubtedly a genius. Moving on to the next few video recordings. Freeman started tinkering with more delicate toys as he grew older. Every time, he was able to disassemble and reassemble them into stunning creations. When the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor realized how special his fourth son really was, he had tried to find a teacher for him. However, the results were pretty depressing. Teacher-student interactions were inevitable no matter the subject. Even if no such interaction exists, a student should at least perform the homework a teacher asked them to perform, right? But Freeman did no such thing. He continued to do his own thing like he had done from the beginning, and it was as if no one else existed in the world besides the tiny viper wrapped around his hand. Left with no choice, the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor gave Freeman a corner of the palace and let him do whatever he wanted. He provided all the toys Freeman could possibly need and some educational videos for guidance. Eventually, Freeman faded away from peoples minds and gossip. On the rare occasion he was mentioned, he was called the child whose soul was eaten by the devil. That was their description of Freeman. Chapter 289: Those Whose Souls Were Eaten by The Devil Part 2 Chapter 289: Those Whose Souls Were Eaten by The Devil [Part 2] Sometime later, Freeman somehow detonated a part of the palace and got himself listed as a dangerous person. Since then, many people thought that he had a communication disorder and avoided him like the plague. He even offended his oldest brother, the successor to the throne, although it was possible that Freeman wasnt aware that such a thing had ever happened. Since he only lived in his own world, he was completely unconscious to the fact that his actions could be offensive to others. Left with no choice, the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor had to send Freeman away from the palace in order to raise his oldest son into a better successor. When a star map was presented in front of him, Freeman chose a nameless planetthe very planet Cillin was at right now. Freeman was still a prince of the empire, so the emperor provided him everything he wanted. Maybe it was his way to compensate his son for his lack of presence. When Freeman was seventeen years old, a huge civil unrest broke out within the empire. Several high level nobles had joined hands and started a rebellion, and for a time uneasiness lurked in every corner of the empire. Every member of the royal family had to be protected, even if they were someone who was kicked out of the capital like Freeman. On that day, when a squad of royal guards landed on the planet Freeman lived in, the captain accidentally discovered that a gun Freeman had casually tossed aside like a toy. It looked very similar to some of the average weaponry the captain had seen, and in a fit of idleness he decided to give the gun a shot. The result was a smoking pit over a hundred meters wide and a circle of fire that refused to fade for a very long time. The soil and stone that were struck didnt look like they how they should during an explosion either; it looked as if they had melted away in a burst of incredible temperature. The recoil had caused the web between the thumb and forefinger of the captains hand to split apart. It was the same as when Cillin had used the PTS S for the first time. No one except the captain knew if his hand was shaking because of the wound, of shock. After that, the captain discovered many more improved weapons on Freemans planet and reported it to his superiors. Since it was a time of turmoil, the report was incredibly welcomed by the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor. The biggest factor that turned things around in favor of the empire wasnt the modified weapons, but the discovery of high density compressed energy storage and stable performance-enhancing drugs. Both had been created by Freeman, and they left a profound and long-lasting mark in the empires history at the time. This version of the empires history Cillin was reading was different from the official, public version. In the public version, it was said that both inventions had come up during the war, and Freemans name was never mentioned. The news that Freeman were behind the decisive inventions were ultimately leaked to the rebels, and so an assassination attempt was mounted. The assassins successfully broke through all the obstacles and fired a shot at Freeman, but the black-spotted viper emerged in the nick of time and saved his life. The shot had severed the viper into several piecesno one had any doubt that the dangerous shot wouldve claimed Freemans life. Freeman didnt pay attention to the people around him, the assassins, or the captain who was shouting for him to hide. He simply went back to his room while holding the broken viper with both hands. Freemans room also doubled as his lab. By the time Freeman came out again, the broken viper was joined back into normal. However, its appearance was also much changed. Cillin finally understood why the Black Viper was able to grow this big and live over a thousand years. Freeman was the person behind it all. After watching all of MB. Freemans recordings, he also understood what Gu Changan meant by this type of people. After realizing Freemans potential, the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor decided to build an organization consisting of people like Freeman. When he asked Freeman to give it a name, the latter only said two words, Black Viper. That was how the first Black Viper came to be. As time passed and the organization grew bigger and bigger, and the emperor was starting to realize more and more just how extraordinary their abilities really were. In fact, they were often better than the members of the RAS in many areas. They might be born with regrettable qualities, but in exchange they were talented in some areas unlike any other. They were like a double-edged blade that were effective as a weapon, but also dangerous if used unwisely. There was also the danger of them falling into the enemys hands. Therefore, the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor gave the order to shift the existence of Black Viper into the dark completely. The people wouldnt remember those short-lived days, but Black Vipers technology had spread to every corner of the empire since. These people couldnt assimilate into a normal society. Unconsciously or not, they were always pushed away by the people around them. Not even the latest technology could turn them into a normal person, change their specialized central nervous system, or fix their strange behavior and temper. They severely lacked emotional contact with others. They didnt realize that their unusual behavior only drew the rejection of others. Some people were so silent that they were nigh unapproachable. However, they were gifted with extraordinary skill or memory in exchange for a narrower view of life. Take Ah Shou and Neo for example, their abilities were a sharp contrast to their inability to their deficiency in other areas. Some people were born without the ability to smile or cry, but that didnt mean that they were without emotions. For example, Freeman never cried when the viper had broken into several shreds. He looked just the same as before. However, Cillin was sure that Freeman was very hurt on the inside at the time. In fact, he might even be close to despair. The fact that he had spent five days and nights to rescue his best friend from death was proof that his pain was very real. These people all had unique wavelengths. They were different only because most people couldnt get onto that wavelength. They werent sick, they werent strange, their souls werent devoured by the devil. They were just different. There were many flaws and regretful things in this world, but that was no reason to believe that some flowers were born without a reason to live. As Cillin watched the technology that slowly permeated to every fabric of the empire across several millenniums, he finally understood what Gu Changan and Guan Feng meant when they told him not to judge Black Viper with his previous lens. This, was why. This was what Guan Feng and Gu Changan felt so strongly about. Guan Feng might not be one of them, but Gu Changan definitely was. Cillin now had the ability to differentiate them after seeing everything. Why did Gu Changan love to sit on a wheelchair even though his legs were perfectly fine? It was because it was the only thing that made him feel grounded. It might be an inexplicably strange behavior to others, but this was just who Gu Changan was, a man who loved sitting on a wheelchair and live in a small, dim room. His focus was at its sharpest when he was in his element. And then theres White Night. There was a person similar to White Night in the records. They had dual-colored pupils just like him, and the world they saw seemed different from a normal persons. Cillin didnt know how the world looked to White Night, but he finally understood why Guan Feng had given him the chance to fight for this seat. Black Viper was no longer the small organization it used to be during its conception. They had become a lot bigger and more powerful than they used to be. This was the blade the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor had gifted to his invisible son; a blade he hoped would be used to defend the empire. The Mist Bodhisattva Emperor went to great lengths to choose the people that would lead Black Viper. In the end, he settled on three leaders who would manage this special organization together. That choice had slowly developed into what it was today. All successors were required to visit the giant snake who had outlived many, many Mist Bodhisattva Emperors in the past. If it wasnt for the giant snakeno, it was just a tiny viper back thenif the tiny viper hadnt saved Freeman back then, all those technological advancements and Black Viper wouldnt have existed in the first place. The sight of the giant viper gave the royal family strength. It wouldnt be wrong to call it their faith. Thats right. Black Viper would suffer great damage if their faith was gone. The trio continued to do their own thing, exploring this mysterious organization by way of clarifying their doubts and searching for answers. The giant viper waited quietly on the side. It had experienced many, many candidates in the past, and most of them only made an OK impression on it, not good. If the giant viper said OK, it meant that the chosen candidates were qualified to succeed Black Viper. However, almost no one made it past that and got a good out of it. The giant vipers gaze on White Night and Cillinespecially Cillingrew a bit warmer. Nothing they looked through escaped its attention, and through their catalogue of study the giant viper was able to identify their nature. Very few people had the patience to watch all of Freemans recordings, and Cillin was one of them. The giant viper approved of it. Meanwhile, Wheeze had jumped onto the giant vipers body after rolling several times across the grass. Then, it narrowed its eyes and took a short nap. You have a good master, the giant viper said. Wheezes ears flicked as it replied, Hes not my master, and Im not his pet! Alright, youre not his pet, the giant vipers tone made it seemed like it was smiling. Its true that Cillin is great no, wait, thats not right! You dont know how cunning he is! Back then he made me signed an unfair agreement Wheeze angrily told the giant viper all about the unfair contract and debt agreement Cillin made it sign back then. The giant viper did nothing but listen, but warmth was entering its normally cold, abyssal eyes. When Wheeze grew tired, it jumped to the pond and drank a bit of water. When it saw that Cillin was still checking through the files, it ran over to his side and peed right next to him. Grinning after it gave its own pee a sniff, it returned to the top of the giant vipers nose and talked shit about Cillin again. There was a warm breeze inside this cave that made one feel comfortable and serene. It was why the giant viper loved this place. Even when there was no sunlight, it was warm just like when he was still alive. When their time limit was up, the holograms disappeared and broke all three people from their concentrated state. When Cillin set his eyes on the black viper again, his feelings were different from before. A familiar stench quickly grabbed his full attention, however. Wheeze might be a half-cyborg, but that didnt mean that its pee didnt smell terrible! Wheeze Cillin called out through gritted teeth. Wheeze swayed its curled tail once and flicked its ears, ignoring Cillin and pretending as if it had no idea what was happening. A smile entered the giant vipers eyes again, surprising both White Night and Hadar. They didnt think that it was capable of such easygoing attitude. How did Cillin manage to win such affection from the giant snake when it didnt even give face to a member of the royal family? It couldnt be because he had a pet cat, right? White Night and Hadar couldnt understand at all. Still, it was hardly the time to worry about Cillins special treatment now that they had a better understanding of the black viper. They waited for it to give its evaluation of them, and the giant viper knew it. It replied slowly, This generations successors arent bad. With that comment, everyone knew that they had passed. Hadar let out a sigh of relief. He never felt this pressured even when he was facing his grandfather. A gigantic light screen appeared above their heads, and a small hole appeared on the mountain walls after the giant viper tapped on it several times with its tail. A small flying robot emerged from it. You may leave now. This robot will lead you to the exit, and a spaceplane will be waiting for you after youve exited the mountain range. You may use it to leave the planet. The giant viper looked away after saying that. The trio exchanged a glance with each other and saluted the giant viper. Finally, they acted to leave the place. Well, goodbye. Well come see you again when were free! Wheeze said while patting the giant snakes scales. The scales were finally starting to grow a little warmer. Wheeze leaped off the giant snakes nose and climbed onto Cillins shoulder in familiar fashion. The giant snakes eyes became tinged with a bit of sorrow, regret, but also happiness as it watched the duo with its lidless eyes. It seemed to be reminiscing about the past. Cillin once said that people blinked when they were smiling because they recalled something happy from the past. However, the giant viper couldnt do that because it had no eyelids. All people could see from its eyes was the cold, and very, very few people could see past the mask and discover the true emotion hidden behind it. The trio followed the small robot through a much smaller passage compared to the one they came from. Obviously, this exit passage was meant for human travel. No one said a thing while they walked because they were reflecting on everything they had seen just now. Maybe they werent all reflecting about the same thing, but their viewpoint of Black Vipereven for a local like Hadarhad definitely changed. It was understandable considering that everything they had learned today. Even the most trivial of what they learned today could shock anyone for a very long time. Cillin also realized one thing while he was watching the records. The robots emergence in Black Vipers ranks had also happened a couple millenniums ago, but nothing more in-depth than that was recorded. He supposed he wouldve to seek out those who were truly involved in this matter to find out more. Wheeze, I suddenly remembered something, Cillin said. What is it? Wheeze asked in a lazy tone. It was so busy criticizing Cillin in front of the giant snake just now that it didnt have the time to take a nap. Did you wash your paws after you take a piss just now? ... Wheeze pulled its ears backward and pretended not to hear the question. Not long after the trio had left, a sound came from inside the cave. It was the giant snake. But unlike the hissing sounds made by most snakes, this one was beautiful, solemn, clean and emotional in a way that couldnt be described. Anyone who heard it couldnt help but be moved and recall their past memories. After looking upward and singing for a moment, the giant snake moved toward the little house in the middle of the pond. The modified viper had changed a lot with the passage of time. For example, it could actually speak now. However, the person it wished to speak to was long gone. There was a person inside the wooden house lying quietly on his resting place like he was in a deep sleep. He was old and wrinkled, but he had a well defined face, and the way he slept was as beautiful as it was back then, like a child. Chapter 290: Free Meal Part 1 Chapter 290: Free Meal [Part 1] The robot went back after sending Cillin, Hadar and White Night away from the mountain range. Just like the giant viper had said earlier, a spaceplane was parked in ready for them. They used it to fly back to the landing site. When they first came to the mountain range, their journey was smooth because the giant viper had acted as their carrier. But without the giant viper to act as deterrence, their spaceplane easily caught the curiosity of several flying animals. It would be a bad decision to kill any animals on this planet, so they tried their best to move out of their way. It took them a while to return from the mountain range to the landing site, but instead of leaving the planet immediately, they rested for a bit and made conversation with each other. The three of them would be cooperating with Kensa from now on, and although their responsibilities were different they were ultimately managing Black Viper as a whole. Cillin and Hadar were different from White Night and his kind, so neither of them would be sticking their hands in his business. Cillins main responsibility was academics, so he would be dabbling in that a lot from now on. Still, what should he do with the RAS if he accepted his post? Should he hang up his nameplate in both organizations? Also, Cillin couldnt understand their confidence in him. Was Guan Feng and the giant vipers agreement really worth that much? Even if they were, there was no chance of him not returning home once he found a way to return to GAL. What would happen to his responsibilities when the time comes? Kensa became a lot friendlier after he learned that all three of them were acknowledged by the giant viper. It was him that made Cillin realize that the giant vipers opinion mattered a lot to the royal family and the current leaders of Black Viper. The giant vipers long lifespan granted it exceptional intelligence, and the smarter the animal, the more trustworthy their instinct became. At the very least, those who were chosen to lead Black Viper had never proven themselves to be untrustworthy or traitorous. Black Viper was able to maintain their mystique as the strongest underground force for the past one thousand years. Moreover, there were three people leading Black Viper. Cillins role was important, but it wasnt like the organization would collapse overnight just because something had happened to a leader. The remaining two leaders were capable enough to handle his part even without royal interference, and they were backed by the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Family. After resting for a moment and communicating for a bit, Kensa finished what he came here to do and applied for departure. It wasnt a mistake. Even the future emperor of the empire and the three leaders of Black Viper must apply for permission to depart before they were allowed to get on a spaceplane. But before they left, a flying robot slightly bigger than the one that carried them away from the mountain range had arrived before them. These are the King vipers gifts to you three, the flying robot said while producing a tray. Above it were four sets of clothes made from the vipers shedded skin. The giant viper was unique and incredibly long-lived, so its shedded skin was very resistant towards radiation, corrosion, cold and heat. It could also be used as a bullet proof vest, and it was beneficial towards the human body. It was a rare and precious treasure to say the least. The skin was compressed and processed in a way that it felt thin to touch. However, not even Cillin could tear it apart without exerting some effort. The clothes were meant for Cillin, Hadar, White Night and Kensa. They were also tailor-made to fit them perfectly. Honestly, Kensa was a bit shocked by the VIP treatment. After all, no such thing had happened during the last time he was here. One should be thankful that the giant viper had deigned itself to speak with them already, much less create clothes out of its own skin for them! At the very least, none of emperors who came before him had ever received such treatment. Kensa didnt believe that he was the reason the giant viper had decided to make an exception today; he wouldve received the gift during the first meeting if that was the case. Therefore, the giant viper must be very satisfied with the quality of Black Vipers current successors Everyone was aware how valuable the snake skin outfit was, so they carefully put it away and tried to give their thanks to the robot. But before they could say anything, the robot surprised them and produced a ball and several unique-looking scales. Even more surprising was the fact that these gifts were meant for Wheeze. Wheeze had mentioned about wanting a ball while they were travelling towards the mountain range earlier, but it didnt think that the giant viper would actually grant its request. It played with the ball for a bit and found it satisfactory. The scales were incredibly heavy and resistant towards its bites and scratches. Wheeze nodded in satisfaction after testing them for a bit. These are pretty good. Please tell the giant snake I said thank you! Wheeze wrapped its tail around the ball before pushing the scales towards Cillin for safekeeping. It was a sight that caused a twitch in everyones eyes. What are these scales for? Kensa asked Wheeze. To trim my claws and teeth, of course! Wheeze answered matter-of-factly. Everyone: ... How incredibly wasteful! It might just be the first cat in the universe to receive a thousand-year-old viper scale just to trim its teeth and claws!! After the goods were delivered, the robot didnt say anything after receiving their thanks, nor did the giant viper try to speak with them through video. Naturally, the group of four had no reason to force such a communication to happen either, so they simply said a few words to the robot before leaving on the spaceplane. When the spaceplane started entering space, all four of them could see the viper above the mountain range; the only creature large enough to be visible from this height. The reason they hadnt spotted it the first time around was probably because it was hanging inside the mountain range. The giant viper slithered back into the mountain range after the spaceplane had vanished from sight completely. With their departure, everything on the planet returned to normal once more. The giant viper was a thousand years old, and its scent drove the animals crazy. It was why a commotion broke out every time it left its lair. It was only when the big fellow returned to the mountain range did the rest of the animals on the upper level of the food chain emerge from their hideouts. When the group of four returned the space fortress and switched back to their spaceplane, they felt as if a burden was lifted off their shoulders. It was because they couldnt help but feel a solemn pressure when they were inside that special spaceplane. This was evident from the fact that Kensa and Hadar became a lot more chatty about their time at the empire after getting on their previous transport. Wheeze didnt stay with the quartet since it was busy playing with its new toy. In the past, any ball Cillin bought for Wheeze would retire after just a couple of hits, but the snake scale ball was way sturdier. Ignoring the fact that Wheeze wrecked a couple of instruments while it was playing, the return journey went mostly without a hitch. Kensa felt deeply impressed with Guan Feng and Gu Changans judgment as he watched Wheeze rolling together with the ball on the floor. He finally understood why they gave the gray cat special treatment; it was all to curry favor with the black viper. If Wheeze hadnt been present during the meeting, the giant viper probably wouldnt have gifted them a snake suit. He might be the prince and future emperor of a galactic empire, but even he didnt dare to waste a thousand-year old snake skin on mere clothes. They flew back to the planet where they had taken their initial test. The three leaders had known about the results since a long time ago, which was why Guan Feng had summoned some of the VIPs in Black Viper for a meeting. However, Cillin was disappointed to learn that Xi Kai had left for an emergency. A couple of leaders were absent from the meeting due to various reasons as well. Still, almost everyone who was called were gathered in the meeting room to declare and witness Cillin, White Night and Hadars takeover as the new leaders of Black Viper. Kensa was one of the witnesses as well. Of course, their area of responsibility was different from one another, so each of the official succession would take place at a different time. After the meeting was over, the three successors would speak with the former leader they were going to succeed. For example, Cillin would be consulting Guan Feng on the deeper aspects of his responsibilities, and Guan Feng would explain to Cillin some of the issues he should watch out for. Chapter 290: Free Meal Part 2 Chapter 290: Free Meal [Part 2] Everyoneeven Kristi. Langlooked envious when they learned that the four candidates were gifted a snake suit by the giant viper. A thousand-year old snake skin wasnt something they could reproduce even with todays technology. Moreover, the black viper hadnt stopped evolving and mutating despite living for over a thousand years. Every time it shed its skin, new properties could be detected from it. Although no one could tell what the vipers final form was, there was one thing everyone could agree onthe thousand-year old skin of a mutated viper could only be good! Speaking of which, Wheeze was the most unique and eye-catching creature in the meeting room right now. The cat was playing wantonly with the ball like it was alone in the meeting room, and several times it even sent the ball bouncing on the table. No one scolded its behavior, however. On the contrary, everyone hoped that the ball would land right in front of them because it meant they could hold it in their own hands and examine it in detail. True experts could discern quality through close examination, so they could tell that Wheezes ball was better than the snake suits. Even Kensa was missing it, he had given the ball a rub during the return trip, and there was no denying how incredibly good it felt to touch! As the only person who understood the cats vile tendencies, Cillin was aware that Wheeze was toying with the people around it. Could Wheeze really not control the trajectory and direction of the ball? Of course it could! He could tell what the cat was playing at just looking at its whiskers. The meeting ended while Wheeze was playing ball, and Cillin left the meeting room with Guan Feng. White Night would be following Gu Changan, and his records at AF1 would be wiped clean completely. Oh right, what will happen to Nikki and the others? Cillin asked. He didnt believe for a second that Guan Feng would let them go without a plan. He would either make them join Black Viper or wipe their memories clean. Guan Feng gave him a seemingly harmless smile and said, Their files will be wiped clean as well. It meant that they would be joining Black Viper. Cillin didnt mind this outcome. He even suspected that Guan Feng had designed this to happen from the start. After all, everyone in Nikkis team was a free agent, and they were guided step by step towards joining Black Viper. Meanwhile, Wheeze was lured to Gu Changans side with a bag of fish biscuits. The gray cat was lying lazily on the mans legs and leaving crumbs all over the place on purpose. Gu Changan didnt mind, however. Smiling, he happily toyed with the snake ball while Wheeze wiped its mouth with his pants. The scene caused nearby members and Qiu Xus faces to twitch. Time to leave, glutton! Cillin called out to Wheeze from beside a spaceplane. Okay! Wheeze shoved every last fish biscuit into its mouth and swiped the ball out of Gu Changans hands. Every time the ball was about to hit the ground, it hit it again with its tail so that the ball would fly towards its calculated spot. By the time Wheeze came to a stop in front of Cillin, it grabbed the ball perfectly with its tail, raised its chin and walked into the spaceplane. After bidding the people outside the spaceplane goodbye, Cillin and Guan Feng left the planet and flew towards the capital star region. Unlike the time he came to this planet, Cillin now had a new identity. It might not be a public one, but it gave him the power to solve some troubles without relying on the Gen Family. At the same time, it gave him access to deeper level information that he didnt have before. A long time had passed since he left the school, and it was exam period again in AF1. However Cillin wasnt afraid because he had studied all the courses he would be tested on beforehand. Guan Feng even gave him private lessons, so he was confident he could handle any test or exam. Cillin went away to prepare for his exams after returning to AF1. Bored, Wheeze went to play with the sentient animals of AF1. However, it unintentionally caused a commotion when it went there. The green anaconda, Bona was even knocked out by the snake ball. It wasnt like Wheeze threw the ball at Bona at a neck breaking speed. The ball was made out of the giant vipers skin, and it exuded an aura of natural dominance. That was what knocked Bona out upon contact. Wheeze wanted to play ball with its playmates, but none of the animals even dared to touch it carelessly. A human might not be able to sense it, but the panic of standing before a giant without being able to struggle at all were deeply impressed upon all the animals. This one ball had made countless animals in AF1especially the reptileslose control of their endocrine system. In the end, the culprit behind the commotion had no choice but to give up its plans and find a human to play ball with. There were plenty of child geniuses in AF1, but Wheeze only knew a handful of them. One of them was Teita. Teita had just finished his exams when Wheeze went looking for him. It asked Teita to play ball with it at the ball field. Wheeze was occasionally dumb, but it wasnt completely unconscious. For example, it knew that Black Viper was a secret it shouldnt tell anyone. That was why Wheeze replied, I went away to visit a friend when Teita asked it what it had been recently. It wasnt a lie since the giant snake was its friend now, wasnt it? One day, the bell rang right after Cillin finished his final exam and returned to his accommodation. He looked at the visitors on the screen and let out a sigh. The Three Dissolute Musketeers plus Naimi immediately bombarded him with question the moment he opened the door. Where have you been lately, Cillin? We tried looking for you a couple of times, you know! Yeah, I even asked second grandpa about you, and he only said that youre out for business. Or maybe you were out on a date? Naimi said with a vulgar expression, inciting an eye-roll from Cillin. Like hell he had time to go on a date when it was all he could do not to die. Its nothing. Teacher Guan and I went out to do something, thats all. Everyone wisely stopped asking the moment he brought up Teacher Guan. A student and a teacher only travel together when a mission was involved, and the details were always classified one way or another. That was why they changed the subject without needing a cue. Alright, lets talk about something else. Do you want to head out and relax now that exams are over? Gen Xingming slung a hand over Cillins shoulder and winked. Where to? Cillin asked. We havent decided. We can look around first and decide later. Oh right, Gaga, didnt you say that your cousins marriage is near? The wedding isnt over yet, is it? Bel asked. Gen Xingming and Ulaganuo immediately hit their palms with their fists, Youre right! We should head there, enjoy a free meal and the sight of the bride! I also heard that a lot of beautiful girls will be attending that wedding. Ulaganuos older male cousin wasnt really a true member of the Snowstorm Wendyska Family. They werent even related by blood since he was a cousin via the female line. The reason he became connected to the Wendyska Family was because his aunt had married into the royal family. Generally speaking, Ulaganuos cousin was leading a good life since he was considered a member of the upper nobles, though he couldnt compare to the official members of the Wendyska royal family of course. There werent many people in the Wendyska royal family who paid attention to this wedding. In fact, the trio only heard about it because Ulaganuos mother had mentioned it in passing. Originally, they were only going to send the cousin a gift, but now Hes your cousin, of course we should go to his wedding! And that was how the boys decided their next destination to have fun. But the door opened before they could discuss the details. The only creature that could open this door freely was Wheeze. Its tail hanging high up in the air, Wheeze shot a glance at the discussing group, looked away and moved towards the milk machine. Yo, Wheeze! Long time no see. We were just planning to head out and relax, do you want to A constipated look suddenly overcame Gen Xingmings expression in mid sentence. It wasnt just him either, Bel, Ulaganuo and Naimi were also wearing the expression. It was Teita. He had just finished playing ball with Wheeze. Long time no see, Cillin! Teita greeted Cillin first before doing the same with the rest. Tei Teita, why are you here? Gen Xingming asked with a stiff smile on his face. Teita tossed the ball into the air once before replying, I was playing ball with Wheeze just now. I came over to drink milk. After that, he moved next to the milk machine, sat down on a chair and accepted the cup Wheeze pushed towards him with its tail. Outside the hostel, Teitas senior servant bowed and walked in with a smile only after Cillin had invited him into the house. Where did you say you want to go to relax just now? Wheeze asked Gen Xingming after finishing its milk. Gen Xingming shook his head and replied with a straight face, Nah, were just going to chat a bit before going back to study! Thats right! We recognized a lot of weaknesses in ourselves during this exam. We were going to head back and enrich our brains a bit! Naimi hurriedly voiced his agreement while nodding. No one here wanted to lead a child astray especially someone like Teita. If Teitas dad knew about this, he would probably visit the three kings and discuss with them about their childrens education, and that would certainly lead to an unforgettable punishment. Cillin looked away and allowed them to spout their bullshit. Teita obviously didnt plan to stay because he left right after drinking his milk. His mother, brothers and sisters were visiting him today, so he couldnt stay even if he wanted to. After Teita was gone, the quartet wiped their sweats and returned back to their old selves. After talking all about their plans, Bel poked the tip of Wheezes tail and asked, So, what do you think, sir cat? Are you interested in a free meal? Wheeze wiped its milk stained mouth against Bels sleeve and replied, Of course! Chapter 291: Hunger Strike? Was That a Joke? Cillin didnt depart immediately, not even when Wheeze threw a tantrum and declared that it would go on a hunger strike. It was because he wanted to attend an elective course that starts right after the big exam. The person leading it was an elderly, respected professor who actually knew the knowledge he was dabbling in, unlike some other self-proclaimed RAS scholars who wore the hat of an academician, but schemed against one another like a politician. A real teacher would do his best to teach even if he only had one student, and this professor was one such person. Although the students who attended the lecture were less than twenty, his passion was clear for all to watch. The things he taught greatly benefited Cillin as well. A modified audio signal had the ability to affect the signals within a limited range, and to demonstrate that the old teacher conducted a live experiment. He played an audio signal and told the students to turn on their communicators, and amazingly the screen brightness and the images started changing rhythmically. At the same time, the students felt like their pulse were also synchronizing with the audio signal. It was a very familiar feeling to Cillin. In fact, the hunter regiments of GAL enjoyed converting this type of audio signal into their signature music. Even Cillin had to admit that it was very cool to make an appearance like this. However, what Cillin was more concerned about was its applicability and expandability right now. Normally, there was a time gap between lecture sessions. Since the old professor had something to do later, he decided to hold the next lecture sooner. As a result, Cillin decided to stay in AF1 for just a couple days longer. Cillin went back to his hostel after attending the lecture. The moment he went in, he saw Wheeze lying on the ground looking completely spent after a serious diarrhea. It had been two days since Cillin delayed their departure, and Wheeze declared its decision to go on a hunger strike in protest, so he wasnt surprised by its antics already. Hunger strike? Cillin was holding it e-log with his course notes on it when he shot Wheeze a glance. While walking past the limp cat, he said, I told you many times to wipe your mouth clean after you were done stealing food. Also, I may not be a feline, but my nose is still good enough to pick up that fishy stench in your yawn a mile away. Wheeze: ... Hmph! Wheeze stopped pretending and moved next to Cillins legs. Then, it scratched his pants into spaghetti shapes. And finally, Cillin poked its fat head once before continuing, Dont think I dont know who was the one who made the lecture screen flicker like it was having a heart attack today! Wheeze pulled its ears backward and didnt reply. It was just venting for a bit, it wasnt its fault that that equipment was trash! How many more days do you need? Wheeze had been in video contact with the Gen Xingming and co ever since they departed, and it was forced to watch them having the joy and meal of a lifetime while it waited for Cillin to finish with his business. Worse, they boasted it to its face every time they talked. Every time Wheezes anger level hit a certain threshold, it would bite the black vipers scales to vent. Maybe the black viper would regret its decision if it learned that this was how Wheeze was using its gift. Five. The next lecture will be brought forward. Five days!? Wheeze exclaimed before pretending to be weak again. The revelation was too much considering that it was so bored that it was feeling a toothache lately. It definitely wasnt it bit the viper scales too many times, Wheeze swore on its remaining fish biscuits. What should we do during this time then? Wheeze asked while rolling on the floor. The school was boring; everyone, even the animals seemed to be busy with either study or missions. Even those who didnt have such things to deal with like Gen Xingming had gone out to relax. Cillin paused for a moment before replying, Lets visit the Gen Family then. Youve neglected your little pet long enough for it to throw a tantrum. Cillin hadnt gone to the Gen Family yet after returning because he had no time. All he did was video call Genya and communicate his safety. Meanwhile, the sea beast had grown too big to fit in Genyas backyard, so it was released into a man-made sea. Only a politically and economically powerful family like the Fuji Gen Family could afford a project like this with ease. Genya also built a small courtyard next to the artificial sea, spending everyday watching the sea beast toying with the fishes. However, it seemed to be throwing a tantrum lately because Cillin and Wheeze had been absent for a while. Occasionally, it would spray sea water into the nearby buildings or make ghastly cries during the night, pissing people off on purpose. Despite the complaints, it wasnt afraid that it would be cooked and eaten because it had Genya to hide behind. Wheezes spirits immediately lifted after hearing this. There might not be much to do at the Gen Family, but it was still a way better place to be than AF1. The latter had just way too many restrictions all over the place. It was a good opportunity to visit its little pet and ask some fresh fishes from Genya Cillin didnt take long to pack everything he needed while he was urged by Wheeze. After bidding Guan Feng goodbye, he left the school and traveled to the Gen Familys planet. Since it was Cillin, the guard ships patrolling the planet only performed a mandatory inspection and nothing more. Their attitude was great, and they even sent someone to escort Cillin to Genyas new place. The sea was like a giant blue blob sitting in the middle of an ocean of green. Although it was smaller than the seas Cillin had seen in the past, its seawater was of good quality. A couple of Fuji trees were planted in Genyas new courtyard. It wasnt as big as the one in the previous courtyard, but they grew pretty well and their numbers kept them from looking monotonous. Genya was very happy to see him. He didnt ask Cillin for details regarding his latest adventure because it was his own life. No one had a right to interfere with another persons path, and genya trusted in Cillins ability to handle himself. The younger generations will do all right on their own, and he viewed Cillin as his own grandson. He didnt want great things from Cillin; all he wanted was for Cillin to be happy. There were many parents who voiced great expectations for their children, but in reality their bottomline was quite low. All they wanted was their children to be safe and sound. Genya had experienced too many things in his life, and it was impossible to pry them out of his mouth unless he decided to say it himself, not even his own brother, Gen Liao. His experiences had also cultivated a taste for peace in Genya. Cillin sat with Genya at the courtyard and didnt say a word, and it was the best experience the old man could hope for. The sea beast, Blueskin made quite the commotion after seeing Cillin and Wheeze. After that, Wheeze led it away to play somewhere else. Although the sea beast wasnt brought up in a natural environment, its behavior was still unusual probably because it was influenced by Wheeze since birth. To borrow Bels mothers own words, it had strayed away from the righteous path. Blueskin itself was the living proof that idiocy was a transmittable disease. The idiom dont wash your dirty linen in public passed through Cillins mind as he watched Blueskin balancing itself on its tail like a seal and catching the fishes Wheeze threw its way. He couldnt help but feel thankful that Blueskin had grown up here. If the sea beast had grown up on another planetespecially the planets where sea beasts were a common creatureit would be a laughingstock everywhere it went. Oh right, you said you want to participate in Ulaganuos cousins wedding? Genya asked. Not really. Gen Xingming and his friends wanted to head over there and join them. Ulaganuo already gave me the admission card, Cillin explained before showing Genya the card. The bride and the groom werent the only ones who distributed invitation cards among the upper nobles. In fact, the people behind their backs did most of the work. Profit came before anything, and most of the guests their elders invited were strangers the bride and the groom hadnt even met before. But everyone smiled and greeted each other like seasoned actors when the elders introduced them to each other anyway. It was why those people almost couldnt wait to shove the entire stack of admission cards and invitation cards into Ulaganuos hands when the prince asked for it. As a prince, Ulaganuos social circle couldnt possibly be normal. Genya checked the names on the card and smiled. He said, Yo, the bride is from the Gleason Family! The Gleason Family was very influential within the military and as strong as Teitas Yurong Family. Both families were immovable pillars within the military. The Gleason Family, huh Genya told Cillin what he knew about the Gleason Family, but most of his information were from the past. Although he had refreshed his knowledge of the family after returning, it was only at the surface level. Still, the Gleason Family seemed like a decent family in the past, and unlike most nobles they carried out their childrens education strictly. You can attend this wedding and send them a gift. The Gen Family will also be sending a representative, but it wont be anyone important. The bride was no one important within the Gleason Family, or the old general himself wouldve sent an invitation directly to the three kings. That being said, the three kings might not be attending the wedding, but their children. Gen Xingming repeated that they were being sneaky, but it was probably just bullshit. The trios faces werent unfamiliar to the upper nobles, and recognizing just one of them was all it took to identify the rest. Those elders must be having the time of their life right now. Master grandpa two~ Wheeze climbed up the shore, shook off the water on its fur and ran up to Genya. It wanted to be stroked. How many fishes did you eat? Try not to annihilate everything we put in, Genya said smilingly while stroking Wheezes fur. Blueskins the one whos been eating, not me. I didnt eat much. Cillin knew instantly that Wheeze was lying the moment he saw how its whiskers were twitching. Every time the gray cat lied, it would unconsciously moved its ears sideways, backwards or downwards. Its whiskers would also twitch twice at a certain frequency. Just like that, Blueskin took the fall for Wheeze. When Genya encouraged Cillin to head out more and make more friends, Wheeze immediately pointed a paw at the latter and said, Look, even master grandpa two agrees that you should head out more, you stubborn mule! Cillin lifted his eyebrows and grabbed Wheeze by the nape of its neck. Then, he walked towards the sea and plop! Threw it into the sea. When Wheeze climbed back up the shore, it purpose rolled across the sand before rubbing it onto Cillins clothes. As a result, Cillin was covered in wet sand all over the place. Genya had a great time watching this happen from the sidelines. Five days later, Wheeze bit Cillins pants the second he stepped out of the classroom and dragged him away. The cat had run out of patience while waiting for Cillin, and its motto was to do something whenever it got bored. By its definition, doing something meant eating, so it ate everything within sight that could be eaten, organic or not. It was truly a pain to raise a half-cyborg cat with such a diverse appetite. Hunger strike? Was that a joke? After he was done packing, Cillin grabbed Genyas gift with one hand and held Wheeze with the other elbow. Then, he jumped into the spaceplane he borrowed from Guan Fengs place and made way towards the coordinates Gen Xingming gave him. The planet was decorated very nicely because of the wedding. Although it was nothing impressive to the three kings, it was one of the more famous weddings among the upper nobles. This was especially true after they realized that the three princes were attending the wedding as well. Even those who werent planning to send their kids over at the beginning had changed their minds and sent them a message. At the minimum, they hoped their kids would show their faces around the three princes and their peers and interact with them. It was clear that the entire planet was artfully decorated. For example, they could see a heart shape on the surface of the planet from space. The decorations clearly took a lot of effort to prepare. The planet wasnt big, but it had beautiful sceneries and many flowers. The Little Garden at GAL might have incredible sculptures, but this planet appeared to have a longer history. It was a private scenic planet owned by the family of Ulaganuos cousin. Most of the family ships that attending the wedding had their symbols proudly displayed on the surface of their hull. It was almost as if they were afraid that someone wouldnt recognize them. Of course, Cillins tiny spaceplane seemed insignificant compared to all the ships around him. Even the ships flying next to him were larger spaceplanes with a gorgeous exterior. As a result, plenty of people were sneering at his spaceplane because it was tiny, and because it didnt have an identifying symbol. Are they attending the wedding too? It cant be. Its probably someones errand ship or something. Our errand boys have bigger spaceplanes than that. Same. Our ships are also much better-looking. Which family does that ship belong to? No one responded even though it was exchanged across multiple channels. Come on, who would admit such a thing? What a pointless question, someone said in a pretentious tone after believing they discovered the truth. It was a statement that was supported by many others. Meanwhile, Cillin and Wheeze exchanged incredulous looks with each other. They were secretly listening in on these peoples channels all this time. How dare these fools criticize Guan Fengs masterpiece like this! It was created through the combined effort of Guan Feng and an RAS engineering scholar! If Guan Feng learned of their criticism, he would certainly shoot them with his new PTS S! Guan Feng was such a person. He was fine with criticism. He was also fine with people criticizing his flaws and his characters. But he absolutely couldnt stand people criticizing his work without any basis or reason whatsoever. These people are seriously blind. They actually think their trash of a spaceplane is worth bragging about! Wheeze commented disdainfully. A pause later, it curled its tail and grinned. Say, do you want to give meeting gift, Cillin? Chapter 292: Another Brat That Shouldn’t Be Offended Part 2 Chapter 292: Another Brat That Shouldnt Be Offended [Part 2] Cillin changed his flight route and flew towards the closest buffet point marked on the map he obtained during arrival. The indicator itself was probably unnecessary. Wheeze itself could tell him where it was. The closest buffet point was some distance away from where Cillin was right now. He wasnt kidding when he said that Wheezes nose was much better than his before. There were a lot of people at the buffet point, but not many youngsters. Right now, most of them were grouped up and having fun at the best spots on the planet. A lot of people were snorting in derision when they saw Cillin coming down his hoverboard. The reason for that was because there were luxurious cars all over the place. It would be harder not to notice the only person riding a crude toy in this wedding party. Cillin paid no heed to the attention. He was here to eat, not get himself in trouble. He put his hoverboard away, washed his hands and Wheeze to do the same. Wheeze then jumped onto an empty table with its hind legs like a kangaroo, its thick, round body bouncing visibly in the process. Once it was properly tucked in on the table, Wheeze told Cillin a long list of food before waiting for its master to bring them all back to him. Obviously, it would be unwise for Wheeze itself to run up a buffet table and choose its own food because they were in public right now. Wheeze couldve ordered the service robots to do the exact same thing, but it said it didnt trust these retarded robots to bring what it asked. Cillin carried two plates and went to the buffet table, all the while ignoring the curious gazes being shot at his direction. One plate was filled with aquatic food, while the other had a bit more variety. Cillin was choosing his food when a voice came from behind him. Hello, are you brother Cillin? Cillin turned around to look at the person calling out to him. She looked a little different now, but Cillin still recognized her immediately. Kiva. Lunani? Kiva. Lunani was the girl he met at Baelenbaatar Middle School while he was looking for Chang Three and Chang Four. Right now, Lunani felt more like a noble compared to the time he saw her at school both in terms of attire and mannerisms. Outside wasnt the same as school after all, and it had been a while since he last saw her. She had become prettier, and she looked like a little noble princess. Cillin remembered her being romantically interested in Chang Four back then, so he wondered how far they had progressed in their relationship. Lunani was very happy that Cillin remembered her name. She didnt know many people in this wedding party, and she wasnt close with anyone. Her family was at best a middle noble family, and she felt inferior compared to most of the attending nobles. In fact, her family wouldnt even be invited to the weddinga core area no lessif they didnt share a good business relationship with the Rolle Family. Right now, Lunanis father was making conversation with another person. As a businessman, Lunanis father naturally knew more faces in this wedding party than Lunani herself. Most nobles didnt care about his lower status when driven by profit, not to mention that Lunanis family was hardly the only middle nobles in this place. Upper nobles were a minority after all. Lunani spoke to her father briefly before coming over to speak with Cillin. She was very happy to run into a familiar face. Lunanis father wasnt happy with her choice of conversation partner, however. After all, he and countless others had seen with their own eyes Cillin flying over on his crude hoverboard, meaning that Cillin was in his black list before they even spoke to each other. Still, he himself was right in the middle of a conversation, so he didnt stop his daughter from talking to Cillin. Lunani took a seat at Cillins table after choosing her own food. Wheeze raised its paw absent-mindedly in greeting before returning back to its food. Cillin asked her a little about Chang Three and Chang Four. He learned that both of them had successfully entered a named high level school and were treated quite well. In fact, they were pretty famous in their school right now. Cillin was confident in Chang Three and Chang Fours abilities, but he absolutely refused to believe that their stroke of good luck was only that, good luck. The longer he knew this circle, the more he learned about the machinations operating behind the scenes. If Bel hadnt said anything, there was no way Chang Three and Chang Four would be able to enjoy their current level of privilege so quickly, no matter how talented they were. Lunanis eyes brightened the moment Chang Three and Chang Four became the center of the topic. It was clear that she was proud and a little shy at the same time. Lunani also mentioned Chang Five. After the treatment, Chang Five quickly displayed his talent and entered a middle level school in the same star region that was even better than Baelenbaatar Middle School. Besides that, Cillin figured out that the Sizer Family was behind Chang Fives promotion from Lunanis explanation. Bel probably had a hand in this as well, but the Sizer Family clearly did more behind the scenes. Apparently, Fleka had high expectations for Chang Five, and Cillin was sure that the boy wouldnt let him down. After all, his talent was obvious to those who were willing to see, not to mention that he was Wheezes favorite student. Probably. Also, Chang Fives own childhood taught him how to hold onto opportunities better than others. Chang Three, Chang Four and Chang Five were all doing well. The rest of their siblings at the Chang household were leading a good life as well. Old Changs health was getting better and better, and the triplets had gained a bit of height. Frankly, it would be stranger if they didnt do well with their new, big store and the secret care the planets government afforded them. Cillin was listening to Lunani about the Chang Family when Wheeze suddenly made a spitting noise. The gray cat had literally spat out a half eaten fish head and sent it flying all the way to a nearby cake. A child with a fork was about to grab a piece of cake when the fish head landed on the cake with a thud. His mouth curled downwards, and he was about to cry. But the moment he saw the culprit behind the fish head, he actually smiled, pulled at his servant and pointed at Wheeze, saying, Look, its a tiny leopard! Young master, thats a cat. Its a leopard! ... Right. Its a leopard. Right now, Wheeze couldnt care less about the mistaken case of identity. It leaped up to Cillins shoulder and said in a low voice, Look, its that strange kid from last time! Cillin followed Wheezes gaze and saw a group of people walking towards his general direction. At the forefront of the group was a boy about fourteen to fifteen years old. Wheeze was right, it was a face he saw once in the past. It was the boy at the deluxe suite and top floor of a restaurant, right after he left Old Changs place and was travelling to the capital star region. At the time, the boy and his servants outfits were completely devoid of any identifiable traits. This time though, they wore their familys insignia on their clothes. It marked them as a member of the Gleason Family. Look, its the young master of the Gleason Family, Dodge! I wasnt expecting to see him here! I heard that he has a lot of say in his family Really?! Chatter chatter chatter Some people were already planning on currying favor with Dodge. So hes Gleason. Dodge, Cillin thought to himself. Naimi once told him that there were two brats he, and now every upper noble in the empire dared not offend besides those who served emperor and the three kings. They were Yurong. Teita and Gleason. Dodge. Anyone who tried to would suffer tremendously, as some unfortunate souls had proven already. Cillin was familiar with Teita of course, but he didnt realize that this boy was the brat Naimi spoke of until now. Teita was given special treatment by Old Man Yurong because of his age and the special circumstances around his birth. That in turn led to the upper nobles giving him special treatment as well. So, why was this boy treated differently? Wheeze and Cillin remembered this boy well because he was sharp enough to notice that Wheeze was watching him. They could count the number of people who could do the same on one hand, and the boy was only fourteen or fifteen years old. They were also impressed by how calm he at dealing with an assassination. But it still wasnt a good enough reason to explain why people would put him on the same level as Teita, a brat that shouldnt be offended. Meanwhile, Gleason. Dodge and his people finally made his way over. They were so imposing that all those who wanted to greet them initially thought better of it. Cillin was starting to understand why the boy had saying power in his own family after observing the pressure he was exuding. It meant that the boy could influence many decisions in the Gleason Family, even important ones. Gleason. Dodge definitely left an impression in peoples minds. The surrounding chatter turned much quieter because of their arrival. A couple of kids who were hitting their plates with spoons were silenced by their parents as well. Everyone here knows about the two brats that shouldnt be offended in legends. That was why they didnt dare do anything that might provoke the imposing young master. The imposing group didnt care about the surrounding reaction. They simply walked straight towards the food table with an aura that clearly stated, do not come closer. Everyone who was choosing their meal at that particular location hurriedly gave way, not wanting to get in the way of the little young master. Gleason. Dodge was planning to leave right away after eating some food, but he suddenly felt something and turned towards Cillin and Wheeze. Wheeze was badmouthing Dodge beside Cillins ears. When Dodge suddenly looked its way, it immediately widened its eyes and glared back. Dodge frowned a little. The duo felt familiar, but he was sure he had never seen them before. At the very least, he wouldnt forget a cat like this. So where was this strange sense of familiarity coming from? A guard beside the little young master made an inquiry upon noticing the little young masters unusual reaction, but Dodge simply shook his head and ate the food his guards had prepared for him. So sensitive! Wheeze humphed. How many times do I have to tell you its acute, not sensitive! Its the same thing. On Cillins shoulder, Wheeze wagged its tail once before saying, There are four invisible people around him. Of course, Cillin had already noticed them. He was more curious as to why Gleason. Dodge was given such treatment. It was almost as if he was guarding against assassinations at all times Hmm? Assassination? If he remembered correctly, the boy was being assassinated the first time he met him. What an extraordinary boy. Lunani was only curious about Gleason. Dodge, nothing more. The boy was only a couple of years older than her, but his aura was something that shouldnt belong to someone his age at all. Not even her father had ever given her such a feeling. Since Lunani was focused on staring at Dodge just like everyone else, she didnt notice that Wheeze and Cillin were communicating with each other. Of course, she wouldnt be able to listen in on their conversation even if she did notice. Dodge and his group ate very quickly, but they never broke the dining etiquette a noble should have. It made the people around him feel more impressed than they already were. They left after they were done eating. They didnt speak to anyone at all during this period. However, Dodge had shot a glance at Cillin and Wheeze again before leaving. Cillin, what do you think his last look meant? Theres no way he already knows that we were the ones who watched him last time, right? Wheeze asked uncertainly. The kid was just too extraordinary! It knew the moment it saw him. Chapter 293: That Rental Car Driver Cillin didnt know if Gleason Dodge noticed that he and Wheeze were the ones who spied on him the other day. But he was sure that the boy was starting to pay attention to them. He wasnt even fifteen years old, but his intuition was scarily developed already. Cillin had no choice but to bring forward some of his plans. The atmosphere relaxed after the young master and his men were gone, but they remained the subject of everyones gossip until a long time later. As for Cillin, he was long forgotten. Lunani excitedly told Cillin all about the legendary boy genius that was Gleason Dodge. Dodge had never joined an educational institute his whole life. Not only did he taught himself from basic all the way to the advanced level, he was taking middle level courses when his peers were just starting their education. Not long after that, he moved on to high level courses, and he occasionally visited reputable schools to listen to the lectures of old RAS professors. He wasnt putting on an appearance, he really understood what they were saying. Lunani told Cillin many things about the young genius that was Gleason Dodge. While the authenticity of the gossip was difficult to verify, smoke doesnt rise unless there is fire somewhere. Even if the rumors were all untrue, something similar must have happened to give birth to them in the first place. Countless people came and left this self-service resting spot. The newcomers immediately joined in on the topic when they heard that Gleason Dodge had shown up not long ago. Suddenly, Cillin saw a familiar face walking towards his direction. Libero! Cillin called out to him. Libero was one of the five people Cillin stayed with while he was taking the exam to enter AF1. He was a hybrid between a human and an alien. Right now, the tired-looking young man was shambling on his feet. Libero didnt tell Cillin his background at the time, but it seemed like his father was quite the prestigious figure. The reason Cillin came to this conclusion was because Libero was wearing the Rolle Familys insignia on his shirt. Libero looked up when he heard someone calling out to him from a distance. When he noticed that Cillin was waving a hand at him, he immediately brightened up and strode towards Cillin with a smile. There were others who noticed the running Libero, but their attention was centered on the family insignia on his shirt, not his person. That was how they determined if a person was worth speaking to or not. There were people who wanted to speak with Libero when they noticed that he was a member of the Rolle Family. However, they were stopped and whispered to before they even took their first step. After that, their gazes became completely unfriendly and even disdainfulif Libero wasnt bearing the insignia of the Rolle Family, if they were in a different location or setting, they might have chosen to bare their disdain completely. As of now, they were standing on the Rolles Family private planet. It would be unwise to disrespect a member of the Rolle Family in their own territory. Libero was used to this type of attitude and didnt care for them. He took a seat immediately after he reaching Cillin. Heh, what a surprise, I wasnt expecting to see you here! Libero was very happy to see Cillin. Cillin was one of the few people who didnt discriminate against aliens, and they used to be housemates. This was the first time Libero saw Cillin after they parted ways back then. A friend gave me an entry card, so I came to enjoy a free meal. Honestly, I dont really know the people attending this wedding, Cillin said. You think Id believe that? Whos the little girl beside you? Shouldnt you introduce her to me? Libero winked before looking back and forth between Cillin and Lunani. It was like he was saying: Not bad, brother. Shes pretty fresh, isnt she? What are you talking about? Its not what you think, Cillin said before introducing Lunani and Libero to each other. He only said that Libero was his old housemate when he introduced him to Lunani, however. Speaking of which, I have had no idea that you''re a member of the Rolle Family, Cillin said. Libero gave him a helpless smile before replying, I wouldnt even qualify to be here if I wasnt accepted by AF2. AF2?! The best high level educational institute of the RAS?! Lunani exclaimed in surprise. To her, entering the affiliated schools was almost like a pipedream. Only nobles with powerful connections had the right to enter AF3, and the entry barrier for AF1 and AF2 was only higher. It was rumored all the geniuses in the empire were assembled there. Yeah. Did Cillin not tell you? Libero asked before noticing Lunanis confusion. He added, Cillin and I were housemates while we were taking the entry exams to join AF1. I joined AF2, and this guy joined AF1. Lunanis eyes were instantly filled with envy and admiration. She had no idea that the people she was speaking to were geniuses from AF1 and AF2! Connections and status were useless in these schools, only those who had real skill and knowledge were allowed to enter! Libero looked a little embarrassed by the girls admiration. He scratched his head, let out a cough and quickly changed the subject. You busy lately? I just finished a big exam, so Im relatively free right now. My teacher hasnt given me many missions either. What about you? Same here. I was supposed to go on a mission, but my old teacher knew my assigned teacher at AF2. So I was released earlier to attend this wedding. Ever since Libero was enrolled in AF2, the discrimination he suffered within the family hadnt changed, but at least it wasnt shown in the open anymore. After all, the affiliated schools are incredibly famous in the empire, and he had made it in by his own strength. That was why he received the entry card from his family; also a token of admission that he was a part of the family. And as a member of the Rolle Family, it was his natural duty to participate in a big wedding like this, even if the bridegroom, his paternal older half-brother, never treated him too well. Internal strifes were allowed, but everyone was required to behave properly in front of other nobles. There were many nobles close to the Rolle Family who knew about Libero. Not only was he a famous joke in the family a long time ago, he wouldve been killed if his teacher hadnt helped him. The biggest reason Libero tried all his might to enter an affiliated school wasnt to obtain the Rolle Familys acknowledgement, but to repay his teachers kindness. The trio were talking when Cillins communicator suddenly rang. This time it was a voiced message instead of a live call. Obviously, Gen Xingming was too busy for that right now. As expected, Gen Xingming was urging him to come over. Cillin responded after reading the text message: I ran into two acquaintances, Ill come over once Ive spoken to them. Gen Xingming: Who are they? Male or female? Just bring them all over unless theyre a hundred years old or something. Were all young, and were not doing anything shady. Grandpa two once said that the young should have fun, also thats how you start a relationship blah blah blah blah Now Cillin was sure that Gen Xingming had had too much, and judging from the noisy laughter that was garbling Gen Xingmings voice it must be pretty crowded over there. My friends asking me to head over for fun. Do you guys have any plans after this? If you dont, would you like to come along? Cillin asked Lunani and Libero. Lunani was slightly afraid of course, or more accurately she was afraid of the eye rolls she was going to get from the big nobles. But she was completely unfamiliar with this place, and she didnt want to leave the side of the only reliable friend she had encountered so far. Cillins friends shouldnt be too hard to interact with, right? In the end, she trusted Cillin because she trusted Chang Four. Lunani left together with Cillin after informing her father about her excursion. Her father stared at her company with dissatisfaction until they were gone from his sight. As for Libero, his thoughts were the same as Lunanis: If these people were friends with Cillin, then they shouldnt be too hard to interact with. Did you guys bring your own car? Of course, Cillins hoverboard wasnt nearly big enough to fit three people. They would have to get a car somewhere. Lunani shook her head. She didnt bring her own because her father was driving. Libero didnt have a flying car either; the poor dude actually came over on a taxi. Since no one had a car with them, they had to rent one at the Rolle Familys rental car spots. Cillin showed his admission card to the staff and borrowed one. It wasnt an impressive vehicle, but it definitely wasnt low quality either. After all, all nobles valued their faces highly. To put up a lousy car for rent was the same as slapping their own faces. Cillin sat on the drivers seat while Lunani and Libero sat at the back. Wheeze was sitting on the front passenger seat and eating its biscuits. After everyone was ready, Cillin started driving towards the coordinates Gen Xingming gave them. He didnt drive quickly because he wanted to enjoy the sceneries around them. Lunani was also looking at her surroundings with yearning. Every young girl had a bridal dream after all. Libero didnt feel the same. He was the one who set up some of the decorations the duo was seeing, and the sight of them only reminded him of the days he toiled away like a laborer and left a dull pain in his stomach. Swoosh swoosh swoosh While they were travelling at leisure, a couple of flying cars suddenly flew past them at high speed. One of them was so close that the shells of the cars were brushing against each other. Worse, a couple of bullets at the trunk of their car. If the flying cars protection was any poorer, the attack wouldve resulted in serious consequences. Lunani was shocked by the unexpected event, and Libero didnt fare much better. He looked outside the window and said angrily, Those young nobles are all insane! Who are they? Cillin asked after steadying the car. I dont know, but I know they often raced around this area. Maybe I couldve ignored them if their driving skills were good, but that isnt the case at all! The Rolle Familys cleanup robots had to clean up dozens of car wrecks every day because of these people, and at least some innocent people were hurt in the process. The reason this wasnt blown up was because the wounded werent anyone important. Liberos anger rose the moment he started talking. Obviously, no lives except a nobles was important to these people. Not only that, they were so rich that wrecking a bunch of luxury cars did nothing to dampen their mood at all. Cillin decided to switch a lane after watching the unsteadily flying cars and the passengers opening fire at each other. It was better to take the longer way than to get caught up with these people. His idea was sound, but unfortunately the nobles seemed to have taken a fancy for them. They immediately caught up to him while hooting like mad. Wheeze asked while eating, Should we teach them a lesson? They were more than close enough for it to disrupt their cars control system. But Cillin shook his head. Almost none of these nobles had real driving skills; he could tell just by looking at their trajectory. Sit tight! Cillin informed Lunani and Libero before tapping away at the control panel. To his surprise, he discovered that the vehicle was equipped with a scanner, a monitoring system and a report system. It was just underused because not many could make use of them. Of course, a rental car was going to be slightly inferior compared to a custom made car, but a good driver could definitely close a small technological gap like this. Meanwhile, the youngsters circled around Cillins rental car like they were watching a joke. They were waiting for the passengers to show their pitiful appearance and beg them for mercy. However, their arrogance only lasted for a moment before the rental car slipped through an opening like it had an injection. That rebel! How dare they escape?! Fuck! Chase them! The reason these youngsters were this fearless was because their target was a rental car. They had done the same thing many times already, and they never failed to derive a sick sense of accomplishment every time they successfully made the passengers beg for their life. However, these youngsters soon discovered that the worm was flying like it had several pairs of wings on its hull. Even worse, its flew unpredictably and was impossible to capture even with their numbers. Some of them were even shooting at Cillins car, although the latter was always able to dodge out of the way in time. Since the rental car wasnt equipped with weapons, Cillin lured the shooters next to the forest before rolling out of the way at top speed, causing their shots to hit only trees or rocks. What the hell, is that driver cant be a fighter pilot or something?! Isnt he afraid hell run into a hill at that speed? Someone complained. I dont care if theys a pilot or not, we must shoot them down no matter what! What are we going to say to the others if we lose, tell them we lost to a rental car driver?! Thats true. But some people hesitated because they were in someone elses territory. It would be bad to take things too far, not to mention their vehicles only had basic weaponry. The deadlier weapons had all been removed by their family for safety reasons, and it didnt look like shooting the rental car with simple weapons was going to work. Cillin almost never slowed down as the nobles pursued him. Although their cars were mechanically at least as fast as his, their drivers flew like headless flies whenever they hit a corner. They were unable to make use of their vehicles superior technology at all. Cillin spun the steering wheel and passed a ninety degree corner without warning, throwing off the car behind him and causing them to crash into the lush forest. He didnt check how the driver was doing since he was certain that their vehicles were sturdy enough to keep them all alive. At worst, they would suffer a bit of a hard time. Sometimes, Cillin felt confused by the people around him. Gen Xingming, Ulaganuo and Bel were the three kings descendants, but they never went this far or applied their twisted sense of pleasure on unrelated people. Naimi was an upper noble, but he never did such a thing either. People said you havent lived until youve done something insane, but people who took things this far could only be warped at the core. Cillin also refused to believe that these people had better backgrounds than Naimi. Where on earth did they find their confidence to act like this when even people stronger than them knew to control themselves? Bang! Bang! When two more cars crashed into the forest courtesy of Cillin, his pursuers could no longer surround him with their remaining numbers. All he needed to do now was go full speed ahead, and he had no intentions of entertaining these people any longer. And so the rental everyone initially thought was pitiful easily overcame the trees and buildings in front of it and flew away like the wind. Its pursuers could do nothing but watch it vanish from their sight. After confirming that he had lost the irritating nobles, Cillin checked his directions and continued towards their destination once more. Suddenly, he noticed that a strange atmosphere permeating inside the car and looked at the back mirror. He noticed that Lunani and Libero were completely white, and they were holding onto the handrails like their very life depended on it. Liberos legs were still shaking. Hey, are you guys uh, alright? Cillin asked. A long time later, Libero finally replied, Im Im fine maybe Cillin: ... Cillin stopped the car at a nearby grassland so that Libero and Lunani could catch their breath. The moment he stopped, Lunani and Libero finally returned to themselves and rushed out of the car, emptying all the contents of their stomach on the ground. Cillin rubbed his nose in embarrassment. He supposed he went a bit too far this time. When he noticed that Wheezestill stuffing biscuits leisurely into its mouthwas about to say something, he immediately covered its mouth. He was sure the gray cat was going to say something terrible like your bodies are weak. Somewhere behind Cillin, the young nobles also stopped their cars after losing track of their prey. After meeting up with the ones who crashed into the forest, one of the youngsters took out his communicator and told them to find out the rental cars identification number. His communicator rang again right after he was done laying out instructions. Hey, when are you guys coming over? Sigh, can you not remind me? We ran into a bit of trouble. Oh come on, who are you trying to fool? Who in the world is crazy enough to give you trouble? The person on the line sounded disbelieving. Well there is one now, fuck! A rental car driver no less! Chapter 294: Prince… Cillin?! The place Gen Xingming mentioned was closer to the wedding''s main venue, but because Cillin had landed at a different location at the beginning, and he was delayed by those racers just now, it took a while to finally get there. The place was a leisure spot specifically built for youngsters to socialize and have fun with each other. It was obvious that it was overflowing with passion even before they landed on the ground. More than half of the noble youngsters participating in this wedding could be found in this location. Pairs, triads or groups of friendly faces interacted with each other without forgetting to network with higher people when the opportunity presented itself. Cillin parked his rented vehicle at the designated parking lot. There were luxury cars wherever they looked, and many had the Whirlwind emblem on them. The emblem represented lavishness, and it was how the people showed off their status. Obviously, Lunani and Libero were familiar with Whirlwind. Lunanis father and herself had a Whirlwind car of his own. But unlike her father, her vehicle wasnt custom-made. Custom-made Whirlwind cars must be booked very early, and those who didnt supply a blueprint from the start must queue in the line like all others. Of course, powerful purchasers were given preferential treatment by the Sizer Family. If this was the twenty third star region, then Lunani had no reason not to feel proud about herself. But it wasnt, and she would soon be facing all the nobles from all across the empire. The mere sight of the luxury cars alone sapped her of her confidence because she knew all too well how people acted within the noble circle. Libero wanted to say something when Cillin calmly parked his rented car in the middle of these luxury cars, but in the end he stopped himself. If he was Cillin, he would never be able to act as calm, or choose to park the rental car here to begin with. He wouldve sought a public parking lot some distance away from here instead. That was why he felt a little red in the face, and he couldnt help but shoot nervous glances around himself. Thankfully, most of the services here were automated, so no one saw them parking their car here. When Cillin was done parking, he grabbed a certain restless cat by the nape, beckoned the worried Lunani and Libero to follow him and walked towards the spot Gen Xingming told him to go to. Lunani stuck close to Cillin as if she was afraid that the latter would leave her alone to face all these people. Libero saw a couple of familiar faces who shot him disdainful and provocative looks, but he chose to ignore them all. They wouldnt dare go overboard while they were on the Rolle Familys territory. Nobles always did their best to carry themselves with restraint and grace whenever they were at a noble gathering. Even enemies set down their their personal grudges to obey this unwritten rule, if only temporarily. The reason the nobles obeyed was one, they werent the main characters of the event, and two, they were accompanied by people who were of higher status than they were. It would be reckless to start something and bring unnecessary trouble onto themselves. That was why everyone took a step backwards and formed a circle around the most important people of their group. Anyone who stood out too much would be seen as snatching the limelight from their leaders. This was yet another unwritten rule. Luna! Lunani didnt pay too much attention to her surroundings because she was nervously sticking close to Cillin. She turned around only when she a familiar voice calling out her name. Luna was Lunanis nickname, and only people who knew her well called her that. However, the girl calling out to her right now didnt count as a familiar face at all, meaning that she was only doing it to show off the breadth of her social network. It was the same as everyone else. Of course, they only dared to do this in front of people whose status were lower than theirs. The girl holding up the edges of her gown slightly was a middle noble just like Lunani, but unlikely Lunani this girl knew a lot of nobles and enjoyed making acquaintances with upper nobles. So glad to see you, sister Willa! Lunani also grabbed the edges of her dress and performed a curtsy. Instead of focusing all her attention onto the person who returned her greeting, Willa looked at Cillin and Libero and examined them for a bit. Neither Libero nor Cillin were wearing any insignia that could identify them, and she had never met them until today. But Willa had a lot of experience mingling with upper nobles, so she wisely kept reserved judgment until further notice. She gave them a smile and gave them a curtsy, to which Cillin and Libero returned formally with a bow. Both men had given her a standard nobles bow. Willa was used to identifying a persons status and culture through the form of their bows, and she could see that the action came naturally but perfectly to both Cillin and Libero. Clearly, they werent just imitating their betters. This elevated their statuses in Willas heart a little, but ultimately she didnt know either of them. Willa thought that she had seen everyone within the upper nobles, so she paid them little heed even though she didnt think poorly of them. Luna, you shouldve told me you were coming over! Willa said with feigned anger. Im sorry, but I wasnt planning on coming over at first because I came together with my father. Thats why I hadnt troubled you. Lunani felt that her smile was starting to turn stiff, but at least she still looked flawless on the outside. It was a technique every noble must have if they wished to survive. In that case I forgive you. Speaking of which, I made a lot of new friends for the past two days, Luna. Come on, let me show you around. Willa loved to show off her superiority, and Lunani was of course well aware of it. Showing her face among the upper nobles could only be good to her future, but Lunani felt insecure in an unfamiliar environment, and she knew just how dirty many nobles were behind their shiny facade. Not only couldnt she find the courage in herself to make a careless decision, she trusted Cillin more than she trusted Willa. That was why she chose to turn down Willas invitation politely. This is a great opportunity, you know. Well alright, just dont regret this after its all over! There was no reason for Willa to spend anymore time here since Lunani had turned down her offer. She quickly bid them goodbye and walked towards another group to socialize some more. You humans are so fake, Wheeze commented from atop Cillins shoulder. Cillin tugged at its whiskers before replying, Thats why you shouldnt learn from us. After Willa, no one tried to talk with them because they were strangers and they werent wearing any eye-catching insignia. It was just the way Cillin liked it, and they were able to arrive at Gen Xingmings location without any interruption at all. At first, he thought that Gen Xingming was partying at a public location, but a guard was blocking at the entrance. Normally, identity checks are left to the robots. If there are no robots, then the location should be open to everyone. Thats why there shouldnt be a human guard here, Libero explained. He said this because he was familiar with the Rolle Familys setup of the planet, and what they were seeing wasnt a common occurrence. That being said, this so-called identity check was just a look at a persons insignia. Everyone guarding this place had memorized a table of noble insignia in their heads, and those who didnt meet the criteria werent allowed to enter. Out of the three of them, Libero was the only one who had the right to enter. The bar sure is high around here, Cillin commented with a smile. In that case should we leave, big brother Cillin? Lunani asked. Yeah, lets go! Like we care about being here! Libero grabbed Cillins arm and tried to drag him away until Cillin stopped him. Cillin pulled out his communicator and was about to ask Gen Xingming to fetch him when his eyes were suddenly drawn towards a particular direction. Did you see someone? Libero chased Cillins gaze. He hadnt noticed anyone unusual, but people were swarming the direction Cillin was looking at. It was enough people to make him miss something that wouldve stood out otherwise. Whiskers twitching, Wheeze was also looking towards the same direction. However, it didnt say anything. Its nothing. Cillin turned back and tried to call Gen Xingming again when a voice suddenly came from inside the building. Prince Cillin! Pr Prince? Libero and Lunani stared at Cillin in shock. This style of address was only applicable to a member of the emperor and the three kings. Who was Cillin really? One of Gen Xingmings bodyguards rushed out of the building to greet him after that. They were the only ones here who knew who Cillin was in the Gen Family. The style of address became common in the Gen Family because of Genya, and the former and current King Fuji didnt try to stop this. Genya himself was very happy to see this. It made a good laugh every time someone addressed Cillin as Prince, and the young man made a face in response. Prince Cillin, the three princes are waiting for you inside. Of course, the guard from earlier hastily apologized and opened up the way. Lets go, Cillin said while putting a hand on Lunani and Liberos shoulder. Oh. The duo followed him a bit stiffly from behind. How did Cillin suddenly become Prince Cillin? Cillin spotted Ulaganuo the moment they passed a corner. The young man was going for a toilet break because he drank too much. He called out, Gaga! Libero felt his facial muscles twitching. Not only did he know Ulaganuo, he had seen the prince with his own eyes during the entry test. After studying Ulaganuo for a bit, Libero found out that the prince didnt tolerate anyone calling him by his nickname unless they were very close to him. In fact, he usually eliminated those transgressors on the spot. When Ulaganuo looked up and saw Cillin, he immediately leaped to his feet and hit the wall next to him. Fuck, youre finally here!? We were just talking about you! He had to act like a gentleman in front of others, so the sight of a close friend made him explode into expletives out of habit. The bodyguard who was leading the trio into the building left because his service was no longer necessary. Talk about what? Cillin asked while walking up to Ulaganuo. What else? Naimi is boasting about your feats right now, and he even showed off that car model you two won during the race! All the racing fans inside are riled up because of it! Gen Xingming, Ulaganuo and Bel won a lot of money thanks to Cillin and Naimi. Even better, they could spend it however they liked because it wasnt allowance from the family. Liberos facial muscles twitched again. When did Cillin participate in a race? Libero was busy with a mission at the time, and he didnt have the cash or qualification to participate even if he was interested. His lack of interest caused him to miss out on Cillin winning an extremely influential flying car racing competition. The return of Vege-Fritter and the rise of the Sizer Family young master, Naimi were the two things that left the most impression during that race. Cillin had only shown his face once, and he had asked the Sizer Family to diminish his presence on purpose. That was why not many people remembered him. Who is this? Ulaganuo asked while looking at Lunani curiously. He remembered Libero, but he didnt recognize the young girl at all. This is my younger brothers friend, Kiva Lunani, Cillin replied. Lunani carefully curtsied to Ulaganuo. Unlike the curtsy she gave earlier, this one was specific to a member of the royal family, more specifically the kings royal family. The formal greeting one used when facing the emperors royal family was also different. After Lunani was finished, Ulaganuo waved his hands and said, Theres no need to act this restrained since youre a friend of Cillin. Be more open. Lunani nodded immediately, not caring for the implied meaning behind Ulaganuos words. Gaga, do you know that youre wearing an extremely vulgar smile on your face right now? Wheeze asked. Instead of getting angry, Ulaganuo greeted the gray cat with a chuckle and said, Hey there Wheeze! I prepared a lot of wonderful food today This one line elevated Ulaganuos image in Wheeze from vulgar to approachable. Ulaganuo explained to the trio that they, the three princes had specifically permitted the guards to block all unaffiliated people from entry. They didnt try to hide who they were when they attended this meeting, so everyone wanted to meet them at least one time. It was annoying to say the least. Some time later, someone suggested posting guards at the entrance of the building, and that was that. While the group was entering the room, a silver shadow suddenly flew towards Cillins face. He didnt dodge out of the way because Wheeze had leaped into the air to catch it firmly with its mouth. Ah, no! Please be merciful, master cat! Naimi jumped over before showering Wheeze with praise, shutting up those mouths who were going to yell at it for its transgression. If even Naimi was calling it the master cat, then who were they to scold it for its mistake? That would be like committing suicide! Cillin! Come here! Gen Xingming pushed away the two babes sticking close to him before lining up three bottles of beer in front of Cillin. This is your punishment for arriving so late. Finish them all! Cillin grabbed the bottle without a word and poured them down his throat. He drank without pause, and it wasnt long before he finished all of them. Well done! The obviously drunken Gen Xingming shouted on top of his lungs while hitting the table. Whatever princely bearing he mightve had before he was drunk was completely gone, causing Lunani to look at him in complete disbelief. Cillin shook his head at Gen Xingmings loss of composure. It was no wonder this guy got spanked by his family every time he returned home, not to mention he never hid his deeds well enough to fool his fathers spies. Cillin could already imagine the love whipping Gen Xingming would receive after the wedding was over. Hell, he might even be sent to the army for another reforging session. Bel thought that he had seen Lunani somewhere. When Cillin told him her identity, the young man clapped his hands together and said, I was wondering why you look so familiar. Youre Chang Fours wife! Lunani: ... By this point, Lunanis original impression of the three princes had been bombarded by themselves to the point of no return. Lunanis cheeks looked red enough to bleed out of the pores, so Cillin hit Bel once to stop from going overboard. Naimi finally managed to trade his mini Vege-Fritter back from Wheeze with a plate of food, but it was already too late: there was now a clear bite mark on the surface on the car model. Naimi complained to Cillin with tears, You need to take responsibility for this, Cillin! I want a new replacement! You deserved that. Cillin knew what Naimi was really planning of course: the young man wanted him to build another car! Unfortunately, he didnt have the time to indulge in Naimis wish tight now. After learning that Cillin was the racer whom Naimi claimed was so good that it was like he was flying through space and time, a couple of knowledgeable hobbyists went to talk to him. They had all watched the race, although of course their experience wasnt as deep as Naimi. There were also some who wished for Cillin to drive one more time so that they could experience it with their own body. Vege-Fritters success and Naimis initiative prompted some flying car enthusiasts to buy a Vege-Fritter themselves. However, Vege-Fritter hadnt officially entered production yet, and there were still many technical problems that needed to be solved. That was why there were less than ten new Vege-Fritters only, and they were all made by Fleka himself. Right now, a long, long queue of people were waiting for their turn to book a Vege-Fritter from the Sizer Family. The door opened again while they were talking. Cillin knew immediately from their voices that they were the ones who caused them trouble on the road just now. Surprisingly, the duo who walked in bowed and apologized to Cillin after introducing themselves. They even confessed their misdeeds to the confused spectators with surprising frankness. After tracking down the rental cars identification number, the group went on to investigate Cillin, or at least they tried to until the Rolle Familys person in charge had sent them a warning, and their own family had called them. It was only then they realized that they had attacked someone they shouldnt attack. They knew they had to apologize first and soon, or it wouldnt be good when Cillin came looking for them instead. That was why they came over. Heh, you guys are pretty bold, arent you? Racing with Cillin? Do you have a death wish? Naimi said with a snort. Ahem, we didnt know, did we? Cut the nonsense, we all know what kind of people you are! From the looks of it, Naimi probably knew these people. But since they were in public, Cillin decided to give Naimi face and not make a fuss about their crimes. Some time during the party, Cillin excused himself for a toilet break and walked down a long corridor. He arrived at a secluded spot, checked his surroundings for hidden cameras and pressed a button on his wrist. Then, he stepped into a storeroom filled with a couple of sofas and tools. He looked around him once before saying, Come out. A figure slowly appeared into view. It was a robot, a Black Viper robot. Now that Cillin had succeeded Guan Feng as the new leader, the robots programming were different from before. They wouldnt attack Cillin, and they knew who he was in Black Viper. What happened? What is your mission here? Chapter 295: The Zebra Virus Unlike a human being, Black Vipers robots didnt indulge in private activities. This meant that they only went out when they had a mission to execute. Worse, anything that involved them was normally a big deal just like the Sea Blue Gold incident. That incident had been a plan to snap the RAS scholars entirely too engrossed with gaining fame than furthering their studies out of their delusion, and it worked very well. Research on the sea blue gold had progressed at an astonishing speed ever since. It was no wonder that leaders are also natural strategists. Cillin hadnt heard about anything important from Black Viper when he came here. Although Guan Feng hadnt relinquished all of his power yet, and Cillin was in a period of adaptation, it was no reason for him to be kept in the dark if the business was that important. Although the robots had kept quiet about their mission, they had no reason to hide it from Cillin now that he was asking them directly. We are here to observe and track down any suspect viral carriers. Viral carriers? Cillin asked. He hadnt heard anything like this when he came to this planet. Thats correct. The robot then told him about the cause of the incident and all of the relevant information. A new virus named the Zebra Virus by the RAS Institute of Virology had appeared in the empire. Despite its name, the virus wasnt related to zebras in any way. It was a reference to the symptoms where the infecteds skin became covered by stripes. First, parts of the skin would turn lighter or darker, giving the infected patient a dual-colored appearance. As the sickness gets worse, the muscles and nerves also become severely affected. The lighter part of the flesh would grow softer, and the darker part of the flesh would harder. One way or the other, the sickness slowly cripples the patient until they lose the ability to move completely. Their conditioned reflexes would become slower, and nerve conduction blocks would start appearing more and more, but the patients cranial nerves were left mostly intact. Basically, they would be fully conscious as their death came closer and closer. It was basically torture. The patients wouldnt be able to move or speak. Eventually, even expressions would be beyond their ability to make, meaning that eye contact was their only way of communication. As the sickness became even more severe, their very pupils would change color share the same stripes as their bodies. The first discovery was made at the 11th star region. A group of patrols had gone to an inhabitable, unmanned planet to mine energy ores after picking up an energy signal. Instead, they discovered five long dead bodies and the energy ores they dug. The ores were below the surface of the planet, and the patrols didnt have the right equipment to probe further into the ground. They wouldnt even have a signal to pick up if these five dead people hadnt dug out some of the energy ores. So, if the energy ores were deep below the ground, how did these five people discover them in the first place? Plus, they clearly werent the only people who landed on the planet. The patrols discovered traces of a spaceplane landing on the ground, but they didnt see anything like that when they came to the planet. It meant that these five people werent alone, and that their companions had ditched their bodies and escaped by themselves. On the surface, the patrols couldnt find any external wounds, so they took off the deceased protective suits for a deeper check. It was there they discovered that the deceased bodies were covered in stripes: One had green and red stripes, another had black and purple stripes, and one more had blue and yellow stripes. The reason the colors were different was because each of them caught different variants of the virus. The patrols immediately realized that something was wrong the moment they saw how odd the bodies looked. They immediately reported their findings and took a blood sample. The results indicated that the deceased had died from viral infection. The soldiers were all wearing protective suits, and they went back to their squad after collecting some information. They went through six different sterilization processes in the sterilization room before they were allowed entry to the ship, but they soon discovered that stripes were appearing on their fingernails. Although no one felt unhealthy at the start, they had all seen what had happened to the five victims. The soldiers were sent away for a checkup, and not one of them had returned to their squad since. The average virus detector couldnt detect the unknown substance at all, and the analyzer could even determine if the patients symptoms were caused by the virus or something else. Even the sterilization equipment they had couldnt one hundred percent kill the single-stranded virus. The entire patrol squad was quarantined very soon. Three days later, it was discovered using the new machine the RAS created specifically to detect this virus that more than sixty percent of the patrol squad had been infected. The incubation period of the Zebra Virus wasnt fixed, so even with the new scanner the task of finding the infected were made even more difficult than it already was. There were many planets and countless people they needed to check. They couldnt just grab everyone and scan them with the new scanner. For now the higher-ups were keeping a lid on the matter, and Black Viper was asked to help with the matter. This was a virus infection, so humans werent a good choice for field work. Besides the empires special operations, Black Vipers robots were also sent out to track down the primary variant and the original virus. Cillin counted the days before asking, Did Xi Kai left during the succession meeting because of this? Yes. The emperor himself had contacted him to deal with the emergency. If this virus really is as dangerous as you say, why havent I heard anything about it until now? Also, if the situation really is that bad, why are the three kings allowing their kids to run wherever they please? Leader Feng is the one who told us to keep it quiet from you. Currently, the virus hasnt broken through the eleventh star region yet, so there are many things that arent publicized yet. Also, I think the three kings didnt try to restrict the three princes because this planet is quite far from the eleventh star region. If an infected does show up here, Im sure their guards will take them away by force if they have to. Cillin shot the robot a glance. Guan Feng hadnt surrendered all of his power yet, so for now his words had more sway than Cillins. However, it wasnt because he couldnt bear to part his power. It was because he didnt want Cillin to get involved with this. Guan Feng had never researched anything related to viruses, so even if his focus in Black Viper was academics he had never taken part in any research that involved viruses and molecules. But Cillin was different. Guan Feng was terrified for Cillins stake because the initial research of a new virus was also the riskiest. To keep him out of the loop entirely was how Guan Feng planned to protect Cillin. No wonder Guan Feng hadnt surrendered his power even though Gu Changan and Kristi Lang had done it already. It was because he knew about this, and that the actual transfer of power only took place when Black Vipers robots were reprogrammed to obey Cillins command. Two people were responsible for the reprogramming: the emperors representative and the executor, Xi Kai. Clearly, Guan Feng had spoken to both of them beforehand. What is the current mortality rate of the virus? Ten percent of the total infected are dead, thirty percent are in the critical stage, and the rest are in the preliminary stage. This virus mutates quickly, and it has more derivatives than usual. So far, no satisfactory antibody has been created yet. At best, they extended the patients life a bit longer, the robot said. Have you confirmed the method of transmission? Cillin asked. Its confirmed that the virus can be transmitted through body fluid and the respiratory tracts. Skin secretion is also a possibility. Up until now, anyone who came into contact with the patients have been infected. What about the humanoids? The humanoids arent immune either. In fact, the virus mutates faster inside their bodies. Cillin fell silent. Chapter 295: The Zebra Virus Part 2 Chapter 295: The Zebra Virus [Part 2] The robot continued with his explanation. After the military and Black Viper investigated the incident together, they concluded that the virus didnt originate from the planet the patrols discovered. Currently, the higher-ups had two theories to offer. The first ones a conspiracy theory. They believe that the virus was intentionally released, and the reason the culprits did it was to take revenge against the empire. The other theory was supported by most of the RAS. From the results of their experiments, they believe that the molecules that composed the virus wasnt something that could be artificially created. It is a natural, new type of molecule that came to be mostly by chance. You have a map of the virus already, dont you? Show it to me, Cillin said. Light appeared from the robots eyes to form a 3d hologram. The hologram displayed the structure and atoms of a highly mutated virus; a model of the single-stranded virus. The human DNA was a double helix, its structure lending to greater stability. A single-stranded DNA was much more unstable, not to mention that this was a virus. Cillin pointed at a black, round object on the molecule map. What is this? It is an unknown substance. Did no one figure out what it is yet? No, it is an unknown substance that we had never seen before. At the very least, the research teams of both the RAS and Black Viper hadnt been able to produce any useful information just yet. Both teams pointed out that obtaining the original virus is a must if they wish to figure out what it is, but up until now we''ve only managed to obtain an extremely small amount of primary variant virus samples, much less the original virus. This was the main reason the RAS Institute of Virology rejected the conspiracy theory in favor of the natural evolution theory. But what was the point of this argument? One way or the other, neither side had made any progress. Send me all the information you have on the Zebra Virus, Cillin said while activating his communicator. The device had an encrypted reception function that could store a huge amount of data. The robot didnt reject his request. It sent all the data it had to Cillin as ordered. Are you here because you found a virus carrier? We dont have confirmation yet. Were here because there are nobles from the eleventh star region who are attending this wedding. Although the eleventh star region is currently under lockdown, the upper nobles are given some leeway. No one seems to be infected when they passed through the scanners, but just in case the higher-ups sent us to watch them and take the necessary measures the moment we discover anything amiss. Cillin nodded. Who are you tracking? Where are they now? It was one of the people who entered the room after they arrived. You may return to your duty. If anything happens, inform me right away. Understood. Cillin waved a hand at the robot, and it turned invisible once more. Cillin stood outside the room for a moment to digest all the information he obtained from the robot. Only then he returned to the room where his friends were having fun. Things were as noisy as ever. Naimi and the car lovers were still talking about Vege-Fritter, and Gen Xingming was boasting about the huge sum of money he won during the grand prix. Thanks to Bel, neither Libero nor Lunani were given the cold shoulder while Cillin was gone. On the contrary, they had found an acquaintance or two they could speak with and were enjoying the conversation. Wheeze was receptive to all forms of fun, and sometimes it made noises with Gen Xingming and the others. However, its darting ears revealed to Cillin that the gray cat was really paying attention to anything and everything around it, including the conversation he had with the robot just now. Wheeze stopped chowing down the snack on its plate and jumped onto Cillins shoulder when he returned. It asked, What do you plan to do after this? For now, I plan to wait and see what happens. We can research this after the wedding is over. Wheeze looked distracted as it kneaded its paws on Cillins shirt. A long time later, it finally said, I think its better if you stay out of this. Why? Cillin walked to a nearby sofa and sat down, kicking a drunken Gen Xingming out of the way before the latter could invite (force) him to have a drink. I have a feeling that this virus is very dangerous. Even you think that its dangerous? Its not dangerous to me. If a mere robot can resist the virus, then I can too. But that doesnt apply to you. Youre a carbon-based lifeform through and through, and this virus is unlike anything youve come into contact before. That unknown substance is especially dangerous, even I couldnt analyze it and find out what it is, Wheeze replied with slanted ears. Cillin didnt say anything. Just like Guan Feng, Wheeze didnt want him to get involved in this. However, he had no intentions of avoiding this. Hey, why dont we just forget about this virus, Cillin? Worse comes to worse, you can leave the responsibility of a leader to someone else. Its much better to be a free Hunter, isnt it? Wheeze missed its old life at GAL a little. Cillin put Wheeze on his lap and scratched its chin. You want to go back? Mm. I miss them a little, Wheeze replied while arcing its neck. Of course Cillin knew who Wheeze was referring to. He missed them too. But they couldnt go back, could they? Cillins thoughts wandered back to the Zebra Virus while he was scratching Wheezes chin. From the data he received, he knew that Black Viper had gathered many highly active virus samples from around ten thousand patients. However, more than half of the samples they got were viruses that had mutated beyond recognition, and the rest were viruses that had mutated at least twice. Just like the robot had told him earlier, the number of primary variant virus samples were few and far between, and the original virus was nowhere in sight. Be it artificial or natural, the more a virus mutates, the more its original structure was overwritten. The robot didnt have the analytical model or the molecule map of a primary variant virus, so he would have to ask for it himself. But the moment he did that, there would be no backing down from this project. Cillin himself wasnt afraid or averse to this type of work, but he was almost sure that Guan Feng wasnt the only one who didnt want him to get involved in this. Their sentiment was understandable. If the virus really was as deadly as it seemed, it was only natural that they would want him to stay out of it. After all, no one who could replace Cillin if anything were to happen to him. At the very least, no such replacement had been discovered yet. Even those in Black Viper who didnt know him would probably disagree with his involvement, not that their rejection would matter too much. He was one of the three leaders of Black Viper after all. However, someone would definitely try to stall him out or put him through some hoops before he could get what he wanted. Cillin! What are you thinking so intensely about?! Bel knocked Gen Xingming aside with his butt and put a shoulder over Cillin. He then started talking about the beautiful ladies he encountered earlier. Cillin smiled and listened to his comments. When Bel asked if he wanted an introduction, he turned him down politely. The way nobles carried themselves in the norm felt a tad too close to prostitution to him, and he wasnt so oblivious that he didnt notice how the ladies were staring at him and Gen Xingming like they were sheep. It was just awkward. If the three princes didnt look somewhat unstable on the outside, he suspected that they wouldve taken matters into their own hands already. During this time, Cillin kept a close eye on Black Vipers robots. Although Wheeze really didnt want Cillin to get involved in this matter, it had no choice but to watch the robots closely as well. If an infected victim really did show up, Wheeze wondered which way would be more effective: knock Cillin out and drag him back to master grandpa two for temporary imprisonment, or play sick? Regardless of what Cillin or Wheeze was thinking, the next two days passed in relatively peacefulness. He had raced Naimi a couple of times, and he shared his thoughts and experience with the flying car hobbyists. Nothing noteworthy had happened during this time. Finally, the wedding began. Cillin had presented his gift together with the three princes, and the core members of the Rolle Family and the Gleason Family were smiling like blooming flowers when they saw him. They might not dare to rope the three princes into their schemes, but Cillin was free game in their opinion. A prince with royal blood in his veins and without were different even at this day and age. Cillin felt goosebumps crawling all over his body the moment he saw those peoples meaningful and overly familiar smiles, so he voiced an excuse and slipped out to catch his breath. He didnt manage to breath enough air before his communicator interrupted him. Cillin accepted the call after seeing the symbols on the communicator. What is it, Teacher Guan? Chapter 296: Donkey Kicked Head Like you didnt already know. Guan Feng grumbled. Cillin knew that the robot would report this to Guan Feng. Why else would it divulge everything it knew without hesitation? It was because Teacher Guan saw everything. Hows the situation now? Cillin asked. The robot was only here to keep an eye on the nobles of the eleventh star region. There were a lot of important details that it didnt know. The situation isnt very good. Guan Feng sighed. Is it your bad luck, or mine? I cant believe you had to deal with this right after your takeover. Cillin stayed silent and waited for Guan Feng to continue, but this was exactly the reaction Guan Feng didnt wish to see. He understood how stubborn Cillin could be when his mind was set on one course. If he wished to turn his neck to one side, no one could force him to look the other way. Although the management of the RAS and the higher-ups of the empire had been keeping a tight lid on things, it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. If the situation got out of control, and they werent able to create a vaccine or even come up with an effective countermeasure by then, it wouldnt be good. Although Guan Feng wasnt affiliated with the Institute of Virology, he was one of the management members of the RAS. A couple of meetings had taken place since the virus outbreak, and Cillin only needed to look at the fatigue on Guan Fengs face to know that the situation wasnt looking good. Cillin, dont get involved in this. Just leave the virus to the pros in the RAS and Black Viper. We have the manpower, and you dont have to get involved in this. Even if you must, you shouldnt be on the front lines. Guang Feng didnt sound worried, but his voice was definitely heavy. Instead of replying directly, Cillin deflected with another question. What is that substance? Guan Feng wiped his hand over his face. Man, youre one stubborn boy. Both sides fell silent for a moment. Finally, Guan Feng said, Just think on it a little longer, will you? The virus hasnt spread beyond the eleventh star region yet. Its too early for you to join in. You may as well focus on whatever it is youre doing right now. Okay. Guan Feng looked at Cillin in astonishment. He wasnt expecting the boy to agree so quickly, and it didnt look like he was lying to his face. After that, he bid Cillin goodbye after a short conversation. He had another meeting to attendit was basically the only thing the RAS management knew to do. He had no idea what was the point of it. They werent the ones who were practicing, and there hadnt been any breakthrough so far. It was literal torture to him to pretend that he was busy! Even his acting skill was slipping as of late. He just couldnt bear to fake geniality any longer. He might not be a professional in this area, but he wasnt ignorant to the deadly threat it represented. The meeting yesterday had involved the emperors special department and the RAS management. After a lengthy discussion, they had agreed to carry out the termination procedure if the virus were to spread beyond the eleventh star region. Unlike the old Black Vipers territory, it wouldnt be a temporary termination. They would wipe out all the infected planets from the surface of the universe. It wouldnt just be one planet if it came to that point. There were at least hundreds of planets in the eleventh star region, and some of them possessed ancient civilizations and important cultural heritages. Unless the empire had no other choice, they wouldnt permit such a thing to happen no matter what. Cillin stood outside the wedding venue for a moment after ending his call with Guan Feng. The wedding was going greatly, and the middle to upper nobles were doing their best to increase their presence and attract the eyes around them. But if even one of them was infected by the Zebra Virus, the entire planet would become compromised. For now, catching the Zebra Virus meant catching a date with death. All the medicine and healing technology in the world could only delay the inevitable. The Zebra Virus was highly infectious, incredibly deadly, and very mutagenic. They were all incredibly difficult hurdles to overcome. There were already plenty of one-track minded people in the RAS, and Black Viper only doubly so. One only needed to look at Neo to know that. Their chances of catching an infection could only be worse than the RAS. Thinking, Cillin turned on his communicator and tried to call Neo. Neo had told him all the numbers he possessed, and he was sure that that stubborn mule wouldnt miss the opportunity to research the Zebra Virus. Cillin, look! The bride almost tripped on her dress! Wheeze stood on its hind legs to share a comedious moment with Cillin. Wheeze was a half-cyborg. It was no trouble for a walking camera like it to capture and replay the scene. Cillin pinched Wheeze by the ear when he saw the replay. He asked, What did you do? Wheeze looked away as its whiskers shook nervously. Nothing. Cut the act. Is it just me, or are you getting naughtier and naughtier lately? I am not!! That is framing! What youre trying to say is slander. But perfect timing. Help me get Neo on the line, will you? Black Viper would probably try to disrupt my call attempts, so I want you to preserve the signal. Wheeze glared at him. Didnt you promise Guan Feng not to get involved and focus on your own business? Why are you calling Neo?! Although Wheeze had caused a little trouble for the bride and the groom, it was also paying attention to Cillins conversation with Guan Feng. So when it heard Cillin promising Guan Feng to focus on his own business, it was so happy that it raised the lift beneath the bride before dropping it back down quickly. That was how the bride nearly tripped on her feet. I promised to focus on my own things, but I never said I wont get involved in this. You liar! All liars reincarnate as feces in their next life! Cillin pinched the gray cats cheek. What kind of nonsense are you watching again? Never mind, I can do this myself. Although Wheeze was angry, it ultimately helped Cillin to contact Neo. After all, it was faster this way. Cillin looked around him before finding a secluded place to contact Neo. Cillin felt his heart sank the moment Neos image appeared on the screen. The man was wearing a protective suit, but the transparent face mask couldnt hide the stripes on the wearers face. Neo was currently working in a lab in an isolated zone belonging to Black Viper. Speak quickly if you have anything, Cillin. I still got things to do! This zebras a feisty one! Neo didnt sound depressed in the slightest despite having been infected. In fact, he looked like he was brimming with energy. When did you catch the Zebra Virus? Cillin asked. Ten days or so. But I found a drug that can relieve the symptoms. Relief was just that, relief. It wouldnt cure the virus. If an effective medicine wasnt created soon, Neo would die for sure. How do you feel right now? Cillin had read some of the patient reports. He knew that it couldnt be comfortable. Neo immediately started rambling understandingly, Fuck the uncles and aunties, man! I can tell you I feel incredibly uncomfortable. Do you see these stripes? Neo pointed at the green and gray stripes on his face. It was one of the many variants of the Zebra Virus. Theyre still quite faint, but I can already feel some of my muscle cells cunningly sowing discord inside my body! Some of them are like a couple screaming at each other for a breakup, while the others are like one step away from fucking each other! Cillin: ... He had no idea what the hell Neo was thinking sometimes. Who talks like this after they were infected by the Zebra Virus? He was as simple and stubborn as a fool sometimes. Neo was treating this as a different form of battlefield, a battlefield between himself and the virus. Of course, he knew that the price of defeat was death, it was just that his own survival mattered less than researching the virus. Only people like him could maintain such an amazing spirit despite the situation they were in. Had he been recruited into the RAS instead, Cillin didnt know if he could still maintain his passion for academics. Cillin asked Neo to tell him everything he knew about at this stage, and Neo did exactly that. He told him everything about his current research progress and also picked Cillins brain for ideas. Just like most people who were researching the virus, they agreed that the original virus was where the key to success lay. It probably wont be easy to find one though, Cillin replied after hearing Neos analysis. Of course I know that! I made a brief calculation and concluded that, at the rate of this zebra is mutating, the chances well find a virus that still maintained its original form is less than one in a billion. In my opinion, the original virus is long gone, and even the first variants wont exist much longer. Ten more days, and more than half the first variants will undergo a mutation and make the task of obtaining first variant samples much harder. So? So, Im trying to find the model of the original virus another way! Neos said with a pleased expression and shining eyes. Ive already recreated a model tenth of virus original structure from the experiment results thus far. Although I cant verify the models accuracy yet, that would change once three-tenth of the model is complete! Recreating a virus original model took a massive amount of calculation. Even if they had the latest, most powerful calculator in the world, nothing could be calculated without data, which could only be obtained through human observation and deduction. Moreover, some of the parameters could only be obtained through experiments before they were fed into the machines. How long will it take to create three-tenth of the model? Cillin asked. At the current rate the experiments are progressing, itll be done in roughly 332.16 days. Cillin: ... God would be seeing you by then. Didnt Black Viper send you any assistant? There are also others who can help you research the virus, right? Im sure there are a lot of people in Black Viper who are doing the same thing. Nah, that wont work. I dont trust them, and their brains are totally different from mine. Yesterday, there was a dude who suggested using atomic swap to carry out the bond recovery hypothesis. It was the first time I met someone who took a donkey kick to the head Cillin: ... Cillin felt like tearing his hair out as Neo continued with his rant. The problem with Black Vipers experts was that they were incredibly difficult to deal with. They were as genius as they were stubborn, and most of the time they were completely impervious to other peoples viewpoints. If a slap could snap them to their senses, Cillin wouldve done so already. Neo went back to his experiments after his talk with Cillin. Judging from his current plans and arrangements, his experiments would continue for a very, very, very long time. Cillin felt like a rock was sitting inside him after breaking off the call. No matter how many times he exhaled, it just wouldnt get unstuck from his chest. Cillin? Wheeze poked Cillin once with its paw. Come back to earth. Cillin looked at Wheeze and asked, Wheeze, can you help me one more time? Wheeze scratched Cillins pants as its ears pulled backwards. Please forget about this, okay? Wheeze just couldnt not worry after seeing Neos face itself. At Black Vipers heart, Xi Hai was busy working in his own workshop when the data on the main screen started vibrating on their own. The vibration grew more and more rapid as the system blared out an alarm, drawing the attention of Xi Kai and a nearby robot. Someone is stealing our data, The robot said. If Cillin was nearby, he would notice that this robot was different from all the other robots he had seen. It was similar to Sigma in that it was more aware and human. The frown on its face was the proof of that. Its someone from the inside, or they wouldnt have access to this system in the first place. Theyre stealing everything thats related to the Zebra Virus. Xi Kai entered a few commands, but they quickly lost their effectiveness. At this stage, it was impossible to stop the hack unless he shut down all the machines. One minute later, the data started returning to normal. Theyre gone. They probably know that we would pick up on such a direct attack. Does that mean they meant for everyone to know about the hack from the beginning? The robot cocked its head in thought before bringing up a light screen. It hadnt lifted a finger, but the data on the screen moved in response to the flashes in its eyes. A while later, the robot stopped working and said in puzzlement, This person is incredible. No, maybe its not even the work of a human. You mean it was a robot who did this? Xi Kai asked. I cant say. It feels very strange. Xi Kais communicator rang before he could find out the reason. It was Guan Feng? Whats wrong, leader Feng? Just a heads up. I have a feeling that Cillin will try to get what he want by force, so just shut off the machines if you cant stop him. Guan Feng sounded quite helpless. He truly didnt want Cillin to get involved with this mess. If youre talking about the Zebra Virus, then Im sorry to say that youre too late. He just openly hacked all the data he wanted from our system. Guan Feng: ... Chapter 297: Up Close and Personal With The Zebra Virus Part 1 Chapter 297: Up Close and Personal With The Zebra Virus [Part 1] Thanks to Wheeze, Cillin obtained a lot of data related to the Zebra Virus. Black Viper hadnt yet arrived to a unified solution, and countless theories were floating in the RAS as well. Long story short, they knew the general direction they should be facing, but not the exact steps to take to reach their goal. Everyone knows that finding the original virus was critical to the research, but where would they find such a thing? If what Neo said was truethat the original viruses had all mutated alreadywould they be stuck at this point forever? Cillin quickly looked through all the information he obtained. Although Neos assumption was logical, he was the one who had to make up his own mind and choose a solution. The people of Black Viper were geniuses in this regard; he would never be able to come up with some of the solutions they thought up. In the end though, all these solutions needed to be tested for their effectiveness. Besides that, Cillin came to realize that many of these people had changed their original solution after they were infected by the Zebra Virus. These researchers usually had weak constitutions, natural disabilities or incurable sicknesses, so they all died not long after they were infected. Before they died, they left behind many precious and accurate records that were incredibly beneficial to the research of the virus. Although their loss of life were much bigger than the RAS, the gains were also proportional. It was data they had exchanged with their life. After he was done reading, Cillin spent some time to organize his thoughts. Black Viper had contributed at least a thousand types of detailed proposals, while the RAS contributed three main ways to solve this. He mixed them together and began simulating experiments inside his mind. It was an exhausting task to say the least, and one that almost no one could believe was possible. After all, how could a human parallelly simulate over a thousand types of proposals in their heads solve them in just a short time? Whenever a simulation reached an end, a solution was filed away as usable or discarded. The discarded solution wasnt necessarily wrong, it was just impossible to carry out within a short time. Neos proposed solution was one such example. Even if the Zebra Virus could be cured in three hundred days, the death toll wouldve reached an astronomical number. Therefore, Cillin only picked out the parts he thought he could use and set them aside. He would then evaluate their feasibility, combine them and create an ultimate solution. It was the only choice. Someone had to compile these data, and people like Neo would never accept another persons viewpoint or give up their own to support others. Wheeze watched Cillin with extreme displeasure as he worked. It missed the days at GAL where all he did was steal food from Carys cabinet, patrol its territory and bully its squadmates from time to time. No one cared if it went on a rampage during a mission, and there were no nobles to tell it what not to do because it belonged to one of the four On the ground, Wheeze sighed deeply when it thought up till this point. Cillin just couldnt not deal with this virus even though it was so dangerous! Why did he even bother when someone would deal with it eventually? At worst some more people would die, thats all. Wheeze didnt care if a bunch of people he didnt know perished, vice versa. Sure, it was a selfish cat, but so what? Whoever said it was wrong to be selfish? And why would it care if someone told it being selfish was wrong? A long time later, Cillin opened his eyes and looked at Wheeze lying dispiritedly on the ground. He grabbed it by the stomach and started walking outside. Where are we going? Wheeze asked weakly. Its tail was lowered, and its eyes were half-open. Black Viper. I dont wanna!! Wheeze struggled out of Cillins grasp and lay low on the ground. It looked positively immovable. Youre really not going? Cillin didnt move from his spot. No! Not even if Im dead! Then Ill go there myself. ... In the end, Wheeze chose to follow Cillin before he went far, but Cillins pants was spaghettified again as a result. Not only that, it was in such a foul mood that even the fish biscuits Cillin offered it was touched as a matter of course, but it never spoke or looked at him throughout the process. Cillin spoke to Gen Xingming and co. before he left. Although he didnt tell them the real reason, he subtly hinted that they should return immediately to their homes immediately after the wedding. While the three princes were a bit too playful for their own good, they always knew when to turn serious. That was why they all decided to do as Cillin said even though they didnt give him a response at the time. After bidding Gen Xingming and the others goodbye, Cillin walked to the parking lot with Wheeze between his arms. He was surprised to find someone waiting for him already. Gleason Dodge! Cillin said. Clearly, the boy had been watching them all this time, and he decided to wait for them here after seeing that they were about to leave. As usual, Gleason Dodge was surrounded by a tonne of bodyguards: Overt, covert, visible, invisible. It was pretty crazy. Are you heading to the eleventh star region to find a solution? Dodge asked. How do you know about the virus? Cillin was surprised Dodges knowledge. It also proved that Dodge was connected to the heart of the Gleason Family, or there was no way he would know about the virus. The core of the upper nobles was already informed. The news hasnt been spread yet because the emperor had ordered a temporary lockdown. Dodge investigated Cillin before, so he wasnt surprised that the disciple of Guan Feng and a close friend of the Gen Family would know about this. In that case, why are you waiting for me? Im sorry for my impoliteness, but as you can see Im in a hurry. Please tell me what you want directly. Cillin wasnt afraid to clash against Dodge even if the boy did find out that they were the ones who spied on him last time. But Gleason Dodge shook his head. Im not here to look for trouble. I just want to inform you that this planet is a good place to start if youre really looking for a solution at the eleventh star region. Gleason Dodge brought up a star map of the eleventh star region and pointed at a planet. I was at the eleventh star region before the virus appeared there. However, an ion storm and terrible magnetic field interference caused by a solar flare anomaly forced me to alter my original course. But I know of a planet in that area that was affected by the solar flare the most. Youre saying that that planet may have something to do with the virus? When did you pass by that area? Cillin asked. Dodge told him the date, it was pretty close to the date the patrol discovered the virus. It wasnt far away from the planet the virus was originally discovered, but it wasnt close enough to be suspected as ground zero either. What made you think that the solar flare has something to do with this? Cillin asked again. Dodges guess was as good as blind. Unusual solar flares happened all the time, but none had ever resulted in a virus outbreak until now. Its just a guess. I dont care if you believe me or not. Cillin paused for a second before asking a different question, Is there anything else you wish to say? Dodge glanced at the dispirited Wheeze on his shoulder and asked, Have I seen you both before? What do you think? ... Never mind. Dodge turned around and beckoned his people to leave. Thank you for your information, Cillin said. But Dudge didnt turn around or even react to his thanks. Tsk, look at him acting all cool and stuff! Wheeze vented. After Cillin entered the spaceplane, he rubbed the gray cats round head and said, Alright, be good. Once this matter is settled, Ill go to Xi Kai and see if we can find out how Sigmas companions were able to travel across star systems. If everything goes smoothly, well head back to GAL and check out how everyones doing. Really? Wheezes ears perked up, and its eyes was shining. Of course. Liars will turn into feces! Yep, liars will turn into feces. Pinky swear! Wheeze raised its front paw and extended a nail. Cillin: ... He did as Wheeze said and shook its nail twice. Then, he started the spaceplane and left the planet. Not long after Cillin and Wheeze was gone, a robot appeared where the spaceplane was parked. Leader Feng, hes gone. Chapter 297: Up Close and Personal With The Zebra Virus Part 2 Chapter 297: Up Close and Personal With The Zebra Virus [Part 2] Cillin received a call from Guan Feng not long after he left the planet. At first, Guan Feng thought that Cillin was returning to Black Viper to research the virus with Neo and the rest of the scientists. But when he heard that Cillin was heading to the eleventh star region, he immediately went ballistic. Stay where you are!! The RAS meeting room was completely silent. The RAS president had been in the middle of a passionate speech when Guan Feng shocked him so much that he forgot what to say next. When he regained faculty of himself, his facial muscles twitched, and his complexion looked as blackened as coals. Guan Feng pretended he didnt see anyones expression and walked outside, still shouting like a volcanic eruption. His usual composure and placidness were completely missing. Whats going on with Guan Feng? Someone asked. Im guessing that one of his students got into trouble. One of Guan Feng''s critics replied while taking a sip of tea. It was better to cool down at a heated moment, or one might slip up like that hypocrite just now during an important meeting like this. The reason Cillin didnt hide his intention was because he knew that it wasnt possible in the long term. There was no avoiding interaction with the empires special departments if he wished to enter the eleventh star region, and that meant Guan Feng wouldve known one way or another. He might as well tell him now rather than wait until then. Cillin closed the communicator and continued towards the eleventh star region after enduring all of Guan Fengs shouts. Just as he expected, the entire eleventh star regionespecially the severely affected areaswas put under serious lockdown. The planet Gleason Dodge told him to check was among them. Any spaceplane who wished to enter the eleventh star region normally had to undergo an inspection, but as the leader of Black Viper Cillin had a special permit that allowed him to enter or exit the star region as he pleased. However, that was only the case for the minorly infected or infection-free zones. For the majorly infected zones, no onenot even the upper nobleswas allowed to leave until further notice, and anyone who tried would be dealt with with extreme prejudice. It was an order from the highest level. Moreover, it was just a front that Wings, the official empires special department that was keeping guard at the majorly infected zones. The real operations were carried out by another force that the nobles had no power over at all. Cillin received a long-ranged warning long before he got to the protected zones. When Cillin showed his special permit, he wasnt granted immediate entry per normal procedures. He was invited to show his face in a nearby space fortress instead. Cillin complied and submitted himself to a full scan once he was inside the space fortress. Obviously, no virus carrier was allowed to set foot outside the protected zones. Even his spaceplane had to go through multiple sterilization procedures before it was allowed to enter the hanger area. When Cillin got off the spaceplane, he was greeted by two familiar faces. Tu Ba, Gu Xin? They were the test candidates he worked with while he was accepting his test on that planet. He only knew that they were assigned to a different department under Black Viper, and that they were under Kristi Langs jurisdiction, not his. The moment he saw Gu Xin and Tu Ba, he knew that this so-called empires special department was really Black Viper, or more specifically the test candidates who overcame Black Vipers test. You guys are the so-called special department? Cillin greeted Tu Ba and Gu Xin with a smile. That is correct. Gu Xin was pretty happy to see Cillin again. I didnt think I would be able to work for the military again. Tu Ba was currently wearing a military uniform, but it was very different from the uniform worn by the two main armies of the empire. For example, it was clearly designed with real combat in mind. Hey Wheeze, whats wrong? Why do you look so spiritless? Who bullied you? Gu Xin poked Wheeze in the ear and got a scratch for his troubles. Who would dare do such a thing? Cillins lips curled. You would! Wheeze shouted while pointing at his face. Cillin you are a bad idiot bastard lying piece of feces! Cillin: ... Where on earth did it learn these stuff? Gu Xin chuckled as Wheeze scratched Cillins sleeves with a grudgeful look on its face. Anyway, what are you doing here? This is a majorly infected zone, you know. Tu Ba asked. Gu Xin withdrew his smile and turned serious. They had all seen the symptoms caused by the viruses, and they knew that no one, no matter how tough they were was immune to it. I came to look for a clue about the virus. Clue? Did Black Viper send you over? No, I came here of my own volition. Gu Xin and Tu Ba knew about Kristi Lang, but they had no idea that Cillin was one of the three new leaders of Black Viper. Cillin didnt tell them the truth either, he simply said that his area of responsibility was academics just like Neo. The trio took a moment to swap stories with each other. Gu Xin and Tu Bas expression grew severe when they learned that Neo had been infected by the Zebra Virus. Neo was an incredibly annoying person, but even they had to admit that his genius was the real thing. If it wasnt for Neo and his base, it was very likely they wouldve died very early into the test. Gu Xin and Tu Ba knew that there was no point in persuading after Cillin had made up his mind about something. So, they informed him about the latest situation instead. What do you guys know about this planet? Cillin brought up a star chart and pointed at the planet Gleason Dodge mentioned. This one? Give me a sec. Tu Ba brought up the planets data before answering, Its one of the majorly infected planets. How much longer does it have? Cillin asked. What he meant was how much longer did the planet have before it hit the time limit the higher-ups had set. At the rate at which the virus was spreading, the planet would be destroyed if an effective medicine couldnt be created in time. It was because the longer the situation dragged out, the higher the chances that the mutated viruses might survive the bombardment and infect another star region. Tu Ba and Gu Xin fell silent for a moment before replying, There has been a couple of new medicines, so the higher-ups told us to wait up on the ultimatum for now. However, no one knows when that order will come. It could be a long time, or it could be the next minute. So, he would have to keep the worst case scenario in mind. Got it. If the order does come down remember to notify me. Ill evacuate the planet immediately, Cillin said while adjusting the frequencies of his communicator. Alright, be careful. This is the latest protective suit we have. This is what we wear during an operation. Tu Ba gave Cillin several sets of the same protective suit because one definitely wasnt enough. Redundancy was a life saving measure in the case of the unexpected. Cillin accepted the protective suits and asked, Do you have enough suits for your own use? Oh, definitely. Every once in a while, the latest protective suits would be delivered to the fortress. In fact, weve gone through three versions before you showed up. Tu Ba assured. If a new version shows up while youre down on the surface, Ill send a robot to deliver them to you. They werent the only ones who were guarding this place. Technically it would be safer to have an all mechanical squad guarding the borders, but that would reveal to the world that Black Viper and the empire were really one and the same and open up a new can of worms. Thanks! Youre welcome. We havent even thanked you properly for your help back then. Cillin had brought his own protective suit, but obviously the latest suits he got from Tu Ba and Gu Xin were more secure. After Cillin left, Gu Xin and Tu Ba sat on a handrail and started smoking. The air around them was solemn and gloomy. A while later, Gu Xin asked, Do you think Cillin will become infected, Tu Ba? Tu Ba didnt answer him. Instead, he exhaled heavily until his face was completely covered by smoke. Man, this smoke is thick, He said. Their conversation ended there, and they went back to smoking in silence. Meanwhile, Cillin was flying a smaller spaceplane towards the planet. Right now, the situation on the planet was chaos because the civilians werent the only ones who were infected. Much of the ground army were infected just as badly, and the rest were dormant virus carriers at the very minimum. No one was coming over to keep order, and no spaceplane was allowed to fly out of the planet. Every spaceplane was dead as if their souls were stolen away by someone. It was the robots work. The planetary governors had long since made their escape. More accurately, they had moved to a location the empire had created for the exact purpose of treating the Zebra Virus. Maybe they were dead, maybe they were enduring experimental medicines just to buy a bit more time for themselves. Whatever they were doing right now, it didnt change the fact that they had abandoned their citizens. From space, it looked like fiery dots were flashing all over the planet. They were the flames of war, and the entire planet was riddled in holes because of it. Even if an effective medicine were to appear right now, it would take a long time for this planet to recover. And even if it did recover, much of its citizens would try to migrate to another planet or even another star region altogether. To these people, they were trapped in the equivalent of a hellscape, and the panic deeply imprinted into their minds wouldnt disappear even if everything was over. Cillin used the on-board scanners to analyze some energy reactions before entering the planet. He confirmed that the planet did suffer a stronger-than-usual external radiation quite recently, but logically speaking it shouldnt be strong enough to deal any large-scale damage, much less create a virus of this scale. After scanning the entire planet, he circled exactly one area where the foreign energy hadnt completely dissipated. The planets satellite network was completely shut down, and the area he chose to land happened to be nighttime right now. Not one noticed him making a landing at a sparsely populated location. After Cillin put on his protective suit, Cillin grabbed his testing tools and walked out of the spaceplane. Wheeze actually went out ahead of him, crying, The virus is everywhere! Cillin, check your protective suit again and make sure that the virus isnt passing through it! Cillin stepped out of the spaceplane after confirming one more time that his protective suit was functioning properly. Wheeze watched him closely and nervously for any reaction, worried that Cillin might report to it the unthinkable at any moment. The location they landed on was unusually quiet and abandoned even for nighttime. The virus didnt just infect humans, the animals and even the plants of the planet had succumbed to it as well. The fact that some of the plants had colored stripes on their stems and leaves was proof of that. It looked like the virus was completely indiscriminate, and nothing biological could escape its wrath. Was this really just a virus? The battles that were happening all over the planet had covered the sky in thick smoke. The stars were completely blocked, and the feeling of something terrible constantly hanging above his head made the night feel even heavier than normal. Cillins footsteps were the only visible sound in the area. Some of the wilting leaves on the tree branches were still struggling to survive, but the branches holding them up were bent in a limp, flaccid manner. Some branches however were so stiff that not even a powerful gust of wind could shake them at all. It was almost as if they would break if too much force was applied to them. Every hair on Wheezes body was standing on their end. This place made it feel very, very uncomfortable, and since it wasnt wearing any protective suit it could feel the virus trying to invade its body. However, it had transformed its internal organs into mechanical parts, so the virus effort were completely futile. This was the first time Cillin came so close to the Zebra virus. In the past, the reason he was immune to all the viruses and toxins he had come into contact with was because his unusual body had the ability to form the best counteragent possible automatically. But this time, his confidence was lacking to say the least. Could he really deal with the Zebra Virus like how he usually did in the past? One of the reasons Cillin dared to enter this planet was because of the biochips inside his body, but this time he could feel them reacting to the Zebra Virus even though he was supposedly wearing a protective suit that isolated them completely. It was all he needed to know that this Zebra Virus was an enemy more powerful than anything he had ever faced before. Right now, the biggest puzzle in Cillins head was: what on earth was the Zebra Virus? He checked his scanner. Most of the Zebra Virus around them were high variant viruses, and some of them were middle variant viruses. So far, he hadnt encountered any primary variant viruses. Cillin, lets return to the spaceplane for now! Wheeze almost scratched Cillins leg out of habit when it saw the protective suit and recalled that that would be a seriously bad idea. Cillin nodded and went back to the spaceplane. He modified the entry hatch a little an installed the latest sterilization equipment, executing the sterilization procedure repeatedly until no trace of the virus was left in the air. Finally, he took off his suit inside a surge chamber and allowed himself to be blasted by sterilizing substances until he was completely clean. Cillin had fired several autosamplers before he descended on the planet. They would collect data on the viruses around them and send the results to Cillin periodically. Right now, the autosamplers were all in position and beginning the data collection and analysis process. Cillin turned on the main system to study the data he collected from the autosamplers. It allowed him to know how the virus was doing and calculate the ratio of primary variant viruses, middle variant viruses and high variant viruses on various locations of the planet. Cillin fired many more autosamplers at the location he had landed because it was, in his analysis, a critical area. Cillin frowned as he checked the data. Almost all the autosamplers returned the same results, and the number of primary variant viruses were few and far between. However, when he sorted the data samples by color and overlaid them over a map, the results suddenly became very obvious. On the map, the areas infested by the middle variant viruses were huge, and the areas invested by the primary variant viruses were deeper in color. Looking at the map, the marked area with deepest color was just within walking distance of Cillins spaceplane. He was at the right place for sure! Cillin, lets send a robot to scout that area, Wheeze said. Cillin hesitated for a moment before contacting the nearest robot on the planet. After informing it on the essentials, he sent the robot towards the designated location. Inside the spaceplane, Cillin and Wheeze connected to the robots sight watched closely for anything unusual. Nothing had changed since Cillins first excursion on the planet, but when the robot got close to the marked area, the live feed suddenly cut off on its own. The backup observer he sent to follow the robot also experienced problems for some reason, unable to provide a clear visual feed of its surroundings at all. When Cillin moved the observer away from the area, the image cleared up automatically. The robot they sent to scout out the area was completely immobile. Forget moving, they couldnt even sense a signal from it. Whats going on? Wheeze asked in puzzlement. Although it hadnt gotten close to that particular area during their excursion earlier, it hadnt felt anything unusual at all. After falling silent for a moment, Cillin walked into the sterilized surge chamber and put on his protective suit. He would have to do this himself. Chapter 298: Infected Part 1 Chapter 298: Infected [Part 1] Cillin put on a protective suit, grabbed his tools and walked out of the spaceplane. Just as he had predicted earlier, robots werent the solution to this problem. If it was they wouldve found a solution a long while ago; Black Vipers many advanced robots were no joke after all. But the fact was no significant progress had been made thus far, and there were some things that only humans could only perform themselves. Wheeze lifted its paw for a moment before putting it back down dejectedly when Cillin walked out of the spaceplane. If it could knock him out and take away from this place, it would. This place was far too dangerous and strange, and there was nothing it could do to help Cillin when it came to the Zebra Virus. It was very quiet outside, but a careful person could probably catch the sounds of distant explosions or even glimpses of orange flashes in the sky. It didnt take a genius to imagine the terrible riots that were going on in those areas right now. Cillin walked towards that location slowly and carefully. Every time he took a step, he would observe the numbers on his scanner. He planned to stop the second he noticed anything unusual. But strangely, he didnt find anything suspicious despite getting real close to the spot the robot malfunctioned. At the very least, his scanner hadnt detected anything abnormal. Wheeze, are you sensing anything? Cillin looked at Wheeze for answers, but Wheeze shook its head. I just feel very uncomfortable and strangely terrified, thats all. I dont sense anything besides the Zebra Virus wait a second. The density of viruses in the air is higher than normal! Dont move, Cillin. Let me head over and check things out. Be careful. Wheeze walked forwards and stood next to the robot. Suddenly, it felt a terrible chill all over its body and puffed up like a porcupine. Whats wrong, Wheeze? The sight of Wheezes unusual reaction worried Cillin greatly. Dont dont come closer! Step by step, Wheeze backed towards Cillin. It was a painful sight to watch Wheeze walk unsteadily like rust had formed over Wheezes joints or something. When Wheeze finally returned to Cillins side, it let out a long sigh of relief and said, That place is too strange, Cillin. I think its better if we avoid it entirely. Alright, lets head back. Cillin understood that some things couldnt be rushed. It was already a step forwards to find this place. He was just about to walk away when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at his own hand. Wheeze was. Wheeze was relieved that Cillin had agreed to return, and it ran towards the spaceplane the moment it shook off the unusual sensation from earlier and loosened the stiff hair on its body. However, it quickly noticed that Cillin was staring blankly at both his hands without moving. Cillin, come on, we need to go back! Wheeze was really starting to worry as Cillin still wasnt responding. He couldnt possibly have crashed just like that robot, could he? Cillin!! Wheeze ran over while shouting. Cillin finally turned to look at it. Wheeze. What? Ive been infected. So wh WHAT!! Wheeze jumped into air in shock. WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Ive been infected. Thats impossible! Youre wearing a protective suit! As if to prove its point, Wheeze circled around Cillin once and examined every crook and nanny. There were no tears on the protective suit at all. The breathing mask, the breathing tube and the newly added virus filters were all perfectly intact as well. So how could Cillin be infected? How could he?! The suits no use. Youre lying! Gu Xin at that Ba Ba guy said that this is the latest protective suit! Its what the crazies in Black Viper and the old people in the RAS came up with! It cant be no use! You shouldnt lie, Cillin, a liar will turn into faeces! Wheeze was seriously tempted to scratch Cillins face if the situation was quite so dire. Im not lying. Cillin sat down on the ground. When he was ready to leave just now, he suddenly noticed that a kind of substance had passing through the suit and his skin. Later on, the molecules in his body suddenly began taking the form of the Zebra Virus. It was slow, but it was without a doubt transforming into the first variant virus the research teams of RAS and Black Viper were familiar with. The moment the first variant virus took form completely, it would begin the next stage of its transformation and turn into the middle variant virus. If Cillin wasnt a living computer, he would never have noticed this. Even now, he was still recovering from his shock. He never thought that the so-called original virus would be that. Wheeze, I found the original virus, Cillin said. He sounded so normal that no one would ever suspect that he was infected. Wheeze was currently running in circles and panicking, so it eyes immediately lit up when it heard that Cillin had found the original virus. According to the research teams from both sides, discovering the original virus would speed up the creation of an effective vaccine massively. Where? What is it?! Wheeze asked hastily. Cillin pressed an unassuming part on his communicator and caused a green screen to appear above his wrist. Then, he started typing really quickly. His movement was too fast for a normal person to capture. Even the symbols and characters flashing on the screen was the same. But Wheeze was not a normal cat or a person. Its eyes started changing as Cillin typed away at his program, and soon its pupils widened so much that it took up the entire eyeball. It looked incredibly eerie amidst the darkness and green lighting. I see it! Wheeze projected what it saw into the air for Cillin. It was the microscopic image of some flying dots and some ribbons after all other biological substances were filtered. These ribbons were the so-called Zebra Virus, and the dots swimming around aimlessly was the unknown substance that no one had figured out yet in the molecular map. The sparse dots were the original virus everyone was looking for. No one couldve imagined that the unknown substance would be the pathogen. Even Cillin was stunned after he became infected and discovered the truth. He had never seen a virus that was made of one substance alone. It was like a pure, simple atom, except that it was full of mysteries and its internal structure was impossible to define or confirm. Even if the researchers did discover this, the challenge to create an effective vaccine would only be harder than ever before. It was like the researchers had prepared a tonne of electricity to shock their target, only to discover that the target was really an insulator. Worse, this substance could penetrate protective suits and infect its victims. Cillin used this discovery to create a whole new program and scanning method for his sampler. Wheeze also took a share of the burden by tracking all the samplers in real time and updating their scanning methods. Two hours later, the results came out. Chapter 298: Infected Part 2 Chapter 298: Infected [Part 2] In short, the place he caught the virus was the only place where the virus substance could be found in its isolated state. The virus substance was incredibly unstable in this state, so it quickly fused with another substance in the vicinity to become the so-called first variant virus. After that, it would continuously stabilize itself by evolving into a middle variant virus and finally a high variant virus. Relatively speaking, a high variant virus was very stable compared to its initial forms, but that wasnt necessarily the end point of its evolution, however. They wouldnt stop evolving until they reached a final state that was compatible with the hosts cells, or until their host was dead. There were too many types of high variant viruses to classify, so any virus that evolved past the middle point and became relatively stable was called a high variant virus. What are you going to do now? Wheeze asked in a miserable while digging the earth restlessly. I told you to stay away, but you just had to do something, you stubborn mule! Now youre infected with the virus! Your body may be different from an ordinary persons, but youre not superhuman, you know. Do you fancy yourself a robot or something Wheeze hadnt stopped complaining since the revelation, and Cillin wisely chose not to respond to them. He simply watched the data on his screen in silence. A while later, Cillin rose to his feet and started walking towards the dead robot. What are you doing?! Stop! Are you trying to kill yourself! Throwing all caution to the wind, Wheeze swelled in size, bared its fangs and stood in Cillins path. Cillin let out a sigh and petted Wheeze on the head. Im going in to see if I can find the cause and a solution to all this. Dont you understand? Im dead for sure if I go back the way I am now. Wheezes giant ears flicked once in hesitation. Are you telling the truth? Of course Im telling the truth! I dont want to die like this either. Then Im coming with you! Wheeze said while shrinking back to its usual size. Minimizing its body helped reduce the amount of surface area that was exposed to the virus. It wasnt much, but every little bit helps. And so Cillin and Wheeze approached the area where the robot shut down together. Now that they knew what was going on, Wheeze applied a microscopic lens to its vision and showed it to Cillin in real time. The closer they got to that area, the more isolated virus substances they found. At this point, Cillin had no doubt that this was the origin of the Zebra Virus of this area. They walked past the robot and continued towards the origin of the virus. The scanner he was using had already turned into a useless block of metal, further reinforcing the fact that this foreign substance seemed capable of affecting both organisms and machines. It was the definition of a supervirus. Wheeze was crouching on top of Cillins shoulders. The closer they got to the origin, the harder it became for Wheeze to move even after it had assumed an organic form. It had no choice but to rely on Cillin to move around. In fact, Cillin himself wasnt completely immune to the halting effects of the virus. Technically, he was a half-biological, half-machine lifeform since the biochips had fused with his DNA. While he was doing better than Wheeze, what was fifty meters of travel distance felt like a fifty-kilometer obstacle course to him. Cillin found a well-hidden basement when they arrived at their destination. Considering that this was a secluded area and a red zone, it was unsurprising that this basement was undiscovered until now. The entrance was just wide enough to fit a single person, and after sliding down into the pitch black basement Cillin put on a pair of night vision goggles. The reason he wasnt using a light was because he didnt want to accidentally trigger a trap or something. Special forces were often sent to unique and dangerous locations to carry out missions, so they were taught to watch out for substances that dissolved in light. There were certain harmless substances that could turn deadly if exposed to light. Cillin hadnt learned this from the military, of course. He was already a proficient creator and user of such traps during his Shadow Hunter days. He was still wearing his protective suit, but it was just safer to use night vision goggles in case he needed to watch out for harmful gases or other unforeseen circumstances. Thanks to Wheezes filtered vision, he could see that the virus substances in this basement were a lot denser than the ones outside. It was very possible that this was the ground zero of the Zebra Virus. So far, it looked like the Zebra Virus might be a man-made product. If that was true, then the creator deserved to be called a genius, a genius at the level of the mad scientist who injected Cillin with the biochips, Horay Hanson. The lab was devoid of life and untouched until Cillins entrance. Most of the equipment he saw were either outdated or low tech compared to the ones he saw at the RAS. Cillin discovered the master of the lab not long after he explored the lab. It looked like the dead man had died for a very, very long time, but his body was almost untouched by rot. This was the case for any person who died after they were infected by the Zebra Virus. The man looked like a cadaver with zebra lines on it, and Cillin guessed that he was the very first victim to be infected by the Zebra Virus and be killed by it. The underground lab was pretty small. Cillin made a round around the lab very quickly, but didnt find any signs of the Zebra Virus being manufactured whatsoever. Some of the critical machines in the lab were destroyed by their owner, but it was only a loss of functionality, not data. If he wanted to, he could read some of the data from the machines. Wheeze was unwell right now, so he couldnt rely on it to perform as it used to. He pulled out a cylindrical instrument about the length of a finger from his pocket and waved it across the damaged machines, extracting all the data they possessed. Unfortunately, the instrument also died the second he was done extracting the data. The virus substances influence was so huge that it was impossible to read the information he just extracted unless he left this place. Are you done? Wheeze was feeling incredibly unwell. Im done. Lets head up and see what kind of info these machines contain. Cillin consoled Wheeze while petting its slanted ears. There was one last place he needed to check before they leave though. It was the place where the virus substances were leaking from. The dead owner was leaning against a lab table and holding a bat. This was the weapon the owner used to destroy his own instruments, or at least he tried to. The wreckage had happened after the owner was infected by the virus, so he couldnt quite muster the strength to destroy the machines. Otherwise, Cillin was sure that it wouldve taken a lot more effort and time to fully restore the data. It looked like the dead man was staring at a particular spot on the wall just before he died. After walking to the wall, tapping around for a bit and confirming that there was a hidden compartment, he slipped a blade in between the cracks and forced it open. Then, his vision turned black, and he collapsed on the floor. Cillin? Cillin?! Whats wrong?! Wheeze tried to wake Cillin with its paws. It took him a long while before he finally recovered some strength. His vision had turned completely black just now, and for a moment he wasnt able to see anything even through his night vision goggles. Recovered, Cillin looked into the compartment he forced open and found a broken flash. As for what used to be inside the flask Cillin rubbed his head. He was feeling very, very unwell right now. Did it enter your body? Wheeze asked with a trembling voice. Cillin nodded. I think so. Wheeze felt like crying after hearing that. Cillin was staggering by the time he got out of the basement. It was as if all knowledge of balance had left his body all of a sudden. His cerebellum was rebelling against his thoughts, and his cerebrum was starting to display traitorous tendencies as well. Things didnt look good, to put it mildly. Wheeze jumped off Cillins shoulder after they got out of the underground lab. Maybe it was because the thing inside the flask had entered Cillins body, but the pressure it was feeling wasnt nearly as oppressive as it was before. Wheeze changed into its cyborg form, put Cillin on its back and ran all the way back to the spaceplane. It didnt bother to go through the sterilization room or required processes since Cillin was already infected with the Zebra Virus. Cillin injected himself with a couple medicine after returning to the spaceplane. Then, he sat in his chair and said nothing at all. Dont fall asleep, Cillin! You wont wake up once you fall asleep! Wheeze said while walking around his chair. Where did you hear that from? Everyone was saying that! I got it. Just give me some quiet and let me rest for a while, okay? Youll wake up, wont you? Of course. Liars will turn into feces. Yep. Liars will turn into feces. ... Wheeze jumped up a table and watched Cillin for a moment. Then, it ran to the spaceplanes communicator and contacted Guan Feng. Guan Feng was currently in yet another meeting due to an emergency report that sent waves of panic coursing throughout the RAS. Apparently, the queen of the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family, had been confirmed to have caught the Zebra Virus just three hours ago. The RAS could delay things and shift the responsibility to someone else when the virus was just affecting the goddam eleventh star region, but that was clearly no longer the case. The dean of the RAS sent a summon to all high level personnel in the RAS. It didnt matter who they were, where they were or what they were doing. Everyone was to set down their responsibilities temporarily and attend this meeting, or else. And this was why Guan Feng was attending a meeting he wanted no part of, again. Why was he even in this meeting when he knew nothing about viruses at all? And what was the point of listening to these idiots shifting the blame left and right when he could be doing something else that was actually productive? During peacetime, these scholars acted like a dip of prestige or reputation would kill them, but now when they were truly needed they were incapable of coming up with any effective solution even though a long time had passed. Professionals? More like asses. To say that his presence here was purely cosmetic would be an understatement, and he was so tired he didnt even bother with his usual mask of patience and geniality. He sat lazily in his chair listening to the bullshit of these so-called professionals and wondered what the hell was keeping his stubborn student from contacting him. Guan Fengs communicator suddenly let out a beep. It wasnt a video call or a voice call. There was only one line of text running across the screen. Mentor Guan Feng, Wheeze here. Cillin caught the Zebra Virus and fell asleep just now. He told me not to disturb him in the meantime. Guan Feng felt as if an explosion had taken place inside his brain. He instinctively clenched his fist and hit the table, hard. THUMP! The loud noise cut off the deans righteous speech like a bomb. Chapter 299: So Worried Meow Could Die! The dean looked like shit as he brooded in his seat. This wasnt even the first time Guan Feng had interrupted him. In general, it was incredibly difficult for a speaker to pick up where they left off after their stride was broken, and the fact was he had forgotten what he was supposed to say after Guan Feng had hit the table without warning. The meeting room was completely silent. The engineers, managers and several personnel from the Literature Department who were daydreaming up until this point looked around themselves in confusion, and those who disliked Guan Feng pretended to drink their water so that they could hide their expression of schadenfreude. But despite being the one who singlehandedly made things weird for everyone, Guan Feng looked like he hadnt noticed his surroundings at all. He was still looking at his communicator, and his face was hidden, but everyone could sense a dangerous chill coming from him. It was worse than the brooding dean, and it drove the people sitting next to Guan Feng to shift several inches away from him unconsciously. The dean was going to address Guan Feng about his attitude directly, but he thought better of it after he noticed how the man looked. Instead, he let out a cough and drew everyones attention to himself. The situation is pretty critical right now, but if you may leave if you need to attend to something urgent Normally, the line wasnt supposed to be taken as it was. It was more of a warning than an actual permission to leave. But before the dean could finish his sentence, Guan Feng rose to his feet and went straight out of the door. Stunned by his reaction, no one tried to stop him until he was gone. The deans expression turned even gloomier. His heartbeat was erratic, and he felt like hitting the table once or twice himself. Guan Feng wasnt actually trying to butt heads with the dean. He wasnt even listening to the latter because he was communicating with Wheeze using encrypted text. Wheeze was asking him what it should do next, but the signal suddenly disappeared before he could send a reply. A quick analysis revealed that a sudden, powerful burst of interference from Wheezes side had cut off their communication, and all attempts to reconnect had been unsuccessful. That was why Guan Feng had lost his patience, rose to his feet and exited the room without a word. If he couldnt find Cillin in time, the boys death was all but certain. All those who caught the Zebra Virus but werent treated in time had died an extremely quick death. While Guan Feng was busy contacting his men to look for Cillin, Wheeze was dealing with an unexpected problem itself. While it was communicating with Guan Feng, a strange energy field suddenly surrounded all nearby electronic devices. Most of the machines within the energy field was turned into useless metal, while the rest couldnt withstand the pressure and exploded into smithereens. Every hair on Wheezes body was standing on its end as it braced itself and watched Cillin with a worried look. The energy field had erupted from none other than Cillin. Right now, Cillin was doing very poorly because the biochips and the unknown substance that entered his body earlier was warring against each other. The unknown substance wanted to modify Cillins chromosomes and assimilate them by force, but the biochips that had entrenched themselves in Cillins chromosomes since a long time ago wouldnt allow it to happen. If the unknown substance was victorious, he would be transformed into a humanoid virus carrier. Since his consciousness would be lost forever, he wouldnt even be human anymore. Cillin could feel the invasion happening inside his brain, and he was currently trying to take control over the unknown substance or chase it out of his body using his biochips. The strange energy field was a result of the clash between the biochips and the unknown substance. Wheeze watched Cillin intently without moving a muscle. For now, Cillins vital signs hadnt shown any signs of declining despite the infection, but two types of lines were already starting to show up on his face. One of them was black, and the other one was white. But unlike the other patients, the lines were extremely well defined and kept separate from each other. Cillin? Wheeze called out tentatively, but didnt get an answer. It was going to poke Cillin and see if it could get a reaction when alarms suddenly started ringing inside its head. Wheeze immediately bit Cillin by the collar and dragged him towards the exit. Because it was in a hurry, it couldnt avoid running Cillins face into a chair leg or an entrance frame multiple times in a row. It was to the point where Cillin was actually bleeding from his forehead. Sorry, but the situations critical and theres no time. Please dont blame me for this when you wake up. Wheeze thought to itself. Wheeze didnt stop even after it dragged Cillin out of the spaceplane. It kept running further and further away from the spaceplane until BOOM The spaceplane exploded. The eruption of abnormal energy hadnt just crippled the electronics, it had knocked out the alarms and triggered an irreversible explosion. Wheeze had dragged Cillin away from the spaceplane precisely because it noticed that it was about to explode. That was real close. Wheeze finally let go of Cillins collar and checked his condition again. Strangely, the wound on Cillins forehead wasnt closing. In the past, Cillin healed very quickly even when he took a deep cut. But now, the wound was bleeding non-stop and showing no signs of scabbing at all. This shouldnt happen because the bumps should have at most pierced through the skin. What should I do? Wheeze panicked. It didnt have a communicator, and the one Cillin was using was unusable as well. Wheeze couldnt contact anyone by itself. Wheeze thought for a moment before raising its ears and focused on listening to its surroundings for a moment. Then, it bit Cillin by the collar again and pulled him towards the direction with the least amount of gunfire noises. It wouldve been much easier to carry Cillin in its cyborg form, but the waves of energies flowing off Cillins body were incredibly strange and disruptive. Had Cillin been anyone elseeven Guan Fengit wouldve dumped them on the ground and left on the spot. The energy wave put considerable strain on any mechanical form, which was why Wheeze decided that it would rather stay in its biological form for now. Unfortunately, that meant it had to drag Cillin to safety in the form of a kitten. Inevitably, Cillin collected a few more wounds as he was dragged across the ground. None of the wounds was serious, but just like the cut on his forehead, they showed no signs of scabbing or recovering at all. Wheeze had to keep an eye on the road and make sure that Cillin didnt run into a rock along the way. There was no guarantee that Cillin would survive the bleed out if it was careless. The second Wheeze remembered that this might be last sleep in Cillins life, it grew so restless that its nails dug into the ground. As a result, it left incredibly obvious paw marks on the ground as it ran towards safety. A while later, Wheeze finally managed to drag Cillin to a spot that was relatively peaceful. The buildings here were riddled with holes, and there were plenty of buildings that were still burning or smoking heavily. The stench of burning things filled the air. Neither Wheeze nor Cillin had the luxury to choose a better spot, however. Wheeze scanned the area in hopes for a connection, but the network here was as dead as the last one. Still, it could now identify which machines were still functional and what kind of machines they were since the energy waves coming out of Cillin had subsided for now. Suddenly, Wheeze raised its ears attentively. It had found a place with several medical instruments and a dozen or so sick people. There was even a worker walking around and performing injection. Alright, I need to go there! First, Wheeze dragged Cillin to a hiding spot nearby. It had to pay attention not to be discovered by some gunmen hiding inside the ruins because they were clearly bad guys. The murderous intent rolling off their bodies were almost palpable. The spot Wheeze chosen was under the ground. Most of the buildings on the surface had been devastated by gunfire, and the people who did this were mostly people who wanted to drag as many people into hell as possible before their deaths. Worse, these people were not in the minority, and their way of dealing with their despair was to shoot and kill anyone they saw. The army was gone. The government was long gone. Stuck in a world of true chaos and despair, there were plenty of people who wavered between the line of complete surrender and madness. Some of them were even waiting for other to make their choice for them. Ironically, the only reason this underground shelter Wheeze was heading to survived was because the network in the area was completely paralyzed, and most of the electronics were destroyed by gunfire. Had everything been still functional, it would be impossible for the shelter to stay concealed for long with its rudimentary defenses. It wouldve taken a high level jamming device to keep it concealed. Wheeze also ran into some animals on its way to the shelter. Some of them were pets, some of them were wild animals. Dead or barely alive, they were all dumped at a corner where no one with a gun paid any attention to them, although there were some who felt a sudden burst of inspiration and shot the still breathing ones into pieces. It seemed like a long time, but Wheeze finally managed to drag Cillin all the way to their destination. It didnt enter the building immediately, however. First, it needed to scout out the place and make sure that it was actually safe to go in. If possible, Wheeze wanted to get Cillin some treatment as well. It probably wouldnt have any actual effect, but it was still better than leaving him to bleed out like this. Wheeze ran inside the building after hiding Cillin at a corner. It could detect the underground structure beneath the building and the exits it had. One of them was blocked by a thick slab of rock, and Wheeze was just about to force its way through when it suddenly heard a commotion from behind it. It immediately hid behind a broken cabinet and watched the people coming out of the exit. Generally, it was next to impossible to hear what was behind the stone slab, but not for Wheeze. It was two girlsone around twenty years old, and the other only tenand judging from their faces, they had caught the Zebra Virus since quite some time ago. The lines on their faces were clearer than what you would expect from a new patient, meaning that they only had a short time left before movement became impossible to them. Although both girls looked pretty terrible, their eyes was as clear as diamonds. Wheeze was an animal itself, so it could instinctively tell if someone was trustworthy or not. The good news was these two girls looked nothing like the people it encountered outside. At the very least, it didnt need to worry about them committing some terrible atrocity. But how exactly should it persuade the girls into dragging Cillin into their shelter? Should it jump out and speak to them directly? That didnt seem wise. Cillin once told him that talking animals were pretty rare even in the center of the empire, and it would be bad if it produced the opposite effect. Should it drag Cillin over to them? But what if they decided not to rescue him? What then? This is impossible! God knows it hated nothing more than trying to figure out the intricacies of a human mind. Humans were so complex that to this day it still hadnt figured out their thought process completely. Frankly, it would much rather spend its time breaking into a someones storage cabinet like that chameleon, Dough! Wheeze was stuck figuring out a way when suddenly, the younger girl cried out, Look, a puppy! Wheeze followed the girls gaze and found a pet puppy. It had a bullet hole in its body, and combined with the virus it had lost practically all of its mobility. All it could do was lie on the ground and pant heavily, and it didnt look like it had much longer to live. However, its eyes were still open, and it was staring at the people inside the building. Some people said that the eyes of a dog was magic when it came to bringing out the sympathy of a person. Right now, the puppys fur was drenched in dust and blood, and its shoulder area was covered in lines. It didnt have a shred of its former appearance. Even so, as the puppy watched the girls quietlythe fires on the streets swaying unsteadily in its eyesthe girls couldnt help but feel a shiver in their hearts. There was none of the hatred, jealousy or madness that possessed most of the humans roaming the streets outside. Despite being shot by a human, the puppys eyes remained pure and untainted. It was why it was able to hold the girls attention. The younger girl checked her surroundings to make sure that there were no gunners around. Then, she ran over and carried the puppy into the building. Wheezes whiskers twitched from behind the cabinet. Hmm, I think I have an idea. Meow A quiet meow suddenly resounded inside the room. It was barely audible to the girls, and practically non-existent to anyone who might be lingering outside the building. The two girls who were tending to the poor puppy chased the sudden meow and looked towards the cabinet. A kitten who was barely half the length of a human arm was pulling its ears, lowering its tail and keeping to the ground as if taking even a single step was too much for it. Its eyes especially were filled with infinite sadness. Meow The kitten let out another weak meow. It tugged strongly at the girls heartstrings and made them feel like crying. Its a kitty! Still holding the pet puppy, the younger girl walked over to Wheeze and crouched on the ground. Wheeze pretended to struggle as it slowly dragged itself towards the girl. When Wheeze finally made it to the girls side, it lay its head in the younger girls hand. The soft, fluffy feeling of Wheezes fur easily won over her. Sis, can I take them downstairs with us? The girl looked at her sister. The older girl thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. She too was strongly affected by the tragedy that the poor animals were caught up in. The terrible sorrow and hopefulness in the gray cats eyes especially made her feel like tearing up a little. They had been hoping to find something useful while it was dark outside, food more than anything else. They didnt expect to run into two wounded animals instead. Lets take them inside and continue our search later, The woman said. If they were left here, it was only a matter of time before they were shot to pieces by some extremists. Mm! The younger girl tried to free a hand to carry Wheeze, but the woman said, Let me. and walked over. She was just about to grab Wheeze when the gray cat suddenly bit the younger girls pants and pulled. Children are the most sympathetic of all humans, so it has to be the younger girl! Adults think far too much for their own good, and Wheeze knew better than to hope that the older girl wouldnt change her mind later. Sis, what is it doing? The younger girl consulted her sisters opinion. The woman watched Wheeze for a moment before answering tentatively, I think its trying to lead us somewhere? Wheeze meowed in agreement immediately. The younger girl looked at Wheeze and asked, Are you trying to take us somewhere? Wheeze bit her pants again and pulled. Seriously, can we get on with this already? Should I just start talking and end this act now? The woman hesitated for a moment before caressing the girls head. Take the puppy inside and wait for me. Ill follow the kitty and what its trying to do. The younger girl shook her head. I want to wait for the both of you here! Be good and go downstairs, okay? Its too dangerous here. Her sisters tone was firm and wouldnt be rebuked, so in the end the younger girl went back into the underground shelter with an unhappy look on her face. Be careful, sis. I know. Now, quickly. When the entrance was covered up once more, the woman crouched on the floor to caress the kittens head. She asked gently, Now, where do you want to take me, kitty? Overwhelmed by joy, Wheeze forgot that it was acting and ran outside like lightning. The womans mouth fell open as she thought to herself: Didnt you look like you were about to die just now?!! When Wheeze noticed that the woman wasnt following it, it turned around in confusion and saw the surprise in her eyes. It was only then it realized that it had screwed up. Wheeze walked back to the woman and rubbed its head against her palm. Then, it wrapped its tail around her wrist and pulled towards a certain direction. The woman was both shocked and impressed by the kittens acting, but just in case she touched the gun around her waist and the blade hidden inside her sleeves before speaking to Wheeze, Well talk about your acting later. But Im warning you: dont you dare lead me to those terrorists, you hear? Wheeze shook its head. Seeing that Wheeze was staring at her with urgency and worry, she asked, Your master or your friend is hurt? Are you trying to lead me to them? Wheeze nodded quickly this time. Standing up, the woman finally smiled and said, Okay, take me there. But I cant promise that Ill take him back to the shelter. Meow Wheeze started guiding the woman towards Cillin. It wasnt a long distance, but the woman was starting to realize that the kitten was ridiculously, almost impossibly smart. Not only did it know how to hide, its senses were much sharper than hers. When someone was coming their way earlier, it had pulled its ears, crouched behind a ruin and signaled her to hide with its tail. It waited until the coast was clear before it was on the move again. They finally reached Cillin after a short while. She inspected his wounds briefly and determined that it was superficial and not serious. A simple first aid treatment later, the woman carried Cillin all the way back to the underground shelter. The younger girl was very happy to see her sister returning safe and sound, but she was equally surprised by how lively the dying kitten was running circles around its master and jumping up and down like a kangaroo. When she heard the story from her sister, she praised Wheeze for its amazing display of intelligence. Wheeze wasnt capable of accepting her praise at this moment, however. It was because Cillins vital signs was starting to fall into disorder. Meows so worried meow could die, dammit!! The sick beds in the shelter were simplistic and cobbled together using various items, but it was better than nothing. As the woman was treating Cillin, she started to realize that his bleeding wouldnt stop even though all the tests she conducted had returned normal results. It didnt look like his wounds were particularly serious either. What was going on? While Wheeze was running circles in the dark and damp underground shelter worriedly, Guan Feng had sent word to Black Viper and told them to find Cillin ASAP. They couldnt detect his spaceplane from long range, so they had no choice but to send robots down to the planet and search for him manually. Chapter 300: You’re Lying Again! Part 1 Chapter 300: Youre Lying Again! [Part 1] The underground shelter was about fifty square meters wide, and there were a dozen or so patients inside it. But unlike the woman and her sister, their disease had progressed far enough that their mobility had been robbed away from them. Their muscles were clearly softening or hardening in a stripy pattern, and their eyes reflected the state of their minds. Some peoples eyes were deathly still. They allowed themselves to be injected with drugs that helped alleviate their symptoms, but didnt try to speak or do anything. Some peoples eyes were full of rage and sorrow. It was clear that they were still attached to this world. There were also some who seemed to have accepted the fact that they were going to die and decided to spend their last moments calmly reminiscing about the past. The ones who wished to cling to the living were mostly youngsters, and the ones who accepted that they were going to die were mostly elderly people. When faced with a life threatening situation, a persons reaction could be drastically different depending on their age and experience. There were some people who could still move like the woman and her sister. These people helped to clean the patients and renew their medicines. Still, the doom and gloom that filled the underground shelter subsided a little due to the new arrivals, Wheeze and Cillin. It had been a while since they saw an animal this lively since the pandemic began, and its presence was like a light that they were almost hesitant to accept. It had been too long since they were trapped in this darkness. There was a mother and her two-year-old child sitting at a corner of the underground shelter. Before Wheeze showed up, the child was feeling sleepy and weak. Now, he was extending a hand to Wheeze and crying out happily, Mum, look! Its a kitten thats moves! The mothers eyes turned a little wet. Caressing her childs turned hair and feeling the abnormal sensation under her skin, she echoed softly, Yes, its a kitten that moves. The pandemic was so terrible that most of them had forgotten the last time they saw a living creature that was as lively and energetic as Wheeze. Up until now, all they could remember were the stripes, the cannons, the smokes, and the corpses. Human, animal, buildings. Everything was dyed black by the stripes. Wheeze was still running circles around Cillins sick bed. His bleeding hadnt stopped even now. Although his wounds werent serious, and he wasnt losing blood at a rapid rate, there was only so much blood a human could lose before they died. The woman sighed at Wheezes panicked reaction and said, I dont know why he wouldnt stop bleeding either. The equipment we have here is limited, so a more in-depth inspection is impossible. Wheezes ears turned downwards the moment it heard this. The look in its eyes made the woman feel so bad and guilty that she avoided its gaze. Wheeze jumped onto the sick bed and nestled itself in Cillins elbow. Then, it checked Cillins condition again. He was faring even worse than before. What should I do!? Wheeze hit Cillin for a reaction, but the young man had none to give. So it tried again, and again, again Everyone fell quieter when they saw Wheezes reaction. They had seen too many people who fell asleep and never woke up already, and every time it happened they couldnt help but wonder if they were the next one in line. Cillin couldnt give Wheeze a response because he was currently fighting the unknown substance with all he got. He couldnt even spare the energy to recover his wounds. Even his body fluid was warped by the battle between the biochips and the virus. Cillin was hoping that the biochips that had attached themselves to his chromosomes would be able to fight the unknown substance and the new influx of viruses, but he soon discovered that all he accomplished was exhausting his energy reserves with little to no chance of actually forcing the unknown substance out of his body. The viruses that were already present inside him had become incredibly active after the unknown substance had invaded his body. Like soldiers who had suddenly found their commander, they attacked his body with unprecedented ferocity and were slowly but surely defeating his defenses. The fact that the stripes on his skin were deepening in color was a clear sign of the virus unusual activity. The balance between the virus and the biochips was going to collapse at any moment, and Cillin had no idea if he could recover once he had passed the point of no return. All he knew was that the biochips was slowly but surely faltering under the onslaught. Would he have a better shot at surviving this if he used the threat that was the unknown substance to fully activate the biochips? No. According to Horay Hansons equipment, the chances that the hosts body would collapse due to excessive rejection was over fifty percent. What about that method then? It was still pretty risky, but it had a higher success rate than forcefully activating the biochips. Cillin changed his tactics and stopped attacking the virus by force, giving the biochips time to recollect themselves. After the threat of the biochips collapsing on their own was gone, he ordered them to break down the virus. Wheezes ears stood up as it opened its eyes and stared at Cillin. That unusual energy that greatly hindered its senses earlier had appeared inside Cillin again, but it seemed to be a tad different from before. Moreover, Cillin suddenly lost a tonne of weight; all that energy seemingly consumed during a certain process. His skin turned wrinkly for a moment, but it quickly turned back to normal. Then, the epidermis started declining and turning into dust, falling away from his body. It was almost as if Cillin was shedding his skin. What the hell happened? Wheeze watched Cillin closely. It had never seen anything like this. But it looked like Wheeze had nothing to worry about. The stripes on Cillins body grew blurrier, and after sneaking a glance at the surroundings Wheeze dimmed the light a little so that no one would notice the unusual change. Thankfully, no one noticed the sudden change inlighting or the unusual flashes of the instruments when Wheeze did its thing. Most of the people in the shelter had fallen asleep, including the two women and the patient next to Cillins sick bed. Even if they did, they would probably think that it was a lingering malfunction caused by the earlier chaos. Wheeze looked at Cillin again and pulled up his sleeves. It was the same for the stripes around his elbow area. The blood around the wounds still hadnt coagulated yet, but at least the bleeding had finally stopped. Half an hour later, Wheeze blew gently at Cillin, and entire layer of dustdead cells caused by whatever Cillin was doing earlierleft his body. Cillins condition seemed to have stabilized for the moment, but the blurry black-and-white stripes suddenly turned clearer again. What was going on? After lifting its ears and listening closely to Cillins heartbeat, Wheeze relaxed slightly and lay back down on its feet again, watching. Another hour passed, and the sky turned bright again. The underground shelter was still as silent as death, however. Cillin opened his eyes. The first thing he saw after looking sideways was a pair of round cat eyes. He had trouble moving his fingers at first, but it wasnt long before he regained control of himself. He gave Wheezes ear a pinch before speaking to it using the invisible machine language, Where is this place? Chapter 300: You’re Lying Again Part 2 Chapter 300: Youre Lying Again [Part 2] Wheeze told Cillin what happened before asking about his condition in concern. Should it make an emergency call to Guan Feng right away? Cillin shook his head and stretched a little. He then pushed himself up to a sitting position and observed his surroundings. There was more than enough lighting for him to look around. There were a couple of people in the shelter who hadnt fallen asleep yet, so they saw Cillin pushing himself up on his makeshift sick bed. They didnt react to it, however. In their minds, he was still an infected person, and it was only a matter of time before he died. What was there to be surprised about? Cillin saw a puppy lying on top of a nearby operation table. The dog had been treated accordingly, but it couldnt hardly breathe, much less move around due to the virus. There was a cup inside a nearby cupboard, and Cillin grabbed it and poured himself a cup of water. Next, he found a pack of compressed biscuits and consumed it right away. The food was frankly poorly made, but it was exactly what he needed right now. He felt like he had lost an entire month of weight after dealing the unknown substance. At first, Cillin was planning to deal with the unknown substance the gentle way: breaking it down into small, less deadly components and flushing it out of his system. However, he encountered an unexpected opportunity later on. The unknown substance became a stabilizing force that embedded itself inside the biochips after it was broken down, transforming them as a result. Cillin was happy to declare that the biochips had been fully activated during this embedment process. What shouldve been an explosive and probably deadly reaction was surprisingly mild thanks to the broken unusual substance. In other words, Cillin had absorbed the very thing that created the Zebra Virus made it his own. Considering his circumstances, it was the best way to study and understand this new virus. Most of the time, natural organisms were better than artificial organisms in almost every way, and viruses were no exception. In fact, some of the most dangerous viruses in the world were the natural viruses that werent discovered until it was too late, not the bioweapons wicked-minded people researched in their hidden labs. The unknown substance had been creating the original pathogen of the Zebra Virus non-stop until it had slipped into Cillins body. Now that it was gone, no more pathogens would spread in the world. As for the so-called variants, Cillin could now use the interaction between his biochips and the substance to analyze the best solution. Now that he had some free time, Cillin checked the data he scanned when he was exploring the underground lab. He quickly discovered that it told the discovery of the unknown substance and the beginning of the Zebra Virus. The discoverer was a bitter researcher who happened upon the unknown substance clinging to a meteor by accident. Not long after he carried it into his lab for research, he discovered that he had been infected by the virus. But instead of reporting the situation to his higher-ups immediately, the researcher came up with a monstrous plot. In fact, the five infected bodies the patrols found on the planet were his victims. According to the records, the researcher had made contact with a total of seven people. This meant that there were still two people out there somewhere besides the five dead. Knowingly or not, these seven people were the carriers who spread the virus from one planet to the other. This was a revenge case. Eh? Youve awakened, the woman who carried Cillin in said. Cillin concealed the scanner without being noticed before giving her a smile. Thank you for bringing me in. You should thank your cat, not me. We werent able to help you at all. The woman checked Cillins wounds and discovered that all of them had healed. Some were even starting to fade already. She didnt point it out, however. It wasnt like Cillin was the first unusual person she had met in her life. Cillin got up to his feet, took a few steps and stretched again. If it wasnt for the lines on his face, he could be mistaken for a perfectly healthy person. Still, thank you for bringing me in. The woman gave him a bitter smile. Its a habit. I know well all die eventually, but I still cant help but do a little something. Come, Ill make you something hot to eat. There was a small compartment in the underground shelter where hot water and hot food were made. The woman filled a bowl of porridge and passed it to Cillin. Right now, it was the only type of food they had. Cillin drank almost everything in the bowl. Although it didnt fill him up at allhe was still incredibly hungryhe noticed earlier that there werent much food supplies left in the underground shelter. So, he stopped the woman from offering him more food after eating for a bit. It was daytime, but no one dared to take a step outside. Everyone was afraid of being shot. Wheeze was very hungry itself, but it was a picky eater and would rather starve than eat the porridge. Cillin pinched its ears and promised it to find it some food after they went out. Cillin spoke a bit with the woman while he was resting in the compartment. The woman was a doctor. She was raised in a normal family, she went to a normal school, and her talents were nothing exceptional. The disaster had taken many peoples lives including her own loved ones, and now the only ones who were left were herself and her younger cousin, the little girl that Wheeze had feigned weakness to to garner her sympathy earlier. Dont lose hope. Things will get better very soon, Cillin said. The woman smiled but didnt say anything. They all said the same thing, but things had not gotten better. In fact, she was disappointed so many times that she had grown numb already. The only reason she was still standing today was because she hadnt given up on her principles yet. She was a doctor, and she would do her best to extend even a second of her patients life. Cillin gave her a medicine tube he made some time ago after the conversation. It wouldnt treat the symptoms completely, but it would alleviate them and buy her some time. Try this. Every second is precious right now. The woman accepted the medicine and thanked him. She didnt think he would harm her, and at this point she had to try everything. The woman passed Cillin a gun when he told her that he wished to leave the shelter, but he turned her down. The gun would be more useful to her than it was to him. After making Cillin promise that he wouldnt reveal their location to the terrorists, the woman unlocked the door to the underground shelter and sent him away. The sky was as gray as usual, and there were disgusting smells wherever they went. People with guns could be seen sitting atop some of the rubbles. They were the people who chose madness in the face of despair. Cillin and Wheeze chose not to confront them. Right now, contacting Guan Feng came first before everything. After exiting the city and arriving at a secluded spot, Cillin turned on his communicator and contacted Guan Feng. It took almost no time for the call to go through. When Guan Feng saw the stripes on Cillins face, he opened his mouth but couldnt say a word for a long time. Cillin told Guan Feng his plan while the latter was still searching for his words. Cillin wanted to research a cure for the Zebra Virus on this planet, so he asked Guan Feng to deliver him a medical synthesizer using the robots. Guan Feng rejected his request. Weve already sent robots to scour the planet, but you showed up first before they were able to find you. Im not stopping you from doing your research, I just think it would be better if you perform it somewhere else. Follow the robots, the starship I dispatched should be waiting in orbit already. You would have anything you need there to perform your research. But you cant stay on that planet, do you understand? Cillin understood. A planet this badly infected could be abandoned at any moment. If the inevitable were to happen, obviously it would be easier to avoid bombardment on a starship than it would be on the planet. Cillin accepted the compromise. What he needed to do was experiment and synthesize an effective medicine as soon as possible anyway. The robots reached Cillin before he was even finished talking with Guan Feng. They had all been rushing over the moment they received the signal. An invisible spaceplane was making its way toward Cillin as well. Cillin and Wheeze went up the spaceplane after he hung up. As Guan Feng mentioned, there was a starship parked in orbit just outside the planet. It was probably Black Vipers because there was no way his mentor would have an entire lab of medical synthesizers on his personal starship. Cillin immediately went into the lab and began his experiments. He didnt contact anyone else. Crouching atop a nearby shelf and seeing that they had been alone for the moment, Wheeze asked, You seem to be doing pretty well. If it wasnt for the stripes on your skin, no one wouldve thought that you were an infected person. Cillin looked away from a working molecule synthesizer to smile at the gray cat. You shouldnt judge a book by its cover. Before Wheeze could ask what he meant, the black and white stripes covering Cillins skin started fading away until it was gone completely. A while later, they returned exactly as Cillin wanted them to be. Wheezes eyes turned round and wide as it pointed a claw at Cillin indignantly. Y-y-y-y-y-youre lying again! It cant be helped. It was like this at the beginning, but after I woke up I started controlling it consciously. You understand, dont you? If people figure out what I can do you want me to be dragged away by Black Viper or the RAS and be researched my whole life? Wheeze shook its head rapidly. Who the hell would agree to something like that if they had no other choice? That being said, it no longer has to live with the fear alone since Cillin was in the same situation as it was now. Very nice. So, youre completely fine now? Wheeze curled its tail happily. You can say that. Alright then, you go do your thing. I just ate a full meal so Im going to sleep. Yeah, you do that. Cillin gave Wheeze a rub on the head. The glutton worked really hard this time, and it wasnt until now that it was able to completely. It definitely earned its rest today. Half a day went by in the blink of an eye. After synthesizing over a dozen of experimental medicines, he tested three on a couple of lab rats and decided that the effects were acceptable. He then chose the one that worked the fastest and ordered the robots to test it on the planets natives. If it worked on human subjects, then his experiment could be considered a success. It wasnt even a second after the robot went away, and Cillin sat down when his communicator rang. This time, it was a depressed Bel who called him instead of Guan Feng. Chapter 301: The Zebra Summi t Finally! Where were you, what ... what happened to you? The circles around Bels red, swollen eyes were black and deep. The dispirited prince looked like he hadnt slept for days, he had probably been crying before he contacted him. His overgrown facial hair was unkempt and untouched. Bel had wanted to say something, but everything died in his throat the moment he saw the stripes on Cillins face. Im fine, dont worry about me. Just tell me if you need anything, Cillin replied. The prince of the Blazing Eagle, Bel was unreliable at times, but Cillin had never seen him looking this depressed until now. It it can wait. Cillin, how did you catch the Zebra Virus? And where are you? Are you being treated properly? Im at the eleventh star region. Bel: ... The eleventh star region was a red zone that might be abandoned at any moment. A short silence later, Bel asked another question. That day at Gagas cousins wedding, you left because of the Zebra Virus, didnt you? Bel clearly knew about the virus. Cillin knitted his eyebrows before asking, Has the infection spread beyond the eleventh star region? Yes. Bel pressed a finger to his brow and rubbed. The black circles around his eyes looked darker than ever before. Bel briefly explained his situation. On the way home from a family visit, his mom suddenly showed signs of illness and saw stripes appearing all over her body. In fact, more than eighty percent of the people on that trip were suffering from the same symptom, and those who hadnt were isolated and observed just in case they showed symptoms later on. The queen had left to visit her relatives because she was bored, and neither the king himself nor Bel had accompanied her on her trip. When the steward informed them that she had caught the Zebra Virus, forget the king, even the RAS was panicking like never before. At the same time, rumors of the Zebra Virus had begun to spread throughout the empire and warp the peoples perception of the eleventh star region. Everyone was watching their own backs, and the empires efforts to assuage their citizens fears were mostly ineffective. It was because one of the rumors claimed that the virus was currently untreatable, and those who were unlucky enough to catch it could only wait for death to claim them. Hows your mother doing right now? Cillin asked. Bel shook his head and said, Not good. Shes staying in an isolation ward right now, and we arent allowed to get close to her at all. Only voice calls and video calls are allowed. But she grows visibly tired if the conversation lasts too long. Bel let out a sigh before continuing. All the medicine the RAS researched could only alleviate the symptoms, not cure the virus. They said they could do it if they found the original pathogen, but no progress had been made on that front so far. My family has mobilized almost everyone we can mobilize, the Royal Guards and the Imperial Guards are searching for it as well, but Cillin, you Bel hesitated. Cillin was a patient himself, and he knew better than to behave too negatively around him. Its okay, you can ask me anything, Cillin said. Seeing that Cillin probably was as nonchalant as he looked, Bel sucked in a deep breath before asking, The reason Im contacting you today is because I want to know how were really dealing with the virus right now. I trust you to know what youre talking about, and no one else will give me a straight answer. Tell me, is there really no way to cure the Zebra Virus right now? It takes time. Cillin didnt inform Bel about his own research because the results werent confirmed yet. He couldnt guarantee anything until then. Time Bel covered his face and let out a laugh that sounded like a sob. Of course I know that, but... it just hurts so much! So much! Bel jabbed himself in the heart. Before this, the times Bel returned home per year could be counted on one hand. These days, he spent nearly all his time outside the isolation ward where his mom was kept. I promise you things will get better, and it probably wont take very long. For now, tell your mother to stay strong and use the latest medicines to buy as much time as possible. If even she has given up on herself, shell be in grave danger even if an effective medicine was created later. Really? Are you sure it wont take long? Bel croaked as if he was offered a plank right before he was about to drown. He thought that Cillin was trying to console himself. Its the truth. But dont tell anyone, especially the Gen Family about my condition for now. Just be patient and wait for my news. There should be a solution very soon. A pause later, Cillin added, I promise! To boost Bels confidence, Cillin pointed the camera at Wheeze and said, Here. Does it look like its worried about my condition? Not at all. The gray cat was snoring like thunder. Bel envied the gray cat deeply. He hadnt had a shut-eye since god knows how long because he felt like he would never see them again when he woke up. He was literally forcing himself to stay awake if only to look at his mom for even a second longer. Cillin, does Teacher Guan knows about your condition? I can afford you protection if you need it, you dont have to hold back around me. Thanks, but Im fine. In fact, I just spoke to him before you called me, so seriously, dont worry about me. Im not going on a journey of no return. Take care. IfIm not saying itll come true, just ifif the situation gets really bad, lets talk to each other again, okay? Dont worry, things will get better. Really! Cillin closed his eyes and fell into deep thought after his call with Bel ended. The culprits who led to the queen being infected were most likely the two escaping virus carriers. They were the reason the virus was being spread at an exponential rate. Cillin had sent their info to Guan Feng so that the latter could capture and quarantine them as soon as possible, assuming that they were still alive at this point of time. Besides that, Cillin also gave some info regarding the original pathogen. His teacher would act as his mouthpiece and transmit the info back to Black Viper and RAS. Hopefully, they would be able to find better ways to combat the virus. But of course, Cillin didnt tell Guan Feng that he had found and absorbed the unknown substance that caused all of this. Just like the biochips, it was a secret he would probably take to his grave. If he hadnt discovered the unknown substance, a breakthrough would likely have been impossible in such a short time. Even if an effective medicine was discovered, countless lives and planets would have been destroyed by then. The robots responsible for carrying the experimental drugs into the planet and testing it on severely ill patients finally came back with news. After observing the collected data and the patients reactions to the drugs, Cillin summarized his findings and made some changes to it. A total of fifty patientsall of them so severely ill that they could no longer movewere injected with the first generation medicine. Many of them were literal minutes or hours away from death. Forty one patients showed signs of recovery. Six of the nine that didnt because their bodies rejected the medicine had to be observed further before a conclusion could be drawn. The last three died not long after they took the injection, but not because the medicine wasnt working. They were old or weak-bodied people who had led an unhealthy life for most of their lives, and as a result they passed away before the medicine could fight off the virus properly. But it worked, and that was all that mattered. Cillin immediately started treating the infected people on the planet en masse after he refined the medicine, but the process was going to take some time to complete. Besides that, he also sent the formula and all other necessary info Guan Feng so that the patients beyond the eleventh star region could be saved as well. It was only limited to those who were severely ill, however. The medicine still had much room to be improved, so the not-too-ill might as well wait until he came up with a better, safer to use medicine. Guan Feng contacted a pharmacist he was on friendly terms with to produce the medicine after he received the info from Cillin. Although the pharmacist wasnt among the senior management of the RAS, his achievements were no less greater than those people. He absolutely had the qualification to join them if he wanted to, but he would rather spend his time on researching than politicking. That was the line that separated him and the people in the meeting room. It wasnt long before the cures formula was passed down to several people-in-charge. By now the seeds of distrust and unrest had grown to full bloom in many places, and plenty of people were shouting at the empire with anger and despair. But after the first generation cure was created and injected to the severely ill, most of them lived and showed clear signs of recovery. The stripes on their body were clearly fading, and their vitals were improving day by day. The mass panic that was threatening to overwhelm the empire subsided substantially thanks to the success of the first generation cure. However, the shadows of the virus hadnt been chased away completely. Most people would still rather wall themselves in and live completely separate from the world. Guan Feng had become so popular in the affiliated schools that his popularity exceeded all the other members of the senior management. It was because he was the one who found the first generation cure to the Zebra Virus when everyone else was busy doing their emergency meetings. Not long ago, some of these people even accused Guan Fengs sudden departure from the meeting room to be a sign that he cared nothing about the lives of the citizens of the empire. But now? Guan Feng had used action to prove himself and slapped all those dissenters in the face. But Guan Feng didnt claim the credit. He announced through the media that his student, Cillin was the one who was responsible for everything. He told everyone that Cillin was an infected patient himself, but despite his condition he still spent all of his energy and time into researching a cure. Finally, he thanked all the researchers who did everything in their power to research the virus The declaration won him massive public support, much to the dismay and disgust of certain members of the RAS senior management. After that, they too shut themselves in their own labs and claimed that they were researching whatever. No one knew the truth of what they were doing, and nobody cared. Everyones attention was on Cillin right now, and they wanted to know when he could push out the second generation cure most of all. Although Guan Feng gave Cillin all the credit, his act of humility only made him more famous than ever before. Countless people wanted to be tutored by Guan Feng, and even before this everyone knows that Guan Fengs students tended to become influential people or great contributors to the empire like Cillin. Once the fame was there, the wealth would flow in naturally. Who wouldnt envy someone like that? Bel literally cried when he heard of the emergence of the first generation cure. He immediately called his mom and talked about all sorts of things. In fact, he was so excited that he exceeded the normal call time and had to be pulled into bed by the ear by his father. No one had had a shut-eye since the queen had fallen sick. Everyone was afraid that she would be gone by the time they woke up again. But now that they know that the first generation cure was a massive success, it was truly time for everyone to take a rest. If they kept staying up like this, they would meet the angels first before the queen did. At the eleventh star region, Gu Xin and Tu Ba were cooperating with Cillin on his operation as members of the empires special forces. Kristi Hadar and the emperor himself had ordered them to cooperate fully with Cillin on all fronts and given him absolute power over everyone who was working in the eleventh star region. He would be responsible for curing the eleventh star region. The special forces worked overtly while the robots worked covertly. Both sides worked together to bring the situation under control and force the military and the governments ruling the planets to provide their full cooperation and support. Those who refused were dealt with accordingly. Some time later, Cillin went back to the underground shelter to test out the second generation cure. He injected everyone and the puppy with it. A couple of armies descended on the planet and quickly took control of the situation. A large quantity of robots were cleaning up the devastated streets as well. All the extremists who went too far down the deep end were executed without mercy. These people were probably warped even before the virus came and infected everyone. The virus just happened to be the spark that blew up the powder keg. The second generation cure was much more successful than the first. Although the researchers in Black Viper managed to come up with a couple of medicines on their own based on the info Cillin supplied them and their analyses of the first generation cure, Cillins second generation cure was still a tad better than theirs. But Cillin still wasnt satisfied. The second generation cure still contained a few flaws that he didnt know how to fix in the time period he was provided, so he decided to bring together the Black Viper researchers who were involved in this and come up with a solution. Among these researchers was Neo, who to this day still refused to receive treatment. Apparently, the stubborn idiot would rather die than be cured by a medicine that he hadnt had a hand researching. Even better, he wasnt the only one who shared the same thought. Luckily, their condition wasnt so serious that they had to be cured against their will, but their stance still appeared idiotic to most people. Meanwhile, the second generation cure was being mass produced and distributed in many places, further bolstering the peoples confidence. Now that the momentum was swinging in their favor, the governments began encouraging the people to verbally attack those who continued to spread rumors of doom and gloom to this day. Cillin paid no attention to that mess. His focus was fully on discussing the second generation cure with the researchers he gathered and improving it. He had his way of dealing with these stubborn weirdos, and it wasnt long before he got them all to start talking. This was a summit where zero RAS members were involved. Some time later, the summit would be known as the Zebra Summit, although the publics knowledge of it was limited at best. Some people thought that it was a gathering of all the folk geniuses who hid themselves from the world. Some even guessed correctly that a lot of them were infected with the Zebra Virus, though probably not in the order they imagined. A lot of people actually went to the eleventh star region to search for their mysterious hermit as a result of their hermit. There were so many versions of the rumor that even Cillin had to facepalm from time to time when he heard them. Still, he had to admit that the rumors did some good for the world. A lot of experts and academicians who wouldve been overlooked before this were unearthed and brought under the light. But that''s another story for another day. Speaking of which, the researchers Cillin had invited to the meeting were surprisingly more open than normal. According to them, the empire was filled with chimpanzees and strangers, and it was perfectly natural that they couldnt hold a conversation with those things because they absolutely didnt belong in the same level of intelligence, wavelength or frequency. Now that they had found their own kin, they were talking as if they had known each other their whole life. The discussion was incredibly intense and in-depth. It was doubtful that a normie who dabbled in the same field of study could understand all that was being discussed in the summit completely. To borrow Tu Bas words, it was deep enough to make his hair stand on end just listening to it, and this was considering that he was an active soldier. Soldiers generally knew how to operate all kinds of machines, interact in codes and analyse all manners of signals, but virus research to them was like trying to comprehend a heavenly book as mortals. They just didnt belong in the same plane of existence. After the summit was over, the third generation cure was finally complete. Everyone agreed that it was the best possible cure, and not only did it work on patients who were fragile, sensitive or allergic, it didnt leave behind any side effects as well. The Blazing Eagle queen recovered quickly after she received the third generation cure. As the third generation cure became common, so did the Zebra Summit that led to its creation and the name Cillin. Cillin didnt claim all the credit, but Black Viper was a national secret, so any and all critical information was wiped away. Cillin watched the recovering planet from space. It was no longer covered in flames or gray. The city he stayed briefly was regaining its liveliness, and the sky had cleared up enough that white clouds weren''t in an impossible formation anymore. The sky looked so blue that it made the people living under it wished that it would stay that way forever. The virus outbreak hadnt really lasted all that long. In fact, it had only been several weeks since the day when all hell broke loose. But this memory was destined to linger in every persons hearts for years or even decades to come. For some, it was a gray memory they would never forget until the day they died. The woman in the underground shelter was standing in the open. She chose to lean against a wall and stare at nothing in particular instead of bringing out a chair. Beside her, the little girl was hugging the only pet dog to survive this ordeal and enjoying the sunlight beside the cleaned streets of the city. A couple of children were running on the streets. The stripes hadnt faded from their faces completely, but it was only a matter of time before they made a full recovery. They were all running and jumping to their hearts content. After this tragedy, the people of this planet would grow to appreciate the mobility heaven gave them much, much more. The adults didnt react excessively. They didnt throw their arms or shout themselves hoarse even though they survived what had seemed like certain doom at the time. They were happy, sure, but right now, they would rather just watch the running children and smile. The devastated city looked nothing like what they remembered, but the golden light reflecting off its surface still made them feel like crying. Things will get better. Chapter 302: Honorary Scholar of the Royal Academy of Sciences The panic caused by the Zebra Virus finally subsided. Although it hadnt taken too long for a cure to be created after the virus had spread, it still left a deep impression in everyones mind. Be it the officials who worked like a top to keep everything running, the researchers who studied the virus until they became infected themselves, or the natives that nearly got wiped out because the infection on their home planets had reached a critical point, it felt as if centuries had passed since things were normal. After the third generation cure was created, Cillin finally shedded his disguise and turned his skin color back to normal. After confirming that the queen of the Blazing Eagle royal family and the stubborn bastards led by Neo were safe and sound, Cillin and Wheeze left the eleventh star region. He had done and delegated everything that needs to be done, and his supervision was no longer necessary. Back on the planet Cillin had stayed briefly, the woman and her younger sister were rebuilding their home. The pet dog they had rescued had regained its mobility, and it was wagging its tail energetically and running circles around the duo. Sometimes, it would even deliver a building material into their hands. The people werent the only ones who took away something from this near death experience. Even the animals looked like they had become more enlightened than before. All the infected people who were carried into the underground shelter by the two women during those difficult times came to thank her for her help. Among them, those who had enough money, background or both decided that they would move to another planet entirely. It was because they wanted to put the planet and all the dark memories it gave them behind them as much as possible. They asked the woman that she would like to leave the planet behind as well, but she turned them down and told them that she wasnt leaving her roots. Her home might be in tatters now, but she would rebuild it with her own hands. While they were working, a service robot that was part of the empires rescue team suddenly gave her a notice. It was an admission notice to the best medical school in the eleventh star region and a top ten medical school in the empire. Not only that, it was completely tuition-free, and she could bring her relatives with her. Qualification mattered a lot in the medical field. Her future could only be bright after she entered the university. Everyone watched her in admiration. Generally, it took either extraordinary talent or a powerful background to make it into a prestigious school like this, and since the womans talent was nothing specialshe wouldnt be stuck in a backwater planet like this if she wasthey started wondering what kind of background she had. However, the background explanation didnt quite make sense either. Everyone who had the right background was transported out of the planet long before the situation became critical. Plus, the woman had looked as sorry as they were before a cure was found. The woman pulled up the notice from its envelope completely and noticed a scribbled note at the bottom of it. I told you things would get better. Thank you for your help, and please continue carrying out the belief in your heart. There wasnt a signature, but she didnt need to see it to know who the writer was, not to mention that the paw print at the back of the note made their identity as clear as it could be. But there was one thing she couldnt understand. If that cat owner really was as powerful as he seemed, why would he risk his own life by traveling to a planet that was days or even hours from being abandoned? Meanwhile, the cat owner the woman couldnt figure out was on his way back to the capital star region. Since the line was now perfectly normal, he was currently being questioned and shouted at by a lot of people. One of his tormentors was none other than Genya himself. To say that Genya was angry would be a severe understatement. Had the media not reported about Cillin, he wouldnt have known to this day that Cillin was infected with the Zebra Virus. Not only did the little bastard run to the eleventh star region, the star region that everyone was escaping from at the time, he even hid his condition from him after he got infected! If anything were to happen to Cillin Genya didnt have the courage to even imagine that outcome. Right now, the two people he cared the most for were Gen Liao and Cillin. He didnt want harm to come to either one of them. Genya was usually a gentle man, but the incident had riled him up so much that not even Guan Feng was exempt from his admonishment. Gen Liao couldnt be happier as he drank his tea and took in the sight of Genya shouting at Guan Feng about all kinds of things, the latter not even daring to form a retort throughout the whole thing. Naturally, Cillin endured another round of admonishment from Guan Feng right after Genya was done with him. It was understandable, however. Guan Feng had never been as scared as he was the day he heard that Cillin was infected. He wouldnt have lost control and hit the table in the middle of the emergency meeting otherwise. After both men were done admonishing Cillin because they cared, Guan Feng told the latter something important: he was invited to join the RAS. He was given the physical letter after he returned to Genyas place. In summary, the letter was saying that the RAS would make a special exception for Cillin and accept him into their ranks. Why was it an exception? It was because a candidate was normally considered only if they have a huge amount of experience, scientific contribution, and have graduated from their studies. If the chosen candidate couldnt even complete their graduation, naturally the RAS was going to question their credibility. Cillin hadnt graduated from AF1 yet, so a lot of jaws were on the floor when they heard that he had received an invitation letter from the RAS. That being said, they quickly accepted it when they recalled just how big of a factor Cillin played in resolving the virus incident as quickly as humanly possible. There were some dissenting voices before the letter was issued, however. Cillins achievements were made during the Zebra Virus incident, so technically he should be appointed an honorary scholar under the Institute of Virology. However, some people rejected this because Cillin was Guan Fengs student, and Guan Fengs field of study had nothing to do with virology at all. They claimed that the letter should at least come from Guan Fengs side, or it would cause some undesirable impact in the future. It made sense, but Guan Feng didnt really care either way when they asked for his opinion. Since when was there a rule that stated that a virus illiterate like him couldnt have a student who specialized in the field of virology? Plus, he was far more invested in getting Cillin into the RAS then what department the young man chose to enter. After all, not only was Cillin one of the three leaders of Black Viper, he was the leader of the academic department no less. It would be downright embarrassing if he didnt even qualify to enter the RAS. Although the day he hoped for came way sooner than he expected, he certainly wasnt going to complain about it. Since Guan Feng himself didnt mind, meaning that he would bear all the responsibility and consequences that would result from this appointment, the naysayers acquiesced and allowed the process to go through. After that, Cillin was conferred the title of honorary scholar under the RAS Institute of Virology. This title was just a process, and he was expected to become an official academician very soon as long as he didnt do something crazy during this time. After all, Cillin was backed by a mentor with a sterling reputation, and no matter how much some people in the RAS disliked this, they couldnt just slap Guan Feng in the face and not face the consequences that would come with it. Right now Guan Feng was heralded and promoted as the model all educators should learn from in the empire, and to say that he had a ton of support was an understatement. Naturally, the senior management in the RAS who valued its reputation highly wasnt going to commit themselves to any foolish action. Sure, they were sorely embarrassed by how Guan Feng acted in the meeting room that day, but it was an emergency, and one shouldnt use the standards of peace times to judge an emergency, right? So not only did they have to refrain from antagonizing Guan Feng and Cillin, they had to pretend that they welcomed their presence. That being said, as an honorary scholar of the RAS, Cillin was now expected to follow certain standards if he wished to do something. He now had the right to apply for a project and a budget if he wanted to. He could also request to participate in another senior academicians project or request for a merger if they were in the same vein. There were practically no downsides for the participants when it came to merging projects because the achievement and the monetary reward that came with it were enough to make anyone go green with envy. Of course, he could also choose to do nothing, but he wouldnt be able to gain bigger wealth or fame. Generally speaking, most people would do everything they could to apply for a project or request to join a bigger project by another academician. Cillins choice was to do nothing at all. He didnt have a big project he wished to apply in mind, nor did he feel like joining any of the existing projects. Plus, he was still just a student in AF1, and he hadnt completed all the courses and basic missions Guan Feng had instructed him to complete. Moreover, researchers like Neo tended to get into conflicts that required his occasional intervention and control. Although they were never physical conflictsit was usually two parties duking it out with the results of their researchoversight could easily led to another case like the Zebra Virus. An artificial virus usually wasnt nearly as deadly as a natural virus, but it was a deadly threat all the same. Long story short, Cillin had fuck all time to bother with any project at the moment. That being said, there were a few things Cillin must do that not even Guan Feng could wave away with his authority. One of them was conducting presentations and speeches in the famous schools of various star regions. The task was normally thrown in the lap of honorary scholars. To begin with, where would the academicians find the time to travel across star regions just to conduct presentations and speeches? Everyone was busy doing their own thing and supervising the projects their underlings were working on, to put it mildly. Therefore, making the honorary scholars do the public speaking was the most natural choice. These honorary scholars usually worked under an academician, so their names would be brought up anyway while the presentation was carried out. It saved them time, spread the influence of the RAS, and preserved the air of mystery that the academicians of the RAS enjoyed since time immemorial. This time, it was Guan Fengs turn to do his rounds. He didnt have a habit of dropping the duty onto an honorary scholar because he preferred to present his own projects himself, but he usually couldnt make the rounds because he was an incredibly busy man and also a member of the senior management. So normally, he got to skip his turn and pass the task to the next person in line. Not this time, however. Cillin was now an honorary scholar, and while they didnt belong in the same department they were still mentor and student. Technically speaking, a mentor could pass a duty like this to his student, and this time he had to because he offended quite a lot of people back in the meeting room. So he called Cillin over and dropped the difficult but glorious task in his lap. Guan Feng pointed at the brief summary of the schools on a screen and said, Here are the schools you can attend during your free time. Just pick one and get this over with. Its not like youve a lot of courses to go through recently, and this is the only real mission I have for you thus far. Finish it, and I can give you the extra marks you need to guarantee a huge scholarship for the year. Cillin shot Guan Feng a sideway glance before scrolling through the screen. A while later, he paused at a certain school and said, I choose this one. Guan Feng read the summary of the school and noticed something. Oh, that one. No problem. Ill give you all the necessary documents later, but dont forget to bring your honorary scholar badge with you. Someone will welcome you once you reach your destination. The school Cillin chose was the one at the twenty third star region. If he was going to travel to another star region and make a presentation, he might as well use the opportunity to visit Old Chang and the others. Cillin started packing his stuff after he returned to the hostel. Wheeze was crouching on top of a cabinet, doing nothing to help and rolling back and forth right where he could see it on purpose. Cillin zipped his bag and looked at Wheeze. So? Whats wrong? Now that Cillin was finally asking, Wheeze rose to its feet and complained, Cillin, didnt you say youll look for a way to go home after the virus incident is over? Cillin sighed before pulling Wheeze to himself stroke its fur. I will visit Xi Kai and ask about Sigmas master before we head to the twenty third star region. Im sure hell know something that could help us. Really? Really! Then what are we waiting for? Lets go! Wheeze jumped to the storage cabinet and started grabbing a tonne of stuff, its favorite food to be exact. They were going on a long trip, so these were absolutely necessary. Cillin himself didnt bring many things with him besides the relevant documents and everything he needed to confirm his identity. It would be troublesome and time wasting if people questioned his identity due to his appearance and age. Instead of asking the guards of the RAS to escort him, Cillin simply drove off with Guan Fengs new spaceplane. The previous spaceplane had exploded back on the planet, although its loss meant little to Guan Feng. He simply ordered a new one to be built. Perhaps it was because Cillin gave him too much of a fright, but the spaceplane was equipped with multiple sterilization rooms and medical equipment. If necessary, it could even be used as a temporary lab. It wasnt an unwelcomed addition. If Cillin ran into a similar problem in the future, he would not need to do nearly as much work as last time. Besides the medical equipment, the AI of the spaceplane was also improved to stop it from exploding again. All the new equipment and installations meant that the spaceplane actually cost as much as some of the starships the nobles drove even though it looked small and unassuming on the outside. Even better, Cillin didnt need to pay a dime for it. Standing on Cillins shoulder, Wheeze briefly calculated the cost of the spaceplane in its head before patting the former once to grab his attention. Does this mean that all the money we saved can be spent on more fish biscuits? I thought theres still a tonne of them in your storage cabinet? There are always new flavors to buy! ... Cillin contacted Xi Kai after they left the capital star region. As one of the three heads of Black Viper, Cillin knew how to contact Xi Kai as a matter of course. Xi Kai wasnt surprised by Cillins call. I was going to find you if you didnt come to me first. Lets speak. Of course. Where should we meet? Xi Kai sent Cillin a regional star map with a dot marking the destination. The fact that it wasnt far away from where he was right now showed that Xi Kai had factored Cillins convenience into the equation. I have a private fortress here. Also implying that Cillin could relax and not worry about leaks. Got it. Im heading there now. Cillin calculated the time in his head and noted that he had a fair bit of time to waste before the date of the presentation. It was enough for him to have a chat with Xi Kai. The majority of the occupants of Xi Kais fortress were robots. The scientist had been waiting for them when Cillin and Wheeze arrived at their destination. Neither of them enjoyed beating around the bush, but Cillin still chose not to reveal his true objective immediately. He didnt know Xi Kai that well, and even Black Viper had limited information only on the former head. Guan Feng himself said that he would have to speak to Xi Kai to get a true measure of the person. Xi Kai didnt mind Cillin asking about his background and explained how he and his people functioned within Black Viper. Xi Kai and his peoples status in Black Viper was incredibly special. More accurately, the people of his lineage had enjoyed a special status in Black Viper since a long time ago. They didnt take part in Black Vipers management, but they almost owned half the organization because they supplied highly intelligent robots and took on jobs that were incredibly dangerous or inconvenient for the official government to stick their hand in. However, there had never been a betrayal since Xi Kais ancestor signed an agreement with the founder of Black Viper, the emperor at the time. Black Viper promised to provide the Xi Family a place to stay and anything they needed to build their robots on the condition that they never betray Black Viper. According to my family records, my ancestor was a good friend of the late Lord Freeman. In fact, the Xi Family or the robots wouldnt have existed if it wasnt for him. That is why the Xi Family keeps our promise to the letter and never did anything that may even be considered a betrayal to Black Viper. You can describe it as an inviolable program thats forever stuck in our brains. You wouldnt have existed if it wasnt for Lord Freeman? What happened back then? Cillin asked. Im not sure myself, actually. It was a long time ago. A lot of my ancestors tried to find out the truth, but no one ever succeeded in their endeavor. All we know is that Freeman saved the Xi Family, so we must not betray Black Viper no matter what. Not even the royal family knows about this? No. The late emperor who made the deal and Lord Freeman told no one about it. Did anyone try to check with the black viper? Yes, but its consciousness wasnt developed yet at the time, so it didnt really remember much that is related to the Xi Family. It only ever truly remembered Lord Freeman, probably because it didnt care much for anyone else. The more Xi Kai talked, the lower Wheezes ears drooped. It could almost feel the hope of returning home slipping out of its grasp. A short silence later, Cillin asked, Do you have any intelligent robots? I mean I know what you mean, Xi Kai stopped him before he could explain himself fully. Xi Kai rubbed his forehead once before saying, According to our records, a total of five such robots were built in the history of the Xi Family. They were pretty much the same as you and I other than the fact that their body was made from metal. They had their own thoughts, their own emotions, their own ego and their own way of seeing the world. We called them the Original robots. The Xi Family has never stopped trying to realize the Original project, but we were never able to build another robot like that since the original five. Heck, our ancestors didnt even know how they were built in the first place because no such records currently exist in this world. It was the main reason we sought to figure out for the truth behind that deal. Who knows, maybe the secret to reproduce the Original robots is hidden somewhere in that period. Where are the five Original robots right now? What are their names? Chapter 303: Why Is He Here Xi Kai didnt answer Cilins question. Everything he said earlier was known to all the previous heads of Black Viper, so he had no reason to hide it from Cillin who was the new head of the organization. Moreover, it was a good topic to use to show his sincerity. However, anything deeper than that was a family secret, and he had no intention of divulging them to Cillin right now. Cillin asked another question after hearing no reply from Xi Kai, Do you know where your ancestors come from? Do you know where their homeworld is? Xi Kai still didnt say anything, but this time Cillin had a feeling the man himself didnt know the answer to that question. If he did, he wouldve tried a different way to get the answers he wanted instead of spending all his energy on recreating the Original robots. Never mind. What do you want from me? Cillin asked. Xi Kai finally broke his silence. The Xi Family was never able to create another Original robot since the original five. No matter how much effort and time we put inwe even lost two Original robots in the processall we ever managed to create was an imitation of the real thing. According to the final records of our ancestors, the brains of the two Original robots they dissected for their research was an amalgamation of a kind of coordination compound. It was why their quasi-brains were closer to a humans than that of a robot. Actually, I would like to correct myself. They are exactly like humans, and the only difference between them and us is that they have a metallic body. They have their own independent consciousness, they are capable of divergent thinking, and they can pick all kinds of unique habits that form their personality. We know that the coordination compound that made up their brains is critical to our research, but to this day the molecular formula eludes us even after we sacrificed two Original robots in the name of research. There were barely any records regarding this coordination compound as well. Cillin didnt realize that the material that made up Sigmas brain was so special until Xi Kai mentioned it. In fact, it looked like the key to recreating the Original robots was this unknown coordination compound. Is there no other way? What about a substitute? We tried. The Xi Family had been trying to find a coordination compound that might work as a replacement for generations, but to no avail. No matter how close we got, it just wasnt close enough to match the Original robots. Anyone who met the Original robots before would know that their creation was nothing but a defect with a pretty shell. Xi Kai gave an example in order to make things clearer for Cillin. Youve seen my robots. They may look expressive and emotional, but theyre actually not. For example, I taught a robot how to draw a straight line, but when I try to teach it how to draw other pictures, the result isnt what I imagine it should be. Its because it lacks the ability to learn a different type of line. It can create the most gorgeous drawings in the world, but the basis of those drawings will always be the straight line it was taught. It can never learn how to draw a curve on its own. Xi Kai moved his finger once and brought up a light screen. First, he drew a straight line on the screen. Next, he drew a circle next to the straight line. This is how we humans learn. What about the robots we created? Xi Kai started drawing something that looked like a circle. And why wasnt it actually a circle? It was because the circle was made entirely from straight lines. It looked nothing like the smooth, round circle Xi Kai had drawn. Weve researched the Original robots for a long time now, and today our so-called Original robot looks something like this. Xi Kai moved his finger again, and this time the jagged circle looked much smoother than before. However, the reason for the smoothness wasnt because the robot learned how to draw a curve, but because more straight lines had been added to the circle. Even if the final circle looked as smooth as butter, it didnt change the fact that it was made up of straight lines. In a sense, it was similar to what people called cognitive rigidity. The academic circles considered it a dangerous condition, and the teacher or the education system that raised a student like this was considered a failure. It was the reason why the test questions of AF1 were as weird as they were. They were meant to test a students personality, behavior and mode of thought. For example, two different people could look at the same picture and notice completely different things. AF1 and AF2 didnt accept students with rigid thinking. Research was about innovation and flexibility. The beauty of thought lies in its creativity.. A rigid thinker could be a good soldier or an obedient student, but never a ruler or a politician. This was why the researchers of the Xi Family were dissatisfied with their creation. At the beginning, the robot we created is like a blank slate. If we taught it how to draw in a straight line, itll always draw in a straight line. If we taught it how to draw a circle, itll always draw in circles. Everything it learns afterward is based on the first lesson it was taught. It can never stray from its initial programming. The robots who picked up the straight lines are similar to pure machines. They are nothing but humanoid calculators. The robots who learned how to express emotions are just as rigid in that they can do nothing more but draw circles. However, the coordination compound that made up the Original robots brain is something that allowed both positives to be combined, enabling the final product to learn new drawing methods on its own, and express independent thought and emotions. Cillin nodded understandingly. He suddenly recalled Czedow, the robot he created before he arrived at this star system. He had made Czedow using the best qualities of the liquid nucleus chip technology, but he also made some tweaks and added that mysterious substance in the end. It was why he was successful in creating Czedow. In fact, now that he thought about it, Czedow was very similar to the ideal robot Xi Kai described. Czedow felt stiff and emotionless, but that was only because he was freshly created and hadnt had too much time to pick up human emotions and expressions. He wondered how the gang was doing right now. Xi Kai didnt break Cillin out of his daydream. He was thirsty and needed a drink anyway. He curled his fingers a bit, and the robot standing next to him passed him a cup of tea. While he was wetting his throat, he waited patiently for Cillin to give him a response. If what he heard from the heads were true, Cillins participation should push the project a step further. It might not be a small step, but even the smallest progress was significant at this point. The descendants of the Xi Family had barely made any headway since the research landed in their laps, and what looked like perfection to an outsider was nothing but defects that barely achieved any advancement since too long ago to Xi Kai. Wheeze cocked its head in confusion. Xi Kais explanation made no sense to it probably because it was a half-cyborg, but it wasnt so stupid that it couldnt understand one simple fact: these idiots didnt have their ancestors technology at all!! Without their ancestors technology, it might actually be impossible to go home! If they couldnt go home, then they might be stuck in this stupid ass empire forever! Meowfucker! Wheeze glared at Xi Kai and asked in an ominous tone, Youre saying that there are two other Original robots beside Sigma? PwahCOUGHCOUGHCOUGHCOUGHCOUGHCOUGH Tea spilled out of Xi Kais mouth and even his nose. The innocent question made him cough so hard it felt like his lungs were threatening to pop out of his throat. But he didnt even bother wiping his mouth as he blurted, W-w-w-w-w-what did you say?!!! I-I-I-I-I-I-I said if there are two other Original robots beside Sigma! Cillin felt like smiling when he heard Wheezes reply. He looked away from the light screen and flicked it in the ear. Xi Kai finally wiped the water on his face before sucking in a deep breath to calm himself down. He tried to act serious, but he couldnt even control the tremor in his voice, much less the excitement overpowering his features. You you know Sigma? This time it was Wheezes turn to fall silent. Realizing that it had slipped up, Wheeze shot Cillin a look to make sure that the latter wasnt angry before curling its tail into a question mark. Then, it closed its eyes and pretended to be asleep. At this point, Xi Kai was fully certain that Cillin and Wheezes knowledge of Sigma wasnt falsehood or something they had found out from Black Viper. It was because their info was known only to the successor of the Xi Family. Not even a family member of the Xi Family was aware of the details. The problem was not many people actually thought optimistically of the successors inherited duty to recreate their ancestors technology because they thought that robots were just robots, and that they could never develop divergent thinking or personalities. Robots were constructs who obeyed only their orders and their programming, so how could they possibly evolve into an independent entity of their own? It was one of the reasons why they didnt acknowledge the Original robots existed, and thought of their project as an ideal that their ancestors had left behind for them to complete. Someone might ask: why not just show these disbelievers an Original robot? That would surely shut up their mouths, right? Xi Kai wouldve groaned if someone had asked him that question. The answer was that they couldnt, not since several centuries ago. There was zero information about the Original robots in Black Vipers network, and he wouldve known if Cillin had hacked into his private network. Besides that, the only ones who knew about them were him and a couple of special robots. Where is Sigma? Xi Kai was a steady guy, but he was positively shaking when he asked the question. He had never shaken like this even when he was creating a new batch of experimental robots. Cillin shook his head. We cant find it. As you mentioned yourself, I want to know more about your ancestors technology. He got up to his feet and said, Take some time to think, will you? Some things are better dealt with honesty than secrecy. A secret will never be anything more but a secret if you never divulge it, and its unrealistic to expect others to solve your secret without telling them what it is in the first place. I hope well be able to have a more sincere conversation after my mission is complete. Cillin wasnt expecting Xi Kai to divulge his secrets from the start. Sincerity was a thing that could only be tested with time, and considering how long he had already waited he didnt mind waiting just a bit longer to get his answer. He could only make some real decisions once Xi Kai had gotten over himself and told him everything. But before that happened, both of them were just wasting each others time. Were leaving like this? You sure you dont have another question to shoot? Wheeze looked reluctant to leave. They had learned far less than they hoped for from this trip. Hell speak more if we give him some time. Wheeze kneaded its paws for a bit. I wonder how Sigma would react if it learns that its siblings were broken by the Xi Familys experiment. Cillin patted the plotting cat before saying, Something big mustve happened back then. Sigma said that his master took a lot of people with him on his journey, but its starting to look like that isnt the case. The duo returned to the spaceplane and left the space fortress. Xi Kai stared wordlessly at the departing vehicle on a giant screen before taking out a necklace and pressing a button on it. The necklace then displayed a hologram of the five Original robots. It was literally the most precious thing his ancestor had left behind after his passing; a record of the lives of the five Origin robots after they were born. Xi Kai stared at a robot that was swinging its arms and spinning in circles. He then tried to touch it with his finger. However, the hologram was just a hologram, and his fingers went through the image like it wasnt there. His finger followed the spinning robot that was being chased by two other robots. Sigma Beside giving Xi Kai some time to think, the other reason Cillin left so soon was because he had received a couple of messages and missed calls during the conversation. He just hadnt checked or answered them because Xi Kai was speaking at the time. The calls came from Gen Xingming and the gang, especially Bel. There were also a couple of missed call messages and actual messages from unknown numbers. If he wasnt mistaken, the people trying to contact him belonged to the Blazing Eagle Royal Family. They probably wanted to thank him for creating a cure for the Zebra Virus in time and saving their queens life. His suspicions were confirmed to be correct when he called Bel. When the latter heard that he was already on the road, he insisted on thanking Cillin properly after he finished his mission and returned to the capital. Beside that, he also congratulated Cillin for entering the RAS while he was still a student. Cillin was now famous throughout the affiliated schools as the student who was appointed as an honorary scholar before he even graduated from AF1, and his achievement was the subject of much envy and jealousy. You dont know this Cillin, but when some of my freeloaders heard about your glorious achievements their eyes literally turned red with jealousy! One of them had a bit too much of a drink and said something like, so what if hes a scholar? Hes still going to get his ass kicked by a space robber if he travels into space without military protection! after he saw your picture at the first place of AF3s ranking board. You know what Gaga did? He beat him so hard that his own mother wouldnt recognize his face! That guys just jealous, you see. Hes good at physical things, but hes trash in everything else, especially those that require him to employ half his brain. Seriously though, whoever said that bookworms are weak pieces of shit? You could probably put that idiot down in one punch if he ever ran into you! Cillin smiled through the entire conversation while Bel prattled on and on like a machine gun. Thank goodness he left the school on a mission, or Bel could probably talk him to his grave. These studentsespecially the young nobles who studied in AF3were like a piece of bubblegum stuck to the bottom of your shoes. They were impossible to get rid of once they began their antics. Cillin, how many bodyguards did you bring with you? Bel asked a bit worriedly after he was finally done prattling about school. He knew that Cillin disliked carrying bodyguards with him. Its just me and Wheeze. I I see. You havent actually run into any space robbers, have you? The empires patrols cant be everywhere, you know. No. Honestly, I havent run into a single space robber since I came to the empire. Are you worried that what that guy said would come true? Yeah, him and his stupid mouth. Gaga wouldnt have beaten the living shit out of him otherwise. Ahem. Anyway, just keep an eye out is what Im trying to say. Be ready to make a run for it if anything does happen, yeah? Dont worry, I know. Cillin ended the call after they talked for a few more minutes. Space robbers, huh, Wheeze said dreamily while swinging its tail. Those were the times~ Cillin shook his head. The cat was getting restless because it had a bit too much sleep recently. To the great disappointment of Wheeze, they didn''t encounter any space robbers as they entered the twenty third star region. In fact, the number of patrols in the area visibly increased after they entered the star region, making the chances of encountering a space robber even lower than it already was. It was understandable though. What kind of idiot would try something where the space patrols were right around the corner? Cillins arrival didnt draw anyones attention. Since his spaceplane didnt fall under the category of a tourist ship, a transport ship or a nobles fleet, it was mandatory for him to check his ship at an official inspection point. If it was found out that he had illegally entered the star region, an armed force would be sent to block him. Normally, these people didnt give a shit if you lived or died while they were cornering you. Cannons had no eyes, and if you were blasted to smithereens because you were too lazy to pay the toll, well, unlucky you. Cillin didnt request for q special permission this time. He simply obeyed the standard protocol and entered an inspection point on the official route. Once he got close enough, he made a call request and entered his ID data after receiving an automated prompt. Inside the inspection space station. Yo! You have a lot of free time or something? Its rare to see your face around here. A man in a high level office teased the guest who just walked through his door. The guest dropped his ass on the sofa and grabbed a pack of food from a nearby cabinet like he owned the place. Then, he entered a password and pulled two bottles of wine before tossing one of it into the hands of the man sitting on the office chair. The duo were enjoying a casual conversation and a good time when the communicator on the table rang all of a sudden. Boss, a strange-looking spaceplane just dropped in our station. The subordinate sent over the scan data and pilot data, and the office man checked them right in front of his guest, unworried that the latter could see everything. When the guy on the sofa saw the pilot data though, he rose to his feet and exclaimed in surprise, What the fuck? Why is he here?! Chapter 304: San Calombo Part 1 Chapter 304: San Calombo [Part 1] Most of the workers at the inspection space station were military personnel. On a whim, a veteran had decided to scan Cillins spaceplane using a military scanner, and equipment automatically calculated a vehicle combat strength, especially the defense and weapons system. To say that the result almost blinded everyone who saw it was actually an understatement. It wouldnt be surprising if an unrelated person saw the final number and mistook it as the battle strength of an entire fleet. The soldiers wouldnt be this surprised if the spaceplane had a noble emblem on it. After all, some upper nobles had flight equipment that was as impressive as this one. The problem was they didnt spot any noble emblem on the ID information they were shown, not to mention that the spaceplane was much smaller than what they came to expect from nobles. The pilot was a young man who looked like he had an average background. He was neither a noble nor a VIP, at least on the surface. That, was something to consider. But of course, they werent going to flag Cillin down just because they were curious. He was perfectly law abiding after all. They were bored and mentally tired from repeating the same tasks day by day, so they needed something refreshing once in a while to keep themselves alert. In fact, they only reported this because the station master specifically told them to do so. You know this guy? The guy sitting behind the office table asked. Yeah, I do. Strange. Why is he in the twenty-third region? Is he someone from your circle? He was referring to the nobles. Not really. What do you mean not really? Whats with the roundabout explanation, Tousen? Just tell me if this guys a noble or not. Its not that hard. Tousens friend was a long time comrade of Tousens. He had retired from the army due to his injuries, and he never went back after he returned to full health. These days, he worked at the inspection space station and enjoyed a relatively easy life. Tousen put down his wine bottle and said, Can you tell your subordinates that I want to talk with him for a bit? His friend stared at Tousen suspiciously, but carried out the request without question. Inside the spaceplane, Cillin was getting ready to leave the inspection space station. He knew that someone had scanned his vehicle earlier, but he paid it no heed because he was neither on a secret mission nor was he doing something shady. He had nothing to be worried about. But before he could fly away and resume his journey, he suddenly received a comm request from the inspection space station. He accepted it and saw a familiar face on the screen. Nuhatch Tousen? Excuse me, I should call you Lieutenant Colonel Tousen, shouldnt I? Cillin had looked over some of the latest information of the twenty third star region before he flew over, and he noticed that some of his acquaintances were marked as objects of interest. One of them was the military personnel he encountered at Baelenbaatar Middle School. Tousen was just a major when he and Bel ran into him the first time, so the guy was rising through the military ranks faster than expected. The guys noble background surely played a role, but Tousen wouldnt have risen this quickly if he wasnt a capable man himself. As expected of a member of the head of the empires army, the Nuhatch Family. Tousen skipped over the introduction after seeing that Cillin still recognized him. Im at the inspection station right now. Are you free to come up for a chat? I just happened to be on vacation right now. Tousen didnt put on a tough act this time. He was also planning to lend a hand to Cillin if he could help with whatever business the young man had at the twenty third star region. Sure. Cillin was free, so he didnt turn down the invitation. He turned the spaceplane and headed toward the main building Tousen directed him to. This time he was let in after a quick inspection because the workers had already been informed about his return. Long time no see, Cillin! Tousen greeted Cillin as he walked up to him. The fact that he personally came to welcome him instead of sending a guide showed that he respected Cillin enough to give him face. Long time no see, Lieutenant Colonel Tousen. They arrived at a reception room that was meant to be used by the station master only. Tousen waltzed right in where the station master was already waiting for them both. This is Zhu Ming, the station master and an old comrade of mine. Zhu Ming, this is Cillin. Zhu Ming raised his eyebrows: thats it? Youre not going to say anything else besides his name? Zhu Ming treated Cillin courteously despite knowing next to nothing about him. Tousen might have skipped out on a lot of details during his introduction, but he was no longer the bone-headed fool who just joined the army either. This Cillin had to be important considering how respectfully Tousen was treating him. Is AF1 on holiday right now? Tousen asked. His younger brother, Brielles was studying at AF3, so sometimes he would look into the affiliated schools. He knew that the exam period was over not long ago, so he thought that there might be a holiday period of sorts afterward. The Zebra Virus had set everyone on edge for a time, but the virus was suppressed before it ever spread to the twenty third star region. Barring a small minority, the Zebra Virus existed only as a conversation topic to most people. Besides that, the army residing in the twenty third star region were only ever ordered to increase their level of inspection and nothing else. A cure was found pretty soon after that, so at this point of time Tousen had no idea how big of a role Cillin had played in curbing the pandemic. Zhu Ming was slightly surprised to hear that Cillin was a student at AF1. He wasnt well learned, but even he had heard about the famous affiliated schools of the empire, not to mention that Tousen had talked about the brat he called his younger brother more times than he could count. It was why Zhu Ming understood that Cillin was made of real stuff. Most of the students in AF3 were young nobles, and a bit of connection was all it took to enter that place. However, AF1 and AF2 were meritocratic institutions, and not even princes couldnt muscle their way into that place without real skill. If Zhu Ming was only courteous earlier, now he was sitting up straight and seeing Cillin in a new light. All he had ever been was a soldier in his life, so he truly respected those with genuine skill and talent from the bottom of his heart, especially those who remained humble despite everything. Ah, youre a student of AF1? Im glad the empire has people like you! Zhu Mings smile was a lot more sincere this time. What are you doing here, Cillin? Visiting a relative? Tousen investigated Cillin before, so he knew about his relationship with the Chang Family. That is one of the reasons, but Im mainly here to complete my mentors assignment. Tousen nodded understandingly. He had heard that AF1 students were often busy with their mentors assignments beside the usual courses. Is there anything youd like us to help you? Nothing for now. My mentor said that everythings been set up already, and all I need to do after I arrive is contact the people in charge. Thats great. Still, if you need any help then just give me a call directly. Im on holiday anyway. Dont wait until Im gone! Tousen said with a smile. The trio talked about the major events that took place in the twenty third star region as of late. Of course, Tousen wasnt going to reveal anything related to the military, so they were mostly talking about the latest happenings within the star regions. They eventually talked about San Calombo, a famous higher education institution in the twenty third region. San Calombo was the top three best higher education institutions for the last century, and they even dominated the best overall performance rankings for a time. Oh right, I heard that someone San Calombo invited a member of the RAS to give a speech this time. Its popularity is going to rise through the roof again, Zhu Ming said. Oh, really? I havent heard about it. Tousen had been too busy to pay attention to this kind of stuff. Zhu Ming was the only one who had so much time on his hands he could probably die from sheer boredom. Cillin, Would you happen to know who the speaker is? And what kind of topic theyll be talking about? Zhu Ming looked expectantly at Cillin. The RAS seldom announced their speech topic ahead of time, and not even the military could just look into the RAS and fish out whatever information they wanted. Chapter 304: San Calombo Part 2 Chapter 304: San Calombo [Part 2] Ahem, about that. The topic isnt decided yet. Cillin wasnt trying to keep it a secret. He had prepared for a number of topics he might want to talk about during the day, but he hadnt actually decided on a topic just yet. Guan Feng told him that he should choose what the audience looked most interested in when he got there, so he was planning to conduct an investigation and draw a conclusion based on the results. Zhu Ming wasnt really expecting an answer, but Cillins reply caused his eyes to lit up like a light bulb. If Cillin had access to this level of information, then it wouldnt be surprising if he knew more. Which department does the speaker belong to? What kind of expert are they? Zhu Ming had always admired the people of the RAS. He didnt believe that he was a knowledgeable person, so he wanted to learn as much as possible and pass down whatever scraps of knowledge he managed to pick up to his children. He didnt want to be thought of as a brute in pretty clothing by anyone. He couldnt serve the army because he was injured, so he might as well engross himself in other fields of study. The desire to learn grows the older a person gets. After all, it was a persons natural desire to minimize the amount of regrets they have in life. Expert? Cillin scratched his own head and let out an embarrassed chuckle. Then, he pointed at himself and said, Thank you for the compliment, but I wouldnt call myself an expert. I still have a long way to go. Tousen and Zhu Mings mouths started twitching. Zhu Ming was frozen in mid-posture until a long time later. He must be joking, right?! Zhu Mings image of a brilliant scholaran elderly but well cultured person whose very word and action betrayed their enormous wealth of knowledge and achievementsstarted crumbling away into nothing Tousen was almost as surprised as Zhu Ming was. Barring the few exceptional geniuses who entered the RAS immediately after they graduated from AF1 and AF2, the institute was mostly made up of middle-aged men or women. That was why he never considered the possibility that Cillin might represent the RAS until now. Wh when did you join the RAS? Tousen asked. Very recently. In fact, I was sent to replace my mentor as the speaker right after I joined them. If I remember correctly, you havent graduated from AF1, have you? Nope. Tousen rubbed his hands together and tossed another question. So, you came here specifically to give a presentation at San Calombo on behalf of your mentor. Am I right? It wasnt until a long time later Zhu Ming recovered himself and smiled embarrassedly at Cillin. His reaction was understandable though. It was one thing to be a student of AF1, and another to be a member of the RAS! Cillin asked Tousen and Zhu Ming to keep his arrival a secret for now. He didnt want the public to know that he, the representative of the RAS, had arrived just yet. They slapped their chest and gave him their word. The conversation went on for a little longer before Cillin bid them goodbye and left the inspection station. His next destination was San Calombo higher education institution. Zhu Ming and Tousen returned to the office after sending Cillin off. Finally relaxing after Cillin was gone, Zhu Ming grabbed Tousen and began an intense round of questioning. Who is that young man? He looks like hes slightly over twenty at most! How on earth did he get the RAS to appoint him as an honorary scholar? And here I thought honorary scholars are all middle-aged people or old people! Tousen shook his head. Im not too sure myself. All I know is that hes a student in AF1, a very good fighter, and that he will always have the right to change his surname to Gen if he feels like it. Zhu Ming sucked in a deep breath to conceal his shock. Tousen was clearly referring to the Fuji Royal Family. He was saying that Cillin could turn himself into a prince anytime he wanted to. Fuck! It took Zhu Ming a long time to spit out the word. How can the gap between people be so big? You know what, I made up my mind. Im going to apply for leave. I need to listen to his presentation myself, Zhu Ming said. Before this, he had never attended a presentation in person. It never made sense to him to go through all the trouble of applying for leave, squeeze through a crowd and sit with a bunch of sweaty people when he could be listening to the same thing from the comfort of his home or office. The internet exists for a reason. But just this once, he wanted to attend Cillins presentation in person. He wanted to know how the young man made it this far, and if he was deserving of the title and status some people had to strive their whole lives to achieve. Tousen checked his own schedule and holidays before setting down his bottle of liquor. No problem. Lets both see if hes the real thing! The RAS was neither a place someone could enter just because they had good connections, nor a place the nobles could stick a hand in directly. They didnt answer to anyone beside the emperor and the three kings. The people who lived in the capital star region might be used to this, but to everyone else the RAS was like a well hidden treasure that only a handful of people were allowed to peek at. Their admirers were plenty to say the least. As mentioned earlier, Cillin flew his spaceplane all the way to San Calombo. He didnt contact the school authorities because he wanted to check out their academic atmosphere and preferences first. San Calombo was both the name of the education institution and the planet itself. A long time ago, a minor noble named Calombo had established the institute. He was small and unnoticeable until a series of incidents broke out in the empire, and his steady contributions throughout those incidents helped increased his status to that of a major noble. Today, the Calombo Family barely counted as upper noble family, although their best days were long behind him. However, the family never stopped supporting the education institution their ancestor founded, and the institute repaid the favor in kind by nurturing plenty of excellent talents for the Calombo Family. San Calombo Higher Education Institution took up an entire half of the plot of the planet. Major schools tended to be very particular about their building and scenery design, and Sam Calombo was no exception. There were plenty of garden-style buildings in the institute. There was even a picnic forest. The hostels were surrounded by parks and squares, and the tech of the infrastructures were more or less caught up with the current world. It showed how invested the institute was in educating its students just by looking at their infrastructures. There were a lot of education institutions who spent a huge amount of money to alter the landscape and built a gorgeous sight to behold be it natural or artificial. However, they skimped on the most important part of it all, the education of the students. Pretty on the outside but rotten on the inside, naturally these institutes almost never nurtured any talent that was worth mentioning. There were still a couple of days before the presentation, so there werent too many foreigners loitering around the planet just yet. However, there were plenty of billboards with slogans such as these already: Welcome to San Calombo, RAS! There was no mention if the presenter was a scholar or an honorary scholar. The advertisers themselves probably didnt know that the ratio of an academician showing up for a presentation compared to an honorary scholar was 1:50. Even if they did, they would mostly choose to keep quiet about it. Cillin checked the advertisements being played in the campus for a bit. They were mostly about the research results, achievements and awards won by the students of San Calombo, probably because the school authorities wanted to impress the RAS representative. Cillin took a walk near a forest where the path was shaded. The atmosphere was pretty good overall. Some students were chatting to each other on wooden benches. Some were watching recorded lectures on a tablet. There were also people fishing next to a lake. Splash The second a fish burst out of the lakes surface, Wheezes attention was drawn away like a magnet. Lets go fishing, Cillin!! There were a lot of fishes inside the lake, and a couple of fishing equipment rental shops were set up around the lake. The renters were expected to return a portion of their catch after they were done fishing. Most people fished for the process, not the result. So there werent many people who complained about the odd requirement. Cillin submitted to the gray cats whims and rented a set of fishing equipment. Then, he started looking for a fishing spot. It was early afternoon, and lunch time wasnt far away. Since Cillin was a bit late to the party, most of the good fishing spots were occupied already. He had no choice but to walk farther to find a suitable fishing spot. There were a couple of boats floating above the lake. They were meant to add some variety to the recreational activities a student could enjoy on the campus. For example, some couples might find it a good idea to go on a romantic date on the lake. There were lifeguards and robots on standby in case someone fell into the water and they needed to take action, so no one looked particularly worried. There were also people who rented boats to fish in the middle of the lake. As for whether their haul was better than fishing by the lakeside, Cillin had no idea. Wheeze stared at the fishes other people caught as they continued searching for a good fishing spot. The size of the catch didnt matter, what was important was that the people caught something and gained a sense of accomplishment from it. A quick scan told Wheeze that all the fishes nearby were too small to wet its appetite. The bigger ones were mostly gathered at the center. So, it suggested. Cillin, these little fishes arent even big enough to fit the gap between my teeth! Why dont we rent a boat and fish at the center of the lake? The ones over there are bigger! Sure. Cillin was here to relax anyway, and it didnt matter to him where his recreation took place. He might as well indulge Wheeze and head to the center of the lake. He rented a small boat at the rental boat shop. The boat looked more like a door panel than a boat when it was first presented to him. It needed to be unfolded before it could be used properly. A robot helped place the boat on the surface of the lake. After paying it the service fee it deserved, Cillin and Wheeze hopped on the boat, turned on the navigational system and adjusted the motor speed. He also activated the automatic parasol and placed two folded chairs beneath it. Finally, the young man and the cat took a seat and took in the beautiful sight of the lake. Fishing takes patience, but Wheeze was clearly not a patient angler. Besides that, it couldnt be bothered to use a fishing tool when it could do the same thing much more efficiently with fang and claw. So, it jumped off the boat and dove into the lake after fooling around for a bit. It even scared the school of fishes living at the bottom of the lake and herded them to the surface. As a result, countless people wised up and started using nets to catch the fishes instead of their fishing rods. The students on nearby boats let out exclamations of joy. Cillin had set the boat to move on auto pilot, and the preset course happened to be close to the students boat. The students called out to him in a friendly greeting, and Cillin smiled and returned the gesture in kind. They probably thought that he was a student of the campus. Chapter 305: Golden Thread Turtle Part 1 Chapter 305: Golden Thread Turtle [Part 1] The smiling student held up his catch and showed it off to Cillin for a moment. After that, their boats passed by each other. Wheeze was chasing the fishes at the bottom of the lake all over the place, and almost everyone on the shore had noticed the commotion. They had portable scanners after all. Usually, the portable scanners were used to find out the best place to chuck their baits into the water. But since the fishes were positively swarming the lake surface, it made much more sense to just chuck a net and catch everything. Although most of the anglers were here to relax or waste their time, they werent going to turn away good luck. Those who didnt have a net ran to the robots to buy one. There was also a kid holding a scanner to his eyes and spotting the fishes for his parents. Cillin didnt use a net or join in on the fun. He knew that it was pointless to fish a fishing rod when the fishes in the lake were in panic, but that was not the main goal of his excursion, not to mention that Wheeze had probably eaten entire schools of fishes already. No matter how you looked at it, he was the winner through and through. Cillins boat eventually moved to a shallow area. There were a tonne of rocks around here, but no shades and almost no big fishes at all. So it was pretty secluded compared to other places around the lake. Cillin took one look and spotted a big fellow sunbathing on top of a huge rock immediately. Curious, he put down his fishing rod, took out a net and stopped his boat before it got too close to the creature. He didnt want to frighten it and cause it to run away. After adjusting a rope onto the net, he aimed carefully before tossing out the net. The net automatically wrapped around the creature, trapping it before it could escape into the water. He pressed a button and watched as the rope was pulled back toward his boat. Once the creature was reeled in completely, he hauled it up to eye level and examined his catch. It was almost half a meter long, and it was incredibly heavy. The creature he caught was a huge turtle with some patterns that looked like golden threads on its shell. It was a rare breed of normal turtles. A lot of people like raising a pet like this because of merchants who spread rumors about a golden thread turtle bringing wealth and good luck. There were plenty of such genetically modified golden thread turtles, but natural ones were a lot rarer and feisty. They preferred to run away like all normal turtles if they saw a human being, but it they were caught they would glare at you, flail around with all its might and try to bite you with its mutated, curved jaw. They wouldnt hide their head, limbs and tails inside their shell. Cillins knowledge of golden thread turtles was scarce. Most of what he knew came from the introductions in aquatic pet magazines. He read that its age could be determined by examining the pattern on its shell, but he didnt know the exact method. He gave the shell a light knock and, yep, natural shells were just harder than the genetically modified ones. Funnily enough, his action infuriated the turtle even more, and it tried to bite through the net around to its curved jaw to no avail. That being said, it might have succeeded if the net was just a normal fishing net. Cillin stared at the turtle glaring at him and kicking its limbs for a moment before tossing it onto the boat. He didnt unravel the net, of course. There was a pair of oddly-shaped fishes in his fish bucket; something Wheeze had caught and decided to bring to the surface instead of devouring directly. If he were to put the golden thread turtle in the fish bucket, the fishes would probably vanish into its mouth in less than five seconds. Although he hadnt gotten any fishes, this big fellow was a pretty good replacement. According to that pet magazine, a golden thread turtle that was less than half a palm big could be sold for a sum of 5 digits. In other words, this big fellow was worth at least several bucket-full of fishes. Wheeze swam around the whole lake once before climbing back onto the boat. After it was done shaking the water out of its fur, it immediately spotted the struggling golden thread turtle. Wheeze circled leisurely around the turtle before slapping it occasionally with its claws. Once, the golden thread turtle managed to bite its paw, but Wheeze wasnt afraid in the slightest. It would be a miracle if it managed to break its skin. Staring at the golden thread turtle that was still holding on to its paw, Wheeze asked curiously, Did you fish it from somewhere? Yep, over there. Cillin pointed his chin at the shallow area he caught the turtle earlier. Wheeze sniffed it once and commented, It doesnt look tasty. I have no idea if its tasty or not, but I do know that its worth at least five bucket-full of fishes. Wheezes mood immediately improved when it heard that it was worth that much money. Awesome! Wheeze decided to forego jumping back into the lake and spent the next period of time teasing the golden thread turtle. Eh? look, Cillin! The pattern on its shell is glowing! Cillin turned around to look at the turtle. He didnt notice it earlier, but the golden threads were flashing from time to time. At its brightest, it looked like rays of sunlight. Its absorbing sunlight energy, Wheeze said after examining them closely for a moment. This sure is an unusual breed of turtles. Cillin set the boat to return after fooling around for a bit longer. Many people got to catch a lot of fishes today, and smiling faces were all over the place. Everyone be it the anglers or the owners that sold fishing equipment were chuckling and talking about todays unexpected fortune. When Cillin returned to the shop he rented his equipment, a lot of people were doing the same thing. There were those who took off after making their payment, and there were those who gathered around to have a chat with each other. Some people spotted the two oddly-shaped fishes in Cillins bucket. A local would know that the fishes were a ferocious but tasty, but that wasnt the point here. The point was how on earth did Cillin catch only two fishes on a lucky day where everyone went home with a cart load of fishes?? At first, these people stared at Cillin with disdainful looks on their faces. That lasted until Wheeze dragged the huge golden thread turtle out into view, and everyoneeven those who were talking to each other up till that momentran over to check out the golden thread turtle at close range. Wheeze immediately started growling intimidatingly at the growing crowd. Anyone who comes after the turtle will die by scratching! But no one was paying attention to the gray cat. After confirming that the turtle was indeed a golden thread turtle, someone said, Fuck me! This is a hundred-year-old golden thread turtle, it has to be! I heard that the lake has a golden thread turtle since a long time ago, but I had no idea that the rumors were true until now! There were also a couple of fearless people who tried to touch the turtle and got a bloody hand thanks to Wheeze. They paid the injury no heed, however. Knowing that Wheeze was Cillins pet, they surrounded Cillin as if they were afraid that he would foolishly sell it to the wicked rental shop owners for a pittance. Is this your golden thread turtle, young lad? Hey, Im the one who saw it first, so stop trying to squeeze into my space! I would like to buy it off your hands. How does one hundred thousand MB sound? Fuck off! Lad, Ill give you 150K if you sell it to me! ... From the way these people offered a hundred thousand MB like it was ten MB, it was clear that these were very wealthy. In fact, they wouldve looked scholarly if not for their concern for the turtle turning them as rowdy as middle-aged hooligans. Everyone was tutting and trying to outdo one another, afraid that the golden thread turtle would fall into a pair of hands that wasnt their own. That wasnt even the end of it. At a distance, a couple of senior gentlemen were striding toward Cillin as they argued. They had unusually steady footsteps for their age. The moment the group of senior gentlemen hit the crowd, one of them immediately flailed his walking stick around and declared imperiously, Out. Out. Out of the way! It was an amusing sight. The old mans swing had force behind it, but obviously he wasnt trying to beat the daylights out of the people in his way. A couple of them were rubbing their arms and complaining in an exaggerated fashion, but they all obediently moved out of the old mans path. Clearly, everyone here knew each other to a degree. Speaking of which, the age group of the crowd surrounding him was incredibly old. Even the youngest among them was middle-aged at best. The argument was friendly, and Cillin could see that they werent planning to rob him by force. They clearly loved the golden thread turtle very much, and they definitely wanted to buy the golden thread turtle off his hands if he was willing. Its senior Sun! Someone said. Professor White! Aw man, you two havent left yet? A couple of people in the crowd complained. Hmph! You want us gone so you can keep it all to yourself? No dice! Senior Sun hit the guy who complained about their presence with his walking stick, but judging from the casual expressions on everyones faces this was probably a daily occurence. Chapter 305: Golden Thread Turtle Part 2 Chapter 305: Golden Thread Turtle [Part 2] The middle-aged men stopped yelling after the gentlemen showed up. Instead, they formed a circle so that no one else could get in and take a look at the turtle. The gentlemen were older than they were, so it wouldnt be right to chase them away. The same couldnt be said for the kids, especially if they were planning to buy it at an exorbitant price.There were two reasons. One, they wanted to look at the Golden Thread Turtle a bit longer. Two, such a precious animal would be completely wasted in those rich kids hands! Wheeze didnt care one way or another. All it knew was that the turtle could be sold for a lot of fish biscuits, and anyone who tried to take it without paying would have to pay the blood price! It is a Golden Thread Turtle, possibly a hundred years old! The old man called Senior Sun said. Most people believed his words immediately. He was an expert in this area. Not bad, not bad. Very feisty. Professor White was going to tap the turtles shell with his walking stick, but it caught it with its mouth and bit down so hard that he wasnt able to pull it out despite multiple attempts. Wheeze glanced at the two bold idiots who dared to tap its precious with their walking sticks. If Cillin hadnt stopped, it wouldve chopped their sticks into pieces already! Heh! What a feisty turtle. Theres no way its genetically engineered! The comment got a lot of nods of agreement. Professor White didnt get angry with the turtle despite being unable to pull his walking stick free. The delight in his eyes only grew more and more as he played tug of war with it. Its been years since Ive seen a natural turtle like this. Senior Sun sighed. Boy, did you catch it in the lake today? The Golden Thread Turtles shell was pretty special. In fact, the golden linings gave it the ability to avoid being detected by a scanner. It was why the creature were notoriously difficult to find, especially if it was a natural one. Someone tried searching the entire lake using a scanner before, but they only managed to find two tiny turtles. Worse, both turtles passed away not long after that discovery. Since then, no one had ever seen a Golden Thread Turtle in the lake again. It was one of the main reasons why these people were making such a big deal out of it. Cillin was holding the fishing pail whe the crowd looked at him after Senior Sun asked him a question. He answered, Thats correct. Then, he told them exactly where he found the turtle, prompting everyone to jot down the details on a paper or record it with a recording device. They did it because they knew they had poor memory, and they were afraid to miss a single word. Who knows, maybe they could catch another Golden Thread Turtle at that location! Are you aware of the value of a Golden Thread Turtle? asked Senior Sun with a kind smile, but he still felt imposing for some reason; the harmless kind that made people feel respect rather than fear. It definitely wasnt on purpose at least. I dont know too much about this, honestly. Ive only read about it once in an aquatic pet magazine. Cillin went on to explain the article he read briefly. Senior Sun nodded. If you dont mind, can I examine it at close range? By now, everyone knew that the gray cat with a bundle of webbing in its mouth was a feisty one. It would scratch anyone who attempted to touch the turtle without permission. No problem. Cillin motioned for Wheeze to put down the net, and it reluctantly obeyed after sweeping an unfriendly glance at everyone in the area. It didnt walk away though. It sat right next to the turtle like a guard dog looking out for its sheep. Senior Sun, White and his friends immediately walked up to the turtle. Then, they pulled out all kinds of equipment out of their pockets and started examining it in detail. Cillin had to suppress a twitch in his face. Their movement was so practiced that he had to question if they carried their equipment with them all day and night. The crowd fell silent and while the professors did their work the turtle. They were the authorities when it came to Golden Thread Turtles, so everyone here trusted their judgment. Cillin was greatly amused by the nervous expressions on their faces. It was almost as if they were waiting for the announcement of an important exam result. On the other hand, Wheeze couldnt wait for the Senior Sun and Professor White to be done with their business. It felt impatient just staring at all the strange equipment the two old men were using to examine its turtle. Finally, Senior Sun stood up and stretched his back a little. He looked a little tired, but his eyes were full of excitement. Ninety eight! Its a ninety-eight years old Golden Thread Turtle! No one had any doubt that Senior Suns announcement was true. Not only that, its going to turn ninety-nine years old very soon. The other gentleman also finished his examination and declared confidently. Ninety-eight years old! If they raised it for another two yearsno, just a year and a halfthey would have a hundred-year old Golden Thread Turtle! It would bring them so much face, not to mention that a hundred-year old Golden Thread Turtle was said to bring great fortune to the owner. Personally, Cillin thought that the rumors were just a scheme by the greedy merchants to increase the sale of their products. However, there were people who loved these kinds of things, and they didnt mind falling into a rabbit hole even though they were aware that it was a scheme. Boy, are you planning to sell this turtle? Senior Sun watched Cillin closely. Cillin thought for a moment before shaking his head. He wasnt in dire need of cash, and a natural Golden Thread Turtle was pretty rare. He decided that he would keep the pet and raised it himself. Everyone looked disappointed when they saw this. A couple of people tried to offer him more money to buy the Golden Thread Turtle off his handsthere was even one person who offered almost a millionbut in the end Cillin turned them all down. Finally, Senior Sun silenced the crowd with a wave of his stick before turning back to Cillin. We wont force you to sell the turtle if you arent willing. However, we really do like it a lot, so can we come to an agreement of sorts? After that, Senior Sun asked Cillin if he could keep the Golden Thread Turtle for two days for research before returning it to Cillin. After that, they signed a borrow note and made him sign it as well. He didnt think it was necessary, but the older men looked like they wouldnt be satisfied unless the agreement was jotted down in black and white. Amused, Cillin replied affirmatively, Okay. Well do as you say. After the borrow note was signed, it was decided that the Golden Thread Turtle would be kept at Senior Suns place temporarily. Senior Sun gave Cillin his address and told him to come look for him in two days. Suddenly, Senior Sun asked a question. Are you a student or an employee in our institute? No, Im here for that RAS presentation, Cillin replied. Everyone wore a proud expression on their face when the matter was brought up. The fact that the RAS had decided to send someone over to perform a presentation proved that their educational institution was at least worth some value to the RAS. Naturally, as members of this educational institution, they were proud to have that honor. Most of the members of the crowd were teachers who taught in San Calombo. Some of them such as Senior Sun and Professor White even grew up at this place. They had devoted most of their lives to their educational institution, so their attachment to the educational institution was beyond the understanding of most outsiders. San Calombo was definitely not the best educational institution out there. It was also still lacking in many areas. But to them, it was the most precious educational institution in their lives, and not even the affiliated schools could compare to it. When San Calombo received the acceptance letter from the RAS, they had organized a celebration party. On the same day, they spread the word of their success and won the envy of countless other educational institutions. Besides that, San Calombos hotels started receiving a lot more bookings, and the tickets to the conference sold like hot cakes. Although it looked like there werent many visitors right now, the reality was most of the accommodations on San Calombo were booked to the point where it was impossible to get a room even at an exorbitant price. As it turned out, there were many foreigners who would like to experience a joyful San Calombo even if they couldnt book a room or attend the conference personally. Cillin didnt know that his choice would trigger such a drastic change in San Calombo. Everyone smiled when they heard Cillins reply. Since San Calombo had been getting a lot of visitors as of late, they thought that Cillin was one of those foreigners who had partake in their joy as well. Cillin neither confirmed nor deny their imaginations. He simply smiled back and said nothing. Senior Sun brought up a map of San Calombos courtyard and pointed at a small square. He said, This is where I live. You can come here and take your turtle after two days. I promise you I wont go back on my word. You can also give me a call if you dont have the time to make the travel there. My name is Sun Fu. Everyone in San Calombo has heard about me. After the negotiations were finally done, Senior Sun immediately ordered his household robot to deliver a suitable container. After the netted Golden Thread Turtle was put inside, he jumped into a flying car and went away immediately. The old men who were good friends with Senior Sun also summoned their own flying cars and chased after the vehicle in a hurry. Finally, Cillin was able to return the equipment he rented and left the lake with Wheeze. On the same day, the news that a ninety-eight years old Golden Thread Turtle was found in the lake of San Calombo spread like wildfire. Chapter 306: Meeting Old Acquaintances Part 1 Chapter 306: Meeting Old Acquaintances [Part 1] Cillin and Wheeze didnt stay by lakeside. Instead, they took a school bus and traveled to another area. All the hotels and the accommodations were fully booked, and it wasnt hard to imagine that the locals would drive a hard bargain with anyone who wished to rent a room at their place. However, Cillin had no intentions of renting a room. He and Wheeze were perfectly fine with sleeping on a wooden chair at the plaza if there was no better alternative. They lay down at a small park inside the institute after grabbing some food. In fact, Wheeze probably preferred this spot compared to a warm bed because it spent the whole night rolling across the grass and catching bugs as snacks. Cillin simply ignored it and shut his eyes. The next day morning, the weather turned out to be pretty fantastic. Cillin had arrived at his next planned destination, a book store. An institutes bookstore could reveal insights to its ethos and foundations. The library was open to the public, but Cillin didnt mind that. If his goal was to hunt down some rare books, he could do this easily at the RAS storeroom or database. No, he just wanted to check out San Calombos style so he could choose a presentation topic that was suitable for them. It was early in the morning, but some students were already sitting at tables and reading quietly. They didnt look like nobles, meaning that they had to invest more time and effort to achieve the goals. Cillin looked at the books on the bookshelves. There were plenty of e-books out there, but the process of flipping a physical book and reading it impresses on the memory more. It was why a lot of people preferred to pen down notes while they were reading a textbook, for example. Not everyone had a memory like Cillin, so they had to use a process like this to strengthen their memory. Cillin looked over all the books on the book shelves and formed a rough idea about their style. Then, he chose a book that described the culture of the locals, walked to the reading area and read it. Of course, reading the book wasnt everything he did. He also observed the books the students were reading and asked them about it. Since everyone thought that Cillin was also a San Calombo student, they traded complaints about the institute in general and answered some of his questions. About three hours later, it was almost lunch time. Cillin bought a book and exited the bookstore. He then called out to Wheezewho was on a tree playing with a sparrowand left the place. Some time later, he stopped at a restaurant who seemed rather popular with students and ate his lunch. It wasnt the most popular restaurant around, but they didnt forbid pets. Most of the waiters and waitresses were students, not robots. A considerate girl about seventeen to eighteen years old handed him a menu and placed a chair that was specifically designed for pets right next to his. Cillin ordered fisk steak, fish biscuits and seafood porridge for Wheeze. The fish steak was apparently one of the students favorites. Thud! Suddenly, a piece of fish steak landed inside a young mans bowl. He was boasting about something when the surprise caused him to jump in his seat. There were eight people of both genders sitting at that table. The young man was red-faced because he felt like he was humiliated in front of his fellow female students, so he shouted, Who?! Who was it who threw fish steak into my bowl?!!! He stood up and looked around, but no one paid any attention to him. There were many customers who ordered fish steaks including a couple of children, so it was impossible to tell who did it. The young mans face turned green when the beautiful girls of the table covered their mouths and giggled in amusement. He then called over a waiter and asked to check the security record. Some wrangling later, the waiter ultimately acquiesced and did as the young man asked probably because the latter was someone important. But to everyones surprise, they couldnt find anything suspicious in the footage at all. One second there was nothing, and the next a piece of fish steak had dropped into his bowl. It was impossible to tell where it came from. The young man was still mouthing off complaints, but without any lead or evidence he had no choice but to give up. Meanwhile, Cillin was staring at Wheeze licking its seafood porridge like that was the only thing it had been doing up until now. In reality, it had one ear raised and pointed toward the table where the commotion happened, and the fish steak in its plate was completely missing. It was none other than the culprit who accidentally sent a piece of its fish steak flying into another persons bowl just now. However, altering a security footage was but childs play for Wheeze, so anyone who tried to find the truth using that would have no choice but to stay ignorant forever. Cillin was drinking his tea and reading the book he bought when more customers walked into the restaurant. Sensing something and looking toward the entrance, Cillin realized that he actually recognized their faces! The newcomers felt his gaze and looked at him. They exclaimed in surprise. Big brother Cillin! It was none other than Chang Four himself. Chang Four wasnt a student of San Calombo, but that wasnt a problem since the school he went to was as good as San Calombo, if not better. He was here for the same reason most foreigners had shown up recently: to attend the presentation by the RAS representative. He was here with his classmates as well. Chang Four informed his classmates that he would be spending some time with Cillin before walking up to him. Lunani told him that she had run into Cillin at Ulaganuo cousins wedding, and that Cillin was currently studying at AF1. But that was all she told him because Cillin told her to keep quiet about his identity. Therefore, Chang Four wasnt aware of Cillins other identity. Hi, Wheeze! Chang Four looked happier and a lot more confident. Although he still looked a little immature, he was a lot bigger than when they last saw him. The fact that he was able to join a high level educational institute at his age was a testament to his abilities. Wheeze looked up, shook its whiskers in response and went back to its seafood porridge. Cillin pulled out a chair for Chang Four to sit on. He wasnt expecting to run into the young boy here either. Why are you guys here, big bro? By the way, I heard about you from Lunani. AF1 eh? Youre my idol, you know that? Chang Four said with shiny eyes. Im here on some business. I was going to stay a couple of days for that presentation before visiting you all, Cillin said with smile. Chang Four didnt pick up on the hidden meaning behind Cillins words. He had no reason to think that Cillin was the presenter himself. Me and my classmates are here for the same reason, although we had to book a hotel long before we came here. Thank goodness we did, or well have to pass the nights in the park. We slept in the park last night, Wheeze commented without a shred of shame at all. Ahem, why dont you stay with us then, big brother Cillin? There are a lot of us, sure, but nothing a bit of squeezing cant fit. Its only for a couple of days anyway, not to mention that well only be spending the night at the hotel. Its fine, dont worry about me. I can always find a place to stay if I really need one. Chang Four thought for a moment and accepted his explanation. AF1 students shouldnt have financial problems, not to mention that students of the affiliated schools got usually got special treatment. Were going to take a walk at San Calombos Blossoms Garden after lunch. Would you like to come with us, big bro? Chang Four asked with an expectant look. Blossoms Garden was one of San Calombos most famous and frequented scenic spots. He supposed that it would be a shame to miss it since he was here, and it wasnt like he was busy anyway. So he agreed. Chapter 306: Meeting Old Acquaintances Part 2 Chapter 306: Meeting Old Acquaintances [Part 2] The age group of Chang Fours classmates ranged between twelve to twenty. It was nothing unusual, however. It was a pretty common sight in a higher education institution (HEI)*. At first, the students didnt think too highly of Cillin. For starters, Cillin wasnt wearing a noble emblem. Two, both Cillin and Chang Four were studying in a HEI, but Cillin was much older than Chang Four was. Naturally, they assumed that he was just a man of average talent. Of course, that changed immediately when Chang Four revealed that Cillin was an AF1 student. Admiration, envy, jealousy; you name it, they felt it. but Cillin didnt care. He wasnt petty enough to be offended by a bunch of brats. Chang Fours communicator rang while they were conversing with each other. A short while later, he hung up the call and told everyone, The girls are here. Lets meet up with them immediately. The girls Chang Four were referring to were his female schoolmates, and the person he was talking to on the communicator just now was Lunani. Most of the people enjoying the sights of Blossoms Garden were foreigners, probably because the locals had seen it so many times that the novelty had worn off a long time ago. Little Four! A girl skipped toward Chang Four the moment they got off a public transport and entered Blossoms Garden. It was none other than Lunani herself. The young girl hadnt dressed herself like a queen, but her refreshing attire and her beautiful looks still drew a lot of gazes, especially because she had a family emblem sewn into her clothes. If she wasnt a noble, she would already be at the center of many webs of intrigue. At the entrance, Lunani was growing impatient because people kept trying to chat with her while she was waiting for Chang Four. So when they finally got off a public transport, the girl immediately escaped the persistent people and walked up to them with a bright smile on her face. Whats that guy? There was another group of people standing not far away from the entrance. One of the guys of the group was going to strike a conversation with Lunani on the basis that he was of noble blood when the latter suddenly dropped all pretenses of courtesy and ran toward Chang Four. You dont know yet, do you? That immature boy at the front is the one Lunani fancied deeply despite her status. I dont know what Lunani saw in that commoner, but she is so infatuated she literally forgot her own surname! The speaker was none other than Sharalisa, the sharp-tongued girl who jumped at every opportunity to criticize Lunani. That is harsh, Lisa. Are you sure youre not calling that boy a sour grape because you failed to win his heart? Another noble girl mocked her. Sharalisas face turned stiff for a second before she quickly assumed a disdainful expression. Of course not! Why would I, a noble, fall for a commoner like that? Did you think that everyones as dumb as Lunani? Tsk, and here I thought he was a person to watch out for. The noble youngster who wanted to chat up to Lunani glanced at his noble emblem once before glaring at Chang Four, who was now talking intimately with Lunani. Crushing that kid would be as easy as crushing an ant! Now thats a bit presumptuous. Hes a commoner, sure, but I also heard that he isnt defenseless, another noble youngster said. So what if he has an umbrella? Who can possibly be more powerful than my cousin here, Thomas? Everyone instinctively shot looked at a guy at the center of their group upon hearing that. Then, they fell silent. Out of habit, Lunani automatically filtered everyone out of her mind until she was finally done talking to Chang Four. Turning toward his classmates, she was just about to explain to everyone about their schedule today when she suddenly noticed Cillin. Caught completely off guard, she instinctively tried to give him a salute. Your High Long time no see, Lunani. Cillin interrupted her and stopped her from completing her salute. The group of nobles were still discussing how to teach Chang Four a lesson when the guy at the center of the group suddenly stopped twirling his cup. Frowning and staring intensely at Lunani, he asked, Who is that other guy? No one could give him an answer, but Sharalisa recalled Cillin almost immediately. Hes Chang Fours older brother, I think. I remember him visiting Chang Four in the school She suddenly turned a little white as if she recalled something terrifying. Tsk, just another commoner Thomas, Sharalisas cousin glared at the speaker and shut him up before he could finish his sentence. Lisa, continue. Tell me everything you know. Thomass gaze never averted from Chang Fours group. I I think Chang Four and his family was an acquaintance of the prince of the Blazing Eagle Vogel Family?... A lot of people immediately disagreed with her. Why would a prince ever make the acquaintance of a commoner? She must''ve been mistaken, they said. The prince probably pitied the guy and gave him a few kind words, thats all. Continue! Thomas interrupted their discussion and growled. The group fell silent again when they noticed that their leader was showing signs of anger for some reason. Sharalisa wasnt too sure what happened at Baelenbaatar back then. Most of what she heard were rumors at best. Meanwhile, grimness and uncertainty flickered in Thomas eyes. If that young man was only an acquaintance of the prince, then his worries were unnecessary. After all, there were plenty of nobles who were acquainted with the royal family one way or another. However, he clearly saw Lunani performing a salute that was meant for a member of the royal family only before she was interrupted just now! Having lost all hope in the band of idiots around him, Thomas decided to take matters into his own hands and walked toward Cillins group, wine glass still in his hand. However, there were too many people around Cillin right now, so he simply followed them around and waited for a suitable opportunity to show up. No one in the noble group acted carelessly because they were warned by Thomas, but just because they didnt move didnt mean that Cillin was unaware of their observation. He simply couldnt care less about them right now. Lunani started acting a lot more reservedly after Cillin showed up. Her schoolmates had no idea, but whatever little she knew about Cillin made her spine tingle with apprehension and worry. She might not know who he really was to this day, but a man who was allowed to address the prince of the Snowstorm Wendyska Family by his nickname, and a man who could hang out with the three princes like actual friends could only be Meanwhile, Lunanis schoolmates thought that the girl was embarrassed because her boyfriend was around and teased her, unaware that cold sweat was forming behind her back. She turned especially pale when the girls moved onto Cillin next and made fun of him, and she couldnt help but observe his expression from the corner of her eye carefully. She had been able to converse with Cillin normally when she knew nothing about him. But now, she couldnt even drop her excessively respectful manner around him. Blossoms Garden was a beautiful place, especially since the scenic spots were naturally cultivated over a couple centuries. Although it was still incomparable to the scenic planet where Ulaganuo cousins wedding was held, natural sceneries like this were incredibly precious in a world where technology was applied to almost every aspect of appearances. It wasnt the first time he saw a sight like this, so Cillin wasnt as blown away as he used to be. But Chang Four and his classmates were definitely enjoying a good time and taking pictures and videos wherever they went. A while later, Cillin got a call and had to leave to take it. He left for a quiet spot after informing Chang Four. The girls immediately swarmed Chang Four and asked him about Cillin after he left. Cillin was pretty good-looking, elegant and friendly. It was natural that he would garner some attention. But Lunani warned them sternly, Dont talk about unnecessary things, get it!? Whats wrong with you, Lunani? Her classmates were confused by her reaction, but Lunani refused to reveal what was bothering her. Only Chang Four was staring at Cillin thoughtfully. Guan Feng was the one who called Cillin. San Calombos administration still hadnt heard from Cillin, so they were worried that there would be a last-minute cancellation. After they made a fearful call to the RAS, a supervisor contacted Guan Feng and requested him to provide a clear answer. One, they would like to assuage San Calombos worries. Two, the institution had already advertised the presentation all over the place, so it would be embarrassing for both San Calombo and the RAS if it was cancelled last minute. After receiving an answer from Cillin, Guan Feng called San Calombos administration and informed them that Cillin had already arrived. His reply caused a wave of panic to break out among the higher-ups of the institution. That wasnt how the RAS representatives usually worked in the past! Why had he entered their institution without informing them? Worse, there was no way they could find out who the representative was because of the sheer amount of foreigners that had entered, and was still entering their campus. Guan Feng didnt tell them the answer. All he said that the representative himself would contact them when it was time, and that they had nothing to worry about. But how could they not?! Could it be that the RAS wished to conduct a secret investigation of their institution? If the representative encountered something unpleasant during their trip and lost their mood, what would happen to their reputation?? What would happen to their standing in the twenty-third star region?? All Guan Fengs reassurances did was worsen their anxiety! Meanwhile, Thomas was still observing Cillin and getting nowhere close to an answer. He had done his research on all the royal families including the emperors, but this was literally the first time he saw this person. It was at this moment a person interrupted his thoughts. Eh? Thomas! What are you doing here? The guy who greeted him was a young noble who studied in San Calombo. He was of equal status with Thomas. Thomas shot the guy a glance but didnt say anything. When the young noble shrugged and was about to leave, he suddenly smiled and pointed at Cillin, asking, Do you know who that guy is? Surprised by Thomas sudden change of mind, Hong Xi looked at the direction he was pointing at while saying, Who? Which one? Please dont tell me its an underaged girl, if it is all I can tell you is that your taste is holy shit am I seeing right??? Hong Xi suddenly abandoned Thomas and ran toward Cillin while shouting like a madman, Ah! My idol, my idol! Cillin was just wondering if he should contact San Calombos administration right away when he saw a man with a colorful-dyed quiff running toward him while shouting on top of his lungs. He looked around himself and saw no one close, meaning that the guy was probably looking for him. But who was he? Chapter 307: I Am The guy standing in front of him had ridiculous dyed hair, colorful clothes, a shiny noble emblem and a smile that made him look like an idiot, but despite the standout features Cillin couldnt recall ever having met him in his life. The quiff-haired young man was panting by the time he ran up to Cillin. His face was red with excitement. Are are you Cillin? The driver of Vege-Fritter? Cillin shot him a suspicious look before nodding. I am. Thank goodness! Ive been dying to meet you! The young man bounced off the ground several times before he finally recalled his manners. He rubbed his hands, straightened his clothes and saluted Cillin. Unlike the one Lunani had tried to perform earlier, this one was just a common salute between nobles. It was positively oozing with admiration, however. After chatting to Hong Xi for a bit, Cillin finally learned how he recognized him. Hong Xi was a flying car hobbyist who had attended the grand prix held by the Sizer Family. However, he was but one of the many, many nobles who attended that event, not to mention his family wasnt very important or attached to a powerful family. That was why he wasnt present in Gen Xingmings circle or noticed by Cillin that day. Cillin wasnt going to memorize every face on the stands as a matter of course. After knowing the whole story, Cillin had a friendly chat with Hong Xi before bidding him goodbye. He then returned to Chang Fours group. You know him, Hong Xi? Thomas walked over to him and asked. Hong Xi was still watching Cillins back with starry eyes as he said, Hes my idol! You have no idea how goddam amazing he was! Do you know why Vege-Fritters are so popular these days? Thomas thought for a moment before looking up suddenly. It was him? Thomas might not be a flying car hobbyist, but he did pay attention to big races. He had heard of the recent resurgence of Vege-Fritter. Wasnt Naimi of the Sizer Family the reason it became popular? Thomas asked. You dont understand anything! Naimi is just the navigator, but Cillins the driver! Dont you get it?! The driver! Hong Xi had looked deep into this because it involved his passion. Cillin, you say? Where is he from? Hes not wearing a noble emblem, is he? Most nobles would wear their emblem when they appeared in public. Of course, there were people who forwent them because they thought it was troublesome or because they preferred to keep a low profile, such as the self-proclaimed low-key Gen Xingming. That I dont know. But I do know that he was talking to the three princes after the match was over. They looked very close to each other. Thomas raised his eyebrows when he heard this. Was he a member of the royal family after all? Meanwhile, the person in question was checking the time and thinking that it was about time he contacted the administration of San Calombo. He didnt want to make them more worried than they already were. After bidding Chang Four goodbye, he and Wheeze left Blossoms Garden and found a secluded spot inside a park. There were less people in this location around this time. The moment the administration of San Calombo received Cillins message, they immediately sent someone to fetch him without even verifying if the message was real. But when they arrived at the spot Cillin told them to fetch him, all they found was a young man lying atop a bench and reading a book. They subconsciously thought that he was one of their students and overlooked him completely, but no matter where they looked they couldnt find anyone who matched the image of a scholar in their head. Whoosh! It was at this moment another flying car stopped in the area. The headmaster of San Calombo himself rushed out of the car to greet the honorary scholar from the RAS, only to be met with the stupid looks of his own met. He stared at them sternly and asked, Where is the person youre supposed to receive?! Technically speaking, there was no need for the headmaster himself to show his face at all. He himself was of noble background, and his influence in the twenty third star region was pretty good. However, the scholar the RAS sent to make a presentation at their institution was Guan Fengs replacement; Guan Fengs favorite pupil no less. Guan Feng was so famous in the academic circle that even those who didnt dabble in his fields of studies had heard of him, and that was without mentioning his second identity, the imperial mentor. The headmaster was taking no chances since one bad word from Guan Fengs student, and by extension Guan Feng was all it took to sound the end of his career. Countless people would happily replace him as the new headmaster. Unfortunately, his men couldnt give him a satisfactory answer at all. No, we didnt see anyone who might look like an honorary scholar of the RAS. Did you? It was usually easy to identify anyone who came from the RAS. First, they usually came with their own private escorts. Two, they carried themselves with a sense of superiority that some of them thought they could hide, but really couldnt. Three, they were scrawny and/or middle-aged. But this time, not even their veterans could spot anyone that even remotely fit these criterias. Just when the headmaster was starting to panic, the young man on the bench closed his book and walked toward them. He forced himself to put on a kind, elderly smile before asking, Hello there. Is it okay if I ask you something? Did you see anyone who stood out while you were here? Instead of answering his question directly, Cillin asked, Excuse me, but are you Headmaster Flick? I am. There were plenty of people who knew Flick in San Calombo, so he still didnt make the connection. After confirming the headmasters identity, Cillin showed him the relevant documents and said, Im the one youre looking for. I believe my mentor has contacted you already. Flicks smile froze. He accepted the documents and stared at them, then at Cillin, then at the documents again, then at Cillin again The headmaster wasnt a stubborn man, but this was literally the first time he met someone like Cillin since he joined the academic circle. For one, he couldnt sense any of the usual arrogance he came to expect from a member of the RAS. Two, and this was the most jarring thing of it all, was that Cillin looked the same age as the students who attended his institution! Not everyone could retain a youthful appearance like that monster Guan Feng, and he was absolutely sure that Cillin was only in his twenties. He hadnt even graduated from AF1 yet, for gods sake! You youre Cillin? The RAS honorary scholar whos going perform a presentation in San Calombo on behalf of scholar Guan Feng? Flick asked carefully. I am. It wasnt just Flick. Everyone was wearing a dumb expression on their faces. They also had a new appreciation for the proverb comparison kills... Although they were still suspicious of Cillin, a video conference where the person-in-charge of both San Calombo and the RAS would be attending would be held prior to the official presentation. He would be exposed immediately if he was a fake. Despite his suspicion, Flick still politely invited Cillin to the location where the video conference would take place together. There were things they needed to discuss and communicate, and the sooner they could confirm them the better. Meanwhile, the few visitors in the park were confused by the presence of the institution-owned cars. What happened? Why did they come and leave so urgently? Did a fight between nobles break out again? A lot of people started grabbing their things and left when they thought of the possibility. No one wanted to be dragged into a fight between nobles because it could only end in tragedy. Flick brought Cillin to a high level conference room where the deputy headmaster and a couple of retired but still influential old people in the academic circle of the twenty third star region were already present. Sun Fu was one of them. Because he was researching the Golden Thread Turtle with his friends, he had ignored the higher-ups attempt to call him. That lasted until they visited his house and almost physically dragged him to the institution. At first Sun Fu was pissed that the visit had cost him precious time, but his jaws hit the floor when he saw Flick walking in with Cillin carefully like the young man was made of glass. Flick introduced Cillin to Sun Fu, and as expected the entire room was enveloped in a bizarre atmosphere. Their gazes swept up and down Cillins body like laser scanners. After greeting everyone present, Cillin entered his seat and nodded again at Sun Fu with a smile. Sun Fu shivered as an indescribable chill crawled up his spine. Is he really the RAS honorary scholar? No wonder he was lucky enough to catch a hundred-year old Golden Thread Turtle! If Cillin could hear his thoughts, he would definitely retort the old professor: Whether or not Im an honorary scholar of the RAS had nothing to do with my luck or my catch! The video conference began. San Calombos administration and Cillin were seated on one side of the call, and the RAS manager responsible for lecture tours on the other. This manager had heard about Cillin before, so he wasnt too surprised when he saw that the young man was Guan Fengs replacement. He gave him a friendly greeting, and Cillin responded in kind. The atmosphere in the room grew even stranger, but at least they confirmed that Cillin was the real thing. Still, the San Calombo administration couldnt help but think to themselves: we thought we had produced and seen many geniuses in our lives, but this Cillin truly is a rarity. And how could they not be surprised? The guy looked about the same age as their son or grandson, and he was already an honorary scholar! After the conference was over, Sun Fu wanted to talk to Cillin but didnt know how to start. While he was ruminating his words, the head of the Department of Microbiology squeezed past him and got in a word first, pissing Sun Fu off so much that he hit the ground repeatedly with his walking stick. The rest of the administration were unaware, but the head of the Department of Microbiology had immediately made the connection between Cillin and the young man who convened the Zebra Summit to research the Zebra Virus. So far, no one in the virology field had been able to create a better cure than the so-called perfect cure to the Zebra Virus, the third-generation cure, and the man who spearheaded that research was standing right in front of him! Naturally, he wasnt going to let this opportunity slip by! After making some chit-chat with a couple of heads, Cillin looked at Sun Fustill waiting for his turn to get a word inand smiled. How is your research on the Golden Thread Turtle going, Senior Sun? Its its going well. Sun Fu suddenly felt like slipping into the ground and hide. It was because he recalled that his tone wasnt exactly the friendliest when he met Cillin the first time, and he even detained the young mans catch for his own selfish wishes. He was going to compensate Cillin for his kind gesture after researching the Golden Thread Turtle, but now that he knew the truth, he realized that there was probably nothing he could give Cillin that was worthy of his status. What a conundrum! Sun Fu eventually relaxed when he also realized that Cillin wasnt as annoying as the RAS scholars who visited them before. It wasnt long before he really started going into his research on the Golden Thread Turtle. No one enjoyed being accused of currying favor with someone, and yet they couldnt stop themselves from doing exactly that despite the awareness. After all, who in their right mind would let go of an opportunity to communicate with a young, outstanding person like this? It wasnt long before they learned that Cillin was a master of verbal Tai Chi. He didnt mind talking about academics, and he was knowledgeable enough that he could speak intelligently in many different fields. But the moment you tried to sidetrack the topic into something less academic: Sorry, can we talk about something else? Although no one was able to pry any useful information that wasnt academic-related from Cillins mouth, they had to admit that Cillin was the real thing. They understood now why he was able to sit on the seat of their dreams at his age. For the next few days, Cillin hung out with the administration of San Calombo to prepare for the presentation. As the day grew closer and closer, more and more foreigners came to the planet for the presentation. Flick was especially high-strung because he was worried that something bad might happen during this time. While keeping a close eye on everything that happened within the campus, he contacted his family to gather whatever information they could on Cillin. It wouldve been fine if he didnt hear about it, and it was true that the information he got was incomplete. But since then, every time Flick ran into Cillin, he broke into a smile that somehow resembled a blooming anus. It was so creepy that the mere sight of it caused goosebumps to spring all over his colleagues body. It also made them really wonder why Flick was acting so strangely around Cillin. Finally, it was the day of the presentation. The biggest academic hall in San Calombo was of course, fully packed with people. Even those who didnt manage to buy a ticket in time were walking back and forth outside the hall in hopes of catching a glimpse of the living legend that was the representative of the RAS. Some time later, a spaceplane slowly made its way to the academic hall. It had an official-looking design, and it had San Calombos insignia on it. Everyone outside the hall started stretching their necks to see if the RAS representative had finally arrived. A lot of recording devices were disallowed from being brought into the venue, and strict inspection points were set up at every entrance. It was something Flick had specifically instructed while the preparations were still ongoing. The spaceplane flew over a crowd and landed at a reserved landing site. Not many people were allowed into this area, so the guests stuck outside were disappointed that they wouldnt get to see the representatives face first hand. The hatch opened, and a group of people walked out. Hey, which one of them is the representative? I dont know, I cant see anyone who might look like one. Said two patrols at the landing site. The lighting inside the academic hall changed, and the uproar suddenly subsided into silence. A group of people then entered the hall from the side entrance and took up the seats at the front row. Each seat had a name on it, so there were no worries that someone might claim the wrong seat. Their entrance was already eye-catching in the first place, but the young man surrounded by a bunch of older people was even more conspicuous. After all, everyone in that group except the hostesses was a notable figure in San Calombo, so who on earth was that young man they had never seen before? Hey Four, why do I feel like Ive seen that guy before? Chang Fours classmate asked while bumping him with an elbow. Chang Four simply stared at the young man and said nothing. On the other side, Thomas and Hong Xi were speechless with shock. What was this? Did todays presentation include a special guest or something? Flick walked up the stage and gave a standard speech while everyone was trying to guess Cillins identity. A while later, the giant screen behind him lit up, and the camera started zooming in on Cillin. Then, a short summary of his info appeared on screen. Cillin, an honorary scholar of the Royal Academy of Sciences, is currently studying at First Affiliated Higher Education Institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences. His research achievements include The academy hall was utterly silent. Chapter 308: How Could He? Part 1 Chapter 308: How Could He? [Part 1] Was there a mistake?! A deafening uproar followed after the initial silence. Cillins true age wasnt shown on the screen, but everyone knew that he was in his twenties at most because he hadnt graduated from AF1 yet. He wasnt a creep who pretended to be young. A lot of elderly academicians couldnt help but compare themselves to Cillin and feel ashamed. It was frustrating enough to know that he was an AF1 student, but an honorary scholar of the RAS as well? The more information was revealed on the large screen, the more some people felt like grabbing Cillin by the collar and asking: how the hell did you achieve all this? The people erupted in realization again when they noticed that the name listed as Cillins mentor was Guan Feng. No wonder! He was Guan Fengs student! Cillin didnt have many research results to his name, but everyone of them raised eyebrows and drew looks of admiration. The most notable of them all was the line, Project Owner and Developer of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation cure for the Zebra Virus. Before Cillin joined the RAS, Guan Feng occasionally gave him tasks to complete. Sometimes it was about mechanical weaponry, and sometimes it was about building construction and so on. But the key here was that everything Cillin did could be published in the RAS top ten yearly achievements if he wanted to. The reason he hadnt was that Guan Feng thought that it was childs play, and that it was only good for situations like this presentation. The same opinion was shared by researchers like Neo. They didnt think that these projects were worth bragging about at all unless you were still in high school or something. If the audience could read Guan Feng and Neos mind, they would probably be throwing up blood right now. The students who were lucky enough to interact with Cillin while he was touring San Calomboespecially the group of students who greeted him on the lake, and the students who got into a discussion with him in the bookstorewere pretty excited as well. After all, who wouldve expected to run into such an accomplished person during a random encounter? They bragged about their meeting to their friends, families and acquaintances, and drew envious looks from every direction. It was an honor to be able to speak with a representative of the RAS. Chang Four watched the calm man walking onto the stage quietly. When did Cillin climb so high? At first, he thought that Cillin was just a technician who knew a bit about repairing. Then, he thought that the Cillin might be a noble and a pretty high ranking one no less. But the truth turned out to be even more outlandish than that. Old Chang always said that Cillin was no ordinary person, and Chang Four was starting to realize that he wasnt just referring to his background. How strong was Cillin? No one knows, at least not everything. For example, Cillins noble background was like an inconspicuous decoration tacked onto the person compared to the list of achievements on the screen. At least, that was what Chang Four thought. In the past, Chang Four always thought to himself: I wonder what a dream looks like? Today, he might have found an answer: It might just look like the man walking up to the stage right now. He didnt need colorful clothes or a shiny emblem to make himself seen. Right now, Cillin was like a walking light source whose shine couldnt be ignored. Once upon a time, he was just another nameless person. Today, he was in the center of the limelight. Heh, this kid. Zhu Ming and Tousen were sitting at an inconspicuous corner of the academic hall. Tousen wasnt even wearing a military uniform, so no one paid them any attention whatsoever. How do you think those people would react if they learned that Cillin was a close friend of the Gen Family and a half-royal? Zhu Ming asked with a smile. Instead of answering, Tousen asked a question of his own, Do you know what it means to be Guan Fengs student? Guan Feng is well-reputed within the academic circle, so one might call him an authority Zhu Mings smile was slowly replaced by a serious, thoughtful expression. He narrowed his eyes and didnt say anything until Purgatory Thunder Snake! he said finally. Very few people knew that there were more to the PTS series than just guns. Zhu Ming himself was one of those who got a chance to understand the PTS, but was disqualified in the end. Zhu Ming knew that he got it right when he saw the smile on Tousens face. He smiled back and asked with a searching look in his eyes, So? Which letter does he use? I heard that it was Tousen drew a letter with his finger, and Zhu Mings pupils contracted in disbelief. Out of everyone in the audience, Thomas and his gang was probably the ones who were most shocked by Cillins appearance. Although they werent completely stupid, their main reason for attending this presentation was to prove to the people around them that they werent illiterates. And even if they were, most of the time they could ignore all social customs by just throwing their identities at their offenders face. But just this time, they were infinitely grateful to Thomas for reining them in before they did anything to Cillin or Chang Four. Sharalisa felt wronged when she noticed that everyone was staring at her. She didnt know who Cillin was until now, did she? If she did she wouldve acted to court him already! Meanwhile, the discussions among the academicians were only growing louder and louder. Sun Fu was sitting on his chair and twirling his staff, unable to stop the corner of his lips from turning upward. Finally, they know how I felt when I learned about this! Unperturbed by the uproar caused by his inevitable appearance, Cillin smiled and walked calmly to the podium at the front. Countless people were clapping, crying or even shouting as he walked. There was a button at every armrest where the audience could press to make a clapping sound. They could even change it up to several types of cheering if they felt like it. The device was there because academic presentations usually caused a lot of people to feel dozy, and it was good to have a choice to clap or cheer electronically when they couldnt muster the energy to do it themselves. But Cillin could see that almost everyone was clapping with their hands. He could see that they werent doing it half-heartedly or using the sound device. Cillin stopped in front of the podium and gave a sweeping glance. Then, he bowed and said, Thank you for giving me your claps! The clapping and cheers grew even louder. Of course, most of the claps came from his young admirers, but the show was just beginning, wasnt it? Cillin introduced himself briefly before diving straight into the presentation. There were three categories to his presentation. The first category was about his research such as the development and synthesization process of the Zebra virus cure and so on. The second category was about relevant topics beyond research. The third and final category was Q&A. The crowd would ask questions, and Cillin would answer them if he chose to. First, he talked about the development of the drug, its clinical applications, and the kind of problems one might face during a plague. He also talked about how different people might experience different reactions when infected by the virus, the people who died or walked away with permanent scars despite recovering, and various first-aid treatment one could apply during a plague that the people werent aware of. Cillin didnt put on airs or pretend to be someone he wasnt. He didnt use unfamiliar words that most people who have difficulty to swallow. He strung together simple words into sentences so that his audience could better understand what he was trying to tell them. Cillin didnt use a speech paper. Most of the time, he wasnt even looking at the screen behind him. When he put up a molecular model on the screen, he was able to explain every radical, every chemical bond and the relevant effects of various bond energies in a simple and easily understandable manner. He also threw in some real life experiences into the mix to make his explanation even easier to understand. At first, the researchers who dabbled in the related were skeptical of Cillins depth of knowledge. But over time, not only did they become completely absorbed in his presentation, some of them were even taking notes frantically. What he said had generated a spark of inspiration in them, and they werent about to let it slip from their minds. The academic hall slowly turned silent. The audience started imagining themselves in Cillins position just like he wanted them to. They imagined themselves entering a planet that was ravaged by the virus and was overflowing with despair; a gray world that wanted nothing more but a messiah to save them. Everyone wanted to be that person, but most of the time they were too busy trying to keep themselves alive, much less extend a helping hand to another person. It had nothing to do with courage or cowardice. Besides viruses and drug-related subjects, Cillin also talked about one of Guan Fengs most famous research, the Purgatory Thunder Snake. He mostly talked about the first two PTS models before informing everyone that they would be added to a couple of VR FPS games that were currently popular in the empire right now. He also reminded them that not everyone could master the PTS. There were just as many gun enthusiasts as there were car enthusiasts. Many spectators including Zhu Ming and Tousen were already itching to show off their skills after that presentation. They resolved to play those games immediately when the update was out. Everyone wanted to know just how difficult it was to master the legendary PTS! The first category was finally finished, and the presentation entered a small break period. There were barely any people who left their seats to go to the toilet while the presentation was ongoing, so it only took a minute for it to be jam packed even beyond Flicks imagination. The headmaster hurriedly mobilized a bunch of portable toilets to the scene so as to leave Cillin and the guests a better impression of their institution. There were some people who went to a call area to contact the people outside the academic hall, but no one left because re-entry wasnt allowed. The presentation was broadcast live by the media, so the people outside the hall could watch it on-screen. But obviously it wasnt as amazing as being present at the scene itself. Hong Xi used the break period to call his friends and told them about Cillin. My idol is my idol for a reason! Who wouldve thought that he was a good driver and a member of the RAS as well? The more Hong Xi spoke, the more his pals turned green with regret. When Hong Xi was finally done bragging and hung up the call, he caught sight of Cillin and was about to run up to him again. But he immediately braked when he saw who Cillin was talking to. If Cillin was just speaking to the institution authorities, then Hong Xi wouldnt have given a shit. But Nuhach Tousen wasnt a man he couldnt afford to offend. It looks like your idol is deeper than you think, Thomas said after walking up to him. Hong Xi shot Thomas a glance but ignored him, still looking for an opportunity to chat with Cillin again. Although Cillins simplified explanation was still too much for him to swallow completely, he still learned a lot of things today. At the very least, his idols presentation was much better than the inflexible lectures he had attended, and the knowledge he learned could be applied in real life or used as conversation starters when wooing hot chicks. Cillin moved onto the second category after the break period was over. This topic had little to do with research and everything to do with the sensitive stuff most people wouldnt dare to say in public. My mentor told me this before I came here: Speak loudly and without fear. And that is why Im standing here today. Cillin talked about the corrupted state of the academia, as much as he was reluctant to admit it. He talked about how some researchers were marginalized, and the realization of the gap between dream and reality when an academic worker first joined this circle. Every time an old professor got slapped by a noble youngster in public, countless educators couldnt help but wonder why they picked this path in the first place The word academics isnt an unreachable, insurmountable monster made of countless terminology. It is something that exists in the noble, the common, the academia, the non-academia, the intelligent, the foolish, the rich, the poor, the young or the old. It has no limits, and it is inside everywhere and everyone Once I ran into a group of noble youngsters while I was driving, and they used me as a shooting target. Luckily for me, I was slightly better than them at driving, and I managed to shake them off before any harm could come to me. Later on, I talked to the princes about this and asked them: do you normally act like this as well? They replied: of course not! What is even the point of that? He didnt just talk about the commoners. He also talked about the upper nobles. Cillin was aware that there were things that should be said only when you were at a certain height; things that should be done only when you were in a place of power. Otherwise, not only would it be meaningless, it would result in death or a fate worse than death. Zhu Ming sighed from his seat. This truly is the age of monsters and geniuses. It looks like things are going to be wild after today Some of the media were contacting their higher-ups in private while the presentation was still ongoing. It was because some of the stuff Cillin said was a taboo even for them. Some time later, the live broadcast was suddenly replaced by an advertisement video. What the fuck! This isnt a break time! Why are they running an advertisement in the middle of the presentation!? What is this? Whats going on with the media? I dont know. Youre watching this right outside the academic hall, right? What about you guys? Yeah, all the livestreams have stopped for some reason. A lot of people tried to file a complaint, but all they got for their efforts was the sweet, infinite-looping voice of the help AI. Some of them got so angry that they threw their communicators on the ground. Some people tried to fish for information using their noble identities, but they were all sent away without question. Gradually, everyone realized that something strange was going on. But none of these events affected the disconnected academic hall. Roars of applause could be heard from inside again and again. The Zebra Summit kick-started an intellectual storm among the people, and today a legendary presentation was left behind in the biggest academic hall of San Calombo. Cillin as a person might be forgotten years or decades from now, but every detail of his presentation and his name would forever be remembered in the the academic hall of fame. It would always be a reminder to those who attended this presentation that once upon a time, there was a presentation that everyone had clapped to. Chapter 308: How Could He? Part 2 Chapter 308: How Could He? [Part 2] He didnt spend too much time on the second category, but he mentioned a lot of people including the seemingly unruly but principled Naimi. He didnt give names, but those people who knew them would be able to put together the clues and figure it out themselves. More importantly, his speech had shed light on both the nobles and the non-nobles. After the second category was over, Cillin turned down Flicks offer to enter break time and dove straight into the third category, the Q&A session. There were a lot of people who wanted to ask him questions, so much so that the questioners nearly fought among themselves. Cillin answered all the questions he was asked to a degree except the private ones such as on what basis do you think you have the right to claim this or what do you think I should do in my life etc. In those cases, he avoided giving a direct answer. After all, if these people couldnt even figure out what they wanted to do with their own life, why the hell would he be able to answer them? Plus, it wasnt the right time to say those things yet. One day they would find out the answer themselves, and that day might even be closer than they thought. It was said that countless people had strongly requested the presentation to be extended after the time was up. Hong Xi himself tried to squeeze his way through the crowd to reach Cillin, but he was denied by the laws of physics. Cillin stopped answering all questions and left the second time was up, however. No one could stop him once he had made up his mind to leave. When Flick turned around to talk to Cillin, the young man was already gone. After slipping away from the academic hall with Wheeze, he waited until an opening presented itself and got on a departing spaceplane. You seemed to have offended a lot of people this time, Wheeze said while swaying its tail. Yes, but who cares? Teacher Guans the one who told me not to hold back. Plus, its not like they can do anything to us, can they? Cillin was as he said, completely uncaring of the consequences. Some parts of his speech were quoted directly from Guan Feng himself, and Cillin said them because he agreed with them. Of course, a large group of peopleespecially the nobles and various governmentswere going to come after him after today. It was at this moment Cillins communicator rang. He smiled and accepted the call when he saw who it was. Cillin, you just offended a lot of people today. Tousens face appeared on the screen. He looked more expectant than worried, however. I know. But its fine. There has been too much rot as of late, and this is the perfect opportunity to flush them out. That is none of my business. Really? Do you really think you can stay out of it? I heard that your return trip wont be a peaceful one. Do you know that? Tousen poked fun at Cillin a little. Right. Thanks for the warning. Tousen watched Cillin closely and saw none of the worry he expected to see on the latters face. He said curiously, If youre planning to apply for protection from us, you can do so now. Its fine. I dont need it. You truly are an arrogant man. Im confident, not arrogant. Well, whatever. Tousens curiosity only grew when he noticed that Cillin really was as uncaring as he looked. Speaking of which, werent you going to visit some old friends after this? I am going to do just that, but only after Im done taking out the pests. It would be incredibly annoying if they buzz around during my visits. Tousens expression turned strange. I really have no idea what youre thinking sometimes. Thank you for your offer regardless. Like hell youre thankful. Now be on your way, and be careful. Those bastards are as underhanded as they come. Dont worry, I promise you that none of them will make it back to their owners. Tousen fell into deep thought for a moment after bidding Cillin goodbye, but no matter how hard he tried he couldnt understand where Cillins confidence was coming from. Who were Cillins supporters? Guan Feng? The man alone wasnt enough to stop what was coming for Cillin. The Gen Family? They wouldnt involve themselves directly in this matter, not to mention that they didnt have too much influence in the twenty third star region, and they were too far away to help Cillin now. So what on earth was Cillin thinking? Then, a thought entered Tousens mind and caused his forehead to become covered in cold sweat. Was Cillins action tacitly approved by the emperor himself? If that was true, then a lot of people were going to go down this time. A couple minutes later, Tousen contacted some people and said, Tell them to be at their best behavior and reject all missions for the moment; spin it as a vacation or something like that. And if anyone rejects this order, then tell them to fuck right off. Hello, Tousen here. Tell them to watch out for a person called It wasnt just Tousen either. Although Thomas family was also affected by Cillins speech, Thomas timely contact persuaded them to revise their original decision and be at their best behavior. Some people were watching from the sidelines, some people were still hesitating, some people were in the middle of a plot and some people were on the move already. A war quietly started where light couldnt reach. Some time later, the local nobles who struck Cillin first quickly learned that none of the assassins they had sent had returned. They had disappeared so thoroughly that it was almost eerie. After that, even more nobles received news that their men had almost been annihilated. More importantly, the army of the twenty-third star region never made a move from beginning to the end. But how was that possible!? How could a mere honorary scholar of the RAS protect himself to this extent? How did he survive without the militarys protection? Who was he? What was his background? How could he do such a thing? Some people really started contemplating the ins and outs of the situation, and some gave up outright. Short-term interest was just short-term interest after all. They could always act again after the dust had settled. Some people tried contacting some famous upper nobles living in the capital star region itself, but they failed to catch anything specific. More accurately speaking, the people they contacted didnt even know something like this happened until they heard from the inquirers. Meanwhile, the Three Musketeers were enjoying a good time in a bar and clinking glasses with each other. Gen Xingming said, Hehe, What a bold guy he is. That isnt something anyone can say carelessly. What are you talking about? If I understood even half of the things he said, I wouldve said them myself. The sooner the rot is gone, the better. Ceh. Do you have any idea how many people are involved in this matter? Still, how on earth did he take care of the assassins? Curious, how very curious. Xingming, did you manage to contact him yet? Bel asked. Nope, he just disappeared after he finished his presentation. Im sure hes fine though, or my family wouldve raised hell by this point. Thats true. Sometimes, the unruliest of people saw certain things clearer than anyone. Inside the royal palace, the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor read the message he received and smiled a little. Then, he said to his Captain of the Guard, Leave him. He knows what hes doing. The Mist Bodhisattva Emperor had no qualms with Cillin unplugging the sockets of some people. It looks like things will go much smoother thanks to this effort. Of course. Some practices deserve to be stopped by hook or by crook. I didnt have the ability then or now, but Cillin does. The man replying to the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor was none other than Guan Feng himself. Well, the boy finally came into his power, and we got to clear out some rot. This is good for both of us. Still, I want to see results after this. While all eyes were on Cillin, the man himself and his cat had traveled to Old Changs planet. The planet was extremely secluded, and not many people here knew that Cillin had made a historical presentation just a short time ago. In fact, the news was known to only a small amount of people, not to mention that the live broadcast was shut down halfway. It was positively dangerous to even speak about it, which was why barely anyone knew about Cillin the honorary scholar. It was the same old planet and region. Not much had changed since the time he left. After Cillin landed his spaceplane, he followed a familiar trail and arrived at Old Changs shop. It looked like the shop was doing good business. Even from afar, he could hear the brats prattling away like a machine gun and Old Chang laughing at their antics. From the sound of it, they were all doing pretty well physically. Alai, the assistant Cillin hired before leaving the shop was also present. He was greeting a customer when Cillin walked in, although he had failed to recognize the young man immediately. It was because they werent close to each other in the first place. The two service robots were busy distributing the parts at the side. Welcome! Is there anything you need from our shop? Alai walked up to Cillin after finishing his business. But before he could say anything else, the kids had already swarmed Cillin. Big brother Cillin! Why are you here, big brother Cillin? Grandpa, big brother Cillin is back! Chang Eight shouted loudly. Chang Five was currently studying outside, so only the three kids were still at home. That being said, they didnt look too lonely because they got to communicate with their siblings all the time now. Old Chang dropped his work immediately when he heard Chang Eights shout. The old man was still doing fine, and the improved living condition was definitely showing on his constitution. Besides that, the three kids were a lot taller than the last time he saw them. Cillin gave them some toys to play, but they still enjoyed stacking handsor in this case, pawswith Wheeze the most. Cillin stayed a night at Old Changs place before bidding them goodbye. Before he left, he went back to the commoner area and checked things out for a bit. Not much had changed since he last saw it; it was still the same spider-web layout he saw last time. However, the amount of trash in the area had definitely increased. The city area was developing slowly, but the commoner area was declining even as its people repeated the same simple lifestyle day after day. Some people were satisfied with just that, and some people were overflowing with grievances. He left not long after he visited the planet. He wasnt worried that his enemies would bring harm to Old Changs family because there were people protecting them at all times. Where are we going now, Cillin? Are we heading home? Wheeze asked. Not yet. There are still a couple of robbers blocking our way. Wheezes eyes immediately lit up in excitement. Lets stay a little longer then! Where are they? Youll see them very soon. His prediction was right on the money. When Cillin was eating some Chinese food at a restaurant, he found that the meal was poisoned. He continued eating like normal though, and Wheeze was the same. This level of poison was nothing to them at all. After they were done enjoying a delicious meal, they walked to a secluded area and waited for three robots to decloak themselves. Have you taken care of them? Yes sir. Good. Send a message to their owner and tell him that Ill be visiting him very soon. Yes sir! After that, the three robots vanished again like they were never there. While they were attempting to leave the planet, a small fleet suddenly blocked their way. The fleet looked perfectly ordinary besides the fact that it had no identifying mark whatsoever, and it was armed to the teeth. Chapter 309: The Academia Storm The unidentifiable fleet didnt try to negotiate with Cillin. They immediately opened fire the moment they got in range. However, Cillins spaceplane turned invisible before they could fire their guns. They couldnt find him with their eyes or their scanner. They activated their cannons and fired at random in hopes of catching the invisible spaceplane somehow, but the shots either hit nothing or a stray space rock. A short time later, a terrible explosion suddenly exploded in the middle of the fleet, followed by a second and a third. No one had any idea what the hell was going on, and it wasnt long before it was all over. Things calmed down again after the fleet was completely annihilated. Cillins spaceplane appeared at the distance, but that wasnt all. Several robots and a small starship had appeared as well. The robots first reported the completion of their mission to Cillin. Then, they returned to the starship and went away to execute a new mission. The same scene had repeated itself multiple times since the presentation, so it was nothing new to him. Not long after the robot left, he received a communication request from Xi Kai. What are you planning, Cillin? Instead of answering, Cillin countered with his own question, Have you made up your mind about last time yet? Xi Kai paused for a moment before replying, Give me a bit more time. Sure. Cillin didnt care that Xi Kai was dragging out his response. He had his own plans to carry out. Do you need anymore robots? No, this is enough for now. Xi Kai let out a sigh. There are people in Black Viper who are dissatisfied with what you did, Of course, their objections dont matter much, but think before you act next time, okay? Cillin smiled. Is that a warning Im hearing? Of course not, youe one of the three heads of Black Viper right now. Just do what you think is right. If you need anymore robots, you are free to contact me anytime you want. Sure. Cillin cut off the communication tell and sank into his chair, thinking. On the shelf next to him, a resting Wheeze opened its eyes and said, That guy sure is taking his time. Its fine, we have other things to do anyway. Cillin was never one to hedge all his eggs in one basket, especially when it was something as important as finding a way to return to GAL space. Those restless pests should be about done, right? Cillin looked at the name list in his hands as plotted his next move. Before Cillin made his presentation, he had spoken to Guan Feng about a new project. He wanted to create an online forum where academics could converse with one another. There were all kinds of online forums in the empire, and of course there were academic types as well. But the online forum Cillin planned to build was different from them. For starters, he didnt plan to impose too many restrictions on it, meaning that anyonethe noble or the commoner, the professor or the nobodycould take part in it. Everyone was free to speak and make their voice heard as long as they were proficient in the area they spoke of, no matter the identity. Naturally, the personal information of the participants would be kept a tight secret. It didnt take long for the project to get approved. In fact, the decision makers of the RAS approved it purely because Guan Feng had asked them to, not because they thought that the plan had any merit at all, at least at the beginning. Cillin was a member of the RAS now, so a plan like this go through them first before it was carried out. It would be a rule violation otherwise. Besides that, Cillin had also requested for the emperor himself to give his online forum the stamp of approval. He succeeded. This meant that anyone who entered the login page of the online forum would be greeted immediately by the unforgettable stamp of approval and authority by the RAS and the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Family. Right now, the academia of the empire needed a cause of motivation and cohesion. Unlike Neo and his kin, they were easily affected by outside influence, and they didnt get to enjoy the protection of Black Viper. Therefore, the goal of the forum was to give these people, including the usually anonymous denizens of Black Viper a platform to make their voices heard. The forum was currently still in construction. The main body would be completed by him and Wheeze, while Xi Kai and Black Viper would provide support. For the last period of time, Cillin had left the repelling of the assassins and the interceptors to the robots and the special forces completely so they could focus on the tasks at hand, and so far they had done a fantastic job. Not a single one of these troublemakers were able to do anything to them at all. Tousen thought that Cillin was now a blade in the hands of the royal family. He believed that the royal family was using Cillin to do the things they couldnt normally do and reorganize the academia. What he didnt know was that Cillin was also borrowing the royal family and the RAS fame and power to accomplish his own goals. Wheeze of course understood this. It was why it hadnt spared any effort in constructing the online forum. In fact, it wouldnt be long before the name Whebeze started making waves throughout the empire. Just when the people of the twenty third star region thought that Cillin had ceased his movements, the latter had announced his forumReturnto the world. The stamp at the front page of the forum especially stunned a lot of people. There were a lot of online forums in the empire, and one that was approved by the RAS or the Mist Bodhisattva Royal Family was of course deserving of attention. But rarely was there an online forum that gathered the approval of both parties! It was instantly popular as a matter of course. Even those who didnt dabble in the academia were curious to take a look and see what all the fuss was about. There were many categories inside the forum, and each one came with a set of questions and bounties that participants could answer and win. The bounties offered real money, not virtual currency. This meant that they could either be converted into cold, hard cash or credited directly to a binding card. Money was the driver behind most things, so Cillin spent a total of three hundred million to establish the initial bounties. It wasnt just his money, of course. It was a mix of his money, Guan Fengs, RAS startup capital and financial aid from the emperor himself. The first set of registrants could be split into three groups: Those who were simply curious, those who were attracted by the stamps, and those who wanted the money. Some of the registrants used virtual IDs, but there were also people who used their real names, especially those who had established themselves as an authority in the academia. This type of people found the idea of hiding themselves behind a virtual identity beneath them, which was also why everyone quickly learned that, on the very first day the forum came online, a famous old scholar had fainted in anger after losing an argument to a person named Whebeze under the engineering and programming category. It was said that the old scholar had to spend an entire month in the hospital to recuperate, showing just how angry the guy had been. However, the old scholar didnt hesitate to return to the forum and argue with Whebeze after he had recovered to full health. That wasnt all. The ID Whebeze grew more and more famous because the person behind it was able to answer many confounding and difficult questions under that particular category. However, nobody knew who Whebeze really was because they had refused to reveal their true identity. As a result, a lot of people speculated that the mysterious Whebeze was a commoner. As it turned out, there were a lot more hidden experts like Whebeze. Some of them were drawn out by the bounties, and some of them were remembered because they were able to hold a riveting argument against the famous scholars. Sometimes, it almost felt as if these people only existed in this online forum, and not in the real world. The argument never ended since the day the forum came online. An arena was set up in the forum where participants could fight against one another, but instead of using their fists they used their brains and mouths to defeat their opponents. Popular topics would often be held at the arena. Each side would choose their representatives before sending them into the ring to kick off an argument. Sometimes, the lecturers of HEIs were so engrossed by an arena battle that they forgot to attend a class. Some academic or educational institutions were even plotting to use it to their own advantage, such as advertising the fact that the theses brought up by the arena battlers were the research result of certain candidates or research institutions. It was a perfect opportunity to advertise some of the lesser known institutions. A lot of thoughts were introduced, and a lot of people learned something new. Money was always a great motivator, but it didnt matter what the motivation was. Whats important was that everyone was working toward solving the question. Conflict wasnt scary, the lack of conflict was. It wasnt necessarily a bad thing to expose more people to this kind of atmosphere. Most of the people who stood at the top of the academia werent lacking in money, so the bounties they set up were enough to enrich a poor family in a single night. Not only was it a great motivator, it was a fact that some capable but poor academicians had managed to overcome their financial difficulties and more by answering the questions. The Sizer Family had set up most of the questions and bounties under the flying car category. Their virtual IDs all had the prefix Sizer/Whirlwind in front of them, and they were handpicked by Fleka to answer some of the questions brought up by the community. It was a great advertisement that further expanded their influence even more. Even Naimi had joined in on the fun using his true name. Over time, people came to know that the young master of the Sizer Family wasnt all talk, and that he really had a deep understanding of flying cars. He might not be a master, but it was still enough to change many peoples impression of him. Cillin, youve started a storm, Guan Feng said on the communicator screen. But this is what Your Majesty wishes to see. So far, three famous theories that were thought to be correct had already been overturned on the forum. There were a couple more that were being hotly debated right this moment. As Guan Feng said, the academia was stirring from the quakes set off by Return. Cillin shot a glance at Wheeze and just smiled. The gray cat was currenting crouching in front of a microcomputer and doing an arena battle. Having knocked out a couple of famous professors in the arena, it would be an understatement to say that Wheeze was having a helluva good time. Funnily enough, a lot of professorsincluding the one who fainted from sheer angerreturned to Wheeze to ask for guidance, only to faint again from sheer anger. It wasnt even the first, or second, or third time this had happened already. But it more than proved that the professors all acknowledged Wheezes prowess, and that they acted like this was only because they were too embarrassed to admit it outright. The name Whebeze was a household name at this point. It was one of the few places this stupidity and glutton incarnate was allowed to display its true talent to its hearts content. Wheeze wasnt the only one who had fun in the online forum. Some of the members of Black Viper were gradually integrated into the system as well, although Cillin of course warned them not to reveal certain secrets. In fact, the three famous theories had been toppled by none other than the group led by Neo himself. It had been a most humiliating day for the RAS, and the rason why the dean of the RAS was looking murderous as of late. Every time he recalled the skepticism cast at the institutes way, he couldnt help but want to criticize the shit out of Cillin. Cillin hadnt set up Return for charitys sake. Others had profited, but he himself had profited off the online forum as well. Besides being treated to all kinds new knowledge and insights, he was able to compile a list of names that might just help him and Wheeze return home. Chapter 310: The Five Brothers Xi Kai didnt take too long this time. He contacted Cillin not long after Return was founded. The meeting location was set in Black Vipers vanished zone, but unlike last time it was slightly further away from the center. There, Cillin found a small planet that was almost completely covered in electronic equipment and machines. It was Xi Kai, or more accurately the Xi Familys main base. Cillin sensed a powerful but unusual machine signal the moment the spaceplane got close to the planet. It felt similar to Sigmas signal, but it was also very different in some ways. Theres a huge AI control center here. It controlled almost the entire planet. Even Wheeze had stopped arguing on the forum to focus on the present. The planet gave off a strange, even friendly feeling to Wheeze. The gray cat quickly identified it as the AIs emotion. Thats right, emotion. Unlike the rigid emotions most robots displayed, this one felt closer to a human and met the standards to be called an Original. Almost the whole planet was crawling with robots and machines. The only humans here were the members of the Xi Family. Welcome, my dear friends, a voice came through the spaceplanes communications system. It sounded like something a kindly elderly would say. Who are you? Wheeze asked. My name is Chip. Xi Kai told me that you know Sigma. Eh? Do you know Sigma too? Wheeze curled its tail and looked around, but couldnt find a Sigma-like robot anywhere. Still, the voice reminded Wheeze strongly of its acquaintance, Sigma. We are old friends. You may even call us brothers. Are you one of the five Original robots? Cillin asked. Yes, I am. He followed the directions displayed on the screen and flew the spaceplane into a mechanical fortress. The structure looked like the core of the web of mechanical structures that sprawled across the entire planet. Cillin saw Xi Kai not long after he entered the fortress. He was accompanied by two human strangersprobably Xi family membersand several robots clad in human appearances. Xi Kai had proven his sincerity by inviting them to this planet. If he had to venture a guess, the number of high level Black Viper personnel who were invited to this planet could be counted on one hand. Wheres Chip? Wheeze looked left and right impatiently. Xi Kai smiled at the gray cat and said, Come with me. Motioning the others to stay where they were, Xi Kai personally led Cillin and Wheeze to a wide location inside the fortress. Cillin noticed a lot of guarded entrances along the way, but they didnt need to swipe an access card or identification card to pass through all of them. All the doors had opened on their own as if someone was watching them. As Wheeze said, this whole place was managed by an AI control center. When they arrived at their destination, a wide door opened to admit Cillin, Xi Kai and Wheeze. The first thing they saw was a huge mechanical structure and many complicated-looking circuit boards and wires. Somewhere above the structure hung a flashing round screen. When the group approached the structure, the round screen moved down until it was at eye level. Then, the face of an old man appeared on the screen. Nice to meet you. Youre Chip?! Wheeze rose to its feet on Cillins shoulder and examined the human face closely. If you have a face, then why not Sigma? Sure it has. The human face on the screen turned into Sigmas signature wavy blue line face. This is its face. Then why is your face like that? Wheeze pointed at the old human face. It feels really off, you know. Xi Kai smiled bitterly at the side. To say that it was off was an understatement, but if they hadnt come up with this lousy fix they wouldve lost Chip a long time ago. Xi Kai didnt say too much this time. It was mostly Chip doing the answering. It told them briefly about the Originals origin and some of their experiences. Just like Cillin had deduced earlier, the ancestor of the Xi Family had created the five Original robots after accidentally discovering a certain matter and using it to create their brain. When the Xi Family arrived at this galaxy, the empire was embroiled in a terrible rebellion. As a result, most of their people and robots were killed in that war until the isolated prince MB. Freeman gave them refuge. It was around the same time a batch of intelligent combat robots were created. After that, the remaining Xi Family members and the four Original robots signed an agreement with the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor and became a part of the new underground organization, Black Viper. This was something every leader of the Xi Family including Xi Kai was aware of. However, he didnt know that one robot had already gone missing when his ancestors encountered Freeman! To this day, no one knew why such a thing had happened, only that there were many, many more mysteries such as this. Cillin asked, Why are there only four origin robots left when you encountered Prince Freeman? Chip paused for a second before sighing. Our master had deleted a part of our memories. We dont know what that memory contains, only that the reason for the deletion was to protect the Xi Family, or so our master said. So the vanished robot is Its Sigma, Chip answered. Cillin lowered his gaze. If the missing robot really was Sigma, then the deleted memory most likely had something to do with Sigma being sent over to GALs galaxy. In other words, the ancestors of the Xi Family had chosen to conceal the technology that enabled them to cross between two galaxies! May I ask where youve met Sigma? It may very well share some connections to that deleted memory, Chip asked urgently. This question had puzzled it for nearly a thousand years. It was the main reason it asked Xi Kai to accept Cillins request the moment it heard that it had news of Sigma. Originally, Cillin was planning to confess to Chip everything he knew, but as it turned out Chip didnt even know that the Xi Family didnt originally belong in this galaxy or the empire. Or more accurately, they knew this until their master had deleted their memories. Sensing Cillins hesitation, Chip added, Not all the Original robots had their memories deleted back then. I do not know if Sigma has lost its memories, but Moons memories are most certainly intact. If Sigma is the most naive out of all of us, then Moon is the best at pretending to be naive. Even I didnt know that Moon had retained its memories until much later. Moon wasnt one of the two broken Original robots, but it was stuck in an unusual state since a long time ago. The robots were broken during the Xi Family descendants attempts to figure out the matter that made up their brain. They wouldve lost even Chip if they hadnt found a way to save it, although the price was its current state. After Chips incident, Moon entered into a state of forced hibernation and refused to answer anyones call for hundreds of years. Chip itself had forbidden anyone from using Moons body as research. It would rather never discover the way to create another Original robot than destroy its remaining sibling. Moon had talked to Chip for a bit before entering forced hibernation. It was how Chip knew that Moon possessed far more knowledge and memories than the rest of them. Moons ability to act and keep secrets was precisely why their master had trusted it to keep their secrets and memories. Although the Xi Family was forbidden from using Moon for their research, a lot of people including Chip had tried to wake it from its hibernation and speak to it. Their efforts were all futile, however. It was as if Moon had decided to shut itself inside a thick shell and refused all contact with the outside world. Where is Moon right now? Cillin asked. Moon was in forced hibernation for over seven centuries already. Chip said as an image appeared on a screen. They saw a robot that looked like Sigma, except that it was slumped on the ground and not moving at all. Cillin was wondering if he should try to wake Moon from its hibernation and ask it about their hidden technology when Xi Kai interrupted his thoughts. Unlike Chip whose main goal was to figure out what the vanished Sigma did, Xi Kais biggest focus had always been to rediscover the technology to create an Original robot. Plus, he didnt think that Cillin could awaken Moon. Do you think its possible to create another Original robot, Cillin? Xi Kai asked. Cillin frowned as he stared at Chips humongous body. Then, he said, Before that, Id like to know exactly what the matter that makes up their brain is. Xi Kai shook his head. I told you we couldnt figure it out despite spending nearly a millennium researching it. We only learned a part of it even after we sacrificed two and a half Origin robots. Xi Kai nodded at Chip, and an image appeared on the screen. It was a circular crystal with a core, and the core had countless branches sticking out of it. Each branch, each crystal column had an unusual and complicated shape, and in great numbers they looked like a layer of thick hair covering the surface of the core. Cillins face and Wheezes whiskers twitched the moment they saw the image. Noticing Cillin and Wheezes unusual expression, Xi Kai exclaimed in shocked realization, Wait a second. Have you seen this somewhere, Cillin?! Cillins distress doubled in that moment. He never imagined that it would be that thing! I have seen it before, but it has already been used. I doubt well be able to find another one easily It it was used? Xi Kais simmering blood instantly cooled, but he immediately threw out another question. Did you use it on a robot? Where is that robot right now? Cillin shook his head and fell silent. Wheeze was staring at Xi Kai with clear hostility. These idiots already broke two and a half Original robots, and now theyre planning on breaking Czedow too?! Cillins worry was different from Wheezes. If what Xi Kai said was true, then Czedows capacity to think might be even broader than he initially predicted. He had been gone from GAL for a very long time, and he had no idea if Czedow was developing in a good or bad way. If it was bad, he wouldnt be surprised if Czedow turned out to be the creator of a robotic apocalypse when he returned. Xi Kai was about to fire another series of questions, but Chip stopped him. Xi Kai might not be able to pick up the gray cats hostility, but it could sense it very, very clearly, so it changed the subject and said, We can try waking Moon again if you wish to know more. But if it turns out to be a failure, then Im sorry to say this is the extent we are able to help you. Cillin nodded. It wasnt like he had another way, so he might as well give this a try. Chip opened a door. Moon was hibernating right inside the room. At first glance, Moon looked almost identical to Sigma. The difference lies in the color of its exterior and some other parts. A human didnt look completely lifeless when they were hibernating, but not a robot. Moon looked like an ancient relic that had been dead for a very, very long time. Moon, Ive brought two friends over. They said theyve met Sigma before, Chip said emotionally. Several centuries had passed since its brothers were missing, broken, or in hibernation. It had been alone for a very, very long time. They might not be human beings, but their thoughts and feelings were almost no different from a humans at all. They too could feel sadness, longing, and after so many years, a deep sense of impotence and helplessness. Moon didnt respond despite Chips greeting. It looked exactly the same as before. Xi Kai was watching at the sidelines, but he honestly thought that it was a futile attempt just like all others. If this was all it took to wake Moon from its hibernation, the Xi Family wouldve done so way before Cillin. In fact, Xi Kai suspected that the reason Moon had decided to shut itself from all contact was because it was traumatized by his ancestors operations of the two Original robots. Still, was a robots psyche really that fragile? Chip shot Moon a glance but didnt say anything. He simply flicked Wheezes ear once and pointed his Chin at Moon. Wheeze jumped down Cillins shoulder and circled Moon one time. Then, it leaped up Moons head and gave it a pat, a look, a sniff and so on. Wheeze was engaging Moon in a soundless conversation, an interaction using machine language just like how it had interacted with Sigma back then. Although it was soundless, Xi Kai could feel like something he couldnt understand was happening in front of him. Chips eyes however, were growing brighter and brighter and flashing with some sort of complicated emotions from time to time. Wheeze was speaking to Moon using a specific machine language about Sigma. However, it didnt reveal anything that might point to the fact that they came from GAL because Chip was listening in as well. At the very least, now wasnt the time to reveal everything they knew. As the conversation continued, Chip started picking up a weak feedback from Moon. But since the feedback was directed at Wheeze, it couldnt tell the content of the response. After the feedback, its mechanical signals started growing stronger. It was to the point where even Xi Kai could feel that the robot was coming alive once more. When a bluish strip appeared across Moons face, Cillin knew that Wheeze had succeeded. As the saying goes, one must fit the right key in the right keyhole to unlock any object, human or robot. If they hadnt found the right key to persuade Moon into awakening, the robot wouldve continued feigning ignorance and hibernating unto time immemorial. The bluish strip continued to grow brighter and brighter. A couple of flickers later, Moon suddenly backflipped a couple meters away from the group and exclaimed in a childish voice, Who who are you all?! Chips elderly face stiffened for a second. Bah, hes pretending again. Chapter 311: Anyone Who’s With That Cat Can’t Be Good News Part 1 Chapter 311: Anyone Whos With That Cat Cant Be Good News [Part 1] *from now on Moon and the rest of the Original robots will be addressed as he, him, his The blue strip on Moons face kept flashing as if he was examining the newcomers. A while later, he looked at Chip, floated off the ground and flew a circle around him. Ah, Chip, why do you still look like this? Chip didnt answer. He believed that Moon was just pretending to be a fool, and that he was aware from the start. Even in hibernation, Moon was powerful enough to keep track of everything that had been going on around him. Wheeze jumped up Moons head and took a seat just like it did with Sigma when it was still in GAL space. Moon paid it no mind and continued flying circles around Chip. Xi Kai was extremely excited. That Moon had awakened meant that he was finally going to learn some of the secrets of the past. Hello, Moon. I am Xi Kai, the current master and person-in-charge of the Xi Family, Xi Kai walked toward the robot and announced himself. The only response Moon gave was a lukewarm I see, however. He then ignored Xi Kai and continued conversing with Wheeze. Xi Kai felt like he was stuck in an awkward spot. He had no idea how to converse with the Original robot. Unlike Moon, Chip treated him and the Xi Family kindly just like how a benevolent elder would treat his grandchildren. He was incredibly mature and forgiving no matter the mistakes they made. But Moon seemed completely different. From the moment he heard Moons response, Xi Kai knew that the Original robot would be a tough nut to crack. He had kept his secrets for a thousand years, and he could probably keep it for another thousand if he so wished. It wouldnt be easy to make him divulge them willingly. Cillin was going to speak to Moon himself, but he learned from Xi Kais failure and attempted to gauge Moons reaction using the machine language instead. Moon paused in mid-conversation and looked at Cillin the moment he heard it. Then, he asked in a joking tone, Did you guys come from the other side? The other side? Xi Kai stared at Cillin in puzzlement. Cillin knew that Moon was probably referring to GAL space, so he nodded. That is where we come from. It is there we met Sigma. Have the people there found Aurelios Cage already? Moon dropped in front of Cillin before asking. Most of it has already been found, but Im not sure about the remaining pieces. Moon cocked his head and mumbled, A thousand years, and those fools still havent found everything. So slow. I told them we shouldve kept them to ourselves. Xi Kai didnt interrupt this time. He understood that Moon and Cillin were talking about secrets that they, the descendants of the Xi Family werent aware of. Did your master leave it behind on purpose? Cillin asked. Thats right. Moons emotions immediately skyrocketed when Cillin asked about his master. Back then, the Xi Family fought against superior numbers and successfully wiped out all the bad people from existence. Those bad people left behind a couple of things, but master decided to leave some of it behind before coming over because he didnt think it was right to surrender oneself to greed, especially when those things didnt belong to us to begin with. But why? They are an unimaginable wealth, arent they? The members of the Xi Family love to create, but not accept. They believe that accepting foreign technology would only lead to dependence, especially since it was only a matter of time before they create said technology by their own hands. Your master is a confident man. As it turned out, the Xi Family hadnt left behind those technologies because they were kind. They were just so confident in their ability to do what everyone else couldnt do that it was almost narcissistic, if not for the fact that they had solved countless problems that the best of GAL had thought to be unsolvable. At the time, the five of us were reading Genesis Mythos and arguing about some of the stories in it. Then, master came up with a plana game that master and us came up with togetherto recreate the legend ourselves. In Genesis Mythos, there are 5 Aurelios that represented a different dream each: White Night, Gods Tear, Shortcut, Gods Back Garden and Spell. So, we left five things behind that matched each Aurelio. Master had wanted to return at a later date and check who managed to obtain the five Aurelios during our free time. He never got the chance. Moon had flown to a cable stretching down Chips gigantic body and used it like a swing. He was the only person who would dare to do such a thing. However, Chip didnt mind it at all. He was looking at Moon with reminiscence and indulging him on everything like how an older brother would. Still swinging back and forth like he was in a playground, Moon continued, The five of us would often argue with one another, and Sigma was always the fool who got bullied by us. He lost a bet again not long after we arrived at this space, and as punishment Suyi told Sigma to head back to the other side and identify the person who found the Shortcut. Only then he is allowed to return to us. Of course, we were just joking, and master knew this as well. Master knew full well that the reason Sigma always lost his bets was because the four of us were in cahoots. After all, he was just too gullible and easy a target. We nudged master until he relented and agreed to send Sigma to the other side. He promised Sigma that he would take him home very soon, but Sigma still hugged his arm and said he was afraid to go alone. So, master created the Lovages to accompany him Moon fell silent for a long time after that. Chip looked incredibly sad as well. They obviously failed to keep their word due to various circumstances, and all this time Sigma thought that they hadnt come from them because the Shortcut was closed. The thought that his four companions were just playing with him never crossed his mind. We stumbled into a war afterward, and a lot of people died as a result. Equipment, technology, records, talented people. Almost everything was consumed by that war that engulfed a large majority of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Thanks to no small amount of good luck, master was able to lead us and a small amount of survivors away from the battlefield. It was then we encountered Freeman and came under his protection. However, we lost track of the black box that controls the spatial connection during that war, and we were never able to bring back Sigma. We had tried to recreate another black box, but the loss of most of our records and talents made things harder than they already were, and we werent able to contact Sigma from this side either. In the end, master wasnt able to recreate the black box before he died. During his last moments, master said that the biggest regret in his life was Sigma. He lied to him, and he wasnt in time to make up for it. The four of us were wracked with guilt as a matter of course. After all, we were the instigators behind everything, and we lost Sigma forever as a result of our foolishness. Master told us that we were all humans, and the only difference between him and us was that he had flesh, and we had mechanical bodies. He told us to never think of ourselves as strangers, and that we should always get along with everyone as best we can. But when all our friends reached the end of their lifespan all left us one by one, it wasnt a choice anymore. We are strangers in the eye of the newcomers who never knew us. The four of us had witnessed the passing of our master, Sigma, some of the closer friends of the Xi Family and more. In the end, we were the only ones left. It wasnt like we didnt make more friends, but the cycle kept repeating itself for centuries. Eventually, some members of the Xi Family asked for permission to research the Original robots, and Suyi volunteered himself immediately. It was because he was wracked with guilt and regret all this time. He believed that he was the biggest person at fault behind the loss of Sigma. He never returned. Some time later the cycle repeated itself, and this time it was Reefia who volunteered. Before he entered the lab, he told us to take care of ourselves. He never returned as well. Moon turned to look at Xi Kai. No one should be able to interpret his unique expression, and yet everyone could sense the resentment he was directing toward Xi Kai anyway. Moon, that is not how I remember things, Chip said. We all lost a part of our memories You were the ones who deleted your own memories, Moon answered. You all closed off part of your memories because you were afraid that the Xi Family would discover more secrets than they actually need. Before master passed away, he told us not to divulge our secrets easily so as to protect our position in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Suyi, Reefia and you all made the same choice. I wasnt expecting you to be saved, but even without memories your subconscious told you not to dig up the memories you closed away yourself. That is why you chose to believe what I told you before I went into hibernation. You should know that master would never delete our memories. He told us that every memory we made in our life be it the good or the bad is a precious treasure we cannot lose. We may not be real people, but even we deserve the right to own our memories. That is the respect master afforded to all of us. Chip fell silent again. Hes right. Master would never delete our memories. Chapter 311: Anyone Who’s With That Cat Can’t Be Good News Part 2 Chapter 311: Anyone Whos With That Cat Cant Be Good News [Part 2] I didnt know that the Original robots had willingly surrendered themselves to the experiments, Xi Kai said with a bit of difficulty. Of course they did. Did you really think that the arrogant Reefia would agree to being dissected otherwise? That the cruel Suyi would allow himself to be cut without fighting back?! Moon stared at Xi Kai for a moment before turning away again. Back in those days, the Xi Family had singlehandedly resisted the united assault of countless enemies and created countless miracles. It was the generation of geniuses and the best generation of Xi Family to ever live. To put it simply, everyone else who was born after that generation was unworthy! Unworthy Unworthy Unworthy Xi Kai felt a bit faint. He never thought that the word would ever fall on a member of the Xi Family. It was the most glorious generation of people to ever live, and yet the same generation who was struck by disaster after disaster like nothing we had ever seen before. Master said that no amount of genius was enough to disobey fate, and that we were so great that even the gods couldnt bear to look at us anymore. That was why the gods had hit us with disasters, wars, setbacks, electromagnetic storms, civil wars until finally, the last of us became average people. Moon looked at Xi Kai again when he said the word average. The latter could barely hold in a terrific outburst, much less the blood rushing to his head. Moon then opened his palm and curled all of his fingers except one. But I wont follow my brothers folly. I will wait for Sigma to return, and I will guard even more secrets so that the unworthy cant get their hands on it. That was why he would rather enter hibernation than be dissected by the Xi Family. Right now Xi Kai was burning up with shame. He wasnt his ancestor, and he hadnt committed their atrocities, but he couldnt deny that he had thought of researching the last Original robot. Moons confession made him give up his idea completely, however. It wasnt just because he couldnt make any breakthrough without that mysterious brain matter. He wasnt so foolish as to deny the ability gap between himself and the best of the Xi Family who ever lived. After Moon finally came to a pause, Cillin asked, Is there really no way to go back? Is it really impossible to recreate the components of the black box? Moon shook his head. We lost too much data, and none of us Original robots had participated in that particular project. Sigma might know slightly more than us since master taught him a lot of things before the transfer, but unless this side of the bridge is open, he couldnt cross over from the other side even if he tried Moon suddenly stared at Cillin. So, my question is, how did you people cross over to this galaxy? How did you manage to lock onto this particular galaxy without a reference point? Xi Kais mouth turned into an O-shape. Did he hear correctly? Did he just imply that Cillin didnt belong to the empire, no, to this galaxy? Did that mean that the Xi Family originally came from another galaxy as well?! Wheeze whispered a brief explanation of what happened beside Moons ears. Moon looked down on Cillins ring and put a hand beneath his chin. I see. Maybe that ring of yours contain some residual signal; a mark of space and time that pinpointed your transfer to this galaxy. Still, the residual signal has to have come from somewhere, meaning that it mustve come into contact with the black box before. Suddenly, Cillin recalled Genyas story. Back then, Genya had accidentally come into contact with an unstable wormhole and entered GAL space. Not long after he went in, that wormhole had disappeared as well. In the past Cillin thought that it was just a coincidence, but now that he really thought about it, he decided that the black box mustve been near that unstable wormhole at the time. Logically speaking, the chances of Genya being sent to GAL space instead of another galaxy or star system naturally was infinitesimally small. Moon stretched his arms wide, flipped down the cable and landed next to Cillin. Ive decided to accompany you temporarily! Xi Kai looked at Cillin oddly. He was the real descendant of the Xi Family, but Moon had treated Cillin way better than him. He supposed that the Original robot really was that disappointed with the Xi Familys descendants. Chip didnt object to Moons decision. He knew that Moon wanted to find the black box with Cillin, return to GAL space and meet up with Sigma. And so Cillin and Wheeze gained a new companion during their return trip. The atmosphere was livened a lot as a result. Wheeze introduced Moon to Return and logged into the forum. Then, the two of them started watching the ongoing matches between intellectuals. Moon needed to catch up on his knowledge and data anyway, so this was just perfect. After he had sufficiently familiarized himself, Moon joined in on the fun and debated many people with Wheeze. As a result, a lot of people fainted from anger that day. Moon asked to watch TV after he had had enough of debating for the day, so Cillin passed him a micro-computer. Bored as usual, Wheeze sat with Moon and watched TV with him, or at least it tried to until it realized what the robot was watching. Its whiskers twitched again and again This goddamn robot is watching porn!??? On the screen, two actors were kissing each other as if they were the only two people left in the entire world. Then, they went down to business and didnt stop until a very, very long time later. Oh em gee, Im so embarrassed! Moon covered his face embarrassedly. Cillin simply stared at him as a couple of thoughts passed through his mind: Can someone explain to me why his fingers are fully stretched if hes really embarrassed, and what the heck does the flashing blue strip on his visor mean? Anyone!? Wheeze flicked its ears and decided that its time was better spent arguing with the old scholars. Cillin asked, Moon, werent you afraid that Sigma might be lonely? Fingers still stuck to his face, Moon turned to him and replied, Of course Sigma will be lonely, but he doesnt think like us, do you understand what I mean? He will never go crazy from loneliness. Lets say you have a dream. Normally, you would gauge the probability of the dream becoming a reality and be invigorated or depressed by the answer, right? In some cases, the gap is so huge that it could even induce despair. But Sigma doesnt feel such things. He only cares about making his dreams come true, and to that end he can work for a thousand years without rest. Cillin smiled. Yeah, hes a great fellow. He recalled the Sigma swinging his arms like an innocent child. He recalled his ability to take joy in even the simplest of pleasures. He mustve been really sad when Shortcut opened, but nothing happened as he thought it would, didnt he? I wonder how everyone is doing right now. Cillin flew Moon and Wheeze back to the capital star region, but instead of reporting to Guan Feng as he normally did after a mission, he chose to visit Genya first. Genya had heard of the waves Cillin created in the academia a while ago, but he didnt care. He would almost always support anything that Cillin wished to do. Cillin inquired about Genyas accident and only that because it was directly related to some of the internal problems the Gen Family was facing at the time. He asked about the location of the wormhole and the exact time he entered GAL space. After answering all the questions, Genya asked, Youre heading back? Mn. I want to try. I want to head home and see how things are. To be honest, I never expected that Ill make it back here when I accidentally entered that place. When I left you that message, my only hope for you was to accumulate enough strength before you leave that planet and explore the borderless world do you have a plan yet? Cillin had a feeling that Genya was hoping to visit GAL space as well. You little! Genya hit Cillin once in the hand before waving him off. You should visit Guan Feng now. He got into a minor accident not long ago, and hes too embarrassed to say what it was exactly. An accident? What accident? Still, the lack of worry on Genyas face probably meant that it was nothing major. Okay, Ill head to AF1 after hanging around for a bit. Oh right, did you receive the Golden Thread Turtle I asked Tousen to send over yet? Cillin had to leave San Calombo in a hurry at the time, so he asked Tousen to be the delivery boy. Yes, I did. Genyas smile deepened when the Golden Thread Turtle was mentioned. Im giving it a lot of attention. Theres a rumor that states that anyone who saw a hundred-year old Golden Thread Turtle would have their lifespan increased for another hundred years. Some of my old friends kept visiting me lately because of this. Theres no way theyre getting away with my prize though, hehe! Wheeze, Moon, time to go! And Blueskin, youre going to break your waist is you keep that up! Your tail isnt made for vertical standing! Cillin hollered at the direction of the mini sea. Genya stared at them in deep amusement until they left. His smile turned smaller as he gazed toward the distance. Was there anyone he missed in GAL? Yes, there are When Cillin reached Guan Fengs place, he discovered the minor incident turned out to be more serious than he thought. Not only was Guan Feng injured, he nearly lost his entire arm. That was why he had been brooding in his house and undergoing recovery treatment as of late. Even Genya knew about this only because he contacted Guan Feng to talk about the stunts Cillin pulled as of late. When Cillin heard from Guan Feng why he almost lost an arm, his first reaction was: You must be joking! Everyone knows that Guan Feng was the creator and master of the Purgatory Thunder Snake series, so no one ever thought that the guy would be hurt by his own creation one day. Worse, he was wounded by the poorest gun of the series, the B model. It was no wonder that he was too ashamed to meet anyone lately. It wasnt entirely his fault though. Guan Feng had been working himself to the bone researching a medium-sized gun barrel of the PTS, and the exhaustion finally got to him when he was handling a PTS B. As a result, he had accidentally shot himself. And that is why you should drop everything youre doing for now and help me. I want to finish this project as soon as possible because the longer its dragged out, the higher the chance a mistake might occur. When Guan Feng told Cillin what he was working on, the young man agreed that it was too taxing a project for a single person to complete. On the other side of the living hall, Wheeze and Moon were surrounding the aquarium and battling against the squirt fishes. Guan Feng turned around just in time to see Moon lying on top of the aquarium and electrocuting the last fish into unconsciousness. Guan Feng: ... I knew that anyone whos with that cat cant be good news! Chapter 312: Pinpointing Targets Part 1 Chapter 312: Pinpointing Targets [Part 1] Cillin didnt set out to look for Moons black box immediately because of two reasons: one, Guan Fengs business was more urgent and two, Cillin wanted to lie low for a bit before making his next move. Figuratively speaking, he had started quite the fire in the empire recently, and practically everyone was keeping an eye on him right now. It would be bad if someone found out about the black box because he was too hasty. Just like Sigmas master had said while he was still alive, some secrets were best left in the dark. In this case, he didnt even know if he could find the black box or whether he could use it to reopen Shortcut again, so it benefited no one to reveal its existence. Cillin and Guan Feng spent nearly the whole day in the latters workshop while Wheeze and Moon fooled around outside. Wheeze was happy that it finally found someone who would play ball with it. The moment Moon caught the ball Wheeze threw at his direction, he knew instantly that it was made from the scales of that little snake from a long time ago. While they were playing, Wheeze told Moon about their meeting with the Black Viper. Not many people earned the trust of the Black Viper itself, much less a gift. If Moon wasnt sure if Wheeze and Cillin were trustworthy before, he was now. At the very least, they were a lot trustworthy than the Xi Family right now. Xi Kai would be vomiting blood if Xi Kai could read Moons mind. Since when did their creation trust an outsider more than they trusted the family of their own creator? By showing the Black Vipers gift to Moon, Wheeze had unknowingly improved the robots impression of itself and Cillin by a lot. Moreover, their strong relationship reminded Moon of the good old times when all five of them and their master were still living together. While Cillin and Guan Feng were busying themselves, Moon also took some materials from Guan Fengs workshop and upgraded his parts. He switched out the old parts with new parts, and he even installed a concealed weapon in his body. Neither Cillin nor Guan Feng were exactly sure what kind of weapon it was because Wheeze was the only who was around when Moon was performing the self-upgrade. Whatever it was, it couldnt be good for its victims considering that it was the combined creation of Moon and Wheeze. Cillin had to invest all of his energy in Guan Fengs project, and he was so busy that he literally couldnt afford the time to attend his courses despite having returned to AF1. Thankfully, none of the lecturers complained not only because Guan Feng had informed them of Cillins unavailability beforehand, but also because the young man himself was a special person right now. He had the privilege not to attend their courses without consequences, and they couldnt even pretend not to know him since he was famousor infamousin the academic circle right now. Cillin had said what many people dared not say, and done what many dared not done in their lifetime. Even now, the storm he started still hadnt subsided completely, and the status of some established theories had never been as threatened as they were now. While everyone was Meanwhile, the culprit behind everything and his mentor was working overnight on a certain engineering project that had garnered an exceptional amount of attention from the army. A lot of people had probably forgotten that Cillin was officially accepted into the RAS as a member of the engineering department, not the virology department Finally, after a grueling period of almost non-stop working, Cillin finally completed the most important and complicated component of Guan Fengs project. Guan Feng had also or or less returned to full health, so Cillin didnt need to handle everything by himself anymore. The remaining tasks was more or less a piece of cake to finish, so Guan Feng gave Cillin the permission to leave the workshop and catch his breath a little. It had been days since he was stuck inside the workshop, and when Cillin emerged he didnt find Wheeze or Moon anywhere. He had no doubt that the naughty duo had left to cause some trouble somewhere. Cillin ate himself to full and stretched out his stiffened muscles a little. Just when he was about to go back to the workshop and help Guan Feng finish the rest of the work, he suddenly received a call from someone in AF1, more specifically the supervisor who was responsible for looking after the animals. Cillin knew immediately that Wheeze and Moon were behind this the moment the person introduced himself, and he was right. The supervisor told him that a brawl had broken out at the animals dwellingwhich was nothing newbut when he arrived at the scene, he was surprised to find two unfamiliar faces. Well, maybe not Wheeze, but Moon was definitely a stranger no one had ever seen before. By now everyone knows that Cillin was Wheezes caretaker, so the supervisor had contacted Cillin immediately. When Cillin arrived, the animals were receiving a stern lecture from the supervisor. The gigantic King Kong was bowing its head and wearing an aggrieved expression on its face. Almost everyone else was more or less wearing the same expression as well; everyone except Wheeze and Moon. Those two were standing at the side and glaring at the supervisors as if it was their fault for interfering with the brawl, Cillin could spotted claw marks on the faces of two other supervisors. It was obviously Wheezes handiwork. Wheeze dropped its gangster-like demeanor immediately when it saw Cillin. Moon was acting like an innocent and obedient child who had no hand in the brawl at all, and it mightve worked if everyone hadnt seen him punching a rhinoceros into the air with their own eyes. Brawling, huh? Wheezes ears drooped even lower. Cillin stood in front of the two troublemakers and glanced back and forth between Moon and Wheeze. The robot was looking at the floor and playing with his finger, while Wheezes eyes were darting everywhere and looking suspicious as hell in general. Cillin lifted Wheeze by the neck and pried open its mouth. He immediately spotted some suspicious looking skin and tissue stuck between its gum, and the worst part was that it didnt all belong to the same species. Only god knows how many animals it managed to bully before the supervisors finally stepped in to stop things. He could still remember that poor little crocodile who ran away every time it saw Wheeze because it took a bite that left it in tears. Wheeze and Moon werent part of the animal gang, so Cillin had to pay for the damages they caused. Cillin made sure to wave the receipt in front of Wheezes face after he did so, causing the gray cats heart to turn as cold as ice. How could it possibly know that a simple brawl would cost this much money?? It would never have listened to Moons devilish whisper and took part in the brawl if it knew about this, it would have stayed a good bystander and enjoyed the scene from the sidelines Wheeze counted its claws for a bit and realized that the compensation fee was worth two hundred catties of new-flavor fish biscuits. Two hundred catties of fish biscuits gone just like that Moon looked away and feigned ignorance the moment he noticed Wheezes thinking. Cillin gave Moon and Wheeze a task to complete in order to prevent these two troublemakers causing trouble again the moment he looked away. He gave them a name list and told them to keep an eye on the people listed on it, or more specifically their activities on the Return forum. He was sure that Wheeze and Moon wouldnt be discovered even if they had to observe everyone on the list at the same time. When Cilin went back to the workshop, Wheeze whipped Moon with its tail before asking, Did you finish collecting the samples? More or less, yes. Moon egged Wheeze into joining the brawl because he wanted to collect their blood samples. Although AF1 had a database on all the animals in AF1, the Original robot preferred to perform the analysis himself. It was one of the habits and traits he inherited from the peak generation of the Xi Family. What do you need them for? Wheeze asked. I dont know yet, Im just doing this out of habit for now. Who knows, it may come in handy one day. And even if it didnt, its in our circuits to collect data. I like having a huge database. Wheeze agreed. Once upon a time, it was like Moon too until it grew lazier and lazier. The gray cat threw the topic to the back of its mind and never thought about it again. Wheeze and Moon were slackers and troublemakers, but they werent stupid enough to put off Cillins task. They quickly realized why he had asked them to keep an eye on the people on the list. Relatively speaking, all the people on the list were experts in the study of space, wormholes and other relevant topics. Some of them were famous people, but some of them were so humble that they were practically unknown. In fact, some of them could never reveal their true identities because they were aliens, slaves, or some other sensitive identities. This was especially true for the slaves. If their buyers ever learned that they were performing researches in secret, they would be executed for sure. After Cillin completed his own work and exited the workshop again to check on Wheeze and Moon. he was very satisfied with the result. After a brief selection, he began looking at star charts and plotting his next move. Cillin had no intentions to put all his eggs in one basket, or the black box in this case. It would be great if he could find it of course, but if he couldnt then he must develop the technology to cross star systems himself. Of course, he wasnt foolish enough to believe that he could do this alone. To begin with, he wasnt an expert in this area. Although he had absorbed a tonne of relevant knowledge, he was aware that that wasnt enough to bridge the gap between himself and the true experts. Everyone has their own expertise, and Cillin had no problems admitting that there were people who were better than him in certain things. Cillin first choice was of course, not the famous researchers of the industry. He would go after the nameless experts first.Please go to to read the latest chapters for free Chapter 312: Pinpointing Targets Part 2 The location of the unstable wormhole was some distance away from the capital star region, so he was bound to pass by some of his targets homeworlds. Cillin decided to check them out and secure their aid first if they turned out to be as capable as he thought they were. Cillin was collaborating with Xi Kai in this matter, so he gave him a part of the name list. Xi Kai promised to monitor these people with his robots and feed Cillin information so he could better decide if they really were the experts he wanted. Xi Kai was still deeply interested in the Origin robots, but he also wanted to check out the Gen Familys original world and a whole new star system. He might be able to find a way to recreate the Origin robots there, and Sigma was there anyway. When Guan Fengs project was fully complete, the attention on Cillin had finally started to die down as well. Recently, the academicians were more concerned about the possibility of existing theories being overturned. In fact, every big debate on Return had resulted in a huge shockwave within the academic circle. A lot of new progresses and breakthroughs had been made thanks to them. In the past, people would rather refer to or repeat another persons experiment or research with minor differences. For example, Researcher A had researched Material B using Experiment C, so another researcher would conduct the exact same experiment but switch Material B to Material D. These kinds of research cost money and time even though they were almost the same thing, and they almost never resulted in major breakthroughs or practical use at all. But today, new debates, new topics and new projects were being discovered and researched almost every day, and this was exactly the kind of new activity the Mist Bodhisattva Emperor very much wanted to see. Not all of these researches would bear fruit, but it was still way better than the old situation of funding repeats of existing experiments and giving lazy researchers the excuse to look busy when they really werent. After he confirmed that most of the eyes were looking somewhere else, Cillin left the capital star region in secret. Everyone thought that he was still working at Guan Fengs workshop. Do we really have to create our own black box? Moon asked. He and his deceased companions had searched the areaincluding the place Genya was dragged to a different star system against his willmany times already, but they never found anything useful. Today, Moon had given up all hope of finding the black box, but for some reason he thought that Cillin might just be able to accomplish what countless people had failed to for a millennium. There were actually multiple existing ways to extend a humans life already such as artificially-induced hibernation or chemical modification. However, these modifications usually affected the brain, and Moon wasnt willing to extend Cillins lifespan at the cost of his IQ. It was the same reason why none of the Xi Family members of the old had chosen to artificially extend their lifespan even though they had the technology and capability to carry it out. He didnt even tell Wheeze about his plan. Moon overlooked something, however. He didnt know that Cillins constitution was quite different from a standard human being. It was why Wheeze never worried that Cillin might be short-lived. They were of similar races after all. The first planet Cillin was going to visit wasnt a well developed planet by any means. It was almost as backward as Old Changs planet, there was a clear divide between the commoner area and the city area, and most importantly, one third of the population were made up of aliens; mostly enslaved aliens. The planetary government favored city people over commoners, and they definitely favored human beings over the universally detested aliens. They were the lowest existence on the entire planet and the main source of cheap labor. Unless an alien was willing to work as a slave, the only place for them to go was the shabby and terrible commoner area. Cillin didnt need to lift a finger. Wheeze and Moon had easily negated the planetary defense network and protected his spaceplane from detection. He flew to a concealed spot where the robots were waiting for him. This is the latest data of the target. His health is pretty bad, however. If the situation continues, he wont live past this year, the robot sent over to monitor the target reported among other things. Cillin had expected this. The targets research could be very harmful to the human body, so the research institutes usually constructed layer upon layer of protection just to keep their researchers from succumbing to the effects. And even then, they had to receive regular medical care and treatment to ensure that their bodies wouldnt develop malignant changes due to radiation or other energy disruptions. On the other hand, the targets environment and research conditions were inferior to the research institutes in every possible way. He obviously couldnt afford a research lab with perfect safety conditions. He couldnt afford to spend tonnes of money undergoing regular medical care and treatment either. His physical condition had started deteriorating since a long time ago, and the lack of better treatment only served to quicken the decline of his health. There was even a time multiple parts on his body showed signs of malignant growth in succession. It was almost a miracle that he was still alive today. After accepting the fake ID the robot handed to him, Cillin, Wheeze and Moon started moving toward the city. His fake ID gave him more freedom and reduced the amount of attention he mightve attracted on this planet otherwise. Cillin first traveled to a place at the perimeter of the city. His target actually lived in the commoner area, but he had other plans in mind. He also sent the robot back to the target in case something happened while he was gone. The city center was without a doubt the most prosperous part of a city, and the further away from the city center, the bleaker things looked until finally, one arrived at the commoner area. Inside a small and quiet alley, three gaudily-dressed youngsters were dragging a struggling young woman toward the deeper parts of the alley. One of them was covering her mouth to keep her screams from being heard. They kept an iron grip on the girls limbs, and a sinister smile was plastered to their lips. There were people who walked past the alley and saw the struggle, but they simply ignored it and moved on almost as if it was a common everyday sight. The three men were clearly bad people, and meddling in their business would only result in bad things. Plus, anyone who stared at them for too long got shot with a stare at me again and Ill dig your eyes out look, so the people were even less inclined to help the woman. After the three youngsters dragged the girl to end of the valley, they threw her against the wall and sealed off the path completely. There was nothing here except mice, flies and a tonne of trash. This alley was so secluded that even the cleaning robots barely frequented this place, much less the patrols. Therefore, this alley and other similar locations were hotspots for underworld people to carry out shady businesses and long-dead, sometimes incomplete bodies. Too scared to wipe the tears on her face or straighten out her messy hair, the girl scrambled to her feet, wrapped her arms around herself and shrank into the deepest corner she could find. The shivering girl looked as pitiful as she was scared. You couldve walked a different path, but no, you just had to run into us. Blame yourself for your own misfortune. The three youngsters slowly closed in on the girl. One of them was even starting to unzipping his pants. Suddenly, a nearby mouse scouring the heap of trash for food froze and felt the hair on its body standing on their end. In an instant, it abandoned even the rice biscuit it found and escaped to the underground. Blood splattered against the walls in high speed, followed by the sounds of several heavy objects thudding against the ground. The smell of blood mingling with the stink of nearby trashes was especially nauseating. There were no groans of pain or final words. The guy unzipping his pants would never be able to complete the motion because he and his companions lay dead on the ground with their vulgar smiles still plastered to their faces. They never realized what happened to them until they were dead. The pitiful-looking girl rose to her feet and patted away the dust on her clothes. The fear in her eyes earlier was completely gone, and she looked so calm it was as if she just dumped some trash. She walked up to the youngsters, took everything valuable she could find and put them away carefully. But just when she turned around and prepared to leave, she abruptly discovered a man with a gray cat sitting on its shoulder standing at the exit of the alley. The cat was watching her with curious eyes. Sha Rou? Chapter 313: Why Don’t You Introduce Him to Me? Sha Rou stared at the young man. He knew her name, so he had either investigated her or he was the messenger of a familiar gang. There were only a handful of people who knew her background after all. However, Sha Rou couldnt sense any killing intent from this person. This could mean two things. Either he was harmless, or he was excellent at concealing his thoughts. Either way, she didnt intend to deal with him for longer than necessary. Someone who could creep up to her without her noticing at all was someone she had no confidence she could beat. Who are you? Sha Rou asked warily. Instead of giving a direct answer, Cillin said, Just a little something. Shall we find a better place to speak? Sha Rou frowned. I dont know you, I dont think I have anything to speak to you. If youre planning to threaten me with what happened earlier, Im sorry to tell you that its not going to work. On the surface, Sha Rou looked like an underfed fourteen or fifteen year old girl. Few people could equate her to the calm and efficient killer she really was, especially since she was a girl. No wonder she was able to operate stealthily in this city for so long. Sha Rous eyes slowly cooled when Cillin displayed no signs of leaving. Fox Wolf? Myriad Sea City? Which gang do you come from? Cillin smiled. She thought that he was a member of a city gang, it seemed. Neither. Im really here to speak with Shi Tang. Shi Tang was one of the people on the list he was looking for. He was also the Sha Rous older brother. The second he said the name, Sha Rous killing intent suddenly erupted into full bloom. She disappeared at the same time a silver flash made its way toward Cillin like lightning. This weapon was how the three would-be-rapists were murdered. It had cut through their arteries, throat, chest cavity, ribs, heart and everything in just the blink of an eye. In fact, it moved so fast that it looked like she had cut them down all at the same time; so fast that her victims were dead before they even realized what was going on. This time, the silver weapon was targeting Cillin. The silver flash didnt always appear to be visible. In fact, the only time it was visible was the time Sha Rou disappeared from view. However, that didnt mean it didnt exist. Cillin extended his right hand and pinched something with his index and middle finger before it could reach his chest, stopping it. His reaction was swift, but his eyes were really staring at a certain spot not far away from him. Slowly, the silver metal he caught became visible again, and Sha Rou on the other side of the weapon also became visible as well. The weapon was a long and super thin strip of metal. Sha Rou herself was an alien with the ability to turn invisible. Very, very few people knew this because most of them had been killed by her hands. Cillin released his grip, and the Silver Snake Blade returned to Sha Rous hand. She shook her wrist a little and put away the retractable Silver Snake Bladethis time for realjust like that. Judging from her skilfulness, it mustve been years since the girl got her hands on the weapon. What is your business with him? Sha Rou asked. Collaboration. Cillin then bent his neck a little and pointed at the other side of the alley. Someones coming. We should speak elsewhere. Sha Rou sucked in a deep breath and forced down her anxiety. As the mysterious young man said, it was better to leave this place for now. Living in this city hadnt been easy for her at all because of her identity as an alien. She had to tread every step carefully or risk losing herself and even her older brother. As it turned out, Sha Rou was very familiar with this area. She avoided the people walking over from the other side of the alley and left the place with Cillin. After entering a good-looking restaurant, Cillin asked Sha Rou to recommend him some local delicacies. Although Sha Rou was still troubled by Cillins identity, she still answered his question and recommended a couple of dishes. She had never eaten in this restaurant before because it cost more than her usual haunts. Long story short, she couldnt bear to waste her money here, but she still remembered their signature dishes because there was a display signboard above the restaurant entrance that looped through all its signature dishes endlessly. Since she passed by this restaurant quite often, it eventually became imprinted in her memory even if she wasnt actively trying to memorize it. As usual, Wheeze plowed into its food with complete disregard for any societal norm or dining etiquette. Moon had left to roam the city on its own. Officially, he was out to gather data. Unofficially, it had been centuries since he left his room, so he was curious to see even a shabby old place like this. Sha Rou anticipated some form of bullying from Cillin and readied herself, but to her surprise neither man nor cat seemed to pay her any attention at all after the food was served. They both dug into their food to their hearts content. A moment of hesitation later, even Sha Rou decided that she could worry herself silly after she filled her stomach. The atmosphere became a lot lighter after the meal. While taking a sip from his tea, Cillin stared at the tensed Sha Rou and said, Shi Tang wont live past this year if he doesnt receive the necessary treatments soon. Sha Rous face turned deathly pale in an instant. She was of course well aware of her brothers deterioration for the past couple years, but she had no idea that it was so bad that he was going to die this very year. She felt an impossible amount of pressure pressing down on her in that moment. How did you know my older brother? Her hands on her knees were shaking a little. I told you I wish to collaborate with Shi Tang. Im very interested in his research. Youre watching us?! Sha Rou abruptly glared at Cillin hatefully. It was unimaginable how much hate this young girl was harboring. Cillin didnt deny the accusation. Instead, he said, I can provide him with the best treatment and the lab he needs for his research. I can take you away from this place. Sha Rous heartbeat quickened against her will when she heard the words away from this place. It was the reason her older brother kept working even though he knew now badly the research was damaging his body. It was all to find themselves a better place to stay in this universe. When she was younger, Shi Tang once told her that they could leave this xenophobic galaxy and make a better life elsewhere if they could find a wormhole or a jump point with a sufficient span. To achieve that dream, they invested nearly all of their income into his research, and they went to recycling centers and trash heaps to collect useful materials they couldnt afford. Somehow, Shi Tang was able to make great leaps in his research despite using broken and outdated equipment that were discarded by research institutes since god knows when. If the young man didnt visit Return frequently, Cillin wouldnt have noticed his extraordinary talent. Sha Rou employed many methods to gather the money necessary to make their dream come true. She invested most of it in Shi Tangs research and spent the rest purchasing daily necessities and the medicine Shi Tang needed to live. Without the medicine, her older brother wouldve died a long time ago. Although Sha Rou wished to escape the hell they were in, she didnt truly believe that her brothers dream would come true. That pessimistic view was now shaken by the fact was Cillin was sitting right in front of her and expressing interest in her older brothers research. She couldnt help but feel a spark of hope inside her heart: maybe it wasnt an impossible dream after all? But who was this man? He had the power to put them under observation without them noticing, and his individual power was beyond her imagination. No ordinary person could do what he did. Still, if he really could treat Shi Tang, then she was willing to do anything, even if it was something as impossible as assassinating the leader of this planetary government. Why did you come to me when my older brother is the one you wish to meet? Sha Rou asked. Because your older brother listens to you. Plus, Im sure he wont leave you behind at this place. Youre a boastful one, arent you? Youve investigated us, so you should know that we are both aliens. We may not be slaves, but its still not easy for us to leave the planet. That is none of your concern. I can take care of Cillin suddenly trailed off and looked at the restaurant entrance. The corner they chose they chose to have lunch was quiet and fairly secluded. There was also background music, so they werent concerned that their conversation would be overhead by someone, especially since everyone looked like they were busy chatting with their own companions. However, the entire restaurant fell silent when a new group of people entered the place. The atmosphere grew heavy and even oppressive as if a thunder cloud was looming above everyones head. Only the husky voice of a female singer could be heard for a time. Although the conversations inside the restaurant resumed soon after, it was clearly a lot more subdued than before. Something unknown flashed across Sha Rous eyes as he dipped her head downward and drank her tea. Cillin could clearly sense that she wanted to be anywhere else but here. The newcomers all had an insignia on their clothes. It was two halves of a fox and a wolfs head joined into one. Based on the information he currently had, the newcomers probably belonged to the ruling gang of this area, the Fox Wolf Gang. The leader of the group was a fearsome-looking middle-aged man. He was wearing a cloak with animal fur on it. Seemingly not noticing the changed atmosphere, his gaze swept across the whole restaurant ass if he was searching for something. All the customers made sure to bow their heads so that they wouldnt meet his eyes by accident. His underlings were going to walk upstairs, but they waited after seeing that their boss had no intentions of doing so. The middle-aged mans gaze eventually landed onto an inconspicuous corner of the restaurant. His eyes wrinkled into the beginnings of a smile as he walked toward Cillin and Sha Rou. Hey, Lil Sha Rou. You having lunch with your boyfriend? The middle-aged man pulled a chair over and sat down next to them. He glanced at Sha Rou once before turning his head to examine the unperturbed Cillin. Knowing that there was no escaping from this, Sha Rou rose to her feet and saluted the middle-aged man. Parker. Boss. Parker nodded and motioned for Sha Rou to sit back down. Then, he looked at Cillin and the fat cat that was chowing down a bighead carp right on top of the table. A trace of annoyance passed through his eyes. This man and his cat are a fearless bunch, eh? Parker stared at the nervous-looking Sha Rou while twirling a golden ring around his finger. He smiled. Why dont you start by introducing your boyfriend to me, Lil Sha Rou? Sha Rou cursed inside her head: How the fuck am I supposed to do that when I dont know him myself? Before Sha Rou could say anything, Cillin raised his hand to stop her. Dont mind me. Im just a passing traveller. After that, he looked away from them and gave the swollen Wheeze a tummy rub. His action could basically be interpreted as: Talk all you want. I wont interrupt your conversation. You tired of living, boy!? One of the underlings standing behind Parker pulled out his gun and tried to point it at Cillin. Before he could do so, the entire weapon fell apart completely without warning. Chapter 314: Which Wheeze and Cillin, Exactly? Part 2 Shi Tang and Sha Rous home was quite big. In fact, everyone who lived in this secluded ruins enjoyed huge living spaces because of one reason: most of the soil at this place contained radioactive elements, toxic substances or both, so anyone who wished to live here must possess the knowledge to neutralize both threats. Shi Tang and Sha Rous home was shielded as a matter of course. Otherwise, they would be dead in less than half a year. It was a short but wide building that occupied hundreds of square meters of land. At first glance it didnt look like anything special, but a person of the trade would notice that the machines that were assembled from shoddy materials were pretty functional. Sha Rou was just giving Shi Tang his medicines when Cillin entered the building. The young man holding a cup and downing the medicines was less than twenty years old, and yet he was as thin as bones, as pale as death, and almost completely bald. His eyes looked horribly sunken, and his nostrils had traces of unwiped blood because he suffered uncontrollable nosebleeds every time his illness worsens. His skin also darkened when his illness worsens, said Sha Rou. Sha Rou talked to Shi Tang about Cillin, and the latter took his time to gather his thoughts. Although his complexion looked terrible, Cillin could sense a kind of obsession residing in his sunken eyes. If Cillin hadnt promised that he would take them away from this planet, Shi Tang most likely wouldve rejected his offer. He didnt want Sha Rou to risk her life in the cities anymore. Cillin didnt press Shi Tan to answer immediately, taking his time to observe the interior of the building. There were plenty of old electrical equipment in the house, and most of them were probably discarded machines that Shi Tang took back home from the garbage yard to sell for money. Unlike Sha Rou, Shi Tang didnt have the health to venture into the city and make a living. Suddenly, Cillins gaze stopped at an old, modified microcomputer. It was probably wrong to call it a microcomputer because it was five or six times bigger than the standard microcomputer due to a tonne of modification. In the past, repairing broken electrical equipment was Shi Tangs only source of income. After Cillins Return forum appeared, he found a new source of income via answering some of the bounty questions posted in the forums. It also came with the benefit of being able to watch the debates of industrial experts and absorb knowledge from it. There was also a drawing board with a lot of formulas written on it. Through them Cillin could see that Shi Tang possessed deep understanding in the topic and great computational skills. I want to know why you picked me, Shi Tang said. He wasnt one of those stubborn and reclusive researchers; he was well accustomed to many worldly affairs. You possess the potential. Cillin pointed at the second formula on the drawing board. The fact that you are using this formula means that youre halfway to success. Shi Tang paused. Forgive me for being suspicious, but I just couldnt believe that someone would offer us such fantastic conditions. Weve lived here for over a decade, but no one has ever made us an offer like this until now, especially because Ive never received a proper education in my life, not even primary level education. I dont think that anyone will acknowledge someone like me. It was true that the current academia valued ones educational credentials very much, so much that they overlooked countless young talent because of it. It was one of the issues Cillin had pointed out with greater criticism than normal during the presentation at San Calombo. Cillin waited until Shi Tang was done speaking before grabbing a medicine bottle. Do you know what this medicine is? Shi Tang looked at Sha Rou, but Sha Rou looked just as confused as he was. He answered, Im not familiar with medicine. Sha Rous the one whos been buying my meds all this time. Every once in a while, Sha Rou would travel to the city to stock up on Shi Tangs medicine, but that was just one of her objectives in the city. Shi Tang had no idea that she was secretly dealing with gangs like Myriad Sea City and Fox Wolf, just as he had no idea that his younger sister had killed over hundreds of people for the past decade. Cillin knew this because Sha Rou told him to keep it secret earlier. Just when Sha Rou was wondering worriedly that Cillin might break his promise, he continued, Do you know how much these medicines really worth? He pointed at the rest of the medicines on the table. You can buy a good flying car with them. Clack! Shi Tangs metal cup hit the floor with a clang as he turned to stare at Sha Rou in shock. Since when were they rich enough to afford such expensive medicines?! However, he immediately realized that his sister was wearing the same expression as him. How can this be? Sha Rou murmured in a daze. What Im trying to say is that someone has been keeping taps on you all this time. These medicines are so-so in terms of effectiveness: not good enough to heal you, but good enough to keep you alive. I probably dont need to tell you how dangerous the electromagnetic fields, radiations and other hazards youre exposed to every time you conduct your experiments, not to mention that you barely have any safety measures in place at all. Sha Rou and Shi Tang abruptly recalled the day they bought these medicines three years ago. At the time they found the new medicines they bought surprisingly effective compared to the others, and they had stuck to the same medication since. This meant that this mysterious person had been keeping taps on them for three years at minimum, and they had no idea about it until Cillin told them! Sha Rou jumped to her feet. Who was it? Was it Fox Wolf? Or was it Myriad Sea City? What do they want with my brothers research?! Even Shi Tang knew how powerful the people of Fox Wolf and Myriad Sea City were. The best way to break ties with them was to not get involved with them in the first place. No wonder no wonder I was able to find those materials hehehe it was all a setup from the beginning. Shi Tang clutched his pain in agony. The reason he literally risked his life to conduct his research was in hopes of escaping the environment and life they were stuck in, but now he was told that he had been living in the hands of those slavers since a long time ago! How could he possibly swallow his fury knowing this!? The worst part was that their mysterious backer watched them, but didnt provide them with the research conditions and environment he really needed to conduct his research. This meant that they didnt really value him, and that the help was more like charity than anything. Oh, your research looks pretty interesting. I suppose I can toss you a bone or two. The atmosphere in the house turned gloomy instantly. Shi Tang didnt fully trust Cillin either. It was because he thought that he was the same as those slavers who discriminated against aliens. Wheeze flicked its ears before yawning in boredom. Suddenly, it looked at the shabby microcomputer Shi Tang used and asked, Hey Shi Shi well whatever. Im bored, so let me play on your microcomputer for a bit, okay? Dont worry about me and just enjoy your conversation. Shi Tangs head was a mess right now, so he paid the gray cat no heed. Wheeze took his silence as affirmation and jumped off Cillins shoulder, climbing up the table and sitting in front of the shabby microcomputer. It then pressed a couple of keys and entered the login page to Return. It was an act; it could obviously manipulate the machine data without physical contact, but it didnt want to show it off in front of outsiders. Wheeze grew angry when it saw what was going on in its category. Meow dammit! Im only gone for a couple of days, and these bastards are already threatening to overthrow me!? Wheeze shook its tail in annoyance. Shi Tang finally looked at Wheeze because it was worried that the cat would damage its one and only microcomputer. However, he was astonished when he saw the screen. You frequent Return too? Shi Tang stared at Wheeze curiously before walking over for a closer look. The second he saw the login ID and the blinking image on the screen, he froze like a statue. Whebeze? Shi Tang almost stuttered out the syllables. He could hardly believe his own eyes. If there could only be one famous person in the free style debate category, then Whebeze had to be it. There was no one hadnt heard of Whebeze because they were the legendary figure who argued with a couple of legendary academicians until they fainted from sheer frustration since the foundation of the forum. A lot of people guessed that Whebeze was a member of the RAS, but no one in the RAS confirmed nor denied the suspicions. It was because they would be dragging their own reputation through the mud if they admitted that Whebeze wasnt an affiliate of theirs, and contributing to the cases of civilian experts scoring one over a well known researcher. Therefore, a lot of people mistakenly thought silence as tacit admission. But now, Shi Tang felt like someone had nailed a hammer to his head? Was this cat really the legendary Whebeze? The legendary figure who had hordes of fans cheering them from behind every time they entered a debate? Really?! Shi Tangs face scrunched together in disbelief again and again. The personor rather the cat in question itself paid Shi Tangs reaction no heed because it was busy arguing with the dissenters. Its appearance caused the already lively free style debate area to explode in population in an instant, and countless people were still pouring in from other categories. Shi Tang had no choice but to believe that Whebeze really was a cat after seeing this. However, his attention was quickly pulled toward the ongoing debate. Every time he was engaged in a purely academic argument, he could literally feel the adrenaline in his body pumping into his vein. It was just such an exciting atmosphere! Severely underpriced medicine? Mysterious mastermind? None of it mattered to Shi Tang anymore as he immersed himself completely in the debate. Oh my meow, this old fool is still denying his mistake! His matrix equation is wrong, dammit! Cillin, we need to punish him severely! Senior professor my ass, more like incompetent con artist! Wheeze complained while typing the correct matrix equation with its paws. Cillin? Cillin!!? Out of all the names in Shi Tangs dictionary, the name Cillin was absolutely among the top. It was to the point where his mind went boom the second he heard it from the gray cat. Wh which Cillin? Shi Tangs contorted features loosened. His words were rapid and brimming with excitement. No footage of the presentation at the twenty third star region had been transmitted, or more accurately no existing footage had survived the clean up. As a result, no onenot even in Returnhad ever seen a photo or video of Cillin. It became a legendary name that many insiders heard of, but no one had ever seen before. However, those who attended the San Calombo academic presentation in person and listened to the whole thing would sometimes speak of the content that was deleted from public eyes. To many peopleespecially those oppressed young researchers who were stuck at the bottom and dreaming impossible dreamsCillin was a living myth of the academia. Shi Tangs breathing grew more and more rapid. Even before Return was founded, Shi Tang had already heard of Cillin. At the time, his name was only spread in localized areas and specific industries, especially those that dabbled in the research of virus. But after the latter half of the presentation was spread by mouth, more and more people started to hear about the man named Cillin. Then, Return entered the world and caused another storm in the academia and made Cillin into the idol of countless aspiring youngsters. Even Sha Rou, an outsider in regards to the academia had heard of Cillin from Shi Tang; a man who achieved many great things despite being only a couple of years older than them. While Shi Tang was pumping with excitement, Cillin suddenly look to the entrance and asked, Why are you skulking behind the dorr? Come in already. A round, mechanical head poked through the gap. Then, Moon walked in with a body language that oozed embarrassment. Hello, I heard that its customary to bring gifts when visiting someones home the first time, so, please accept this, Moon said politely. Chapter 315: Do You Dare Accept My Apology? Part 1 When Sha Rou looked at the embarrassed-looking robot, she had a feeling that it was different from all the robots she had seen before. Those robots had prettier exterior, but this robot almost felt like a human soul with a different exterior. If he didnt have a metallic shell, she couldve mistaken him for a shy child who was wary about visiting a strangers home. But just like Cillin, her expression crumbled the second she saw the gift he brought her. Unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, the so-called gift was the items the aliens were showing off on the train earlier! Sha Rou had no doubt that those aliens were bad people. Practically everyone who was born in this terrible place but was good enough to work under those slavers in the city were pretty skilled. The fact that had dared to attack the blatant show-offs even though they were clearly envious of their fortune also proved that the gem owner and his friends were no small fry. It should have taken a lot of planning and very tight execution to rob that many powerful people successfully, but this robot had done it in a couple of hours at most. How did it do it? Shi Tang was oblivious to this. He hadnt recovered from the shock of revelation yet, so he only knew to shake his head and waved his hands like he was having a stroke, his mind not really registering the fact that he was facing an extraordinary robot and an extraordinary gift, Its fine, its fine, this is way too precious, you dont need to bring us a gift Moon simply shoved his lootgems, bracelets, rings etcinto Shi Tangs hands and saluted him. It was an ancient greeting salute from at least a millennium ago, so it was slightly different from the modern equivalentnot that anyone who wasnt an expert in this area would notice the difference. Shi Tang had no idea how to react. His palms were sweaty, and he was so anxious that his nosebleed and his coughs restarted once more. His physical condition had been deteriorating steadily over time, so it took very little excitement for his symptoms to hit him like a chain-reaction car accident. In fact, coughing and nosebleeding were the milder symptoms. He could blacked out for several days straights if things got really bad. Sha Rou quickly passed him a liquid medicine. It took him two sips to alleviate his reactions. Eat this. Cillin tossed him a small bottle of medicine, which was of course way better than the one Shi Tangs was using right now. At first, he was planning to give him the meds after he took them away from this planet and gave him the treatment he promisedafter all, he didnt think that Shi Tang or Sha Rou would trust him enough to use anything he gave them immediatelyhowever, that consideration turned out to be unnecessary after it became clear that Shi Tang was enamored with him and Wheeze. Cillin himself didnt realize that his name had gradually become the faith that supported many people such as Shi Tang. Cillin might not be the best or the most respected academician in the empire, but his influence was definitely among the top. There were more people who knew his name than not, and it wouldnt be long before the poor and the young would rise as the new stars of the future. Already, an empire historian had stated on a fairly influential magazine that Cillin was destined to be remembered as a person who played a huge role and caused a turning point in the history of academia. Right now though, the amazing man was facepalming and trying to find the words to chide a certain robot who was introducing himself shyly to Sha Rou and Shi Tang. He shouldve known that Moon and the word worry-free didnt exist in the same dictionary. After the introductions were done, Moon cocked his head and asked them, Will you two be leaving with us? Shi Tang shot Cillin a cautious glance and noticed that his idol was staring at their direction. Despite sucking in a deep breath to calm himself, he couldnt stop the excited shaking in his voice, W-w-w-w-w-well do whatever you say, sir. Just call me Cillin. Suddenly, Cillin looked to the side and said, Moon, I see that youve brought back some trouble with you. Moon scanned their surroundings for a bit before bowing his head and playing with his fingers, Im so sorry. Cillin curled his lips. Like hell you are! Youre going to run out of acts one day! Wheeze had just finished arguing with the old professors and logged off Return. It was about to greet Moon when it suddenly perked up its ears and grinned very, very widely. Leaping onto Cillins shoulder, it asked, Are we going to fight them this time? Sha Rou was a bit confused by their reactions at first, but it wasnt long before her eyes suddenly condensed into needles. Go into your room, bro! Whats wrong? Shi Tang asked in puzzlement. But when he saw the display on his simple scanner, he went into his room and took out a couple of modified guns. Its fine. Ill come with you. Shi Tang saw a lot of light dots encircling the entire house. Since every light dot represented a person, it meant that they were surrounded. The biggest difference between the commoner area Old Chang and his children lived in and this one was the violence. Here, every inch of the place was covered in violence and bloodthirst because the aliens didnt hesitate to flaunt their unusual physique and carry out the law of the jungle faithfully. There are no weaklings in this place; not even Shi Tang, a man just a couple of steps away from deaths door. He was no prey waiting to be slaughtered, and the several lives worth of blood on his hands was the proof of that. In this regard, the only difference between him and his sister was that her body count was way higher. After passing a gun to Sha Rou, Shi Tang looked at Cillin and said, Go deeper into the house. Theres an energy shield there that you can activate and hide inside. Shi Tang only had one energy stone, and he didnt want to use unless it was an emergency. Right now though, he was beyond caring such things. Sha Rou wanted to tell her older brother than Cillin was way stronger than the two of them combined, but she ultimately decided against it. It was common sense that an academician wasnt good at combat, and even if they were they couldnt possibly be too good. Generally, the great academicians were usually escorted by large numbers of bodyguards, so why would anyone think that the person protected at the center was any good? If Guan Feng was an exception in the academic circle, then Cillin was the exception of the exceptions. To borrow Tousens words, Cillin was a monster. Cillin stopped Shi Tang from exiting the house. Were the ones who drew them here, so its only right that we settle this ourselves. Plus, the two of you just made the important decision to come with us. Well deal with this while you prepare yourselves. Moon was still playing with his fingers when he looked at him. Moon, go clean up your mess. Okay. Head bowed, Moon followed Cillin out of the door. Wheeze was already stretching its claws in excitement. A group of armed, tough-looking aliens were surrounding the whole building. Some were holding machetes, and some had guns in their hands. Even the aliens Moon had knocked out earlier were among them. These aliens were being mugged earlier, so Moon joined in on the fun and knocked out both the muggers and the mugged. After the aliens friends found them, they gathered their men and tracked down Moon to take revenge. Thats the one! I saw that robot running away with your stuff! One of the aliens pointed at Moon. The blue strip on Moons faceplate narrowed into the straight line. Hmm? I dont remember seeing you at the scene. A bit of hesitation flashed across the aliens eyes when he saw Moon looking his way. The info I got is correct, right? Cillin had asked Moon to tell him about the whole incident while they were walking out of the door. After Moon was done, Cillin simply turned his gaze back at the surrounding aliens without saying anything. Both Shi Tang and Sha Rou stepped out of their house with their weapons at the ready. Because Shi Tang was ill for a very long time, he looked way thinner and weaker than the attackers. Yo, shouldnt the invalid stay inside the house? Someone snorted disdainfully. Sha Rous eyes cooled in an instant as the Silver Snake Blade slid to her palm. If violence turned out to be inevitable, this fucker would be the first person she kills! What do you think youre doing?! Shi Tang stood in front of Cillin protectively. Sha Rou stayed close to Shi Tang and shot Cillin a glance. When she noticed that the young man was completely unperturbed by the situation, she felt her worry lessening a little. He was way stronger than she could possibly imagine. What are we doing, you ask? Hehe, why dont you ask the robot behind you? Did you really think were going to let it escape alive after it robbed us? Oh, excuse me, I forgot that its just a robot. It wasnt even alive in the first place, hooted an alien while pointing his machete at Cillin menacingly. Shi Tang was going to ask him what had been stolen when Sha Rou poked him with her elbow to silence him. Cillin took two steps forward and gave Shi Tang quite the fright. If Cillin got hurt because of him, he felt like he would become a sinner in the eyes of every academician. A row of people was already pointing their weapons at Cillin. They would shoot the second he did something odd. Cillin gently pushed Shi Tang to the side before bending toward the ground. There was a nailed metallic plate with its edges sticking out a little beneath the ground. Shi Tang and Sha Rou had tried pulling it out together when they were clearing out the area and building their house, but it had turned out to be an impossible endeavor. So, they tried to flatten it and hide it beneath the soil as much as possible so it wouldnt trip someone instead. Cillin effortlessly his fingers through the soil and grabbed the metallic plate. Then, he pulled the object completely out of the ground! Shi Tangs turned blank. The metallic plate was about eight centimeters thick, one meter wide and over seven meters long. The metal wasnt worth much because of its excessive thickness and density, so it could be seen everywhere in the commoner area. In fact, more than half of them were buried in the ground and used as the foundation of a house. It was why everyone here knew just how difficult it was to pull out a metallic plate like this out of the ground. However, the young man had done it with such easeand with one hand no less!that it almost looked like he was pulling a carrot! But that was just the beginning. After giving the metallic plate a look-over, he grabbed it with both hands and folded it into the shape of a simple stool like it was paper. This series of actions caused everyones eyelids to twitch violently, and Sha Rou and Shi Tangs weapon hand to shake a little. It was as if their strength was drained right out of their body. Chapter 315: Do You Dare Accept My Apology? Part 2 Still keeping his head lowered, Moon clenched his hands when he heard Cillins order. It looked so perturbed that Shi Tang felt sorry for it. Sha Rou also liked the weirdly cute robot a lot, but unlike her brother she was well aware that no ordinary robot couldve robbed those aliens. Moon slowly shifted toward the encirclement. It said timidly under everyones watchful gazes, Alright, I sincerely apologize. A white arc beam hit the ground in that moment. Just two steps away from the circle of malicious aliens, a smoking, arc-shaped hole had appeared on the ground. The soil and the metal buried beneath it had been burned into a crisp. Moon said timidly and innocently again, So, do you accept my apology? Do we accept your apology? Youre asking that after you showed off that level of weaponry?! That thing could vaporize us all the way down to the atoms if we got hit! The offenders features had contorted into unspeakable expressions almost immediately. If Cillins earlier display of force had made their eye twitch, then Moons display of firepower made them feel like their kidneys were twisting unto itself. Meanwhile, Shi Tang felt like his jaw could hit the floor any second. He shouldve realized that someone like Cillin wouldnt carry himself around with a common pet or robot! The place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop for a time. Already, some of the aliens were thinking about withdrawing because they were really here to join in on the fun, not throw their lives away! It was clear as day that the enemys equipment was way better theirs, and to attack them was to commit suicide. Only an idiot do something this stupid. So, is there anyone who wants me to give them a proper explanation? I dont mind giving it to you if thats your wish. Moon continued to roleplay an innocent boy, and no one answered him as a matter of course. What if this so-called explanation came in the form of an all-disintegrating laser beam? Moon finally looked up, his gaze sweeping across everyone. Some of them felt their legs shiver and backed away unconsciously when the blue strip on the robots faceplate turned toward their direction. Stand your ground! Someone shouted from the encirclement suddenly. It was the alien who accused Moon earlier. His eyes shifted when everyone turned to look at him, but he forced himself to say, My boss is showing up real soon, so dont worry! Youll all get something out of this if you stay! Moon stared at him before asking, Who is your boss? My boss is Puchi! Blood splattered across the ground. The alien was cut in half before he could finished speaking. Trash. Everyone standing next to the killer moved away from him as if repelled by a physical force. Some tried to break into a run, but they barely ran a few steps before they were put down by several silent gunshots. Several people appeared out of nowhere. They were wearing camouflage equipment that kept them invisible until now. The runners never saw their killers until the bullets passed through their bodies and claimed their lives. Theyre from Myriad Sea City! Sha Rou recognized one of them. He was an extremely capable killer from Myriad Sea City. Before the killers showed up, Sha Rou and even Shi Tang couldve dealt with the aliens somewhat. They were all neighbors, so they knew each others strength to a certain degree. However, there was zero chance they were going to beat this killers. It was why Sha Rous face had turned deathly white when she realized who they were. The aliens who encircled them just wanted to rob them, but these killers were as cold as the weapons they wielded. The way they stared at her like she was dead already sapped all the courage in her body, and she felt as if her legs were completely frozen in place. Sorry, Sha Rou said quietly to Shi Tang and Sha Rou. She was certain that these killers were here because of the three men she killed earlier. She didnt expect Myriad Sea City to send this many killers to kill her though. Had Parker misjudged that trios importance? It was at this moment Cillin spoke up. Theyre not here for you. Theyre here for me. You? Sha Rou shot him a confused look. These people belong to your invisible stalker. Sha Rou and Shi Tang immediately felt a chill shooting into their heads. Were they the people who had been spying on them all this time? Clap clap clap clap! The sounds of clapping entered everyones ears, and the hologram of a man appeared from a device. He must be watching this location from somewhere. The man looked a bit frail but cultured. If it wasnt for the distorted smile on his face, they might even describe him as scholarly. As expected of one of the top five most influential people in the academic world right now. Im very glad to see you, Cillin, the man said. Cillin shot him a sideway glance but didnt say anything. The man didnt get angry even though Cillin ignored him. He continued, What a lucky day today is. If I didnt so happen to be checking to this tiny place, I never wouldve thought that an honorary scholar of the RAS would show up here. Are you the one whos been spying on us? Shi Tang asked. The question had been sitting in his heart like a rock, and his first impression of the man in the hologram was absolute disgust! Spying on you? Who do you think you are? You came under my notice only because my subordinates found you. They lent you a hand because they think you might just have a speck of talent, but too bad it doesnt look like youll last until the final results are out. The way he spoke as if his subordinate was just throwing a gnawed bone to a stray dog they pitied every once in a while angered Shi Tang so much that he was shaking. Tang couldnt deny that the mans charity had helped his research to an extent. It wasnt much, but he did live longer because of him, and he was saved the time to collect several essential materials. But neither him nor his sister was a slave, and they were no livestock either. The way the man looked down on them and spoke to them like he was addressing a lower animal was so infuriating that Shi Tang wanted to beat the crap out of him. Still maintaining his sitting posture, Cillin said slowly, It sounds like youre a member of a the academic circle as well, so that must mean you helped Shi Tang only because his research interested you. Its not complete yet, but Im sure youve stolen some of his research findings already, havent you? Therefore, he doesnt owe you anything anymore. Shi Tang abruptly stared at the man in the hologram in disbelief. His research findings were stolen? All his efforts and suffering was to the benefit for others!? He was thinking to sell his findings to a research department and give his sister a better life after his death, but now he realized that it was just a fantasy because these monsters would never allow him to do so. Not only would they claim his findings as their own, they would even eliminate Sha Rou right after he died to keep her mouth shut forever! How could they do this!? If they really didnt care about lowly beings, then why must they strip them of even their last bit of hope?! How could you, how could you! Shi Tang was really starting to lose control of his emotions. His sister was the most precious thing to him in the world, and his research second. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he treated them like his own children. That was why he didnt mind giving up his health and his lifespan for them, and he couldnt bear to hear that these monsters would be so cruel as to strip them of even the tiniest bit of hope and wealth! The world was an unfair place. As a lowly citizen who was born in this violent and bloodthirsty commoner area, Shi Tang and Sha Rou knew this better than most people. But that didnt mean he could accept it! At the same time Shi Tang recalled the leaks he saw on Return. They were some of the most controversial statements had Cillin made during the presentation: In terms of the concept of giving, our world is strange in the sense that it tends to reward those who have already made a name for themselves Awards based on a persons background is unfair, and this unfairness has led to many unnamed researchers not being acknowledged for their contributions and achievements despite all the time and effort theyve invested in them. As a result, some of these excellent talents left the academic world and never returned ... right now, the academic world is plagued by a phenomenon where the rich must become richer no matter the cost, even if the excess will simply rot in their hands. To that end, they will rob the unfortunate of even their last straw of hope... It was true. It was true all along. The memories kept replaying inside Shi Tangs mind, and every sentence he recalled seemed to block a blood vessel in his heart. He got so emotional that he started nosebleeding and coughing again. Worried about her brother, Sha Rou quickly ran into the house to grab Shi Tangs medicine even despite the grave situation they were in. After taking a look at Shi Tang, Cillin produced a needle and gave him an injection. The man was too emotional right now, and the meds wasnt going to work their magic overnight, much less in just a couple of minutes. The only way to improve Shi Tangs condition immediately was to give him an injection. Shi Tangs symptoms lessened after the injection, and Cillin asked Sha Rou to watch over her brother. He then turned toward the arrogant and disdainful man in the hologram. Youre planning to kill me too, arent you? You wouldnt send this many killers otherwise. The man raised his chin and replied, Thats right. Who do you think you are? That level of attention is not yours to take! You just got lucky you got a good mentor, and you managed to fool the commoners. Do you really think youre someone just because you were praised by some fools? In my eyes, youre just a blind ant with an oversized ego! Is that so? Cillin snapped his fingers, and several things happened at once. First, there was a series of quiet noises. Then, a couple of people suddenly manifested into existence. They were the Myriad City killers who had stayed hidden to ambush their prey if necessary. Right now though, their stealth equipment was damaged, and they themselves were very, very dead. Chapter 316: Damn Fatty! Part 1 The man in the hologram was greatly surprised by the unexpected turn of events, but it made sense that an honorary scholar like Cillin would be protected by hidden bodyguards. He immediately contacted a new group of assassins. He also told the planetary government to turn a blind eye on Myriad Sea Citys movements. Cillin didnt stop him because Wheeze was monitoring the comms all this time. It was the perfect opening the gray cat needed to trace back to the source and find out the mans identity. The result turned out to be very surprising. The man in the hologram had a formidable background, one that gave him the gall to attack an honorary scholar and the confidence to get away. In fact, he wouldve succeeded if Cillin was someone else, and the traces were cleaned properly during the aftermath. Too bad Cillin wasnt someone he could deal with however he liked. Gleason Varnett. A member of the Gleason Family? No wonder youre this confident, Cillin said with a smile. Varnett stared at the honorary scholar who was even younger than he was for a moment. Why is he smiling so easily knowing that I belong to the Gleason Family? Or is he just faking it? The fact that Cillin was able to find out his identity meant that he had a clear line to someone in the RAS. That was a little troublesome. The Gleason Family was powerful, but even they couldnt challenge the RAS directly. It would only hurt their profit. Varnett thought for a moment before smiling sinisterly. He couldnt clash against the RAS, sure, but what if he targeted someone else? You may be protected by Guan Feng, but those two citizens dont belong to you, do they? I should also tell you that the Gleason Family has jurisdiction over this planet, so this is a legitimate cooperation between us and the planetary government. Not even Guan Feng has the power to interfere directly. Varnetts meaning was simple. Cillin could leave whenever he wanted, but Shi Tang and Sha Rou must stay behind. He wanted to humiliate Cillin by thwarting his efforts. Varnett had even prepped an entire argument in his mind where Cillin brought up the matter of ownership, and him presenting the necessary documents and shutting the honorary scholar through the law. But Cillin didnt answer and ignored him completely. His spaceplane was already flying over when he initiated a conversation with Varnett. While Sha Rou was feeding Shi Tang his medicine, Cillin also hinted at them to pack their stuff and get ready to leave immediately. So when the spaceplane finally descended to the ground, he led them up the transport and took off immediately. Varnetts monologue was automatically filtered from his mind. The people who were supposed to intercept Cillin in space were met with failure as well. They couldnt get a target lock on the spaceplane because their controls went haywire for no apparent reason. The planetary defense network that were supposed to block them also experienced a number of errors. By the time they finally restored everything, their target was already gone a long time ago. Thump! At the research base of a certain planet, Varnett was so angry that he smashed the display in front of him. The way Cillin looked at him right before he left made him feel like he was being mocked and looked down at. Boss. A guard carrying the Gleason Familys symbol on his clothes walked into the room. What is it?! Varnett shouted without even looking back. The infuriated noble was currently contacting some people to intercept Cillin and preferably destroy it without being found out. So what if he was the student of Guan Feng? Not even Guan Feng could fight the Gleason Family alone. The RAS would be angry, but even they wouldnt pressure the Gleason Family excessively over one honorary scholar. The the little young master is here. The guard actually bit his tongue by accident when he said this. Varnetts hand movements stopped when the words made it into his brain and blew away his anger like an ice storm. Their reaction was perfectly normal, however. The little young master was a person who struck fear in everyones heart. Varnett hurriedly put away his communicator and straightened his lab attire as much as he could. After arranging his features and putting a smile to his face, he hurriedly walked out to welcome the little young master. Despite Varnetts best efforts, the sight of the little young master still caused his face to stiffen unnaturally. There was something in his eyes that made Varnett felt like he was thrown into an arctic region. Despite being clearly taller than the little young master, it did nothing to alleviate the feeling of inferiority. Why have you come Varnett stumbled back a step in shock when the little young master slapped him across his face. Before he could steady himself, the second and third slap knocked him to the ground and sent his teeth flying across the floor. Half of his face was swollen, and blood dripped profusely from his mouth. The little young master looked down on the struggling man like he was watching at a pile of garbage. You sent someone to attack Cillin? Varnett was still dazed when he struggled to his feet. When he finally regained his wits, he looked at Gleason Dodges eyes and realized that it was filled with iciness and anger. Varnett couldnt help but shiver visibly. Why on earth was Dodge so angry? Technically speaking, Varnett was Dodges older patrilineal cousin, but their actual relationship was the complete opposite of what you might expect. Every in the Gleason Family knew that Dodge was special despite his incredibly youthful appearance. The boy had entered the familys center of power since a very young age, and he was raised by the older patriarch himself, one of the three great generals of the empire when he was still in service. As a result, his ruthlessness and ability outstripped his peers by leaps and bounds. An elder with the blood of the Gleason Family running through their veins wouldve had to ruminate their words carefully when speaking with Dodge, much less an unofficial family member like Varnett. It was why Varnett didnt make a peep despite taking two painful slaps to the face. Varnett panicked when Dodge narrowed his eyes with killing intent. It was clearly directed at him and not at Cillin, but why? Guan Feng is Cillins only backer, and he only got into the RAS by sheer luck. Why should the Gleason Family be afraid of him? Varnett defended himself vehemently. The Gleason Family had never been one to back down from a fight even when they were the inferior, and in this world their only superiors were the three kings and the emperor himself. So what if Cillin had the RAS backing? The institute didnt belong to Guan Feng alone, not to mention that there were plenty of people in the RAS who disliked him. Dodge grabbed Varnetts neck with one hand. It was a tiny hand, but Varnett just couldnt break free from the little young masters vice-like grip no matter how hard he tried. If you werent still useful, I would remove your head from your shoulders right now. This is the first and last time Im telling you this. Do not provoke Cillin, and do not even think to pull your little tricks. Ignore my warning, and I will delete you and your men from this world. Dodges voice was very soft, but the sheer menace of his words caused everyones legs to shiver uncontrollably on their own. Dodge tossed Varnett to the side and left with his men just like that. Everyone in the research base bowed their heads as deeply as they could, worried that the little young master might vent their anger on them. Go there and take care of this. It would incredibly troublesome if Cillin decides to pursue this, Dodge said to the person next to him. Yes sir. But Cillin Ill speak to him myself, Dodge replied while rubbing his forehead. Every time he recalled Varnetts action, he could feel his anger rising in a straight line. That idiot! Guan Feng and the Gen Familyalthough the latters relationship wasnt publicized yetwerent the only ones who were supporting Cillin. The Mist Bodhisattva Emperor himself had tacitly permitted the third power behind him to butcher any undesirable element they deemed necessary just recently! Only a complete retard would provoke Cillin as he was now! Dodge knew some of the empires secrets because he was raised by the old general himself, and he knew full well the implications, consequences and what was about to come the moment Cillin caused that epic storm in the academic world. Cillin wasnt really surprised when he received communication request from Gleason Dodge. He accepted the boys explanation and apology, but he wasnt worried even if Dodge hadnt acted, and Varnett had continued to pursue him. When he left the planet with Shi Tang and Sha Rou, every relevant record and data had already been wiped out. He wouldnt lose even if this had devolved into a legal battle of sorts. Of course, since Gleason Dodge had personally shown up to settle this matter, Cillin found no reason not to disappoint him. The boys age didnt reflect his ability and maturity at all, and he had no lack of ruthlessness. He was confident that the Gleason Family would prosper or even climb to greater heights in the hands of Gleason Dodge. Chapter 316: Damn Fatty! Part 2 Besides Shi Tang, Cillin also picked up a few more people along his itinerary and delivered them all to space fortress. Nothing bad should happen since Xi Kai would be watching over the place personally. Also, he wasnt worried that the existence of Black Viper being leaked. They probably thought that the space fortress belonged to him, and in a sense they were correct. Cillin continued his search for the black box while the experiments were being carried out on the space fortress. Both bases were covered this way. Cillin did a calculation on the location Genya told him and marked the planet with the highest probability to contain the black box. It would be the starting point of his search. Every planet possessed their own characteristics and pacing, and the one he was headed to was no exception. The people of this planet were relatively civilized thanks to the establishment of several unpopular middle level schools on this planet. Of course, it was only relatively speaking. The spaceplane landed at a remote area. Cillin and Moon were busy collecting all kinds of data dating as far back as several millenniums ago. Wheeze was idly watching the screen. Maybe they were afraid, but the noisy old fellows who usually kept it entertained had been very quiet as of late. Moon alone was enough to collect the data, and it had no one to argue with. The gray cat stretched itself briefly, informed Cillin that it was going away to look for food, and left just like that. This had happened many times already, so Cillin wasnt worried in the slightest. Wheeze broke off into a run the second it was out of the spaceplane. It was unbearable being cooped up inside the spaceplane. Also, Cillin wanted it to exercise because it ate a lot but rarely moved, and so was growing fatter day by day. Wheeze ran through a forest and got close to a nearby town. It could hear the sounds of people and machine already. At first, Wheeze wasnt planning to go inside the town. All it wanted to do was capture a couple of small animals in the forest and enjoy a new flavor. It made a sharp turn when its nose caught the scent of something, however. At a grassy land at the edge of the town, a youngster who looked to be around fourteen to fifteen years old was sitting on the ground. His bag was tossed casually at the side, and his shirt was unnaturally stretched, wrinkled and covered in several footprints. It was obvious that he was fresh out of a brawl. Right now, the youngster was holding a solar-heated lunch box and eating some fish balls. It was his lunch. Suddenly, he felt a weight on his wrist. When he looked down, he noticed that a pair of very fat paws were sitting on top of it. The sudden action had caused the fish ball on his fork to fall off. However, it was devoured by a cat before it touched the ground. The youngster stared at the cat, and the cat stared at the fish balls in his lunch box. You want them? Wheeze nodded. Isnt that obvious? Why would I be here if I didnt want to eat them? The youngster considered the idea for a moment. Just when Wheeze thought that he would pass over the lunch box to it, the youngster suddenly stuffed a couple of fish balls into his mouth at high speed. Wheeze: ... Wheeze was about to go to town on the youngster when he suddenly passed it the lunch box. There were still three fish balls in them. This is my lunch. I can share, but I aint starving because of you, you understand? The youngster said with a mouthful of fish balls. This is more like it, Wheeze mumbled. Pu The youngster abruptly spat out everything in its mouth. You can talk?! This cat could talk! Its probably one of those superior breeds or something that only a rich person could afford. Wheeze flicked its ears and ignored the utterly pointless and time-wasting question completely. There were fish balls to be eaten. The youngster wiped his mouth and observed the fat cat that was gobbling up his lunch. It didnt look like it was wearing an identifier or a tracker anywhere. How was its master supposed to find its pet then? Maybe the tracker was beneath its skin? Wheeze looked at the youngster again after it was done. It wasnt nearly enough to satisfy its appetite. This is all I have. The youngster spread his arms wide before lying down on the ground. He put his hands behind his head and looked at the sky. Thats it? Wheeze licked its lips before walking to the youngsters back. Then, it pulled it open with its paws. Hey, its impolite to look through another persons bag. Impolite? Whats that? Wheeze asked without stopping for a second. The youngster: ... Middle level school time table Aha! Youre supposed to be at school right now! Wheeze raised its tail triumphantly as if it had found the youngsters weakness. The youngster curled his lips. School? Whats that? Wheezes whiskers twitched. It wasnt expecting the brat to throw its words back at it. It went through the bag again, but there really wasnt anything left to eat, so it tried to leave. Suddenly, the youngster pulled some grass from the ground and started weaving. The handiwork was finished very quickly. It was a frog. But unlike your average grass woven frog, it was more intricate because it was made with a bit more technique. The youngster changed its posture and lay down on his belly instead. Then, he pressed down on the back of the grass woven frog, released it and watch it jumped unbelievably high toward the tree. It bounced off the tree and landed perfectly back in his hand. Judging from how familiar his movements were, the youngster probably came here and passed his time like this very often. Wheeze couldnt help but knead its paws as it watched the grass woven frog. My claws are itchy The youngster pressed on the back of the grass woven frog and released it again. This time though, a fat figure slapped the frog right out of the air before it could hit the tree. His eyes twitched. He wasnt expecting the fatty to be able to jump this high. Its agility doesnt match its appearance at all. Wheeze pushed the frog back to the youngster. The youngster made the frog jump again so that Wheeze could slap it out of the air, smiling as the fatty jumped all over the place. It must not know how ridiculous it looks when its jumping. Its like watching a bag of fat flapping like a bird. A while later, Wheeze stopped because it got bored by the lack of challenge. It grabbed the grass woven frog and looked at the youngster. This is pretty well made. Of course it is. Ive been weaving this since I was young. Ive even tested a bunch of grasses and confirmed that the ones here are the best, the youngster replied proudly. What is the name of this grass? Its scientific name to be exact? Wheeze asked. ... The youngster frowned in concentration. I dont know why are you looking at me like that? Who in their right mind would think to check the scientific name of a random grass?! Wheeze continued staring at the youngster scornfully. You said youve been doing this since you were young, and yet you didnt even look up its scientific name? The youngster thought that the fatty wasnt cute at all! Hmph! The youngster ignored Wheeze and got up. He patted away the grass on his clothes, grabbed his bag and left. Hey, where are you going? Wheeze followed behind him. What does that have to do with you? By the way, shouldnt you go back to your master already? Wont they worry about you? Nope. I might sell you for cash, you know? Do it, Wheeze said carelessly. The youngster: ... The youngster finally stopped in his tracks, turned around to face Wheeze and asked, Why are you following me? I want to know where you bought those fish balls. Its self-made, not bought The youngster knew that something was up the second he saw the obvious glint in Wheezes eyes. He then turned away from the gray cat and ran like hell. It didnt take a genius to figure out that the cat had a legendary appetite, and he hadnt forgotten what the auntie living next door always said about appetite: Why is a person poor? Because they couldnt stop eating, of course! Anyone the fat cat set its eyes on would only end up in tragedy, the youngster was sure of it. He could already imagine his already meager stock of fish vanishing from fridge already. Fuck! The longer he thought about it, the faster he ran. Luckily for him there werent many people on the streets, and even when there were they only glanced at him once before shaking their head in silence. Everyone here knows that the youngster was a master brawler and couldnt be bothered to get tangled up in his business, even if he looked like he was being chased by a ghost right now for whatever reason. The youngster ran across an entire street and rounded a corner. Finally, he slowed down, put a hand on a wall and breathed a little heavily. When he looked up though, he was met by a pair of round, feline eyes. The youngster: ... Wheeze was sitting calmly atop a dustbin. It grinned a wide grin and raised a paw in greeting. Yo! Yo, my ass! Chapter 317: The Odd Father and Son Alright, talk. What do you want? asked the youngster. He didnt bother to get up from the ground. I want to go to your house and eat fish balls. The way Wheeze made it sound like it was the only logical course of action made him felt like stuffing it into the nearby garbage bin. Im sorry, but my familys poor. Youre going to have to pay if you really want those fish balls, said the youngster. Wheezes ears twitched the moment it heard that it had to pay. How much? That depends on your appetite, but I can give you a small discount. How does one MB coin per fish ball sound? Wheeze calculated the difference between the price of the fish balls and all the fish biscuits it ever ate. It came to the conclusion that it was a reasonable price. Okay! Someone will come over and pay the bill later. The youngster shook his head after seeing how sure the gray cat looked. Lemme guess, youre going to call your master over and make them pay for you. Left with no choice, he finally rose to his feet and asked, What is your name, by the way? If no one showed up, he was going to issue a notice. My name is Whe... Wheeze was going to declare its real name, but it suddenly recalled Cillin saying that it was now a famous figure, and that it should keep a low profile. So, it amended after a pause, My nickname is Wheeze. What about you? The youngster shot a glance at the fatty again. To think that a cat would have a nickname My name is Tesoro. Tesoro grabbed his bag and started walking toward the direction of his house after giving his name. Wheeze happily followed behind his back. Meanwhile, Cillin and Moon just finished collecting some data and performing a rough scan on the whole planet. They managed to detect a very small amount of residual substance from the black box on the planet, and confirmed that it was somewhere around the town area. But that was all. It took a lot of effort to collect the residues from their location, but they were so old that Cillin only managed to find out a limited amount of information. The only thing he could confirm was that the black box was not on this planet. That being said, Cillin had a feeling that this planet hid a critical clue regarding the black box. For now, he was still in the process of searching for that clue. The residual substances had left the black box at different times. Some of them dated as far back as seven or eight hundred years ago, and some dated only a century or less. The amount of residue left behind each time is also different. We have more residue from over seven hundred years ago, but it still wasnt enough to tell what happened exactly. Oh, I also detected some very weak signals that needs further analyzing and characterizing, said Moon while sending Cillin the relevant data. They could save a lot of time if they found the black box. At the very least, they wouldnt need to rely completely on the experts they picked up. He very much preferred returning to GAL as a young man than otherwise. Cillin was deep in thought when he received a message from Wheeze. Cillin, someone invited me to a fish ball meal, so Ill be away for a while! Knowing Wheeze, there was a high chance that there was a story behind this so-called invitation. He didnt trust the gray cat right away. His suspicion was proven true Wheeze sent him another message some time later. Pay for me when you come over, okay? Its one MB coin per fish ball! I knew it, Cillin thought to himself as he stared at his communicators display. I wonder whos the unfortunate fellow who got caught by it. Cillin decided to ignore Wheeze for the moment and continue his data processing after confirming its current location. As Moon had mentioned earlier, they would need to analyze the residue further if they wished to get some conclusive results. So, he and Moon brought a couple of harvesters with him and left with Moon to the site where the residue was detected for a deeper probe. Back to Wheeze. The youngster and the cat arrived at an old residential area with a building layout that reminded Wheeze of Old Changs place. The only difference was that the houses here were slightly bigger and had more space. Tesoros home was at the third floor of an rundown apartment. In fact, it kind of looked like three rundown houses stacked atop of each other. Tesoro put the key into the keyhole of his front door and pulled. It didnt move. He pulled again. It still didnt budge an inch. Bang! He gave them door a loud kick before pulling it again. This time, the door wobbled twice before finally giving way. Wheeze looked at the door and sighed inside its head: Well this is one high class door. I havent seen one thats opened by kicking until now. But before Wheeze could voice its thoughts, a most putrid smell suddenly invaded its nose and drilled right into its brain. The stench was so terrible that it almost fainted on the spot. Aiyo, did you lose control of your bowels or something, old man!? Tesoro shouted while covering his own nose. Cut the bullshit. Im making pickled vegetables right now! A rough voice came from inside the kitchen. It sounded muffled as if the speaker was covering his mouth with something. No one eats that kind of stuff these days! replied Tesoro in a disdainful tone. A torn shoe flew toward him. Go clean the clothes already! Tesoro calmly dodged the torn shoe. You said youll fix the washing machine if you have time! Well I dont have time! Now stop bothering me and my pickled vegetables! Also, dont forget to treat your bruises! If it gets infected, itll cost a lot of money to go to the hospital! It was strange. The speaker was nowhere to be seen, and yet somehow he knew that Tesoro had gotten into a fight and hurt himself. I know already. Go make your damned pickled vegetables! Tesoro replied impatiently while walking upstairs. CreakThe kitchen door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing an apron with suspicious yellow stains walked out. He looked extremely unkempt with his messy hair and unshaved stubble. His speech wasnt clear because he was biting a cigarette. Tesoro was walking up the stairs when the middle-aged man complained with a frown on his face, Why are you skipping school again? I didnt pay all that money and send you to school for you to skip hmm? Where did this fat cat come from? It sure has a lot of meat to sell. I told you to get back to your pickled vegetables! I need to use the kitchen later! replied Tesoro without even looking back. The middle-aged man examined Wheeze for a moment. In the end, he clicked his tongue once before going back into the kitchen. Wheeze followed Tesoro into his room. It wasnt big, but it was surprisingly clean and tidy. He wasnt as disorderly as he looked. Tesoro immediately started treating his wounds like he had done this many times after entering his room. He didnt look worried because all of his wounds were superficial. Tesoro lay on his bed and blanked out after he was done treating himself. Wheeze couldnt help but ask, How much longer do we have to wait? We wait until that smelly old man is done pickling his vegetables, unless you want your fish balls to smell like that? Wheeze shook its head rapidly. Then we wait. Dont worry, it wont take too long. He should be done in about a naps time. Tesoro closed his eyes and started napping as he said he would. He didnt want to go to school because those people couldnt for the life of them just leave him alone. They kept finding all sorts of excuse to fight him, and worse they kept verbally abusing him. He didnt mind fighting, but hearing words such as bastard, scumborn or worse just pissed him off to no end. Moreover, it wasnt like a commoner like him needed any culture at all. Only those who would slave themselves away to the nobles would do that. Literally no one except his dad was dumb enough to waste all that money and time to send their kids to school. Tesoros mood soured the second the thought invaded his mind, so he put his head on his arm, tried to forget his troubles and catch a good nap. Wheeze was crouching atop a cabinet and feeling very much awake because it had almost too much sleep on the spaceplane. Unable to fall asleep and bored out of its mind, it started looking for stuff to play with and pass the time. Groggy with sleep, Tesoro suddenly felt someone or something poking at his cheek. Normally he wouldnt let guard down so much that someone could prey on him, but he was at his own home right now. Therefore, instead of reflexively lashing out at whatever was touching him, he opened his eyes and saw the fat cat patting his face with its meaty paws. What? Tesoro let out a yawn before noticing something amiss. He looked at Wheeze again and noticed a rectangular box about a meter long behind it. It was opened. Tesoro immediately sat up and checked the contents of the box. After confirming that nothing was missing or damaged, he let out a sigh of relief. This one youre not allowed to play with, said Tesoro while trying to close the box. Wait, I want to ask you a question. Wheeze stopped his movement before pointing at the knife inside the box. Is this yours? There were a couple of mini-sized weapons in the box such as knives, spears, clubs, sticks and more. However, something wasnt quite right about them. They just a bunch of toy models. Why do you want to know? Tesoro sounded confused. Wheeze pointed at the brownish yellow folding knife again. Is this a gift from someone, or something you bought? It has nothing to do with you! Tesoro barked harshly, but it sounded weak for some reason. Not wanting to indulge Wheeze and its questions any longer, Tesoro closed the box and got ready to put it away. However, he paused for a moment before looking at Wheeze. Why are you interested in it? I can make you a model if you want. Itll cost you extra though. Why on earth would I want a model? Its not as good as the real thing, is it? Wheeze thought for a moment before adding, Theres a mark on your knife. A mark? Tesoro opened the box again. Where? Wheeze pointed at a spot on the blade. Over here. Oh, nah. This ones here since the beginning. Tesoro relaxed when he saw the mark Wheeze was pointing at. Ignoring Tesoros growing annoyance, Wheeze asked a couple more questions until the youngster finally relented and told it that his dad was the one who made him the toy models. There was a time he lied and told his dad that he threw it all away, and his dad got so angry that he gave him a huge beating. In reality, he still had them till this day. Tesoro hid the box properly before threatening Wheeze to keep it a secret with fish balls. Wheeze simply looked down and shook its curled tail left and right slowly. If Cillin was here, he would be able to tell immediately that Wheeze was plotting something again. When Tesoros sloppy dad finally finished his pickled vegetables, Tesoro took out all the fish balls he made two days ago and started cooking. A while later, he passed it to Wheeze who was already sitting on the table and waiting for its meal to be presented. It was almost dinner time anyway, so Tesoro also cooked a simple dinner. His dad was already waiting at the table with his legs crossed. The unlikely trio started chowing down the dinner. Wheeze was on its third plate of fish balls when it shot a glance at Tesoros sloppy dad for the n-th time. The man was still smelling even though it had been a while since he finished preparing his pickled vegetables. That was not what Wheeze was focusing on, however. While Wheeze was glancing at Tesoros sloppy dad, the man in question and Tesoro were also glancing at Wheeze. The cat was unbelievably fat, but it was still a tiny cat all things considered. That was why they found it incredible that it was devouring everything like a black hole. What are you looking at, you little fatty? Look at me again and Ill sell you as cat meat! Tesoros sloppy dad threatened while picking his teeth with a toothpick. Wheeze finished the last fish ball in its plate, licked its paws and wiped its mouth. Then, it looked at Tesoros sloppy dad and asked, Were you in the army in the past? All carelessness departed the mans body in an instant as he narrowed his eyes once. He was still smiling, but Tesoro knew that his dad was one trigger away from unleashing his claws. Literally. Wheeze ignored the warning looks from Tesoro and continued, Do you know Tu Ba? Shink Five white claws pressed against Wheezes head. More accurately, they were specialized bones that had extended out of the mans fingers. As it turned out, Tesoros dad was a half-alien. Tesoro only had one-quarter of alien blood in him, but many people still thought him dirty and treated him with extreme discrimination. In this world, anyone who was in any way involved with an alien would be pushed aside and treated with hostility. The fact that it took Tesoros dad only an instant to press his claws against Wheezes head proved that he wasnt nearly as sloppy and good-for-nothing as he seemed. Right now, the murderous intent in his eyes was saying that he would kill Wheeze if it said one wrong word. If the man looked like a sloppy good-for-nothing a moment ago, now he looked like a lion on the hunt. He still smelled like pickles, but anyone standing in front of him could only sense a cyclone of bloodthirst and murder so real it was almost tangible. Wheeze didnt react to it, however. It continued licking its paws almost as if the claws werent right before its eyes. Wheeze had seen Tu Bas folding knife before, and there was a mark on his knife that looked very similar to the one in Tesoros room. According to Tu Ba, the mark was his individual symbol. Obviously, Wheeze wouldnt have made the connection if it hadnt met Tu Ba before. The man named Shusag watched Wheeze for a moment. He didnt know if the fat cat was calm or just slow, but it was still licking its paws like it wasnt a milimeter away from death. Still, it could wait, but Shusag couldnt. How did you know Tu Ba? Still pressing his claws against Wheezes head, Shusag signaled with his other hand for Tesoro to leave using a hand signal only the father and son knew. Chapter 318: The Black Box’s Signals Wheeze licked its paws while wondering what the hell was wrong with Shusag. It was sure that Shusag knew Tu Bafrom the looks of it, they might even be fairly close acquaintancesbut his reaction was unusually extreme. So weird. Were you comrade-in-arms with Tu Ba? Wheeze cocked its head as if it couldnt sense the enmity coming from Shusag at all. Shusag didnt say anything. He had suffered so much in the past that he felt a bit like a rat in a trap even to this day. He was reluctant to speak carelessly before he figured out what was going on. Fine, Ill change the question. Wheeze curled its tail as it ruminated its next question. It wanted to figure about Shusags background, but there were also some things it needed to keep quiet about. It didnt contact Cillin because it wanted to figure this out itself, and to prove to Cillin and Moon that it was really a thoughtful cat. I know Tu Ba. We were teammates in the past. Too bad he wasnt very good, and he just barely avoided being a burden. Shusags face contorted abruptly. Tu Ba wasnt very good? Liar! Back in the company, Tu Ba was the only one who managed to hold out for a bit before losing, and knowing the guy he could only have grown stronger than before. Shusag examined Wheezes eyes carefully for a moment before removing his claws. How is he doing now? You dont know? Tu Ba was sent to a close security prison. Close security prison?! How could this be? Shusag couldnt believe his ears. If I remember correctly he was accused of plotting treason. It was a life imprisonment too. Wheeze didnt tell Shusag about Black Viper. For starters, Shusag had no way to contact Tu Ba. Second, it was the truth. If Tu Ba hadnt been recruited by Black Viper, he would still be rotting inside a close security prison right now. Bang! The table was collapsed after it was carved into several pieces. Shusag produced a cigarette with his unchanged hand. One only needed to look at his shaking hands to know how shaken he was. Shusag dropped on his chair and teared up a bit. His entire person was wrapped in a feeling of doom and gloom. Wheeze couldnt tell if he was angry or sad on Tu Bas behalf. Human emotions were too complicated for it to identify. The doorbell suddenly rang without morning. Seeing as his father wasnt reacting at all, Tesoro glanced at the culprit who dropped a bomb and acted like nothing had happened at all before giving up and walking toward the front door. His presence was necessary because their door took technique to open. He kicked the door twice before opening it. The visitor was none other than Cillin. Wheeze complained before Tesoro could say anything, Why are you guys here so quickly? Cillin gave the wary Tesoro a smile before apologizing, Sorry. It must have given you a lot of trouble. The moment Cillin walked in, he immediately sensed the odd atmosphere lingering inside the house and looked at Shusag. The half-alien with his unchanged hand as if he was completely separated from the world. The sharp claws made of finger bones gleamed menacingly under the light. Tesoro had been observing Cillin since the moment he stepped into the house, but he was surprised to see that the young man barely reacted to his fathers transformed hand at all. This caused him to relax a lot. In this world, anyone with even a drop of alien blood in their veins were to be shunned and discriminated against because they were inferior. Cillin turned toward Wheeze with an inquiring look, and it explained everything proudly and boastfully in the machine language. Good job. Cillin gave Wheezes round head a rub. Although the gray cats method was a little rough, it wasnt beyond his ability to repair. Shusags profile on this planet was as plain as any common residents on this planet, but Cillin knew that it was really a forgery. This man would never leave behind his or his sons real info in the residential system. Shusag was Tu Bas comrade-in-arms, so that must mean that he was a former member of the Imperial United Guards as well. He must be considerably skilled to be able to serve the military as a half-alien. I want to know more about Tu Ba? Shusag finally broke his silence. Cillin pulled a chair for himself before answering, I dont know too much myself. All I know is that he was sentenced to life imprisonment at a close security prison for plotting treason, not long after he was made a first lieutenant. First lieutenant heh. That boy went further than me. Shusag rubbed his reddened eyes before bowing his head and waving his hand. Please leave. Cillin obliged. He grabbed Wheeze by the back of its neck, bid Tesoro goodbye and left. After they returned to the spaceplane, Cillin performed a more in-depth investigation on Shusag. With his current clearance, he had the power to look into some of the data inside the Imperial United Guards human resource database. However, he was careful not to leave any trace because he didnt want people to find out that he was investigating Shusag. Why are you investigating him so closely, Cillin? Its good enough that we know that he was an acquaintance of Tu Ba, right? If you have time for this, you might as well spend it on finding the black box and returning to GAL as soon as possible, Wheeze said beside him. I have my plans. You should focus on losing your own weight. Just look at yourself! Cillin poked a finger at Wheezes fat. The saying curled into a ball had never been truer for Wheeze. Shusag hadnt used a false name, but some of his records were altered, and much of his data was purged completely. He would have to contact Tu Ba if he wished to know more. A lengthy conversation later, Cillin found out why Tu Ba was really imprisoned. As it turned out, Shusag was part of the reason. As a half-alien, Shusag had to fight long and hard just to climb to a lieutenant position. However, he was framed and expelled from the military because he got in the way of a minor noble. Worse, his own wife had betrayed and set him up for death. Not wanting to die to the minor nobles men, Shusag was forced to leave his hometown and escape to this ordinary planet with his five-year-old son. He was forced to restart from zero while still living under oppression. In search for a better life, Shusag even melted down his precious Platinum Medal for Merit and sold it just to gather more funds to make his escape. It wasnt like Shusag didnt have friends in the military, but the number of his enemies was even greater, especially those who discriminated against aliens. These people repeatedly kicked Shusag when he was down, and when one of them was stopped by Tu Ba, the first lieutenant was thrown into a close security prison for plotting treason. Tu Ba was a good soldier, but he was a terrible conspirator. Shusag was a second lieutenant. If he hadnt been expelled from the military, he wouldve become a ranked officer by now. That was just how good he was, especially considering that he was an alien with no backer at all. Back in the days, Shusag was the best fighter in his company, and Tu Ba was the second best. Judging from what Tu Ba told him, Shusag was definitely an exceptional person. Cillin was planning to bring a couple of good seeds back with him to GALespecially those who were oppressed because they have alien blood in their veinsso this suited him just fine. Sha Rou and Shi Tang, and now Shusag and his son. That being said, the final judgment must be made after he inspected their character himself. The next day early morning, a terribly sleep-deprived Shusag was awakened by the door bell. The moment he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Cillin, Wheeze and Moon. You want to rent a room at my place? Shusag scratched his messy hair for a bit. God knows how long it had been since he trimmed his beard. Yes. The rent can be negotiated. Shusag mulled over the request for a moment before replying, I dont know why youre here, but you will not involve us in your business no matter what. Are we clear? Of course. Were here to research samples, and we dont want to reveal our true identities. That is why we want to use your place as a cover. Cillin even produced a written contract and passed it to Shusag. The former soldier gave it a look and signed it, but he didnt really care about it at all. In his opinion, contracts were worth less than a persons fart if the parties involved simply refused to acknowledge it. That being said, Shusag wanted to get to know Cillins group better, so he permitted them to stay at his house. And so Cillin assumed the identity of Shusags distant relative temporarily. He, Moon and Wheeze spent most of their time looking for residues of the black box in person and sending humanoid probes all over the planet, but the results were abysmal. Despite working for days, all they got were black box residues from different times. Besides this, Cillin also got to know the father and son, Shusag and Tesoro a bit better. One of them was in his rebellious phase, and the other didnt know how to express his fatherly love. On the surface, it looked like they were in constant argument with each other, but in reality both of them understood that the other person just wanted the best for them. Shusag often addressed his son as little brat or little rascal, but Cillin knew that he cared deeply for him. Tesoro meant treasure in the slang of a certain alien language. A couple of days passed, and the occupants and the landlords shared a fairly cordial relationship with each other. Wheeze got to eat fish balls every day, and Cillin got to try out Shusags homemade pickled vegetables. Although the pickling process produced a terrible smell, it got better over time and it tasted pretty good. At least, that was what Cillin thought. Cillin prepared to leave after he had collected all the data he could collect from the planet. Before he left, he asked Tu Ba to contact Shusag. Of course, he didnt say anything about Black Viper and certain key information, and Shusag was smart enough not to ask the impossible. After the call, Shusag felt considerably less guilty, and it showed on his sleep quality and his attitude toward Cillin. Shusang prepared a great dinner today. Cillin was going to leave the next day, so this was their farewell dinner. Tomorrow also happened to be the start of a school holiday for Tesoro. When he came back, he immediately shared a piece of news with everyone. I heard theres a meteor shower tonight. You guys can watch it if you want to. A lot of people are talking about it at school, and some are even using it as a date opportunity, Tesoro said at the dining table. So what? Its not like youre going to bring a girl back home, Shusag attacked his son mercilessly. Tesoro curled his lips but said nothing. The way the girls at school looked at him alone made him feel like running up to them and slapping them left and right. He knew they talked shit about him behind his back, in fact he heard one such conversation himself when he was skipping class and taking a nap near a flower bush. Tesoro still remembered the line, even his blood is dirty as clear as yesterday. Tesoros propensity for violence was famed throughout the school, so they dared not say it to his face. But behind his back? Hah. Tesoro had given up on his so-called schoolmates since a long time ago. In school, he was a lone wolf through and through. Seemingly realizing that he had made a mistake, Shusag fell quiet and dug into his meal. However, it didnt help the awkward atmosphere one bit. Cillin decided to break the awkwardness by shooting a question, Where might we view this meteor shower? We can view it right here. Of course, it would be better if we move to the grassland a bit further from here. Itll be clearer, and itll be quieter. If we stay in town itll probably be very noisy. Cillin nodded. Lets do that. Its not like we have anything to do tonight. Okay! Tesoro was very happy with this. Wheeze didnt understand his excitement and expectation though. Its just a meteor shower. Whats so nice about it? Sleeping at home would be a better choice was what Wheeze thought, but that didnt mean it wouldnt follow the group to watch the meteor shower at the grassland he first met Tesoro. The meteor shower arrived in the wee hours; the rocks turning bright white and fiery as soon as the atmosphere rubbed against its surface. A lot of youngsters were excited by the beautiful scenery, and even from the grassland the group could hear their distant roars. Of course, everyone else except Tesoro had exactly zero romantic feelings to share regarding the meteor shower. They were there only because Tesoro wanted to see the scenery he had never seen before in his life. Beep beep beep bepp A sudden beeping surprised Cillin. His expression changed when he saw the data his humanoid probes sent to his communicator. Moon had also noticed something amiss. The moment the meteor shower showed up, he immediately started picking up signals of the black boxs residue. Although it wasnt clear from where they were, it was definitely not a mistake. The residue did come from outside the planet, from the meteor shower to be exact Meteor shower Cillin shivered visibly as he stared at the bright lights streaking across the sky like raindrops. He looked at the yawning Wheeze and calculating Moon and said, Check the comets orbiting this star system! Having no idea what the trio were busying with, Tesoro gave his father a push before asking, Old man, what are they investigating the comets for? How do I know? Im just an uncultured old man. Why are you asking me when youre the one whos studying in a middle school? Tesoro: .. Cillin, heres the result you want. Moon created a hologram of the star system, all the periodic comets current location, their orbits and the planets orbit. Lets leave the humanoid probes to collect the black box residue from this meteor shower and return to the spaceplane right away! Cillin said to Moon before facing toward Shusag and Tesoro. Sorry, but we gotta go earlier than expected! But dont go anywhere, okay? We may contact you again very soon. Cillin smiled. Chapter 319: Time to Go Home According to Cillins calculations, the unstable wormhole Genya had encountered back then had come into close proximity with the comet. For some reason the black box had reacted to the wormhole and made it connect to the universe of GAL temporarily. After the comet left the wormhole, it naturally destabilized and became non-functional once more. Since it was a short process, and the wormhole wasnt close to this planet, no one had made the connection until now. From what Cillin gathered, someone on this planet had detected some anomalous energies and spatial fluctuations at the time, but no conclusion was drawn because the communication equipment and the signal itself were experiencing interferences, and they only lasted for a short moment. Although it was proven now that that wasnt a false reading, assumptions were ultimately just assumptions until conclusive evidence was gathered. Cillin, Wheeze and Moon stared at the images transmitted by the trackers intently. When the dot representing the signal strength grew brighter the closer the trackers got to the comet, Cillin knew that his assumption was proven to be correct. It really is there!! Moon was so happy that he was spinning like a top. Just like Sigma, he enjoyed swinging his arms in circles when he was happy. Lets get it back immediately. We can go back after we have it, right Cillin? said Wheeze while staring at Cillin with great anticipation. Probably. But lets see how the black box is doing first. Cillin was calmer compared to the two, but he couldnt deny that he was excited as well. Although he was prepared to deal with various scenarios, finding the black box was definitely one scenario that saved him a lot of time and energy. They were able to identify the rough location of the black box based on the analytic images transmitted back by the trackers, but it would still take a lot of effort to get it out of the comet. Cillin was going to ask Xi Kai to send over some specialized robots to retrieve the black box, but Moon stopped him. The robot wanted to do this himself. Maybe it was because the Xi Family was no longer the entity he trusted the most. Maybe it was because he was afraid that the Xi Family would do something bad to him and Sigma like tossing them into a laboratory. Moon was very pleased. Cillin made it clear that his safety came first, and the retrieval of the black box second. Wheeze also expressed its desire to help out after seeing that Moon was going. The black box was super important to it because it was utterly tired of how restrictive it was to live in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. The humans mostly gave it a pass because it didnt look humanoid, but it still wasnt as free as when it was at the hunter regiment. The empire wasnt its territory after all. Also, Wheeze didnt trust any robot besides Moon and itself to retrieve the black box. In its opinion, there was no robot in the empire who was better than them. The amount of floating debris grew as they approached the comets orbit, so Cillin cleared them out first before waiting for the safest timing to send Wheeze and Moon to the comet. Wheeze and Moon were mechanical entities, so they werent nearly as limited as a human would be in space. Carrying Moon with its paws, Wheeze made a successful landing on the comet. Moons knowledge of the best box was the best out of the three of them. He knew how best to dig it out from the dirty snowball with minimal damage, so Wheeze simply supported him at the side. Cillin stayed at the spaceplane to provide any additional support he might need, and to keep an eye out for emergencies that might require a fixed point teleportation. The comet was of course, not the best environment to carry out such a procedure, but if the necessity arose he would try to maintain accuracy as much as he could. Cillin prepared a lot of countermeasures, but to his surprise the extraction process went smoother than expected. Moon didnt only perform everything nicely, he even predicted certain details and prepared accordingly. It was just as Chip had said, Moon really was the smartest and the best at feigning stupidity of them all. The black box was less than two meters long and smaller than Cillin had imagined. But despite its size, it was the crystallization of wisdom of the best Xi generation to ever lived. The unearthing of an extraordinary and mysterious artifact that was buried for almost a millennium excited even the most indifferent of them. It took some external equipment to activate the black box properly, but Cillin wasnt worried. They could just refer to the black box to fabricate anything they needed. It was a minor issue at most for the team of experts he gathered at the space fortress. Wheeze and Moon were standing by for anything as he stored the black box inside a secure location. The gray cat was so anxious that it stayed for the whole procedure instead of fooling around in Return as it normally did. Cillin smiled. It really wanted to return home as soon as possible. Its no wonder we couldnt find the black box back then. It wasnt where it was supposed to be because it was orbiting with the periodic comet its on, said Moon. The curvy lines on its faceplate showed just how delighted it was right now. Cillin nodded in agreement. The people who looked for the black box back then most likely wasnt expecting it to be on a comet. If they did, they wouldve found it a long time ago. It was pure luck Cillins group happened on a meteor shower that had crossed paths with the comet. And thank goodness the black box wasnt on a non-periodic comet, or it was likely that it was gone forever. When Xi Kai learned that Cillin had found the black box, his feelings were mixed to say the least. He was happy that they found the black box because it meant that he could check out the Xi Familys original universe with his own eyes and meet the mysterious Origin robot, Sigma, but he was also exasperated that the discovery was made by Cillin. His ancestors tried looking for the black box too, but they had failed in their search. In a way, didnt that mean that they were inferior to Cillin? Plus, Moon was clearly closer to Cillin than he was to the Xi Family right now. Xi Kai couldnt deny that he was feeling jealous. That being said, emotions were just emotions, and Xi Kai knew full well what he must do. He updated all the equipment inside the space fortress and readied all the necessary materials Cillin had told him to prepare earlier. He wasnt worried about the researchers inside the fortress noticing the activities and finding out the secret because most of them didnt have the mind for such things. After the black box was safely delivered to the fortress, the researchers started working under Moons instructions. When Cillin saw how familiar Moon was with the black box, he knew that the Origin robot hadnt told him or anyone the complete truth. Moon might not be lying when he claimed that he didnt fully understand the technology, but he definitely wasnt as ignorant as he claimed to be. At the very least, his knowledge completely outstripped everyone at the present. Looks like Moons quite the cautious one. Cillin understood why though. Had he been less cautious, he mightve been carted into a lab as the second Chip a long time ago. All the researchers including Shi Tang was absolutely ecstatic to be part of the project. Under Moons guidance, they worked tirelessly almost every day to fabricate the external equipment necessary to operate the black box, process them and more. Of course, Moon didnt forget to make them take a break every once in a while. Unlike robots, humans could only work for so long without collapsing. Cillin observed everything from the sidelines, and sometimes he even participated in the work himself. His knowledge of the technology grew by leaps and bounds thanks to this. He was thinking of creating another black box when the occasion was right, but he knew it wasnt something he could carry out himself easily. Cillin sat down with Moon for a discussion after the external equipment were all fabricated. The only work left now was to debug, test and check that everything was running properly; a work that only Moon could complete because he had set up an extremely complicated passcode to the black box. There were still some things Cillin needed to do before he returned to GAL. Wheeze also wanted to bring home some empire-made fish biscuits for itself, and some gifts for Snowball and Dough. Long story short, they needed time to prepare. Moon had no qualms with this. He simply waved them goodbye and assured them that no one would be able to activate the device ahead of time with him around; the Origin robot purposely looking at Xi Kai as he said this. The poor researcher felt like a fish bone was stuck in his throat. After Cillin and Wheeze left, he went to the Xi Familys electronic planet and spent an entire day talking to Chip. It was because he realized that not every Origin robot was as friendly as Chip, and he wanted the Origin robots opinion on how to better interact with his kind. What if Sigma ignored him, the true Xi descendant just like Moon after they met? His ancestors would probably strangle him in his dreams. Cillin actually had a lot of business he had to finish up: his studies at AF1, his projects at the RAS, playing the support for Guan Fengs projects, and a bunch of problems he was now responsible for as one of the three leaders of Black Viper. These werent his biggest priority, however. He could halt his studies at AF1 temporarily, there were a lot of people in the RAS who would happily take over his projects, Guan Feng wouldnt die without his help, and Black Viper could survive for a while without him. If Guan Feng could spend half his time ignoring his responsibilities when he was still the leader of Black Viper, so could he. Therefore, he set that all aside and went to speak with Genya first. When Cillin arrived at the courtyard next to the artificial sea, Genya was sitting at his recliner beneath the tree. Master, whispered Cillin after arriving next to Genya. His master opened his eyes and smiled at him, but there was none of the joy Cillin usually see in his eyes when they met. In fact, Cillin could sense a bit of gloom in Genyas eyes. Genyas condition had been improving ever since he returned to the Gen Family. Just as Genya said, the Fuji tree had a kind of healing effect to those with the Gen Family bloodline. Although Genya still looked like an old man on the outside, his body had recovered to that of a middle-aged man. The tree couldnt restore his heart, however. Genya had gone through so much in his life that his heart was well and truly old. Have you found a way to go back? asked Genya. Cillin knew that Genya had been mentally prepared for a while after hearing the calm in his tone. He nodded. Yes. Genya let out a sigh. Cillin, can I speak to you alone for a moment? He meant that he didnt want anyone to hear their next conversation, not even Wheeze. Wheeze had already left to interact with Blueskin because it might be a long time before it returned to this universe. Cillin sent away the bodyguards temporarily and set up a soundproofing device that prevented anyone from two meters away from listening in on their conversation. The device also obscured their image so that their lips couldnt read. After everything was set up, Cillin waited patiently for Genya to start his story. Cillin knew that his master wasnt happy from the moment he became aware of the world. Genya always looked like he was lost in thought about something, and Hena told him that it was because he was missing someone. When Cillin received the ring, he thought that it was because Genya missed his family at the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. But after Genya was returned to his home, Cillin realized that that wasnt completely the case. Cillin didnt know who the person in Genyas mind was, nor did he ever try to pry it out of him. Knowing his masters personality, he knew that it would just be a futile exercise. The silence lasted for a very, very long time before it was finally broken. I have been thinking about this since the day you asked me that question, started Genya, I had left behind a logbook in GAL. You can think of it as a diary of some sort. I had left it at a certain location before I moved to Brown Earth. Genya gave Cillin a partial star map. To find the location of the logbook, Cillin must first match it to the corresponding star map. However, unlike the empire there was no such thing as a complete map of the GAL universe. Find a man called Hara at this location. Tell him that you are there to retrieve the thing that I left in his care. He will give you the logbook. Which sector does this map belong to? Cillin asked. Sector S. Cillin was shocked. He never knew that Genya had traveled to Sector S before. But how was he able to enter and exit that sector safely? Was he just lucky, or? Genya didnt give much of an explanation. He simply said, The key to opening that logbook is the ring on your finger. If someone tries to open that logbook by force, it will destroy itself automatically. If Hara is still the same person I know, the logbook should be well preserved even to this day. Once youve read that logbook, you will know everything that has happened to me there are one, no, two people mentioned in the logbook. I want you to give them this when you meet them. Genya took out a box with a necklace and a bracelet in it. The necklace was a womans necklace with a pure, green gemstone embedded in it. It seemed to contain a lot of life energy; much more than the green gems Cillin found way back. The symbol of the Fuji Royal Family was etched on it, but it was slightly different from the one worn by most Gen Family members. Only direct descendents or those who were close friends with a direct descendent of the Gen Family were allowed to wear them. The bracelet was basically the same as the bracelets Gen Xingming and the other princes wore; a very effective proof of identity. For the longest time, Cillin thought that only the children of King Fuji had the right to wear it. That was why he was surprised to see it. Genya explained after noticing Cillins expression, My brother purposely kept an extra when I went missing back then. After I came back, he gifted this to me. That was only half the explanation. The part Genya didnt explain but Cillin figured out himself due to the nature of the request, was that the bracelet was meant to be given to his son or daughter. Genya had a surviving family in GAL?! Cillin stared at Genya for a while. He had a lot of questions, but his master was putting on his dont look at me, I dont wanna say anything face again, so he ultimately refrained from asking. The truth would be revealed when he found that logbook anyway. After accepting the two items, Cillin asked, Dont you want to meet them yourself? Genya looked down and said nothing. However, his lips were pressed tightly, and his fingers were rubbing his sleeves. Reading his body language and realizing that his master was struggling to come to a decision himself, Cillin said, If possible, Ill bring them to see you. That is unlikely, whispered Genya. For a second, Cillin felt like he was speaking to an aggrieved housewife. It was such an odd experience that he couldnt help but shoot his master a strange look. This was the first time he saw a side like this in his master. Understood. If everything goes well, Ill come back and bring you to them instead, answered Cillin. Genya turned his head away and said nothing. Cillin took his silence as a yes. Before Cillin left, Genya gave him one last advice, Ill take care of this side of things, so you have nothing to worry about. When you return, watch your back and take care of yourself above all else. No problem, master. I know what to do. You dont have to worry about anything. Cillin gave Genya a hug before leaving the courtyard. After that, he and Wheeze left to buy the fish biscuits and gifts it wouldnt stop mumbling about. Cillin rubbed his forehead when he read Wheezes inventory list. This is not a one-way trip, you know. Why the heck do you need to buy so many things? Wheeze gave it some thought and agreed. So, it circled only the essential stuff and said, Then well buy these first, but no less than these! Fine, fine, but you really need to lose your weight, glutton. Besides buy its fish biscuits, Wheeze left a resounding shout in the Return forum. Your grandpas leaving for a bit, but Ill be back so dont forget yourself, younglings! A lot of people let out a sigh of relief in unison. Finally, they could enjoy a moment of peace. Cillin also left behind a scheduled message for Guan Feng. In case an emergency occurred while he wasnt around, there was no better candidate to deal with it than Guan Feng. After all, his master couldnt take care with everything, and it was always nice to relieve some burden from his masters shoulders. Speaking of which, Cillin also contacted Shusag and Tesoro and went back to the planet to pick them up. Then, they flew back to the space fortress where Xi Kai was waiting. The space fortress had finished the necessary modifications, and the rest of the researchers besides Shi Tang and Sha Rou had been moved to a different space fortress. Chapter 320: The New Eleventh B Squadron Part 1 Once Moon activated the black box and the external equipment began running, a whirlpool started to take form in front of the space fortress. The edges of the whirlpool were lit up slightly like a nebula, but the center of the whirlpool was dark black. The whirlpool grew bigger to bigger. In the end, the space fortress looked as tiny as an ant before it. The reason they chose to activate the black box in this space was because there was no nearby planet, meaning that the chances of someone or something detecting the anomaly was minimal. The whirlpool was a lot bigger than the wormhole Genya encountered probably because his activation was accidental, and this wasnt. After the wormhole was fully formed, everyone sat down on their seats, turned on their shields and activated their safety equipment. This was to prevent incapacitation from happening just in case of an accident occurred before, during or after the travel. Back when Cillin was forcibly transported to this part of the galaxy, it had taken him a long time to recover from his dizziness. Not even Wheeze was immune to the effects. Okay, were taking off! Moon gave the order and started piloting the space fortress toward the wormhole. The space fortress had been built on Xi Kais electronic planet, and the construction had been overseen by Chip himself. Therefore, every building block and every connection was extremely precise. The space fortress was complex enough that it would take ten normal humans to helm it properly, but Moon was neither human nor normal. He alone was enough to control the space fortress. This also meant that Moon was in control of the entire space fortress right now. The decision was reached only after Xi Kai had a discussion with Chip. Before Xi Kai left, Chip had said to him, Whatever may happen in the future, the five of us will never betray the Xi Family. His promise was the main reason Xi Kai decided to give Moon full control of the space fortress. He might not trust Moon, but he definitely trusted Chip. The space fortress was huge, but the amount of passengers it carried could be counted in two hands. They were Cillin, Wheeze, Shi Tang, Sha Rou, Shusag, Tesoro and Xi Kai. Everyone else who werent robots had been transferred out of the space fortress a long time ago. The robots wouldnt do anything unless ordered by Xi Kai. The space fortress slowly moved toward the center of the wormhole. The closer they got, the quicker Shusag and everyone elses heart beat. Shusag had been dozing off when Cillin went to look for him. After telling him his whole plan, Shusags first reaction had been that he was still in a dream. How else was he supposed to react after being woken up from his sleep and told: Come, Ill take you to another galaxy and live the life you desire. Tesoros teachers and classmates werent surprised when the young man rose from his seat. It was hardly the first time he had left without warning. They had no idea that Tesoro was never coming back. Shi Tang and Sha Rou also greatly looked forward to their new life. They might not know how the galaxy on the other side of the wormhole looked like, but it couldnt possibly be worse than the life they were currently leading. At the galaxy of GAL, Sigma was tinkering with some equipment at the D-rank planet Cillin and Wheeze had vanished from. In fact, he was the only being still left on the planet. When he was at the underground base, he at least had the Lovages to play with. Now, after Cillin and Wheeze were gone, he was well and truly alone. Sigma was hoping to repair the equipment, but he quickly discovered that it was impossible to do within a short time. Literally every piece of equipment was disrupted in some form, so he spent all his time repairing them one by one. To say that his fragile heart was annihilated by the epic failure a few years ago would be an understatement. At the time, almost all of the energy in the underground passage was depleted, and all the programs were in tatters. The reason almost all of the underground equipment were paralyzed was because of the machine language frequency radiation Wheeze generated before it was sucked into the wormhole. Long story short, it was all Wheezes fault. Of course, most people didnt know that yet. Today, Sigma was repairing the equipment in silence as usual. He put on some cheerful music so that he wouldnt feel too lonely. After all, he was the only one left on the planet. Suddenly, a familiar signal intruded his sensors and caused the music to come to a halt. After confirming that the signal wasnt an illusion, he let out a yelp and ran out of the underground passage while flailing its arms. Once outside, Sigma stared at the wormhole of time and space taking form on the sky, the signal growing stronger with its formation. He knew who the signal belonged to. He would never forget even if it had been almost a millennium. Moon The blue strip on Sigmas faceplate flashed rapidly. It looked like the quickening heartbeat of anticipation. When the gigantic wormhole of space and time grew to a certain extent, a space fortress emerged from the center. It vanished slowly after the space fortress crossed over completely and approached the planet. Wheeze! Sigma exclaimed in pleasant surprise as he picked up Wheezes signal as well. Today had turned out to be a happier day than he could possibly imagine. Sigma, Im here to get you! Moon shouted excitedly. Moon! Sigma activated his propeller and took to the sky. An entrance opened on the space fortress to admit him. The two brothers who met after nearly a thousand years of separation circled each other and flailed their arms non-stop. Xi Kai himself felt like crying after witnessing the robot who flew into the space fortress. This was Sigma, the Sigma that his ancestors only got to see in video form. He had finally witnessed Sigma with his own eyes. No one attempted to disturb the reunion of the two brothers. After scanning the surroundings temporarily, Wheeze said to Cillin, I dont sense Czedow or anyone else on the planet. However, there is an active observer close by watching everything on this planet. Luckily for us, its functions were disrupted when the wormhole took form. Cillin had suspected that there would be an observer nearby. That was why he had told Wheeze to disrupt the signals the second they emerged from the wormhole. Since there was no one on the planet except Sigma, Cillin told Moon to fly to another location where no one was spying on them. This was also a good time to check all the news he had missed for the past two to three years while he was stranded in another galaxy. Unlike the empire information in GAL was looser and more scattered, so it wasnt exactly easy to catch up on everything. Still, Cillin was able to make a rough outline of things. Cillin knew that chaos was coming before he was sent to another galaxy, but it turned out he had underestimated exactly how big it was. Nearly the entire GAL space was affected by it, and right now things were complicated to say the least. The original galactic alliance had been cut into several pieces, and the reshuffle of power that involved governments, armies, great families and other major forces were still ongoing to this day. Even the GAL army wasnt the old GAL army anymore. They had separated into different factions and called themselves the ruler of a corner of the galaxy. Most smaller forces found it difficult to survive in an unprecedented chaos like this, so they were either subsumed into bigger factions or had merged together to form new, stronger entities. I didnt matter to Cillin what the politicians and militants were playing at though. All Cillin cared about was the Sixth B Squadron. Sigma was in a poor mood after it was done recounting stories with Moon. He had learned that the two and half of themChip at his current condition couldnt be considered a whole Origin robotwere all that was left of the five of them. At the side, Xi Kai was panicking a little. He might not be the fuckers who conducted the experiments back then, but he was the patriarch of the Xi Family right now. His ancestors responsibility was his responsibility as well. However, he relaxed when he learned that Sigma was no different from the robot he thought he was when studying the videos, and nowhere as craft as Moon was. In Sigmas opinion, Xi Kai was his masters descendant, so he would treat him well. It was that simple. Sigma, wheres Czedow? Cillin asked. Sigma grew even gloomier when he heard the question. Czedow is no longer with the Sixth B Squadron. In fact, he left Vanguard right after the Sixth Squad changed hands. Chapter 320: The New Eleventh B Squadron Part 2 Yes. After the great chaos began, Vanguard absorbed some small hunter regiments into itself and reorganized its ten B-squadrons. Shawton, the original commander of the Sixth B Squadron was transferred to the A squad, and his position was taken over by another A squad member. Two lieutenant commanders were replaced as well. Some time later, an argument broke out within the squadron, and people started leaving one after another. Czedow was the first one to go. Dias left with Asiya, and Rikulab returned to his home with Dr. Merzenich Tico. The others were more or less gone as well. The only good news was that they werent given a hard time because the entire Sixth B Squadron was due for a massive reorganization anyway. Did Ji Feng give any explanation regarding my disappearance? Cillin asked. No. Part of the reason Eudy and the others left the Sixth B Squadron was to go search for you. This is all I know, however. I had picked up some of these info by connecting to the Sixth B Suqadrons base. The rest was told to me by Czedow. Can you contact Czedow now? Sure! Wait a moment. Sigma quickly cheered up and contacted Czedow using their unique form of communication. Before Czedow left the Sixth B Squadron, he had told Sigma to contact him if Cillin and Wheeze were to return from the other side. It didnt take long for a connection to be established. In the past, Czedow was a robot of few expressions. Today, he was wearing a set of sportswear from somewhere and beaming at the sight of Cillin and Wheeze. Even his eyes looked bright and energetic. He was already rushing over to their location after learning their current spatial coordinates. Xi Kai asked hesitantly while examining the smiling man on the screen. Is this Czedow really a robot? Yep. Hes very similar to the Origin robots, answered Cillin. Czedow had learned more emotions since the last time they met. He was gradually learning to express them like a real person as well. Shusag and the others were stunned to learn that Czedow was a robot. For starters, he looked and acted nothing like a robot. Their conversation sounded everything like a chat between old friends and nothing like a dialog between robot and human as well. What are you going to do next, Cillin? asked Sigma. After learning that his master was long gone and his brothers were either dead or crippled, Sigma had decided to stick the group for the moment and wait until they traveled back to the empire just like Moon. With the black box in their possession, they could come and go anytime they wished. Xi Kai also expressed his desire to stay at GAL for the moment. He wanted to learn more about this galaxy, and he was also curious about Czedow. He hoped to find a spark of inspiration while interacting with the Origin robots. Thats correct. Sigma did just that, but not before encrypting the message as Cillin told him to. At the planet designated Z-J100, Ji Feng was having a meeting with the leaders of the A Squadron. He was in the middle of talking when a message notification sound rang from his communicator, so he checked the message only after he was finished delivering his point. But the moment he saw the encrypted message, Ji Feng lost his cool completely and strode right out of the room, paying no heed to the concerned looks behind his back. When he reached his private lounge, he immediately contacted Sigma. Ji Feng was very happy to see Cillin again. Cillin didnt try to hide the existence of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire from Ji Feng because he knew that the captain wouldnt poke the hornets nest while GAL was still in chaos. After all, the Mist Bodhisattva Empire was a centralized power. He would have to be stupid or insane to make contact with an alien power at these chaotic times. Best case scenario, the empire discovered that GAL was fractured and took advantage of their vulnerability. Worst case scenario, they forced their way onto the chessboard and intervened in a way where Vanguard was helpless to do anything against or worse, led to the destruction of Vanguard. No, the only right time to contact the Mist Bodhisattva Empire was after the crisis was resolved. Cillin refrained from telling Ji Feng too much about his achievements. Ji Feng didnt think that Cillin could achieve too much in an alien galaxy ruled by the nobility in just two to three years either. Things went as Cillin had predicted. For now, Ji Feng decided to leave the empire alone. Still, Ji Feng was very delighted by Cillins return and the information he brought back with him. As one of the people who thought highly of Cillins potential, he wanted to make Cillin the commander of the Sixth B Squadron or transfer him into the A Squadrons. However, Cillin turned down both suggestions. From what I learned, the current Sixth B Squadron is no longer the Sixth B Squadron I once served. Practically everyone I knew is gone, and I doubt Ill be able to get along with the new members. So? Ji Feng waited. So, I would like to apply for the creation of the eleventh B Squadron. Cillins reply caused Ji Feng to raise his eyebrows. He mulled over the request for a short while before smiling. Okay, I accept your application. In fact, you can take over your old base immediately since the current Sixth B Squadron isnt using it. That base is just a reserve base for them. But why? Cillin was confused. That base was pretty good, so why go through the trouble of building a new base on a different planet? Ji Feng shot Cillin a meaningful look. You might want to ask someone else that question. Lets just say that some humans and non-humans made them change their minds. Cillin immediately turned to look at Sigma. Sigma looked away and pretended to be socializing with Wheeze, but there was no hiding the blue strips flickering toward his direction from time to time. Unless he was sorely mistaken, the humans Ji Feng was referring to were Eudy and the others, and the non-humans were Sigma, Czedow, Snowball, Dough and hell, even the Lovages living beneath the base. How much capital do you need to establish your squadron? Dont say I didnt warn you, but were short on capital on pretty much every front due to the chaos were in. Theres only so much I can spare you right now, said Ji Feng. In that case, it can wait until later. For now, can you keep a lid on those who might object to the creation of an Eleventh B Squadron? No problem, you just leave that to me. When youre ready, send me a form and Ill deliver the capital you need. Ji Feng leaned back against his chair after breaking off the call. He couldnt stop smiling. Dont disappoint me, Cillin. Wheeze was the happiest out of everyone who learned that Cillin was going to form a new B Squadron. My own B Squadron, my own territory! By the time Cillin told Moon to pilot the space fortress to the base, Ji Feng had already ordered the Sixth B Squadron members still at the base to evacuatenot that there were many of them who were still on that base. Ever since its original residents were gone, they had received all kinds of harassment that drove them up to the walls. It was as if there was a god of mischief running around the base and toying with them from time to time. Spooky noises were just the appetizer. Sometimes the doors would fail, and they would be trapped inside a passageway for days. Sometimes, the walls of the restroom would move on its own. Long story short, those who had no choice but to stay there felt that they were one step away from developing mental illnesses, and they couldnt be happier to be away from the god forsaken place. Sigma and Moon were very happy to be able to return to the base. Xi Kai also got to witness his ancestors work with his own eyes. It had been a terribly long time since Wheeze returned to the base, so it went absolutely wild running all over the place and playing with the Lovages. So this is our new life? Shusag said happily while spreading his arms. He very much looked forward to the future. When he saw Tesoro staring wide-eyed at absolutely everything around him, he slapped his son in the back of his head before asking, What are you thinking? For once, Tesoro didnt object to the hit or reply to Shusags question. For a long time, he simply stared at the base rising from the underground before asking, I can pilot a fighter and fight a battle now, right? Shusag let out a chuckle before hitting him again in the same spot, but much gentler this time. Not yet, newbie. You wont like to hear this, but right now youre even worse than that little girl Sha Rou. Tesoro was about to make a retort when Cillin said to them, Go choose your rooms. This little guy here will lead you to them. Yiya A tiny Lovage waved its chela and beckoned the father and son to follow it. Chapter 321: Show of Strength Part 1 Its Czedow! Wheeze pulled free from the Lovages it was playing with and ran straight toward the spaceplane. Czedow walked out of the hatch. The spaceplane was pretty big, but the robot was the only passenger onboard. He was still wearing the sportswear he wore during the call, and he looked like a free soul who just returned home from his travels. Czedow smiled when he saw the gray cat bouncing toward him excited. It was much fatter compared to the last time he saw it. Long time no see, Czedow! Wheeze ran up Czedows body and gave his shoulder a pat. Not bad! You upgraded yourself? Yes, I absorbed a couple of rare metals and improved some things, Czedow replied while giving Wheeze a chin scratch. Wheeze then pointed a claw at the spaceplane behind him. Where did you get this spaceplane from? I took it from a bunch of space robbers, Czedow replied calmly. When Czedow left the Sixth Squadron, he had been piloting a small spaceplane until he ran into a gang of space robbers. Their equipment turned out to be better than expected, so he took their spaceplane instead. Oh right, this is for you. Czedow took off his ring and gave it to Wheeze. It was the ring Wheeze and Cillin had left behind for him before they vanished into Shortcut; the ring they got from Oskulos to be exact. No way, Cillin said that this is for you oh my meow At first, Wheeze wanted to tell Czedow to keep the subspace ring for himself. After all, why would it need one when it could just use Cillins subspace ring? Then, it checked the contents and lost its train of thought completely. The subspace ring was filled with rare metals, energy blocks and more importantly, Wheezes favorite flavors of fish biscuits. Obviously, Czedow had accumulated the rare metals, energy blocks and fish biscuits during his travels. Czedow, you really are my blood-related brother! Wheeze grinned like an idiot while hugging the ring. Czedow: ... Blood-related brother? It was at this moment Cillin and Sigma emerged from the base. After shooting the dumb cat who was grinning like an idiot on top of Czedows shoulder a glance, he greeted the robot, Welcome back! Sigma also zoomed over and gave Czedow a hug. Its happiness value had been skyrocketing for the past two days. The wavy lines on its faceplate hadnt changed even once, and it kept humming a tune from time to time. Not far away, Xi Kai was watching Cillin high-fiving Czedow with sparkling eyes. Czedow was a true Origin robot who was very similar to a human, and he was very curious to know the dimension of his mind. He wasnt in a hurry to find out though; these answers would come to him naturally when he interacted with Czedow. Xi Kai decided that his decision to come to GAL was the right one for sure. After Cillin had contacted Ji Feng, he had done nothing but arranging the base because he was waiting for the upper management of Vanguard to give him the official permission to build a new squadron. In fact, he had only received the official notice from Ji Feng last night. Now that Czedow was back, he didnt need to waste time searching for everyones method of contact. He could summon them all right away. Beaver and Eudy were currently staying with the Third Squadrons as guests. In fact, they had been there for almost two years already. After the Sixth Squadron went through a massive reorganization and their comrades left the squadron one by one, they too left and moved to the Third Squadron. The good news was that they were doing well on the Third Squadron thanks to their technical expertise. In fact, the commander, Falvey had offered to hire them officially multiple times. They had never given him a real reply though, and when Cillins message reached them the speed at which they packed their stuff and said goodbye was something to behold. Falvey didnt know if he should be angry or amused by this. Of all the employment contracts in the B Squadrons, the offers he made to Beaver and Eudy were some of the best of the best. However, they were apparently worth less than a single message from Cillin. Eudy and Beaver were the first ones to arrive after Cillin sent out the summons. Cary, Ba Dao, Xiao Shang were the next to arrive. After that, Merzenich Tico arrived alone without Rikulabnow known as Shi Huajing, the fourth young master of the Shi Family. Rikulab wont be participating in the establishment of the squadron. He has stuff he needs to do in his family, Tico said with a smile. While they were chatting, she let out the rabbit in her pocket so it could play with Wheeze and the others. The little rabbit hadnt changed at all since the last time they saw it, but by now everyone knew it was special and paid it no mind. Ive heard about him from Czedow. This chaos is the perfect opportunity for him to regain his lost power as the fourth young master. Some time later, Cillin contacted Shi Huajing in secret and came to some sort of cooperative relationship with him. No one could stay aloof in this chaotic times, and those who tried would only be putting themselves in a worse position than before. Every connection they could gain was an extra chip on the table. Dias and the gang were the last ones to arrive. After the Sixth Squadron was reorganized, Dias, Asiya, their newborn son, Tang Qiuqiu, Scarlet Wind and Snowball had left the squad together. In the Sixth Squadron, there was no one Tang Qiuqiu trusted more than Dias and Cillin, so it made sense she went with Dias after Cillin had disappeared. When Dias spaceplane landed, the first personor creature, in this caseto run out of the hatch was a big, white hairball. It ran and ran and rolled into a ball midway probably because it was faster that way. The gluttons have all grown fatter was Cillins biggest impression after he came back to GAL. In the past, Tang Qiuqiu could carry Snowball on her back. Now, it was almost as tall as Cillin when it stood upright. It quickly got together with Wheeze and Dough and caused a ruckus in no time. Tang Qiuqiu was now a beautiful young girl. She would seem even friendlier if she wasnt carrying a gigantic sniper rifle behind her back. Scarlet Wind was doing its utmost to maintain a prim appearance, but anyone who saw its madly wagging tail would know its excitement. Old man, look Tesoro exclaimed while pointing at Scarlet Wind. The boy was already quite surprised when the eight-armed Ba Dao showed up, but now a literal alien had joined them and was wagging its tail in the open. Although he knew that GAL was a different galaxy, he still wasnt used to this sight. In the past, everyone would be doing their utmost to hide their characteristics and appear as human as possible. But now, he was really starting to realize that Cillins claims were true. This was a world that didnt care how you look; a world where might is right. Call me dad! Shusag slapped Tesoro in the head immediately. The base naturally became a lot livelier with the influx of people. For example, Carys morning outburst was back with some minor differences. In the past, he could at least corner the thieving gluttons who stole his food from time to time. On the planet though, it was basically a pointless endeavor. The bastards could be anywhere. Tang Qiuqiu warmed up to Sha Rou pretty quickly. Ba Dao and the others often trained with Shusag, but they almost never managed to defeat him in combat. It wasnt surprising though. Cillin knew from the beginning that Shusag was a very capable fighter. Xi Kai was building robots as usual, but without the help of Moon or Sigma. Moon obviously wasnt going to help him. Sigma was kept busy and away from Xi Kai research area by Moon. In the end, Xi Kai had no choice but to turn to Czedow. Czedow didnt reject Xi Kais request. After all, helping Xi Kai was the same as helping Cillin improve their squadron. Sometimes Czedow would share his thoughts with Xi Kai, and the latter learned a lot because of it. Although he still didnt make much progress in terms of building a robot with an independent mind, he was able to improve certain details drastically. His robots now had greater cloaking abilities and prowess than before. Every task in the base was being completed in an orderly manner. When their new symbol was created, a party to celebrate the birth of the new Eleventh B Squadron and their reunion was thrown. They still had a long way ahead of them, and it would be hard and full of obstacles as usual. But it didnt matter, did it? It was the path they chose to follow, and they would finish it even if they had to crawl all the way to the finish line. The construction of the main starship was overseen by Cillin, Moon, Sigma and Xi Kai, and Xi Kais first batch of new engineer robot was used as the labor force to build it. With enough energy, these robots could work day and night without rest, so the starship was completed at an astonishing rate. Chapter 321: Show of Strength Part 2 Shaped like a knife, the new ship got everyones blood pumping in excitement. Wheeze, Snowball and Dough had left a footprint at the spot where the logo of Vanguard and the series number of the B Squadron were displayed. Although the footprints were practically microscopic compared to the whole ship, it still filled the trio with an immense feeling of satisfaction. A hunter belongs in space, and the maiden voyage everyone was looking forward to was about to begin. Cillin had a mind to collect the logbook Genya had told him about, but now wasnt the best time to do so. The situation at Sector S was currently unclear and pending investigation. There were a ton of acquaintances he were unable to contact or find out about such as Mo Heng, Lung, Knight, Ci Jincheng and more. Heck, his own squadron had a lot of urgent matters that required his immediate attention, so he had no choice but to push the matter to a later date. Among these urgent matters, one of them was getting back the items he had left behind at the Sixth B Squadron such as the ones at Enjis laboratory where the parasite samples were stored. Most of them were transferred to the base since the very beginning, but some records, Enjis personal property, Chamodines diary and more were left behind on the ship. He had to retrieve all of them. Enji was a member of the Sixth B Squadron, so Cillin needed to negotiate with their current commander, Simon first because he could retrieve his items. And since Simon was dispatched by the A Squadron, Cillin decided to speak with the A Squadrons directly and contacted Nata. Nata had always favored Cillin because of his friendship with the late Chamondine and Enji, and he saw no reason to change his mind when Cillin requested his help to retrieve the items. In Natas opinion, Cillin was the best person to complete the Parasite Code Chamondine left behind right now. During the conversation, Nata mentioned that Simon would probably act less than friendly toward him because he was a former member of the A Squadron, and told him to plan accordingly. The warning was unnecessary, however. It was natural for a person who grew up in the A Squadron to feel superiority and arrogance toward the squadrons below him. A while later, Cillin informed Simon that he would like to meet up with the Sixth B Squadron and retrieve the item he left behind on the ship, but no more than that. He didnt tell the commander exactly what he was there for. I dont like that guy, Wheeze commented immediately after the call ended. The way Simon acted as if every word he spoke was a favor he granted to Cillin irked Wheeze greatly. Cillin simply gave its ear a flick without explaining anything. Go prepare whatever it is you need to prepare. Were departing. The commander of the Eleventh B Squadron was Cillin, and the lieutenant commander Eudy. He was also the only lieutenant commander because their numbers were few. Of course, more lieutenant commanders would be added after the number of their crew increased. The robots were guarding the base, and the base itself was one giant mechanical agent that required minimal supervision. It was why everyone including Moon and Sigma had boarded the starship. Every human, creature or robot onboard the ship got to choose their own cabins, and researchers such as Shi Tang, Tico and Xi Kai got their own separate labs as well. The starship was also equipped with machines such as molecular synthesizers, medical equipment etc that Cillin thought was essential. Right now most of their warehouses were empty, but they were called hunters for a reason. It would only take a spin to fill up the space up completely. The flight deck was manned by Cillin, Moon and Sigma. In reality, either Moon or Sigma was enough to pilot the starshipthey could even make it run on autopilot if need bebut they didnt want to be alone, so that was that. While they were fooling around, Cillin was reading books on his seat and gleaning the information posted by the big medias. It wasnt perfect, but it was enough for him to get an outline of things. When the starship finally took off, a chorus of cheers broke out from every corner of the starship. It was the maiden voyage of their new group. Cary and Xiao Shang even ran a circle around the entire ship while screaming like a pair of madmen. During this time, Shusag sparred with Cary, shared some techniques and exchanged battle experiences with everyone who was interested. The youngsters were able to learn a lot of practical battle techniques thanks to him. Shi Tang had become much healthier ever since he started receiving proper treatment. He no longer looked like he had one foot in the grave, and his hair was growing again. He even participated in Shusags teaching and learned some combat techniques from him. There were all kinds of forces in Sector Z, and the Eleventh B Squadron ran into some of them during their travels. However, these people all laughed when they introduced themselves as Vanguards Eleventh B Squadron. The entire GAL knew that Vanguard only had ten B Squadrons, not eleven. What did this mean? It meant that this Eleventh B Squadron was a fake, duh! No one thought much of them at all because of this. They might have been nervous if this squadron belonged to one of the existing real Vanguard B Squadrons, but a fake? A fake made up of one starship and the number 11 on the Vanguard logo? Youve got to be kidding me! As a result, the Eleventh B Squadron was immediately thought of as a joke, and it wasnt long before the news traveled far and wide. Some people were even looking forward to Vanguards reaction to this joke of a starship, except it never happened. Vanguard just stayed silent throughout the whole thing. All of the B Squadrons were informed of the new Eleventh B Squadron beforehand, so no one made a fuss about it even though they all thought that it was ridiculous, and that their very existence made a mockery of the hunter regiment they belonged to. Right now, the Sixth B Squadron was based on a planet with a planetary habitability of A. It was a great planet they had snatched from another force when the chaos began, and theyespecially those who had to stay at the underground base and suffered its playful teasingsvery satisfied with it. On the flagship stationed outside the planet, Simon asked the subordinate next to him, Are they arriving soon? Yessir. Looking from the signal, the Eleventh Squad should be arriving in fifteen minutes. Good. Simon sat down on his chair. Dont forget to carry out our plan. Yessir. Since Cillin only said that he wanted to retrieve his items onboard the ship, that was where he planned to hold their reception. He had no intention of welcoming the Eleventh Squad to their planet, and he had every intention to put on a show of strength and make it clear that he was the commander of the Sixth B Squadron now, not Shawton. In short, he wanted to shame them. How powerful could this new B Squadron possibly be? Not a lot, if he believed even a hundredth of the rumors that were spread around recently. Why would he show courtesy to the squad that had brought shame to their entire hunter regiment? It was why he wasnt even planning to let the Eleventh Squad go through their front door. Simons plans were sweet, but the starship was nowhere to be seen fifteen minutes later. Forget visual confirmations, they even lost track of their signal completely. Whats going on? Simon looked at the subordinate beside him with displeasure. Commander, we lost track of them since five minutes ago. We didnt pick up any signal, and the scans returned completely blank. Simon frowned. Did something happen to the Eleventh Squad? Another five minutes passed, and the sense that something wasnt right grew stronger and stronger in Simons heart. However, his subordinate still couldnt see or hear anything from the Eleventh Squad at all. It was almost as if they had suddenly winked out of existence. Why did they disappear so sudden Commander, look! It was at this moment someone called him to attention. A starship was appearing out of nowhere on the display, and its location was right next to their starship! The logo on the starship felt like daggers in his eyes! It was cloaking! Perfect cloaking! It also meant that the Eleventh Squad had arrived since five minutes ago, they just never realized it until they revealed themselves. If the Eleventh Squad had chosen to remain invisible, they would still be blind even now! Five minutes might not be enough time for some people to take a shit in the toilet, but it was definitely enough time for the Eleventh B Squadron to deal a destructive blow to their ship. Worse, they wouldnt even know who their attacker was until they died. Chapter 322: Dad, Your Shame Part 1 Sorry for the wait. We took a five-minute break just now because it was a long journey. You understand what Im saying, right commander Simon? Cillin said. Like hell I do! Simon thought with a face that was scrunched up like he was constipating. It wasnt just because the Eleventh Squad had stopped right next to his ship for 5 minutes without being detected, or because Cillins greeting made him feel like flipping a table. The problem was that Cillins voice had come from the ships communications system, and he had not given the order to make contact with the Eleventh Squad yet. So how did Cillin manage to make his voice heard? There was only one explanation: The Eleventh Squad could control their communications system! Simon didnt know what other equipment the Eleventh Squad could seize control of, but he was absolutely on his toes at this point. Worse, the more he thought about it, the greater the sense of powerlessness welling inside his heart became. He had thought that he would show the Eleventh Squadron his strength, but now he only felt like a monkey in a circus who thought that he was putting on a stellar performance while the audience clapped. Still, he was a member of the A Squad, so he recoveredon the surface at leastwhile the technicians were still in disbelief. Useless! Simon cursed them in his mind. Ahem! We are very glad to make your acquaintance, Eleventh Squad, Simon said. After his voice shook his subordinates out of their shock, they scrambled to bridge the two starships. When Simon saw the person leading the group that was walking over to his starship, the calm he just regained was immediately shattered once more. When Cillin had contacted Simon at the base, he had assumed the appearance of an honest youngster with brown hair and a thick physique. Right now though, he was presenting himself in his original form. He said, Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am the commander of the Eleventh B Squadron, Cillin. As you may have noticed, this is how I really look like. Simon was just barely keeping his mask together. When Cillin first contacted his friends, he had assumed the form they were familiar with. But after they departed, he reverted to the form everyone from Mist Bodhisattva Empire was familiar with; his true form. It was also the only form where he could be at his absolute best. After the chip was fully activated, Cillin gained the ability to assume any appearance. However, he still preferred his original look because it was the most natural. Also, in this form his energy usage was at its minimum, but his capacity wasnt affected in the slightest. It is an honor to meet you at last! Simon squeezed the words through his teeth. Of all the tricks he could pull is this another attempt to undermine us? The former Sixth Squad members on the ship were shooting Cillin weird looks as well. They were wondering where Cillin had gone to until he had introduced himself. Simon looked behind Cillin. Practically everyone besides Asiya and her child had come over. Also, at least half of the group were made up of unfamiliar faces, but none of them looked like ordinary people. Finally, he settled his gaze on Shusag. The seemingly unreliable old man was currently flirting with a female technician with his eyes, but he had a feeling that he was the strongest fighter of all the new faces. In fact, he was as strong as some of the seniors in the A Squadron. Why would someone like him willingly serve a youngster as a foot soldier? In the end, Simon decided not to carry his original plan. There were several reasons. One, the repeated setbacks had shaken his confidence. Two, Cillin and his gangespecially the way Shusag was eyeing his ship like a space robber would eye a fat preystruck a deep sense of unease in him. Right now, all he wanted was for them to get out of his domain as soon as possible. Control yourself, old man, whispered Tesoro after elbowing his dad. Shusag pouted a little before sighing. You dont understand. Im feeling thirsty, boy. Cary and the others immediately shot Shusag a look of understanding when they heard the exchange. Then, they huddled up and started chatting about something that was most certainly unsafe for kids, even letting slip some vulgar laughter on occasion. Not far away Tang Qiuqiu bit down on her sweet like she was crushing something unpleasant, hands itching to raise her rifle and pop the heads of the vulgar men once and for all. She was no longer the innocent kid she used to be, and she was familiar enough with Cary and his circle to know that they were talking about something lecherous again the moment she heard that laughter. A curious Scarlet Wind tried to move closer to them, but Tang Qiuqiu immediately smacked him in the head and huffed, Where do you think youre going? Its nothing a kid should know about! Simon led them toward the area where the engineers lived. It was where Enjis workshop was. Cillin had locked the workshop behind many pass codes, so it would take a considerable amount of effort to get it unless the intruder forced their way in. Simon didnt have the time nor the heart to mind about the engineers after he took over the Sixth B Squadron. His dealings with them usually involved giving them an order, checking the results of said order and thats it. Moreover, most of the engineers who lived around the area were long-time veterans, so they respected Enji and Cillin well enough to leave the workshop as they were. After Cillin arrived at the entrance, he gave the engineers a friendly smile before entering the passcodes. The workshop that was closed for almost three years was finally opened once more. Czedow, Moon and Sigma helped copy the data and store the samples and specimens Cillin thought was important into boxes. Everyone else stayed outside because too many hands would actually slow down the process. While they were waiting, Cary and the others started reminiscing about the past and talking to Shusag about the good old times. The starship still looked the same as before, but it was no longer their starship anymore not that they were too sad about it. A ship without their comrades was a strange ship no matter how familiar it was. It wasnt even close to being as comfortable and welcoming as their new ship. Simon had left after bringing Cillin to the workshop. As a commander, this was as far as he was expected to do for his guests. Nothing about this was anything like his plan, but Simon was past caring at this point. All he wanted right now was to stay as far away from these people as possible. The mere sight of them caused a nervous flutter in his heart, and for some reason he felt shorter compared to Cillin even though they shared more or less the same height. Did that mean that he felt inferior to Cillin? He refused to believe it, not that it mattered in any way. What did matter, was that he didnt need to see their faces anymore. Not his lieutenant commanders, however. They showed up not long after Simon departed the scene. Cary didnt recognize either of them, which meant that they joined after the Sixth B Squadron underwent a reorganization. In fact, one of them, a woman wasnt even a Vanguard until their belonging force got assimilated, and she was chosen to become the lieutenant commander of the Sixth B Squadron. That wasnt why she caught Cary and several other peoples attention, however. It was because she was an absolute babe and hot as fuck. Cary and his band of hooligans whistled approvingly the moment the two lieutenant commanders arrived. The meaning behind their gazes needed not be said. Tang Qiuqiu caressed her rifle again. Sometimes, she really wished she could pop their heads and end their embarrassing acts once and for all. Yo~ you people belong to the new Eleventh B Squadron, right? Is this everyone? The guy asked in a clearly mocking tone. He purposely emphasized the word everyone to imply how pathetic their number was. Chapter 323: Massacre That transport ship currently has zero gravity and very low oxygen content. An energy scan on the engine compartment revealed that it is currently inactive, and I havent picked any life signals from the ship so far. Of course, theres still a chance that there are survivors on the ship, but it is a very low chance, Moon replied, Moreover, I cant obtain more data because the ships power system and main control system are currently shut down. Of course, that changes if were going inside. Are we? Cillin thought about it for a moment before walking toward the exit of the control room. I, Czedow, Shusag and Moon will be entering the ship to take a look. Cary, inform the crew to be on standby in case we need you to join us. Roger that! Shusag went to the equipment room and took out a protective suit, a breathing mask, a gun, a wrist blade, a pair of gravity boots and more from a locker. Some of these equipment were different from what he was used to in the army, but he was able to adapt because their functions were the same. Not far away, Tesoro called out to him, Hey old man! Be careful and dont embarrass yourself too much, yeah? Shusag put on the gravity boots, shot Tesoro a glance and clicked his tongue audibly. Do you think Im as weak as you? After he was fully ready, Shusag rubbed his sons hair until it was a complete mess and escaped before the boy could give him hell. At the side, Asiya couldnt stop herself from shaking her head. Both father and son just couldnt be honest with each other, could they? Cillin and Shusag had to put on protective suits, but Czedow and Moon needed no such thing. Moon was clearly excited to embark on the exploration mission because he loved to go on adventures and experience new things. In this regard, the infinitely patient Sigma was the complete opposite of him. As the starship slowly approached the transport ship, Cillin, Czedow and Shusag waited on top of an extended bridge while Moon flew over to the hatch and clung to its surface. The flashing blue strip on his faceplate indicated that he was decoding its control mechanism. Sssh It didnt take long for the hatch to open. Just as Moon had said earlier, the interior was shrouded in darkness because the ships power system was either damaged or shut down. Cillin made a hand gesture, and all three of them leaped toward the open hatch. When they landed, their gravity boots clung to the surface and kept them steady. Wheeze was about to charge head first into the ship when Cillin stopped in and said, Dont. Stay with us. Reluctantly, the gray cat sat back down on his shoulder and looked left and right, observing the ship with its senses. Were going in, Cillin informed Eudy before he started walking. Do you want me to hack into the main power system and turn on the power, Cillin? Moon asked. No, not yet. Find out what exactly is wrong with the power system first, but leave no traces. By this, he meant that he wanted Moon to find out if the power failure was caused by an accident or a sabotage. Understood. Moon was very confident in his own abilities. As they ventured deeper into the ship, they quickly saw the dead bodies Wheeze mentioned earlier. Due to the lack of gravity, the bodies and the blood spurting out of the wounds were all floating in mid-air. Some parts of the walls were also marred by bloody drag marks and bloody palm prints left behind by the victims. Who are these people? Shusag asked. They look like normal workers." I dont know. Cillin looked at their clothes but couldnt find anything that might identify them. That being said, he could tell that their employers were powerful people judging from the material of their space suit. Avoid touching the blood droplets and blood clots as much as you are able. Keep them the way they are, Cillin said to Shusag and Czedow. He then looked at Wheeze and put extra emphasis behind his tone, And dont leave any paw marks! Fine. Wheeze withdrew its claws and showed Cillin its tiny paw pads. You happy now? Their killers Shusag checked out a nearby corpse before pointing at a knife wound. Are very professional. It was possible to judge how good a person was with their blade from a cut, and everybody here only had one, clean knife wound on their vitals. It was enough to tell Shusag that their killers were professionals. Moon opened another door, and they went into the control area of the main hold. There were even more floating bodies here, and some of their faces were marred by fear and disbelief. Perhaps the slaughter had come too sudden for them to react. Most of the victims werent carrying a weapon. A genetic analysis revealed that most of them were ordinary people. What do you think about this? Cillin asked Shusag. Its a one-sided slaughter committed by a group of well-trained, well-equipped killers. They barely even left any traces behind. Also Shusag pointed at a body floating not far away from them. This guys stronger than the others, am I right? Cillin looked at the person Shusag was pointing. Unlike the others, this one had died of a gunshot. A genetic analysis also told him that he was an A-rank. In GAL, strength was measured by the rank of ones genes. Therefore, it was unwise to underestimate someone with A-rank genes even if they hadnt received any professional training before. It was probably why the killers had decided to shoot him instead of knifing him like the others. The bullet that took his life seemed to possess incredible penetration power considering that his heart had almost been completely destroyed by it, but the bullet itself possessed little defining characteristics that might reveal the gun model that was used to fire it. The killers had clearly prepped for this as well. Everyone here wore the same space suit, but the killers were able to separate the A-rank people from the others. This meant that the killers had come up with their murderous plan with clear knowledge of the crew on this ship all the way down to the level of their individual strength. Cillin asked Shusag, Do you know how to write a report? Shusag answered, Yeah. Back in the army, I used to write summary reports every time I came back from a mission. Write one after we get back to the ship. No problem. They went around the area one time. The cargo hold had been emptied of its contents, and judging from the residue there were high quality energy blocks, some rare metals and high-end equipment. So much valuables. I wonder who the owner of this transport ship is? I can already imagine them puking blood after learning of their loss, Wheeze said lazily and disappointedly. It had hoped to loot some valuables and fatten its secret purse during this trip, but there turned out to be nothing at all. These people mustve hired powerful guards to protect their valuables, right? Well, where are they? Shusag asked. So far, he hadnt seen anyone who might be a guard yet. Although there were some strong people among the bodies, there were too few of them to be the security team. Theres one guy over there who might be who were looking for, Czedow said while pointing down a passage. His senses told him that the body was clearly stronger than the others. The passage Czedow was pointing to was connected to the cargo hold, and there was a spiraling staircase leading to the upper floor around a corner. The corner led to the control room and the cargo hold on one side, and the toilet on the other. There were two more guards floating at the corner besides the one Czedow had pointed out earlier. They had all succumbed to a single gunshot. Do you need reinforcements, commander? Cary asked through the comms. Not yet. Cillin was afraid that too many cooks would spoil the dish. He didnt want to let anyone know that they had been here before. Im guessing that the upper level is the security teams lounge area. Shusag was about to head up when Czedow grabbed him. Wait. Poison. What? Shusag immediately withdrew his feet. Its barely noticeable on this floor, but the concentration level is much higher upstairs, Czedow said. Hes right. This poisonous gas is fatal to the human body past a certain level, Moon confirmed Czedows scan. Cillin and Shusag inspected their protective suit once before putting on the breathing mask. It expanded and covered their heads completely. There were no gaps between the mask and the suit. Lets go. The higher they went, the thicker the poisonous gas became. After they went up the stairs, they discovered that the entrance leading to the next floor was partially closed. There was a gap just big enough for the gas to seep through. Ready? Moon looked to Cillin. Once Cillin had given him the OK sign, the door slid open fully. The sight behind the door was very revolting. The poisonous gas was a corrosive agent that destroyed the nerves of anyone who inhaled or came into physical contact with it. The necrosis gradually spread throughout the entire body and caused the flesh and the fat to swell up like a bubble. When the process was complete, the victims looked more like malignant tumors than human. The room was filled with them. The gap between the door was the result of a gunshot, but the poisonous gas was so deadly that that was all the guards managed before they breathed their last. The two guards who died at the corner were probably going to the toilet when the gas attack started. Unfortunately, their luck didnt hold against the snipers who were prowling in the area. Most of these people are A-rank, said Cillin after scanning the bodies. Their armor and attire also also confirmed that they were the guards of the transport ship. But why were they all gathered in one place? Can you find out who their leader is, Moon? Cillin asked. Im not sure. Ill try to restore their communication logs. Much of the ships records are altered to a certain degree. The fact that the killers were able to modify the monitoring logs and even the comm logs probably meant that there was a spy amidst the transport ship. If they could restore these logs, they might be able to figure out the identity of these killers easier. As it turned out, whoever altered the records of the ship was an expert. Despite the combined efforts of Moon and Wheeze, a small portion of the data were erased so thoroughly that they were impossible to recover, but only a small potion. Looking at the communication logs, it looked like the guards had been summoned to the lounge area. The only one who had the authority to do this was either the security captain himself, or the captain of this transport ship. The summon was sent from the bridge, Moon said. We didnt see anyone in the bridge when we checked the control area though. Shusag remembered this very well because he was wondering why there were no bodies there. Cillin thought for a moment before saying, Lets head back and take a look. Moon, continue restoring any info you can with Wheeze, and send me the crew list as well once you have it. You can restore it, cant you? If you cant Ill do it myself. Of course we can! Wheeze and Moon replied at the same time. After he closed the staircase door, Cillin and Shusag returned to the control area and went to the bridge. Logically speaking, the captains body should be somewhere around here, but there was nothing. They hadnt seen anyone who might be the captain in other parts of the ship either, although it wasnt like they had searched every crook and nanny of this place. Maybe the captain had hidden himself in a corner or something? No, hes right here. Czedow pointed at the air all of a sudden. Or rather, his body wouldve been here if it wasnt atomized. The atmospheric composition of the bridge is clearly different from outside. Ive compared them to the human body and found about two peoples worth of atoms. Shusag felt his back turn into ice. Who the hell are these killers, and what drove them to commit such an atrocity? It was bad enough that they massacred an entire ship of people, but to go so far as to disintegrate even their bodies into atoms? Two? Assuming that one of them was the ships captain, whos the other person? Why go through the effort of wiping them from existence, literally? What are they hiding? Cillin puzzled. Hey, this is the captain of the ship. Moon sent them a picture with a short description. Cillin didnt recognize the man, nor did Czedow carry his info in his database. Send me the rest of the profiles, Cillin said. Moon did just that. The pictures blurred together as they flashed across the screen. Wait! Cillin suddenly said, Move two profiles back. Yes, this is the one! The man in the picture was the person in charge of the security. He had average looks and almost no defining features. He was the kind of person who could blend in a crowd as easy as a breeze. But Cillin still remembered him even though it had been a few years since they last met. The first time Cillin met Douance Aiflon was during the first mission he participated as a hunter of the Sixth B Squadron of Vanguard. He had fought two of his bodyguards at the time, and the man in the picture was the one he sent flying. This clarified a couple of things. One, this transport ship was ferrying the goods that belonged to the Douance Family. Two, great efforts had been carried out to conceal the existence of these goods. The lack of identifiable features on the crews spacesuit was the proof of that. They had never planned to expose themselves, and had this been a normal robbery the space robbers would never realize whom the goods belonged to. Who were the killers who dared to rob the Douance Family, and what faction did they belong to? With this new revelation, Cillin guessed that the second person who got atomized was this bodyguard. Do you know this guy? Shusag asked. Yes. He probably works for the Douance Family, but its all just assumptions right now. A family? Is there a conspiracy in the play? The Douance guy I know would never carry out an operation without preparation, but the fact is his people got slaughtered one-sidedly. This could only mean that theres a spy in his midst, again. Anyway, lets gather some more data and leave this place. Why are we even gathering these data? And with this much caution no less? Shusag pointed at the bodies, the blood, and the images Moon sent them. We came all the way here, so we cant leave empty-handed. The caution is to avoid getting tangled in the web. In the future, we may be able to convert what we learned today into something profitable. Nothing is ever easy, huh. Shusag let out a sigh. I would like to save some time and effort myself, but each one of these old bastards are only more cunning than the next. Multiple contingencies are necessary if you wish to steal from their pockets, or they may very well turn on us even though we did them a favor. How much profit do you estimate we could get from this investigation? I dont know yet. I guess it depends on how much effort we put into it. Understood! Shusag gave him the OK sign before leaving to inspect the wounds and other things in detail. The war veteran was quite familiar with the art of inspecting wounds, imagining opponents, estimating power levels and the like. He mightve retired from the army for a very long time, but he hadnt shedded all of his professional habits. It also made writing the report later much easier. Cillin when to check the engine compartment. The signs of tampering were very obvious here. Someone had entered the engine compartment and cut off the main power supply to stop the ship from moving. Then, they tampered with the power system and altered the ships gravity. Finally, they slaughtered the crew while they were confused. Before leaving the transport ship, Cillin told Moon to set up a monitoring program in case someone decided to board it for whatever reason. After they returned to the starship, Cillin called a small meeting and informed the others not to speak about the transport ship. It was because it would attract unnecessary trouble. Alright, we can forget about this and talk about something else. Cillin pointed at a planet on the star map. This planet is our destination. To put it bluntly, were heading over to eat some game. Alright! Wanna compete and see who can hunt more games this time, Xiao Shang? Cary looked challengingly at Xiao Shang. The eight-armed man responded immediately, Sure! Im not scared of you! I want to join too! Tang Qiuqiu raised her hand eagerly. Cillin left the crew to their fun and returned to his room to take a short nap. Five minutes later, he shot a glance at the obviously restless Wheeze. Well, what is it? Speak. Whatever do you mean? Its nothing. Wheeze halted in its track and looked away, but its tone was clearly devoid of any conviction. Cillin pinched its furry ears and pulled them up slightly. Really? R-really. Okay then. Cillin let go and stared at Wheeze unblinkingly. The foolish cats tail started freezing more and more until finally, it gave up and spat out a red gem. The red gem was about as big as Cillins fingernail and as red as blood. With a light source, the gem shone like a demonic object that couldnt help but enchant anyone who saw it. There was a break on its surface, however. It was almost as if the top of the gem was cut off by something. Wheezes ability to identify value was growing better and better as of late, so when it saw the gem amidst the floating flesh and blood, it swallowed it the second Cillin looked in the other direction. It was certain that the gem was worth at least a hundred fish biscuits. One problem though: Cillin had explicitly told it to preserve the scene as much as possible. That was why Wheeze had been fidgeting until just now. Cillin took a look at the red gem before placing it inside a small box. Well keep it here for now. If it turns out to be useless, then Ill sell it and buy you some food. Wheeze was very satisfied with Cillins answer. Now that it was free from its demons, it quickly curled into a ball next to Cillin and started dozing off. It had to recover enough energy for the hunt later, you see. Cillin had his eyes closed as well, but he wasnt truly asleep. The source of his puzzlement was none other than the gem Wheeze had stolen from the ship. The gem was obviously valuable, and judging from its shape it had fallen off a womans ring. However, Cillin hadnt found anyone who might wear a ring like this on the crew profile. Less than a tenth of the crew on the transport ship were female, and they were all just normal people. Chapter 324: Not Again! There were three objectives they wanted to achieve via hunting: gather food, sell some high quality game for credits, and give everyone some quality practice time. The massive changes in GAL caused the target priority on hunting planets to change slightly. In the past, most people would be gunning for rare games that could be sold for good money. Today, games with a hefty amount of meat around their bones had become the first priority. After all, no one liked to eat nutrition pills or drink nutrition agents all day. Usually, food supplies like these could be procured from the farms of big financial groups, but now they cost a lot more and the supply couldnt catch up to the demand. There was no army in the world that could run on an empty stomach after all. Hunters preferred to solve their food crisis themselves, so conflicts in the hunting star region were very frequent as of late, and countless people never returned from their hunting trip. Some hunters were killed by the very beasts they were hunting, and many more were killed by other hunters. Even before they traveled toward a hunting planet, Cillin had already asked Cary to prep the new recruits on things they should pay attention to in a hunting star region. After all, their opponents included both cunning alien beasts and hidden hunters. Their squadron was fairly small, so so was their food demand. Therefore, they ultimately chose a hunting planet with high commercial value. The alien beasts on this planet were more difficult to hunt, but their value was that much higher, especially because a lack of hunting had led to a drop in supply. To Wheeze, this was without a doubt a great opportunity to make some money. Speaking of which, Wheeze had rejected Cillins offer to visit the planet it previously lived on. One, it had only been a few years since it left the planet. Two, it didnt think that there would be anything worth seeing there. A human and an animals thinking were ultimately different. A human who had left his birthplace for several years might want to head back and take a look, but all this cat cared about were the alien beasts it was going to slaughter. Initially, Shusag was worried that Wheeze might develop some sort of trauma from hunting its own kind. He quickly discovered that he was completely mistaken. After they arrived at their destination, the group left their starship in orbitinvisible, because there were several other starships parked outside the planet, and there was no need to confront themand flew a spaceplane to the planet. Not long ago, Sigma had setup a small fruit garden on the starship. At first, it did it purely to enjoy the process of growing things, but now that they were heading to a hunting planet, Sigma decided to to collect any fruit plant that grows tasty and is highly nutritious fruits it could find and bring them back to the ship. It would ensure a steady supply of fresh fruits for the crew, and the fruits could even be made into nutrition agents. This was the definition of self-sustainability. That was why Sigma and Moon had went off on their own to gather seeds and saplings. Of course, they would maintain a line of contact with the crew and return after it was time to head back. Cillin wasnt worried because he trusted that Moon to protect both him and his sibling. Both robots possessed great destructive abilities despite their harmless appearance, and Moon was more cunning than many old foxes. Cillin wasnt worried about them being fooled by anyone. The gang entered a forest after grabbing their equipment. The valuable game they were hunting were really located at the mountainous area beyond the forest, but they started there anyway because they also wanted to gather some food supply along the way. It would be a good warmup as well. The crew split up into teams of two or three and advanced in a specific formation. There was a certain distance between each team, but in case of danger they were close enough to reinforce each other very quickly. The formation they were using also helped to create a zone of relatively strong safety. Cillin was paired with Eudy and his little chameleon, Dough. Dough was the weakest creature in the squadron, and a cowardly one too. The nervous chameleon was observing its surroundings nervously as they trekked through the forest. Dangerous situations were one of the few situations it obeyed Eudy without question. In contrast, Wheeze was like an ADHD patient who was bouncing all over the place like crazy. Cillin had to tell it to control itself because it was scaring away the prey, so the gray cat could only jump around Cillin once in a while, roll on the ground once in a while, and eat a grass to relieve its inflammation once in a while. If it detected any prey within the vicinity, it shot forward like a lightning bolt as if it was scared that Cillin and Eudy would catch it before it could. The rest of the teams had also begun their work, but all Cillin could hear was the soft noise of bullets penetrating a preys bones, not gunfire. It was because they were using different guns and bullets. Guns made for hunting usually had excellent noise silencing features. They had transport robots to carry their prey back to the spaceplane, so they could focus solely on hunting. What are your thoughts about that? Eudy asked in a quiet voice. Knowing that Eudy was referring to the transport ship incident from earlier, Cillin replied, Im not sure. The transport ship probably belongs to the Douance Family, but I have no idea who their killers might be. Anyone could be the killer considering the global situation right now. Do you think it might be the crazies from Sector V? Eudy asked again. At first, the crazies definitely sat at the top of Cillins suspect list. Those crazies were infamous for their bloodthirst and taste for murder for a reason, and once they were provoked it was very difficult to shake them off completely. Considering how the crew of that transport ship were murdered, it was definitely possible that they were the culprits. Moreover, these monsters had definitely killed to their hearts content ever since he killed the one person who could keep their impulses under control, Oskulos. Even he, a returnee had heard of the many massacres they committed across the galaxy. However, Cillin quickly rejected the possibility upon further consideration. The killing was too organized and well-planned. They even made sure to wipe out every trace of the ships commander and security captain, which is a clear sign that these people are trying to conceal something. That doesnt seem like something those people from Sector V would do. Thats true. The poison gas didnt seem like their style either. Those madmen would rather use a bomb than poison gas, I think. It looks like you suspect someone else as well, said Cillin while looking at Eudy. Eudy let out a sigh. It feels like the entire GAL is one giant fog right now. Some forces look like close friends, but beneath the surface they couldve fought each other countless times already. The army, the politicians, the families; everyone has an entire hand of trump cards ready to play at a moments notice. Even the chaos that seemed like it appeared out of nowhere was anticipated and prepared for by countless forces because there were already signs long before your disappearance. Any spark couldve set off the great chaos, and in this case it was the rumors of Oskulos death, one of the Star Rank Hunters that did it. Cillin suddenly remembered something. Where did the rumors of Oskulos death started? I heard that it was Sector V. They wouldnt have dared to show off their firepower and even declare their so-called freedom alliance otherwise. To Cillins knowledge, the only people who knew he killed Oskulos were Ji Feng, Jiada and the organization known as Grim Reaper. Therefore, one of them had to be the one who leaked this. All of them had a motive to kickstart this chaos and further their own interests. Whats wrong? Did you realize something? Eudy asked. Im wondering whos the one who leaked this news. They had to be looking forward to this chaos. Thats true, not to mention that they had used the crazies from Sector V to start it. Between Ji Feng, Jiada and Grim Reaper, who do you think is the likeliest culprit to have done this? Cillin looked at Eudy again. The man looked caught off guard. A serious expression immediately crawled up his face. Do you know something, Cillin? The hunter simply stayed silent and waited for Eudy to give him an answer. Eudy mulled over the question seriously. He had never stopped gathering information about that moment since he left the Sixth B Squadron, and he was able to steal a lot of data from many different forces thanks to the chaos. He just hadnt told anyone about his efforts or findings. Oskuloss death was definitely leaked by the head of a violent organization at Sector V, but its impossible to say who mightve leaked the news to him. Regardless, that was the fuse that detonated the chaos that had been brewing in GAL for a very long time. To be honest with you, everyone you mentioned couldve leaked thisbut only if they knew the truth of Oskulos death, I think. Eudy freely shared his thoughts with Cillin even though Ji Feng was the admiral of Vanguard. He also shared a summary of the info he gathered during this time in hopes that they would be of help to Cillin. When Eudy was done speaking, Cillin smiled at him and said, You mustve spent a lot of effort to gather all this information, am I right? Allow me to add a piece to your puzzle then. Yes, Oskulos is definitely dead. Im the one who killed him. Eudy nearly stumbled on his feet. Dough actually fell off his shoulder and rolled on the ground before it climbed back up its shoulder in a hurry. You youre serious? Oskulos was the reason I left the base back then. That being said, I wouldve died a hundred percent if Czedow and Wheeze didnt show up in time to help me. Eudy scratched his hair a couple of times before he let out a chuckle. Im serving under an amazing commander, huh? A pause later, Eudy remembered something and added, Dont worry, I wont tell this to anyone. By the way, does this mean that the people you mentioned earlier all knew about this? Yeah. After that, the two of them spent a while analyzing the global situation for a moment until Shusag contacted them. Apparently, his team had run into two seriously wounded hunters. Whats wrong? Cary and Xiao Shang emerged from the nearby foliage and asked Cillin. Its nothing. Eudy, go with Cary and Xiao Shang and continue toward our target destination. Ill go meet with Shusags hunters myself. Cillin started running toward Shusags location after informing Wheeze what happened. Shusag and Tesoro were in a team with Ba Dao. They were interacting well with each other because they were all fellow aliens. Lying on the ground in front of them were two severely wounded hunters. Their bones were broken in many places, and their internal organs suffered varying degrees of damage. There were both signs of alien and human inflicted injuries. Regardless, it was clear that these people required treatment ASAP. The younger hunter of the duo was the one who carried his companion up to Shusags team and requested for their help. If you are not in a position where you can help me, I dont mind buying some boosters and nutrition agents off your hands, said the young man while pulling out his blood-stained debit card. Cillin entered the scene just in time to see him swiping a finger across the card and showing the team the amount of money it contained. Through this action the young man was hinting that the team would be better off dealing with each other peacefully than violently. They might be severely wounded right now, but that didnt mean they have the power to drag them into their grave if necessary. Cillin watched the young man with an odd expression on his face. What a coincidence. Should I say that hes unfortunate or beyond fortunate? Commander. Ba Dao spent a short moment report the incident and the young mans request to Cillin. Although he had the boosters and the nutrition agents the hunter requested, he had been a hunter long enough to witness all kinds of deceptions. That was why he wasnt sure if he should cut a deal with them or just end their lives outright, which eventually led to Shusag calling Cillin on the communicator and leaving the final decision to him. The team wasnt expecting Cillin to show up himself, however. Cillin glanced at the duo before crouching on the ground next to them. Then, he said, Repeat to me everything you said earlier. The young man patiently repeated his request, but didnt mention anything about their identities or the circumstances that led to their wounds at all. Being a hunter himself, Ba Dao hadnt bothered to ask because he knew they wouldnt reveal such sensitive informationor at least nothing truthfulno matter what. Mm. Cillin made a noncommittal sound before saying, How many boosters and nutrition agents would you like to buy? The young man was about to answer when he noticed something and looked to the side. He saw a fat cat holding a sparrow in its mouth running and bouncing toward his direction at a speed that didnt match of the size of its fat at all. It was clearly in a good mood judging from the fact that it was jumping up and down a tree repeatedly. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that all the words he wanted to say died in his throat the moment he saw the fat cat. The expression he was wearing on his face right now could only be described as distorted. Shusag, Tesoro, Ba Dao and even the young mans companion couldnt understand why he looked like this. He had frozen up like a corpse, and he looked like he would rather die than meet the cat. Wheeze leaped up Cillins shoulder with the sparrow in its mouth, only to be slapped right back down to the ground. Play with your prey anywhere that isnt my shoulder. Cillin knew Wheeze well enough to know that it had captured the sparrow purely for entertainments sake. If the sparrow was still alive by the end of its ministrations, it would devour it whole. If not, then it would toss it aside. It disliked eating dead prey. So far, the sparrow lodged in Wheezes mouth seemed pretty lively. It could flap its wings much because they were punctured by the cats teeth, but its legs were flailing wildly. Wheeze was just about to do what Cillin said on the nearby grass when it glanced at the fallen hunters and felt its eyes widened. At the same time, the young hunter looked like he wanted to hide his head between his thighs. Oh my meow! Youre that Ghost Butterfly something who owed us 1.1 million credits back then!! hollered Wheeze while specifically emphasizing the words 1.1 million ciredts. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was hollering inside his own head, Fuck me! How the fuck is this happening again!? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen kept quiet despite the mad howls inside his head. At the same time, he realized that Cillin must be nearby if the gray cat was here. Wheeze thought that the young hunter wanted to deny his debt, so it immediately spilled everything. Less than two minutes later, everyone present learned exactly how Ghost Butterfly Seventeen got swindled by Cillin and paid 1.1 million credits for a booster and a nutrition agent. What debt?? I already paid you back your money! Ghost Butterfly Seventeen uttered through gritted teeth. So what? Doesnt change the fact that you owed us money before. Wheeze didnt even care about the sparrow that escaped far, far away on its feet anymore. Say, are you planning to buy medicine from us again? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was silent. The guy next to him was silent as well. Shusag felt like laughing, but held back because he felt that it wasnt the appropriate time or place. As a result, his face twitched like a balloon that might explode at any moment. Seeing that Ghost Butterfly Seventeen wasnt answering, Wheeze turned to Cillin and asked, So? Are they buying medicine again, Cillin? If they are, how much are we going to charge them this time? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen abruptly stared at the cat before facing to the guy crouching next to them. Youre Cillin? Yep. Its me. Cillin nodded. You dont recognize me, do you? My looks changed. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt like his luck was absolutely rotten these days. He had imagined countless scenarios in his head before he decided to call for help, and he had considered what to say very carefully when he encountered the hunters, but never in a million years did he think that he would run into Cillin and Wheeze again! Although the young man looked very different from his previous self, the way Cillin spoke was something he wasnt going to forget anytime soon. Add the cat to the mix, he was more or less certain that the guy in front of him was definitely Cillin. And how could he forget? Cillin and his cat were some of the biggest scums he had ever met in his life! But despite the clear look of reluctance on Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face, Shusag noticed that the young man had relaxed considerably compared to the beginning. It was because Cillin was someone he knew. Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Sigma successfully located a couple of good saplings. However, they were surrounded by brambles that were so thick that it was impossible to reach even from the air. They knew this because they had tried it already. It looked like it would take considerable effort to procure them. Sigma was about to stretch his metaphorical muscles when Moon stopped him. Theres no need to go through all that energy, said Moon while raising its arm and pointed his palm at the brambles. His fingers retracted unto themselves, and his palm turned into a cannon. BOOM When the dust settled, almost all the brambles except the ones surrounding the saplings were gone. It was now a lot more manageable than before. See? This is way easier now! Not far away, a group of hunters who thought they hid themselves pretty well wondered if they had misjudged the robots strength, and that they should seek out other preys. Before they could come to a decision, Moon pointed his cannon at the foliages they were hiding behind. Another boom later, Moon looked at the escaping hunters for a moment before turning to Sigma. Come on, lets go grab your seeds and saplings. Sigma: ... Chapter 325: Killers Two million credits! He couldve bought an entire box of the shitty medicines for just ten thousand under normal circumstances! Unfortunately, he wasnt in a normal situation right now. When Ghost Butterfly Seventeen shot Wheeze a look of annoyance, only to discover that the gray cat itself was watching him with clear suspicion in its eyes, he nearly puked blood there and then. Why are you looking at me like that? You really think that someone with my reputation is going to renege on my debt just because I didnt give you an IOU?! Wheezes suspicion didnt fade in the slightest. Right now it had two debit cards trapped beneath its paw. One of them had 10k in it, and the other 30k+, so just 30k if it rounded down the number. Therefore, you and your friend owe us a total of 160 million in total! If the two of you dare renege on your debt, Ill immediately let the entire GAL hear of your dishonesty! Wheeze said seriously. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt his wounds opening up again, and he couldnt tell if it was because his anger level was off the charts. He wiped his face once before saying to his companion who was busy recovering his strength, Get the hell away from these two if you ever had the misfortune of encountering them again, Swallowtail! Swallowtail didnt even open his eyes, much less give Ghost Butterfly Seventeen a reply. If he hadnt known that there was someone this outrageous in Vanguard before, he sure did now. The army had always thought that hunters were bloodsuckers, and Swallowtail fully agreed with that. But it was one thing to know a truth and another to experience it himself. To say that he was fuming on the inside was an understatement, and this was only truer for Ghost Butterfly Seventeen, the guy who got swindled twice by the same cat-and-hunter duo. Fucking swindlers! It was at this moment Cillins communicator rang. It was Cary. Commander, it looks like we dont need to trek all the way to the mountains and flush out our prey anymore. I dont know what scared them, but the beasts are all running out of their hidey holes and moving toward our direction. How many are they? Cillin asked. A lot. Definitely enough for us to earn a pretty sum of credits! Cary sounded very happy. Pull back if the herd grows too big to handle. Theres no need to overextend yourself. Understood! After the report was made, Cary informed the other about the situation while Eudy ordered everyone to draw close. It was because it was a bad idea to tackle the type of alien beasts they were hunting with an overly loose formation. They had planned for this operation before arriving at the planet, so the crew naturally moved into positions and got ready to hunt. The horn of the alien beast possessed a faint scent that could drive away pests and soothe a persons nerves. Therefore, it was very popular as an accessory or a decoration among the wealthy. A good quality horn could even be sold for five figures. Of course, the reward was proportional to the risk. The horned beast was extremely violent, fast and protected by an extraordinarily tough exterior. It usually lived in groups at mountainous areas, and many a hunter had suffered a loss in their hands. The magazine Cary was equipping was suitable for hunting small creatures only, so he switched it to the one meant for middle or large-sized creatures. All their firearms were 2-in-1s specifically so that they could react in time in a situation like this. Bang! A bullet accurately entered the eye of an incoming alien beast and exploded. The explosion was just big enough to turn its brain into mushy goo, but not big enough to damage the horn on its forehead. Cary wasnt the one who made the shot, though. Looks like shes as good as ever, thought Cary as he glanced at the nearby Tang Qiuqiu. Tang Qiuqiu had taken her shot while he was still in the middle of an aim, and judging from the result the girls skills hadnt fallen off in the slightest during the two or so years they were separated. Everyone started shooting after Tang Qiuqiu officially kickstarted the hunt. While this was going on, Xi Kais robots cut off the alien beasts horns first so that they wouldnt be stolen by nearby scavengers. More in-depth processing would have to wait until the hunt was truly over, however. These pincer-swinging creatures could hardly wait for them to finish processing the goods before attacking them, right? Ba Dao couldnt hold still any longer when he learned that the hunt had begun, so Cillin allowed him, Shusag, Tesoro to leave and meet up with the others. He himself stayed behind to watch over Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail. Right now the duo were in the middle of recovering, so they could easily fall prey to an ambush if there wasnt a third person to guard them. Even a small alien beast could deal a hard blow to them if the circumstances turned out to be unlucky. Are you sure hes fine on his own? Shusag asked after the three of them left Cillins side. Cillin is very strong, and boss Wheeze is with him, so dont worry. As long as they dont run into an entire horde of alien beasts or something, nothing will happen to them, Ba Dao answered. Shusag had never seen Cillin or Wheeze fight until now. He knew that the cat wasnt as easy as it looked, but he could hardly imagine how strong it was without an actual reference point. Swallowtail was a bit surprised that Cillin had chosen to stay behind and protect them, but judging from the complete lack of surprise on Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face he was clearly of the opposite opinion. This revelation forced Swallowtail to revise his opinion of Cillin, especially because Vanguard and Blue Butterfly werent hostile to each other right now. So, are you still with the Sixth B Squadron, Cillin? What position are you right now? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen asked. Before Cillin could answer that question, Wheeze raised its chin and bragged for him, Were the Eleventh Squad now! Eleventh Squad? An Eleventh B Squadron? But I thought Vanguard only has ten B Squadrons? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen voiced his doubt. There are eleven, now. Its a new squadron Cillin founded just a while ago, Wheeze said very proudly. Why are you acting so proud for? You arent the founder, are you? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen immediately took a dig at Wheeze. At first, he thought that the gray cat would be furious at him, but surprisingly there were no response at all. Wheeze paid Ghost Butterfly Seventeens jab no heed because its attention was currently elsewhere. The way its ears were flicking and the hair in its ears were vibrating were clear signs that it was probing its surroundings like a radar. A shot while later, Wheeze suddenly said, Cillin! Cillin had clearly sensed what it sensed as well. The size of the commotion was growing a bit too big, surpassing even his original prediction. Ghost Butterfly looked to Swallowtail for answers when he realized that something was amiss, but Swallowtail looked just as confused as he was. They hadnt picked up anything at all, although it could be because their senses were degraded by their injuries. The commotion had come from the crews direction, and he knew that they should be able to handle it, However, something about this unusual activity made him feel uneasy, and he wasnt a person who ignored his intuition. So, he made the snap decision to contact the crew and order an immediate withdrawal. The crew was currently enjoying a helluva good time, and it definitely felt a bit disappointing to abandon their hunt so suddenly. Still, they obeyed Cillins order and mounted an immediate withdrawal. Whats wrong? Ghost Butterfly asked Cillin. Instead of answering, the young man pulled out two syringes and injected one each to him and Swallowtail. You! Cillin had moved so quickly that neither Ghost Butterfly Seventeen nor Swallowtail couldve stopped him even if they tried. They were unable to react at all probably because they had let their guard down, but Swallowtail also realized that he still might not have been able to dodge out of the way even if he had been perfectly healthy. There were absolutely no signs that Cillin was going to make a move until he did, and by then was already too late. Dont worry, theyre just medicines that help you recover faster; way more expensive than the ones I sold you earlier. Swallowtail spent a moment to feel himself. It definitely was a lot better than the medicine they were using until now; even his breathing had improved dramatically in just a short time. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen felt a muscle twitch in his face. Now what? Is this where he starts extorting us for even more money? And then Rumble rumble rumble There were three rumbles in a row, and judging from the sound it definitely came from far away. However, the obvious tremor still alarmed Ghost Butterfly Seventeen greatly. Was that an earthquake? Cillin planted a foot on a tree branch, jumped all the way to the top in one go, and looked to the distance. The commotion had already alerted a flock of birds. They were all flying toward his direction. Cillin opened his communicator again and said, Come back now, but do not travel by air! Besides that, Cillin ordered Xi Kai to send some robots to the crews aid just in case they were slowed down by the stampede. Realizing that they had an actual crisis at hand, everyone moved at double speed. Wheeze made contact with the spaceplane as Cillin requested. They were leaving the second the crew returned. A bit far away, Moon and Sigma were flying back to the rendezvous point as well. Was that an earthquake, Moon? Sigma asked in mid-flight. Im not sure. It seems a bit unnatural to me. Moon was confused himself. He and Sigma had researched the land before they arrived and confirmed that it was no earthquake zone, so how could an earthquake this big happen so suddenly? Even the cannon he fired earlier wasnt this bad. The crew wasnt making very good progress because they were slowed down by small panicking animals running all over the place like crazy and natural obstacles such as trees and shrubberies. They could travel much faster by air, but Cillin already told them not to do so even if some of them were riding hoverboards. It wasnt long before the sight of their own transport robots flying their games to their spaceplane unimpeded set a gloomy cloud over everyones heads. After taking out an alien beast who tried to knock him over, Cary shouted, Why are there some many creatures all of a sudden?! Did we run into a stampede or something? Its a stampede alright. The better question is, why are they all running our way? Eudy said while observing the growing number of alien beasts all around them. This was the safe zone because most of the animals were small and non-threatening. The real threat were the big, violent creatures at the back of the stampede. It was no wonder Cillin told them to withdraw ASAP. The earthquakes had come from three separate directions, each causing a stampede of their own. Had they withdrawn even a minute slower, they wouldve been caught in a triangle of stampedes and be in much bigger trouble now. God dammit, of all the times for an earthquake to happen! Xiao Shang complained. Save it for when we get back to the spaceplane! Eudy was just done reprimanding Xiao Shang when he heard three strange noises in a row. One of them happened just half a meter from him, and the other two right next to Xiao Shang and Cary. After that, three invisible people wearing cloaking equipment appeared from thin air and dropped on the ground, dead. They had all been headshot. Realizing that something was amiss, Shusag tried to react only to see a figure appearing in front out of them like magic and thrusting a thin, long blade at the space right next to his throat. Behind him, an invisible person appeared with their blade just ten centimeters away from his flesh. The long blade caused every hair on Shusags body to stand on end. It pierced right through the invisible assailants head. The person in front of Shusag was none other than Cillin himself. He and Wheeze had run toward the crew the moment they noticed something amiss, and just as expected someone was trying to kill their people! Shusag couldnt stop his eyelids from twitching. If Cillin hadnt shown up in time, either he or Tesoro wouldve suffered a grievous injury or even died on the spot. The killers stealth abilities were already unbelievably good, but the ongoing stampede helped to conceal their presence even better. Enemy attack! The others quickly realized what was going on and responded to the threat. Zzzt Xi Kai immediately engaged a form of disruptive signal that disabled the invisible assailants cloaking equipment. As the creator of robots, no one was more familiar with cloaking devices better than he was. It was also why he kept an anti-cloaking device with him at all times. The anti-cloaking signal proved to be successful as all the assailants within the vicinity started appearing out of thin air. Although their appearance still somewhat unclear, it was enough for the crew to start fighting back. When in combat, Snowball looked nothing like the dumb bear it normally looked like. It grew to five meters tall, its fangs elongated like a vampires, and its silver eyes turned as frigid as a snowstorm. Everything about it screamed danger to its attackers. Tang Qiuqiu tied a strong strip beneath Snowballs armpit and across its shoulder so that she could secure herself atop its shoulder. This way, Snowball could protect her without affecting her ability to shoot at the revealed assailants. Snowball had no problems taking out the alien beasts running about mindlessly in the area. A single swing of the arm was enough to send a couple of beasts flying through the air. There was basically no chance those unfortunate creatures would survive considering its strength. Snowball looked heavy, but it wasnt slow in the slightest. Even then, Tang Qiuqiu was able to headshot every single assailant without fail. They mustve fought together like this many times in the past; their coordination smooth, and their reaction upon discovering the enemy swift. Shusag was also taking out the assailants. Earlier, he was careless and focused on the threat the stampede represented only. The experience also taught him that he was living in a new world with new rules, and that he must adapt to its cruelty as soon as possible if he truly wished to forge a great future for himself and Tesoro. GAL was no Mist Bodhisattva Empire. It was a galaxy that obeyed the law of the jungle. Every one of these killers had carried out countless assassinations and survived countless impossible battles, so their physical and mental fortitude were incomparable to the average person. It was to the point where even Xi Kais invisible robots couldnt keep up with them at all. Their hardware was technically on par with the assailants, but their software was a completely different story. In the end, the crew had to rely on themselves to take care of the enemy. Pay attention to Scarlet Wind! Shusag said to Tesoro, Ill take care of the attackers around us, so just focus on studying his movement and the way ot uses his claws. In fact, Shusag had paid close attention to Scarlet Wind since a long time ago, but not because he was an alien just like them. It was because of the way the humanoid hound uses his claws. In combat, Scarlet Wind could always find the most accurate and energy saving angle to attack his enemies. Even better, it was a product of pure instinct and not a deliberated move at all, which shocked Shusag because even he dared not claim that his claw fighting skills were better than Scarlet Winds. Moreover, Scarlet Wind possessed explosive strength didnt match his relatively small size at all. Even he would have to dodge out of harms way unless he wished to be dismembered where he stood. That was why Shusag hoped that Tesoro could learn something from Scarlet Wind. Shusag also noticed Tang Qiuqiu as a matter of course. Both children fought at a level that was almost purely instinctual. Just what kind of environment did they grow up in? Or are they just that talented? Personally, Shusag thought that talent was just a modifier of sorts. In the end, it was up to the person themselves to decide whether they wanted to remain a stone, or become a gem. For example, the sharpest blade was only useful on the right persons hand. Otherwise, it would be a waste of talent at best. Czedow was the only one out of everyone who fought bare-handed. Aliens like Shusag didnt count because his claws were technically a weapon, even though they were also was a part of his own body. Cary glanced at the robots direction just in time to see him twisting a gun barrel like nothing and pulling out the wielders entire arm like it took no effort at all. He didnt even catch any bloodstain on his person. Holy shit, that is so violent! Although Xi Kais device disrupted many a cloaking equipment, there were attackers who naturally had the ability to turn invisible, so of course the device didnt work on them at all. Thankfully these people were just the minority, and Cillin had been giving them his attention out after Xi Kais anti-cloaking device came active. He could move onto the obvious threats after the hidden ones were dealt with. After his chip was fully activated, his constitution had jumped to a whole new level yet again. On the surface he looked exactly the same as before, but in reality his speed and his senses were far better than they used to be, so much so that he could even see the invisible people with his naked eyes to a certain extent. They appeared as a vague, blurry outline of sorts to him, but it was still way clearer than how the killers looked to the others. Sha Rou was also one of the few members among the crew who could see the invisible attackers because of her unique constitution. However her ability was lacking, and she couldnt respond in a timely manner even if she could see them. She was still a long way away from reaching the professional killers level, so Cillin had to protect her from time to time while he reduced the enemies numbers. That being said, the girl was growing very quickly, and she was opening up more and more ever since she left the empire. She had picked up many battle techniques from the others, and experiences like this translated to valuable growth to both her and Tesoro. Cillin could already imagine them how great their future selves would become. Bang! Bang! Bang! Every time Cillin opened fire, two, three, or four killers would drop dead. Forget the crew, the killers themselves were shocked beyond belief. It was amazing enough to perform a one shot one kill in real combat, but multiples!? Was this a dream?? Cillin wielded a white gun with a hexagonal muzzle. Contrary to its size, every bang from the weapon sounded like a death knell to the killers. The killers tried to take out Cillin firstthe man they deemed to be the most dangerous of the lotbut they quickly discovered that they couldnt lock him down or keep up with his movements at all. He was simply too fast and too proficient in both close-quarters and ranged combat. Wielding a terrifying white gun in one hand and a thin blade in the other, Cillin continuously reaped their lives like a reaper. It had almost been three years since former Sixth Squad members saw Cillin fight, and his performance today far exceeded even their wildest expectations. They almost couldnt imagine why someone like him would rather stay behind in a B Squadron than join the A Squadron. No one had any doubt that he wouldve been worthy of his position. Wheeze helped out from time to time, specifically when things got difficult for a crew. It was no slower than Cillin was, and because it was tiny, gray-colored and literally soundless even when it was running, a couple of killers died without even realizing its presence. The stampede was growing bigger and bigger at this point. It was even starting to affect their attackers. Cillin seized this opportunity to shoot the remaining killers to death and shouted to Wheeze, Wheeze, open up a path for us! Retreat! Cillin still wouldnt allow the crew to take to the sky because he couldnt be sure that the killers didnt have backup, or that there were no malicious hunters in the vicinity just waiting for the opportunity to take a shot at their backs. It was ultimately less risky to retreat on foot despite the stampede around them. A terrifying roar resounded across the entire forest, and some of the birds flying near the area instantly spiraled out of formation. Some even changed directions and flew away as fast as they could. The alien beasts directly ahead of the crew backed away and opened up a path as if they encountered something absolutely terrifying. As for those that were directly in the path of the sound wave, they dropped unconscious the second it hit them. Were they not in the situation they were in, Shusag wouldve cheered for their small but dominating cat overlord. Now that the killers were gone, and the beasts were no longer blocking their way, the crew was able to retreat much faster than before. Their own spaceplane was flying over to meet with them halfway. The tension eased up a bit when the crew finally entered the safe confines of their transport, but they dared not loosen up completely. They still hadnt escaped the danger. Moon, Sigma, bring those two to me, will you? Cillin requested through the communicator. Cillin had taken off immediately after injecting Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail their medicine, and it turned out to be the right decision. Had he been a bit slower, his squad wouldve suffered some casualties already. Moon and Sigma was already with Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail when they received their orders, so they immediately carried one person each back to the spaceplane. Neither hunters put up any resistance because one, Moon was aiming his cannon right at them; two, they still hadnt recovered completely; and three, they were safer with Cillins crew than anywhere else right now. At the very least, their lives were secure. After everyone was gathered, the Eleventh Squad left the hunting planet immediately. Cary and the others were sad that they had left behind some unprocessed prey a.k.a. credits that were almost certainly going to be picked clean by other hunters. Snowball had already transformed back to its harmless form and rolling around the floor with Dough, playing whatever. Absolutely zero tension could be detected from the two senseless creatures. When the spaceplane returned to the starship, the crew finally loosened up and felt waves of intense muscle ache almost immediately. But instead of taking a rest, they ran to the transport boxes and began processing the flesh and the horns they cut off from the alien beasts they hunted. Sigma and Moon left for the fruit garden to set down the seeds and saplings they had collected from this journey. Cillin beckoned Eudy to follow him. Then, they brought Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail to a meeting room. Chapter 326: I Was Thinking Cillin shot him a glance before saying, Sure, keep pretending like you dont know these people. Tell me, what are the chances that three separate earthquakes would happen at a non-seismic zone at the same time, and send a stampede straight toward the area we were hunting? Its obvious that they were created artificially. These people wanted us to die to a stampede or assassinate us while we were busy protecting ourselves. But they were really your trouble, werent they? But Ghost Butterfly and Swallowtail exchanged and saw real confusion in each others eyes. They truly had no idea what Cillin was talking about. These people were trying to kill you? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen asked tentatively. This time, it was Cillin and Eudys turn to be surprised. It didnt look like the duo was pretending. Yes, thats correct, Cillin confirmed. Did you consider that they attacked you because they were targeting someone in your crew? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen asked again. Cillin recalled the battle from earlier and couldnt deny that the possibility was there. Eudy, Cary and Xiao Shang were the ones who got attacked first, and they had served the Sixth B Squadron for a very long time. But Or maybe... we are all on their kill list, Eudy broke his long-standing silence. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail frowned even deeper. They now had an inkling who the killers might be, but there was no way to confirm their suspicion. Alright, lets stop beating around the bush any longer. Who are these killers? Cillin asked. Swallowtail shot a look at Cillin. How do you know that these people are killers, not hunters? Professional killers do not carry themselves the same way as professional hunters. Cillin had run into many professional killers in his life, so he was very sensitive toward their aura. It was the main reason he was able to pick up their presence, and why he insisted that the crew make their escape on foot despite the danger they were in. The killers wouldve shot them like live targets had they tried to escape via air. The forest at least provided them some cover and removed the chances of them being killed without even knowing where the shot had come from. You are correct. These killers most likely belong to an organization called Hades. Of all the organizations on the Killer Leaderboard, Hades is the only one who chooses to deploy cloaked killers whenever possible, Ghost Butterfly Seventeen answered. Hades? Ghost Butterfly Seventeen continued, Hades and Heavens Birth had formed an alliance. As you are already aware, the only way to survive the current chaos in GAL is to join up with another force, and the killer organizations were no exception. While most hunter regiments focused on absorbing smaller hunter regiments, Heavens Birth did that and befriended the likes of Hades as well. Not only that, they are currently hostile toward Blue Butterfly and have clashed against us multiple times already. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen pointed at himself and the silent Swallowtail next to him weakly. We were in a squad until we had a fallout with Heavens Birth. After they allied with Hades, our situation became so bad that we were forced to split up and go our own separate ways. The killers you fought are probably the ones who were tracking us. After Swallowtail and I split away from the squad, a malfunction broke out in our spaceplane and forced us to land on this planet. After a discussion, we decided to abandon the transport, hide ourselves and recuperate while we wait for our hunter regiment to save us. However, the alien beasts on this planet turned out to be much more difficult than we anticipated, and our injuries actually got worse instead of improving. Then we ran into you, and you know the rest. Blue Butterfly was famous for being the org with exceptionally powerful combatants in them, but it made sense that a small squad would find it very difficult to fend off both Heavens Birth and Hades all by themselves; one coming at them from the front and the other from the dark. However, I really dont know why Hades would go after you. Theyre attacking us because we belong to Blue Butterfly, and they already made it clear that they were hostile toward us, but you? If they dont recognize you, they wouldnt have attacked you carelessly. But they must have, seeing as they created that stampede to force us out to reveal ourselves, and to eliminate you at the same time. They must know that by doing this, theyre practically declaring war on two of the four greatest hunter regiment in GAL. What were they thinking? Was there a reason behind their confidence? I dont understand this at all, Ghost Butterfly ended his sentence with a shrug. Cillin and Eudy shared his and Swallowtails puzzlement as well. Although they werent members of the A Squadron, they still belonged to Vanguard. And yet these killers had practically gone all out to kill them from the very beginning. Eudy couldnt help but feel a chill down his spine when he recalled the crisis. If Cillin hadnt shown up in time, he would be grievously wounded or saying hello to his ancestors already. In the end, Cillin couldnt make heads or tails out of this. He simply had too few information to go by, not to mention that he was absent from GAL for almost three years. Many things couldve happened during this time. By the way, do you happen to have anything on Mist and Merciless? Cillin asked. Sorry. Its true that most killer organizations are looking to merge with another entity or form alliances, but those two are absolutely the exceptions. Even if they are looking to ally with someone, their partner could only be an equal like Grim Reaper, or key figure among the four hunter regiments. Theres just no way someone at my level could obtain any info like this. Cillin asked a couple more questions but couldnt find the information he wanted. In the end, he allowed the duo to take their leave. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen took two step toward the exit before stopping in his tracks. Then, he turned around and asked, By the way, are those Hades killers still in that forest? Cillin replied calmly, No. Theyre dead. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail: ... Originally, they were going to gather some information regarding the Hades killers, convene with their reinforcements and head back for revenge, but Cillin had stifled that plan before it was even hatched. Theyre all dead? There has to be at least thirty of them, right? Cillin took a moment to recall. Well I dont know for sure, but we left behind around thirty bodies when we made our escape. There couldve been a few lucky stragglers who escaped our notice. A muscle twitched in Ghost Butterfly Seventeens face, and he turned around to leave the meeting room. Ill ask Wheeze to send you the bill later, Cillin added at the last moment. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen stumbled when he heard this. He shouldve known that Cillin wouldnt inject them with those high quality medicine for free! I hate bills! Bills are the most disgusting thing in the world! The two Blue Butterfly hunters talked to themselves in small voices after they exited the meeting room. Since when did the Vanguard B Squadrons have a squad that was this amazing? If what he said was true, they had wiped out at least thirty Hades killers without suffering any serious injuries. They looked a bit tired, but thats about it, Swallowtail said. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen was just as confused as his partner was. His knowledge of the Vanguard B Squadron was only limited to those who were lieutenant commander rank and above, and it was a complete coincidence he came to encounter Cillin, much less everyone else. He never thought that there was a need to pay attention to any B Squadron until this one destroyed his common sense completely. Just who are these people? Their combat strength alone puts them on par with their A Squadrons! They didnt walk far until they saw Shusag crouching at a corner and smoking on his lonesome. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen immediately started jogging toward him. Meanwhile, Shusag was busy reflecting the encounter with the killers. This was the second band of killers he encountered in his life, and they were definitely stronger than the killers that the minor noble had sent after him after he retired from the army. That didnt surprise him, however. What really surprised him was Cillin telling that these killers were only considered average in GAL. If middle level killers were all it took to almost take his life, what about the actually strong ones? He would be cattle waiting to be slaughtered if he ever ran into them. I cant let this be. I need to train harder. Shusag was just wondering how to improve his strength when he saw Ghost Butterfly Seventeen waving at him. Hey there, brother! Can I ask you a question? How many people are in this squad? Shusag blew out a smoke ring from his mouth. That the youngster had addressed him as brother instead of uncle had improved his mood tremendously, so he replied, Havent you met most of them already? Ghost Butterfly Seventeens mouth fell open, but in the end he only managed to get out an awkward chuckle before heading toward the lounge Cillin had arranged for them. Swallowtail, are we really the hunter regiment with the strongest individual combatants? Swallowtail mulled over the question seriously before replying, We used to be. Which basically meant that he wasnt sure if it was true now, or it would still be the case in the future. Although the duo were surprised that this seemingly unreliable band of people had managed to take out thirty Hades killers without any trouble, their worry also subsided a little. It was because they knew that Vanguard Eleventh B Squadron was probably an anomaly. If every B Squadron was as strong as this one, the Great Four wouldnt be the Great For a long time ago. After Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail had left, Cillin and Eudy exchanged opinions with each other until Beaver came over to tell him that they had a transmission from the A Squadrons. Cillin told him to direct the transmission to their meeting room directly. A hologram appeared on top of the table, and a familiar face looked at the both of them. The man wore a black hat which brim covered up almost half his face. The sharp eyes hidden beneath it could always stop a person in their tracks. Senior Songba Leruo, Cillin greeted formally. The mans expression was as indecipherable as ever, but this time his eyes were clearly etched with seriousness. Cillin, I only have one major thing to speak with you at this time. A while ago, the Seventh B Squadron was attacked by the hunter regiment, Heavens Birth and the killer organization, Hades. They suffered major casualties. If they havent had good safeguards in place, and if the Third B Squadron havent reached them in time, we mightve had to rebuilt the entire squadron. It was that bad? Both Cillin and Eudy shivered with apprehension. Usually, rebuilding a squadron was brought up only when at least half the crew were seriously injured or killed in action. It showed just how bad the Seventh B Squadrons damage was. Long story short, our relationship with Heavens Birth is very stained right now. You must be careful if you run into them! Songba Leruo said. I know. In fact, we just fought off a group of killers. Cillin gave him a summary of what had happened earlier. I see. Well, my advice is still the same: stay alert, and dont give anyone your full trust during this uncertain times. Lastly, the higher-ups have decided to hold a meeting fifty galactic days later. All B Squadron commanders and lieutenant commanders are required to attend as well. Got it. After finishing his conversation with Songba Leruo, Cillin tried to contact Moon only to discover that he couldnt, which was practically impossible considering that they were both on the same vessel. So, he contacted Sigma instead. Sigma was currently working in his indoors fruit garden. He had discovered a lot of good saplings on the hunting planet, and he was planning to plant them without altering their DNA. He much preferred natural plants than engineered ones. Cillin asked Sigma about his fruit garden first before he talked about business. It was a blessing to be able to eat fresh fruits while they were in the middle of a space travel, and Sigmas reports satisfied him greatly. The robot was very talented in this department. Finally, Cillin inquired Sigma about Moon. Do you know whats going on with Moon? I couldnt contact him. Oh, Moon said he was tired and wanted to take a break. He wants us to leave him alone for now, Sigma replied. Tired? A robot who can work for an indefinite amount of time just by absorbing light energy says hes tired? What a load of bullshit! But before Cillin could probe any deeper, the blank screen on the meeting table started flashing erratically with symbols and characters. In fact, every electronic equipment in the meeting room started malfunctioning in some ways. In the gaming room, Tang Qiuqiu was playing against Cary in a 1v1 shooting game. Because Snowball had accidentally bumped into Tang Qiuqiu while playing with Scarlet Wind, she made a rather serious mistake that Cary didnt let slip. He was hooting about how he was going to take the lead and was actually about to do so when suddenly, the game froze without warning. Cary was high with excitement, and the spectators were just as engrossed in the duel as he was. No one was expecting something like this to happen. Just like the electronic equipment in Cillins meeting room, the ones in the gaming room started malfunctioning in various ways. The lights were flashing more and more rapidly as well. The gangs first reaction was: FUCK, of all the times for the game to crash! Their second reaction was: Enemy attack! Dias two-year old son, Locke was rolling around with Snowball when the unusual incident happened. The baby widened its eyes curiously and let out a cute cry of surprise, Eh Snowball was already embracing the baby protectively before he could finish exclaiming his surprise. It was just in case something bad happened too quickly for them to react. Whats going on? Is it an enemy attack, or did we run into an ionic storm? Everyone rushed out of the gaming room and ran toward the bridge. The only one who didnt react to the anomaly at all was Wheeze; too engrossed in its bag of fish biscuits to give a care in the world, especially because it knew what was going on. All it did in response to the crews panic was to flick its ears and continue eating its fish biscuits. On the way to the bridge, the crew ran into Cillin just as he exited the meeting room. However, Cillin simply said, no need to panic before striding away toward somewhere. What happened? Ghost Butterfly and Swallowtail had exited their lounge as well to see what happened. Their first thought was that the enemy had caught up to them. No idea, but the commander said that theres no need to panic, and that we should get back to whatever we were doing, Cary replied. Back to Cillin. Paying the crews guesses no heed, the young man went straight to Moon and Sigmas lounge and pressed the door bell. When he got no response, he pressed it repeatedly to no avail. Moon! What are you doing?! This time, Cillin asked using the machine language. A long time later, the lounge door finally slid open. Standing at the entrance, Moon tilted his head and said innocently, I was thinking. Cillin: ... what kind of deep stuff were you thinking, exactly? Chapter 327: Do You Have Cat Lice? Part 1 Cillin had noticed that Moon was acting a bit off after returning to the ship, but he decided that the talk with Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail took precedence at the time. He wasnt expecting something like this to happen in such a short time. Robots like Moon, Sigma and Czedow had a consciousness that automatically generated some form of disruptive wave, and they normally kept it in check at all times. In this case, Moon was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had relinquished his control before he realized it. As a result, the waves spread from his room to the entire ship through the communications network and electronic circuits. It was the same as Wheeze unknowingly destroying much of Sigmas equipment with its emission of machine language when they were passing through the time and space vortex. Xi Kai named this phenomenon machine thought intrusion. He believed it to be a obstacle that many robot researchers must overcome. If they succeeded, it would be of great use to them. But If they failed, there would be negative consequences. Many of the robot uprisings that took place in GAL or the empire had been a negative consequence of failing to deal with this phenomenon. Whats wrong, Moon? asked Cillin after pulling a chair over and sitting down on the opposite side of Moon. Head bowed and fingers making circles around each other, Moon struggled to say his thoughts, I It took a bit of time, but Cillin eventually found out why Moon was acting like this. When Moon and Sigma were searching for saplings, Moon had fired a couple of warning shots to scare away some hunters. After he thought about it, he realized that his careless action was what scared the local wildlife and inspired the killers to start a triple earthquake and create a murderous stampede. Moon felt very guilty because of this. His lack of consideration and carelessness was at least part of the reason this incident had happened in the first place. Thankfully no one was injured or worse, killed in this incident, or this guilt wouldve sat with him for a very, very long time to come. This was why he had entered self-reflection mode the moment he returned to the ship at least until he lost control of himself and accidentally disrupted much of the instruments and electronic equipment on the ship. Moons guilt practically doubled when he realized that he had caused trouble for everyone again. It was why he looked as depressed as he was now. Cillin put his hand on Moons bulbous head and rubbed it just like he normally rubbed Wheeze. The metal felt cool and hard to touch. Its not your fault. Those killers wouldve tried something whether you fired those shots or not. In this case, you taught those hunters a small lesson because it was necessary, and it was definitely the right thing to do. Had you given those hunters an inch, they wouldve wanted a mile. But that doesnt change the fact that my actions had indirectly helped those killers, Moon replied in a small voice. It was just a coincidence. Moon, this is GAL, not the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Do you know what the law of survival in GAL is? The strong reigns supreme. Thats right. The strong reigns supreme, and some things are just unavoidable in life. Even if you havent caused the commotion, some other hunters wouldve eventually. Think about it. What would those hunters have done if you havent intimidated them? They wouldve attacked you, and the resulting commotion may not necessary be smaller than what you have caused. Moon recalled the scene from before and came to the same conclusion. He had fired those warning shots precisely because he sensed that those hunters harbored ill intentions toward them. If he had chosen to stay his hand, there was a high likelihood the standoff wouldve devolved into a fight. So theres no need to overthink things. Some things are unavoidable in life, and all you can do is to meet it head on. Cillin stopped here. Excessive advice would only produce the opposite result, and Moon was smart enough that he wasnt worried he would drive himself into a dead end. Of course, this would be a very different talk if it was Sigma he was talking to. That lovable robot would probably the first robot in the entire world to die of depression if he didnt absolve him of his guilt. Moon said nothing for a moment. The dancing blue strip on his faceplate showed the he was thinking about something, but this time he didnt forget to keep the disruptive wave suppressed. Cillin was in no particular hurry, so he patiently waited for Moon to arrive at a reconciliation with himself. Thirty minutes later, the blue strip on Moons face turned thinner. Cillin knew immediately that Moon had returned to his usual self. You should help Sigma with the saplings. Hes been doing everything by himself, said Cillin while flicking Moon in the head just like he usually did with Wheeze, smiling. Okay! Dont forget to close the door when you leave! Moon replied while flying toward for Sigmas fruit garden. When Cillin exited the room, he immediately saw Xi Kai leaning against a wall with a look of extreme confusion on his face. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. Moon greeted me when he flew past me earlier. What the hell happened? He always ignored me until just now. Its a good thing, isnt it? It was true, but Xi Kai was still bothered by Moons sudden change of attitude, so he asked, Say, do you know whats going on with Moon? How would I know? Moon has always been an enigma even to me, also arent you the one with centuries-long of records on Moon? You should know more than me. Xi Kai grimaced. His ancestors were exactly why Moon was always guarded around him. A large majority of his understanding of the robot actually came from Chip, not the records they left behind. Wait, Cillin! Xi Kai called out to Cillin before he could take his leave. Theres something I need to discuss with you. What is it? Its about our starship. The disruption earlier made me think a little. Xi Kai started explaining his thoughts to Cillin. Moons incident had exposed many problems regarding their starship, and he wanted to change that. Although the same thing wouldve happened to most other starships, the scientist was nothing if not a man of very high standards. Also, if Moons stray thoughts could disrupt their starship to the extent it did, then it could only be worse if their enemies pulled a similar trick. As you are aware, neither Czedow nor Sigma were completely unaffected by the disruptive waves. This means that they are highly resistant toward this type of attack. Even if we assume that its because their existence is unique, my own robots werent affected nearly as bad as our starship. Their reaction was delayed by a bit, but they were nowhere close to being scrambled to the point of malfunction. You mean Thats right. I want to upgrade our starship down that direction! Cillin said nothing, but it wasnt because he disagreed with Xi Kai. He was just recalling the flying car with the super AI he personally created a while ago, Vege-Fritter. Back then, he had created the flying car to serve as a template for his future starships. Unfortunately, he never found the time to put his plans into action, and it was for the same reason he had foregone the upgrade when building their current starship. He had left open the room to install a super AIcurrently, the starship was only employing a normal AI similar to the ones used by other B Squadronsbut the risks were enormous. A starship was no a flying car. If a flying car malfunctioned, you could still jump out of it and save yourself. But if a starships super AI malfunctioned and left them stranded in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing they could do except to wait for death to claim them. Chapter 327: Do You Have Cat Lice? Part 2 Give me a proposal first. When the time is right, well build it together. Moon, Sigma, Czedow and Wheeze were included among this we as a matter of course. Their aid would greatly increased the plans chances of success since no one was more knowledgeable about intelligent mechanical entities than them.. Alright, Ill produce that proposal as soon as possible. Xi Kai was very happy to receive the green light from Cillin, and he couldnt wait to dive into the work. If his ancestors could modify Chip into a super AI that was capable of controlling an entire electronic planet by himself, then he could rise to this challenge as well! Before encountering the Hades killers, Xi Kai had been planning to upgrade his robots. Now though, he realized that they were lacking in many ways possibly due to a limitation of resources. The robots he were using now were not the same as the ones that were used to carry out missions for Black Viper. Each one of those robots cost an exorbitant amount of money and was constructed using incredibly expensive materials, but money hadnt been a problem at the time. Now though, temporarily stuck in a foreign galaxy where most of his wealth couldnt be carried over, it was. The weaknesses of his poor mans construct were unnoticeable in the norm, but in a time of crisis they were immediately exposed for what they were: an inferior construct. For example, their speed, reaction speed, detection capability and more had failed to live up to his expectations. It was why he had taken a moment to discuss with Czedow on how to upgrade his robotsto construct a better robot and lower costs at the same timeafter returning to the ship. That plan would have to wait, however. The completion of the starship super AI installation proposal plan must come first. Cillin was still thinking about the super AI when he returned to the bridge. If everything went well, then the benefits were tremendous to say the least. But if they failed, then it like sleeping next to a bomb that might explode at any moment. He would rather destroy the AI and all the hard work that went into it if that really happened. Suddenly, Cillin heard a strange noise and looked. He immediately saw Wheeze lying on top of a table and shifting back and forth repeatedly as if it was scratching its own back. Is its back itchy? Did you catch something during the hunt or something? Is it cat lice or fleas? Cillin asked while walking over to it. No! Wheeze replied while continuing to wriggle left and right. It was a hilarious sight especially considering how fat it was. Let me take a look. Cillin beckoned it over, and Wheeze immediately ran to his side. What is this? Cillin gave them a poke. Yes, yes! Thats the spot! Its super itchy for some reason! Wheeze complained. Cary was holding a glass of fruit juice and passing by the entrance when he saw the odd interaction, so he walked in to ask what was going on. After hearing Cillins explanation, he decided to touch Wheezes back himself. He cried out dramatically when he felt the two bumps, Wheeze, youre undergoing hyperostosis! Slap! Unfortunately, Cary didnt notice Tico entering the bridge from behind him, and when she heard his nonsense she immediately slapped him in the back of the head and scolded him, Thats completely incorrect, stop making irresponsible remarks! If you want to make a medical joke, at least read up on the term youre going to use before using it! Rubbing the sore spot on his head and tugging at his lips, Cary took a step backward so that Tico could give an actual professional opinion. Unfortunately, she couldnt find out what was going on despite performing many tests on Wheeze. Although she wasnt a vet, she had studied the relevant science a little because she kept a pet rabbit. The problem was that the results she got for every test she performed on Wheeze largely differed to that of a normal cats, and without a baseline to refer to it was impossible to tell if Wheeze was healthy. The only thing she could really confirm was that the bumps werent causing discomfort to other bones. Wait! the itch is gone now. Wheeze suddenly got back up to its feet and gave itself a good shake. Then, it hooked over its unfinished bag of fish biscuits and began feeding again. Maybe its because its overweight or something? Wheeze is way fatter than it used to be, Cary mumbled. Cillin could only shake his head and say, I guess well just have to wait and see. This guy has always been anything but normal. Some time later, it was confirmed that Wheezes weird itch was a recurring thing. The good news was that it was the only symptom it displayed thus far, and as far as they could tell there were no negative consequences on its health whatsoever, if the way it sliced open the fish biscuit packets like a master was any indicator. To make Wheeze more comfortable, Cillin prepared a scratching post so that it didnt need to lie upside down anymore. One more thing to note was that Wheezes appetite had been growing my leaps and bounds recently, and it had been spending almost every waking moment feeding non-stop. Back to the more serious matters. The inventorying of their loot from the hunt was finally complete, and Cillin was planning to trade them for resources. In times of chaos like the one they were in right now, physical resources would always be more reliable than credits. There were things that one couldnt trade in a crisis even with an infinite amount of money. Dias knew some old clients he usually traded his goods to after a hunt. These people specifically purchased goods from hunting sectors, and the prices they offered in return were usually fair. It was why many hunting regiments enjoyed doing business with them. After contacting the buyers and confirming the trade location, Cillin told Ghost Butterfly Seventeen about it so that Blue Butterfly could meet them there. Dont forget to tell your friends to bring your credits! You still have a debt to pay! Wheeze said while chewing a fish biscuit. Ghost Butterfly Seventeen immediately threw a nut at it. Eat your biscuit, fatty! Technically speaking, the trade planets were a fairly isolated region compared to the rest of the planets of the hunting sector. However, it was where nearly 60% of the goods of the entire sector were traded. Moreover, most of the organizations that came here to deliver the goods to their clients were big hunting regiments. After the chaos began though, the place was clearly a lot quieter than before. Only a couple of starships and spaceplanes were parked outside the spaceport. I dont see Heavens Births starship anywhere. Do we want to dock our starship with the spaceport, or do we go invisible and stop elsewhere? Cary asked. We go invisible. Well fly over to the trade location on a spaceplane, Cillin replied. After going invisible and parking their starship at a good hiding spot, Cillin formed three teams and departed for the planet directly. There was no need to speak to a middleman since they had communicated with their client before. The trade location was a big estate where tamed alien beasts were bred. The reason the trader went through the trouble to tame them was because they each possessed a certain quality that was desirable to their buyers. Naturally, they would want to maximize the value of their goods. No contact was necessary; someone had already come out to receive them when they arrived. Cillin left the negotiations to Dias since he was an old hand in this area and a long-time acquaintance of the trader. Cillin took in the scenery while the other party was examining the goods. A couple of buildings and pens were scattered across the grassy fields, and the ferocious alien beasts that once terrorized their homes were making lazy strolls and generally enjoying a comfortable life. Cillin thought they looked like dequilled porcupines. Wheeze, Snowball and the rest of the animals in the crew had already left to roll themselves silly on the fields. Even Tico had set down her little rabbit so that it could enjoy some fresh, unpolluted grass. Suddenly, Cillin noticed a couple of people walking out of a building. The building was pretty far away, but Cillins eyesight was good enough to see them clearly without needing to use a tool. It was a troop of bodyguards were escorting two young men, and one of them was a familiar face, Fen Yuzuo. Cillin had only met Fen Yuzuo once, but he knew that the young man was tied to the famous media giant and electronic magazine with a contribution rating of over 80, Lavish. The magazine mainly reported on the happenings of the business Sectors. The reason Cillin recognized the young man was because he saw him once during Lungs gathering right after the military opened Gods Back Garden at the center of Sector Z. There was no way Fen Yuzuo would recognize him now though. For one, they had only met each other once, and two he had changed his appearance. Moreover, Lung was the center of attention at the time, so he doubted that Fen Yuzuo thought too much of him at all. Surprisingly, Fen Yuzuo seemed to be speaking rather amicably with the other young man next to him. In fact, it was clear that it was a conversation between equals, even though Fen Yuzuo was the young master of Lavish himself. It wasnt because that Fen Yuzuo was a humble person, Cillin knew. If the other young man was of a lower standing than he was, then Fen Yuzuo would be acting like the high and mighty young master he was already. This meant that the other young man was a VIP himself. What really caught Cillins attention however, was the strange sense of familiarity from the other young man, even though he was certain that he had never seen him before. He seemed rather thin and frail, and Cillin could tell that he was a weak fighter based on the way he was walking alone. Unlike the young man, the bodyguards escorting him were all expert fighters. They were always at the right place and the right angle to block a hit for their subject. The young man might be a poor fighter, but his senses turned out to be unusually sharp. He actually noticed Cillin looking at him and shot him a glance. He quickly lost interest in Cillin, although the same couldnt be said for the bodyguards. They kept at least one eye on him at all times. Weird. Have I really not seen him before? If so, then why does he feel so familiar? Chapter 328: Do Mind Your Manners, Young Master! Whats wrong? Cillin asked, but his eyes were still trained on the young man in front of the building. Do you know them? Eudy asked. Cillin shook his head before replying, Only one of them. Do you know who that young man wearing a brown windbreaker is? No, Ive never seen him before. Who is the guy next to him? Hes the young master of Lavish, Fen Yuzuo. Oh, a rich young master! In that case, that young man must be pretty important too, right? Cillin shot a glance at the non-humans rolling around the grass and teasing the tamed alien beasts and shook his head. He would be better off entrusting this task to someone else. Run a check on that person, Czedow, said Cillin to Czedow in secret. The reason Cillin thought the young man looked familiar wasnt because he saw him before, but because his features reminded him of Genya. Back at the Gen Familys residence, he had seen photos of Genya when he was younger, and noted that they looked a bit similar to one another. Of course, the galaxy was huge, and there were countless people who shared similar or even identical appearances. Moreover, this young man didnt look especially similar to Genya, meaning that even if they were really related they might be a generation or two apart. However, Cillin felt that there was something special about the young man, and he didnt believe that it was a case of misperception. His own intuition was telling him to take this seriously, and Cillin had always believed in his intuition. His next move would be to find a way to procure the young mans DNA. If his suspicions were proven correct, then Genyas gifts would find their recipients very soon. At the building, Fen Yuzuo asked, Do you know that guy, Xingfu? The young man named Xingfu shot another glance at Cillins direction before answering, Of course not. You know I havent even been out of Sector S until this trip. Most of my time is spent loitering around my place and being surrounded by bodyguards who gave me zero privacy. Thats strange. After accepting a cup of mild tea from his servant, Fen Yuzuo called over his bodyguard and instructed, Find out who those people are. Yes sir! The bodyguard withdrew after responding affirmatively. To be honest, Fen Yuzuo preferred beer over tea, and the tea he was drinking now was usually catered to the elderly. To say that it was not a palette he normally enjoyed would be a massive understatement. However, Xingfu was a special person, and he didnt mind exerting himself a little if it meant remaining in his good books. He even pretended that he was savoring its taste. After ordering the servant to bring over a different type of tea, he took a sip from his own cup and frowned again. I wouldnt be drinking this shit myself if it wasnt for this useless body! Ahem. Did your father forbid you from undergoing the surgery for genetic treatment or something? Fen Yuzuo asked curiously. Knowing Xingfus kind of wealth and background, the thought that the young man might not be able to afford a genetic surgery that suited his needs never crossed his mind. No matter how bad Xingfus genes were, surely they werent so bad that he couldnt even endure a genetic surgery, right? Xingfu shot him a glare before replying, My grandmother said no. Fen Yuzuo nodded in realization. It was the Ladys decision? No wonder. If it wasnt because of her, we wouldnt be stuck with our pathetic bodies. At the very least, we would be able to run and fight to our hearts content instead of sitting around all day doing girlish shit like a cripple! For fucks sake, we drank teamild tea no less!while everyone else drank wine! Isnt she afraid that this shit would turn me into a real sissy one day!? The bodyguards standing behind Xingfu tuned out their charges rants immediately. One of themprobably the bodyguard captainlet out a small cough, but the young man pretended that he didnt hear him. It was an awkward situation to say the least. How can she stand this? My grandmother is a smart, powerful, and daring woman. She wouldnt be nicknamed the Queen otherwise. So why would she allow her grandchildren to remain pathetic as we were? Xingfu continued ranting. Fen Yuzuo hurriedly brought his cup to his mouth. Xingfu could complain about the Lady all he liked, but he couldnt. If he did, she might not deign to take offense from a child like him, but his father would most certainly flay him alive. The reason the Queen was usually addressed as the Lady or the Queen instead of the more apt Her Majesty, was because her title was just a nickname, not an actual symbol of royalty. It wasnt a particular popular nickname before the chaos, but nowadays almost everyone in AGL knew who it referred to. When chaos had descended upon GAL, a battle for power had broken out between all the forces in every Sector. Sector S was no exception. At the end of the conflict, only three major forces remained on Sector S: Flying Snake, Fire Phoenix and Golden Beginning. And Xin. Angenia, the Queen, the Lady, was the head and the ruler of Golden Beginning. However, if this the extent of Xingfus background, then Fen Yuzuo wouldnt have treated the young man as courteously as he did. In fact, his friends had complained him about his excessively subservient behavior before Xingfu, to which he only responded with a wordless smile. Many people knew that Xingfu was the Queens grandson, but they didnt know that his aunt, Xin. Prisa, was a Star Rank Hunter and the only female hunter among the Six Stars of Hunt. Every Star Rank Hunter in the world possessed a great number of connections. Even the most independent of them all, Oskulos was connected to many forces. The chaos that descended in the wake of his death wouldnt have been as big as it was otherwise. Xin. Prisa was connected to various armies, governments, hunter regiments and big families. Her network was what really intimidated Fen Yuzuo and kept him nice and easy in front of Xingfu. Back to the present, Xingfu was still ranting to the discomfort of everyone around him. Even if they didnt respond to it, just being in vicinity of someone who was criticizing the Queen could land them in trouble, not that the young man cared about that in the slightest. Fen Yuzuo was trying to think of a way to change the topic when the bodyguard he sent to investigate Cillins group returned. Young master, they are the the hunters of the Eleventh B Squadron of Vanguard. They are here to trade away their game. Vanguard? Eleventh B Squadron? Xingfu was the one who asked the question, not Fen Yuzuo. Although Xingfu was useless as a fighter, his hearing was pretty good, and the bodyguard hadnt lowered his voice too much. Fen Yuzuo wasnt planning to hide this from him anyway. Xingfu wasnt too well-informed regarding the other Sectors, but he did know some basics about the Great Four. It was why he knew that Vanguard had ten B Squadrons, not eleven. Fen Yuzuo was just as puzzled as he was. The bodyguard hurriedly added, Theyre a establishment, and their numbers are few. When the young master saw that the bodyguard was still holding back something, he got angry. Just speak your mind already! Well, I asked for a name list from the trader while I was investigating, and I saw the name that young master Lung was looking for. COUGH COUGHCOUGH COUGH COUGH Fen Yuzuo choked. He looked so excited that his entire face was red. Xingfu gave Fen Yuzuo a hard slap to the back and said, Calm down, you. Like fuck I can! Fen Yuzuo swore inside his head. You mean thatcough coughCillin is on the list? Fen Yuzuo rushed out the question even before he recovered completely, and the bodyguard nodded. I also investigated some of the crew and found a couple former Sixth B Squadron members among them. One problem though. This Cillin looks different from the image young master Lung showed us. After Fen Yuzuo finally calmed down, he took in a couple of deep breaths before turning toward Cillins direction. However, Eudy had pulled Cillin away to negotiate with the trader, and he couldnt see the hunter from where he was. Not long after the chaos began, young master Lung had contacted various friends to look for a guy named Cillin. However, no onenot even the former members of the Sixth B Squadronwere aware of his location at the time. That was why Fen Yuzuo was as excited as he was. It wasnt because he was a close acquaintance to Cillin, but because he could finally do a favor to young master Lung. If this Cillin really turned out to be the Cillin young master Lung was looking for, the latter would definitely help him with the difficult test his father had dropped in his lap not long ago. Should I continue the investigation, young master? the bodyguard asked. Do it! Its most likely him! Should we contact young master Lung then? No, that can wait until we get an actual confirmation. Tell the trader to delay them for as long as humanly possible. Understood! Suddenly, Fen Yuzuo recalled something and stopped his bodyguard before he could leave. One more thing. Look around and see if that cat young master Lung mentioned is here. If it is, then he is Cillin for sure! Yes sir. After the bodyguard left, Fen Yuzuo finally remembered that he had neglected Xingfu during this time. He was going to apologize when Xingfu surprised him with a question: Cillin? That name sounds familiar. I think I heard about it from somewhere. Fen Yuzuo thought about it for a moment before smiling. Oh right, I forgot to tell you that Cillin is acquainted to Fire Phoenixs Pian Huo, and Flying Snakes Qi Geyou. Did you hear about Cillin from them? Youre right! Xingfu clapped his hand in realization. I was wondering why it sounded so familiar. Both Pian Huo and Qi Geyou had talked to me about him before. What, hes an acquaintance of young master Lung too? Now that you mention it, hes acquainted with a lot of people, isnt he? Now Fen Yuzuo was curious as well. Cillin wasnt the type to take the initiative and befriend another person, and he wasnt particularly cordial either. However, the fact was he knew a lot of people, and some of the stuff he heard from Lungincomplete as they werewere enough to surprise even him. In that case, I would like to meet him in person. Its rare that I get to get out of my house, and I dont mind making a new friend, said Xingfu. The young man was already feeling less bothered by his poor constitution already. Well, okay. But I must remind you that Cillin is a member of Vanguard, and last time I checked Golden Beginning and Vanguard arent exactly on amiable terms, are they? Fen Yuzuo said. Xingfu didnt care. This is different. Im meeting Cillin the person, not the representative of Vanguard. Plus, a newly established B Squadron cant possibly affect the entire Vanguard, can it? Fen Yuzuo thought to himself: maybe. Maybe not. Cillin received a message from Czedow right after he finished his dealings. The young man did come from Sector S, and his name was Xingfu. Xing? Gen Xingming and the other two princes all had the word Xing in their name. Is this a coincidence, or? Unfortunately, the bodyguards protecting Xingfu was too cautious and too good at their job, so Czedow couldnt obtain any DNA sample to make a comparison, at least not in such a short amount of time. Cillins brain was just going into overdrive trying to think of a way to obtain Xingfus sample when he turned around and saw a smiling Fen Yuzuo and Xingfu walking toward him themselves. The bodyguards had accompanied their young masters as a matter of course, so despite their outward friendliness they couldnt help but look somewhat intimidating. Everyone in the Eleventh Squad was looking at them warily. Is it you, Cillin? Fen Yuzuo asked before he even got into the appropriate talking distance. Cillin knew that Fen Yuzuo knew the moment he heard his question. Not trying to hide anything, Cillin walked over and greeted him, Long time no see, Fen Yuzuo. It really is you! Why did you change your looks? Its a long story. Why are you here? Cillin asked. I came here to see if there are any tamed alien beast that is to my liking, and to take a walk while doing so, answered Fen Yuzuo. That wasnt the complete truth, however. He was here mainly to accompany Xingfu, or he wouldnt have bothered to show up himself. Cillin smiled and looked at Xingfu. Fen Yuzuo immediately introduced, Oh. This here is Xingfu. He didnt elaborate more than that because it might be excessive. Hello. Nice to meet you. Ive heard about you from Pian Huo and Qi Geyou, said Xingfu. The mere mention of Pian Huo and Qi Little Flying Snake Geyou drew them closer, but every time Cillin tried to approach Xingfu his bodyguards would immediately make their wariness clear. Xingfu himself didnt stop them. Oh right, you should contact young master Lung now, Cillin. Hes been looking for you. Fen Yuzuo motioned for his subordinate to pass him the communicator Lung gave him. The Andrea Family had their own private communications network; in fact the very property they were standing on belonged to them. It was just that not many people were aware of this. When Lung received Fen Yuzuos call, he was wearing his precious slippers and sleeping on a sea shell bed even bigger than the one Cillin had seen him in before, image be damned. You have ten seconds, Lung said while yawning on the screen. He hadnt even bothered to open his eyes. Young master, I think its better if I let Cillin speak with you directly. Sure, you do tha fuck!? Who did you say?! Lungs sleepiness was blown away immediately. He rose to a sitting position and fell down his bed unceremoniously. Fen Yuzo didnt reply to that. He simply passed the communicator to Cillin. Your taste is as unique as usual, Cillin started after spotting the shell bed behind the screen. After Lung crawled back to his feet and saw Cillins face, his features twitched visibly before he swore, Fuck you! Thats the first thing you say after all these years? Really? Why did you change your appearance? Did you fake your death again? This is my real appearance, and no, I wasnt faking my death. I had to leave because I had to deal with something at the time, and now Im finally back. I also established a new B Squadron recently, the Eleventh B Squadron of Vanguard to be exact. Dont forget to invest in us when youre free. Lung was silent for several seconds before he swore, Fuck you again! Suddenly, the old butler, Bezett said from behind Lung, Do mind your manners, young master! Lung paused for a second before exploding toward his study at top speed. Once he was in, he slammed the door shut and locked the butler outside. That old man always gets on my nerves. Now we continue. Cillin and Lung made some small chit-chat before Lung asked, Wheres Wheeze, Cillin? Tell it to show its face, will you? Ive procured a ton of excellent cats while you were gone, and I want to see if theres anyone that it fancies! Cillin: ... Lung wanted to speak with Wheeze, so Cillin went to the field to search for it. However, Wheeze wasnt playing with the others. Wheeze said it was sleepy and left just a while ago, said Snowball. Well, Ill look around for a bit. Continue whatever you guys are doing, but dont frighten the beasts too why is that alien beast bald? Snowball, Dough, Scarlet Wind and even Moon and Sigma looked away at once. Nobody dared to answer his question. Ah well, whatever. Cillin dived into his senses and learned of Wheezes rough location quickly. While he was walking toward the gray cat, Czedow sent him a message. Ive gotten his DNA sample. Its just as you suspected, they are most likely grandfather and grandson, Czedow said. His suspicions were proven correct. Cillin had been thinking of the best timing to visit Sector S, search for Genyas logbook and seek out the person he mentioned, but he didnt expect to run into Xingfu here. Xingfus full name was probably Gen Xingfu. He also mentioned just now that he had a younger sister called Xingji. Fu and Ji, Fuji. How many people in this world truly understood meaning behind their name? Czedow continued, However, I noticed some problems with his genes. He had far too many repressed genes compared to the normal person, and it severely affected his appearance and performance. Cillin was aware of Xingfus condition. The Gen Family was unique in the sense that they were born with naturally repressed genes. It was only after they were injected with the natural plant hormones extracted from the Fuji Tree would they undergo a transformation. The injection process was separated into two stages. The first injection was given when the baby was first born. The second injection was given after they became a mature adult. Only then would their genes complete its transformation and unlock their repressed genes completely. Back when Genya became stranded in GAL, he wasnt old enough to receive his second injection. That was why his genes turned out to be incredibly flawed, and why he aged as quickly as he did. Xingfu was clearly facing the same problemworse, because he didnt even get his first injection when he was born. It was no wonder than he looked as weak as he did. Now that he thought about it, Xingfus father or Genyas son hadnt received an injection either. Cillin wondered how the man was faring. While thinking of a way to break the news of Genya to Xingfu, Cillin walked to a patch of grass not far away from the pen. There, Wheeze was sleeping on its side and basking in the warm sunlight, its paws hugging a bag of fish biscuits even now. The footsteps walking toward it was familiar, so Wheezes ears fell still after the initial twitch. It didnt wake up. Maybe it was because its subconscious knew that Cillin was close, but the half-asleep, half-awake cat rolled over and rubbed against the grass a little. Cillin was about to talk to it about Lung when he suddenly paused in his tracks. A strange expression appeared on his face as he asked, What is that thing behind your back, Wheeze? Chapter 329: Arrogance Is Unbecoming of a Cat! Cillin pointed at its back again before repeating, What is that behind your back? My back? Suddenly, Wheeze felt a bit of itch creeping up its back again, so it tilted its head and tried to scratch it with its hind paw. It was then it finally noticed them. A changed, high-pitched cat squeal shattered the silence of the field. The alien beasts that just calmed down not long ago went ballistic once more. Whats wrong? Whats wrong?! The crew immediately recognized who the squeal belonged to, so they started looking high and low for the gray cat. Xingfus people on the other hand were not, so their bodyguards reflexively formed a protective formation around their charge instead. Wheeze had grown two boring, gray lumps behind its back. It didnt know what it was, but after it awakened they started stretching further and further until they resembled a pair of Wings? Cillin was curious. Wheeze had said something about flying in the past, but he didnt think that it would actually come true. Still Cillin shot a skeptical glance at Wheezes round, fat body. Can it really fly with a belly this humongous? Moreover, the gray cats wings had fur instead of feathers; the same ugly gray fur that covered its body. Wheezes wings expanded even further during the short time he was thinking to himself, and now they were big enough to cover itself many times over. Grinning like a fool, Wheeze was so engrossed in caressing its own wings that it had abandoned even its bag of fish biscuits. How did you grow your wings? Cillin asked. I wanted it to happen, and so it did! Wheeze hopped, skipped and flapped its wings loudly as it declared. Boasts aside it didnt know the answer to that question itself, only that it had been dreaming of growing a pair of wings as of late until it became a reality. I should dream of an entire ship of fish biscuits this time, Wheeze thought to itself seriously, hopefully, it wont take too long to come true. Cillin said, Well, you may as well try flying now. See if you can get used to your wings. Sure! Wheeze shook its entire body, raised its head and straightened its tail. Then, it started flapping its wings! Once twice thrice... Two whole minutes of nothing later, Cillin finally couldnt hold back any longer and commented, You are trying to fly, not riding a bicycle! How are you going to do that when your wing flaps are completely out of sync!? After stopping Wheeze from continuing its futile attempts, he crouched in front of it and raised his arms. Look at my arms and follow my movement. Now, up down up down Oh my meow Cillin allowed Wheeze to fly freely and unevenly for a moment, but it wasnt long before he noticed that the cat was forgetting itself, so he cried out a warning, Focus! His worry was proven to be correct. Wheeze was so pleased with itself that it completely forgot that it was still a beginner, so when it tried to fly to where the crew was to show off its new ability, a sudden gust of wind knocked it out of balance and caused it to drop like a rock. It was unable regain its balance either because it wasnt familiar with the motor control yet. It landed right on top of a napping alien beast who sensed it too late, knocking it out instantly. The appalling sight didnt escape the notice of the rest of the alien beasts, and they immediately categorized Wheeze as a deadly threat. Since then, they ran like crazy every time they saw a suspicious shape in the sky. If the fields werent as big as they were, the commotions wouldve caused an accident already. Is is that? A stupefied Cary asked Eudy when he saw a familiar shape rising to the sky and scaring all nearby alien beasts while doing so. Its Wheeze alright. Cats dont have wings, do they? Normally, yeah. But that fatty is anything but normal. When birds fly, they soar. But this cat? It looks more like a paddling duck than anything, and a fat one at that. Cary said with a laugh as he pointed at Wheeze. Well, one way or another I foresee a perilous future for all of us, Eudy replied with a sigh. Cary could understand that sentiment completely. Now that Wheeze could fly, Moon and Sigma decided to join in on the fun and get it adapted to its wings while they were playing. Absolutely envious of its peers, Snowball leaned against a fence, bit its paw and stared melancholically at the sky until Tang Qiuqiu finally couldnt stand it any longer and tossed it a hoverboard. Meanwhile, Cillin had resumed his call with Lung and pointed his communicator to the sky, saying, See that? That cat is too busy to talk with you right now. When Lung caught the blurry image in the sky and learned that Wheeze had grown a pair of wings, he immediately cried out in an excited tone, Oh my god, can you please tell sir cat to show its face for just a moment? Ive never seen a cat with wings before! So Cillin called Wheeze over to say hi to Lung. That was exactly what Wheeze didsay hi and nothing elsebefore flying away again to catch birds with Moon. Both Wheeze and Moon absolutely possessed the speed to catch up to the bird they were chasing, but they intentionally stayed ten centimeters behind its butt and took a swipe at it from time to time, teasing it. The poor thing was terrified as a matter of course. Heh, it looks like the cats I got arent qualified to serve sir cat anymore. Ill see if I can get a flying molly from somewhere, Lung said in a serious tone that didnt fit the subject at all. Seriously? Do you really have nothing to do? Cillin asked. Of course not! Lung grumbled. In fact, every time he thought about it, he felt like his stomach was turning into a cesspit of stress. However, instead of spilling his complaints on the spot, he looked behind Cillin before shooting the hunter a look. Lets get you to a more private location first. The good news was that Cillin was on the Andrea Familys property right now. Lung instructed a subordinate to guide Cillin to a secure room so that their conversation couldnt be leaked. On the other side, Xingfu was starting to get a measure of Cillins worth when he saw a manager guiding the hunter into a building respectfully. It was clear that Cillin was far more important to young master Lung than Fen Yuzuo, so the young man wanted to forge a good relationship with him. He didnt want to rely on his grandmother and aunt for everything, especially since neither of them were in a particularly good position right now. The chaos was both a boon and a curse to everyone. That was why he wanted to decrease his dependence on them and build his own social network. Back to Cillin, the hunter inspected the safety measures around him after being led to a room that looked like a study. It wasnt long before he determined that it was very secure. Things arent exactly peaceful with the hunters right now, are they? Lung asked. Yeah. In fact, the conflicts are escalating, and Vanguard will probably engage Heavens Birth in open war very soon. What about you? What else? No one can live easy in this new era. Lungs expression turned serious. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that hell has broken out within the military. You know that the Eight Marshals are currently divided, right? Well, what we didnt tell the public is that the Four Heavenly Edict Generals have decreased to just three. It had been a while since Cillin was stunned beyond words. A Heavenly Edict General, dead? Forget their personal guards, every Heavenly Edict General was a natural disaster of their own, It was no easy feat to defeat a warrior of their caliber at all, much less kill them. For example, Cillin managed to kill Oskulos only because a number of factors happened to favor him. In fact, he wouldve died if Wheeze and Czedow hadnt intervened in time. Strictly speaking, the kill belonged to all three of them. Do you know whos the killer? Lung said in a mysterious tone. Who is it? Its Si Huang. Si Huang, who? Cillin asked in puzzlement. Oh right, you havent heard of him yet. He does like to keep a low profile. Si Huang is the guy in Grim Reaper, if you get what I mean. Lung lifted his thumb to emphasize the point. Usually youll never hear about him, and when you do itll be something crazy like killing a Heavenly Edict General. Its why the power balance within the military is completely broken right now. The Eight Marshals are divided, and the Ci Family and Yu Family currently hold the upper hand because they both have a Heavenly Edict General of their own. The third and last Heavenly Edict General is lying low because one, none of his family members work for the Eight Marshals and two, his doesnt have the military power to compete against anyone of them. Still, he does possess plenty of non-military power, and hes smart enough to avoid the Ci Family and Yu Family before they set their sights on him, so he should be fine. The Ci Family was the family Ci Jincheng belonged to, and the Yu Family was most likely the family Yu Linglong belonged to. Both families possessed powerful connections and social networks within the military, politics, business and academia. They were also supported by a Heavenly Edict General, so it was only natural that they came out ahead. Moreover, a Heavenly Edict General wasnt just famed for their individual strength. It was their connections and deterrence that really put their enemies on their toes and rallied more people under their cause. It was no wonder that the third Heavenly Edict General had willingly chosen to step out of their way. You probably dont need me to tell you how deep the waters between the eight forces are right now, so all Im going to say is that avoid getting involved with them as much as you could. Dont involve yourself with those who wishes to get involved either, because they are just the militarys cannon fodders. The military is far stronger than everyone imaginedthat was what Ci Jincheng and Knight told me before, and Im passing their advice to you now. Understood. Im already plenty busy as it is, and my newly built squadron is still pretty small. I wont take on jobs my squadron cant handle. Their conversation only lasted an hour, but there was enough content to keep Cillin busy for a very, very long time. Most of these information were impossible for him to acquire in a short timethe Andrea Familys was well deservedand while he was sure that Ji Feng already knew about them, the admiral was in no way obligated or compelled to tell him anything. That being said, he probably wasnt expecting Cillin to learn all these top secret information from Lung either. Lastly, beware of the Yu Family and stay away from them, Cillin. Yu Linglong might not attack you, but the same couldnt be said for the rest of the family That was the last thing he said to Cillin before ending the call. The hunter was aware that Lung had left many things unsaid, but he could guess some of them just by reading between the lines. This really was the age of chaos. After the call was over, Cillin stayed in the secure room for a bit to organize all the information he learned so far. Si Huang, the Grim Reaper. That organization were as mysterious and powerful as ever. Grim Reaper hadnt sent anyone to contact him, but Cillin was pretty sure that Jiada had already learned of his return. They were probably waiting to take care of their business in GAL before seeking him out again, and they likely didnt believe that he could shoot for the moon in a foreign galaxy in just a couple of years. He was correct. The reason Grim Reaper had stayed quiet despite learning of Cillins return was exactly because they planned to settle their business first. Although Si Huang had taken out a Heavenly Edict General, they still had a lot of problems that they needed to deal with, first and foremost the web of people that was tied to every Heavenly Edict General. Jiada was currently away from Grim Reaper right now. It was rumored among the hunters that the man would be succeeding Oskulos as the new solo hunter and Six Stars of Hunt. If the situation within the military was a mess, how much better could the hunters possibly be faring? When Cillin finally exited the building, he saw Wheeze attempting to catch a mole-like creature. The gray cat immediately flew over to him when it saw him. Now that it had gotten in some practice, its flight seemed a lot stabler than before. Wheeze was lacking in some ways, but Cillin knew that it was even better than Moon at feigning innocence sometimes. He bet no one knew that Wheeze was listening in on his private conversation with Lung while it was practicing its flight. You done eavesdropping? Then make sure to keep it a secret and tell no one about it, Cillin said. Wheeze dumped the seemingly listless prey on the ground. The moment it hit the ground, the mole-like creature immediately dug a hole and vanished in the blink of an eye. Do you foresee a lot of trouble? I dont really think theyre worth worrying, but worse comes to worst we can always run back to master grandpa two. It was getting better and better at addressing his maser that. Cillins only response to that was a smile. When you were trapped in a whirlpool this large, some things were just unavoidable. It wasnt necessarily all bad, however. As the saying goes, heroes are born in troubled times. This was a good opportunity to find some good seeds and bolster the Eleventh Squadrons strength. For now though, lets focus on the present, Cillin thought to himself while shooting a glance at Xingfus direction. Now that he had Xingfus attention, he should be able to make it to Sector S a lot quicker than anticipated and find the logbook Genya spoke of. After that, he would bring it to the Queen and gain her as an ally. The thought of meeting the Queen without the logbook didnt even cross his mind. He wasnt stupid enough to think that he could prove anything without it. After he inquired about Xingfus plans, he learned that both young masters were returning to Sector S ASAP. Cillin expressed his wish to accompany them, but didnt tell them his exact intentions. He simply told them that he wished to meet a friend there. Xingfu had no qualms with this whatsoever. Just like that, the trioCillin, Xingfu and Fen Yuzuotraveled back to Sector S together. Speaking of which, Blue Butterfly had sent a dozen or so people to receive Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail. Their numbers were few, but everyone of them was a powerhouse in their own right. When they learned that the Eleventh Squadron was the one who saved them, they immediately went to Cillin and thanked him sincerely for his aid. However, the moment Wheeze flew over to tell them a certain story and demand their credits, their expression turned as ugly as someone who drank an entire barrel of bitter melon juice with chilis in them. After the matter of Ghost Butterfly Seventeen and Swallowtail was finally settled, the Eleventh Squadron took off to Sector S with Xingfu and Fen Yuzuo. On the starship, Cillin, Xi Kai, and Czedow had officially begun their research on the installation of the super AI. Most of the crew including Cary were completely useless in this department, so he went to the bridge and ate some nuts by his lonesome. The door to the bridge was open, so he could see the fellas flying around the passage and playing games. Ever since Wheeze grew a pair of wings, its playing field had changed from the land to the air. Right now, Wheeze, Moon, Sigma and Snowball were flying all over the place while Dough kept jumping up and down on the ground. There was never a moment a quiet when these fellas were together. Wheeze had even generously offered his snake-skin ball to the gang. At first the object terrified Snowball and Dough somewhat, but after a while they managed to overcome their primal instinct. They had always been pretty dense in this regard. To Wheeze, the best thing about growing a pair of wings was the ability to eat while flying. Previously, it had to stop at one place until it was done eating whatever food it was holding at the time. Now, it could let its wings carry it to wherever while it chowed down its bag of dried fruits. The floor was littered with leftover and crumbs wherever it flew. However, the more Cary looked, the deeper his frown became. It was because the bag of dried fruits Wheeze was holding looked very familiar for some reason. Crack! The nut he was holding was crushed when realization hit him. You little shits raided my cabinet again!? Snowball and Dough were the first to escape when they heard Carys roar. Wheeze wasnt afraid to him though. It slowly flew to the door and shot him a disdainful glance, Come on, its just seven bags of dried fruits and three cans. We havent even checked out the big cabinet yet, not to mention that this dried fruit of yours is seriously mediocre. In the end, fish biscuits are the best. What kind of justification is that?! Cary stared at Wheeze. Theres such a thing as going too far, man! The gray cat simply ignored him and went back to its food. Crumbs spilled across the floor as it took a bite. Cary pointed at the crumbs and scolded it, Look at the mess you left behind! Dont you have any public spirit at all!? Wheeze picked up a piece of dried fruit with its fat paw and shoved it into its mouth. Then, it asked, Wuzzat? I dont understand the word. Cary: ... Cary grabbed a nut and threw it at Wheeze. The latter flapped its wings, dodged the weapon with a double barrel roll before commenting, You suck! The cat could not be judged by its size. Dont say I didnt warn you, but arrogance is unbecoming of a cat, Wheeze! Wheeze arrogantly bared its teeth and flapped its wings twice, but before it could reply a hand grabbed it by the neck like a chicken and pulled it to their face. It was Cillin, of course. The hunter looked at the crumbs on the floor for a moment before saying, You have three hours to clean up all the crumbs you spilled across the whole ship. Why do I have to do that? We have cleaning robots! The starship itself has an automated cleaning module! Wheeze complained. Sure, but itll cost you your cat food. You need to lose weight anyway. Wheeze finally slumped in dejection. Fine. Cary was about to dance atop its misery when he suddenly saw a notification on the screen. A ship is approaching us. They even have corvettes! Is that another rich mans ship? Cary asked. The ship was flying the Eleventh Squadrons way, but they were there for Xingfu and Fen Yuzuo, not them. A short while later, Xingfus men sent them a transmission informing them that the ship belonged to Peneus, the little young master of another media giant with over 80 contribution points in regard to telecommunications, Infinite. Just like Fen Yuzuo, he had met the young man during Lungs party. Peneus went to Xingfus ship. Fen Yuzuo was there as well. Xingfu was extremely excited to see Peneus. The moment they met, he asked urgently, Do you have something new? Xingfu was referring to in-game battle footages. The young man adored them a lot, and ever since Peneus learned of his background he would bring him a bunch of classic battle footages to enjoy. It was the same this time. After learning that both Fen Yuzuo and Xingfu were sightseeing at a hunting planet, he immediately came looking for them with an exciting battle footage he just obtained a while ago. Oh yes, and I promise you that this ones top-tier! Its really, really good! Peneus declared proudly while waving a small storage device. Cmon, lets check it out right away! Xingfu immediately grabbed Peneus and Fen Yuzuos arms and dragged them to his personalized theater room. The bodyguards let him do as he pleased because this wasnt the first time this had happened. Plus, they knew that they would earn Xingfus ire if they were overscrupulous with security. Only two bodyguards followed them into the theater room. Everyone else stood guard by the entrance. Xingfu had a weak body, so there were a lot of firearms he couldnt use because he didnt meet the physical requirements to wield them. So, he relieved his urges via gaming instead. The bodyguards understood why he needed this. This footage hasnt been publicized yet, and even when it was publicized it would take a huge amount of money to purchase it! Thats how much its worth, man! Peneus bragged proudly while connecting the storage device to the projector. The boys and the bodyguards were instantly transported into the world of fire and steel. Xingfu stared thirstily at the running images displayed across the entire room. He could almost feel the gunfire spitting from the firearms, touch the cold, hard metal of the weapons, and smell the smoke-scented battlefield all around him. Agile figures dashed all around him as explosion bloomed one after another. He felt like he could touch the images if he tried, but he was brought back to reality when he stretched an arm and felt nothing, just like his impossible dream. He knew that it was just an illusion; that it was just the edited footage of a game. Even still, Xingfu loved to stand at the center of these images and feel them run all around him. It was a painful but intoxicating experience he couldnt let go. Xingfu slowly became absorbed in his surroundings. No one noticed that his pupils were starting to dilate irregularly, that it was slowly syncing up with the flashes of gunfire and explosion. Moreover, Xingfu started feeling like all his frustration and worry were gathering into an irremovable ball inside his heart. It grew bigger and bigger until the pressure became positively suffocating, and his head grew dizzier and dizzier. All across the room, the images people running across the light cast alternating light and shadow into his optic nerves, constricting him further and quickening his breath. He felt like he was sealed inside an airtight box, and every breath depleted the limited oxygen inside it. The footage had been edited in a way so that it would stimulate Xingfus brain via optic transmission. Its goal was to disrupt the central nervous system and kickstart a chain of adverse reactions. To another person, the footage was exactly what it was, a stunning, exciting but harmless record of a battle between elites. But to Xingfu, it was an unexpected weapon designed with the express purpose of killing him. Sometimes, you dont need a weapon to kill a person. Sometimes, a single footage is enough to pull someone to their grave! The two bodyguards standing by the entrance were handpicked by the Queen herself, so the longer they watched the footage, the more they felt that something was off. The bad feeling kept growing until one of them finally cried out, TURN IT OFF NOW!! He was too late though. Xingfu felt like he was at his limit, but he still wasnt able to pull himself away from the hypnotic state. In the end, his legs gave way, and he dropped to the ground. Chapter 330: He Can Save Him The medical team had all kinds of emergency equipment, and almost all of them were made to fit Xingfu. It was clear that Xingfu had suffered many illnesses throughout his growth. Peneus and his bodyguards were surrounded while the medical team was trying to save the unconscious Xingfu. Not even Fen Yuzuo was an exception. Dozens of guns and hidden weapons were all pointed at their direction. Both Peneus and Fen Yuzuo were completely stunned by this. None of them expected something like to happen while watching an in-game battle footage. While they had heard of real life cases like this before, they had never witnessed something like this in their lives and thus didnt even consider the possibility that it might happen until it did. More accurately, they didnt think that Xingfu was so weak that he would be susceptible to a weapon like this. Neither Fen Yuzuo nor Peneus knew what Xingfus exact gene rank was, but the former guessed that it was E-rank because he believed that Xingfu was too embarrassed to tell him the truth. No one among his peers were below E-rank. Some of them might be E-rank when they were born, but that was because they inherited some genetic disorders from their parents, and they were all treated afterward via gene surgery. What happened today though made him realize that his assumption was wrong. Hes not even E-rank? A G-rank human would be dead already, so Xingfu had to be an F-rank human. Even now, Fen Yuzuo could hardly believe that the grandson of the so-called Queen of Sector S would be a half-cripple. In his opinion, anyone anyone with F-rank genes was a half-cripple. Meanwhile, Xingfus bodyguards looked like they wanted to kill someone, and the closest thing they had to a target was Fen Yuzuo and Peneus. Both young masters knew that their bodyguards wouldnt be able to protect them if a fight did break out, not to mention that they were currently aboard Xingfus ship. The only outcome that would arise from a conflict was death. H-how did it turn out like this? How did it turn out like this?? Whats going on with Xingfu, Fen Yuzuo? said Peneus with clear panic. Although the bodyguard said earlier that it was the video that caused Xingfu to collapse, he still couldnt believe that it was true. At least five people in his family had watched the video, and none of them felt anything at all. Of all the times it couldve harmed someone, why now? The emergency medical team had erected a barrier to isolate Xingfu from the others. Therefore, they couldnt see if Xingfu was recovering or not. It wasnt me! The thought of hurting Xingfu had never even crossed my mind! It really wasnt me! Peneus cried. Moreover, it was currently the age of chaos, and everyone was seeking out good helpers and cooperating with one another to improve their chances of survival. Lung and Andrea Family, Fen Yuzuo and Lavish, Xingfu and Golden Beginning and that Star Rank Hunter; they were all very powerful helpers. However, someone was trying to fracture that relationship with this act. Whos the fucker whos trying to fuck with us?! Even if Xingfu survives this crisis, a crack wouldve appeared in their partnership. Fen Yuzuo completely understood Peneus feelings. Hell, everyone was agitated because Xingfu was still danger. Someones using you to drive a wedge between us and Xingfu. Fen Yuzuo hadnt lowered his voice, so everyone inside the room could hear his reply. It was both a reply to Fen Yuzuo and an explanation to the bodyguards who were itching to turn them into flesh sieves. I know that! Why else do you think youre still alive?! The harsh voice belonged to one of the two bodyguards who were waiting inside the room earlier. His name was Du Hong, and he was the bodyguard assigned by the Queen herself to protect Xingfu since the very beginning. Right now, the bodyguard was tormented by regret and self-blame because of his failure to recognize a direct threat to his young maters life. Although he had felt that something was off when the footage first began, he didnt stop it because he thought that it was just how the game was configured at the time. He shouldve known better than to doubt his first instinct. Fen Yuzuo grabbed Peneus collar to calm him down. Then, he asked a series of questions, Peneus, I want you to recall who gave you the footage, who participated in the editing, and who are the players in the game. Can you do it? Peneus wasnt an idiot, so did as Fen Yuzuo told, calmed himself down as much as he could and tried to recall anyone who could be a potential suspect. Young master Fus condition is bad, real bad! Du Hongs heart sank the bad news crackled through his communicator. Knowing this emergency medical team, real bad meant that their odds of losing was as high as seventy or eighty percent. The bodyguard desperately needed to vent his emotionseven punching the wall would make him feel a bit betterbut he didnt because he was too close to the barrier, and both him and his colleagues didnt want to cause even the slightest interruption to the treatment process. It was also one of the reasons why he hadnt ordered his men to take down Peneus and Fen Yuzuo yet. A frustrated Du Hong shot the two young masters a baleful look. His killing intent was so biting that Fen Yuzuo actually shivered a bit, and his bodyguards to block in front of Fen Yuzuo to cut off the visual contact. It was at this moment Du Hong received a report from his subordinate saying that Vanguard Eleventh Squadron had requested to speak with him. Im busy! Du Hong growled. B-but their commander, Cillin said that he might be able to save the young master, the bodyguard stuttered. He then gave a quick rundown on what had happened during the call. They had actually denied the Eleventh Squads communication request when they first received it. However, they soon discovered that one of their external communications device was hacked, and when they tried to shut it down Cillin told them that he might be able to save Xingfu, stopping them in their tracks. He said what? All the wrinkles were popping out of Du Hongs brow. He didnt believe Vanguards claim, but when the medical team sent him another critical report, he immediately accepted the communication request and gave Cillin permission to board the ship. On the Eleventh Squad starship. They agreed? Wheeze asked while sweeping the crumbs it dropped into one pile with its wings. Mm. Im heading over now. Cillin paused for a moment and met Wheezes miserable gaze for a moment. Then, he said, Youll have to withdraw your wings if you want to join me. Swhoosh! Wheezes wings withdrew into its back immediately. Should we continue keeping an eye on the other two ships? Moon asked. Of course. Leave no trace. Got it! Cillin had asked Moon to keep an eye to Xingfu since the beginning of the voyage, or he wouldnt have learned of the young mans grave situation so quickly. While they didnt have a direct feed to Xingfus theater room, they could see the panic on the crews face where the security was thinner. Xingfu was the only one that couldve caused such panic. Cillin learned the reason Xingfu fainted from Du Hong himself. Since Cillin knew some hypnosis himself, he figured out that footage was designed to create some sort of hypnotic effect. A very brutal one. How was it? Cillin asked Du Hong after arriving at the theater room. Its bad! If theres any medical advice that you want to give, give it quickly. Cillin shook his head. I can only decide after I saw his condition myself. Unacceptable! Du Hong rejected immediately. No one except the medical team was allowed to approach Xingfu while he was being treated, not even him. It was because the medical team was chosen by the Queen herself, and they only answered to her. Du Hong had no authority over them. It was also why Xingfu didnt even bother to resist anymore despite being forced to drink the mild tea he didnt enjoy at all. They were always keeping an eye of him in case of a medical emergency. Wheeze was sitting atop Cillins shoulder. After giving the room a sweeping glance, it locked its gaze onto the table where some snacks and delicacies were placed. The theater room was an entertainment room, so of course snacks were prepared for the guests to enjoy. Since Cillin was busy speaking with Du Hong, it jumped to the ground and ran straight for the table. Xingfus bodyguards were paying very close attention to Cillin since the moment he stepped into the room, and Wheeze was no exception. So when the gray cat jumped off the hunters shoulder, they immediately split part of their attention to it. They were incredulous they saw Wheeze jumping onto the table and gobbling up the snacks. jThey found it incredible that any living being could eat anything under this tension. Du Hong pretended that he didnt notice what Wheeze was doing and focused on wasting Cillins time. However, less than a minute later, after receiving a new report from the medical team that drained all the blood from his face, Cillin circled around Du Hong and walked straight toward the temporary isolation room. The bodyguard didnt stop the hunter this time. Du Hong contacted the person in charge behind the barrier, Let him in, uncle Zhuo. If theres any chance we can prevent young master Fu from turning into vegetable, we should take it. One part of the barrier opened, and both Cillin and Du Hong walked into the isolation room. Wheeze didnt because there were still snacks to be eaten. When Cillin saw Xingfus condition, he concluded that his medical team was incredibly skilful. The young man wouldve died a long time ago if it wasnt for their timely treatment, not to mention that they were still keeping him alive even now. And Xingfus condition was definitely very bad. His heartbeat was all over the placesometimes racing, sometimes slowingand his EEG was extremely odd. Xingfu was still stuck in a hypnotic state. In fact, it looked like his consciousness was fully isolated from the outside world. The young man unable to hear the the noise or feel the movement around him. Unfortunately, this also meant that the only person that could break Xingfu free from his hypnotized state, was himself. It was a very brutal hypnosis alright. What is he doing? Zhuo Xing was a middle-aged man. He was the leader of the medical team and Xingfus attending physician since he was born. He too was sent by the Queen to protect the young man. After Cillin was finished with his inspection, he looked at the fifteen square meters wide temporary isolation room around him and said to Zhuo Xing and Du Hong, I would like everyone except the two of you to leave this room now. There were four medical personnel in the room besides Zhuo Xing, Du Hong and Cillin. They looked at Zhuo Xing and left only after the latter had given them the nod. Cillin adjusted some of the instruments connecting to Xingfus body. Zhuo Xing was about to scold him when he saw the hunter grabbing a small bottle filled with green liquid from his spatial storage, and he forgot everything that he was going to say. His face was covered in shock and disbelief. Chapter 331: He Will Return With a Flee Cillin had received the vial from Genya, and it contained a natural plant hormone extracted from a Fuji Tree. Since this would be the first time it was applied to Xingfu, he halved the dosage first before performing the injection. Cillin watched the vital signs displayed on the monitor closely as the green liquid was injected into Xingfus body. Beside him, Zhuo Xing was so stunned that he forgot how to speak, and Du Hong wasnt sure how to react. Zhuo Xing was stunned because he recognized the symbol on the vial. He had seen it in the Queens accommodations before, and he knew that she valued the items with that symbol so deeply that she forbad anyone from touching them. He also knew that it was left behind by her husband and Xingfus grandfather, a man he thought to have passed away a long time ago. Since he had never heard of a great power or person with the surname Gen in GAL, he also thought that the man couldnt be any more than an average person. So imagine how surprised he felt when he saw that symbol again, and from Cillin no less. Du Hong poked Zhuo Xing in the arm and shot the doctor an urgent, inquiring look after noticing that the latter was still blanking out. One look was all he needed to move in and stop Cillins rash action right away. However. After Zhou Xing finally broke out of his daydream, he surprised Du Hong again by shaking his head slightly. The bodyguard couldnt understand why the normally cautious doctor would allow an outsider like Cillin to interfere with Xingfus treatment, much less allow him to run amok like he was right now. Even more puzzling was the doctors reaction when he saw the vial. As far as Du Hong could remember, Zhuo Xing always looked calm and collected probably because his profession required him to maintain his composure at all times. He certainly was not in the habit of blanking out in the middle of an emergency treatment. Du Hong knew that Zhuo Xing must know something that he didnt. What was the secret connection between Cillin, the commander of an Vanguard B Squadron and Golden Beginning really? Before Zhuo Xing or Du Hong could think of anything else, the numbers on the display started changing drastically. One particular number caused both the doctor and the bodyguards eyes to widen like saucers. On the display, Xingfus gene ranking had changed from F to E. In fact, it was slowly evolving to D as they stared. However, the evolution seemed pretty unstable, and worse, Xingfu''s vital signs were gradually exceeding the safe ranges as well. This was not encouraging. Generally speaking, over 60% of the people who displayed such symptoms after receiving a gene evolution injection would fail to evolve to the next rank. And the bigger the deviation, the lower the percentage of success. Xingfu started spasming all over because his vital signs were getting out of control. His face looked incredibly contorted as well. God knows what the young man was seeing to display such a reaction. The hypnosis was meant to make the victim recall all the terrible memories in their life so that they could be dragged into an even more unresponsive state. The stronger they were affected by these memories, the deeper they sank into the mire of the mind, and the harder it was for another party to break them free from the hypnosis. It was an incredibly potent and nearly irreversible hypnosis assassination technique. Moreover, Xingfu was different from others in that his body was too weak to withstand most of the drugs or treatments that couldve broken him out of this state. What mightve been a mild inconvenience to another person was almost unbreakable for Xingfu. Whatever the stakes that was involved in this assassination attempt, Cillin was certain that the mastermind definitely wanted to kill Xingfu. Earlier, Du Hong had mentioned that the only realistic way to save Xingfu was to perform a forced treatment, but there was a high chance it would turn the young man into a vegetable due to the deep hypnotic state he was in. Even if they succeeded, Xingfu most likely wouldve become brain dead. Xingfu adjusted the parameters of the instrument connected to Xingfus head a bit. The equipment would generate bioelectricity to stimulate Xingfus brain. Although Xingfus vital signs had exceeded the safe ranges, Zhuo Xings experience told him that it hadnt exceeded the critical baselines. However, that was without considering the hypnosis that was attacking Xingfu, and Zhuo Xing wasnt well-versed with hypnosis. Ultimately, he lacked all the knowledge necessary to perform an accurate analysis. Right now, Xingfus face was contorting between fear, anxiety, frustration, and even anger and hatred. He looked like someone who was trapped in a nightmare. Suddenly, Xingfu muttered something that neither Zhuo Xing nor Du Hong could understand. It was impossible to tell if it was just a meaningless murmur caused by his condition, or some other language they didnt recognize. Cillin understood him though. Xingfu had spoken using the Mist Bodhisattva Empires common tongue, and he had said: I have no grandfather! Cillin knew that Xingfu held a deep grudge against the Queen, but he never imagined that the person Xingfu resented the most was Genya. It was because of Genya that he was stuck with a body that could only be described as half-crippled at best. It was because of the Queens order that he was stuck with a weak body until this day. Xingfu probably hated Genya, or there was no explaining why the very first words he spoke in this state was, I have no grandfather. God knows how Genya would feel if he had heard this himself. Still, the fact that Xingfu responded meant that he had broken through the unbreakable seal the hypnosis had applied to him. This was the benefit of having improved genes. Do you hate him? Do you hate your grandfather? Cillin asked softly in the empires tongue. Zhuo Xing and Du Hong stared unblinkingly at the hunter. Is he trying to establish communication? Xingfu didnt reply to the question, but his reaction became worse than before. That was good news, because it meant that Xingfu had broken through the seal and became aware of his environment. Do you hate him because the genes he imparted upon his children and grandchildren are inferior? Cillins voice became low, deep and pitched in a certain way. It was just loud enough for Xingfu to hear him, but not so loud that it would cause a negative reaction. Your genes are not a burden, a shackle, or trash. It is something many people couldnt even dream to have. The reason you cannot see its abilities is because it is lying dormant inside your body, for now. You were tormented by your genes for over two decades, but your grandfather was tormented for far, far longer. He had had to endure being powerless from his best years to his worst. He had had to watch himself wither away while his partner looked as young as ever. Maybe that was why he ultimately chose to leave your side and grow old at a quiet place. He didnt want his loved ones to be sad for him. I know he regretted his decision later on. He enjoyed drawing, and he often drew a husband and wife, a child, and a plethora of faceless children behind that child. I once asked him why he gave the children a face, and he told me that he wanted to, but he didnt know what they looked like. Some time later, he finally returned home, but he wasnt as happy as he pretended to be. He likes to wake up in the morning, finish his breakfast, and work out for a bit. Then, he would lie down on a rocking chair shaped from a Fuji Tree and stare at the artificial sea before his resting place. He would daydream or close his eyes and think of those people he missed. He shared his sorrow and sense of loss with no one. Please dont blame him for what he did. He wouldnt have left his loved ones in the first place if he thought he had any other choice. Many people thought that he preferred the quiet, but I know he wanted nothing more but to be surrounded by his grandchildren; to watch both his children and grandchildren grow up every step of the way. His brothers children often visited him and kept him company, but he always daydreamed for a long time after they left. He would sit at his chair, stare at the sky through the gaps of the Fuji Tree, and let the wind take away his sorrow. Maybe... he is afraid even now. If you dont believe me, you may meet him and question him yourself. I am sure that the two of you, all of you will meet each other very soon. Maybe one day he will return with a fleet like nothing youve ever seen before. The ships will be bigger and finer than the one youre on right now, the troops will be wearing very fine uniforms, and the leaf symbol you know will be on all of them It was like a cool, soothing breeze that came during a hot and suffocating summer day. It blew away the irritating heat without being imposing or startling. Slowly, Xingfus irritation and negative emotions seeped out of his body and left only the calm behind. Zhuo Xing knew that Cillins hypnotic voice wasnt the only reason Xingfu calmed down. What he said to Xingfu was the true key behind his recovery. The Queens son and grandchildren were all paired with private doctors for health reasons. For example, Zhuo Xing was assigned to be Xingfus private doctor not long after the young man was born. That was why he knew a tiny bit of the unknown language Xingfu and Cillin spoke, but not enough to understand the contents of the one-sided dialogue. What did Cillin tell Xingfu? How did he manage to calm Xingfu down in that situation? And most importantly, how did he grasp the language in the first place? Deep curiosity and conflicting feelings troubled Zhuo Xing and Du Hong for a moment. They hadnt known the young man for very long, but already he had proven himself to have a knack of destroying preconceptions and surprising anyone who thought that they had a good handle on him. Zhuo Xing and Du Hongs jaws fell when a childish smile appeared on Xingfus face. The gene rank on the display especially made them wonder if it was all a dream. The letter alternating between D and E had stopped at B before they noticed it. It couldve climbed higher, but Cillin, against all common sense, decided that now was the time to halt the evolution process. Cillin had spoken in a hypnotic voice earlier to repair Xingfus consciousness and guide him out of the extreme state he was in. He also used the opportunity to ensure that Xingfus gene evolution process went smoothly. Cillin had known that the Gen Familys genes were special since a long time ago. For starters, they required two stimulation processes to awaken their genes completely. If a descendant received their first injection but not the second, then their gene rank would grow worse and worse. The second injection was critical in stabilizing their genes completely. While the process wasnt the simplest to administer, every Gen descendant who completed their evolution were ranked A or higher by the standards of GAL. The Gen Familys genes couldnt accept any other gene extract besides the Fuji Trees. It was probably the main reason why the Queen had adamantly refused to give him the treatment he thought he needed. If Xingfu had undergone a standard gene evolution treatment at GAL, he would only be damaging his own special genes. The successful evolution had improved Xingfus resistances tremendously. At the very least, it was nothing like when he was stuck at F-rank. Not long after Cillin halted the second half of the evolution process, the young man awoke. If possible, Du Hong wanted to stick his face to the monitoring display and examine every number in detail. The first thing Xingfu did after he awoke was to stare at Cillins face, not to placate his bodyguard or his private doctor. A long, long time later, he finally said, Youre not my long lost first half-cousin, are you? Cillin: ... Chapter 332: Food King Hara Now that he no longer needed to worry about his own safety, Peneus moved on to thinking about the best ways to repair his damaged relationship with Xingfu. While it was true that he was a victim of circumstance himself, it was equally undeniable that his role had been pivotal in the near loss of Xingfus life. Naturally he was seething with hatred for the mastermind behind this. The same thing could happen again as long as the culprit remained undiscovered, and he was fully aware that he and his men couldve died right on this ship if Xingfu hadnt made a miraculous recovery. There was no way in hell he was reliving this ever again. Xingfu didnt exit the isolation room immediately after confirming to his doctor that he felt perfectly healthy. Instead, he sent Zhuo Xing and Du Hong away so that he could grill Cillin about Genya. The hunter only answered some of his questions though. He explained the nature of his relationship with Genya to Xingfu and told him that Genya wouldnt be returning soon. When will he able to visit us? Xingfu asked. It was the most pressing question in his mind right now. Depends. GAL is pretty unstable right now, and his return will only worsen the chaos. Xingfu raised his eyebrows at that. Is the Gen Family really that big? It is. But I cant tell you anything about them right now. Dont worry, Im sure hell explain everything to you all when he finally returns. Cillin had no intentions of revealing the Mist Bodhisattva Empires existence as of now. Xingfu took a moment to glance at the medical instrument he was connected to, more specifically the gene rank displayed on the screen. Back in the days, he would be assaulted by waves of weakness and discomfort the moment he tried anything strenuous. Now though,he felt like he had an infinite amount of energy and spirit to spend, and he could barely stop himself from dancing in excitement. From his conversation with Xingfu. Cillin learned that Xingfus younger sister, Gen Xingji often spent her time with with his auntPrisa, the Star Rank Hunterand that his father helped the Queen to manage Golden Beginning. Until just now, Xingfu possessed the weakest constitution out of his father, sister and himself. Even his sister, who was an F-rank human like him, was slightly stronger than he was. It was one of the reasons she was allowed to travel all over the galaxy with Prisa. When is my next injection? That depends on how well your body adapts to its new state. If everything goes well, you should be able to undergo the injection very soon. If not, it might take years or even decades before you can receive your second injection. Xingfu wasnt boasting. Sector S was currently under the control of three major factions, and no foreign powernot even the ones who shared a partnership the three major factionscould stick their hands in the proverbial cookie jar right now. Take Peneus and Fen Yuzuo for example, there was a high chance they would be smashed to shithereeen if they had tried to enter Sector Ss space without Xingfu. Im heading there to find something your grandfather left behind before he left. It might contain records of your father and other things. Cillin didnt plan to keep this a secret from Xingfu. He would be able to accomplish this mission a lot quicker with Xingfus help anyway. Then Ill help. Its not like I have anything to do anyway. Before my genes became better, all I could do is to hide myself in a corner and avoid drawing attention. Now though? I want to explore as much as I can. Heck, even in Sector S there are many places I havent been to yet. Even in Fire Phoenix and Flying Snake, there were a lot of people who recognized Xingfu. They wouldnt stop him from going where he pleased as long as it wasnt too confidential. Sure. When thats done, Im going to meet with the Queen. Your grandfather left some things for her and your father. As for you and your sisters gift, I suggest that you ask him yourselves after you met him in person. He still didnt know you exist after all. Xingfu pouted but didnt dwell on something so trivial. A pause later, he asked curiously, So, what did my grandfather want to give my father and grandmother? Do you want to see? Cillin took out the bracelet under Xingfus expectant gaze. It was a royal bracelet that was almost the same as the one Gen Xingmings father was wearing right now. The unique pattern marking someone as a key member of the royal bloodline was engraved on it. A multitude of thoughts passed through Xingfus mind in this moment. He could see that the bracelet was exceptional. He could feel how rare and precious it was even without touching it with his own hands. The materials alone were so rare that it was almost priceless. This is his gift to your father, Cillin said. The reason he showed this to Xingfu was to dispel the last grain of doubt in his mind. Xingfu pointed at the pattern after examining the bracelet closely. This looks slightly different from the one Ive seen before. This clan crest is only available to members of the imperial clan, or very close friends of said members. If Im not mistaken, the one you saw is worn by a normal Gen clansmen. Xingfu exclaimed in pleasant realization. Huh. This means that that cheap grandpa of mine is pretty important in the Gen Family, right? Cillin nodded and put away the bracelet. He had already achieved his objective, and he didnt want to reveal it too frequently until it was passed into the hands of its intended recipients. Oh right, do you know whos the person who tried to kill you? The hypnosis you were put under was extremely potent. You might not have awakened if your genes werent different from the normal person, Cillin asked. I dont know. Killing intent flashed across Xingfus eyes, but the young man was able to maintain a cool head. The culprit might not have been targeting me specifically. It could be that the culprit noticed that our friends and us combined posed a threat to their interests, and that killing me would put a stop this partnership. Cillin nodded. He was glad to see that Xingfu didnt let his emotions get to him and viewed at the problem objectively. After they left the isolation room, Xingfu called upon his acting skills and played the appearance of someone who just recovered from a terrible illness. No one besides Zhuo Xing and Du Hong knew about his gene improvement, and he told them to keep it a secret even from the Queen herself. He planned to reveal this to his family after Cillin found the item he was looking for, and until then he had no intention in painting a target behind his own back. When Peneus anxiously inquired Xingfu about his intentions, not only did Xingfu not blame him for what had happened, he actually went to great lengths to console the young master. He promised that their cooperation would continue just like before, but he also urged Peneus to catch the culprit who orchestrated his assassination as soon as possible. Fen Yuzuo couldnt help but feel like Xingfu had changed a little. He still looked as sickly as ever, but he no longer leaked gloominess like a bottle of depression. In the past, his eyes would be brimming with negative emotions even when his lips were drawn into a smile. Now though, they looked a lot brighter than they used to be. Cillin acquired a star map of Sector S from Xingfu. In GAL, if you want to obtain the most accurate and detailed star map possible of a certain section or sections of the galaxy, the best thing to do would be to inquire someone who served the power who owned them. In this case, Cillin got lucky by saving the one person who could give him the best star map of Sector S possible to search his target planet. Ever since GAL descended into chaos, the entire Sector S had been embroiled in a power shuffle. So far, all foreign forces who tried to interfere with this war had suffered tremendously for their troubles. Flying Snake, Fire Phoenix and Golden Beginning had cleaned out the entire Sector S and during this process all the prisons in Sector S from the lowest to the highest had been destroyed. In fact, some planets were destroyed during the scrambles and power shuffles, so new territories and areas had to be redefined. This was why the pre-chaos star maps and post-chaos star maps looked very different from each other. Xingfu didnt even have the old star maps of Sector S, only the latest one. Obviously, this made it harder for Cillin to search for the planet Genya specified. He had to calculate planetary layouts and orbits, borrow a bunch of incomplete, localized pre-chaos star maps from the crew, and merge them with the ones he remembered before he could even begin his search. For convenience sake, Xingfu prepared a room for Cillin to stay and provided him with the equipment he needed to conduct his search. At the same time, Cillin asked Moon and the others to find as many old star maps as they could to pinpoint the target planet. Meanwhile, Wheeze was doing exactly nada as usual, and since Cillin hadnt gone back it decided that it might as well stick with him and escape the responsibility of having to clean the crumbs it littered all over the Eleventh Squads starship. Wheezes decision was also aided by the fact that Xingfu prepared a lot of food for it, although its mouth wasnt nearly as loose as it used to be. Now that it had both power and support, it was no longer scared about being experimented upon by GALs mad scientists anymore. To put it in its own words, it had helpers, and it would kill anyone and everyone who covets it. Unable to pry any information from Cillins mouth, Xingfu moved onto his next target and tried to bribe the gluttonous cat with food. However, as gluttonous it might be, its mouth was sealed as tight as a drum. It was almost as if it had set up a program to remind itself to shut up right before it was about to slip up. Wheeze looked stupid, but it wasnt actually stupid. Xingfu was deeply disappointed by his failure to pry any valuable information from Wheezes mouth, but at least they were now closer than before. It was mostly the food doing the talking though. The little bastard probably wouldnt even look at him if he didnt offer it food. After a careful investigation, comparison and analysis later, Cillin narrowed his search to one particular area. Coincidentally, the area around the planet was largely unchanged, and the planet situated at a former prison sector. Even better, Cillin had been to the target planet before. A long time ago, Cillin and Lung and rescued the Little Flying Snake Qi Geyou and his two aides, Snarker and Serpenter. The planet they had delivered them to was exactly the planet he was looking for. The target planet was located in Flying Snakes territory, and that hadnt changed to this day. It was possible that Genya had hidden his possessions there because it was a place Golden Beginning didnt have easy access to. From this, Cillin could infer that Golden Beginnings voice wasnt fully united at the time. These days, Qi Geyou had greater authority than before, and barring some incredible circumstances he was expected to become the official leader of Flying Snake in the near future. It so happened that the planet they were flying to was under Qi Geyous jurisdiction as well. The defenders of the planet immediately entered high alert when they spotted the unfamiliar ships. When they saw the insignia of Golden Beginning on Xingfus ship though, they immediately informed their higher-ups to send a suitable negotiator. Feel free to recruit them anyone you like, Xingfu said with a smile while they waited for Flying Snakes reply. Ever since the prisons in Sector S were destroyed, every force had conducted a recruitment drive of sorts. Feel free to do yours if you happen to encounter an unpolished gem or two who slipped through the net. I would recommend getting someone from the prisons as they are usually quite powerful. Of course. If I find someone suitable, Ill do my best to add them to my crew. The response came quickly, and one of the negotiators even turned out to be a familiar face. It was the brawny fighter, Snarker. Snarker gave them permission to enter after hearing from Xingfu that he was here to find someone. He didnt really have a good reason to turn them away anyway especially since they were cooperating right now. It wouldnt be incorrect to claim that the stability of the entire Sector S lies on the friendship of its three major powers. They parked their starships at the space station orbiting the planet. Then, Xingfu and Cillin split up, brought their own men and flew their own spaceplanes to the planet. Snarker was already waiting at the designated landing spot with increased security. It was because he didnt want anything to happen to Golden Beginnings precious young master. His head would be on the chopping block if anything bad were to happen during his watch, not to mention that Qi Geyous promotion might be affected as well. Snarkers full attention was on Xingfu when the young master showed up. Then he looked sideways and saw something that caused his facial muscle to twitch involuntarily. The cat was a lot fatter than he remembered, but no amount of fat was enough to cover up its punchable eyes. Snarker had seen many cats in his life, but there was only one that made him feel like throwing a punch or two on first meeting. At the same time, Snarker quickly realized that the gray cat was sitting on the shoulder of someone he didnt recognize. Who is this guy? Unfortunately, he didnt have the time to puzzle all the mysteries. After trading pleasantries with Xingfu, he led them to a place where they could rest their feet. There were a lot more tall and impressive buildings on the planet since Cillins last visit. It looked like Flying Snakes ascension of power had done a lot of good for the planet. Snarker had brought them to a high class hotel. It was a special place where only the higher-ups of Flying Snake or VIPs like Xingfu could enter. So, who are you looking for, young master Fu? Assuming that theyre on this planet, we should be able to save you some time, Snarker started. It sounded polite, but the underlying meaning was clear: tell us now so we can find you your person and wrap this up quickly. Xingfu looked at Cillin. The hunter was the only one here who knew the specifics. But before Cillin could say anything, Wheeze complained, Why isnt there any fish biscuits in this room? Is this how you treat your saviors, hmm? Snarkers face turned stiff for a moment. I fucking knew this cat would be a difficult guest! After ordering his men to bring up some fish biscuits, he asked, Wheres Cillin? Is he away for something? Now that he knew who Lung truly was, he knew that the young master normally didnt make time for hunters. He was also pretty busy as of late and shouldnt have the time to visit Sector S. Wheeze picked up a fish biscuit with its paw, dropped it in its mouth, closed its eyes and took its time chewing it into tiny, digestible bits. A long while later, it finally tilted its head and pointed at the person sitting next to it. Do you need an eye check? Hes right in front of you, man. It took a bit of explanation from Cillin, but Snarker eventually confirmed that the unfamiliar hunter sitting opposite to him was Cillin himself. He immediately reported this to Qi Geyou. Cillin and Lung were the ones who lent them a helping hand during their most dangerous times, and Snarker never forgot a favor. The cat though, well, maybe not. Qi Geyou couldnt show up in person he was currently busy doing some things on another planet. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. After catching up with Cillin for a bit via video call, he asked Snarker to do everything in his power to find the person Cillin was looking for and hung up. First, Cillin asked for a map of the planet and tried searching for the location Genya told him. However, a lot had changed since Genya was last here, and the older the area the bigger the changes. So, Cillin requested to see the older maps of the planet. Had Cillin been anyone else, Snarker wouldve rejected the request right away. After all, some of these stuff were tied to their orgs inner secrets. But since Qi Geyou told him to help Cillin in any way possible, and he still owed Cillin his life, Snarker obliged without hesitation. Xingfu kept his emotions well hidden, but in truth he was shocked by how amenable Snarker was. Although Cillin had told him about the time he saved Qi Geyou and his two aides, this went beyond even repaying a life debt. He was certain that Cillin and Qi Geyou shared other dealings besides their current one, or to his knowledge the latter would never allow Snarker to reveal maps that potentially contained certain hidden data and strategical layouts. Cillin pointed at a particular location on the map and asked, Is this still a residential area? Snarker took a look and shook his head regretfully. Its been rebuilt for other purposes since twenty years ago at least. Why dont you just tell me who youre searching for? I might be able to find out their current location. Works for me. Cillin turned off the map and said, The person Im looking for is called Hara. Snarker was about to enter the name into his communicator when his hands suddenly froze in mid-air. He turned toward Cillin and asked slowly, Im sorry, who? Hara. Im looking for Hara, Cillin repeated slowly and clearly. This time, even Xingfu wore an odd expression on his face. By Hara, you mean that plump man who likes to smile and roll his tongue when he speaks?! blurted Snarker while staring at Cillin. Cillin recalled his conversation with Genya for a moment and confirmed that that was how Genya had described the person who held his possessions. So he nodded and said, Yes, Im sure. Xingfu exclaimed in astonishment, Food King Hara is holding the goods? Chapter 333: Butterfly Kiss It sounded like the kind of nickname you would slap on a glutton. In fact, he was a glutton, a very meticulous one too. Is he famous? Cillin asked. Very! Snarker and Xingfu replied in unison. Looks like I should try to keep up with the times more. No, Im sure youve seen this before. Snarker took out a fruit cakes plastic bag and pointed at the logoa big smiling faceand this time Cillin recognized it. It was a famous brand in GAL, and Tang Qiuqiu purchased sweets under this brand before. After he performed a simple background check and learned that it was produced by a factory belonging to the Andrea Family, he never looked at it again. It just didnt seem like an important detail to remember at the time. In fact, fish biscuit was the one and only food product Cillin was most familiar with. It was because Wheeze went through them like a vacuum, and its taste only grew more refined as time passed (which is to say it was a very picky eater). This was why Cillins knowledge of fish biscuits was far more in-depth than any other food. Unfortunately, this smiley brand didnt product fish biscuits. The fish biscuit factory the Andrea Family was contracted with was a different brand. Information regarding Sector S had always been scarce to an outsider. In the case of Food King Hara, the man wanted to maintain a low profile and requested the help of several big shots and the Andrea Family to make it so, so he wasnt known to the public until chaos descended upon GAL and turned everything upside down. Even so, very few people had actually met the man beforemore so in Sector S, much less so everywhere else. He was like a blip on the radar compared to his own brand and title. Are you guys saying that the owner of this smiley brand is Food King Hara? Ive always thought that it belonged to the Andrea Family. No, they just share a partnership. Snarker showed Cillin some info regarding Hara. Hara believed that eating was a kind of pleasure, and he has been very interested in its art since a young age. He had never received any high level education, and he started his career as a restaurant waiter. This meant that he was a man who started from the bottom and climbed all the way to the top. This alone would be an impressive achievement in this day and age, but it was still nothing compared to the story of his gene rank. Hara was originally a D-rank human, but today his genes were A-rank. It was rumored and later confirmed that the Food Kings genes somehow improved via eating. He ate until he became A-rank? No wonder hes called the Food King. Theres another rumor saying that a beggar on the streets shares the same chance as the Food Kings own son and grandchildren to eat the food he makes. It all depends on his mood at the time. That is why people say that it is a blessing to be able to eat his food! Snarker said longingly. Suddenly, Xingfu took a sip of tea and interrupted, I ate his food before. Snarker and Cillin: ... What is this absolutely unsubtle attempt to boast? The duo showed no signs of replying, so Xingfu added, And it wasnt a one-time thing. Snarker stared at the young man who pretended to be collected, but couldnt control the corner of his lips from turning upward. He felt very much giving him a punch or two. Finally, Xingfu ended his impression with a wistful sigh. He truly deserves to be called the Food King! How can I contact him? Cillin asked. Snarker kept quiet and looked at Xingfu. He didnt have an answer for Cillin because he didnt know where the Food King was livinghe didnt even know that Hara had lived on this planet until Cillin showed up. The man was as mysterious as his legends made him sound like. It was rumored that the Food King has a stranger temper. He loved to smile, but it could be a killer smile or a killer killer smile depending on the situation. Long story short, he was quite the complex personality. He would never have made it to his his current status and influence otherwise. Xingfu shook his head. I dont have a way of contact him, but my father does. Ill give him a call. In Golden Beginning, the closest person to Food King Hara was undoubtedly Xingfus father, Gensheng. In fact, Hara treated Gensheng much better than most people, and by extension Xingfu and Xingji as well. It was the only reason they got to eat the food he made more than once. And so Xingfu contacted his father and requested Haras contact information, but Gensheng refused to oblige at the beginning. It took the young man almost an hour of beggingeven going so far as to throwing a tantrum and pretending to be pitiful; both tactics that normally disgusted himbefore he finally got his puzzled father to agree to contact Hara on his behalf. Even so, the man didnt give out Haras contact method because he promised never to do so without the latters permission, especially since it would only bring Hara trouble. The communication went through. It was clear from the sheer amount of encryption that Hara really, really disliked having his being interrupted. However, it equally showed just how much Hara cared for Gensheng. A plump, smiling face appeared on the screen after the video call finally connected. It was impossible to tell the mans age from his features alone, especially since his skin looked as smooth as a babys, and he looked to be in well spirits. It was more proof that the Food Kings genes grew better via eating. Food king grandpa! Xingfu greeted the man respectfully. Hello, little Xingfu! Did you run into some trouble? Why did you contact me so urgently? said Hara with a kind smile on his face. A friend of mine wants to ask you something. Its urgent! Afraid that Hara would grow annoyed, Xingfu went straight to the point and emphasized that his business was urgent. Speaking of which, Snarker didnt leave the scene because he wanted to witness the living legend with his own eyes, he said. Hara displayed no signs of anger as he asked, Is that so? Who is it? Xingfu immediately waved a hand and motioned for Cillin to speak. Hello. Im Cillin. Cillin greeted Hara respectfully; the way a younger person would greet his elder. It improved Haras impression of him a bit because he wasnt acting scared or reserved like most people would in his presence. What is your question for me? Ive been entrusted to retrieve a personal effect he left in your care. Food King Haras smile froze for a second. Then, it gradually wore off until he wasnt smiling at all. Behind Cillin, Snarker and Xingfu were so nervous that they didnt even dare to breathe loudly. Not only had they never seen an unsmiling Hara before, they never thought that the term severe could be synonymous to this man. It was simply unthinkable until it happened right before their eyes. Snarker felt like running away. It was just an image, but the pressure building up rapidly in his heart made him feel as cold as ice. And what is this personal effect you speak of? The temperature in the room dropped several degrees even though the question was voiced indifferently. However, the keen-eyed might notice a slip of composure behind his mirthless eyes. For someone with his experience to slip up like that? It just showed how affected he really was by this turn of events. A logbook. Food King Hara looked down and sucked in a deep breath. Then, he looked at Xingfu and Snarker and said, You two, get out of the room now. Do not return until our conversation is done! The look of relief on Snarker and Xingfus face resembled the look of a death convict who was given clemency as they hurried out of the room. It was after the fact that Snarker realized that he just carried out the order of an outsider. He was a member of Flying Snake, and he only took orders from Qi Geyou. And yet, there was no denying the fact that he had obeyed Haras demand without hesitation! Is this the presence of the Food King? After the duo were gone, Hara asked Cillin in the Mist Bodhisattva tongue, What happened to him afterward? Cillin replied using the same language, Hes doing very well right now. What?! Hara was trying to test if Cillin was lying to him, but the answer he got was beyond his wildest imaginations. Food King Hara was said to only have one expressiona smileso this was the second time his expression changed today. His astonishment was completely understandable though. Genya already looked like a dying man when he left his family, and many more years had passed since then. Hara was prepared to hear that Genya had passed away, but not this. What do you mean by that exactly?! I mean that hes safe and healthy right now. However, he is unable to return right now, so he asked me, his disciple to retrieve the logbook he left in your care. An entire minute of silence later, he asked, Where are you right now? Cillin told him his celestial coordinate and address, and Hara snorted. He sounded both incredibly happy and relieved. Thats a coincidence. Well, come find me now at this location. Oh right, take Xingfu with you as well. Hara took out a map and pointed at a certain location. To Cillins surprise, it was the exact same area and location he received from Genya. As it turned out, Hara never left the place even after the place was rebuilt. Not even Snarker was aware of this. And so Cillin, Wheeze and Xingfu traveled to their destination. It was located in a bustling food street, a place no one expected the famous Food King to live in. There were tall buildings on both sides of the street. The ground floor were covered in food stalls or restaurants of all kinds, and the upper floors were where the residents lived. There was a huge restaurant on this foot street, and its logo was the smiley everyone was familiar with. It wasand has always beenpositively jampacked with customers right now. A guide was waiting for them outside the restaurant when they arrived. He led them to the third highest floor of the building. No one expected someone like Hara to live together with a bunch of normal people. With his kind of wealth and status, he couldve bought the entire building for himself if he wanted to. The three floors on the top of the building was a triplex apartment. The door opened on its own when they arrived at the entrance, and closed after they went inside. The smell of various food entered their nostrils and caused Wheeze to look left and right the second they entered the apartment. The interior was fairly simple and not at all extravagant. Physical paintings were hung on the walls instead of the flashy displays most rich people preferred to use. Judging from the different scents of sweets emanating from them, the paintings were drawn using sugar. Hey. Hara walked out of his bedroom and greeted them. He was fat, but his footsteps were steady and unimpeded by his size. Hello! Cillin and Xingfu greeted back in unison. Hara examined Cillin from head to toe the moment he walked over. His gaze ultimately paused at the curly leaf pattern around Cillins finger. Its him! Its really him! He, hes... The Food King was so excited that he could barely stop himself from stuttering. Hes alive? He really is alive?! Yes. Hes doing very well right now. Then why hasnt he come back to see us? He didnt need to hide for so long! In his excitement, Hara slapped the armrest of a chair and caused Wheezes tail to puff up in fright. The glutton was preparing to steal some food until the surprise action. Cillin let out a sigh. He put himself in a deep coma to prolong his life as much as possible. He only awakened after he returned home and received treatment. I see Hara walked back into his bedroom. A short while later, he came back out with a small, locked logbook and passed it to Cillin. He pointed at the nearby study and said, You can read the logbook over there. Xingfu, talk to me for a moment, will you? It was obvious what he was hinting at. He didnt want Xingfu to see the logbook, so the young man obliged and stayed with him for a chat. Wheeze didnt follow Cillin this time. Hara didnt reprimand the gray despite discovering that it was stealing his food, so it took it as permission and began eating right in front of the Food Kings face. It was the perfect example of the kind of person who took a mile when given an inch. Back to Cillin. After giving the logbook a cursory look, Cillin moved his ring closer to the lock. Tak! The logbook became unlocked just like that. Originally, Genya meant to use the logbook as a captains log. Instead, it turned into his personal diary. The logbook contained footages and notes Genya made before and after he stumbled into GAL. For example, it contained a record of the navigation routes prior to encountering the Shortcut, and some notable events that happened afterward. He had emerged in Sector S and was saved Angenia shortly after that. One might attribute the encounter to both great luck and destiny. If he hadnt encountered Angenia that day, he shouldve died a long time ago. GAL was a galaxy where only the strong survived, and great nobles like Genya weighed nothing without their private army to protect them. He might be able to defend himself against people of his rank or lower, but he was nothing but a small fry to the Hunters. Some time later, Genya and Annie fell in love with one another. Naturally, there were many people who found their relationship ridiculoushe was as mediocre as she was excellent and mocked him for it. Genya was very young when he encountered Hara for the first timenot long after he entered adulthood. Hara himself was just a waiter at a small restaurant on a food street. Hara was engaging his boss in a heated argument about the food ingredients they were using to make their food. At the end, it resulted in him resigning and the boss sending some thugs after him. He wouldve been beaten to death if Genyaor more accurately, his bodyguardshadnt saved him. Genya was the one who suggested Hara to open his first restaurant with the smiling face as his brand. He even invested money in it since Hara didnt have the capital to kickstart his business. Cillin played a video, and it showed a young Genya and Hara staring at their small restaurant and grinning like idiots. I believe in you, Hara! Im sure youll be able to spread the joy of your food to everyone! A young Genya said. Of course! Hara replied confidently. It was a success. The restaurants size and fame kept growing, and from time to time Angenia would come over to eat the food Hara made. It was also during this time Genya taught Angenia and Hara the Mist Bodhisattva language. Genya addressed Angenia as Annie, and she was already quite the accomplished woman at the time. It was clear from Genyas personal notes and records that he missed his family a lot, but his disappointment at being unable to return home was lessened a lot by the presence of his lover, Annie and his best friend, Hara. However, Annies excellence only highlighted Genyas mediocrity, and countless people called him a shameless gigolo behind his back. Genya himself knew that he lacked the smarts, the ruthlessness and the ability to make it in this galaxy, and the one thing he could pride himself in, his background amounted to nothing here, not to mention that he had to keep it a secret in the first place. But for Annie, he quietly endured all the ridicules and abuses. Some time later, Annie gave birth to a baby boy. He was Xingfus father, Gensheng. This was hardly a unique event for a couple, but in Genyas case it was noteworthy for a very different and disturbing reason. Because he hadnt received his second injection after reaching adulthood, his genes declined and caused him to age faster than he should. As a result, he looked like an old man just decades after he became stranded in GAL. Hara, Angenia, his bodyguards, and everyone else looked as young as ever. He was the only one who had grown old. Genya had mentioned the Gen Familys naming rule to Angenia. Every five generations, the fifth generation must have the word Xingmeaning Star in their names. Genyas grandchildren would be the fifth generation, so when Gensheng had a son or daughter, they should have the word Xing in their names. Cillin had a feeling that Genya was terrified that Angenia had forgotten about the naming rule. He was afraid that his grandchildren wouldnt have the word Xing in their names. Clearly, his worry was unfounded. Not only did Angenia remember it, she had stuck to it scrupulously. Barring some exceptions, Sector S was without a doubt the most competitive Sector in the entire GAL. It was an endless war where the key to victory often rested on ones cunning and ruthlessness. Angenias father, the leader of Golden Beginning only had two daughters, and Angenia was chosen and raised to be its successor since young. At the time, Angenia wasnt yet the official leader, and Golden Beginning wasnt nearly as stable as it was now. One weakness could be covered, but two could only be a disaster. Genya knew full well that Angenia already had her hands full just trying to protect Gensheng, so during those tumultuous times he made sure to tread every step cautiously to avoid burdening Angenia even more than she already was. From the notes Genya left behind, Cillin learned that he was filled with self-hatred just like Xingfu at the time. Their fates had been sealed entirely by their genes, and the ways of the great Fuji Gen Family meant nothing in GAL. There was simply nothing he could do to help at all. The final video in the logbook was captured by Hara himself. In the video, Genya was hugging a tiny Gensheng and pressing their faces together affectionately. Genshengs long eyelashes brushed against Genyas wrinkly face and sent ripples of warmth into the old mans heart. Hara urged Gensheng, Cmon, give your father a kiss! Ill take a photo for you! The toothless baby was making bubbles with his mouth, but he seemed to understand what Hara was saying. He kissed Genya in the cheeks and left behind a huge stain of saliva, but Genya still smiled until his face was completely covered in wrinkles. Later on, Hara personally made a milk cake that even a baby like Gensheng could eat. Its name, was Butterfly Kiss. Genya wrote on the page behind that video: Butterfly Kiss is very tasty. It is a kind of happiness brushes lightly against the heart, but leaves behind a permanent memory you will never forget. I am satisfied, and I think that it is time I finally let go. On the last page of the logbook, Genya used a lollipop to draw some pictures. They were all pictures of Gensheng and Angenia Cillin closed the logbook and closed his eyes. He could feel Genyas pain and helplessness. His master couldnt even become a warrior like Shusag because he could barely protect himself in Sector S at the time. Thankfully, those difficult times were all in the past. Genya would return, and that day might be closer than he believed. Cillin walked out of the study intending to show Xingfu some of the records and deepen his understanding of his grandfather. However, his melancholy was completely shattered when he saw it. This goddamn embarrassment of a cat! Chapter 335: Link of Gypsophila Wheeze was staring at the young man as well. It still remembered the day Moon described the characteristics of a true Xi clansmanand criticized Xi Kai for his lack thereofquite well. According to Moon, true Xi clansmen usually had a pair of eyes with a unique eye color, and the young man before them fit that description perfectly. At the time, Moon thought that he would never encounter another Xi clansman again in his life and was very sad about it, but it turned out that it was wrong after all. Wheeze was so excited that it hit Cillin repeatedly with its fat paw while saying, A Xi clansman? Cillin, look! Its a Xi clansman! A true Xi clansman meow! Cillin pushed its paw away. I know! The three bosses and the young man didnt look nearly as excited by its discovery, however. Not only did the atmosphere immediately thicken with dread, even Hara stopped working his cake and lost his smile for the second time since he met Cillin. Hara never paused in the middle of his work if he could help it. It was that serious. You know of the Xi Family, Cillin? Angenia asked seriously. Cillin looked at her and Hara. He knew he wouldve been lethally silenced already if it wasnt for his relationship with Genya. Yes. Im acquainted with that family, Cillin replied. Angenia was confused. Not even Genya knew about the Xi Family, and the Xi Family had gone through some... unfortunate situations that made them virtually unknown these days. So how did Cillin come to know the family? Meanwhile, back at Angenias residence, the Eleventh Squad was resting and enjoying the excellent mild tea that was being served by a beautiful maid. In fact, high quality mild tea seemed to be the defining feature of Golden Beginning for some reason. When the maid was refilling everyones tea cups, she glanced at Czedow a few times more than the others. When Czedow shot her a smile, she turned as red as an apple. Everyone present at the lounge wore a strange expression when they saw this. Xiao Shang even winked at Cary to transmit hs thoughts: You see that? We just got outdone by a robot! Czedow paid no attention to their antics. Moon and Sigma were circling around the room and observing their surroundings when Czedow suddenly rose to his feet and said to them, Cillin wants you two to join him. You too, Xi Kai. Whats this about? Xi Kai set down his cup and asked, but Czedow didnt explain further. He simply said, Youll know when you get there. Czedow, Sigma, Moon and Xi Kai arrived at the courtyard entrance, but the guards only allowed to Xi Kai to go in, at least for now. The clan head puzzled, but knowing that Cillin was inside he walked in without voicing his doubts. He knew that the young man was a Xi clansman the moment he set his eyes on him. Xi Kai had metallic gray pupils himself, but his was grayer and didnt gleam like shining platinum when exposed to the sunlight. Regardless, Xi kai was very happy to meet a Xi clansman from another galaxy. I am Xi Kai. Xi Mu. The youngster licked the rest of the butter on his hands before saying to Angenia, May I speak to him in private? Of course. There was a house inside the courtyard, and every bodyguard standing guard inside the building evacuated immediately after Angenia gave her permission. Xi Mu then led Xi Kai inside. I didnt know that you are acquainted to a Xi clansman. Angenia shot Cillin a smile. This is good news for you. Not anyone can win a Xi clansmans trust. Hara understood her sentiment completely. He gave Cillin a pat of the shoulder before adding, Seize this opportunity, but dont leak their existence to anyone, understand? Trouble will come to you if you did. Seeing the puzzled expression on Cillins face, Angenia explained, The Xi Family is a very special family. Its as if they are born with an extra nerve compared to everyone else. Unfortunately, great genius also attracts much envy and ambition. To my knowledge, there are only fifteen Xi clansmen left in the entire GAL. Ten years ago the Xi Family came under attack by the GAL government, and while I was on friendly terms with them I decided that the risks of protecting them far outweighed the benefits. However, I agreed to hide and protect Xi Mu for ten years in exchange for five sets of special armor. Xi Mu wasnt even five years old at the time, but his mind was already at the level of mature adult. He understood everything that was going on around him. Not long after the Xi clansmen who left Sector S were captured, a space lab used to hold a number of them exploded and killed everyone. When Xi Mu heard this, his hair turned white in a single night. Can you imagine this happening to a child who isnt even five years old at the time? Angenia was shocked at least. It wasnt like the phenomenon was especially uncommon, but for it to happen to a boy who was even younger than her grandson was definitely something she never thought possible until that day. Overnight, Xi Mu lost his innocent smile forever, and his personality split into two different extremes. One half of it was shining platinum, and the other was cold, detached gray. The first time Hara met Xi Mu, he had baked a cake for him called Daybreak. He told him that the night was nearing its end, and that the daybreak was nigh. Hara treated Xi Mu well because the Xi Family had lent him a helping hand in the past. Although they didnt give him anything before they were captured by GAL, that didnt stop him from visiting Xi Mu every time he visited Gensheng. Xi Mu loved sweets, so Hara always brought sweets when he came to Golden Beginning. Both Angenia and Hara were well aware that the Xi Family was a family of geniuses. For example, a five years old Xi Mu was able to create all kinds of machines without having received any regular education or guidance from his family (because they were already dead at the time). He had figured it all by himself. Puzzlingly, Xi Mu had built a massage chair for Angenia and a food maker for Hara, but never a weapon or a combat vehicle. Neither Angenia nor Hara believed for a second that the young man wasnt skilled enough to make them. The ten-year agreement is nearing its end, and GAL has fallen to chaos. Many forces are fighting to contest for the remaining Xi clansmen scattered across GAL and seize greater power. There arent many of them left in this world, Cillin, which is why I want you to convince Xi Mu to join you. I dont wish for him to become a highly dangerous weapon in another forces hands, Angenia said. While they were talking about Xi Mu, the young man had led Xi Kai into his house before producing a palm-sized device. When he turned it on, a cubic-meter wide, square-shaped hologram with a cosmos-like backdrop and a couple of dots that looked like stars appeared in front of him. Gypsophila? Xi Kai recognized it. He had played it when he was a child, and in a sense it was the primer game for the young within the Xi Family. But why was Xi Mu showing this to him now? Instead of replying, Xi Mu shot the older man a glance before touching a spot on the hologram, causing a starry white dot to appear. He then looked at Xi Kai again. Fine, Ill play. After staring at the distribution of dots on the hologram for a bit, he touched a spot and turned it into a star. The game continued for a short while. More and more stars appeared on the hologram as they played. Xi Kai didnt know this, but Gypsophila was the primer game of the Xi Family. Every dot represented an element, and the goal of the game is to link the elements together to form a cohesive structure not unlike how a machine was built. It was hard to maintain the structures functionality and even harder to improve on its overall stability. Xi Kai thought himself to be a pretty good player, and this Xi Mu looked like no slouch himself. They almost never paused when they made their steps. When Xi Kai finished his side of the game, he thought to himself: finally, we can get to the point. He was wrong though. Before he could say anything, the completed Gypsophila image suddenly shrank in size, and the number of empty spaces on the hologram multiplied drastically. Huh Xi Kai didnt expect the game to have a continuation. Noticing his reaction, Xi Mu shot the older man a strange look. What were you expecting to happen after finishing level 1 of the game? You werent stuck on level 1 all this time, were you? ... Very well, his ancestors had bamboozled him again. The game board of Level 2 was several times larger than that of level 1. To complete level 2, the players must expand toward the empty spaces surrounding the original structure. The new difficulty forced Xi Kai to treat the game seriously. It was because every step he made must consider the structure he created during level 1. As a result, he wasnt able to play as quickly as he did at the beginning. Xi Mu experienced no such problems, however. He made his moves practically the second after Xi Kai made his. When the second level was completed, and the third level appeared, Xi Kai had a feeling that he was going to have a headache. During the fourth level, Xi Kai made a mistake that caused the entire game board to fracture like glass, signalling his defeat. At this scale, one mistake was all it took to cause the entire system to collapse. To put it in mechanical terms, one misplaced part had caused the entire machine to fail. So, youre only level 4. Xi Mu looked very disappointed, though it was nothing compared to Xi Kais. Not only had he lost to a child, he was nowhere close to pushing Xi Mu to his limits. How embarrassing was that? Its fine. This is the first time you play the full Link of Gypsophila, right? Youll get better once you get used to it. Xi Mu checked Xi Kais board again before asking, The one you played only has one level? Yeah. I had no idea that Gypsophila is a multilayered game until now, Xi Kai replied in an exasperated tone. First, Moon hated my guts because of the experiments they conducted. Then, they hid the fact that Gypsophila is a multilayered game from us. Just how many more secrets are there that Im unaware of? What is your family branch? Xi Mu asked. Xi Kai had no idea what he was talking about. The Xi Family has branches? Since when? At this point, Xi Mu couldnt help but shoot Xi Kai a disdainful look. If I didnt know better, I would think that youre a sham. The Xi Family split into three branches since a millennium ago, also known as the Tricolor Branch. They are Red, White, and Blue. White remained at their place of origin while Blue cooperated GALs forces. I heard that Red left, but I dont know where they went to. His explanation made things a bit clearer for Xi Kai. He asked, Why the three colors? Whats the meaning behind blue, white and red? The naming is based on the phenomenon where the frequency of reflected light changes with its speed. For example, some reflection nebulae look red because they are moving away from our position, hence why we call the clansmen who chose to leave Red. As for Blue, I dont need to explain that, do I? Xi Kai nodded. Yes, I know which branch I belong to now. Im Red. Xi Mus eyebrows shot up in astonishment. When I was younger, a clansman told me that Red disappeared for almost a millennium. There were rumors saying that they left GAL and traveled to a different a galaxy. Is it true? Xi Kai hesitated. He was wondering if he should reveal the existence of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire when Xi Mu said again, I see. So it is. Xi Mu was White, and as far as he knew he was the only White left in the entire universe. Xi Kai thought that his branchs fate was quite tragic already, but it was nothing compared to the Whites. He and his people were at least protected in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, but White practically didnt even exist anymore. Their conversation continued. A short while later, someone called out to the three robots waiting at the courtyard entrance and told them to head in. Today was no different from any other day to Czedow, but the same couldnt be said for Moon and Sigma. They had been struck a weird sense of deja vu they couldnt explain ever since they came to the courtyard,. That was when they entered the house and saw the Gypsophila hologram. Its the Link of Gypsophila! Its been so long since I saw one! Moon and Sigma went round and round the hologram until finally, they noticed Xi Mu and screeched to a sudden halt. Xi Mu observed the two robots as they observed him. He quickly came to the conclusion that they were incredible creations, and whoever built them was at least a level 7 Link of Gypsophila player. So why have the Reds declined this much? Why have we been reduced to the state were in? And how is it that the least talented of all of us, Blue still doing well to this day? Ahem. Have you two played Gypsophila before? Xi Kai broke the silence with a question. But of course! Sigma could barely control his excitement when he said this. We used to play this all the time! Which version did you play, the single-level or multilevel one? What do you mean, which version? Gypsophila is an endless web of interlinking stars, or it wouldnt be called Gypsophila in the first place! Sigma said in confusion. Xi Kai coughed again. I see. Well. He looked at the two Origin robots again and asked, Which level are you at right now? Both of you? Moon looked down on his feet and played with his fingers like an embarrassed child. He then answered, Im just a level 6 player. Level 6? Just?! Before Xi Kai could spit blood in dramatic fashion, Sigma exclaimed in admiration, Ah?! Youre level 6 already? Im still stuck on level 5 to this day! I knew I was the stupidest of you all. Xi Kai: ... Maybe I should dig a hole and bury myself in it. Xi Mu interrupted them and asked, Are you guys in a hunter regiment right now? Yeah! Do you want to join us? We can play Link of Gypsophila together everyday! Both Moon and Sigma looked expectantly at Xi Mu after replying, but in the end Xi Mu didnt give them a clear answer. They all stepped out of the house, and that was when Xi Mu spotted Czedow. He lowered his voice and asked Xi Kai, Who made that robot? Xi Kai was surprised. You noticed that hes a robot immediately? It wasnt easy. I had to look very closely. I dare say that the creator of this robot could play the Link of Gypsophila to level 7 at least. Level 7?! Xi Kai exclaimed, but came to terms with it surprisingly quick. He does have the ability. Cillin was Guan Fengs replacement after all. His creator is the commander of the hunter squadron Im in, Cillin. You can trust him. That night, Xi Mu sat alone in his room and played Link of Gypsophila with himself. He had been doing this for the past ten years or so. When dawn broke, the game board was covered in an innumerable amount of stars that could make a person dizzy just by looking at it. The young mans gaze didnt waver, but it took him between one to two minutes of thinking before he made a move. The base was the eighth level of the Link of Gypsophila, and Xi Mu was trying to make it to the ninth. It had been two years since he completed the eighth level, but he still wasnt able to overcome the hurdle. Two minutes of thinking later, Xi Mu touched a spot on the hologram and knew that he had failed yet again. As expected, fractures appeared from the spot he had touched and spread to the entire board like a spider web. Xi Mu sighed and dispeled the board. Then, he began packing his stuff. The next day morning, Cillin woke up to find Xi Mu standing at the entrance. He carried a backpack behind his back. Id like to join you. Xi Mu went straight to the point. Cillin didnt expect this of course. He thought that the possibility of recruiting Xi Mu was there, but he never expected the young man to request to join him of his own accord. In fact, Angenia and Hara were just telling him that he should take the initiative last night because Xi Mu wasnt the type of person to speak out his thoughts. There will be a probation period, and youll need a majority vote from the crew, Cillin said. He wasnt being difficult; he was just stating the standard recruitment rules of all Vanguard B Squadrons. Angenia gave you her armor, didnt she? Xi Mu responded with a question. He sounded very certain, and Cillin saw no reason to lie about this. Yes, she gave me her own set. Return it. That five armor we gave her are built to be usable by all but those who didnt meet the physical requirements. Its good for Angenia and her family because they dont often go into combat, at least not personally, but not for specialized personnel who conducts highly risky missions on the norm like you. It will need to be stronger and integrate with your nerves faster. Theres no need to keep an armor that dont fit you, is there? Cillin looked at Xi Mu for a moment before breaking into a smile. Okay. The young man didnt say it outright, but it was obvious what he was implying: I can make you and your crew a better armor. Welcome to Vanguards Eleventh B Squadron! Moon, Sigma and Xi Kai were very happy when they heard that Xi Mu had decided to join the hunter squadron. Officially, Xi Mu was Xi Kais younger cousin. Xi Mu listed a number of materials he required to make the armor, and Angenia gifted most of them to Cillin without asking for any compensation at all. However, there were still some rare materials that even Golden Beginning didnt have, or had too little to share. Thankfully, Xi Mu roughly knew where to look for these materials. After staying in Golden Beginnings headquarters for three days, the squad left to look for the materials Xi Mu spoke of. Angenia sent them an escort because any ship without a guide would be treated as an enemy vessel and dealt with accordingly in Sector S. Chapter 336: Free If Fragile Infinite and Lavish are discussing plans with Golden Beginning. Our presence will cause them unnecessary worries. So what? Wheeze snorted while licking its paws. Its not like we care about their secrets. Yes, yes, Im aware that the fish biscuits Haras smiley-face company is going to produce is all you care about, you glutton! At Wheezes suggestion, Hara decided to create a brand new pet food product line for his company, and the very first item on the list was fish biscuits for cats. Wheeze had volunteered to be his consultant, and the fee it was paid for its service was so big that the damn cat hadnt stopped chewing since a while ago. That wasnt the only thing Hara gifted the Eleventh Squad before they left, of course. For example, Tang Qiuqiu was given a ton of sweets, and Xi Mu was given a ton of desserts. The depot they used to stock food in the spaceship was literally chock-full of food right now. It would be a very long time before they would need to worry about their food supply again. Finally, Hara gave Cillin his private contact method. It wasnt official yet, but it was the start of a fruitful partnership. Cillin checked the schedule and determined that he still had a bit of time before he had to attend the high level meeting Songba Leruo informed him about. He hadnt been able to shake off the feeling that something would happen during the meeting, so he wanted to complete Xi Mus armor and the installation of the super AI to the starship before that. You could never have enough insurance. The Eleventh Squad had gathered eighty percent of the materials listed on Xi Mus list when they took off, and they were now traveling to Sector M to gather the rest. Sector M was famous for its rich minerals, although most of them were controlled by the mining companies. Currently, the Eleventh Squad was exploring the edges of Sector M in search for the materials they needed. Before the chaos, this space would be private property, and they wouldve been attacked for trespassing. After the chaos, a number of players had died, and the major companies of Sector M had withdrawn their influence to the center similar to how a turtle withdraws its head and limbs into its shell when threatened. As a result, the space they were exploring was half-abandoned. When they detected a mine with the minerals they needed, Moon and Czedow dealt with the observers left behind by the mine owners while seven of Xi Kais robotsnewly upgraded as per advised by Xi Muand the crew went down to mine the minerals. In the control room, Cillin watched as the crew gave the newbies a Mining 101 on the display. So far, everyone he brought from the Mist Bodhisattva Empire had blended in very well with the crew. The mining process went smoothly, and the crew sat together for a leisurely chat after the minerals were carried back into the starship. Even Xi Mu had joined in on the conversation while eating a huge cream cake. You love sweets this much, Xi Mu? Cary asked curiously. My brain uses up a lot of energy, and sweets can quickly replenish them quickly, Xi Mu explained with his mouth full. It wasnt a joke. He had played a round of Link of Gypsophila with Moon, Sigma and Dough earlier todaysurprisingly, the little chameleon was almost smart enough to complete the third leveland after that he spent some time analyzing the minerals they gathered. That was why he was low on energy right now. Oh, I see, Cary exclaimed in realization. Duh. Why else would I eat so many sweets? Everyone looked at Tang Qiuqiu the moment they heard this. Tang Qiuqiu was crunching a sweet bean when the gazes caused her to freeze up for a second. Then, she said angrily, I dont have a reason! I just love to eat sweets is all! Whats so strange about that, huh!? After that, she walked up to Cary and declared, You, 1v1 me in the game room right now! Cary scratched his head but acquiesced to her demand. Rising to his feet and following her out of the room, he asked, What happens if someone loses? The loser will clean up Wheezes leftovers! ... please no. I would rather sweep Doughs shit or comb Snowballs fur After Xi Mu had finished his cake, he passed a list of statistics to Cillin and said, Heres the statistics on the minerals we gathered. Cillin accepted it and gave it a look. They now lacked only four of the materials necessary to create the armor, and Xi Mu had put down all the locations they could potentially be acquired right next to the names. Unfortunately, there is at least one material that we can only acquire from the mining companies, and thats the liquid metal LS-57. Its very difficult to obtain via other means. There are many other liquid metals in the LS-line besides LS-57. Why it? It creates the most stable alloys. Got it. There is one problem, however. There are no mineral companies that are publicly selling LS-57 right now, Cillin said. None? Xi Mu fell silent for a moment before replying, Try Luminous Flower Corporation. Out of all the mineral companies in Sector M, they are the ones with the highest amount of liquid metal in stock, and their stock of LS-57 in particular exceeds the demand for it. Barring any unexpected circumstances, they shouldnt be out of stock even though my information is outdated by ten years. If they really have no LS-57, then Ill think of a suitable replacement. Xi Mu disliked replacements and half-assed creations, but he acknowledged that his commander couldnt afford to spend too long gathering the materials he needed. If this lead turned out to be a dud, then he would swallow his dissatisfaction and search for a replacement. Werent you hiding in Golden Beginning for most of your life? How did you learn about Luminous Flower Corps stock of liquid metal? Eudy asked. Xi Mu shot him a you are an idiot look but answered the question, I followed my clansmen to check out their stock when I was four years old. Of course I remember. Yes, ofwait, wait, that makes no sense whatsoever. Even if I pretend that its perfectly normal for someone to remember their childhood memories perfectly, what kind of four years old would pay attention to a companys stockpile and sale volumeliquid metal no less!instead of food and toys?? While Eudy was coming to terms with the impossible genius of a Xi clansman, Cillin searched for Luminous Flower Corporation on the star map and compared it to their current location. Thankfully, it wasnt too far away from them. Luminous Flower Corporation was one of the bigger mining companies in Sector M. After GAL had fallen into chaos, the major companies of Sector M had joined forces to form the Sector M Mining Alliance. The goal of the alliance was to protect themselves in case there was a major incident in GAL that could threaten them, and to prevent the army or the hunting regiments from going after their wealth and resources. The message they were trying to send could more or less be boiled down to: Feel free to attack Sector M, but dont be surprised if we take you to the grave with us! Another interesting thing about the people of Sector M was that their business philosophy was very different from businessmen like Lung. Lung would strive to maintain good relations with his contacts even if a business deal didnt go through in the end. The people of Sector M however, would ignore you faster than Wheeze could finish its fish biscuit if it became clear that you werent going to buy their products. One second they were smiling, and the next they were scowling and shooing you out of their store. Of course, a frequent visitor of Sector M would have gotten used to their culture. In fact, they would be afraid if a Sector M mine owner was all smiles despite a failed business negotiation because it meant that the person was most likely plotting their death inside their head. Finally, everyone who worked at the mines was extremely strong, no matter their appearance. Moreover, it was literally written in the sectors laws that anyone who was caught stealing could legally be killed. It was why most people didnt dare to steal from the people of Sector M. When losing a limb or two was one of the lightest punishments you could possibly receive, people tended to keep their baser instincts well checked. The Eleventh Squads destination was something like a hypermarket of Luminous Flower Corporation where all types of minerals were sold including solid metal, liquid metal, energy ores, decorative gems and more. In a sense, the buildings of the hypermarket were very casual. Few houses were over three-storeys tall, the architecture was simplistic at best, and the people who worked there looked like what you would expect from a migrant worker at the bottom of the food chain. In reality though, each and every one of them was rich enough to buy a small starship of their own. Hey, look! That metal looks pretty good! Cary ran up to a store with a mineral that caught his eyes. The shop owner rose at the sight of a customer, and after putting a smile on his face he started introducing the ore to Cary: You have good eyes, dear customer. The metals extracted from this ore are of excellent quality and hardness. Are you a hunter? If you are, then know that all the metals you might want in a wrist blade are present in this ore. Here, let me show you the finished product, said the shop owner before pointing at a half-a-meter tall metal block on the shelves. This is an alloy made from the metals extracted from the ore. It naturally has a high hardness ratio, so there is no need to add any additional metal and strengthen its hardness further. It is also perfect for dealing with the crustacean-type aliens that annoyed so many hunters. If you dont believe me, feel free to try and scratch the metal. You can have it for free if it isnt hard enough for your standards! Tempted, Cary pulled out his blade and tried to walk over to the metal when suddenly, a shrill noise pierced everyones eardrums. Creak CREAK They looked at the source of the noise. It was Wheeze leaving scratch mark after scratch mark on the alloy with its butt in the air. Wheeze! What the hell are you doing?! Cary cried out while covering his ears. Still scratching the alloy, Wheeze turned his head toward Cary and said, Hey man, this thing is perfect as a good scratchboard! I can actually feel something on my claws! Ahem, Cillin tried not to smile as he asked the stunned shop owner, What were you saying again? Oh right, you want us to make a blade out of this alloy and use it against the aliens? He even looked at Wheeze when he said aliens. You want us to make a weapon out of an alloy that an alien cat could scratch like nothing? The shop owners face turned red, blue, purple, and finally black. Bad enough that he was humiliated by his customers, he even boasted that they could take the alloy for free if it wasnt good enough for them The shop owner was struggling to come to a decision when a transportation spaceplane appeared from a distance and landed on an empty space in the hypermarket. The vehicle looked unassuming, but the fact that it was allowed to land directly inside the hypermarket meant that it belonged to a Luminous Flower employee. Of course, spaceplanes like this appeared every day, which was why none of the shop owners in the hypermarket had moved at the beginning. Then, the hatch opened to reveal a person, and they jumped to their feet as if an ore had stabbed them in the butthole and ran toward them. When Xiao Shang and Ba Dao saw the foremost person of the group, they immediately moved to the back of the team and hid themselves. Xiao Shang was a tad faster and took up the spot behind Snowball first, so Ba Dao had no choice but to hide behind Shusag and Dias and withdrew all six of his arms. Chapter 337: Are You That Bastard Shadow X? The young woman was accompanied by a dozen or so bodyguards. Instead of helping the carriers carry out the goods inside the spaceplane, they stayed close to the young woman and paid close attention to their surroundings. It was impossible not to notice the group. Not only did they appear completely different from the people in the market, the light reflection from the minerals looked like a carpet of stars that paved the way for their arrival. Young miss! You didnt need to come here yourself! The shop owner who reached the group first cried while rubbing his hands. Why not? Did you do something you shouldnt? Hua Xiao glared at him through her sunglasses. Of of course not! The shop owner replied with a smile, Feel free to inspect our stores, young miss! Welcome to our store, young miss! The rest of the shop owners hurriedly joined in. Cut the bullcrap! If I catch anyone of you taking breaks when you shouldnt or breaking the rules, I will seize your goods without mercy! Hua Xi observed the minerals around her as she walked along the main street. Occasionally, someone would report to her how their store had been doing recently, which she listened to but didnt give a reply. It was at this moment someone whispered something to her. Vanguard? Hua Xi examined Cillins group again until suddenly, her pupils narrowed as if somethingor someonehad caught her attention. She immediately started striding toward them. Cillin was puzzled. Of course he noticed Xiao Shang and Ba Daos strange reactions, but he didnt understand how the duo came to earn the womans ire. Not only that, he felt like he had encountered this woman from somewhere. Xiao Shang! Ba Dao! How dare you hide from me! Hua Xi yelled angrily as she pointed at the duo hiding behind Snowball and Shusag. Xiao Shang and Ba Dao groaned inside their head. How the heck did she see us? They thought to themselves. Then they looked behind themselves and saw a giant ore and their own reflection staring back at them. Ah fuck! I shouldve known that mine factories aint a good place to hide! Hehe. Hello, Miss Hua! Xiao Shang walked out of his hiding spot and greeted Hua Xi with an awkward smile on his face, but he kept his gaze trained onto the ores beside them. Ba Dao was also staring at Snowballs furry feet and counting its hair. Both Hunters absolutely refused to meet Hua Xi or their teammates in the eye for some reason. Wheres Cillin?! Hua Xi went straight to the point. Everyone in the crew except Xiao Shang and Ba Dao looked at Cillin. Shusag and Cary especially wore faces that suggested that their imagination had probably run off to that place no children should ever visit again. Xiao Shang and Ba Dao turned their heads away from Cillin. Its not our fault! Its everyone else! We didnt say shit! Noticing their reaction, Hua Xi set her eyes on Cillin before looking him up, and down, and up again. The sheer intensity of her gaze caused goosebumps to crawl all over his skin. What is she looking at? Sigma asked in puzzlement. Its nothing. Shes just making the necessary observation to discover the truth is all, Moon answered in an unnecessarily serious tone. Hua Xi took off her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes a bit. Her eyes werent used to the harsh light reflecting off the surface of the minerals just yet. She stared at Cillin and asked, Youre Cillin? Douance Cillin? That bastard Shadow X? Now Cillin knew why she felt so familiar. One Smile Kill? A long time ago, back when he was still studying in Seven Lights University, he had fought a famous pair of dual-wielding fighters called Liu Yewu and One Smile Kill in the Sector Championship. Until just now, he had no idea that One Smile Kill was the young miss of Luminous Flower Corporation. It made sense that most of the students of an elite institution would be VIPs themselves though. Very good. It is you! Hua Xi had never accepted her loss to Shadow X. After coming across some inside stories by chance, she conducted an investigation on Xiao Shang and Ba Dao and soon discovered their true identities. However, she never found anything regarding Cillin, and she had had to postpone her investigation due to other businesses. Sometimes she would run into Xiao Shang and Ba Dao, but her attempts to pry Cillins information loose from their mouths had always ended in failure. There was no escape this time though! Fight me again, Cillin, and no more virtual reality! This time, were going to do it in real life! Shusag immediately muttered under his breath, Oh my, she wants to do it in real life The old pervert had lowered his voice to the point where only those standing next to him could hear what he was saying. Cary and Dias looked like they could burst out in laughter at any moment. Scarlet Wind had the bad habit of biting his fingernails every time he thought about something, and that was exactly what he did as he wondered what Shusag was talking about. He hadnt managed to discard the bad habit to this day. He opened his mouth to ask only to receive a buttstroke from Tang Qiuqiu. That is not something a kid should hear about! Meanwhile, Cillin paused for a second before asking, Do you have any LS-57? Hua Xi thought for a moment before bringing up her electronic wristband and performing a check. Yes, but theyre not for sale. We have some LS-56 though. Theyre newly mined, cheaper than LS-57, and of excellent quality. I only want LS-57. Hua Xi frowned again. Reserve stock was exactly what it sounded like; stock that was reserved for their own use. They might not need the LS-57 now, but that could change very quickly considering this current circumstances. You never know what you might need to save your life. Does this mean youre not going to fight me if I cant offer you the LS-57? Cillin didnt reply. His silence was his answer. The bodyguards behind Hua Xi began stretching their muscles inconspicuously. It didnt take a genius to see that the miss was angry, and that a fight could break out at any moment. Considering that their opponent was Vanguard this time, it would suck if they caught a cramp mid-battle. The crew noticed the bodyguards activity despite their attempt to be discreet, and after exchanging a glance with one another they spread out and assumed a certain formation. It was meant to give them slightly better angles to defend themselves. The atmosphere turned icy instantly. There was a third party beside the two groups, and that was the shop owner himself. The poor guy was currently sweating bullets and groaning inside his head: Oh shit oh shit, the young miss is angry! Shes going to seize my goods at this rate But Hua Xi raised her arm and waved down her bodyguards. Cillin also made the hand signal to stand down to the crew. Hua Xi was about to negotiate further when her communicator rang suddenly. It was an urgent encrypted message. After making a hand gesture at her bodyguards, she strode into a nearby room inside the store while contacting someone on her communicator. Whatever it was she was doing, it clearly wasnt meant for their ears. After Hua Xi left, Cillin looked at Xiao Shang and Ba Dao and waited for an explanation. Xiao Shang shrugged before starting his explanation, Miss Hua Xi was traumatized after you wrecked her in the Sector Championship, and she thought that the outcome would be different if she fought you in real life. Of course, she never got that chance because you vanished from Seven Lights after that. Somehow somewhere she heard that there was a guy named Cillin in Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, and she started looking into it. She didnt find you, but she found me and Ba Dao. We never revealed that it was you though! The hunter hurriedly clarified at the end. I think its fine to take her for a round or two if she gives us the LS-57, right boss? Cary said in a teasing tone. Cillin ignored them and faced at Wheeze. Since Hua Xi had taken the call, the gray cat had stopped scratching the metal and lifted its ears fully. Judging from the obvious gleam in its eyes, not only was it listening in on that private call, it must be beneficial to the squad somehow. After the call ended, Wheeze flicked its ears and ran all the way up to Cillins shoulder before saying, Cillin, that woman was talking in codes, but I think they ran into some sort of trouble they could use our help with! This is our chance to get the LS-57 and rip them off! That was all Wheeze managed to say before Hua Xi walked out of the room. She didnt look good. She was doing her best to control herself, but a keen observer would notice that her facial muscles were quivering with tension. Still, the fact that she was keeping her natural impulsiveness in check showed that she was a lot more mature compared to One Smile Kill from a couple of years ago. Lets talk. I mean the LS-57 you need, not the fight. Hua Xi ordered her bodyguards to clear out the area for privacys sake. I have a job for you. If you accept it, Luminous Flower will trade you all our remaining LS-57. Cillin didnt declare his position immediately. Speak. Luminous Flower Corporation is cooperating with Golden Willow Corporation on a certain project. A transport ship was transporting a batch of rare minerals to the region where our main company is, but something happened to it and caused it to deviate from its course. I want you to assist us in saving the people and the goods inside the ship. I repeat, this is a request for assistance, which means that we wont let you handle whatever danger is inside that ship yourselves. In fact, Luminous Flower will be handling most of the mission ourselves. All we want you to do is to take care the enemies until were done. What kind of enemy are we talking about? Its a type of bioweapon beast. The victim parasitized by the creature will transform into a parasite themselves and gain full control over the parasitized body. How many are they? ... Im not sure. In other words, the likelihood that the enemies were numerous was high. Cillin smiled. You realize that this is more serious than it sounds like? There are few professions who had had to deal with bioweapon beasts more so than hunters, so trust me when I say we know how dangerous this type of mission can be. We dont necessarily need your help. It just so happens that you need something from us, so Im offering you the mission necessary to acquire it. Really? Unless youre hiding an army in that spaceplane, I suspect that you dont actually have the manpower to carry out this mission. If you did, you wouldve left already. Whatever reinforcements you can summon cant possibly show up with such short notice either. I suppose that you can recruit these shop owners and miners to help you, but how much help can they really provide in a mission like this? Hua Xi narrowed her eyes, and those who knew her knew that it was a sign that her anger was about to reach its boiling point. Say your terms. Cillin passed her a list straight away. It was a list of secondary materials Xi Mu needed for his project assuming that they obtained the LS-57. Although he didnt need much, they werent the easiest materials to procure. Are you kidding me?! The list twisted in Hua Xis hands. You think your squad is worth all these materials!? May I remind you that your squad is exactly what it sounds like, a squad and not a fleet!? Thats not up to you to say. You didnt expect to lose to me back then, and yet you did, didnt you? That destroyed Hua Xis remaining calm completely. Ever since she lost to Cillin, she started checking her gun right before she was about to take a shot. It was a small pause, but that pause could mean life or death on the battlefield. This was why Hua Xi kept searching for Cillin all this time. Win or lose, the only way to truly remove her trauma was to challenge him again. You better pray that youre worth the price you claim! Hua Xi turned around and ordered her bodyguards to prepare the contract immediately. Sensing an opportunity, Wheeze jumped down Cillins shoulder, ran to the hunk of metal it tortured earlier and CREAK The piercing noise caused goosebumps to appear on everyones skin. It was like sliding a piece of ice into the gap between your teeth; cold, sore, and an absolute torturous experience that made someone felt like knocking themselves out. Hua Xis eyes twitched dangerously when she saw this. Then, she waved a hand and ordered, Add that metal into the contract as well! Wheezes mouth split into a wide grin when it got what it wanted. Youre such a nice person older sister meow~ Hua Xi snorted. Even your pet has a sweeter mouth than you lot! However, she quickly noticed that everyone in the Eleventh Squad was looking at her with a strange expression on their faces. Scarlet Wind bit his finger again while asking Tang Qiuqiu, Isnt Wheeze over two hundred years old? Why is he calling her an older sister? Is she really that old? Hua Xi: ... WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?! Hua Xi wouldve exploded if she didnt need their help right now. Not wanting to spend even an extra second with these people, she urged her bodyguards to work faster so that she could sign the contract and leave ASAP. Cillin checked with the crew if they were okay with the mission prior to signing the contract. Everyoneespecially the former Sixth B Squad, who had been itching to get some action since a long time agowas okay with it. Normally, missions like these were like breakfast to a hunter. However, the unique circumstances that surrounded the Sixth B Squadron before had put a stop to that. That was why they were ecstatic to receive this mission even though the danger level was obviously high. Again, prior to signing the agreement, Cillin added one last condition. I want to receive the LS-57 now. The request came from Xi Mu. Hua Xi hesitated, but acquiesced quickly after amending that condition further to just one box of LS-57. The rest would be delivered after the mission was over. Both sides got to work immediately after the contract was signed. Before Hua Xi left, she informed Cillin about the remaining time until the transport ship entered the planets space, and told him to prepare as much as possible. After Hua Xi returned to her spaceplane, a bodyguard beside her asked, Why did you sign a contract with those hunters, young miss? Theyre Vanguard, but theyre a new squad and theyre nowhere near the size of the other B Squadrons. This isnt worth it at all. The fact that the bodyguard spoke so frankly with Hua Xi made it clear that he wasnt just your normal bodyguard. More accurately, the main company had specifically transferred him to Hua Xi to assist her, and the young miss quite respected his opinion. Hua Xi shook her head before replying, I know, but they are still Vanguard. They have to be more experienced than the miners at dealing with these creatures, and we cannot afford to fail this mission no matter what! Back in the Eleventh Squads starship, Cillin were discussing the mission and planning actions with the crew. This is all the information we got for this mission. What do you all think? Cillin inquired after reporting all the data he acquired from Hua Xi. Theres no way this mission is as simple as the young miss claims. She was way too concerned for this to be just a mission to retake the goods. Judging from her unconscious tone, focus and her body language, I believe that shes really trying to rescue someone or some group that is stuck inside that transport ship. The goods are just a distraction, Shusag replied. He did serve in the military before, and time hadnt diminished his observation skills completely. Eudy reported the results of his own investigation, Luminous Flower and Golden Willow are cooperating to excavate a rare mineral, but as Shusag said it is nowhere important enough to worry Hua Xi as much as she did. Cillin nodded. Whatever it may be, make sure to keep your eyes open and stay safe. As mentioned earlier, were just assisting them in their mission. Theres no need to risk our lives for them. Tico chose this moment to walk over and pass two boxes to Cillin. They both contained syringes in them. Heres the two general antibodies you asked for. Ill develop the specific antibody after the operation begins. Cillin accepted the box and distributed two of each type of antibody to everyone. After the plan was confirmed and the role assignments were done, Cillin checked the time and noted that it was almost time for the mission to begin. He held up the two syringes of antibodies before saying, Just to be on the safe side, I asked Tico to create two types of antibodies. I want you all to use the first syringe now. If you were scratched or bitten during the mission, use the second syringe as soon as possible to halt the virus progress and delay the transformation. Youll be fully cured once Tico develops the specific antibody. Also, do not let the parasites enter your body no matter what. After he went through a list of precautions, he asked, Are there any questions? No sir! Everyone looked eager to begin. Alright, lets begin. Cillin, wait. Xi Mu ran into the meeting room in a hurry while the others did the opposite. He was the only one who hadnt attended the meeting in person because he was busy with something. The comms device in the meeting room had been turned on so he could listen to the plan from his lab, but that was it. Xi Mu thrust a familiar box into Cillins hand, and Cillin recognized it immediately. It was identical to the box Angenia had passed him earlier. You finished it already? Cillin was astonished. It was true that all the essential materials were prepared, but Xi Mus speed still exceeded his expectation. Xi Mu shook his head before replying, Its just a prototype. I didnt have the time to optimize many things or test it extensively. Its usable though. I have a feeling that this mission wont be as simple as it seems. Just one? Just one. Got it. Thank you. Cillin accepted the box and added, I trust you guys to take care of the ship while were gone. Yessir. I joined the squad, so of course Ill do my best. Commander, we need you now! Luminous Flower is on the move already, Cary urged from the hallway. He was fully geared and raring to go. Cillin motioned for Cary to head to the spaceplane while he left for a nearby depot with the box. Ten seconds later, he came out looking exactly the same as before. Chapter 338: I Swear On My Fish Biscui Luminous Flowers team was already waiting for them at the rescue point, an area the transport ship would be passing through after its flight path was changed. There was no realistic way to stop the ship completely, so the plan was to enter the ship at the rescue point, rescue the people and the goods inside the ship, escape, and trigger its self-destruct sequence afterward. What this meant was that they didnt have much time to pull off the rescue at all. Worse, it was getting more and more difficult to contact the people on the ship, and it didnt take much to imagine why. Two-thirds of its crew was already dead when Hua Xi initially received the emergency call. Less than a hundred was expected to survive during the time they prepared. By the time they finally boarded the ship, only god could answer how many were left to be saved. Cillin shot Hua Xi a glance. So far, the woman was holding herself together despite the clear look of urgency on her face. This meant that the person or people she was really trying to save was still alive, for now. ... and thats all I know including the beasts were going to fight later. Im sorry I cant tell you more, Hua Xi said after telling Cillin everything she learned from the people on the ship. Unfortunately, it was still far from sufficient for a mission like this. Hua Xi and her men didnt have enough antibodies to protect everyone due to the suddenness and urgency of the situation. So, they bought the ones the Eleventh Squad was using from Cillin. They were told the same procedure the Eleventh Squad was taught earlier, and that was to inject the first syringe now and use the second syringe if they were wounded by the creatures. Its here! Moon reported. A dot entered their scan range on the display. It was the transport ship Hua Xi was talking about. Hua Xi had already sent Cillin the rough layout of the transport ship. They would be invading it from the entry point they had discussed earlier. As the transport ship grew closer and closer, they started noticing some obvious signs of abnormality. For starters, its signal lights was blinking erratically and disjointedly. The areas around the command center was completely dark, and there were obvious signs of explosions here and there. It was most likely the result of the transport ship crew trying to defend themselves from the bioweapon beasts. Hows the transport ship looking? Cililn asked. Moon sent him the scan result and said, Most of the ship is functioning as normal. You can remove your breathing mask after you get inside. That was good to hear, but they would still need to wear a protective suit to prevent being contaminated by the creatures blood when they fought, and other unpredictable things that might happen during their stay on the ship. That works. Lets carry out the plan then. The Eleventh Squad waited as Luminous Flower opened a hatch on the transport ship. It was as discussed earlier. After Luminous Flowers first team successfully created the entry point and boarded the ship, the Eleventh Squad followed closely behind. For now, the entry point seemed to be parasite-free. The entry point led to a main corridor that ended in a goose-foot. Where do we go? Cillin asked Hua Xi. Hua Xi toyed with her communicator for a long time before she finally managed to make contact with the transport ships crew again. Even then, the signal was so bad that they could only hear some garbled voices. Yewu, weve arrived at the third entry point corridor. Where are you right now? Hua Xi asked urgently. Perfect timing. Were stuck in a section between the third and fourth entry point now! The person on the other side of the communicator heaved an obvious sigh of relief when they heard that Hua Xi had arrived. There were too many parasites, and we were forced to shut down the double hatches on both sides and lock ourselves inside. I dont want to rush you, but were dead the moment they break through either hatch, so Got it. Just hang on! Were coming for you right now! Hua Xi checked a map on the wall and quickly identified the path that led to the section the transport ship crew were trapped inside. Lets go! They barely took a couple of steps before they encountered their first enemies. The two creatures blocking their way wore suits that identified them as members of the ship, but their bodies had been fully mutated by the parasites. Their skin was dark gray, their face was beastly, and their fingernails had elongated into bird-like talons. The ugly bastards even had three rows of half-a-meter long spikes jutting out of their backs, when one was enough to send chills up ones spine. The moment they spotted the humans, they let out an inhuman screech and rushed them. Hua Xi ordered her men to kill the beasts immediately. They were human up until the point they were infested by the parasites and mutated into bioweapons. Their blood and even their minds had been warped into that of a monsters, so the woman felt no qualms killing them and giving them the mercy they deserved. After the two beasts were killed, Luminous Flowers rescue team rushed toward the section their contact was trapped inside. Moon and Sigma however, stayed behind to collect samples and send that information back to their starship. It was so that Tico and Xi Mu could create the specific antibody they needed to counter the parasite as soon as possible. Hua Xi didnt try to order Cillins crew around. For one, she was too worried to bother. Two, the Hunters wouldnt listen to her even if she tried. Three, there was no time to waste on petty nonsense like this. That was how the Eleventh Squad came to lag behind Luminous Flower. Whats wrong, Cillin? Dias asked. Cillin had walked back to the goose-foot to stare at a depot down another passage. The depot had a black-and-yellow symbol on it; the radiation symbol. The hunter shook his head at the question and said, Something doesnt feel right. Then, he shot Czedow a look before pointing at the depot, Go check if there are other radiation depots in this ship, and where theyre located at. You think these monsters have something to do with radiation? Eudy asked as they resumed walking. Its just a hunch, one that I need to clarify before I can say anything about it. Also, its strange that there are so few bioweapon beasts at the third entry point. Like I said earlier, something doesnt feel right. Cillin didnt reveal the biggest reason he suspected something was afootthat he actually recognized these bioweapon beasts! He hadnt encountered these creatures in person, but he had read about them a long time ago. They were created in a lab, and the people behind them were Has the conflict intensified to this extent? Whats wrong, Cillin? asked Wheeze while patting his cheeks with its paw. Did you realize something thats super important to this mission or something? Instead of replying directly, Cillin asked in a very serious tone, Can you fly in space, Wheeze? Of course I can! I have a pair of wings now! Wheeze lifted its chin proudly as it replied. Thats not the same. No amount of flapping will help you in space. No, seriously, I can fly without needing to flap my wings. I just need to change my form to make it work, Wheeze answered proudly. You sure? Absolutely, one hundred percent certain? Yes, I am! Meow dammit, I swear on my fish biscuit that I can fly in space! Well, damn, that is a pretty vicious oath coming from Wheeze After obtaining confirmation from Wheeze, Cillin said to the crew, The situation has changed. Were going to work faster and try to solve this in an hour tops. If we fail, then leaving the ship becomes our first priority! Meanwhile, Luminous Flower had already fought the creatures blocking the way. By the time Cillin and the others reached them, the parasites were all dead on the floor. Hua Xi was currently speaking to the person on the other side of the communicator and telling them to open the hatch. Hua Xi exhaled in relief when the hatch opened, and everyone inside seemed to be safe and sound. The transport ship crew had been reduced to just a dozen or so people, but at least Yewu and her primary rescue target were still alive. Yewu and an old man she was supporting were the first ones to step out. Over half of the survivors were injured, and a couple of them heavily injured. I cant even begin to tell you how glad am I to see you again! Yewu beamed at Hua Xi despite her fatigue. Yewu was none other than Hua Xis partner, the dual blade wielder Cillin had fought during the Sector Championship. She was a member of Golden Willow Corporation. There were many times she had felt like giving up while they were escaping the bioweapon beasts, but she forced herself to stay strong all because of the old man she was supporting. After a brief conversation with Yewu, Hua Xi turned to the old man and greeted him respectfully, Im sorry for not coming sooner! The old man smiled kindly at her and waved. Please, Im the one who should thank you for the timely rescue. However, Cillin interrupted their reunion and said, This is not the time to talk. We need to leave now! Yewu shot Cillin a dissatisfied look before facing Hua Xi. Theyre not Luminous Flower, are they? Are these the hunters you hired to help us? I didnt even see them when you were killing the parasites just now, they arrived after the battle was over. What kind of hunters are they?! Hua Xi tried to explain, but was interrupted by an urgent report from her subordinate. He pointed at the live feed and said, First miss, a ton of parasites are moving toward our position right! Theres at least 200 of them, and many of them havent have a host yet! The team had set down monitors along the way because the transport ships own cameras were out of control. Otherwise, they wouldve just hacked those cameras to watch their backs. We need to leave now. One look at the live feed was all the motivation Hua Xi needed to check her holographic map in a hurry. They hadnt opened the hatch to the fourth entry point because there were a ton of parasites on the other side. It wasnt as numerous as the army of parasites that was rushing toward them from the third entry point, but it was still too many. Well withdraw via the fifth entry point! Hua Xi declared. It was the entry point with the least amount of parasites and bioweapon beasts, and it wasnt so far away that it was impossible to reach. But Cillin rebuked the order, We cant go there! The fifth entry point is a dead end, and the layout allows the creatures to attack us from all sides! The best thing to do here is to fight our way to the fourth entry point! How do you know that? Yewu asked. She knew how many parasites there were on the fourth entry point. It would be incredibly dangerous to force their way through. It was at this moment the old man spoke up, Do as he says. But Hua Xi hesitated. The stakes were just too high. Youre not sure what to do yourselves, arent you? In that case, we may as well do as this youngster says. They are more experienced at dealing with bioweapons than us. All this time, the horde of parasites and beasts were coming closer and closer. Theres no time left! Cillin made a hand gesture, and the crew immediately formed a formation in front of the hatch. Open the door, Moon! Chapter 339: One Hell of a Crew The transport ships system had gone haywire after the bioweapons were unleashed, and the situation earlier was critical. Therefore, she had no choice but to order the technicians to hack into the hatches internal system and execute an infinite loop command. What this meant was that the door would always remain shut no matter the commandopen or closeit received. When Hua Xi and her men arrived, the survivors had had to use a high power beam rifle to manually carve an opening on the hatch. They could try the same thing on the second hatch, but there were several problems with this solution. One, the hatch was the only thing standing between them and the creatures. They already had to destroy the first hatch to let Hua Xi and the hunters in, if they destroyed the second one as well the army of parasites and mutated hosts behind them would be able to rush them unhindered. Two, there were also enemies on the other side of the second hatch, so they would be forced to fight on both fronts and most likely suffer heavy casualties as a result. Three, even if they were strong enough to weather the assault, it took precious time to carve an opening on the hatch; time that they couldnt afford to lose right now. That was why Yewu had wanted to follow Hua Xis suggestion to escape to the nearby fork leading up to the fifth entry point. Cillin claimed it was a dead end, but Yewu didnt know if she should believe him. It was because she hadnt given the order to seal any entry point. Besides that, Yewu was prejudiced against hunters due to certain unpleasant experiences from the past. The fact that the Eleventh Squad did nothing to help Hua Xis team when they were clearing out the enemies in front of the first hatch only served to deepen that prejudice. If he hadnt given the word, she wouldve voiced her support of Hua Xis suggestion already. Moon ignored Yewu and walked up to the hatch, pressing a finger to the supposedly inoperable switch. The blue strip on his faceplate started flashing rhythmically. Cillin was the commander of the Eleventh Squad, but even he didnt give her a response, much less the rest of the squad. It wasnt on purpose though. A big fight was about to happen, and their enemies this time was a kind of parasitic bioweapon that could infect a person or worse, bury into their bodies and take control of them directly. They were battle-hardened veterans, sure, but that was exactly why they wouldnt let themselves be distracted by some inane question when they could be using that time to channel their best fighting condition. This meant keeping an eye out for any form of danger, maintaining a razor sharp focus, and being ready to react to anything in the most efficient way possible. Yewu: ... Yewu felt a throb in her head. Whats a faceslap? This is a faceslap. She couldnt even tell the little robot to piss off because he clearly didnt mean any malice by it, which made her feel worse. While the hatch was being hacked, Dias pulled out a bazooka-like weapon and pointed it toward the hatch. Beside him, Eudy held a smaller but similar weapon as well. Yewu wanted to tell them they were inside a passage, and that any damage to it would be as detrimental to them as it was to the creatures, if not worse, but she stopped herself when she realized that no hunter could be so bad that they lacked even the most basic of common senses. Those who were would be dead already. After Moon made a hand gesture, Cillin raised his left hand and bent his fingers one by one. Five four three All sounds except the growing, inhuman screeches behind them ceased to exist. A tense atmosphere surrounded the whole group. Hua Xi sneaked a glance at her bracelet. It showed a horde of mutated hosts running toward their position at high speed. The bounding parasites were only as big as a human fist, and yet the feelings they evoked were black and oppressive. Hua Xi swallowed once, sucked in a deep breath and gripped her rifle tighter. That bastard better be right, or else Two One! When Cillin bent his last finger, the closed hatch made a beeping sound. It wasnt loud, but it was the figurative horn that signalled the start of the battle. The gear-shaped hatch slid open. When the gap was just wide enough to fit a bullet, Tang Qiuqiu opened fire and caused a spurt of dark gray liquid. It was a one-tap. Hua Xi couldnt stop herself from looking at Tang Qiuqiu even though she knew that she couldnt afford to be distracted right now. She was just too curious. She had thought that Cillin would be the one to make the first and most difficult shot and so kept a close eye on him, but no, it was a girl who was still in her teens who did it! There was no anxiety, no excitement, no solemnity; no visible emotion that she could detect from Tang Qiuqius expression whatsoever.Not only that, most peoples hands would shake when they fired a gun, but the teens were as steady as a rock. It was as if the act was as common as eating to her. That was Hua Xis first real impression of Tang Qiuqiu at least. The gap widened further, and they could now smell the foul stench that belonged to the parasites and mutated hosts. If the beep was the signal, then Tang Qiuqius shot was the cord that drew the curtains of the battle. A concentrated volley of firepower kept the closest enemies from breaking through immediately, but the enemies were too numerous, and the distance too short. Something had to be done immediately, and that was the moment Dias pulled the trigger. What came out of the launcher weapon was neither the cannon shell nor the energy beam Yewu had imagined. Instead, it was a metallic object that looked like a spear. Three leaf-like blades spread out from the object, spun like a fan, and sliced and diced every enemy in its path like a meat grinder. Dark gray blood spilled out from the parasites decapitated bodies. A couple mutate hosts tried to jump them only to be carved into many pieces as well. Now, the group only had to deal with the enemies that were hanging by the walls and so didnt get hit by the spinning blades. Due to the sheer number of parasites on the other side of the hatch, the spinning blade was only useful for ten meters or so. Its blade dulled, and its spin eventually slowed to the point where it was completely useless. Still, it had done its job nicely. Instead of the mere centimeters of space they had earlier, they now had ten whole meters to work with. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG Five ice blue projectiles erupted ten, twenty, thirty, forty and fifty meters away from the group. Instead of the fire and smoke that usually accompanied an explosion, they turned into a white fog that froze the closest parasites into ice. Not even the bigger mutated hosts fared much better than them. The flash freeze shell had an effective radius of ten meters. Even those who werent within the effective range were slowed by the frigid air, albeit only slightly and very shortly. No matter how strong the mutated hosts had become, the body used to be human. This meant that they could be affected in a number of ways such as low temperature. Tang Qiuqius skill was as sharp as ever. She hadnt stopped shooting since the start of the fight, and there was almost no pause at all in between shots. A machine gun couldve achieved the same effect with greater consistency, sure, but could it fire in every direction and hit the heador in the parasites case, something that resembled a weak spotevery time? Likely not. Just as Dias said a long time ago, Tang Qiuqiu was a natural-born shooter. For example, Ba Dao had three pairs of handstwo more than your average humanand the neural wiring necessary to shoot six guns at once, and yet his efficiency might not necessarily exceed that of Tang Qiuqius. Tang Qiuqius footsteps were incredibly steady. She also didnt need to dodge any attacks thanks to a certain white fatty protecting her. Snowballs job was to cut down all the parasites who tried to get close to her. The parasites were small, agile, and faster than the mutated hosts. Worse, if they managed to burrow into someone, and the necessary countermeasures werent taken in time, they would transform into an empty puppet just like the mutated hosts around them. Snowball did its job perfectly though. Fat wasnt always slow, and in Snowballs case it blew the usual common sense completely out of the water. While Tang Qiuqiu was blasting heads off mutated hosts, Snowball was catching every single parasite that tried to attack them and turning them into pancakes. Even those that miraculously maintained a form were completely incapitated and out of the fight. At one point, there was so much gray goo on its paws that Snowball had, after flattening a parasite against the wall, painted its grayish, gooey flesh and blood across the entire surface. It was a terrifying sight. Scarlet Winds fighting style was as bloody as ever. It took a while, but by the time he tore his seventeenth mutated host in half, Hua Xi and the others finally realized that the humanoid was one hell of a beast, possibly literally. Before the battle had begun, Scarlet Wind had looked every bit the innocent, harmless boy who belonged anywhere but the battlefield. Sometimes his eyes melted like water when he felt wronged, and it was impossible not to feel protective of him. It was why people said that dogs were more likely to win sympathy than cats. That cute boy was nowhere to be seen, however. In fact, he was easily two times the murderer Luminous Flowers team were supposed to be. Gone were the innocent and soulful eyes that evoked pity on command, replaced by brutal but calm bloodlust. It was impressive enough that he was able to keep his violent impulse fully under control, but he was cooperating really well with his teammates as well. The old man being surrounded at the center of Luminous Flower and Golden Willows team thought that Scarlet Wind was an excellent hunter. There were some flaws here and there, but no one was perfect, and it certainly didnt impact his excellence in the slightest. Even the newest and most unripe of them all, Sha Rou was performing much, much better than she used to. She wasnt at Tang Qiuqiu or Scarlet Winds level of steadiness yet, but she was definitely growing at a tremendous speed. Moon caught a parasite that was rushing Sha Rou, scanned it, and electrocuted it into smoking charcoal before moving onto his next target. It was his occupational habit to collect data on anything new he encountered. The Eleventh Squad might appear unimpressive when they were on standby, but it was a completely different story when they were on the move. Their total crew didnt even exceed twenty, and yet the level of strength and skill they displayed could only be described as stunning. Every member in the Eleventh Squad was a star in their own right, with Cillin being the greatest of them all. Hua Xi knew from the second Cillin took his first shot that she could call off the duel, assuming that they both survived this mission. Forget winning, the chasm between them was so wide that she couldnt see any hope in catching up to him right now. Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu were known by the crew as the best human shooters in the entire Eleventh Squadron. Why human? That was because the two non-humans in the squad, Moon and Sigma, believed that they were the duos equal or better if they went all out. Czedow most likely qualified as well, although there was very few data to support this assumption because the robot rarely used guns. While the group was pushing forward, the horde of creatures behind them had finally entered into view. Moon was ready for this and shut the second hatch before the parasites and mutated hosts could come through. Their backs were safe for now, but they also had nowhere left to go. Now, the only way left for them was forward where the fourth entry point was. As a side note, Cillin didnt ask Xi Kai to send in his robots. He took three with him just in case, but that was all. He didnt even allow them to disengage their invisibility mode and help. Originally, Cillin was planning to deploy them for this rescue mission, but he changed his mind after realizing who was the creator of these parasites. Xi Kais robots were a hidden trump card that should only be used when the time was right, least of all in front of the people of Sector M. GAL wasnt without its own robotic empire, and the Robert Family was famous throughout the galaxy. Considering that Xi Kais robots were very different from theirs, it would cause a whole host of problems if they were found out, not to mention that the new technology they were testing as of late wasnt yet mature, the research wasnt yet finished and more. Lastly, his crew could use the experience. In any combat situation, a hunters best friend was their teammates and themselves, and the only way to hone both thingsskill and teamworkwas through actual combat. The mutated hosts were a lot easier to kill than the parasites despite their greater speed and strength. It was because the parasites were tiny, fast, and could potentially transform an ally into an enemy if given the opportunity. Sometimes there would be a lull in between the battle, and the group took the opportunity to inject themselves with the second syringe of antibodies. At this point, some of them were injured, and practically everyone was covered in some gray goo. Even if they werent, the air must be choke full of all sorts of potentially dangerous germs. If they didnt take the second injection when they could, there was a high chance they would start changing even before they exited the passage. Cillin, the specialized antibody will be complete in another half an hour at most, so theres no need to take a third injection, Tico said to Cillin through his earpiece. Got it! Cillin checked the time before urging everyone, Move faster! Hua Xis team couldnt understand his urgency. No matter how massive the horde behind the second hatch was, they knew it would hold for at least a short amount of time. That being said, they didnt let it stop them from quickening their pace. Some people even removed their protective suits because it restricted their movement, and the amount of oxygen they were inhaling through their breathing mask was nowhere enough to satisfy the amount of exercise they were doing right now. Plus, everyone in the Eleventh Squad had removed their protective suits the second their commander gave the order. They couldnt show weakness now, could they? More importantly, the number of mutated hosts and even parasites had decreased drastically since the start of the battle, so the better option here was to finish the battle ASAP. It wasnt like the protective suits were completely detrimental though. They werent made of metal, but they could buy them some time if the parasites did slip through their defense. Without one, it would take a fist-sized, adult parasite only half a second to burrow into their bodies, and a smaller, infant parasite less than a-fourth of a second to perform the same feat. The reason for this discrepancy was size. It was far easier for a smaller object to burrow through the human skin, and it was a lot less noticeable. When a mutated host dropped dead, a couple of bumps immediately appeared on their grayish skin. One of them was fist-sized, and the rest were a lot smaller. A few seconds later, theyan adult parasite and several infant parasitesburst out of the hosts body and continued chasing after the group. What insane reproduction speed! As expected of a bioweapon! Even as Hua Xi and her ring of bodyguards ran past a section, parasites were growing, pushing their way out of bodies, and rushing them almost right next to their feet. Already, the security team Hua Xi brought with her had lost much of their numbers. A bodyguard defending the rear shot an adult parasite that was pouncing toward him, but he didnt see the infant parasite right behind the adult, and he wasnt so lucky that his bullet penetrated both creatures at once. The newborn parasite was as hungry as a wolf who hadnt seen fresh meat for a very, very long time. The bodyguard felt a sudden, sharp pain in his abdomen, and for an instant he saw a vision of himself joining the parasites and chasing down the very people he was supposed to protect. He was prepared to face his fate though. He was a bodyguard. It was his natural responsibility to die in place of his subject when necessary, and he knew that the possibility was very real from the moment he learned of this mission. Theoretically speaking, an infested host could be saved if the parasite was removed before it took over the body. In reality, it was one of those easier said than done things. Even if it took a long time for the parasite to control a hostwhich it most certainly wasnthow could anyone be expected to extract a parasite in the middle of a battle? The bodyguard was about to say some brave and totally unoriginal last words, Leave me! Ill cover the rear! Ill catch up to yall later! when he realized that someone was standing in front of him. When he looked down, he saw a pair of finger stabbing into his abdomen about three centimeters above a bloody hole. Maybe it was because he thought he was going to die, but he had no idea when the pair of fingers had pierced his abdomen. He hadnt even felt the pain until now. When Czedow pulled the tiny parasite out of his flesh, the bodyguard felt as if he had been reborn. Solace! The bodyguard standing next to Solace saw the parasite and took it out in a hurry. Then, he asked his comrade, You okay? Solace was still a little pale, but he forced a small smile and said, Im fine now. Sure, there was now another hole in his abdomen, but at least he was alive, right? Between a bit of pain and being turned into a mindless monster, he would choose pain every time. Thank you! Solace said to Czedow. He was among those who were disgruntled by the hunters absence when they were clearing out the enemies before the first hatch, but that changed quickly when he realized just how strong they were. Now, even his last bit of resentment had melted away into sheer gratitude. Czedow had saved his life, and he appreciated that. Czedow didnt look back at the duo. He kept his eyes trained on the new parasites crawling out of the dead bodies on the ground as he said, The commander told me to cover our rear. You guys are too slow. Solace: ... You couldve not said that last bit, you know. Czedow killed the enemies way faster than the bodyguards even though he was just using his bare hands. Three parasites had tried to run past Czedow to kill Solace and two other bodyguards who stayed behind to cover the rear, only to be cut in half by a casual swing of the hand. The guy never even looked at the parasites. That wasnt what really shocked the bodyguards into silence, however. Yes, it was stunning that he fought like he had eyes behind his back, and yes, it was also stunning that his hands moved so fast that they could only see a blur, but seriously though, why werent the parasites attacking him in the first place?! Thats right, the parasites werent targeting Czedow. In fact, they acted as if he didnt even exist, bounding past him in favor of the bodyguards at the back. The bodyguards were confused, but there was no time to ponder about the mystery, much less question Czedow about it. The group moved faster and made steady progress toward the fourth entry point. Cillin, your assumption is correct, Moon said to Cillin on the way. Moons scans revealed that all the depots carrying radioactive sources had all been opened. One of these depots were located close to the fifth entry point, and all the parasites near that area had begun mutating. In other words, these parasites absorbed radiation like food, and it wouldnt be long before they evolved into stronger, far deadlier forms that they definitely didnt want to face. The parasites around the fourth entry point had no such depots, so they wouldnt undergo an evolution. It was one of the reasons Cillin chose to come here. The mutated parasite would replace the old parasite already occupying a body and make it stronger. Already, some hosts are growing shells on their skins. Worse, the first, second, third, fifth and sixth entry point have all been unsealed. Im sure the same thing wouldve happened to the fourth entry point if I hadn''t secured it. The new parasites and mutated hosts are currently climbing out of the entry points and crawling all over the surface of the transport ship. These things are capable of operating in space, and Im sure theyll hinder us when we try to escape to our ships later. Moon had learned to describe the parasites and mutated hosts as things. Everything Moon told Cillin was something he had guessed might happen earlier. It was why he wanted to get out of the transport ship as soon as possible. The longer they stayed, and the more parasites and mutated hosts infesting the surface of the transport ship, the harder it would be for them to escape to safety. Heres a quick quiz: who is easier to best in combat, a C-rank human or an A-rank human? A C-rank human of course. And Cillin had zero intentions of pitting his crew against an endless horde of A-rank parasites. Cillin took a moment to discuss plans with Hua Xis group before contacting Udoze and Xi Kai. Then, he waved for Moon to follow him before saying, Moon, Wheeze and I will head out to clear a path. Then, the hunter pinched the ear of a certain cat who had been dozing atop Sigmas head all this time and said, Wake up, you lazy cat! Its time to work! Chapter 340: The Lightning in Space Cillin ran. Usually, you could spot a hint of clumsiness or a sudden hitch here and there when an armored person moved, but that wasnt the case for the hunter at all. He moved just as quickly and smoothly as he wouldve without the armor. Moreover, the armor looked pretty thin, but it completely withstood the parasites attacks. They knew this because Cillin wasnt bothering to defend himself at all. After beckoning for Wheeze and Moon to follow him, he charged straight toward the parasites and sent everything that was blocking his way flying. The reason he was in such a hurry was because the mutated parasites could be swarming toward the fourth entry point already. They needed to be cleared out as soon as possible to facilitate the groups escape when they arrived. Wheeze and Moon werent afraid of the parasites as a matter of course, so once they joined up with Cillin they ran over all the parasites in their way like a truck. It wasnt long before the unstoppable trio completely vanished from everyones view. After the trio was gone, the people in Luminous Flower and Golden Willows group murmured, What was that? The people of the Eleventh Squad was equally silent. They knew that Cillin was gathering materials for Xi Mu, but they had thought that the armor he spoke was just an upgraded protective suit until now. The armor Cillin was wearing had to be the new armor, right? The materials to make it were more or less gathered, right? They could all have an armor of their own in the very near future, right? This Is so Exciting!! Cary and Xiaoshang looked as excited as a druggie. The small fatigue they had accumulated from fighting the parasites and mutated hosts suddenly disappeared as if it was never there. Even the gray fluid clinging stubbornly to their skin felt a lot less disgusting than before. Cary shouted inside his own head: Worms, this is the last time Im going to fight you fuckers unprotected, so lets tango to our hearts content! Woohoo! I can feel my motivation growing already! Back to Cillin. The parasites kept charging into Cillin despite the futility of their efforts, and the impact left behind grayish blood on the armor. He paid it no heed, however. When the hatch finally entered his view, he immediately ordered Moon to open it. However, this was the first time Wheeze assumed this form, so it accidentally zoomed far, far away from the ship, rolling uncontrollably in the process. Cillin: ... I knew I cant rely on this cat too much. Cillin fired a cable at the surface of the transport ship. Then, he reeled himself in until he was standing on top of it. Outside, Udoze was piloting his fighter and shooting down the evolved hosts that were clambering toward the fourth entry point. However, he was limited to low-powered weapons because anything too powerful would affect the people still inside the ship. Udozes ship wasnt the only one fighter in space, but the pilots were Xi Kais robots. Their skill paled in comparison to Udoze, but they were better than nothing. Of course, Hua Xis teamthe ones that were standing by outsidewas doing their best to gun down the enemies as well. The evolved hosts were a lot tougher than the normal ones thanks to the hardened substance protecting their body. Their mutated limbs also allowed them to cling to the surface of the transport like some sort of twisted spider and clamber toward their target at high speed. They couldnt afford to delay the rescue by even a second because the longer they delayed, the greater the chance the parasites were going to mutate a second, or even a third time. There were still a lot of parasites and hosts sitting close the radioactive source depots, and the transport ship had a crew of over two thousand. Even now, they had only killed almost a thousand parasites in total. At least half of them were still inside the ship doing god knows what. The fighters couldnt shoot the parasites and mutated hosts that had gotten to close to the entry point, so it was up to Cillin, Wheeze and Moon to deal with them. Cillins hand flickered, and a white gun appeared out of nowhere like magic. The next moment, three parasites that were bounding toward him immediately lost their heads. The technicians on Luminous Flower noticed the oddity and started paying attention to Cillin. Then, they realized that the amount of times he shot his gun and the amount of parasites or mutated hosts werent a 1:1 ratio at all. In fact, it grew from 1:3, to 1:4, to 1:5 No one on Luminous Flower recognized Cillins gun. Not only did it not exist inside or outside the GAL Gun Leaderboard, they couldnt even find a gun that shared its shape. From a distance, the gun looked like a snowflake in space: white, perfect, and soundless. However, every time it opened fire, it would reap an incredible amount of lives with effortless ease. Forget its abnormal hit ratio, its stopping power alone was some of the strongest they had ever seen from its type. The evolved hosts were much faster and tougher than the ones inside the transport ship, and yet Cillin killed them all the same. It was like an arctic chill that appeared out of nowhere, causing shivers with every touch. All the observers who were watching him from Luminous Flowers ship were stunned beyond words as a matter of course. Meanwhile, Wheeze had finally found the right balance and was currently pushing itself back toward the fourth entry point. However, it wasnt able to brake in time and slammed right into a couple of parasites and mutated hosts. Considering its current tonnage and flying speed, there was nothing that could stop its momentum. Some of the enemies were sent flying into space, and there was nothing they could do except flail uselessly in a blind attempt to return to their target. Moon made sure to kill them all. Originally, Wheeze was going to tear these things to pieces with its prided claws, but it quickly discovered that knocking them into space was a faster way to kill them. So, it spread its wings as wide as possible and swept all the parasites and mutated hosts running toward it off the surface of the transport ship. Moon cooperated and shot the now defenseless enemies dead. If it sounded like the duo were playing, that was because they were. Being who they were, they felt none of the anxiety and urgency that was eating the humans from inside out. Take Wheeze for example. It took a special catand that was putting it nicelyto be able to fall asleep atop Sigmas head while everyone was fighting for their lives. Finally, the group inside the ship reached the exit, and a large spaceplane belong to Luminous Flower moved closer to receive them. Hua Xi, Yewu and the old man all jumped into the ship. Time to leave!! Eudy ordered the rest of the squad. Tang Qiuqiu had put her protective suit and breathing mask back on. When she heard the order, she immediately put away her rifle and jumped onto Snowballs shoulder. After shaking off two parasites that tried to attack them from behind, it leaped out of the exit and headed straight toward the spaceplane. A bodyguard who entered the spaceplane with Hua Xi earlier stared at the scene in astonishment. First miss, that bear isnt wearing a protective suit. In fact, now that I think about it, it wasnt wearing one since the beginning Even the parasites and mutated hosts had to undergo an evolution before they could enter a space environment. Just where the hell did the Eleventh Squad get their crew? Yewu herself wanted to ask Hua Xi something similar: where the hell did you find these people? It was at this moment the Eleventh Squad and Luminous Flowers ship reported that a deadly high-energy object was flying toward them at high speed. Its power was equal to that of ten shipborne shockwave bombs, and all attempts to lock down and intercept it have failed! It was because it wasnt moving in a straight line, and none of the computers were able to calculate its trajectory! Faster! No one knew if the objects final landing point was the transport ship, the spaceplane that was receiving the group, or the other starships within the area. One thing was certain though: if they didnt wrap up their business before the object hit, it would be too late. Worse, the object was coming at them from a difficult angle. It was using the transport ship as cover almost as if it had a mind of its own. Commander, what are you waiting for? Jump already! Lets go, Cillin! Cary and Eudy urged from the spaceplane. Ill catch up with you all later! Hua Xi, take your men and leave right now! Cillin answered before taking off toward the other side of the transport ship. He knew that this was the enemys hidden trump card, and the fact that they were using it now meant that they had full confidence it would take out the spaceplane everyone was in. He even knew a bit more than the others about this unpredictable, fast-moving, high-energy object. I bet its an offshoot project of Project Dream Tapir, Phase 2. I just dont know which ones exactly. Meanwhile, the spaceplane had finally received its last passenger and closed its hatch. It took off as Cillin had told them too. Whats the commander doing? Scarlet Wind asked. How the fuck should I know!? Cary threw his rifle on the ground in irritation before gluing his eyes onto the display. Outside the transport ship, Cillin spent one last moment to check his angle before facing toward the high-energy object. Anytime now. The high-energy object all the starships had deemed impossible to lock down and interceptat least not in the amount of time they were givensuddenly shone yellow and split up into many tiny dots. Each dot gave off an incredible amount of energy. The bright yellow dots continued to fly erratically toward the spaceplane, but something was different from before. From a distance, the yellow dots almost looked like a giant, open maw that was acting to devour them whole. Everyone in the spaceplane was speechless. What the hell is that thing?! Cillin wasnt idle during this time, however. While the yellow dots was changing forms, he too was putting together a bunch of parts so fast that his arms didnt even leave behind a blur. It wasnt long before an object took form, and its surface had a slithering lightning symbol on it. Is that a cannon? White light erupted from the cannon before anyone could puzzle out the weapon. Then, a swarm of lightning cut through space and struck the gigantic maw head on. Chapter 341: It Needs Replenishmen Sound couldnt be heard in space, but the clash between the swarm of lightning and the maw caused a shockwave that was visible to the naked eye. Like a giant space web, it stopped the maw from being able to move toward the transport ship easily. Bright yellow dots fought against white lightning. The radial-shaped energy shockwave crushed the floating rocks closest to it to dust and continued spreading toward Cillins direction. It was way bigger than the maw was. Wheeze! Cillin had jumped onto Wheezes back, put away his cannon, and threw a rope that was tied to his wrist around its neck the moment he fired the weapon. Wheezes wings shone silver, and everyone saw a silver ray flying away from the web of death and toward them. At its current speed, not even the person with the best eye could see Wheeze or Cillin clearly. It didnt take long for the energy shockwave to hit the transport ship and tear its body to pieces at all. Already, the spot where Cillin had taken his shot from had crumbled into space debris. Faster, fatty! Cillin urged. Im already doing my best! Wheeze uttered through gritted teeth. This one expenditure in this form had cost several days worth of energy. Just you wait, Im going to eat a hole in our food supply and more when this is all over! All the starships and spaceplanes had departed long before Cillin had even taken his shot. However, the Eleventh Squads starship had stayed at the rear of the formation to receive their commander. After Xi Kai had opened the hatch, Wheeze immediately flew into the starship, rolled a dozen or so meters across the floor due to its inexperience in braking, and smashed into Udozes fighter, leaving a giant dent behind. Wheeze was fine, but Cillin was not. It was because he was the one who served as Wheezes cushion when he slammed back first into Udozes fighter, nearly blacking out in the process. The shot had cost him nearly 60% of his energy, and his arms felt broken and burned at the same time. One part of the armor around his right arm was also severely deformed. Still, without the armor, he mightve blacked out right after he had taken the shot. He had informed Wheeze of this possibility and told it to fly him back to the ship if that was the case. The armor turned out better than expected though. He looked horrible on the outside, but his actual condition turned out to be far better than expected. Cillin had taken part in a project of Guan Fengs right before he returned to GAL. That project was the creation of Purgatory Thunder Snake C. PTS C was a cannon, not a gun. Moreover, Guan Feng expected it to be unusable by anyone for several decades or more, the reason being that no one could remain conscious after firing a shot. Guan Feng once cracked a joke and said that their experiment was sure to be a success if they assembled the PTS C in space. While the unique environment of space would definitely keep the number of errors to a minimumone might even say that it was the ideal environment to assemble any machinethe reality was that a human needed to wear a protective suit at the before they could step into space. The minor resistance imposed by a spacesuit wasnt a problem in most cases, but it was absolutely detrimental when assembling a machine. Hence the joke. Of course, Guan Feng made that joke not knowing that there exists an armor that could sync with a humans nerves so perfectly that the lag was almost unnoticeable. And now that Cillin had actually made it into a reality, he could officially confirm that Guan Fengs theory was right. His overall accuracy had definitely exceeded 90% thanks to the zero-g environment of space, and the near perfect synchrony between his body and his armor. He knew it just looking at the lightning swarm he fired alone. Meanwhile, inside a spaceplane, a group of people stared at the screen blankly until Yewu broke them out of their reverie with a question, What was that? It felt like deja vu; a phrase that was used too often in too short a timeframe. Time and time again, the Eleventh Squad hadnt failed to surprise them. The gigantic shockwave had destroyed one-third of the transport ship, but Hua Xi ordered her people to destroy the remaining two-thirds anyway. She was sure that some parasites and mutated hosts had survived the explosion, not to mention that there were some secrets on that ship that she had no intentions of letting anyone find out. After confirming that Cillin had returned to the starship safely, everyone in the spaceplane quickly went their separate ways and returned to their starships. There were no small amount of backstabbing in this business, and a hunters cooperation was notoriously short term. They could be friends in one mission and be enemies in the next. Very, very few such relationships evolved into long-term alliances over time, not to mention that they were living in a period of strife and chaos right now. It was why no one let their guard down even after everything was technically over. The merchants didnt want to grow too involved with the hunter regiments. Cillin himself didnt want to be drawn into a non-hunters web of interest. Speaking of interests, Cillin had never underestimated the military. Before the chaos, people thought that they were just a sleeping lion. In reality, it was both fully awake and mostly aware of what was going on around it despite its closed eyes. It might even have plotted everything while everyone was underestimating it. The GAL army had splintered into several factions, but it was impossible to tell what kind of trump card each of them holds in their hands. Cillin was certain that the Eight Marshalsespecially the leading duopossessed some of the research results of Project Dream Tapir, but he would need more information to identify the exact faction behind this entire attack. Yes, an attack. Project Dream Tapir was a military project. If the parasites and mutated hosts werent proof enough that a military faction was behind the attack, that mysterious high-energy object certainly sealed the deal. Whoever was behind this could have attacked Sector M to facilitate the procurement of minerals. And why would they need this many minerals? To deal with the growing conflict happening all across GAL, of course! Besides that, the attack was clearly intended as a warning to Sector M. They wouldve preferred to kill everyone on the transport ship for maximum effect, but even if they failed an unforgettable lesson was still imparted, and that was enough. If Cillin had to guess, the old man Hua Xi and Yewu gave special treatment was a key political representative in Sector M, and the attackers key target. After the mission was over, Hua Xi paid the Eleventh Squad their due and some more. The additional ores were inexpensive materials used to fabricate common items, but since hunters often went through their resources quickly the gift was well accepted. It saved them a lot of energy and time down the line. Thank you so much for your aid in this mission. The Eleventh Squad is seriously amazing! I look forward to the day your hunter squadron becoming the best B Squadron in Vanguard! Hua Xi said to Cillin. Speaking of which, she didnt challenge Cillin to a duel because it was obvious how that would turn out. Even with his injured arm, Hua Xi had a feeling that her chances of winning was still next to nil. Moreover, Hua Xis mental illness had improved significantly after the mission, but not because of Cillin. It was Tang Qiuqiu. The girl was a low-rank human, a poor close-range fighter, and a teenager to boot, and yet her skill was better than many, many A-rank shooters in the whole galaxy. It made Hua Xi realize that her weakness was her own fault, and that she still had a lot of room to improve. Cillin accepted her praise with a smile, but didnt comment on it. How is your arm? Hua Xi pointed with her chin. Cillins arm was wrapped inside a healing device right now. Its fine. Itll heal in a bit, replied Cillin. It wasnt the complete truth. According to Tico, he wouldve had to spend some time receiving induction treatments if it wasnt for his armor. He saw no reason to tell Hua Xi that though. And wheres your cat? Hua Xi thought that it would be near Cillin, but it wasnt. It even ignored that hunk of metal that it had scammed from her. This got a reaction out of Cillin. In fact, it was all he could do not to growl out the words, That glutton is replenishing right now. The topic turned a bit serious from there. To Cillins surprise, Hua Xi mentioned the anomalies she discovered on the transport ship of her own accord. Yewu mentioned that someone had tried to hack the exits we escaped from to no avail. Im pretty sure its thanks to your interesting little robot. She was referring to Moon. There was a huge chance they mightve not returned alive if it wasnt for it. It was also this anomaly that made her suspect that there was a traitor within her faction. She was investigating it right now. He is a great fellow. Cillin didnt elaborate further than that. Moon was one of those things he wished to give as little information away as possible. Hua Xi noticed his demeanor and wisely changed the topic. Hunters are more familiar with the subject of parasites. Therefore, I would like to hear your thoughts about this mission. She paused for a moment before adding, I can pay you two boxes of rare minerals as the consultation fee. Cillin thought for a moment before answering, Did you ask Yewu and the survivors if they carry a lot of radioactive sources on the transport ship? I dont think its at the level where it endangers the human body, but Im pretty sure that there are more radioactive sources than normal on that ship. Im guessing that you have radiation depots that carry radioactive minerals, but if its something else feel free to not tell me about it. My point is, radioactive sources are one of the main triggers of weaponized parasites. You are correct. We were ferrying a lot of radioactive minerals that day. That will definitely explain why the outbreak had spread as quickly as it did. Hua Xi understood what Cillin was trying to tell her and contacted her subordinates immediately. The radioactive source was certainly going to be a useful lead. After Cillin returned to the ship with his rewards, he saw the self-proclaimed patient clutching a bag of fish biscuits and watching an animal porn video with the interesting little robot. From time to time, the patient would make a comment about the video he got from King Kong. And of course, the floor was covered in crumbs. Cillin shook his head and ignored them. He had a call from the A Squadron that he needed to receive in a moment. Xi Mu, weve everything you need to construct your armor now. If you need anything else, tell us now so we can expedite the process. Xi Kai, please focus on the installation of the super AI. If possible, I want it done before we return to HQ. You seem to suspect that something might happen during the meeting? Xi Mu asked. Im not sure, but you know the saying, better safe than sorry. It was at this moment Beaver contacted him. Commander, you have a long-range transmission call from the A Squadron. Transfer it to me. Cillin returned to his own lounge before turning on his communicator. A man with long beard immediately appeared on the screen. It was Barthes. Senior Barthes? I was expecting senior Songba Leruo, Cillin started. Barthes toyed with his iconic beard a bit and let out a mirthlesseven murderouschuckle that didnt reach the eye. He replied, Hat guy is recuperating right now. Chapter 342: If They Fail to Meet Expectations, We’ll Throw Them Ou Hat guy was ambushed during a mission, Barthes continued. He said ambushed, not attacked, meaning that the enemy had set up a trap specifically for Songba Leruo. Cillin quickly discovered what this meant. One of us betrayed Vanguard? Barthes played with his beard but said nothing. His silence in itself was an admission. You remember what happened to the Seventh B Squadron? Well, a little something happened to the Second B Squadron as well. So watch your back when you fly to the headquarters, okay? Barthes tone was normal, but Cillin sensed a weight behind it. It was impossible to say if it was because of the ambush on Songba Leruo, the issue with the Second B Squadron, or the fact that traitors had appeared in Vanguard. Ill do that. Thank you for the reminder. By the way, senior Barthes, do we have a base at the headquarters? The Eleventh Squad is a new squadron after all. It was one of the things Cillin was going to ask a relevant person about if Barthes hadnt contacted him first. It would be awkward for everyone if they arrived at the headquarters only to discover that they didnt even have a place to hang out temporarily. This, you dont need to worry about. Vanguard has several bases in reserve specifically for future expansions, and one has already been allocated to the Eleventh Squadron. You will know when you arrive. Barthes had already told Cillin everything he wanted him to know, and he wouldnt reveal anything deeper than that. So, Cillin bid him goodbye after a brief conversation and remained inside the lounge, thinking. The Great Four had all experienced betrayal on a large scale before, but they usually happened among the B Squadrons only. The A Squadrons had never seen a reason to treat it seriouslyespecially because Vanguard was hardly the only hunter regiment to experience something like thisuntil now. Whoever thisor thesetraitors were, the signs of disloyalty within the A Squadrons mustve become so obvious that Barthes felt the need to warn him. Songba Leruo used to be the commander of the Second B Squadron, but he wasnt the type of person to abuse his authority and interfere with a B Squadron he no longer belonged to unless things were that serious. And now, not even the A Squadrons were reliable anymore. Would it be a large-scale clean-up? Or a re-org? Anything could happen during the meeting. Cillin considered his own squadron before deciding that they were safe. He had a small crew, but that was why he could say with certainty that everyone was as trustworthy as they came. The Eleventh Squad should never become a target of the clean-up operation. That being said, it was better to be safe than sorry. The super AI must be installed, and the armor must be ready for use before the meeting! The difference between an AI and a super AI was like the difference between an ape and a human, hence the word super. The project was complicated, but Xi Kai was expected to complete his project given enough time. The problem? Time was exactly what they were lacking right now. Worse, they couldnt cut corners because it would only hurt themselves. Czedow, Moon and Sigma were already giving the project their all. To quote Xi Mu, all three robots were super AIs in their own rights, the above super AIs to be exact. Therefore, their experiences contributed a lot to the research. Xi Mu promised that he would complete the armors as soon as possible. All Cillin could do was wait now. Cillin gave his forehead a rub after he did a round inside the ship. His arm had been recovering well. Tico had informed him that he would be fully recovered by the time they reached the HQ, but in reality he was 95 percent there already. However, he had no plans of removing the healing device attached to his arm even after they reached the HQ, at least not immediately. Cillin moved his finger a little and took out a box. Inside the box was the red gem Wheeze had picked up from that Douance transport ship whose crew was slaughtered to the last person. He still had no idea who the gem belonged to, but it had to be someone of status. The word chaos befit the current state of GAL alright. The entire alliance felt like one giant ball of threads that was impossible to unravel. Every organization and every person felt like they were masked by a shroud of mystery. In the end, they were able to make it in time. The installation of the super AI was more or less complete before they reached Sector K, and the finishing touches were expected to be done before they arrived at HQ. Xi Mu was almost done with his armor as well. He shouldve been done by now, but Xi Mu had higher-than-normal standards. For starters, he was extremely displeased with the armor he gave Cillin in a hurry last time and took it away for further optimization. Cillin didnt inquire about the details because the technology didnt belong to him. Unless Xi Mu revealed it himself, Cillin wouldnt force him to say anything. While the scientists were working their magic, the rest of the crew were undergoing enhanced training. Normally, in a large gathering like this, the B Squadronsespecially those who were acquaintedwould meet up with one another to have fun. And in most cases, said fun involved sparring with one another. Just like how schoolmates attending a school reunion would boast about their wealth, hunters spar to show off their strength and their squadrons. Although it was just a game between acquaintances, some level of seriousness was unavoidable in a fight, not to mention that their performance directly impacted their image. No one wanted to be that loser who brought shame to their squad if they could help it. The freest bunch in the ship was of course the gluttons. That was fine though. Unless they disrupted or destroyed the whole ship somehow, Cillin had no plans for them. Should we fly straight to the HQ, commander? Or do we want to visit the transit planet for a bit? Beaver asked. Lets stop by the transit planet when we reach it. Im curious to know how its doing right now, Cillin replied. No one had any information on the transit planet. Since GAL had fallen into chaos, the hunter regiments of Sector K had undergone a drastic change. Even the Great Four were tiptoeing around each other these days, so Cillin had no doubt that the transit planetwhich was mostly occupied by the Great Fourhad experienced a period of turbulence as well. Dias let out a sigh. A lot of hunter regiments have declined, disappeared or devoured by another entity during this time, so their liaisons on the transit planet have ceased to exist. Assuming that it is still functioning as normal, it will truly be the Great Fours planet right now. I wonder if that dessert shop is still around, Wheeze said while licking its paws. The shop was the cats clearest memory regarding the transit planet because the milk tea they served was pretty tasty. Everyone had their ideas as to how the transit planet had developed across the years, but when they finally arrived they discovered that the place was desolate and bleak. Once upon the time, the street where the liaison departments of the Great Four was locatedalso the busiest street on the planetwould be jam packed with hunters. But now, all the shops around the area were closed, and the sign Closed hung in front of every building entrance. It was an unpleasant sight even though they were seeing it through the screen. All four liaison departments of the Great Four were closed. Naturally, the other hunter regiments fared no better. Shrapnels could be seen everywhere, and some buildings were even burned to a crisp. It was as quiet as a dead city. For a time, everyone in the ship watched the scene in silence. A while later, Dias asked a question that wasnt really a question, I wonder when itll regain its vibrance. It was impossible to tell. Even if people were to return to the planet, and the offices were reopened, things would never go back to the way it used to be. There were far more dead hunter regiments than there were new ones, and things looked like it was only going to grow worse from this point. How many more hunter regiments would be dead by the time it was finally over? Not even the Great Four dared to claim that they would survive this great chaos. The entire District J of Sector K belonged to Vanguard, and at the heart of the district was Planet K-J100. The high strung crew finally relaxed when they entered District J. No place was truly safe, but they were certainly safer in their own domain than anywhere else. Patrols were posted at specific entrances to inspect and register the vessels coming in and out of the district. Any vessel that didnt do so would be attacked on sight by the patrols. Assuming that the vessel belonged to a B Squadron, the entire squad and all other relevant personnel would be punished as well. The Eleventh Squadron? The inspector commented to no one in particular as he examined the Eleventh Squads starship with a curious look. Their flagship was small, they had no accompanying ships, and their crew count was laughably small. What the hell was command thinking? That being said, the inspector didnt delay them for longer than they should. The general meeting this time was extremely important, and no one had the balls to make trouble for no good reason. They let them pass after the inspection was over. The inspection is stricter than before, Xiao Shang complained. Of course it is. Just look at the galaxy around you. In fact, I would be fearing for our lives if theyre lax with their inspection. We are the one who will suffer if the enemy manages to slip into our ranks, said Cary while juggling the fruits Sigma delivered them. Hands placed beneath her chin, Tang Qiuqiu commented, I wonder how our new base looks like? Please let there be a big shooting range, and not a virtual one. I cant get a sense with a virtual one. The rest of the trip after they entered District J was short and quick. They soon arrived at the headquarters, Planet K-J100. Unlike the transit planet, Planet K-J100 looked very lively. A great number of spaceplanes were flying in, out, and across the planet, and people could be seen floating outside the spaceport and subspace stations and working. Where should we park our starship? The spaceport seems a lot different from before. Little Eleven, can you zoom in on the spaceport please? The feed on the screen immediately enlarged and sharpened on its own. There were even a couple of popups containing power analyses of the fighters and spaceplanes on the spaceport. Thanks! said Cary while moving closer to the screen and researching the changes to the spaceport. Xiao Shang did the same as well. Youre welcome. A babyish voice came through the speakers. The owner of the babyish voice or Little Eleven was the starships new super AI. Ever since it was born, all humans and non-humans on the starship were freed from piloting duties. It was because Little Eleven could handle it all by itself. Eh? Thats strange. I dont see a single B Squadron starship on the spaceport, said Cary in a puzzled tone. No way! It used to be full of them! exclaimed Ba Dao in surprise while examining the screen closer. Huh, youre right. While the crew were discussing the anomaly, a transmission request came through from the space station. They also received a guide map. According to the new rules from above, all eleven B Squadrons are required to park their starships at the space station above their base. Please follow the guide map you received and head there. For now, no B Squadron starships are allowed to park at the spaceport The crew stared at the guide map after the transmission was over. Is that red highlighted area on the map our new base? Huh. That area used to be restricted, said Cary while pointing at the end point of the red line leading up to their destination, Is this all the data they sent us? I guess well have to wait until we get there to see our base. The guide map only marked the location of the base and the way there. It didnt show how the base looked like. Lets go, Little Eleven. Take us to the base, said Cillin. Okay. They arrived at their destination. As mentioned by the coordinator earlier, there was a space station on the space above the red highlighted area. There was a docking platform on top of the space station, and the huge number 11 painted on the walls of the space station. Oh, is that our space station? Thats so awesome! I cant believe we have our own space station now! chirped Carry excitedly. He probably didnt realize how pitiful it sounded. After the starship had docked safely, everyone wanted to take a spaceplane down to the base. Little Eleven, stay here and guard the space station, okay? If anyone tries to approach you without permission, feel free to teach them a lesson! Well contact you again once we reach the base, said Cillin while walking to the spaceplane. Okay~~ The cute super AI replied and blasted the customary battle march music to send them off. It lifted a couple of spirits for sure, at least until Cary poked his head out of the hatch again and shouted, Were just going to our base, Little Eleven! Not going into a fight! As it turned out, the Eleventh Squadrons reserve base was more or less the same as what the other B Squadrons got, except that it lacked a couple of structures, it wasnt decorated, and its key areas werent mapped yet. It was a new base, so this was to be expected. New base! Meow yeah! New base, new territory! The moment the hatch opened, Wheeze took to the sky immediately to patrol its new territory. Snowball jumped onto a hoverboard to give chase, and Dough jumped onto Snowballs head for a free ride. Alright, lets get ourselves settled into the residential area first. He beckoned everyone to walk inside after clearing the necessary verifications. To be honest, the new base was a bit too big for them right now. If there was one thing the Eleventh Squad was lacking, it would be numbers. Tang Qiuqiu asked Sha Rou to prepare a room for her. She herself raced to the training grounds to check out the shooting range. And so the squad spent the first two days tidying up their new base, and the end result spoke for itself. What was a lifeless place before had now gained a bit of liveliness. The bases research area had also been distributed after a long discussion. Xi Kai, Xi Mu, Shi Tang, Tico and Cillin all had their own private research labs. Cillin also took the opportunity to transfer some of his parasite samples to his new lab. Nothing much happened during the first few days especially because not every B Squadron had arrived yet. Long story short, the general meeting wouldnt begin until everyone was present. Free time was free, so Cillin used it to research some of the recent happenings in GAL. They didnt speak the whole truth, but they gave an idea on how the overall picture was forming. Hopefully, this meant that they wouldnt be too surprised when the next big thing happened. The new base was a curiosity to everyone, but that curiosity was immediately transferred elsewhere when Xi Mu finally distributed his armor the next day. Everyone still remembered how Cillin had run right through the parasite swarm like they were nothing, and how he ran and fought on the surface of the transport ship unhindered. To say that they were looking forward to the armor would be an understatement. Technically speaking, the armor Xi Mu gave them wasnt finalized yet. First, he put them in the environment simulation room and made them go through a series of adaptability training. It was so that he could figure out their quirks and the armors strong and weak points in different environments before adjusting the armor accordingly. The armor should fit the wearer, not the other way around. Finally, on the ninth day the Eleventh Squad arrived at their new base, Cillin received the notice to meet up with the A Squad and participate in the general meeting. He left alone and after giving out his last instructions. This time, he chose not to bring Wheeze with him because the A Squad was in general, for the lack of a better word, more uptight than the B Squad especially considering the current situation. Wheeze wasnt a cat that would stay still, and it was almost certainly going to cause trouble if he brought it with him. With that it mind, it was better off staying behind at the new base and enlarging the indoors fruit garden for Sigma. Cillin soon discovered that his suspicions were well placed. Not only was the A Squad stricter than the B Squad, the atmosphere permeating the entire headquarters was heavy and solemn. After he parked his mini spaceplane and verified his identity, Cillin started walking toward the meeting hall. To his surprise, he encountered a familiar face after just a couple of steps. Youre here, greeted the man as he rose to standing position on the stairs. He was Shawton. Long time no see, commander. Stop it, youre the commander of the Eleventh Squad now, not me. Im just the former commander of the Sixth Squad. Call me senior if you must. Ah, I hate fussing over titles. Anyway, I was waiting because I had a feeling you would show up around this time. Shawton, the former commander of the Sixth Squadron, had purposely waited for the commander of the new Eleventh Squadron, Cillin to arrive. A person not in the know wouldve wondered why, not that Shawton cared much for their opinions. Most of the people he knew had left the Sixth Squad already, not to mention that the current Sixth Squad commander would only treat him with suspicion even if he walked up to him and said hello. Long story short, there was no love lost between him and the current Sixth Squad. Cillin and Shawton chatted about the Eleventh Squad until they entered the meeting hall. The meeting hall was shaped like an oval, and at the center of it was the admiral, Ji Feng. Rings and rings of seats surrounded the center seat, and they were filled by A Squad veterans and former B Squad commanders who were promoted to the A Squads. Active commanders like Cillin were seated three rings away from the center. Each ring was made up of many disconnected arcs, and each arc was made up of a specific number of seats. Before the Eleventh Squadron was formed, the arc Cillin was currently sitting at only had ten seats. Now, a new seat had been added to the arc. Shawtons seat was just in front of Cillin. They stopped talking since the older seniors had arrived. The person sitting to the left and right of Cillin was the Tenth Squad commander and the First Squad commander. Both commanders were examining Cillin with a critical eye. It was hard not to. Not only was he the youngest commander in the hunter regiment, he was the commander of the newly formed Eleventh Squadron. It was hard not to be curious about him. They werent the only ones who were watching him, of course. After al, it wasnt everyday you submitted an application to form a new squadron and actually succeeded. There was envy, disdain, suspicion and many other emotions behind their gazes, but Cillin ignored all of them. Instead, he took out a cup from his table, picked a type of tea leaf and started boiling them in leisure. Songba Leruo appeared soon after, but he went straight to his seat and sat down in silence, brooding about something. He didnt try to look or speak with anyone. The one consolation Cillin got from this was that Songba Leruos wounds looked much better than before. Even if it wasnt, it shouldnt affect his everyday life. The attendants finally withdrew their gazes when Ji Feng showed up. Then, the meeting officially began. Ji Feng spent the most of first part of the meeting talking about the bigger picture and the A Squadrons. Near the end, he briefly touched on the B Squadrons and the situation that befell upon the Second and Seventh Squad, but that was all. Cillin listened to everything Ji Feng and a couple of seniors said seriously, but most of these issues didnt concern the B Squadrons. Also, the important points everyone needed to hear had already been said, so they were just waiting for their turn. When Ji Feng finally got to the part where the B Squadrons were concerned, every B Squad commander present straightened their postures. This part, they couldnt miss a single word. Vanguard will be conducting a sweep to flush out the moles. In fact, the sweep had already begun the moment you entered this meeting hall. That very first line Ji Feng said to the B Squadron commanders stunned most of them. A sweep? He ordered a sweep without informing them, the commanders? What the hell? Did he really think that they would bend the rules for their crew? Before the commanders could digest his word, Ji Fengs second line stunned them and even some of the A Squad commanders even more. Also, after a careful discussion, the management has decided to conduct a reorganization. A number of A Squad members are on the way to your respective bases already. They will be joining your squadrons as new crew members. Not one of the ten B Squadron commanders was prepared. In fact, no one except the core of the management and a small number of A squad members were informed about this. When did they arrive at this decision?! And what if a fight broke out while we were absent? The only one who didnt frown or worry in some form was Cillin. That surprised a couple of people. Is there anything you would like to share about the decision, Cillin? Ji Feng asked him. Cillin slowly set down his tea cup before replying, Not much, really. If they want to enter my squad, theyll have to prove themselves to my crew. Thats all. Cillins declaration caused the meeting hall to erupt into commotion again. Even the core of the managementthe people seated at the first three rings at the centerwere either frowning in puzzlement or sneering out loud. What a boast! Who the hell do you think you are? Commander you may be, you are still a brat compared to us! Plus, we all know how small your crew really is! You think you can keep someone from the A Squad down with those numbers? What a joke! Ji Feng didnt react too much though. He simply raised his eyebrows and pressed further, And if they fail to meet expectations? Cillin replied just as calmly, Well throw them out. Chapter 343: Told You We’re Not Popular There was a problem, however. With great strength comes great pride, and the hunters of the A Squads were about as proud as they could be. They believed themselves to be superior to the B-Squad counterparts. Therefore, it wouldnt be an easy task to integrate them into the original crew. At the very least, the B Squadron commanders fully expected it to be a long term project. That was why their eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets when they heard Cillins declaration. Throw them out if they didnt meet expectations? Was he touched in the head? Settle down! Ji Feng tapped his table once and waited until everyone was silent again before continuing, The topic has been elaborated, and we will not dwell on it further. Those who have questions can bring it up to the management after the meeting. Now then, let us move onto the next topic The general meeting was a full-day meeting, so the sweep and impromptu introductions would be over by the time they were freed. Besides that, the A Squads also wanted to know how their crew would react without their commander. Finally, communication was forbidden during the meeting, so it wasnt like they could warn their crew ahead of time. All in all, it was pointless to worry about it. The commanders knew it, but they still couldnt help the gnawing sensation in their chest. Meanwhile, the cleaners had hit the first ten B Squadrons. It was because the A Squad had, after a secret investigation, determined at least one traitor in every B Squadron except the Eleventh Squad. Even those who they werent sure would be subjected to a deeper investigation later. While the sweep was going on, some basic information was sent to the B Squadron commanders. it included the list of people who were eliminated or taken away for further investigation, the reason behind their suspicion and more. At first, the B Squadron commanders were pissed off as a matter of course. The hot-tempered ones were a hairs trigger away from exploding and leaving the meeting outright. In the end though, no such thing happened despite the myriad emotions that fleeted across their faces. They were also visibly more subdued than they were before. Speaking of which, Cillin was still the calmest out of everyone in the meeting hall. His lack of reaction certainly puzzled a lot of people. At the same time, not far away from the Eleventh Squads base, a flying car with a space extension descended on the ground. Nearly fifty youngstersthe youngest among them were only fifteen or sixteen years oldfiled out of the vehicle. A few people immediately echoed in agreement. Me too pal, me too. Where are the people? Why arent they training? Forget fighter training, I dont even hear shooting or running or anything? They cant be the indoor training type, right? I hate indoor training. It just doesnt feel right at all! Plus, the establishment of the Eleventh Squad is all sorts of weird from the start. The management can dissolve or reorganize it tomorrow, and we wont be able to do a thing about it. And dont even get me started on their crew size. What can they possibly do with so few people besides mining? More mining? Many of these people felt that their talents were squandered when they received word that they would be sent to the Eleventh Squad. At first, they thought that they would at least check out the place first and said as much to the person-in-charge. Now though, any semblance of interest or motivation had fled their bodies completely. Was there even a point in keeping a squad like this around? What were the higher-ups thinking? Over seventy people had been told that they would be moved to the Eleventh Squad. Twenty or so had rejected the transfer immediately while the remaining fifty sat on the fence. Someone said, This is good chance, actually. If we enter the Eleventh Squad now and it develops into something, well return to the A Squad as veterans and be respected for it. Thats good for the resume. It was an unwritten rule, but the rule exists. Songba Leruo and Barthes were two such examples, former B Squad commanders who climbed their way up the ladder from the bottom and gained a substantial amount of influence because of it. As the guy said, it was good for the resume. Not everyone harbored the same hesitation and doubts, however. While the group was still discussing among themselves, an inconspicuous fellow started striding toward the Eleventh Squads base. Wait for me, Mao! A young man with porcupine hair called out to the person before catching up to him. He was followed by a couple more people. They seemed to share a good relationship with one another. Mogas, Phoebe, you sure about this? Itll be difficult to apply for a transfer if you change your mind later, persuaded someone. A living is a living, man. And if the Eleventh Squad truly has no missions to take, I get to do whatever I want. I call that a win-win, replied Mogas, the porcupine-haired guy while pulling at his perfectly straight hair. A hunter without a mission is a hunter without room for growth, dude. Mao, well, theres no point talking about Mao, but I know youre not the kind of guy who can stand boredom. You sure about this? Mogas sighed. If push comes to shove, Ill turn over a new leaf and become a boring drone, I guess. ... any other excuse wouldve been more believable than this one. Ah, whatever. Its your choice. Dont say we didnt warn you if you regret it later. The guy returned to the flying car right after he gave up trying to change Mogas mind, causing a lot of people to change their minds and follow him back into the flying car as well. Twenty or so people remained undecided until... Yo, are you guys leaving or not? Were leaving you behind if youre not! Why are you guys even hesitating? Just take a look at the Eleventh Squads crew count and recall how all hunters in general are doing right now. How long do you think this squad will last? The only thing youll find here is frustration! It was impossible to tell if the person in the car was trying to convince the crowd or themselves, but they certainly sounded more confident the longer they spoke. While the transfer to the B Squads were mandatory, the higher-ups did give them the choice to pick their own squad. If they truly couldnt stomach the idea of working for the Eleventh Squadron, then forcing themselves to serve under them would only be detrimental to everyone. They might as well leave now and find a B Squadron they believed to be stronger and had a brighter future. The logic made sense, so some of the undecided ultimately made up their minds and returned to the flying car. The followers who didnt have a sense of independence to begin also followed the group back into the vehicle. All except one young man. Yo panda eyes! Are you coming or not? If youre not, we''re leaving! The person shouted at the last guy still standing there. After several more shouts to no avail, they threw a pebble at the young mans head and finally got a reaction. Even so, it took him a couple of seconds before he finally looked up. The young man looked to be about fifteen to sixteen years old. His most defining feature was the black circles surrounding his eyes. The person had called him panda eyes for a reason. The young man scratched his head and blinked a couple of times at the guy by the car entrance. He opened his mouth and said slowly, ... what? What, my ass! I say, were going back to HQ! Are you coming with us? If not then were leaving! What? Werent we heading to the Eleventh Squad? The young man looked around himself as if he just woke up until he noticed that Mogas group was already some distance away. Then, he took off to a brisk run toward the group while yelling, Hey, wait for me! I dont know the way here! Fucker! The guy in the car swore once before closing the door. A moment later, the vehicle was gone like it never came. Back to the group, Mogas hadnt stopped motoring his mouth since they started walking toward the base. Why did you choose to come to the Eleventh Squad, Phoebe? Mogas asked. I rolled my dice yesterday, and they combined to make up the number eleven. Phoebe puffed up her chest a bit and pulled her long, curly hair behind her ears. I trust in my intuition! A stranger might find her reasoning strange, but Mogas was not a stranger to Phoebe. He removed his laser gaze from the womans breasts and said, More like your two dice is your so-called intuition. What about you, Kong Lujia? Mogas turned toward another person. At first glance, Kong Lujia looked like an attractive and gentle-looking young woman. However, a closer look would reveal that she wasnt as soft as she appeared. Her eyes reminded people of an owl; a predator in the dark. Doesnt matter. Its all the same, replied Kong Lujia. She thought that Mogas question was completely pointless. The decision which member should transfer to which had been made swiftly because one, the A Squads didnt have time to investigate the B Squads thoroughly, and two, they had never really paid attention to the B Squads until recently, much less the whole new Eleventh Squadron. As a result, most people only knew that the Eleventh Squad was a newly formed squadron with a ridiculously small crew that tended toward the younger side, has no big achievements and no record on the regiments merit leaderboard. Mogas was gossiping about a senior in the A Squad to the girls when he noticed that Mao had suddenly come to a stop. He followed his gaze and noticed that there was a man sitting at the bases entrance. This wouldve been fine if they hadnt just looked at the base entrance a moment ago and saw no one. When did he get there, and how? It was like a breathless, lifeless statue that had suddenly popped into existence, and yet he was so eye-catching that they found themselves unable to tear their eyes away from him. Who is this person? How did the Eleventh Squad come by someone like him? All five hunters were very puzzled right now. The statue was none other than Czedow. The robot was currently reading a paperback and ignoring the five hunters completely. If it wasnt for his hand turning the pages occasionally, they couldve easily mistaken as an actual statue. The hunters chose to stare at him in silence until Clang clang the door opened and brought it to a stop. A middle-aged man holding an alcohol bottle and smelling like one stretched his upper body from behind the opening and stared at the five hunters for a moment. After noting that there was no one else behind them, he took a sip from the bottle and let out a quiet sigh. Theres only five of you? Shusag took another two gulps before turning toward Czedow. Told you our Eleventh Squad isnt popular. All five hunters wore an odd look on their faces. The words sounded like they should be spoken in a sorrowful and morose tone, and yet the drunken-seeming uncle was really beaming like the sun itself! Chapter 344: Drag ‘Em In Shusag jiggled the last droplets of alcohol in his bottle before gulping it all. When he was done, he tossed the bottle to a corner of the defense wall before looking back at the five people. Are you the ones sent by the higher-ups to join us? Yes. There were more of us, but most of them flew back to the headquarters and are probably applying for a transfer right now, so Mogas shrugged. The five of us are all youre going to get. Oh, I see. I guess they just arent destined to be with us. A shame. Again, he said that, but his expression and tone were anything but that. Anyway, our commander ordered us to keep you guys from walking into the base, so thats what were going to do. Understand? Not a single one of you are walking into our base. The five hunters frowned. Most B Squads would be happy to accept anyone from the A squad, especially one who that in the development stage like the Eleventh Squad. However, the reception they received was very different from what they thought it would be. Were they rejecting them? No, there wouldnt even be a reception if that was the case. Was it a test then? While they were trying to puzzle out the Eleventh Squads intentions, Czedow closed his book, put it away and jumped down to the ground. Then, he and Shusag moved to one side the base entrance each and stood there like they were guards. Czedow and Shusags behavior made the group of five even more certain of their conjecture. This has to be a test! A look of realization passing through Mogas expression, he tossed his backpack a short distance away from himself before performing some warm-up exercises. He even did some unsightly boxing that was almost certainly something he came up on the spot. The other four hunters also set down their bags, but without putting on a show like Mogas did. Pango, the young man with the nickname Panda Eyes even moved to the back as if he didnt want to get involved in the fight. Alright, lets go! shouted Mogas while facing toward Shusag and Czedow with an incredibly exaggerated pose. Shusag raised his chin to indicate that they could begin whenever they wanted to. Suddenly, the wind direction changed without warning. Previously, it was blowing from Shusags direction toward the five hunters. Now, it was the opposite. The sand on the ground formed a small vortex before moving a couple of inches away from its original location and scattering. A serious-looking Mogas lifted his toes slightly and bent backward. Then, he pushed out his palm toward Shusag and Czedow with a mighty shout! HA! Shusag: ... At the surveillance room, Cary and the other spectators also felt a twitch in their eyes. The other four hunters did nothing when Mogas was throwing his marbles. After the marbles came to a complete stop, Mao and Kong Lujia ran toward Czedow and Shusag. Their run wasnt particularly quick, but the closer they got, the faster they became. Just when Cezdow and Shusag were about to engage the two hunters, something unexpected happened. Bang bang bang bang bang The five small marbles exploded into smithereens, but the explosions werent nearly big enough to cause any physical damage whatsoever. At first glance it looked like the explosions were completely harmless, but Czedow said softly, Neurotoxin? The neurotoxin was a paralytic neurotoxin. It wasnt anything deadlyin fact, Mogas often used it to play pranks on his fellow huntersand only had a half-life of half an hour. If Czedow and Shusag were unprepared for it, this would turn out to be a very short fight. Also, the change in wind direction meant they didnt need to worry about catching the neurotoxin themselves. Right after the marbles exploded, Mao engaged Czedow, and Kong Lujia Shusag in melee combat. Maos fighting style was a balance between strength and gentleness. Sometimes his moves were slow and gentle. Sometimes they were fast and unrelenting. Regardless of the change in rhythm though, every move was solid and capable of doing some damage to his opponent, if not defeating them outright. For example, when a normal person attempts to block an attack from Mao with their arms, the veins in those area would stretch unnaturally for an instant. A different type of attack would cause of a different level of stretching. Over time, as the defender received more and more attacks, the unnatural stretching would lead to unnatural blood circulation, which would then lead to numbness, pain, and even loss of control in the affected areas. It was how Mao was able to make his opponent play to his tune. Kong Lujia wore a pair of punching gloves that enveloped most of her palm except the fingertips. However, not only were her joints visible through the gloves, Shusag could tell that a single blow from these joints could break several bones in a normal persons body in one go. He felt it with his own body after all. The soles of Kong Lujias shoes were also slightly different from before. It helped her to grip the ground better and adjust her position quickly. The girl had a gentle appearance, but the way she punched and the strength behind them were anything but that. In fact, Shusag felt like he was a fighting a burly seven-foot giant and not a girl who looked a late bloomer! Her moves contained a terrific amount of killing intent behind them. It was almost as if she was trying to manifest her killing intent into a physical blade and carve up her prey with it. Even the spectators in the surveillance room could sense them through the screen. That wasnt the most impressive thing though. Kong Lujias killing intent climbed to peak level only when her fists and legs were about to make contact with Shusag. Otherwise, it was barely noticeable. As expected, the A Squads hunters are pretty excellent, commented Dias. Mao wasnt the only opponent Czedow had to fight. Phoebe was lashing her nine-section whip at him from a distance. Occasionally, the whip crackled with electricity as well. She was like a venomous snake searching for an opportunity to sink her fangs and venom into her target. Some distance away, Mogas was moving from place to place at high speed and throwing all kinds of hidden weapons at Shusag at high speed. It was to buy space for Kong Lujia and allow her to unleash a more effective attack against her opponent because Shusag had been able to block all of her attacks in a skillful manner so far. The four hunters had form two pairs of melee-and-ranged duo without exchanging a single word. It was almost as if they had discussed what kind of pairing would make the most sense among them beforehand, except they hadnt. Pango was the only one who still hadnt joined the fight until now. After pacing back and forth rather aimlessly and scratching his head lazily a couple of times, he drooped his head almost as if he was about to doze off again. As time passed, Mao noticed more and more that something wasnt right. Logically speaking, his opponent should be suffering from the effects of his style even if the neurotoxin werent effective against them. However, Czedow continued fighting as if he wasnt affected in the slightest. Also, his arms felt like solid blocks of steel for some reason. There were few fights where Mao wasnt able to seize the battle rhythm in his hand. However, he didnt know that Czedow had learned to deal with this style a long time ago. It was a style Cillin used to use. At first, Mao was the one who had control of the battle rhythm. Over time though, not only was Czedow able to sync up to his movements almost perfectlymoving fast when Mao was fast, and moving slow when Mao was slowthe hunter soon discovered that he was losing control of the battle rhythm. The reason Xi Kai was so enamored with the Origin Robots was precisely because their ability to learn was unparalleled among its other kind. Figuratively speaking, they could even learn three new things when they were taught only one. For example, Czedow had learned how to seize control of the battle rhythm during his fight against Mao. Even if he hadnt, Maos style was completely ineffective against Czedow anyway. He wasnt a human after all. Equally, Czedow was completely unafraid of the high voltage electricity on Phoebes whip. If he wanted to, he could even transform his entire body into an insulator. Neither Phoebe nor Mao knew that Czedow could change the nature of his body as he pleased, or they would never have fought him the way they did. On the other side, Mogas was feeling pretty depressed as well. So far, all the hidden weapons he threw at Shusag were either dodged or parried, so he decided to try something different. He leaped a few steps away from Shusag and spread his fingers in front of himself. He was holding a bunch of hidden weapons with threads connected to them between his fingers. The hidden weapons were almost the same color as the ground, and the threads were thin and translucent. It took a keen eye to notice that they were even there at all. Of course, Shusag was a man with a keen eye. He thought that they functioned the same as Sha Rous metallic threads, but when he blocked the hidden weapons he discovered that that was not the case. The threads were as light as air, more invisible than a spiders thread, and incredibly sticky. Shusag tried shaking it off his clothes, but it only caused the threads to stick harder. Mogas made a hand gesture at Kong Lujia, and the girl fell back after Shusag blocked a hit from her. At the same time, the threads suddenly caught on fire. Kong Lujia and Mogas waited for the moment Shusag shook his jacket off to launch their next attack, but it never came. Shusag simply stood where he was casually and shot Mogas a smile. It was only now they noticed that some sort of film was covering the mans body. Ripples appeared where the fire burned until it eventually extinguished on its own. While the duo were baffled by the strange phenomenon, Shusag was thinking to himself: This wouldve been unpleasant if I havent put on the new armor. What a troublesome boy. Anything else you would like to show me? asked Shusag while waving his hand. He was indirectly saying that he was going to go all out if they didnt. Of course we do! Eat this! A hundred threads suddenly spilled out of Mogas fingers and stuck to the wall behind Shusag, trapping the latter. His fingers shook a little, and flames suddenly traveled along the threads and engulfed Shusag in flames. Each thread was a thick pillar of flame of their own. Not far away, Phoebes nine-section whip suddenly grew another three sections and formed a web. The electricity crackling across the whip formed a powerful electromagnetic field that trapped Czedow in place. While both Czedow and Shusag were incapitated, Mao and Kong Lujia had moved to Pangos side and raised their legs. Then, they kicked the sleepy boy at the exact same time. BANG! Pangos body bent in an unbelievable angle. From a certain angle, one could even see that his stomach had crumpled inward, and his back had a protrusion on it. It was almost like his body was made of rubber. Had Pango been a weaker person, his bones wouldve broken, and there would be two leg-sized holes in his body already. Strangely though, not only was there no such sound, the boy actually flew like a cannonball straight toward the base. In fact, it looked like he was going to fly right over the defense walls. Shusag realized too late that whatever plan they had come up with without exchanging even a single word in the process was a five-man plan, not a four. Not a single one of you are walking into our base. They all remembered what Shusag said at the start. Shusag and Czedows mission was to keep them out of the base, and according to the hunters rules, they would fail if even a single one of them managed to get inside. That was why they had plotted this plan B from the start in case their plan A, a.k.a beating the crap out of the door blockers didnt work. If they couldnt get in, then they would deliver Pango in. Pango wasnt really dozing off while they were fighting their asses off, he was preparing his body to receive a kick from two certain motherfuckers whose dictionary absolutely didnt contain the word gentle at all. BANG! There was a loud bang that sounded like a giant rock slamming against the ground. It froze the smiles on the four A Squad hunters faces immediately. An unknown gray objectit was unknown to them at leasthad appeared out of nowhere and stopped Pangos flight dead in its track. Shusag couldnt help but smile a little at the melodious noise. Ah, that poor boy. Of all the things he could slam into, it just had to be that fatty. The gray wall that stopped Pango slowly turned around to reveal a cats face and a bag of snacks. Before the boy could react, Wheeze smacked him with his wings and sent him flying from where he came. At the surveillance room, Xiao Shang asked no one in particular, That poor, poor boy. Do you think hes knocked out? Of course hes knocked out. Its a hit from the almighty sir cat himself! Cary answered with deep sympathy in his tone. The sympathy extended to the other four kids who were about to fall unconscious very soon as well. A fat, white head rose from behind the defense wall while the four hunters were still in shock. It was Snowball. After it flipped over the ten-meter tall wall with agility that didnt match its body shape in the slightest at all, it scratched its butt once, let out a chuckle at the unconscious Pango, and rolled toward him like a ball. After Snowball reached Pango, it gave the boy a push or two before shouting to the base, Its not an act, hes totally unconscious! Hes not bleeding though! Then, it grabbed one of Pangos leg and started dragging him toward the base. The four hunters stared at the fat polar bear and poor Pango. Now they understood what Shusag really mean when he said, Not a single one of you are walking into our base. The key here wasnt the entering the base part, but the method. He was telling them that the only way they were getting in, was to get their daylights knocked out of them and dragged inside! After Snowball dragged Pango into the base, Shusag wiped away the threads of fire still covering his body and asked, So? Do you still want to join the Eleventh Squad? If you want to leave its totally fine, its not shameful at all. You hold the right to choose to join us, just like we hold to right to choose to accept or reject you, and in the first case how youre joining us of course. The four hunters didnt say anything. They simply rushed Shusag and Czedow again. They were starting to understand why the Eleventh Squad was established. The latter was far stronger and well hidden than they could possibly imagine. Just how many more secrets were they hiding behind their doors? Time passed slowly, but it passed nonetheless. Finally, the general meeting had come to an end. After enjoying the dinner served by the A Squad, Cillin and Shawton walked out of the meeting hall together and headed toward the landing zone. Cillin wanted to speak with Songba Leruo, but the meeting between the higher-ups was still ongoing. He would have to find another time. Keep it up, Cillin. This may be as far as I go, but Im sure youll do better than me and lead everyone to greater heights, Shawton said smilingly. While the two of them were walking toward their spaceplanes, a man who just came out of the meeting hall slow-jogged his way past Cillin and Shawton. He was speaking to someone through his communicator. After arriving at the landing zone, Shawton and Cillin boarded their respective spaceplanes and left. After Cillin was gone, inside a spaceplane that just took to the air, the same man stared at the screen showing him running past Cillin. Did he make any decryption movements at all? someone behind him asked. No. They slowed down the video and zoomed in closer to Cillins folders, but they were disappointed to find that Cillin hadnt done what they thought he would do. This isnt right. If he really is the same Cillin, he shouldve reacted to the code somewhat. At least thats what the profile we received says. Maybe I ran past him too quickly for him to react? the guy in front of the screen sked. No, thats not it. Everyone who knows this type of code would subconsciously try to grasp the contents of the code in the shortest amount of time possible and move their fingers to decipher it. However, Cillinassuming that he is Cillindidnt react to it at all, and his expression seems pretty natural too. Its too bad we cant capture his eyes. Its easier to identify weakness through a persons eyes. The video they captured only showed Cillins side and back. The side view was even blocked by Shawton, so it was impossible to confirm through the eyes if this Cillin was the Cillin they were looking for. Chapter 345: Decode By the time Cillin returned to the base, the five hunters were lying on the beds inside the sick bay already. In Shusags words, it was mission accomplished. Cillin knew from the start that not many people would want to join the Eleventh Squad. In fact, he preferred it this way because excess members would only be detrimental to the squads growth. Five was a suitable number all things considered. Right now, the blood of the Eleventh Squad was young and full of potential. As promised, all five hunters had been dragged into the base while unconscious. Mao, Mogas and Pango; Kong Lujia and Phoebe. It didnt matter what gender they were, everyone looked just as sorry as the other person by the time Shusag and Czedow were done with them. There were a couple of reasons Cillin had arranged this welcoming procedure for the new recruits. One, he wanted to extinguish any misplaced arrogance they might hold toward his squad. Two, he wanted to check out their abilities. And three, it was a quick and dirty way to check if the new recruits really wanted to join the Eleventh Squad. If they did despite the absolute trouncing they received, then all was well. If they didnt, it was no skin off the Eleventh Squads nose. So far though, none of the five members had shown any indication of leaving. When Cillin arrived at the sick bay, the awakened Mogas was chattering non-stop like he was high on drugs. He wasnt depressed by the horrible loss at all. I knew it, I knew it! Its not about the quantity but the quality, man! The Eleventh Squad might be small, but every single one of its crew members is an elite! Right? Right? Right? Right? Phoebe whipped the excessively excited man off his bed when he repeated right for the fourth time. So noisy. Phoebe turned around before closing her eyes once more. In fact, Mogas literally hadnt stopped running his mouth since he woke up. Even Cary, one of the more chatty and sociable members in the Eleventh Squad couldnt stand him after a brief conversation. The guy just wouldnt stop talking about everything. Cillins entrance immediately drew everyones attention. Phoebe still hadnt opened her eyes, but she could tell that he was someone they hadnt met so far. A couple of people had visited the sick bay since they woke up, but the young man was definitely a new face. The five hunter knew little about the Eleventh Squad, nor have they heard much of its commander, Cillin. Even Mogas, the most gossipy and busybody of them all hadnt seen Cillins true self before. Those who were resting opened their eyes and looked in Cillins direction. Mogas was climbing to his feet when he shut up and looked as well. For a time, silence and the occasional beeps of machinery dominated the sick bay. Even without looking at the instruments, Cillin knew immediately that none of the five hunters had suffered a particularly serious injury. They should also be back to full health with just a days sleep. He examined them one by one before starting, You all seem to be doing quite well. Too distracted now to climb back to his bed, Mogas sat back down on the floor, swayed his legs back and forth and asked, Are you a member of the Eleventh Squad too, brother? I am. There was a basket of sweets on a table made from the fruits planted by Sigma. The sweets were made by Tang Qiuqiu herself. Cillin ate one before pulling over a chair and sat down facing toward the hunters. After Mogas introduced himself and the other four persons because why not, he continued, We are the new members of the Eleventh Squad. From now on, lets help each other, understand each other, love each other Phoebe whipped him again before he could continue his prattle. You can love yourself, you dumbass! Mogas rolled once on the ground before rising to his feet. After rubbing the sore spot Phoebe gave him, he jumped back onto his sick bed and asked, So, who are you, brother? You havent introduced yourself yet. Im Cillin. Everyone: ... The sick bay fell silent again. This time, all five hunters looked Cillin up and down and up and down again like he was some sort of protected animal. They had spoken to Cary, Shusag and a couple more Eleventh Squad members after they woke up, and Shusag had stated clearly that he was no match for their commander, Cillin. From what they gathered, Commander Cillin was an extraordinary man to be able to command this crew. However, not only did the young man look ridiculously young, he didnt look like anything special at all. To put it bluntly, they wouldnt be surprised if Cillin told them he was just joking, and that he was really the Eleventh Squads janitor. You mean Cillin, the commander of the Eleventh Squad? Mogas asked tentatively. Cillin nodded. Yes, I am. Mogas scratched his head embarrassedly and chuckled. Sorry for not recognizing you right away. Its a good thing though, not standing out is a good trait for a hunter to have. So, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions since Im new and everything? Ask away. Who is Czedow? Why isnt uncle Shusag afraid of fire? Is the cat that literally slapped Pango unconscious really a cat? Is every animal in Eleventh Squad an untouchable? Is the Eleventh Squad Mogas proceeded to drop an entire pile of questions that definitely wasnt a couple of questions. When the chatty hunter was finally done, Cillin answered with a small smile on his face, That is up to all of you to discover. Also, youll get to enjoy our crew benefits if you remain in the Eleventh Squad and successfully become a full member. He walked to the exit after saying that, leaving the five hunters to stare blankly at his back. How is it? Eudy asked. He was waiting outside the sick bay. I think theyre fine. I dont see a problem with them. What did Dias say? Dias is very satisfied. Then all is well. Dias intuition is always trustworthy, and all five of them are rare talents. Eudy agreed. Technically speaking, all five of them had been knocked out and dragged into the base unceremoniously. However, despite the humiliating defeat, they never revealed their trump cards from the start until the end. There was nothing more important to a hunter than their trump cards, and a wise and excellent hunter wouldnt reveal them to a stranger unless the situation truly demanded it. Pango had to be more capable than he showed. Mogas hidden weapons had to be better than they appeared as well. The same applied to the remaining three hunters. Cillin knew this for certain because he gleaned many things just by observing their breathing patterns, and he had reviewed the battle footage already. That was a full day meeting, so Im going to take a break. Please dont disturb me if it isnt something important. No problem. Cillin returned to his room after a brief conversation with Eudy. He didnt worry for the five new recruits because someone would tell them about their rules and background eventually, and his presence was mostly unnecessary regarding everything else. The moment Cillin returned to his room, he closed the door, took out his microcomputer, and typed out a series of symbols and characters. More specifically, he was typing out the code he decrypted after receiving the original code from the communicator of the stranger who jogged past him earlier. The stranger had intended to identify Cillin by examining his body movement for any decryption behavior. Unfortunately for him, he didnt know several things about the hunter. First, Cillin possessed an excellent memory. Two, he didnt need to carry out the usual decryption procedurethat was moving his fingers in a certain mannerto decrypt it. His mind was like a mini computer, and he could perform the decryption purely in his head if he wanted to, which he did. After Cillin typed out the decrypted code, he began working on it immediately. The reason he valued the data so highly wasnt because he was curious about the stranger, but because these symbols and characters were something only an engineer could identify. Not only that, it was something only a very small number of engineers could identify. The code had been arranged according to a certain persons habit, and those who knew it would know what to do and be able to decrypt it the correct way. Those who didnt would only end up with a bunch of useless characters. Cillin had identified the arrangement of the code as Mo Hengs immediately. He knew his masters style too well not to know that it was a message from him. He didnt think that the person who purposely leaked it to him had done it out of the kindness of his heart though. Regardless, he should know what this all meant after he figured out the contents of this message. Cillins fingers darted across the holoscreen at high speed. A certain combination of character would make a certain kind of meaning like how a couple of parts put together would form a machine. Right now, Cillins job was to figure out the right way to assemble these parts. Another way to describe this code would be the Xi Familys Link of Gypsophila. Finding the right way to arrange these characters and assemble them accordingly wasnt the only requirement either. The code also demanded that the final product to have an overall accuracy rating of 99.98% or higher. In other words, even if everything was correct, the decryption would fail if the overall accuracy rating of the pseudo-assembly was 99.98% or lower. Curiously, the final product of this pseudo-code assembly was very similar to the first machine he ever assembled at Seven Lights engineering research institute after he skipped class and was caught by Mo Heng. Thankfully, as someone who could assemble almost anything with a stable 99.99% overall accuracy, this wasnt a difficult code to crack. The code was decrypted two minutes later. However, a second decoding image appeared instead of the message he expected. Multiple decoding? Double encryption? The message must be very important, or Sir Mo wouldnt have gone through the trouble to set up all of this. The second decoding image was a weapon. There were even characters arranged into text information here and there in the image. At the center of the weapon image was the text: Project Dream Tapir! Cillin didnt care if Mo Heng was working on the project. Dream Tapir was a military project, and Mo Hengs son was working for the military. That there existed a relationship between the two didnt surprise him in the slightest. There was something strange about the decoding image, however. The weapon was pretty destructive, and the text information littered here and there were Mo Hengs criticisms of it. However, knowing his master, he wouldnt have coded these unnecessary blurbs into his message. What is he trying to say? Cillin stared at the rotating characters on the holoscreen as he pondered Mo Hengs intentions. He replayed all his memories with the old man until it stopped at a certain scene. Is that it? Cillin began arranging the characters once more. Chapter 346: I Am a Man With a Disciple Sir Mo was a famous academician for a very long time. However, he had never had a successor despite teaching many students in his life. In his words, there just wasnt anyone who was qualified to be one. He wasnt a rigid person. Quite the contrary, he had a very good understanding of the unwritten rules of the circle and had a lot of fun exploiting them when he first joined the academia. He never went beyond the boundary of fun, however. Ultimately, academics always came first, and everything else second to him. It was why a lot of people with powerful backgrounds had come to thrust their people under his wing later on. At first, Mo Heng reluctantly accepted these offers because he didnt want to humiliate the other person. Over time though, he learned to ignore them completely. You fuckers have a ton of money and power, dont you? Then go stuff your goddamn children under any one of the millions and millions of famous scholars in Seven Lights or GAL instead! I aint your fucking babysister! When Mo Heng first encountered Cillin in Seven Lights, he was in one of the most frustrating periods of his time; the start of the academic period. Every time it began, Mo Heng would change his number and his communicator before setting out to nowhere in particular all on his own. As a result, the people who were hoping to climb the social ladder couldnt even find him, much less corner him and force him to accept their children. The cat-and-mouse chase usually stopped when the registration period ended. Mo Heng wasnt the lofty and untouchable scholar the people imagined him to be. He was cunning, strict, and an academic gangster to his very bones. His son, Mo Qing wouldnt have grown up to become an admiral otherwise. Those who knew him when he was younger would have a better insight into his true personality. Mo Heng had mellowed out a lot after teaching for decades and becoming the vice headmaster of Seven Lights University, but that was only when he was in public. In private, his crazy ideas had only gotten crazier over the years, and he even let his childish side out from time to time. The number of students Mo Heng personally taught didnt exceed fifty. Everyone else was just a colleague who he happened to be working on the same project with. These fifty students were the only ones who were given a glimpse into Mo Hengs true self and were granted the right to address him as their mentor, but they couldnt even begin to measure up to Cillins weight in his heart. There were a lot of gifted students in the entire GAL, and every year a lot of them would enter Seven Lights via special enrollment. Although many of Mo Hengs students were the children the bigwigs of GAL had forcefully thrust under his wing, the fact was they were very talented in their own right. Otherwise, Mo Heng would rather butt heads with the bigwigs than accept them. However, of all the people he had ever taught in the past decades or so, Cillin was the only one he truly thought of as his disciple. He hadnt known the young man for long, but his temperament and his disposition was very much to his liking, not to mention that his talent was exceptional. It was why he had great hopes for Cillinuntil he heard of the tragedy that befell him and felt like someone had put a knife into his ancient heart. Mo Heng thought specially of Cillin not only because he was extremely talented, but also because he often arrived at the same conclusion as him in regard to machinery. He also felt far less need to pretend than with any other student he raised. Therefore, Cillin was without a doubt the student who knew Mo Heng the best. At first, Cillin wasnt sure that Mo Hengs secret message was really meant for him. For one, some of Mo Hengs students had to know of some of his coding habits. Two, he might not be the first or even the tenth person to have assembled that particular machine, even though it did make him feel more confident about his suspicions. Now though, Cillin was one hundred percent sure that the message was for him. It was because he was the only one who knew about this particular decoding image. He had communicated with Mo Heng via a secret code before his abrupt departure from GAL, and he knew that his mentor wasnt teaching anyone at that particular time. Therefore, he had to be the only one who knew how to decode this decoding image correctly! Cillin dragged the comments on one part of the holoscreen to a different position. Then, he began decoding the final encryption. The image was a matrix decoding image, but it was no simple three dimensional matrix. It was something unique to the Mo Family. Mo Heng was close to finishing his research on this matrix before Cillin had left Seven Lights University, which was why he knew a little about it. The academician had boasted that he had invented a kind of mechanical insertion program that would optimize and protect certain types of programs in any machine. Once the testing was complete, he would write the thesis and submit it to Code, one of the two giant electronic publications of GAL. He had told him to keep it a secret until then. Mo Heng called his matrix the Mo Matrix. Anyone who fully solved a Mo Matrix would find the ancient alphabet M at the top of the matrix as designed by Mo Heng. Cillin had read the last issue of Code before GAL descended into chaos, but he didnt find any mention of the Mo Matrix at the time. Either Mo Heng hadnt finished his research, or he was forced to postpone it due to some other businesses. Cillins mind raced as he decoded the image swiftly with his fingers. What was a weapon image at the beginning gradually transformed into a star map at the end. Cillin did a quick check and discovered that it was pointing toward a certain planet at the center of Sector C. After he opened the star map, a short text appeared on the holoscreen. The text had a thirty-second timer, meaning that it would disappear irreversibly once thirty seconds was over. The text told Cillin about Sir Mos current situation. First things first, the good news: his mentors life wasnt in danger, yet. For one, he was the father of Mo Qing, an admiral who commanded a not insignificant amount of troops. Two, Mo Heng himself possessed quite the influence in the academia, so not only would his kidnappers do their best to keep him alive, they would even treat him like a, pig in a pig farm. Im so bored I need to tinker with some parts from time to time, claimed Mo Heng in the text. Mo Heng didnt ask Cillin to save him. Sector C was a military sector, so even during more peaceful times it wouldve been difficult for a hunter to slip in. He only asked Cillin to make his current situation and location known to a certain number of people so that his kidnappers would, hopefully, be pressured into releasing him. It was a good solution. With Mo Hengs many years of influence, he could definitely bring together a number of non-military personnel and make some chaos if he wanted to. The fact that they all belonged to different Sectors also meant that any spark he started could cause huge waves across a wide space. There were certainly a lot of people who were just waiting for an opportunity to grab a piece of the pie so to speak. It wasnt a perfect solution, however. The plan guaranteed revenge on the kidnappers, but not Mo Hengs own safety. Moreover, the risks that something might happen to him only grew bigger as time passed. Cillin pondered on the feasibility of traveling to Sector C. Unfortunately, the military sector was very different from what it used to be, and one mistake was all it took to become the target of everyone. I need to ask for help. But from whom? Ci Jincheng was an option, but Cillin had dismissed it right away. Everyone was watching the Ci Family right now, and even the tiniest movement could cause a cascade of conspiracy theories. Knight wasnt a good option either. Just like Ci Jincheng, he and his family were under heavy watch. A while later, Cillin wrote a code and transmitted it to his target. He should be strong enough to help me now Meanwhile, at the planet pinpointed on the decoded star map. Patrol fleets and defense satellite arrays surrounded the planet. The buildings were mostly bases, and military protocols were obeyed everywhere. The same phenomenon could be seen on most parts of Sector C as well. There was a research base on the planet where transport ships occasionally flew in and out of its hanger. The transport ships were usually filled with all kinds of machines and instruments. The research base also had a huge manufacturing plant that was manned by a not insignificant amount of personnel. Most of the production lines were automated, however. Inside a huge workshop on the seventh floor of the bases research department, Mo Heng was lying in a recliner with his eyes closed and his legs propped against the table. He was in his overalls, and he seemed to be thinking about something. However, only he knew the contents of his own thoughts. There was also a newly assembled component and a pile of unassembled parts on the table. The old Mo Heng wouldnt have allowed the litter to tarnish his table and ruin his mood. His OCD wouldve forced him to move the parts elsewhere or assemble them to completion. Now though, not even his OCD could motivate him to move a muscle. Forget cleaning up, he didnt even try to organize them into proper categories. Right now, he looked like he couldnt muster the energy to do anything at all. Mo Heng was also thinner than Cillin remembered him, although the main reason he looked like this was more of an emotional issue than a nutritional one. To put it bluntly, he hadnt been in a good mood since he was brought to this god forsaken place. Psst The door opened, and a polite-looking, middle-aged man wearing overalls similar to Mo Hengs entered the workshop. His hands inside his pockets, he walked until he was right next to the deputy headmaster. However, Mo Heng only frowned and looked even more impatient than he already was. Mentor Mo, the middle-aged man greeted in a soft voice. Instead of answering, Mo Heng turned his head away from him. Mentor Mo, I know that you sent out a coded message. You took great pains to transmit the same message over countless channels to ensure that we wont be able to intercept them allnot that you minded even if we were somehow successfuland we werent. We managed to intercept 99% of the messages you sent, but we expect some of them to go through anyway. Unfortunately for you, we know for certain that the messages we missed didnt get out of Sector C. You probably dont know this, but a defense information network has been established in Sector C. Dozens of technical academicians and engineering academicians from the former GAL institute were involved in its establishment. Therefore, there are very few messages that can get through this network unless they are part of the Eight Marshals. Mo Heng finally opened his eyes, but his expression didnt look too disappointed. To begin with, he was more pessimistic than optimistic that this particular effort of his was going to bear fruit. He wasnt worried that these chuckleheads would be able to decode his message either. Long story short, they would never succeed. If there was one thing he had absolute confidence in, it was this. The middle-aged man shot Mo Heng another look before continuing, I helped you to carry the message to the intended person though. You were trying to contact a certain student or students of yours, correct? A short silence later, Mo Heng said, Will you cut to the chase already? The middle-aged man smiled, paying Mo Hengs terrible attitude no mind. Still maintaining his previous speaking rate and tone, he continued, The reason I applied to study under you when I first joined Seven Lights was because I know that you, unlike those academicians with undeserved reputation, are truly capable. In fact, you havent disappointed me. Up until this point, no one, not even I have been able to decode your message. Even if someone succeeded, I have a feeling that the message wouldnt be accurate. Speaking of which, the final decoding image is the fruits of your latest research, am I right? Mo Heng didnt loosen up his frown. He had gone through a lot of trouble to secure the Mo Matrix because he knew all too well the lengths some bastards would go to steal another persons research findings. It wasnt just the Mo Matrix either, he had been practicing the utmost caution and security since the very first day he set foot in academia. It was why he was able to notice something was amiss and delete all the relevant data before he was whisked away to this place. You think you can steal my research findings? Eat shit! You were trying to inform your students about something, so I did you a favor and transmitted it to all of them besides those who have died of unfortunate accidents. They should all have received the message by now... including your proudest disciple. Mo Hengs expression turned ever so subtly as the middle-aged man pulled out an egg-sized device while watching him. After drawing a certain shape with his finger, a hologram video appeared above the device. Speaking of your proudest disciple, I have something that I would like to show you. The video played. A person covered from head to toe in metal armor could be seen running across the surface of a transport ship. He was fast, agile, and steady. He didnt appear to be bogged down or delayed by his space armor at all. However, what really got Mo Hengs adrenaline running was the scene of Cillin assembling his cannon in an instant. The clash between the storm of lightning and the maw, and the contrast between the clashing titans and the tiny human painted a most stunning and exciting image as well. The middle-aged man closed the video before continuing, I know youve been keeping in touch with him. It was rumored that he has gone missing for almost three years, but you probably knew where he was all this time, didnt you? That weapon he used was the result of your latest research, right? The reason he vanished for three years was because he was helping you to complete it, right? Mo Heng closed his eyes again and stayed silent. He focused on cooling his emotions and not looking at a certain irritating twat. However, Mo Hengs reaction was confirmation in the eyes of the middle-eyed man. In his opinion, it wasnt unthinkable that the old man would create a weapon since he used to be a participant in Project Dream Tapir before. He was a bit eccentric in the sense that he rarely shared his research findings with anyonenot even his own sonand that he tested and improved them extensively before going public, but the point was that the work was usually done by himself or with the cooperation of his students. In this case, Cillin was definitely the latter. He had leaked the message to all of Mo Hengs existing students and was collecting their final findings right now. The only one he had no idea about was Cillin, but that affirmed his belief that that the message was meant for Cillin, and that the content of the message had something to do with his latest research even more. I find it hard to understand why you would surrender your research findings to your disciple and not your son, the person who actually needs it right now. Is your son that much less important to you than your disciple, mentor Mo? I supposed that your reputation isnt undeserved after all. Are you done with drivel yet, young Soren Anbixin? If you are, then get lost. Im having my afternoon nap, and theres nothing more I detest than having my nap disturbed. The middle-aged man smiled. Of course. Please enjoy your rest. He left. Not only did the unpleasant conversation seem to affect the middle-aged man in the slightest, his footsteps were so measured and evenly-spaced that it was almost like the footsteps of a robot. After Anbixin was gone, Mo Heng opened his eyes, sat up, and stared at the parts of the table for a moment. Then, he began assembling them into some sort of machine component. His kidnappers knew that he got restless if he was away from a machine for too long, so they gave him some parts and other relevant items to tinker with. Who knows, maybe the academic gangster might surprise them and assemble something amazing. Unfortunately for them, that hope hadnt bore fruit so far. Everything he assembled so far was a common machine that could be found in most places. Mo Hengs son, Mo Qing was well aware that his father was imprisoned, but as of now he had no way of rescuing him at all. He also chose to join forces with the Ci Family instead of submitting to his kidnappers threats and joining them because he knew his father too well. Mo Heng would literally disown him and tell him to fuck off forever if he tried. Mo Heng was very happy that his son had made the right choice. Although he had grown thinner due to his imprisonment, mentally speaking he was still in a good place. He even found the energy to hum a tune for himself while assembling a machine. A short while later, another person entered the workshop. It was an old man who looked to be the same age as Mo Heng and wearing the same overalls as him. Yo, youre looking better than the last time I saw you, Gangster Mo! Have you finally accepted your predicament? Like hell I am! Mo Heng replied without stopping. Compared to how he usually worked though, it was like watching a child taking their time spelling a word or playing with their building blocks. Everyone who knew Mo Heng knew that he loathed being disturbed when he was seriously at work, so talking close to him was a big no-no. How to tell he was seriously at work? It was easy. For starters, the old man wouldnt be humming a tune or assembling the parts at a snails pace. Mo Heng tossed the parts to the side. Then, he lay down in his recliner and plopped his feet on the table once more. Old Man Sayd, youre in engineering, right? Can you tell me what people like us dream of? Do you want the fantasy version or the realistic version? Well, whatever. The fantasy version is the Golden Point. The realistic version is fame and power, of course. Everyone knows that the Golden Point is impossible to achieve, and even those people who are said to be closest to that point are really just overblown plebs. I agree with your latter point, but not your former. I think its possible to get infinitely close to the Golden Point. Sure, whatever you say. You may be able to trick a greenhorn or fool an outsider with your spittle, but in the end it doesnt change the fact that its just an excuse to prettify our craft and the industry. Also, look at yourself, man. Golden Point? I bet you cant even reach the Silver Point right now! Sayd snorted in disdain. Tsk, they really beat the spirit out of you, didnt they? Well, unlike you, Im a man with a disciple! Chapter 347: Long Time No See Everyone in the circle knows that Mo Heng had a great disciple because Mo Heng always boasted about him. In fact, he said the word disciple more than he said the word son. Not many people had actually met Cillin before, however. Those who tried to investigate the young man often found their attempts balked by their own people. Sayd was a GAL Research Institute academician. Naturally, he had heard of Mo Hengs prestigious disciple as well. He had never met the young man in person, and he hadnt attended the Sector Z engineering project due to health reasons. However, he knew that all the old men who participated in that project agreed that Mo Hengs disciple was great, that he was ridiculously young, and that he was the exact same type as Gangster Mo: born to this world to piss people off. Right now though, none of those recommendations was of any help in this god forsaken place. Sayd curled his lips, Youre not thinking that your disciple is going to rescue you from here, are you? Sayd didnt want to hurt Mo Hengs confidence, but the current situation was hardly something they could change easily. When GAL was relatively stable, the political, the military, and especially the business giants who smoked on credits might have afforded them some of the respect they deserved. But now? Every academician in GAL Research Institute be it one-star or five-star was manhandled into their projects. Those who managed to escape stayed missing like they were some sort of convict, too afraid to even show their faces. Even Mo Heng, one of the few people with a strong background, couldnt avoid his fate. He mightve been treated better because his son was an admiral, but that didnt change the fact that he was still a prisoner. In the past, Mo Heng wouldve expressed his irritation at Sayd already. Not this time though. The old man looked unnaturally cheerful for some reason. What on earth are you planning, Gangster Mo? It scares me every time you smile with your eyes narrowed into slits, asked Sayd while giving Mo Heng a push. Nothing? Im just thinking that I may be able to witness a new golden ratio record in the near future. In Glory, there was a leaderboard called the Gold Ranking. Everyone listed in it was said to be some of the closest persons to the golden ratio. They were also a legend in their respective industries and an authority in the textbooks. People like Mo Heng dreamed of putting their name on the leaderboard, but Mo Heng knew that he had missed his chance a long time ago. He was perfectly happy to let his disciple compete for the title though. Who knows, the boy might even be able to reshuffle the top 10 list! Anbixin thought that Mo Heng would concentrate on the special armor Cillin was wearing or the strange weapon he fired, but he was wrong. What really got the old mans blood pumping was Cillins assembly. It had been almost three years since they last saw each other, and it appeared that the young man hadnt neglected his practice. Not only did Cillin look more practiced than before, the fact that he managed to assemble the cannon almost perfectly showed that he was brimming with confidence. At the end of the video, Mo Heng had a feeling that the young man had hit a certain threshold, but he didnt dare to reveal it just yet. He wanted to watch that video again just in case his eyes and his hopes were deceiving him. All the same, Mo Heng felt like he saw the shining gold he had pursued his whole life from Cillins assembly, and it filled him with hope and expectation toward the future. Sayd rolled his eyes at Mo Hengs excuse before sighing. Saym why do you think our academia devolved to this state? In GAL, academicians were nowhere as important as they were in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Moreover, it was practically impossible for anyone to pursue their studies unimpeded without some sort of background or connection in a big environment like this. The academia had always played second fiddle to the military, political and business world. It had its moments before the chaos happened, but as the saying went, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Today, those badges of honor only made their shame even greater. Currently, the Ci Family was literally the only family that remained unswayed by external forces in the entire academia, and they werent even academia-focused. While the Ci Family had fought for and won many rights for the academia, their main focus lay in the military and the political world. Their Heavenly Edict General also shared no ties with the academia, so why would he ever use his connections to help them? How nice will it be if there comes a day where someone at the top will truly care for our circle? Sayd said. That day will come, Mo Heng replied softly while tossing a part into the air. His friend smiled sardonically. You know Im just dreaming, right? Who on earth will do that for us? The Heavenly Edict Generals who only focus on military strength, rank and merits, the old foxes who only cares about climbing to the top and enjoying all the benefits that comes with it, or the businessmen who only has eyes for profit and nothing else? And dont even get me started on those barbarians who call themselves hunters. It would truly be the end of the world if we have to rely on them! Mo Heng chuckled. Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, I have to get back to supervising some work, so talk to you later. Seriously though, what is wrong with that Anbixin kid? Why is he so obsessed with researching that? They discarded another group this morning, you know that? Mo Heng fell silent. Even he couldnt maintain a cheerful mood when he heard this. Sayd was talking about people, of course. Anbixin had been using soldiers that were captured in battleespecially the ones who showed great strength or potentialfor his experiments. To date, countless lives had been discarded like trash either because died in the middle of testing, or because the experiments they were participating had ended in failure. If theres one thing the world got right, it would be that all those who stand at the top of the academia are either geniuses or madmen. Sayd left after leaving behind these grim words and shaking his head. Mo Heng turned his gaze to the ceiling after Sayd was gone. A while later, he murmured to no one in particular, Will you do as I ask, I wonder? Youve never been one to listen to instructions At Vanguards headquarter, Ji Feng was video-calling with Cillin. After Cillin had solved Mo Hengs message, he had contacted Ji Feng in secret and told him about the guy who had sent him the encrypted message. He didnt mention why he suspected the guy, nor did he talk about Mo Hengs role in the matter. In Cillins words, he just happened upon the incident and was informing Ji Feng because it was a matter that concerned the A Squadron. No problem, Ill send someone to investigate this. By the way, what are you planning to do after this? Ji Feng asked curiously. Im going to settle a certain private matter. Ji Feng stopped that line of questioning since Cillin said it was private. Alright, be careful. Do you want any more men? I still have a lot of good seeds who havent chosen a B Squad yet. No thank you. I see no reason to accept someone who doesnt want to join us. Ji Feng laughed when he recalled the message he received. This certainly is the first time I heard a B Squad beating up an A Squad and dragging them into their base. In Vanguard, there was no one besides Ji Fengs two most trusted aides who knew about their secret relationship. Otherwise, those hesitant people wouldve chosen to stay with the Eleventh Squad. After the video call was over, Ji Feng picked up his communicator and ordered, Suoli, put this guy under the level one kill list and get someone to watch him. You may take him out when the time is right. Will do, boss. For a time, Ji Feng crossed and separated his fingers repeatedly with a dark look in his eyes. He had known that it would take more than one bloody lesson to remind those fools that the Vanguard name was earned, not given, and he would do that sooner than later. After that, Ji Feng held another meeting with the seniors only after juniors such as Cillin had gone away. This time, he made little effort to conceal his fury and sent a clear message to everyone who was presentthe punishment for betrayal was death! Unlike normal people, hunters didnt obey the law. They had their own custom rules that they abided to, rules that were often times crueler than their counterparts. Back to the Eleventh Squad. When Cillin saw the five new recruits again, he saw Mogas speaking with the starships AI, Little Eleven through a communicator. It was because the newborn AI was the only one who could keep up with the chatterbox. On a related note, Little Eleven was still parked at the spaceport, hence the communicator. The duo seemed to be arguing about something. Mogas was saying, You didnt think with your brainwait thats not right, I mean your CPUbefore you speak, did you? Heres an advice from your senior, laddie. Consider your words carefully before you say them, or one day you might run into a bad person who would shoot you for the mistake! The other four recruits directed their gazes at Cillin and waited for him to say something. Cillin had spent two days resting in his lounge, and as he ordered no one had disturbed him during this time. Nothing big had happened during this time unless one counted the debate caused by two controversial actions carried out by the A Squads themselves among them. So, are we staying in the base, or are we hunting, commander? Xiao Shang asked while working his limbs. It was obvious that he was raring to go on another adventure. Do you want to spend the rest of your time building this base? Cillin asked. Absolutely not! Everyone answered in unison. Then we hunt. Immediately after the declaration, Eudy passed Cillin a mission list he had discussed with the crew beforehand. There were two commonalities between all these missions. One, the mission locations were all fairly remote. Two, the missions were more like training than actual missions. The reason it was customized this way was probably because the crew wanted to test out their new armor. After Cillin was done checking out the mission list, he passed it back to Eudy and said, Pick three. Eudy paused for a second before replying with a nod, Understood. The aide had understood immediately that Cillin had some sort of plan in mind. Another hunter squadron might think that three was just fine for a squadron their size, but that was without factoring in their new armor and the mild difficulty of the missions. Assuming that they were free, they couldve performed more missions in the same amount of time. Qiuqiu, come with me. Cillin beckoned Tang Qiuqiu to follow him, causing the young girl to put down her newly unwrapped bottle of sweet beans quickly. Before she left, she warned both Snowball and Wheeze to stay away from her sweets or be shot. Whats this? Are you giving Tang Qiuqiu preferential treatment, commander? This is too much! Cary booed. Cillin ignored Carys antics and walked into the bases indoors shooting range with Tang Qiuqiu behind him. First things first, he asked Tang Qiuqiu to put on her bullet proof suit. She obeyed the order without hesitation. Youll be using my gun this time, but before that, Im going to give you a demonstration. Watch closely, said Cillin while producing a gun that he had made himself. It had a snake-like lightning symbol on its surface. It was a Purgatory Thunder Snake gun, the entry level B-type model to b exact. Bang! Cillin opened fire and hit a rapidly blinking target. However, Tang Qiuqiu saw clearly that the gun wasnt pointed at it at all. She understood why Cillin had told her to put on her bullet proof suit now. What do you think? Cillin asked her. I want to try, the young girl replied with shining eyes. After Cillin passed the gun to Tang Qiuqiu, she gave it a look and raised it in front of her. However, she didnt pull the trigger immediately like she normally would because she couldnt grasp the feeling per se. It was confusing. This was the first time she felt so loss since she became familiar with guns. A short pause later, Tang Qiuqiu opened fire. Her first shot missed wildly and hit herself. Thankfully, she had her suit on, and the bullet had only brushed against her left elbow, so it didnt take her too long to recover. The frowning girl took a moment to recall the memory before shooting again. Her second shot still didnt hit the target, but this time the bullet was nowhere close to hitting herself. She tried again, and again, and again. Each time the gun spat fire, her shots would move closer to the target no matter how fast the latter was blinking about. Eventually Beep Her eighth shot hit the target. Although it wasnt the bullseye, it didnt change the fact that she finally got it. When she fired her ninth shot as decisive and unhesitant as she usually did with her own gun, and Cillin knew that she would hit the bullseye even without the system reporting the hits. Tang Qiuqiu had never gone to school or received any formal education in her life. She didnt even know how to calculate those complicated trajectory formulae that were an integral part of her practice. What she did have though was an inborn sense for shooting that even Cillin didnt possess. Cillins shooting skill was a product of his astounding computing power, but Tang Qiuqiu was a true genius. Tang Qiuqiu opened fire another five times after the ninth shot. Every shot landed perfectly on the bullseye. Feel free to adjust the target to your preference and practice yourself. I have to go and do something, Cillin said after receiving a message from Czedow. Okay! Tang Qiuqiu replied dazedly. Like a kid who just got a new toy, she was completely engrossed with the PTS B right now. The crew had been watching the scene from the display outside the shooting range. A long, long time later, a dumbfounded Xiao Shang said to Cary, I know that Tang Qiuqiu is a natural shooter, but how is it she so far ahead of us? Cary rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Maybe its all those sweets shes been eating? Cillin returned to his lounge. Czedow was already waiting for him. How is it? Cillin asked. He responded. He also sent a communication request, Czedow replied. Accept it. Okay. A ray of light appeared from Czedows left eye before transforming into a holo screen. There, a young man smiled at Cillin and greeted, Long time no see, Cillin. It had been almost three years since they last met, and his aura was slightly different from what Cillin remembered. However, his face and his voice were still the same as before. You too, Rikulab, or should I say Fourth Young Master, Shi Huajing. Chapter 348: Our Commander is Good With Technology Too? Shi Huajing had always felt grateful toward Cillin. He was the one who had pulled him out of the mire and returned him to the stars. Did you run into trouble? Is it related to the Eleventh Squad? Shi Huajing asked. No, its more of a private matter. How are you doing over there? Cillin asked. Shi Huajing was current in Sector A, the star sector where many major political groups resided in. While their military strength was obviously weaker than the actual military, their ability to influence major decisions was a different story. Each and every one of the political heavyweights was someone who could cause quakes in GAL, and a couple of them belonged to none other than the Shi Family itself. Cillin explained his thoughts and asked a couple of relevant questions to Shi Huajing. He didnt go into details regarding Mo Hengs situation. Give me a moment. Shi Huajing left for a bit to ring up his connections and investigate the relevant info Cillin had provided him with. A while later, he came back with a frown. Miracle again? What happened? In GAL, Miracle Co. Ltd was most famous for their high-end bioweapons and gene medicine. Their gene medicine especially was galactically known as the most successfuland most expensivewithin the industry. Cillin had clashed swords with the company in the past, and it was looking like history was going to repeat itself. Youve heard of Miracles Plan A, right? The one that was announced two years ago and won massive support from nearly the military, the political bodies and even most of the populace? Shi Huajing asked. Cillin had, but only after he returned from the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Plan A was a publicity stunt to create ten thousand rank A persons within 24 hours, and it was very successful. Ten thousand plus rank B or rank C persons had evolved into rank A after they were injected with Miracles latest gene medicine. So convincing was the publicity stunt that more than one powerful faction had pledged their support to the company. The chaos that damaged and destroyed countless actually enriched the company as it provided them with more than enough places to procure test subjects, and justifications to conduct their experiments. Budget no longer became an issue, and the people were literally begging to be experimented on. It was to the point where they didnt even need to conceal their activities anymore. Im planning to infiltrate that location. Can you help me? Cillin asked. Youll need to deal with the joint defense network of Sector C yourself, but yes, I can handle the rest, Shi Huajing declared with confidence. Sounds like congratulations are in order. I guess so. Thanks. Shi Huajing wasnt the only young master of his generation who was eligible to inherit the Shi Familyin fact, he was only the fourth in the order of successionbut he was still a legitimate heir. Back then, nobody gave two thoughts about him because he had left the family of his own accord. At the time, many people even believed that he would follow in his suicidal mothers footsteps and commit suicide. However, not only Shi Huajing had come back, he even won the strong support of several persons with real power and his mothers faction in just a short time. They were hoping that I would return because the current world is all about finding as many useful cooperation partners as possible. Also, my parents divorce was the matter that caused the two families to become estranged back then, so my return gave them the opportunity and the excuse they needed to repair things. Even if that wasnt the case, who else can they support if not me? Those waste-of-breaths? Pfft, Shi Huajing finished with a disdainful snort. The first thing he did upon returning to his family was to teach his half-siblings a lesson. In fact, he almost beat two of siblings to death after they provoked him. However, not only did the patriarch of the family ignore his actions, the people in the household started looking at their returned young master in a new, favorable light. Although he was the fourth young master, his words held far more weight than his older half siblings. The Shi Family was a political family, so the art of pragmatism was practically born into their genes. Moreover, Shi Huajing had proven himself to be a wise and capable person, so they had no problems currying favor with him openly or subtly at all. If anything, the family was happy that they could boast about him when talking about his generation. Lets discuss the details after youve come to Sector A. Ill contact you after Ive made the preparations to receive you. Okay. After cutting the transmission, Cillin read the data Shi Huajing just sent to him. It was the planetary data of the research base he was looking into, something the young man couldnt have obtained with his previous standing. It was proof that the young man really was doing excellently in the family right now. The Miracle research base was a site where Plan Exceed was being conducted, a project whose goal was to research a way to exceed rank A. The project had an incredible amount of supporters due to the current climate, so Cillin couldnt risk exposing himself. This presented a couple of problems, however. For one, he couldnt bring more than a couple of people with him on the mission. However, a couple of people were nowhere enough to deal with the trained and enhanced troops who were guarding the base. He walked out of his lounge. He was going to prepare a special gift for the research base. First things first, Cillin went to the shooting range. It had been an hour since he gave Tang Qiuqiu the PTS B, and the girl was still practicing her shooting skills. Not only that, the target configurations had reached a fairly complex level, not that it stopped the girl from hitting the bullseye at all. Alright, you can stop now, Qiuqiu, Cillin interrupted the excited girl. Tang Qiuqiu looked reluctant, but she obeyed and tried to take off her helmet. However, Cillin gestured for her to stop before pulling out a new gun with a slightly different design, but the same S symbol on it. Tang Qiuqius eyes immediately lit up. Her disappointment at being interrupted thrown to the back of her mind, she ran up to Cillin like a rabbit and asked rushingly, Is this the upgraded version of the gun?! Yep. The gun youre using just now is the smoothbore B-type model. This ones the E-type model. Unlike the B-type, the E-type is a rifled gun*, so its trajectory is even harder to grasp although you probably dont care about trajectories when shooting anyway. My point is, that this gun will be harder than the B-type to master. (*When I knew less about gunsby which I mean absolutely nothingI translated this as spiraling bullets. Now Im not sure if I translated correctly. This is all sci-fi tech so its not like I can ask Cillin Hey man, when you say are you referring to the rifling or the bullet itself? For now Im putting it down as rifling. Sorry for this translators note, you may get back to the story now.) Just like before, Cillin fired the gun once as a demonstration without explaining anything. After he passed it to Tang Qiuqiu, he said, Qiuqiu, this gun model is called the Purgatory Thunder Snake, and its invented by a man named Guan Feng. If you can use the E-type properly, Ill bring you to see him in person. I give no guarantees, but hell probably like you enough to design a PTS gun of your own. Would you like that? Of course! Tang Qiuqiu chirped excitedly before remembering something. Say, what other models are there besides B and E? There is the blade-type PTS K, and the snowflake-type PTS S. However, both guns require strong body constitution to master, so remember to stay on top of your physical training as well. Got it! But I dont think I can improve much as I am right now, big bro. The district I was born in has below average average gene rank and no A-rank people at all. No matter how much I train, I wont be able to become as strong as Cary and the others. I may have to get gene therapy to grow stronger. This worried Tang Qiuqiu a little. Although gene improvement technology had become a lot less unreliable than they used to be, she still couldnt help but distrust them. That is for me to worry about, so you just focus on training yourself. Okay! Thank you big bro! Tang Qiuqiu was in super high spirits right now, so after inspecting her protective suit for a bit, she immediately resumed her training once more. Tang Qiuqiu quickly confirmed that the PTS E was a lot more difficult to master than the PTS B, but she was confident that she would be able to master it eventually. While Tang Qiuqiu was practicing her shooting, Cillin went away to address a couple of things to Eudy. After that, he went to his lab and stayed there. Oh? Our commander is good with technology too? Mogas gave Wheeze a poke after seeing Cillin entering a laboratory. The gray cat was licking its paws right now. Mogas had encountered commanders and A Squad central figures during his service, but none of them were true technicians. Only a very small number had a lab on their own, and all of them were hobbyists at best. His new commander seemed different though. Wheeze shot him a glance before replying lazily, You should broaden your horizons, son. Anyway, it looks like Cillin is plotting something devious again, so grab your popcorns and be ready for a very good show. Mogas was very curious, but Wheeze simply stuffed its mouth full with fish biscuits and refused to say anything more. After being Cillins companion for so many years, it could tell even without eavesdropping on the transmissions that the Eleventh Squad was going to get a new mission very soon. It was going to be a difficult one too, or Cillin wouldnt go so far as to unlock his hoard of monstrous concoctions so to speak. This meant that Wheeze must prepare itself for the mission as well. How? By gouging itself on even more food, of course! Ten days later, Cillin stepped out of his lab and spoke with Beaver to catch up with the recent happenings in Vanguard and GAL. A large meal later, he returned to his room and slept for two days straight. After he woke up, he immediately assembled the Eleventh Squad for a meeting. The base had an assembly hall, but it was entirely too big for the current Eleventh Squad, so the meeting was held in a meeting room instead. Xi Kai and Xi Mu are kinda busy right now. They need ten minutes to sort out their stuff, Tico said after walking into the meeting room. Cillin nodded. Well wait for them. Everyone else was already present. This would be the first time they had an all-hands meeting since the recruitment. While everyone was chatting with each other to pass the time, Mogas suddenly let out a sharp cry, hugged his stomach and dropped to the ground. He rocked back and forth and looked to be in great pain. Everyone turned to look at Mogas, but not the four new recruits. They either looked elsewhere and stared at their feet with an odd expression on their face. Whats wrong, Mogas? Cary asked concernedly. Still hugging his stomach, Mogas squeezed out, My period pain is killing me! Everyone: ... Phoebe facepalmed and felt like sinking into a hole. She knew that the sonuvabitch was going to say something crazy! At this rate, everyones going to think that the A squad members are crazy! Tico was halfway to Mogas side when she heard his reply and felt her eyes twitch madly. She wordlessly turned around and returned to her seat. A confused Scarlet Wind was about to ask what period pain was until Tang Qiuqiu shut him up with the usual smack. Going by his experience, whatever Mogas said couldnt be a good thing. An expressionless Cillin gave Mogas two seconds before waving Snowball on. Throw him out! Wow! Im up! Im up! Mogas hurriedly cut his rolling act and climbed to his feet. Hahaha, I was just joking, man! Seriously though, I need to go to the toilet, so wait for me for a bit, okay? Ill be back very soon, so please dont start the meeting without me! Mogas dodged Snowballs big, meaty paw and raced out of the meeting room after that. Huh, he actually needs to use the toilet? What happened to him? Xiao Shang asked. Czedow replied, He stole a fish biscuit from Wheeze and ate it. Seeing that everyone was still confused, Czedow elaborated, Wheeze hasnt washed its paws for days, so the fish biscuit is infested with at least ten types of microbial colonies that can cause a gastrointestinal disorder such as E. Coli and more. Everyone turned to look at the gray cat who was nonchalantly licking its paws before thinking to themselves: dude shouldve known better than to challenge sir cat. If this was on the ship, Wheeze would actually pay closer attention to cleaning itself and make use of the many, many automatic sterilization equipment on the ship. On land though, the cats wild nature took over its finer control immediately. Cillin had been pretty busy lately, so no one was around to tell it what to do. Also, even without sterilization equipment, Wheeze was perfectly capable of eliminating even the germ on its fur if it felt like it. It just couldnt be bothered to do sowhy would it when there wasnt any germ in the world that could harm it? Cillin took one glance at the smug cats tail and knew that it had poisoned Mogas on purpose. Even Czedow was cooperating with Wheeze and avoided mentioning the stranger germs that were infesting the fish biscuit. After all, there was no chance E. Coli couldve given someone with Mogas constitution a stomach ache. Also, Wheeze just wanted to teach the chatterbox a lesson, and why not? Ten minutes later, Xi Kai, Xi Mu and Mogaswho felt much better after finishing his businessentered the meeting room. Now that everyone was present, Cillin began talking about their future plans and arrangements. Eudy and Dias will be leading the missions penciled on the mission list Cillin went through everything his crew should pay attention to during and after the missions. He also gave them a rundown of the state of affairs of various hunter regiments, and some of the information he learned during the Vanguard general meeting. However, the crew soon noticed that something was amiss. More specifically, some people werent assigned any mission at all. Er, commander, did you forget to mention yourself, or? Mogas asked. Czedow, Shusag and I have another mission to attend to; a top secret mission that is to be kept within the Eleventh Squad. After the meeting was over, Cillin received a call from Ji Feng. Ive taken out the person you mentioned and removed a couple of saboteurs here and there. Good job. You saved some B Squads an internal strife or two, Ji Feng said. Ji Feng seemed unusually cheerful today, so Cillin asked, Did something good happen today? Blue Butterfly has begun their revenge. Oh? Heavens Birth mustve suffered a ton of losses. The news solidified Cillins determination to set out at this time even further. With luck, Blue Butterfly and Heavens Births war would keep his target sufficiently distracted. Ji Feng clearly knew that Cillin was planning to do something during this time. In fact, the reason he contacted Cillin was to inform him about the elimination of the spy and the war between Blue Butterfly and Heavens Birth. The other B Squadrons would hear about the latter eventually, and he didnt mind sharing the news with Cillin first. When will you be departing? Ji Feng asked. In two days. Not long after the transmission ended, Cillin received an encrypted message from Czedow. The sender of the message was Shi Huajing. He said that had arranged for someone to cooperate with Cillin at a famous sanatorium at Sector E, and all he needed to do was seek out that person. Chapter 349: Our Squad Has an Affair with the Smiley-Face Company The Eleventh Squad had drawn a lot of attention when they returned to Planet K-J100. After the meeting, they became a laughingstock not only within Vanguard, but also other hunter regiments. After all, they were the B Squad where hundreds had received orders to join them, but only five had actually decided to stick around. If this wasnt funny, what was? Some people thought that the Eleventh Squad opted for an elitist approach and absorbed only the cream of the crop. Some people also thought that they opted for a democratic approach and was punished for their naivety. Regardless of what the truth of the matter was though, the general consensus was that the newly formed squad with a total crew of less than thirty was ill-equipped to survive any circumstance, much less the current world. They also believed that they were an absolute embarrassment to Vanguard. Subjectively speaking, their opinion wasnt unfounded. A squadrons strength was determined by its fleet size and manpower, and Vanguard was no Blue Butterfly. As a result, the Eleventh Squad was quickly listed as the weakest B Squad of Vanguard. Cillin, the commander of the Eleventh Squadron, had nothing to say about the matter. Words held no power over him, and the Eleventh Squadron had plenty of time to prove the naysayers wrong. If anything, he was extremely pleased with the decisions he made that led to recruitment of their five new members, especially after Xi Mu passed him their armor. As of now, the armor Xi Mu issued for them was the standard type that didnt take their strengths and weaknesses into account. It was because they were still under the observation stage. If they performed excellently in their missions and left the silver-haired genius with a good impression, he would customize their armor into something more fitting. The flip side was equally true. If they did something to damage the Eleventh Squads interests, not only would he not design a custom armor for them, he would take back the five standard issue armor as well. Naturally, he had ways to reclaim the gifts he had given away. Six of the eleven B Squadrons that returned to Planet K-J100 to attend the general meeting had already departed to somewhere. Cillin too applied for departure after telling everyone to be ready. Hi, Little Eleven! We finally meet! Mogas greeted Little Eleven after arriving at the space station and standing in front of the starship. Im very happy to meet you all too. Oh right, Ive already prepared your rooms. Feel free to decorate them to your liking, Little Eleven said to the five new recruits. Thanks to the creation of Little Eleven, the crew no longer needed to deal with miscellaneous stuff like this personally. They could leave it to the super AI to handle things. The six B Squadrons who left earlier didnt know this, but they had helped the Eleventh Squadron to plot the path of least trouble toward their destination. More speed = less time wasted = good vibes overall. After informing Little Eleven of their flight route, the Eleventh Squad embarked on a new journey once more. Thanks to all the preparations they made before the departure, the Eleventh Squad didnt encounter any trouble until they left Sector K. Not even the random hunter regiments they encountered along the way had tried to attack them, much to the disappointment of the crew. They had really wanted to test out their new armor. The Eleventh Squad had their own exclusive confidentiality code, of which the five new recruits had no problems with whatsoever. Not everything should be shared with everyone, and this was especially true for a unique circle like the hunters. Who would want to share their resources with other people when most of the time, they didnt even have enough for themselves? All eleven B Squadrons of Vanguard had developed their strength through their own abilities and efforts. Hunting had always been a risky profession, and no one in this circle was a philanthropist. The more the five new recruits interacted with the Eleventh Squad, the bigger their astonishment grew. It was because the Eleventh Squads abilities were completely at odds with their crew size. The armor and the starships super AI were already pretty surprising, but the Eleventh Squad received a message the moment they left Sector K. A short time later, a transport ship made contact with the Eleventh Squad and transferred a ton of resources to them. While running back and forth between the many, many boxes of food, Mogas asked, Do we have an affair with the smiley-face company or something? Considering the current market, these stuff could only be described as luxury! Not even the A Squad gets to enjoy this quality of food all the time when theyre out on a mission! Mogas grabbed a bag of jerkies from a box and gave its contents a taste. A blissful expression covered his features until he saw Cary smirking at him and hurriedly wiped his mouth. He then ran over and asked him how the Eleventh Squad was able to afford all these. Still smirking, Cary replied enigmatically, Lets just say that the reason we are able to obtain these resources at a low price is thanks to the commander, not us. Mogas shot a glance at Cillin. The young man was speaking with the person in charge of the transport, while Wheeze was walking back and forth with its tail held high and ordering the robots to carry its fish biscuits. Our commander cares this much for his pet? It didnt take a genius to know that the dozen of boxes of fish biscuits were incredibly expensive. Oh, that? That didnt come out of our budget. Sir cat had negotiated it all by itself. Mogas scratched his chin and muttered to himself, Im starting to think that the five of us got really lucky when we chose to join the Eleventh Squad. After receiving the resources, the Eleventh Squad traveled straight away to their first mission destination. On the way, they stopped near Sector E and dropped Cillin, Czedow and Shusag for their top secret mission. Three decoy robots would be covering from them until they returned. Cillin flew into Sector E on a small spaceplane. The sector was a lot busier compared to the last time he visited it. Ever since the chaos began, big and small battles had been happening throughout the GAL galaxy. Naturally, many wealthy and well-connected people came to Sector E, the sector famous for its medical prowess and reliability, to nurse their wounded. However, the price of everything including medicine and treatment had skyrocketed as a matter of course, so almost everyone who came to Sector E for treatment were wealthy to a certain extent. On a related note, the big families didnt need to rely on Sector E to enjoy the highest quality treatment. They had their own professional medical teams to treat their wounded. After the chaos began, they redoubled their efforts to absorb excellent medical practitioners into their ranks, and where better to hunt for such talent if not the prestigious Sector E? The massive outflow of talent was another reason why the medical costs of Sector E had hiked up considerably. Cillin checked out the price booklets of some sanatoriums. What shouldve been enough to cover for a comprehensive induction therapy, follow-up care and rehabilitation was now only enough to cover for a localized induction therapy. Shusag was very curious to know more about Sector E. A function-based Sector like this didnt exist in the empire, and a large majority of its medical practitioners were practicing under the nobles. The rest were either practicing under the medical department attached to the RAS or some hidden corner of the galaxy. Shusag was speechless when he saw the prices. Holy shit, and here I thought that the saying cant afford to get hurt is just a figure of speech. This completely screws over the normal person who lost a limb or two but cant afford the medical fee for better treatment, doesnt it? Pretty much. At these prices, those who could pay for this treatment could afford to get themselves a robotic limb until their therapy is ready. Those who couldnt afford even that, couldnt, replied Cillin. Coincidentally, a news report related to what they were talking about was displayed on the billboard. Basically, the news was about a self-proclaimed wealthy showboat who encountered a group of space robbers on one of his trips. After his legs were cut off, he managed to escape with his remaining wealth and travel to Sector E, only to discover that he just barely have enough money to cover for the induction therapy and rehabilitation cost of one leg. He wasnt able to make a proper living after he recovered, and the people around him took shots at him from time to time. In the end, the person couldnt handle the pressure and committed suicide. Shusag said after watching the news, I think there are only two types of people in life: Those who can accept the shit life throws at them, and those who cannot. After I escaped the nobles with my son, I had had to live like a rat in the sewers. I couldnt use my background, my identity, and all the connections that were associated with it, so I had to beg on the streets just to keep us both alive. All my efforts and achievements had been denied by the very people I served, and I didnt know to do anything besides hard labor. I had had to endure people shouting at me all day when I was working. I couldnt show any displeasure, retaliate or reveal the fact that I was an alien, because it would get me fired or worse, alienated. It was endure, or starve to death with my son. Other people got to relax and buy gifts for their children when it was a holiday. Me? I was still working at the construction site just like any other day for a pittance. I was as humble as a piece of dry bird shit. I had fallen from the sky and shattered into a million smaller shit. Those years were the hardest years of my life. I aged like crazy during that time, and even that tiny bit of pride and ferocity I managed to cultivate during my years in the army all turned into memories anyway, my point is, I had survived those days despite everything. Meeting you and that cat was the luckiest thing of my life, hehe. Shusag put his arms across Cillin and Czedows shoulders and pointed at a certain fat cat with his chin. Say, what do you think its view of life is? Those that can be eaten and cannot be eaten, maybe? Cillin shook his head. No. That may be true for other animals, but to Wheeze? Theres only the tasty and not tasty. I doubt that theres anything in the world that it cannot eat. Meanwhile, the subject in question was crouching low, pulling back its ears, and making some last adjustments to its forelimbs. Then, it abruptly leaped toward a pigeon who stole its bread crumbs and smacked it to the ground. After it retrieved the dizzy pigeon, it bit a hole on the back of a flying car, stuffed the pigeon inside, and sealed it with a chunk of metal it bit off a nearby building. That was how the pair of man and woman who were rocking the car were forced to unwind their hood and chase the pigeon away. Right now, the car owner was wondering out loud why the alarm hadnt triggered at all, not knowing that Wheeze could render it useless with its brain if it felt like it. Cillin grabbed the silly cat by the nape and resumed his walk toward a large sanatorium. The treatment cost of this sanatorium was several times that of the average sanatorium, but it still enjoyed a plethora of patients. The person Cillin came to look for was at the back of the sanatorium where the recuperation area was. First floor, room 108, Flanders? The guard let them into the room after verifying their identities and obtaining permission from the patient himself. He thought they were just there to visit the patient. Flanders was the only patient in the recovery ward. He was also their contact man. He was currently enjoying a massage from a specialized treatment instrument and watching the news. Chapter 350: Master and Studen t Flanders looked like a normal middle-aged man, and his complexion was a bit pale due to whatever illness he had contracted. He looked like he was recovering well and in good spirits though. This wasnt something that could be faked. According to the information he got from Shi Huajing, Flanders used to be a pharmaceutical trader. Born in a middle-sized family, he had studied in a prestigious school and inherited his company from the family. The company mainly sold medicine to middle-to-lower class consumer groups, but the fact that they managed to keep themselves from being devoured by bigger families showed that they were fairly capable. Unlike the people in power in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, the people in charge of big companies and/or major industries in GAL all had genuine ability and learning. They might not be the most talented persons, but they certainly werent nobles with absolute privileges like Gen Xingming. After GAL had descended into chaos, Shi Huajing and Flanders had come to a cooperative relationship. A different person might disregard Flanders family because it was just a middling, negligible force, but Shi Huajing had good reason to not just become partners with Flanders, but also afford him his absolute trust. A couple of holographic newspapers with running images that Shusag didnt understand one bit were placed next to Flanders. It was because they were either the molecular graphs of some medicine or the principles of action of some newly developed drug. Even the ads were pharmaceutical ads. The mere sight of them made Shusag dizzy. Flanders was reading about todays news in his sick bed when Cillin, Shusag and Wheeze came in. His gaze paused at the cat that was sitting obediently on Cillins arm but was looking left and right with shifty eyes before he smiled at his guests. You guys came at just the right time. I was planning to leave in two days or so. Cillin didnt know if Flanders was serious when he said you guys came at just the right time, but he definitely was a trusted person of Shi Huajing. He wouldnt have known that Wheeze was special or stared at it as a way to verify his identity otherwise. Nice to meet you, Mr. Flanders, and sorry for troubling you with our business, Cillin started. Flanders waved good-naturedly. Please, theres no need to act so polite. Youre someone the fourth young master has entrusted to me, so of course Im going to everything I can to help you. The fact that Flanders had dared to use the term fourth young master proved that the recovery room had been spy-proofed. At the very least, no one should be able to eavesdrop on a conversation inside this recovery room. And even if this wasnt the case, Wheeze and Czedow were here. Controlling streams of outflowing data was childs play to them. Flanders took a moment to explain to Cillin about his plan. He wouldnt be leaving immediately because there was someone he wished to meet after applying for discharge. However, the visit must be made discreetly, so he would only be bringing two or three bodyguards that he trusted explicitly. If he couldnt find this person or persuade them to help him during the next two days, he would leave as per his original plan. Shi Huajing had told Cillin a couple of things after they caught up with each other. If possible, he wanted Cillin to assist Flanders in whatever way he could because this person Flanders was planning to meet was very important to both Flanders and him. Naturally, Cillin had no reason to turn down a request from a good friend. An hour later, another three people entered the recovery room. Their appearance was unremarkable, but Cillin knew that the truth was the complete opposite. The trio obviously werent expecting Cillin, but they quickly regained their calm and reported to Flanders that they had completed his discharge procedure. After that, one of them pushed Flanders out of the sanatorium on a wheelchair and into a fairly huge flying car. Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze followed them inside. How is the situation over there? Flanders asked the man who pushed his wheelchair. No one has harassed the old sir after we took care of things. The old sir has also been keeping himself busy, the man replied. Good, good. Flanders sighed once before explaining to Cillin, Mr. Jiu Xun is the fourth young masters and my teacher. Flanders was looking for an old man called Jiu Xun, his teacher when he was still studying at a high level school. A long time ago, Jiu Xun had been driven out of the high level school and even stripped of his chance to become an academician of the GAL Research Institute. He had been a hot candidate until he was set up and stripped of much of his academia rights. After that, Jiu Xun vanished from the peoples sights and couldnt be found. Because Flanders had graduated at the time, he had learned of the tragedy only after it was too late to change anything. The world wasnt without blessings in disguise, however. Not long after Jiu Xun left the school, he encountered the boy who ran away from home, Shi Huajing. That was how the fourth young master came to become Jiu Xuns student. Cillin didnt need to investigate Mr. Jiu Xun to be impressed by him. His student, Shi Huajing possessed incredible medical knowledge and the uncanny ability to solve a problem through unconventionalbut sometimes even more effectiveways. Now he understood how Flanders, the business owner of a middle-sized pharmaceutical company became the acquaintance of Shi Huajing, the fourth young master of an influential family. It was because they were both students of Jiu Xun. I only knew that teacher had taken in a new student after the fourth young master sought me out himself, Flanders said smilingly. In fact, it was the first time I heard anything about teacher after his departure. After that, we worked together on various things and searched high and low for teacher until finally, we found out that he was living in this area. It so happened that I had taken some injuries during this time, so I thought that I might as well receive my treatment here. It made sense. He was the boss of a pharmaceutical company. If it wasnt for Jiu Xun, why wouldnt he complete his treatment at his own medical facilities? Teacher is a bit stubborn, and he dislikes currying favor with anyone. His less-than-ideal ability to socially interact with another person also made him a lot of enemies, especially when he was still teaching in the school. Otherwise, he wouldve become a GAL Research Institute academician a long time ago. The flying car kept flying deeper into the suburbs, so it wasnt long until they left the big sanatoriums behind completely and entered the area of small hospitals, pharmacies, recovery centers and more. Before the chaos, the center area was obviously more crowded than the suburbs. Now though, much of these customers had turned to the suburbs for their needs instead. Some long-time brands even had queues outside their buildings. They still werent at their destination, however. They were traveling farther still to more secluded areas. Just like most planets, there was a clear divide between the rich and the poor, although to be fair this planets slum looked slightly better than all the other ones Cillin had seen up until this point. The signature building of the slum was a massive waste treatment plant. All the waste treatment facilities on this planet were concentrated at the slums and away from the center area. A huge amount of waste was transported from all kinds of places such as the center area or the small sanatoriums and pharmacies they passed by everyday. There were a lot of slum people standing around the waste treatment plant. They were all wearing multi-layered gloves of the metal and non-metal kind, carrying large bags, tools and more. It almost looked like they were preparing for war, although of a different sort. There were adults, kids, and even a good number of old people among the group, and they were all staring at the transporters with spirit in their eyes. This was a medical planet, so of course there were more medical-related wastes than not. This was true for sanatoriums, hospitals, pharmacies, other types of medical facilities and even domestic premises. Among them were partially used or fully used drugs, discarded supplements, broken medical instruments and more. Speaking of drugs, there were chemicals of the strong oxidizing type, strong corrosive type, high performance type, light degradable type, temperature sensitive type and more. Usually, these types of drugs would be kept in some sort of special container, and these special boxes, bottles and more were usually made up of valuable materials, and that was exactly what the slum people were hoping to get. Had they waited until the wastes were transported into the waste treatment plant, they wouldnt be able to sell them for profits as a matter of course. Therefore, they camped and searched the landfills outside the waste treatment plant before the wastes were carried into the processing warehouses. The slum people didnt need to purchase medicine because they could just take them from the landfills. Although there were many types of brands, the composition of a certain type of medicine was mostly the same. An experienced waste picker would know how to categorize the medicine they found and hoard them bit by bit for a time of need. The kids who lived here acquired some medical knowledge at a very young age. Even if they didnt understand the underlying principlesfor example, they might not know the name of the substances that gave the medicine its effect, or the molecular formula of a certain medicinebut they at least knew what a certain medicine was for, what they should eat when they had a fever, what they should apply when they were bruised, how much dosage of a lethal drug was lethal and more. Survival was a persons a best teacher. If they didnt pick up even such basic knowledge, they could accidentally kill themselves at any moment. For the children who live here, the medicinal bottles, packages and drugs of the landfill were their childhood toys. It wasnt dissimilar to how guns were as common as food to Tang Qiuqiu and her peers back at her home planet. Chapter 350: Master and Student Part 2 Chapter 350: Master and Student [Part 2] Whoosh The slum people rushed toward the wastes moment the transports started unloading them, not even waiting for it to fully unload. The fully equipped young adults claimed the center, while the women and the children scavenged the edges. Once the rest of the wastes were fully unloaded, they would rush over and scavenge that as well. Although everyone was wearing all kinds of gloves, certain medicines were so dangerous that a small drop could cause massive corrosion damage if direct contact was made. There were also all kinds of harmful gaseous substances that the inferior face masks of the slum people couldnt hope to insulate against, not to mention the far more common scratches and bruises one suffered when they fought each other to grab certain valuables. They didnt care though. In their opinion, the minutes they couldve used to treat their fresh wounds were far better spent scavenging the waste piles. Literally everyone who did this carried all kinds of scars on their person, and they had neither the money nor the thought to fix them. After all, as long as they kept doing this, it was only a matter of time before they brought upon themselves a plethora of new scars. There were flies of all sizes flying atop the waste pile, and since the flying car came to a stop Wheeze had been playing with them non-stop. The slum people were only interested in medicines and medicine bottles, so they paid no attention to it even though it was probably fat enough to feed a family for days. Instead of letting his bodyguards push him around on his wheelchair like before, Flanders stepped out of his flying car and walked on his own two feet. He was more or less fully recovered after all. He glanced at the fat cat fooling around in the waste pile, but decided to ignore it after he recalled what the fourth young master had said to him. One of his bodyguards handed him a face mask, but he waved and pushed it away. It wasnt like they were inside the waste treatment plant itself, and the air quality was bearable since the wind happened to be blowing the terrible stench away from him. The foul odor still caused him to cough from time to time, but that was good because he was meeting his teacher right now. The more pitiful he looked, the higher his chances of persuading his teacher became. Appearing in full protection and accentuating his superiority over the slum people was only going to achieve the exact opposite. Flanders headed toward a narrow street with the two bodyguards, Cillin and Shusag. He left the last one behind to guard the flying car. They passed through a small alley, and at the end of the alley was a small courtyard which style reminded him of Rikulabs accommodation. Clearly, Rikulabs teacher had left a deep impression on his student. The door to the courtyard was open. The scent of certain medicinal plants entered their nostrils even before they entered the place. Someonea patient who just finished receiving his treatmentstepped out right as they walked in, and from there they saw an old man sitting inside the hall and performing tui na for a patient. There were no medical equipment at this place, meaning that there were many treatments that he could only perform with his own two hands. The old man had a very good-looking pair of arms. Unlike the blotchy, wrinkled, and rough limbs of a normal old person, Jiu Xuns was tough and glowing with health. There were many doctors out there who were like idiots when they didnt have a machine to assist them, but Jiu Xun wasnt one of those people. His arms could be a very good pair of medical equipment if need be. Yes, the healing effects might not appear immediately, and yes, it wasnt as efficient as the medical instruments in the sanatoriums, but the fact that he could replicate them with own bare hands was a feat on his own right. A brawny, honest-looking youngster about seventeen to eighteen years old was standing next to him. He was watching the old mans every move without blinking. Flanders was brimming with excitement to meet his teacher again, but he kept quiet because he knew there was nothing Jiu Xun hated more than being disturbed while he was at work. His quickened breathing and heart rate were the only signs that contradicted his calm appearance. Ten minutes later, Jiu Xun rose to his feet and washed his hands in the basin of water the brawny youngster passed to him. Then, he put on his gloves, spoke with his patient for a bit, and gave him a medicine bottle with brown tablets in them. The bottle contained exactly the number of tablets the patient needed to take to recover properly. All he needed to do was to consume them as per Jiu Xun instructed. Jiu Xun finally looked at the newcomers after he was finished with his patient. He scanned everyones faces before pausing his gaze on Flanders. He frowned in remembrance until recognition flashed across his eyes. Flanders? Jiu Xun said slowly. The old man had done his best to put on a calm appearance, but his tone suggested the opposite even to a stranger like Cillin. Flanders dropped to his knees and said, Teachercough! Cough cough!I finally found you, teacher! Cough cough cough Jiu Xun walked up to his student and pulled him back to his feet. Why arent you wearing a breathing mask if your lungs are hurt? The air here will only worsen your condition! Just because youre almost at full health doesnt mean that you should tempt fate! A tearing Flanders coughed a couple more times before saying, I forgot. I had rushed over immediately after I heard that youre here. Cillin: ... The two bodyguards didnt even blink at their masters bald-faced lie. Clearly, this wasnt the first time they had witnessed something like this. Flanders acted less like the steady middle-aged man Cillin knew when they first met and more like a pitiful child in front of Jiu Xun. They had been teacher and student for several years. Even after many years of separation, Flanders still knew how to play his master better than most people. While criticizing Flanders for his carelessness, Jiu Xun beckoned the brawny youngster to bring over a medicinal spray and gave Flanders a spray. After he said to the brawny youngster, Were closing early. Please close the door, he pulled his student into his house. One of Flanders bodyguard and Shusag stayed behind at the courtyard in case a suspicious person or a patient showed up. Teacher, the fourth young masterI mean Shi HuajingI mean Rikulab Jiu Xun felt like smacking his student in the head. Speak clearly! Its been so many years, and you still lose track of your words whenever you get excited?! Flanders thought to himself: only when Im facing you, teacher. A huge reason Flanders became who he was today was due to his study experience. Jiu Xun was infamously a strictly teacher who demanded the best from every student he personally taught no matter who they were. It didnt matter who they belonged to or what connections they had, nothing could get him to loosen his standards. It was why Flanders skills and abilities were one hundred percent the real thing. Every clinical trial he ever conducted; every thesis he ever authored and more was the product of his own efforts. In fact, all the students who survived Jiu Xuns teaching did pretty well in the medical industry, although not all of them felt the same deep loyalty and affection toward the old man as Flanders. Jiu Xun was an amazing teacher and doctor, but he was also bad-tempered, difficult to please, demanding and inclined to criticize the hell out of his students. There were only a handful of people in his life who could stand him. Back when Flanders was still studying under Jiu Xun, he had had the bad habit of losing control of his speech every time he grew excited or distressed, and Jiu Xun would criticize him for it. As a result, it was almost like he was trained to lose control of his speech every time he panicked in front of his teacher. The fact that he just did it again out of pure reflex even though it had been years since he faced his teacher proved that time wasnt the cure to all bad habits. After learning that Rikulab, the poor boy he once took in was actually the young master of the Shi Family, a great political family om GAL, Jiu Xun had fallen silent for a very long time. He didnt give a response when Flanders said that he wished to take him away from this place either. Knowing his teacher, he immediately figured that Jiu Xun was planning to turn him down. Jiu Xun was very demanding of his students, but it was because he truly believed that they were capable of such heights. In fact, the old man had much higher expectations for Rikulab than he had for Flanders. However, Jiu Xuns memory of Rikulab was the depressed boy who ran away from his home and almost let himself go to depravity, not the fourth young master who mastered the Shi Family and was at the prime of his life right now. Jiu Xun couldnt find it in himself to reconcile the two drastically different images because he, to put it bluntly, somewhat loathed the rich and powerful. After all, it was those people who had stripped him of his right to become a scholar, and kicked out of the high level school he had contributed many years to. Not only had he not gotten over the pain and loss, he remembered them as clear as yesterday. Of course, he understood exactly how he had come to land in this tragedy, but he couldnt change his personality even if he wanted to. Flanders panicked, but kept silent. He knew that any word that came tumbling out of his mouth right now would be ineffective at best or counterproductive at worst. So, he turned to Cillin and shot him a help me look. Shi Huajing did say that Cillin might be able to help him, and right now he could use every help he could get. Chapter 351: Flies Are Very Toxic After noticing Flanders look for help, Cillin coughed as if he was trying to change the subject and improve the awkward atmosphere. Your house layout looks familiar, Elder Xun. It is similar to Rikulabs place. Cillin used the name Rikulab instead of Shi Huajing because it brought back good memories of the past and avoided the bad ones. The old doctor shot his own house a glance and looked less gloomy, but he didnt respond to Cillins comment. Not taking offense with Jiu Xuns silence, Cillin continued, His was so much messier than yours though. I can still remember it as clear as yesterday. Cillin was watching both Jiu Xun and Flanders faces closely when he said this, and he noticed a very obvious twitch when he said the word messy. From the moment he entered the courtyard, the biggest impression he received besides the familiarity of its layout and furnishings was its orderliness and cleanliness. Jiu Xun was a strict man, and it was obvious that he applied the same standards he applied to others to himself. He wasnt mysophobic, but he certainly wouldnt allow his place to become dirty and disorderly. That was why Cillin purposely mentioned that Rikulabs place was very dirty. It triggered Jiu Xuns urge to scold his student even though he wasnt present. Flanders figured out Cillins method of persuasion immediately. After sneaking a glance at his teachers face, he asked, Was Rikulabs place that messy? and stressed the last word. Oh yes, it was. The first time I met the guy, he was hung over and wearing a nightgown that hasnt been washed for god knows how many days. His hair was a mess, his face was unshaved, and the smell I wouldve believed that he was a despondent middle-aged man if he hadnt told me his age Back then, Rikulab was like a dropped fruit who allowed himself to fall into the darkness and rot. What Cillin was doing right now was to bring all the details of that dark historyhis alcoholism, his uncleanliness, his night club trips, his indulgence and moreto light. Although Cillin made sure to add a copious amount of maybe, possibly and I think to his account, it was obvious that Jiu Xuns ears had automatically filtered out these words. The more Cillin talked, the uglier Jiu Xuns expression became. Near the end of it, Flanders was positively frightened at the size and quantity of blue veins that were popping on his teachers forehead. Knowing his teacher, he must be brewing a mighty storm in his mind right now. Im not the one who slandered you, so dont come looking for me when teacher throttles you, okay junior brother? Its all Cillins fault! BANG! Jiu Xun abruptly slapped his table and interrupted Cillins account. That boy! The old doctor grew so angry that he was gasping for air. Jiu Xun had taught many students in the past, and most of them he didnt really care for after they graduated and left. Rikulab was different, however. He was a boy he ran into after he was kicked out of the school, and the student he cared the most out of everyone he had ever taught. Judging from Jiu Xuns high expectations of Rikulab alone, it was clear that the latter possessed incredible talent. It was why Jiu Xun had taken the boy under his tutelage at the beginning, and why he ultimately decided to leave him later on. His name had already been besmirched by his enemies, he didnt want his circumstances to destroy the boys future as well. Unfortunately, because he never revealed the truth of his circumstances to Rikulab, Rikulab didnt reveal the truth of his identity to him either. It was why his emotions were complicated to say the least when he learned that Rikulab was really the young master of a great family. Despite everything though, he truly missed the boy from the bottom of his heart, and after everything he heard from Cillin his earlier considerations and worries seemed so trivial compared to the need to seize his disciple by the collar and straighten him out this instant. What the hell happened to him, and how did he end up the way he did? Ah, Im so angry! Unfortunatelyor fortunately for a certain someoneRikulab wasnt present right now. Was was there no one at all to keep him on the straight and narrow?! Jiu Xun fumed while still breathing heavily. Cillin shrugged. What can you do? He was a boy who ran away from his home, and after you were gone he was left to his own devices for several years straight. Today, hes even the high and mighty prince of the Shi Family. Who would dare to point fingers at him and teach him how to be a better person? Sigh. Why hadnt you kept him by your side? He may have been able to dodge that preposterous part of his life then. Now, it may already be too late. In fact, Jiu Xun had never been certain if he had done the right thing. The Rikulab he remembered was a lonely and helpless child up until the point he left him after all. Now that he heard of the truth from Cillin, the guilt and regret that were already lodged in his heart in the first place had grown to the size of a giant rock. Sensing an opportunity, Flanders hurriedly said, Junior brother has never forgotten about you, teacher. He never stopped looking for you even after he returned to his family. When I found you and rushed over to meet you, he wouldnt stop advising me again and again on the to-dos and whatnots Flanders held onto Jiu Xuns regret and guilt toward Rikulab and refused to let go. It was working. The more time passed, the less certain the old doctor became of his initial decision. Of course Jiu Xun missed his disciple dearly. After everything he heard, he couldnt help but worry for the pitiful but extraordinarily talented young boy he once took into his care as well. It was true that his professional reputation was an utter mess back then, and he still didnt think that his decision to leave Rikulab back then was entirely wrong. However, those days were long in the past, and considering the current situation of the galaxy, his enemies probably had better things to concern themselves with than little old Jiu Xun right now. Surely a short visit wouldnt cause the boy any trouble, right? Elder Xun, Rikulab just wants to see you. He himself knew that you would be less-than-happy with his current identity, which is why he had asked senior brother Flanders to come visit you instead. Otherwise, he wouldve shown up in person even if every man and woman in the Shi Family were to object to this, Cillin persuaded. Hes completely right, teacher. Rikulab will be very happy if you visit him, and oh, you can tell us both about the researches youve done for the past couple of years! Personally, I have a lot of questions that I could absolutely use your help to solve. Im sure that Rikulab is the same as me as well. You can always return here after everything is settled, right? Flanders added. To a person who was well-versed to the art of socializing, they would easily be able to point out a million flaws with Flanders logic. To Jiu Xun though, it was an unrelenting pick that kept chipping away at the defenses of his already wavering heart. Jiu Xun was the type of person who wished to teach his chosen disciples everything he knew. Therefore, he couldnt find it in himself to reject Flanders and Rikulabs desire for him to teach them once more. Its okay, right? I can teach them again just like in the academy, right? Jiu Xun sank into his seat and stared at the medicinal bottles on a nearby desk for a moment. He was reminiscing the days he taught a pitiful young boy about pharmacology. Back then, his life was even harsher than what it was now, and so he wasnt able to impart much of his knowledge onto Rikulab. More accurately, he taught him a lot of theoretical knowledge, but he had lacked the means to put them into practice, and he wasnt able to explain certain problems in a more concise manner. He wondered Rikulab had misunderstood some of his teachings, and if there was then it was imperative that he was corrected as soon as possible. There were few things harder to correct than bad habit after all. In the end though, it all boiled down to just one fact: he really missed his disciple. At his age, anyone or anything he still remembered was someone or something he invested a lot of emotions in. In the end, Jiu Xun agreed to visit Rikulab and return to his home later. Would Rikulab really let him go though? At the very least, Cillins anwer was an immediate no. Shi Huajing was the fourth young master of the Shi Family, and yet he was able to navigate his way to his current position like a fish in water. He might get scolded by Jiu Xun for his trickery later, but there was no chance he wouldnt be able to wrangle Jiu Xun into staying with him permanently. Also, he was currently experiencing a manpower shortage, and a trusted person like Jiu Xun was exactly who he needed right now, not to mention that the old doctor was more than capable enough to earn Shi Huajing more support and speaking right within the Shi Family. Flanders was overjoyed when Jiu Xun finally agreed to come with him. His mission here was to bring Jiu Xun to the fourth young master after all. After that, well, it was up to the latter to handle their teacher. Oh right. Cole! Come over! After the brawny young lad walked up to Jiu Xun, the old doctor slapped his shoulder once and said to Flanders, This boy here is the disciple I took in after moving to this place. His name is Cole. Cole was a native and a local, but he actually came from a different slum. An explosive accident had occurred at the waste treatment plant he was at and killed a lot of people, so he moved here with Jiu Xun afterward. Cole was one of the few lucky survivors to have survived that accident, and only because Jiu Xun had done his utmost to rescue the heavily injured boy. It was why Cole was eternally grateful toward him. His real family had perished in that accident, so he thought of Jiu Xun as his only family. He was slow, so he often triggered Jiu Xun a lot. However, not only did he not think that it was a bad thing, he believed that it was a kind of happiness to have someone fret over you. It was why he always smiled no matter how bad the scolding got. Flanders shot Cole a glance. Of course, he had investigated Jiu Xuns new disciple since a while ago. Cole was talentless and with poor genes, but his temperament was an exceptionally good fit with Jiu Xuns. He was one of the few people who could truly withstand Jiu Xuns hot temper. I guess that means that Shi Rikulab isnt our youngest junior brother anymore, Flanders said while shooting Cole a cordial smile. Cole scratched his head in embarrassment. It didnt feel bad to gain a senior brother who was old enough to be his father. Since Jiu Xun was just planning to visit Rikulab, he decided to travel light. Flanders quickly packed everything that was necessary, and they all left toward the parking lot together. While they were entering the flying car, Wheeze came back while chewing on something. What are you eating, Wheeze? Shusag asked. Jiu Xun and Cole turned to look at Wheeze as well. They were both curious because this was the first time they saw such a fat but impossibly agile cat in this area. Wheeze stuck out its barbed tongue, and they were covered in chewed up flies. Jiu Xun and Coles complexion immediately turned green. They knew that most of the flies in the area came from the waste treatment plant, and that these flies loved to feed from contaminated medicine. As a result, it looked similar to your normal fly on the outside, but was quite different on the inside. For example, they all carried a certain amount of drug resistancea.k.a toxicityinside them. You needs to make it spit them out right now! These flies are extremely toxic! Cole said urgently. Its okay, it has a great digestive system, Cillin replied. Cole gave a couple of examples as to how the flies could potentially harm the cat, but Cillin still replied the same thing with a smile. When the brawny lad tried to pry open Wheezes mouth, Jiu Xun finally lost his temper and chided him, Hmph! The cats own master isnt worried, so why are you more worried than he is? Now sit down! Cole sheepishly returned to his seat. His masters words was the law. After climbing up Cillins shoulder and chewing the flies a couple more times, Wheeze swallowed them all in one gulp. Then, it let out a yawn and began dozing off to lalaland. They flew straight to the spaceport where Flanders personal spaceplane was waiting for them. Some of Flanders men were present as well. His spaceplane was huge but modest in terms of appearance, not to mention that there were bigger and more attractive spaceplanes on the same parking lot. After Cillin entered the private room Flanders had arranged for him and closed the door, he asked Czedow, How did the data gathering go? Its 81% complete. The remaining data is a bit more troublesome to gather, but I should be able to gather everything if I can stay for another day, the robot replied. Its fine, 81% is enough. It might look like Czedow was just shadowing Cillin like a bodyguard would all this time, but he was really copying down the data he intercepted from all kinds of communications networks and transmissions all the time. Cillin had asked Czedow to collect data on everything that was medical-related such as the types of medicine, treatment processes etc from every sanatorium, hospital, pharmacies and more to pass them onto Moon later. Then, Moon, Sigma, Eudy and the others would analyze them and discuss the viability of constructing treatment center in their ship. Ideally, Cillin wanted to have a shipborne treatment center that could treat almost everything because it would saving them the cost, time and energy to travel all the way to a specific location like Sector E and obtain treatment. Of course, it was just a thought right now. Building a private treatment center was a lot harder than it seemed, or Sector E wouldve ceased to exist a long time ago. As of now though, that was for his crew to worry about. He was on a mission right now. Cillin looked at Wheeze next and asked, How about you? Wheeze stretched a little, said, Do you even need to ask? before transmitting it all to the microcomputer Cillin was carrying around. As it turned out, it hadnt gone to the waste heap to play, at least not completely. It was really for the data Cillin had asked him to acquire. Just as Cole had explained earlier, these flies had incredible drug resistance due to the constant exposure to a wide variety drugs. Not only that, medical induction had led to their genes mutating and making them even more drug-resistant as well. Each fly possessed a different level of immunity or resistance toward a wide variety of drugs. It was why Wheeze had to slap and chew up a ton of flies to collect a comprehensive palette of their genetic information. Of course, in other peoples eyes, the cat was just playing a game and relieving itself from its boredom. First things first, Cillin performed a deeper analysis on the genetic information Wheeze had gathered and filtered out the mutated genes that resulted in enhanced drug resistance. Flanders was a businessman in the medical industry, so he naturally carried some of the relevant instruments on his spaceplane. Although Flanders was confused as to why Cillin would want to borrow the medical equipment, he didnt pry deeper because of Shi Huajings advice. Some time later, Cillin stared at the data and mapping on the display and smiled. He wasnt expecting to find these here on Sector E, but that was okay. He would make it his second gift to Miracle. Chapter 352 ? Flanders? ?set? ?his? ?course? ?exactly? ?as? ?Shi? ?Huajings? ?navigation? ?map? ?plotted? ?because? ?they? ?were? ? heading? ?to? ?Sector? ?A,? ?the? ?place? ?where? ?the? ?political? ?power? ?of? ?the? ?entire? ?galaxy? ?was? ?concentrated.? ? GAL? ?was? ?pretty? ?unstable? ?right? ?now,? ?so? ?the? ?political? ?organizations? ?residing? ?there? ?made? ?sure? ?to? ? dial? ?up? ?their? ?personal? ?protection? ?to? ?eleven.? ?It? ?wasnt? ?weak? ?in? ?the? ?first? ?place,? ?but? ?now? ?it? ?was? ?as? ? airtight? ?as? ?it? ?could? ?be.? ? ? It? ?was? ?the? ?same? ?reason? ?why? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?sent? ?his? ?men? ?to? ?receive? ?them.? ?Without? ?an? ?escort,? ? the? ?group? ?wouldnt? ?be? ?able? ?to? ?take? ?a? ?step? ?in? ?Sector? ?A? ?without? ?being? ?watched,? ?hailed,? ?scanned,? ? and? ?ID-ed? ?by? ?the? ?patrols? ?again,? ?and? ?again,? ?and? ?again.? ?As? ?if? ?that? ?wasnt? ?bad? ?enough,? ?one? ?misstep? ? was? ?all? ?it? ?took? ?to? ?be? ?labeled? ?a? ?terrorist? ?because? ?the? ?sector? ?was? ?practicing? ?a? ?policy? ?that? ?was? ?best? ? described? ?as,? ?kill? ?a? ?hundred? ?innocents? ?if? ?it? ?meant? ?catching? ?one? ?who? ?is? ?guilty.? ? ? Long? ?story? ?short,? ?they? ?might? ?have? ?been? ?able? ?to? ?loiter? ?around? ?certain? ?places? ?in? ?Flanders? ? spaceplane? ?before? ?the? ?chaos,? ?but? ?to? ?do? ?that? ?now? ?was? ?just? ?asking? ?for? ?trouble.? ?That? ?was? ?why? ?they? ? boarded? ?their? ?escorts? ?starship? ?upon? ?reaching? ?their? ?initial? ?destination.? ? ? Jiu? ?Xun? ?attracted? ?most? ?of? ?the? ?escorts? ?attention? ?because? ?the? ?old? ?man? ?stood? ?out,? ?and? ?because? ? they? ?thought? ?that? ?Cillin,? ?Czedow? ?and? ?Shusag? ?were? ?Flanders? ?bodyguards.? ?A? ?while? ?after? ?they? ? boarded? ?the? ?starship,? ?someone? ?contacted? ?Cillin? ?and? ?passed? ?him? ?Shi? ?Huajings? ?message.? ? ? The? ?fourth? ?young? ?master? ?said? ?that? ?hes? ?about? ?done? ?with? ?the? ?preparation,? ?the? ?man? ?said.? ?What? ?it? ? meant? ?was? ?that? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?found? ?a? ?way? ?into? ?Sector? ?C? ?for? ?Cillin,? ?so? ?Cillin? ?could? ?save? ?the? ? energy? ?for? ?something? ?else.? ?Indirectly,? ?it? ?also? ?confirmed? ?that? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?laid? ?his? ?hands? ?on? ? the? ?military.? ? ? In? ?hindsight,? ?it? ?wasnt? ?surprising? ?that? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?would? ?have? ?the? ?courage? ?and? ?skill? ?to? ?pull? ?off? ? such? ?a? ?feat? ?at? ?all.? ?He? ?could? ?not? ?have? ?become? ?the? ?respected? ?fourth? ?young? ?master? ?in? ?just? ?a? ? couple? ?of? ?years? ?otherwise.? ? ? The? ?reason? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?hadnt? ?just? ?called? ?Cillins? ?communicator? ?directly? ?was? ?because? ?it? ?was? ? unsafe,? ?and? ?because? ?the? ?signal? ?was? ?bad.? ?The? ?electromagnetic? ?interference? ?at? ?this? ?particular? ? section? ?of? ?space? ?was? ?stronger? ?than? ?normal? ?due? ?to? ?stellar? ?activity,? ?so? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?a? ? messenger? ?carry? ?his? ?message? ?and? ?a? ?video? ?regarding? ?a? ?certain? ?person? ?instead.? ? ? Sward? ?was? ?a? ?lieutenant? ?colonel? ?serving? ?under? ?the? ?Fifth? ?Army.? ?There? ?were? ?a? ?lot? ?of? ?ranked? ?officers? ? in? ?the? ?army? ?as? ?a? ?matter? ?of? ?course,? ?but? ?Sward? ?wasnt? ?an? ?ordinary? ?man.? ?More? ?specifically,? ?he? ?used? ? to? ?be? ?imprisoned? ?in? ?Sector? ?S? ?for? ?the? ?killing? ?of? ?innocent? ?civilians? ?and? ?even? ?his? ?own? ? comrade-in-arms.? ? ? Normally,? ?the? ?repercussions? ?for? ?the? ?killing? ?of? ?civilians? ?werent? ?too? ?bad? ?if? ?they? ?were? ?caused? ?by? ?the? ? military.? ?The? ?higher-ups? ?certainly? ?couldnt? ?be? ?bothered? ?to? ?even? ?look? ?at? ?them? ?most? ?of? ?the? ?time.? ? However,? ?it? ?was? ?a? ?different? ?story? ?when? ?the? ?death? ?toll? ?reached? ?a? ?certain? ?level,? ?and? ?the? ?murderer? ? himself? ?didnt? ?even? ?bother? ?to? ?hide? ?them.? ?Sward? ?was? ?one? ?such? ?person.? ? ? ? Sward? ?was? ?described? ?to? ?be? ?aloof,? ?arrogant,? ?cold-blooded,? ?tyrannical,? ?and? ?bloodthirsty? ?and? ?more.? ? He? ?was? ?a? ?mass? ?murderer? ?with? ?a? ?string? ?of? ?massacresnot? ?kills,? ?but? ?massacresunder? ?his? ?belt,? ? and? ?his? ?last? ?massacre? ?had? ?a? ?death? ?toll? ?of? ?over? ?ten? ?thousand.? ?They? ?were? ?all? ?civilians,? ?and? ?he? ? didnt? ?stop? ?until? ?he? ?was? ?fully? ?satisfied? ?even? ?after? ?the? ?local? ?government? ?had? ?stepped? ?out? ?to? ?stop? ? him.? ? ? The? ?lieutenant? ?colonel? ?was? ?eventually? ?thrown? ?into? ?a? ?jail? ?cell? ?for? ?his? ?crimes,? ?but? ?the? ?chaos? ? happened,? ?and? ?the? ?GAL? ?army? ?splintered? ?into? ?eight? ?great? ?armies? ?just? ?a? ?couple? ?of? ?years? ?after? ?his? ? imprisonment.? ?As? ?a? ?result,? ?Sector? ?S? ?was? ?dismantled,? ?and? ?many? ?of? ?its? ?prisoners? ?including? ?Sward? ? were? ?absorbed? ?into? ?various? ?forces.? ?For? ?a? ?time,? ?he? ?was? ?able? ?to? ?return? ?to? ?his? ?killing? ?ways? ?and? ? fought? ?many? ?battles? ?for? ?the? ?army.? ? ? Sward? ?was? ?now? ?dead,? ?however.? ?Cillin? ?didnt? ?know? ?how? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?managed? ?to? ?kill? ?the? ? lieutenant? ?colonel,? ?only? ?that? ?Sward? ?must? ?be? ?connected? ?to? ?the? ?place? ?he? ?was? ?going.? ?He? ?also? ? guessed? ?that? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?hadnt? ?killed? ?Sward? ?out? ?of? ?altruistic? ?reasons.? ?Most? ?likely? ?the? ?lieutenant? ? colonel? ?had? ?crossed? ?the? ?young? ?master? ?in? ?some? ?way,? ?so? ?he? ?had? ?the? ?former? ?quietly? ?removed? ?from? ? this? ?plane? ?of? ?existence.? ?If? ?Cillin? ?didnt? ?happen? ?to? ?be? ?heading? ?to? ?Sector? ?C? ?at? ?this? ?time,? ?no? ?oneat? ? least? ?no? ?one? ?who? ?wasnt? ?involved? ?from? ?the? ?startwould? ?even? ?know? ?that? ?he? ?had? ?died.? ?In? ?the? ? unlikely? ?case? ?where? ?someone? ?discovered? ?the? ?Swards? ?assassination,? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?already? ?made? ? sure? ?that? ?it? ?couldnt? ?be? ?linked? ?to? ?him? ?no? ?matter? ?what.? ?After? ?all,? ?he? ?was? ?the? ?current? ?representative? ? of? ?the? ?Shi? ?Family,? ?and? ?it? ?wasnt? ?wise? ?to? ?butt? ?heads? ?with? ?the? ?military? ?right? ?now.? ?Of? ?course,? ?the? ?fact? ? he? ?threw? ?this? ?caution? ?to? ?the? ?wind? ?before? ?Cillin? ?showed? ?how? ?much? ?he? ?trusted? ?him.? ? ? It? ?was? ?clear? ?that? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?made? ?many? ?plans? ?to? ?infiltrate? ?the? ?military? ?long? ?before? ?Cillin? ?had? ? made? ?the? ?request.? ?Sward? ?was? ?but? ?the? ?tip? ?of? ?the? ?iceberg.? ? ? Back? ?to? ?the? ?present.? ?The? ?video? ?was? ?a? ?compilation? ?of? ?Swards? ?behavior.? ?He? ?was? ?a? ?silent? ?man? ?who? ? exuded? ?a? ?chilling? ?aura.? ?It? ?was? ?so? ?dominant? ?that? ?it? ?seemed? ?to? ?seep? ?out? ?of? ?the? ?recording? ?itself? ?and? ? into? ?reality.? ?His? ?eyes? ?were? ?pits? ?of? ?little? ?emotions,? ?and? ?they? ?remained? ?mostly? ?the? ?same? ?even? ?when? ? he? ?was? ?butchering? ?some? ?poor? ?sap.? ?The? ?act? ?of? ?murder? ?barely? ?left? ?any? ?impression? ?in? ?him? ?at? ?all.? ? ? So?? ?Do? ?you? ?think? ?you? ?can? ?do? ?it?? ?Cillin? ?looked? ?at? ?Shusag? ?after? ?the? ?video? ?was? ?over.? ? ? Cillin? ?understood? ?why? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?had? ?shown? ?them? ?this? ?video.? ?He? ?wanted? ?one? ?of? ?them? ?to? ? impersonate? ?Sward,? ?and? ?in? ?Cillions? ?opinion? ?Shusag? ?was? ?the? ?best? ?suited? ?of? ?them? ?all.? ?Shusag? ?was? ? a? ?former? ?soldier,? ?so? ?he? ?possessed? ?that? ?unique? ?aura? ?that? ?seemed? ?to? ?surround? ?every? ?person? ?who? ? ever? ?served? ?in? ?the? ?military? ?before,? ?especially? ?when? ?he? ?dons? ?a? ?military? ?outfit.? ?Not? ?only? ?that,? ?his? ? stature? ?was? ?almost? ?identical? ?to? ?Swards,? ?and? ?he? ?had? ?enough? ?control? ?over? ?his? ?body? ?that? ?he? ?could? ? contort? ?himself? ?a? ?bit? ?to? ?smoothen? ?the? ?last? ?bits? ?of? ?discrepancies.? ?Even? ?if? ?that? ?wasnt? ?the? ?case,? ? Cillin? ?had? ?a? ?million? ?ways? ?to? ?make? ?him? ?look? ?like? ?Sward.? ?It? ?was? ?that? ?unique? ?aura? ?that? ?was? ?the? ?main? ? problem.? ? ? Shusag? ?stared? ?at? ?the? ?icy? ?blade? ?of? ?a? ?human? ?being? ?on? ?the? ?display? ?for? ?a? ?bit? ?before? ?removing? ?his? ? hand? ?from? ?his? ?chin.? ?Then,? ?he? ?let? ?out? ?a? ?chuckle? ?and? ?said,? ?Of? ?course!? ? ? The? ?second? ?he? ?said? ?the? ?words,? ?his? ?presence? ?abruptly? ?underwent? ?a? ?drastic? ?change.? ?His? ?normal? ? flippancy? ?transformed? ?into? ?cruelty,? ?and? ?a? ?cold,? ?invisible? ?barrier? ?that? ?seemed? ?to? ?reject? ?everything? ? caused? ?the? ?messengers? ?mouth? ?to? ?fall? ?open? ?in? ?shock.? ? ? To? ?be? ?honest,? ?there? ?were? ?a? ?ton? ?of? ?people? ?who? ?possessed? ?the? ?skill? ?to? ?act? ?out? ?Swards? ?cruelty,? ? loftliness,? ?and? ?that? ?grim? ?expression? ?that? ?seemed? ?to? ?prelude? ?a? ?snowstorm.? ?Not? ?everyone? ?could? ? emulate? ?that? ?aura? ?that? ?only? ?a? ?serviceman? ?possessed,? ?however.? ? ? It? ?felt? ?like? ?staring? ?at? ?a? ?straight? ?javelin.? ?His? ?stance? ?was? ?exactly? ?identical,? ?his? ?eyes? ?spoke? ?of? ? indifference? ?and? ?gloominess,? ?a? ?cold? ?shadow? ?seemed? ?to? ?loom? ?over? ?his? ?person,? ?and? ?when? ?he? ? slowly? ?swept? ?his? ?gaze? ?across? ?the? ?roomit? ?so? ?happened? ?that? ?the? ?Sward? ?in? ?the? ?video? ?was? ?doing? ? the? ?same? ?thingtheir? ?eyes,? ?movement,? ?and? ?aura? ?felt? ?perfectly? ?identical.? ? ? For? ?an? ?instant,? ?the? ?messenger? ?forgot? ?that? ?Shusags? ?face? ?and? ?outfit? ?were? ?nothing? ?like? ?the? ? lieutenant? ?colonels.? ?He? ?felt? ?as? ?if? ?the? ?monster? ?who? ?threw? ?all? ?notions? ?of? ?rules? ?and? ?discipline? ?out? ?of? ? his? ?head? ?when? ?he? ?became? ?sank? ?in? ?bloodlust,? ?and? ?would? ?attack? ?even? ?his? ?teammates? ?was? ? standing? ?right? ?in? ?front? ?of? ?him.? ?His? ?eyes? ?twitched,? ?and? ?his? ?back? ?felt? ?as? ?cold? ?as? ?ice.? ?It? ?was? ?only? ? when? ?the? ?cold? ?sensation? ?of? ?metal? ?pricked? ?against? ?his? ?skin? ?that? ?the? ?messenger? ?realized? ?that? ?he? ? was? ?about? ?to? ?draw? ?his? ?gun.? ? ? ? Obviously,? ?the? ?real? ?Sward? ?was? ?dead? ?some? ?time? ?ago.? ?In? ?fact,? ?the? ?messenger? ?himself? ?had? ?taken? ? part? ?in? ?the? ?assassination.? ?It? ?was? ?why? ?he? ?remembered? ?the? ?man? ?all? ?too? ?well,? ?and? ?why? ?he? ?doubted? ? that? ?the? ?fourth? ?young? ?masters? ?plan? ?when? ?he? ?heard? ?about? ?it? ?the? ?first? ?time.? ?Was? ?there? ?really? ? anyone? ?in? ?this? ?galaxy? ?who? ?could? ?emulate? ?the? ?mans? ?qualities?? ?Now,? ?he? ?knew? ?the? ?answer.? ?He? ? couldnt? ?say? ?exactly? ?how? ?successful? ?Shusag? ?was? ?in? ?impersonating? ?Sward,? ?but? ?for? ?an? ?instant,? ?he? ? certainly? ?felt? ?like? ?the? ?latter? ?had? ?returned? ?to? ?life.? ? ? Speaking? ?of? ?which,? ?Sward? ?became? ?even? ?gloomier? ?than? ?he? ?normally? ?was? ?after? ?he? ?was? ?plucked? ? out? ?of? ?prison,? ?so? ?Shusag? ?definitely? ?had? ?his? ?job? ?cut? ?out? ?for? ?him.? ?Also,? ?he? ?seemed? ?to? ?have? ?a? ?natural? ? talent? ?for? ?acting.? ?At? ?any? ?rate,? ?Cillin? ?was? ?very? ?satisfied? ?with? ?the? ?results.? ? ? The? ?messenger? ?let? ?out? ?a? ?cough? ?to? ?cover? ?up? ?his? ?earlier? ?overreaction.? ?Only? ?then? ?he? ?continued? ? going? ?over? ?the? ?finer? ?details? ?with? ?Cillin.? ?Meanwhile,? ?Shusag? ?had? ?turned? ?back? ?into? ?an? ?unreliable? ? middle-aged? ?man,? ?grabbed? ?an? ?apple,? ?and? ?lay? ?back? ?down? ?on? ?a? ?chair.? ?It? ?was? ?almost? ?enough? ?to? ? convince? ?those? ?who? ?were? ?present? ?that? ?he? ?wasnt? ?the? ?guy? ?who? ?caused? ?the? ?room? ?temperature? ?to? ? drop? ?sharply? ?a? ?minute? ?ago.? ?Almost.? ? ? After? ?they? ?entered? ?a? ?less? ?disruptive? ?space,? ?Cillin? ?finally? ?managed? ?to? ?get? ?in? ?contact? ?with? ?Shi? ? Huajing.? ? ? So?? ?Can? ?it? ?work?? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?asked.? ?He? ?needed? ?to? ?know? ?if? ?Cillin? ?had? ?someone? ?who? ?could? ? impersonate? ?Sward.? ?The? ?closer? ?the? ?resemblance,? ?the? ?less? ?chance? ?they? ?would? ?be? ?exposed? ? during? ?the? ?operation,? ?and? ?the? ?higher? ?their? ?success? ?rate? ?would? ?become.? ? ? The? ?messenger? ?described? ?to? ?him? ?what? ?had? ?happened? ?earlier,? ?and? ?Shusag? ?put? ?on? ?a? ?show? ?again? ? just? ?for? ?Shi? ?Huajing.? ?It? ?was? ?so? ?good? ?that? ?the? ?fourth? ?young? ?master? ?couldnt? ?stop? ?clicking? ?his? ?tongue? ? in? ?wonder.? ?Where? ?on? ?earth? ?did? ?you? ?find? ?such? ?a? ?talent,? ?Cillin?? ? ? Cillin? ?simply? ?smiled? ?and? ?refrained? ?from? ?answering.? ?It? ?wasnt? ?that? ?he? ?didnt? ?trust? ?Shi? ?Huajing,? ?but? ? Shusags? ?origin? ?absolutely? ?had? ?to? ?remain? ?hidden? ?for? ?now.? ?Catching? ?on? ?the? ?hint,? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ? moved? ?on? ?to? ?discuss? ?the? ?next? ?steps? ?of? ?the? ?plan.? ?Originally,? ?he? ?had? ?planned? ?for? ?Cillin? ?to? ?act? ?as? ? Sward.? ?Since? ?Shusag? ?proved? ?himself? ?to? ?be? ?the? ?better? ?impersonator? ?though,? ?he? ?would? ?have? ?to? ? alter? ?the? ?plan? ?slightly.? ? ? Its? ?not? ?actually? ?hard? ?to? ?infiltrate? ?Sector? ?C.? ?Theres? ?a? ?recent? ?intel? ?I? ?received? ?that? ?may? ?be? ?of? ?use? ?to? ? you.? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?explained,? ?Some? ?time? ?ago,? ?there? ?was? ?a? ?clash? ?between? ?the? ?Fifth? ?Army? ?and? ?the? ? First? ?Army.? ?The? ?First? ?Army? ?unfortunately? ?suffered? ?some? ?casualties? ?in? ?that? ?battle,? ?but? ?it? ?also? ?gave? ? me? ?the? ?opportunity? ?to? ?assassinate? ?Sward.? ?Anyway,? ?the? ?target? ?location? ?has? ?a? ?strict? ?inspection? ? policy.? ?Only? ?captives? ?and? ?escorts? ?are? ?allowed? ?to? ?enter.? ? ? Sward? ?is? ?one? ?of? ?the? ?escorts?? ?Cillin? ?confirmed.? ? ? Thats? ?right.? ?Sward? ?has? ?done? ?this? ?twice? ?already,? ?and? ?Im? ?pretty? ?sure? ?his? ?service? ?will? ?be? ?required? ? again.? ?Not? ?everyone? ?can? ?witness? ?what? ?was? ?done? ?to? ?those? ?captive? ?soldiers? ?and? ?not? ?bat? ?an? ?eye? ? after? ?all.? ? ? Cillin? ?nodded.? ?He? ?now? ?had? ?a? ?good? ?grasp? ?of? ?Shi? ?Huajings? ?plan.? ? ? There? ?is? ?another? ?problem? ?though.? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?continued,? ?Shusag? ?is? ?an? ?excellent? ? impersonator,? ?and? ?I? ?have? ?some? ?of? ?his? ?ID? ?documents? ?in? ?my? ?hands.? ?However,? ?the? ?base? ?youre? ? infiltrating? ?has? ?even? ?stricter? ?inspection? ?policies? ?than? ?the? ?ones? ?outside.? ?Theyll? ?scan? ?his? ?RNA,? ? DNA,? ?gene? ?activity,? ?antibodies? ?and? ?more? ?to? ?verify? ?his? ?identity.? ?Obviously,? ?even? ?if? ?Sward? ?himself? ? undergoes? ?the? ?scan,? ?the? ?results? ?are? ?going? ?to? ?be? ?slightly? ?different? ?each? ?time.? ?A? ?humans? ?body? ?is? ? everchanging? ?after? ?all.? ? ? In? ?fact,? ?if? ?the? ?scan? ?showed? ?the? ?exact? ?same? ?results? ?as? ?the? ?previous? ?scan,? ?the? ?person? ?would? ?be? ? detained? ?on? ?the? ?spot? ?because? ?it? ?could? ?only? ?mean? ?that? ?someone? ?had? ?stolen? ?the? ?scan? ?records.? ?It? ? was? ?the? ?biggest? ?problem? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?was? ?facing? ?right? ?now.? ? ? Cillin? ?mulled? ?over? ?the? ?possibilities? ?for? ?a? ?moment? ?before? ?looking? ?at? ?Czedow.? ?After? ?Czedow? ?gave? ? him? ?a? ?nod,? ?he? ?looked? ?back? ?at? ?Shi? ?Huajing? ?and? ?answered,? ?Its? ?okay.? ?We? ?can? ?deal? ?with? ?it.? Chapter 353 Chapter 353: A Familiar Face Wait, really? Shi Huajing checked Cillins expression for any signs of hesitation or forced acceptance. It was only after he confirmed that none were present that he noddedhe didnt ask how Cillin was going to pull it offand moved onto the next topic. Although Shi Huajing hadnt known Cillin for too long, he thought he knew enough after his time in the Sixth B Squadron. Cillin was a mysterious person who at first glance seemed perfectly ordinary even after he was promoted to a B squad commander of Vanguard. In fact, there were many people who thought that he didnt deserve it. Only those who maintained contact with him for some time would realize that he was usually at the center of many incidents and persons. The man himself was an incredibly difficult mystery to unravel. ... and thats all the way I can send you inside. What do you think? said Shi Huajing after explaining his thoughts and the action plans he had prepared for this mission. Once Cillin had decided which one to take, he would immediately put them into action. Although the Shusag plan seemed like it would work, it was never a good idea to rely on one plan only. At the very least, there should be a backup plan in case the first one failed to bear fruit. Cillin thought through all the plans Shi Huajing had told him before answering, I choose the second plan. Shi Huajing raised an eyebrow. The second one? Shi Huajing thought that the second plan had great merits himself, but the greater element of unpredictability had prevented him from making the decision outright. He wasnt expecting Cillin to choose it from the get-go, and from the sound of it he was planning to pull it off personally. Earlier, Shi Huajing had told Cillin that there were only captives and escorts were granted entry into the base. If Shusags way in was the escort way, then Cillins way in was the captive way. Long story short, being a captive in the base was far harder than being an escort. When Shi Huajing was explaining this particular action plan to Cillin, he already pointed out that the captives were used as test subjects by Miracle. Moreover, their prison condition could only be described as terrible. Before the captives were even taken into the base and imprisoned like lab rats, their vitals were gauged to see if they would make suitable test subjects. Those who were on their last legs would be killed outright. Those who were fairly healthy would be shot until their vitals fell within the expected range. But why would the researchers want to experiment injured test subjects when a healthy one would last much longer? It was because this was the preliminary test. They needed test subjects with strong constitution and recovery, so they shot up their captives until their vital numbers were relatively similar and see who could recover better during the time it took to carry them to the base. It was like they were trying to screen for the superior meat. Worse, they didnt even care if the test subjects could survive the journey. At this time and age, test subjects were the last thing they lacked right now. Every once in a while, the base would check on the captives condition as a matter of course. They were enemies, and despite their orders the escorts would sometimes give into their emotions and murder a captive or two. Of course, assuming that Shusag didnt experience a sudden onset of stage fright or something, he should be able to put his identity as the head of the escorts to good use and protect Cillin. How are you going to falsify your vital signs? Shi Huajing asked. Self-mutilation was a technical skill, and in this case even more so. Dont worry. I know what to do, Cillin answered. Okay. Ill start implementing the plan then. Be warned though: I wont be able to do anything to help after youre inside. Youll have to rely on yourself to get out of whatever sticky situation you might be in. On an unrelated note, Shi Huajing had been ignoring a certain gray cat who was trying to catch his attention since the start of the conversation. When Wheeze realized that everyone was ignoring it, it started resorting to more drastic actions such as jumping around, doing back flips in midair and other circus shit in between Cillin and Shi Huajing. Still, the duo continued their conversation as if the cat didnt exist. In the end, Wheeze leaped onto Cillins shoulder and stare down on Shi Huajing with a disdainful look on its face. However, having grown a couple inches of skin since he rejoined the family, Shi Huajing didnt fall for the bait. He knew full well that the fatso would say something like hey loser the instant he gave it attention, and Shi Huajing had no love for self-punishment whatsoever. A small welcome ceremony had been arranged when the starship arrived on Shi Huajings territory. It was because he knew that Jiu Xun didnt enjoy such things. Even so, practically everyone in the Shi Family learned that the old mans arrival, and that Shi Huajing himself had gone over to receive him. Some people began wondering if it was possible to curry favor with Jiu Xun and earn the fourth young masters protection that way. Shi Huajing knew full well that his master hated such things, of course. He straight up declared that no one was allowed to harass Jiu Xun without his express permission, or else. Cillin, Shusag, Czedow and Wheeze were already gone when Shi Huajing was receiving Jiu Xun as per planned. No one paid them any attention because Jiu Xun and Flanders arrival had distracted them. Somewhere at the borders of Sector C, a fleet had stopped by a space filled with debris, wreckages, and lifeless soldiers. The lives that were lost here were utterly meaningless compared to the vastness that was the universe. Two fighters flew away from the center of the battlefield and entered the command ship. A moment later, the infamous Sward and a subordinate of histhe latter was just promoted to Swards aide a while agostepped out of the fighters and onto the hanger. No one paid the aide any attention. Of course, no one dared to stare at Sward either. His expressionless and gloomy face never failed to strike fear into both his enemies and allies, not to mention that his space combat uniform was covered in blood everywhere. It was obvious that the monster had just returned from a satisfying massacre. LTC Sward, the captain is looking for you, said another lieutenant colonel in an indifferent tone before leaving. He had just finished fighting a battle, and he was so tired that all he wanted to do right now was to black out for a couple of days straight! Sward walked straight toward the bridge without even nodding at the guy. However, everyone was used to his quirks since a while ago. Shusag had no problems navigating his way through the ship because he had memorized its rough layout, and because Czedow had also shown him a detailed scan a short moment before they flew in. There were a couple of ID checks on the way, but Shusag passed them all with Czedows help. His face had been made to look like the real Swards, and his body shape looked the exact same after some minute changes as well. Adding that unique quality into the mix and Czedow manipulating the verifiers to produce the results they wanted, and no one suspected that the man striding his way through the corridors like he owned the place werent Sward at all. According to the regulations, aides werent allowed to enter the bridge unless they were given express permission by the commanding officer himself. That was why Shusag went in alone while Czedow waited outside. An impatient-looking man was sitting inside the communications room. He was the captain Sward was supposed to meet and the final authority of this ship. His expression relaxed a little when he saw Shusag. The captain was clearly aware of the type of man Sward was because he didnt waste his breath trying to reprimand the latters blood-covered outfit or minimal verbal responses. He simply sent him on his way after instructing Shusag to escort the captives to the base and updating him on the latest relevant procedures. After all, no one liked to spend time with a man like Sward. Meanwhile, multiple spaceplanes were transporting half-dead captives into the store room of the transport ship next to the command ship. Perhaps the soldiers themselves had no idea what was about to happen to the captives. All the captives temporarily kept inside the lightless store room were wounded in some ways. Some of them had taken injuries during the battle. Some had been shot after they were taken captive. At any rate, the entire store room was chock full of blood stench. There wasnt even a window or a vent to ventilate the smell, only life support keeping the oxygen level at a suitable level. Cillins body was covered in blood, but none of it belonged to him as a matter of course. He looked terrible, but that was it. Wheeze had also tampered with the vital checker to make it looked like Cillin had taken some pretty serious injuries. Right now, he was observing his surroundings using the bit of light shining from the command button at the corner of the store room. Wheeze had left to conduct reconnaissance, or so it claimed. Cillin was pretty sure that it was investigating the ships food stock right now. Considering the gray cats abilities, its safety was among the last things he should worry about right now. Speaking of worry, the overwhelming blood stench and oppressive darkness of the store room were aggravating many of the captives in various ways. He could sense it through their elevated heartbeats, heavy breathing and more. Their groans could only be described as full of despair. Cillin did nothing, however. He simply leaned against the wall and observed everything in silence. He was lucky he got a corner to himself because he was among the earlier ones to be tossed inside. There was a young man lying on the ground not far away from Cillin. He was among the many who were tossed in after him. At first, Cillin didnt notice anything unusual about the young man because one, he couldnt see his face because his back was facing toward him, and two, the guy had put on quite the show during his entry. He had rolled a couple of times across the floor when he was tossed in before climbing to the edge of the store room, shivering all the while. He also wouldnt stop coughing and spat out a couple mouthfuls of blood. He had looked like he was a couple of minutes away from death. Eventually, his coughs quieted to the point where there was nothing at all. The others probably thought that he had succumbed to his injuries and died, but Cillin sensed otherwise. His senses were telling him that the guy had just fallen asleep. Yue Lou? The guys sleeping habits seemed to be as terrible as ever. Cillin wasnt expecting to find a familiar face at this place, and he certainly wasnt expecting the level of gunshot wounds the latter was suffering from. Although it wasnt fatal, the guy had danced the dance at least one time before the reaper. Unless Yue Lous skills had degenerated since the last time they met, this should never have happened to him. What puzzled Cillin the most though was the puncture wound behind his back. Someone had clearly shot Yue Lou from behind. Chapter 354: Inferior Test Subjec t As a shooter, Yue Lous senses were more attuned to guns than anything else. He would never allow himself to take shots like these unless the circumstances were extraordinary. Cillin checked out the marksmans wounds again and noted that he took quite the number of hits, but none of them had hit his vitals. A possibility entered his mind: Could Yue Lou had intentionally taken these hits? Still, there was no need to go this far. What on earth had driven him to take such a risk? The shots looked like they had been fired from Yue Lous back at close-range. The only type of people Yue Lou would allow to get this type of range over him was a comrade, and Cillin didnt believe that a true friend of his wouldve acquiesced to such a stunt, much less take it to the extent they did. This told him that Yue Lou had a run-in with spies and traitors. It also told him that the same thing probably happened to the defeated First Fleet soldiers around him as well. Cillin didnt speak with Yue Lou. He simply observed him and everyone else in the store room in silence. Yue Lou seemed to be sleeping well. His breathing was weaker than normal, but stable. He wouldnt be dying just yet. Some of the captives were muttering to themselves or checking out their surroundings to no avail. Not everyone had Cillins excellent night vision, so most of them could only see a curtain of pitch black darkness and the faint light emanating from the command button at a corner of the store room. The transport ship took off after the captives were fully loaded. Besides the pain, they would have to endure the discomfort of flight as well. Both Cillin and Yue Lou stayed quietly where they were. There were cameras monitoring the situation inside the store room. Every time a certain amount of captives had died, the guards would drag them away and toss them into space. Like everything else in the world, the army had their own brand of cruelty and tyranny. A small commotion had broken out when the guards entered the store room to drag the dead away. A couple of captives who had reached their mental limit tried to escape and were shot for their effort. Yue Lou barely reacted to the incident though. His breathing rhythm remained regular, he seemed completely indifferent toward his comrades fate. Scenes like this were probably a common occurrence to him. That being said, the guards hadnt given them any trouble besides the two times they came in to drag away the dead. Sward, or rather Shusag obviously had a hand in this. Everything was going smoothly, so Cillin took a page from Yue Lou and caught some rest himself. The operation had just begun after all. The transport ship met little to no resistance on their way to the base at Sector C. No military force had harassed them, nor had the First Army demanded a prisoner exchange. There was definitely something off about this. Normally, the First Army would definitely want to rescue a talent like Yue Lou. In reality, it was as if the world had forgotten about the youngster. Cillin was well aware of the turbulence between the armies, and he wanted no part in it. That was why he didnt speak with Yue Lou. Cillin opened his eyes when the transport ship finally reached their destination planet. A third of the captives had been removed from the store room, and it became clear who had the better constitution, and who hadnt. Some people had recovered to the point where they could move around as they pleased. Although they couldnt perform strenuous exercises, and being trapped in a confined space was hardly beneficial for ones mental health, they were still doing much better than when they were first tossed into the store room. Yue Lou had recovered a lot as well. On the outside, it looked like the gunshot wounds hadnt recovered much, and he still looked like he could die at any moment. Cillin had a feeling that he was hiding his strength though. If necessary, he could transform from a dying man to a ferocious tiger in an instant. The transport ship didnt enter the planet directly. It docked at the space station orbiting it first so that the professionals could categorize and process the captives accordingly. Cillin looked up and watched the store room door. A while later, it opened to reveal a squad of fully-armed personnel. They didnt look like soldiersin fact, the actual Fifth Army soldiers who were guarding them were standing behind these personneland a couple of white coats were standing among them. They were probably Miracles private army. These people were taller, bigger and faster than your average person. Their movements were graceful, and the way they held their guns looked very practiced. Their gaze was concealed by their helmet, but even an idiot could tell that they werent the sympathetic type. In fact, they emanated a strange, terrifying aura that worsened the already existing anxiety, depression and despair in the store room. A dazed captive staggered toward the entrance like a fly that was attracted by a light. He barely managed a couple of steps before there was a tu sound, and his entire torso exploded like a pi?ata. Someone among the armed squad had open fire. The action further solidified Cillins first impression of these people: cold, numb, and without hesitation. The restless captives in the store room immediately reined in their impulses. No one wanted to become the second splat on the floor. Expression indifferent, the white coats took a moment to glance around the store room. One of them said, This batchs almost the same quality and quantity as the previous batches. The others nodded in agreement before commanding the armed personnel to start escorting the captives. The armed personnel walked up to those who were still sitting or lying on the ground and mercilessly kicked them to the center of the store room. Cillin was quick enough to notice the signs and walk to the spot before they could use him as a kicking bag. Yue Lou looked sick, but he was fast to act as well. Those who were too slow on the uptake were kicked so hard that their bones snapped audibly. If Cillin and the others werent blocking the way at the center, these people wouldve flown straight to the opposite wall and broke a couple more bones. The armed force made sure to point their guns at them as they escorted them toward god-knows-where. It was to serve as a message to walk faster and a warning not to do anything stupid, not that anyone was stupid enough to try anything in this situation. They walked toward the docking bridge, exited the transport ship, and arrived at a large room with a dozen or so smaller, round-shaped rooms. The captives were then split into an equal amount of groups before being pushed inside. The captives physical condition was scanned immediately after they entered the rooms. The white coats would then categorize them based on the displayed data. Skulking nearby, Wheeze modified Cillins data so that he would be categorized as an inferior test subject. Yue Lou was categorized as an average test subject, and that was after he had concealed his strength. Under normal circumstances, he would most likely be categorized as a superior test subject. Test subjects of different categories were sent to different research bases. Therefore, Cillin and Yue Lou didnt board the same spaceplane. Meanwhile, Shusag and Czedow were performing their last escort mission. This time, they flew a separate spaceplane that didnt have any captive in it as per dictated in the rules and regulations. Four spaceplanes took off from the space station and flew to the spaceport on the planet. The escort mission was considered complete only when all of the captives had been taken away, and the handover process was formally completed by Sward. A pleasure to work with you, LC Sward! The base personnel responsible for the handover shot Sward a smile and didnt react negatively even though the latter had shot him the usual curt grunt of acknowledgement. After confirming that the documents were all in order, he turned his backs on the escorts and walked away. The latter usually lingered for a short moment before leaving. After the handover guy had left, Shusag exchanged a glance with Czedow before turning back toward their spaceplane. Back to Cillin. Cillin and the captives who had been categorized as inferior test subjects had been tossed into an escort vehicle and transported to a base. It wasnt where Mo Heng was imprisoned, but it didnt matter. The two bases were fairly close to one another, and the fact that the infiltration was successful was equal to half a victory already. The researchers didnt lay their hands on them immediately because they were new. Usually, they waited a couple of days for the test subjects to recover somewhat before officially beginning their experiments. While passing through a vacant spot, Cillin discovered a fresh stain of blood on the floor that was darker than what was considered normal for a human being. So, he pretended to stumble, made contact with the strange blood and analyzed it. It was human blood, but the genetic information he gleaned from it showed a helix pattern that a normal person absolutely couldnt possess. There were also obvious signs of forced alteration. Clearly, the owner of the blood had been modified and injected with a gene drug. It also became clear that the bases primary objective was to research gene medicine. His batch of newcomers were imprisoned inside a transparent cage. It wasnt the first time he had seen one of these things, although these ones were even smaller. There was only around one square meter of space, and a lot of equipment had been fitted into the narrow cage to monitor the test subjects and record various data. There was also a number code outside each cage that doubled as the test subjects code. After all the test subjects had been locked inside their cages, the walls turned completely opaque. It was a one-way mirror of sorts. They couldnt see what was going outside the cages, but the researchers could see inside clearly. Cillin leaned against the wall in a sitting position and closed his eyes like an exhausted captive would. A patrolling researcher only shot him one look before leaving the area. Most of the test subjects looked like this, so why would he pay Cillin any extra attention? Meanwhile, at a location no one was looking at the moment, a fully fed and refreshed Wheeze were making its move. It was too risky to spread it at the research base where Mo Heng was imprisoned, and the one Cillin was currently in because those bases were under heavy surveillance. The same thing couldnt be stated for the other bases scattered throughout the area, however. Also, the bigger the spread, the better the effect would be. The gray cay thought happily to itself, this is just like catching fishes. The bigger the net, the better the catch! Glorious mission in paw, it took off toward its first target. Chapter 355: The Virus Descends The prisoner room were filled with rows and rows of cylindrical, white-glowing cages. The surroundings were so quiet that the one could hear the sounds of the soldiers knocking on the cage wall clearly. The prisoners despairing, beastial howls from inside the one square meter wide cage only added to the hopelessness of the situation. Unlike the other prisoners, Cillin sat against the wall with his legs curled slightly and kept his eyes closed. He was waiting for something and taking note of the activities outside the cage. He couldnt see anything outside from inside the cage as a matter of course, but sight wasnt the only way he could perceive his surroundings. The slight tremors affecting the cage and machine language told him a fair amount as well. He couldnt perceive his surroundings without sight perfectly like Czedow and Wheeze, but a rough picture was well within his capabilities. For example, he could sense it when a researcher patrolled the area earlier. He could also tell how long the researcher had lingered around certain cages, their patrol route and so on. Cillin was also counting the time besides saving his energy and perceiving his surroundings. Suddenly, he picked something that was nigh imperceptible. To give an example, someone outside the cage might not have picked up the activity if they had to rely on their hearing only. A ripple had appeared on a wall of the prisoner room. Then, a metallic person walked out from the center. He couldnt perceive the persons face from where he was, only that he had a humanoid outline. The entire process was almost soundless, and the part where his body was connected to the wall only rippled slightly. Cillin didnt know who the person was, but they reminded him of that man he once encountered at the prison of Sector S. Is it Mist? Or Merciless? Regardless of who they belonged to, Cillin was very surprised that they showed up at all. They were the two best killer organizations in the entire GAL, so any move they made would be deserving of scrutiny, especially on a planet like this one. Why are they here? Is it for the people, or the drugs? Miracle was most famous for their gene medicine, but there was no need for them to come to the prisoner room if the drugs were their goal, right? Throughout all this, Cillin kept his head bowed and didnt move a muscle so that it would look like he was asleep from the outside. Therefore, the newcomer didnt notice anything amiss with Cillin either. After scanning the room once for whatever it was they were here for, they stepped back into the wall, and the ripples vanished like they never existed in the first place. There were no researchers in the room, but there were quite the number of security cameras. Long story short, there were no blind spots they hadnt covered. What this meant was that the security cameras had been tampered with, and that the mysterious person had one or more accomplices in the facility. That was why he wasnt afraid of being detected at all. Things were getting complicated, but it didnt have to be a bad thing. At the very least, he now had a scapegoat to blame the havoc he was soon to wreak on. Time passed little by little. The researchers went about their business just like every other day. At a base a slightly father distance away from Cillins, two researchers were spending their leisure chatting with each other and complaining about the wall they had bumped into in their recent experiments. Its not working. The side effects of the feedback is too much, and we just couldnt find a way to increase the stability no matter what we tried. Weve failed at least 20 times this afternoon alone, and the pressure from the higher-ups is never-ending. Its so annoying and exhausting, one of the researchers complained. They hadnt come here completely out of their free will. Long story short, Miracle had made various threats and promises that they couldnt ignore. At first, they were shocked to learn that the test subjects they were going to experiment on were soldiers. Some were even quite high up in the military ranking. Although soldiers and officers generally made excellent test subjects due to their high constitution, they would never even think to commit such a thing in the past. The armys vengeance was nothing to scoff at after all. But now? Now the situation was different, and they had gotten used to their new life. The researcher sitting on his chair nodded in agreement. I know right? Our department has had quite the amount of failures too. Although the first upgrade was relatively speaking a success, the second upgrade has a fairly low success rate. Even a modified humans genes has its hard limits. I dont agree with that saying. The entire point of our research is to exceed the hard limits of our genes. Otherwise, how can you call it an upgrade? Also The speaker suddenly fell silent. Also? Go on, Im listening. The researcher said while sipping his water, but he still didnt hear a reply from his colleague. When he turned to look, he saw that the other guy was staring at him in shock and fear. Whats wrong? Y your face is! The guy jumped away while pointing a finger at him. My face? The researcher set down his cup and rubbed his face. Then, he let out an exclamation of surprise. He still didnt know what was going on with his face, but the brown spots growing on his hand was enough to tell him what was going on. He rolled up his sleeves and confirmed that his entire arm was covered in brown spots already. Youre covered in them too! He shouted right as his colleague was about to run out of the break room. It wasnt a trick. The other guys symptoms were two minutes later than later than his, but he was definitely growing brown spots as well. The brown spots were nothing like the age spots of an older person. They came in various oval-shaped sizes, and the nerves beneath them felt deadened or unfeeling. They had tried cutting it with a knife and felt no pain at all. Was this a virus? Or some sort of drug? They had no idea. The biosafety system was still completely silent. They themselves couldnt recall making contact with any drug that might trigger such a symptom. The onset of fear was as rapid as it was acute. As people who engaged in biochemical experiments, they were naturally terrified of situations like this. Having witnessed all the terrible things that happened to their test subjects, they more than anyone else didnt want the same fate to befall them. The safety rules were constantly updated, and the sterilization facilities covered for everything. They themselves had never neglected to protect themselves. There were cases of researchers being injured by the failed test subjects, but not once had there been an outbreak during the two years plus they had worked in this research base. So why was this happening?! They had protective suits, sterilization rooms, multi-level buffer rooms and isolation rooms nothing shouldve happened at all! Maybe it was a drug effect? Before the duo could come up with the proper response to what was happening to them, an ear-piercing scream broke out from the lab next to the breaker room. Looks like they werent the only two people who were infected by the mysterious affliction. In fact, the same thing was happening all across the labs. Before longs, the screams of panic had spread to the entire base. They were all afraid that they would suffer the same fates as their test subjects. At this point, the researchers were certain that it was a virus outbreak. If it was a drug spillage of sorts, it wouldnt have spread this quickly and widely. The bad news was that it only made their panic worse. If their symptoms were the same as their test subjects, then at least they would have some idea as to how to counteract it. That was one of the reasons they infected some of their test subjects on purpose after all. But it wasnt, and that was bad. The unknown was the worst because you couldnt know where to even begin to save yourself. While the research base was descending into complete panic, two other bases were starting to show signs of the same virus outbreak as well. The news quickly spread across the whole planet, and all the research bases that hadnt yet been affected by it entered a state of high alert. It had been confirmed that the bases defense system couldnt detect the virus. It hadnt been confirmed if the sterilization rooms, germ-free rooms, and multi-level buffer rooms were effective in containing the virus. The base responsible for virus research had reacted very quickly. They had formed a special task force and begun researching the virus as soon as they got their hands on it. However, the news that leaked just a couple of hours later only increased the panic level. All the high level researchers in the special task force were confirmed to be infected. The status of the other researchers in the task force were not yet confirmed, but everyone knew that it was just an excuse. If you were in the task force, it was just a matter of time before the symptoms began to show. Not everyone shared the same incubation period. Some people might show symptoms immediately. Some people looked fine for two to three hours before the symptoms began to surface. Most importantly, the virus mutated at an insane rate. It was to the point where the high level researchers in the task force had no idea how to stop it. Currently, the only symptom the virus exhibited was numbness. Although there had been no deaths so far, no one showed any sign of relief whatsoever. It was too soon to tell if the virus might be deadly. Maybe it was non-lethal during the beginning stages, but what about later? The numbness was spreading, and the virus had an incredibly high mutation rate. Who could say that it wouldnt mutate into an absolute killer later? The research bases that seemed to be unaffected rejected all outsiders and worked to upgrade their defense systems. For obvious reasons, whatever project they were working on at the time had been tossed completely out of their minds. Instead, they shut themselves in closed rooms and prayed that it was enough to keep the virus away from them. They hadnt come here to die after all. A gray cat stretched calmly while watching the panicking people. After tilting its head, scratching itself behind the ear for a bit, and shaking its fur a bit, it left to spread the net wider. Chapter 356: Who Are They Part 1 Chapter 356: Who Are They [Part 1] Anbixin was the head person-in-charge of the base where Mo Heng was held in. The higher-ups of Miracle saw great value in the projects that were being carried on there and invested a lot manpower, wealth and resource into it. Anbixin himself had invested a lot of effort to make sure that the work progressed as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, they had run into a bottleneck for some time now. His progress werent much better than the other bases, and worse the high-ups had pressured him to get them the results they wanted just two days ago. Although he had done the same to his subordinates, he didnt think that a miracle breakthrough would happen. That was why he was looking into alternatives that might lubricate this process substantially. For starters, he had ordered his men keep an eye on the commander of the Eleventh Squad, Cillin. As Mo Hengs former student, Anbixin knew of his teachers ability better than most. That was why he believed that the technology Cillin had used to fire that space lightning had belonged to his teacher, and had tried to make him spill the beans. If the higher-ups hadnt told him to give Mo Heng special treatmentcompared to the other personnel who had been coerced into working for them anywayhe wouldve subjected his teacher to forceful interrogation already. Unfortunately, the news his spies had reported back surprising news. The Eleventh Squad was currently on a mission, and every one of their members was present and accounted for. Anbixin couldnt help but feel curious and irritated. Was he mistaken? Was Mo Hengs message not intended for Cillin after all? At any rate, the pressure from the higher-ups, the research bottleneck, the unproven theories; he was usually an unflappable person, but even he was starting to grow worried. He also couldnt shake the feeling that something was about to happen. His ominous premonition was proven true very soon. Five of the nine large research bases on the planet had caught an unknown virus, and three of them had been classified as red zones. They could suffer a total collapse at any moment. Anbixin immediately ordered a lockdown when he learned of the news. No one from outside was allowed to enter the base. He didnt stop people from leaving the base, but once they were out, they were out permanently until a cure of sorts had been found. Anbixin even dispatched some men to set up a quarantine perimeter a long, long distance away from the base. Long story short, anyone who crossed over the line and wasnt a special person would be killed on sight. For obvious reasons, Anbixin didnt want the virus to spread to his base. If even one person got infected, then it was only a matter of time before the entire base succumbed. Although he was an engineering researcher, he knew enough about the subject to be extremely cautious about them. He had never been comfortable with the fact that his base and the virus research base were on the same planet; always choosing to turn them away from his doorsteps whenever possible. It was because he knew just how dangerous some of the viruses they were researching. Not only did he have zero favorable impressions toward them, his first reaction upon learning of the virus outbreak was to curse everyone who worked in the virus and biochemistry research base a million times over. Even after he learned that the virus research base wasnt ground zero, he still believed that it was their negligence that had led to their current conundrum and panic. Of course, Anbixin had considered the possibility that someone might be spreading the virus on purpose. In fact, his first instinct was to suspect Mo Hengs students or contacts. However, that made no sense because the outbreak had first started at the biochemistry research base. Assuming that someone was trying to save Mo Heng, they shouldve targeted the engineering base first. Moreover, genetics was one of Miracles primary research focus, so the defenses and safeguards in the biochemistry base were even better than the engineering bases. He saw no reason why a rescue force would intentionally target a heavily guarded base where their target wasnt even located at. Finally, the crisis at hand was a virus outbreak, and Mo Heng was an engineering expert. There was no connection between the two of them whatsoever. Unable to figure out the reason behind the outbreak, Anbixin ultimately decide to put all the blame on the persons in charge of the biochemistry research base and the virus research base. Meanwhile, Mo Heng was doing little to nothing in his room as per usual. If he was bored, he would assemble a generic machine to pass the time. If he was tired, he would either listen to a tune or take a short nap. Mo Heng was resting in his chair right now. He was feeling a bit tired after finishing assembling a machine. He was just about to fall asleep when his fellow colleague, Old Man Sayd came through the door to speak with him. How are you so calm, Old Mo? asked Sayd the moment he saw Mo Heng. He seemed unusually nervous and panicky today. I dont understand what you mean. Why wouldnt I? Mo Heng opened his eyes lazily. You you dont know? Know what? When was the last time you checked the public channel? Old Man Sayd stared at his colleague in disbelief. Even if he pretended that the public channel didnt exist, all Mo Heng needed to do to learn about the news was to walk out of his room and strike a conversation with any researcher. What the hell had he been doing all day? Like I care about the mind-boggling nonsense they spout on the public channel. Its way better to just listen to some music. His nap had been disrupted, so Mo Heng grabbed a part and tossed it into the air repeatedly. Still wearing a panicky expression on his face, Sayd began telling Mo Heng all about the virus outbreak. There isnt a single person in the base who isnt panicking right now. Were probably all going to die if just one of us catches the virus! Mo Heng fell silent for a moment before asking, Its that bad? There hasnt been any casualty yetor at least thats what they claimbut theres no doubt that the virus is extremely powerful. Forget treating the virus, the special task force themselves had succumbed to it! Sayd was more sensitive toward virus than most because he had gone through a similar experience in the past. That virus outbreak had only affected a small area, and the research institute had found a cure and stopped the spread very quickly. However, as a GAL Engineering Institute scholar with a fair amount of influence at the time, Sayd had learned that the virus outbreak had started from a lab. Since then, he never got close to a lab that conducted virus or even biochemistry research again. He was perfectly content dealing with machines only. Mo Heng stopped playing with the part and asked another question, What are the others planning? Sayd sighed again. At first, Anbixin allowed individual researchers to leave the base. No one thinks that its safe to remain here since everyone gets infected if even one person gets infected. Ive already told you how ridiculously fast this new virus spread. However, the number of people who wishes to leave the base kept growing, and its reached the point where Anbixin put his foot down and forbad anyone else from leaving. After all, whos going to work on the projects if everyones gone? What an idiot. Who the hell can work undisturbed after hearing that!? Mo Heng snorted. Leaving the base isnt necessarily the best thing to do, however. If the virus really is as fast-spreading as you claim, I bet theres a ton of pathogens in the air. To leave the base is the same as committing suicide. At least here we have some high-end sterilization facilities and whatnot. I know, but those people were hoping that they could get out of the planet first before the virus reaches them. Of course, Miracle would never agree to that. The satellite arrays are already on standby mode, and anyone who attempts to leave will be killed without mercy. Not even if they are the head person-in-charge of the base, if you catch my drift. Mo Heng curled his lips. Miracle was a ruthless corporation alright. And what are you planning to do? Mo Heng looked at Sayd. Sayd paused for a moment before starting, Im going to isolate myself. Ive already prepared the food, and Im going to modify my room so that it would at least keep out the patients. What about you? Are you going to do the same thing? If you are, then I suggest that you start gathering the food supplies right away. Sayd was obviously nervous, and Mo Heng wasnt able to give him an immediate answer. A while later, Sayd bade him goodbye and left the room in a hurry. Mo Heng would lie back down on his chair and do nothing until a very, very long time later. He understood Sayds thinking, and he reckoned that many many others were planning something similar. However, Mo Heng had his own ideas. As the father of a general, he had a better understanding of the higher-ups way of thinking. Assuming that the virus was too powerful to overcome, and a cure couldnt be found before in a reasonably short timeframe, it was highly likely they would choose to abandon the planet entirely. What this meant was that the entire planet would be destroyed and wiped out from the surface of GAL. If that worst case scenario were to come by, then what was the point of holing up inside ones own makeshift shelter? They would still die. While Mo Heng was coming up with a plan, Cillin was also counting down the time until he began his operation. The first patient had been discovered in the base he was imprisoned in. The second and third patients quickly popped up as well. The base personnel were already nervous to begin with, but the appearance of their bases patient zero immediately caused them to panic like birds that were startled by the mere twang of a bow. The order they maintained up until this point immediately fell apart, and over ninety percent of the ongoing work had come to a screeching halt. No one was in the mood of continuing their projects, and everyone was thinking how to avoid the unknown virus and the patients with all their hearts. In fact, they couldnt even trust the people around them anymore. It was as if everyone was a potential virus carrier. As the thought took root in every man and womans mind, the researchers began staying a good distance away from each other and put on their protective suits. It was almost like they were arming themselves to go to war. Of course, those who knew the ropes knew that the special task force created to deal with the virus possessed some of the best facility and equipment on the entire planet. It might even be the best protective equipment Miracle had produced up until this point. Would their isolation suits be inadequate, and their sterilization facilities not up to date enough to deal with any virus? As for the members themselves, even the lowliest assistant among them had been a veteran with many, many years of experience beneath their belt. Would they really allow themselves to fall to negligence when their own lives were on the line? The answer to all three questions were no, and they all knew that. That was exactly why they were anxious and terrified. They knew that their isolation suits might be useless, and they knew that it was only a matter of time before they were infected. However, they were just human, and even the most pragmatic among them couldnt help but indulge in a sliver of wishful thinking. Most of them time, they would rather lie to themselves than face the cruel reality. While the researchers were distracted, and the guards had been called away to maintain order within the base Beep All the white cages inside the prison room were suddenly unlocked. Many of the soldiers trapped inside were tethering on the edge of despair, so many of them thought they were hallucinating for a second. Once the moment of sudden joy, excitement and hope had passed through, they immediately escaped their cages and ran with all their might. Most of them still carried severe injuries, but they werent so incapitated that they couldnt move at all. The weaker captives were still shambling their way to the exit while the stronger ones were figuring out how to open the door. Cillin was surprised by this occurrence because it wasnt part of the plan. Yes, Czedow and Shusag were going to unlock the cages eventually, but that shouldve happened twenty minutes later. Twenty minutes wasnt a long time, but it still wasnt possible for them to arrive twenty minutes early considering the mission objectives they were supposed to carry out before this. Therefore, it couldnt be Czedows work. Therefore, it was either the work of that mysterious wall walker, or Yue Lous rescuers. It could of course be caused by some other unknown party, but he decided that there was no point considering that possibility until he actually encountered them. Regardless, this was good news overall. It meant that he could make some additional preparation before the start of the operation. Chapter 356.2 Chapter 356: Who Are They [Part 2] Cillin blended in with the crowd so he wouldnt stand out. The few captives closest to the entrance were arguing with each other over the best way to open the door. It wouldve devolved into a brawl if the door hadnt slid open on its own without warning, prompting everyone to race out of it like rats. They had no idea where they were going, but they were incapable of accepting any suggestion from their fellow inmates. Right now, all they cared about was to run so hard that the labcoats and fully-armed strange men could never catch them again. The captives were injured, so of course their stamina and speed suffered. This wasnt the case for Cillin, so he quickly vanished from everyones senses in no time. However, instead of running toward the exit, the hunter returned to the fork he passed through when he was first escorted to his prison room, took a turn, and made his way toward another room that seemed to be holding captives as well. Suddenly, before he even got close to the room, the sluice gate and the cages holding countless genetically modified test subjects were unlocked. Fuck! Cillin had no doubt that it was the handiwork of the mysterious group that had freed him and the captives just now. He took out a gun from his leaf ring, aimed at the awakening modified test subjects and squeezed the trigger repeatedly. The gun carried special bullets that scattered into a dozen or so pellets upon firing. Each pellet contained several vectors that he had extracted from the medicine-feeding flies of that Sector E planet, key enzymes and buffers. The modified test subjects metabolic activities should break down the pellets quickly. The goal was to make their biology resistant to most drugs. Generally speaking, the test subjects of a genetic modification research were kept subdued or unconscious via certain drugs. It was because the experiments made themespecially the failed onesunstable to the point where they were physically incapable of suppressing their own emotions. More accurately, their original ego had been artificially wiped out by the modification process, so anyone who was a failed subject was more or less stuck in a permanent state of frenzy. A large majority of the successful ones were incorporated into Miracles private army. They were the heavily armed strange men that had escorted the prisoners on the ship and the research base. Miracle wasnt yet satisfied with their abilities, however. They wanted to perform a second enhancement on top of the foundation they had already built, and the modified test subjects Cillin was shooting at was exactly that. Of course, these modified test subjects werent immune to viruses. However, they lacked the mind or emotion to panic over the possibility of death. Like brainwashed people, they would do anything they were commanded to do until they were physically could not anymore. Cillin fully expected the bases guards to show up very soon, and he didnt believe that his in-mates for several hours were capable of fending them off. That was why he was unleashing these failed test subjects against the successful ones. Miracle certainly deserved to have a taste of their own medicine, not to mention that it would allow him to continue operating within the base unhindered. He could already sense some strange men making their way toward him, so he quickened his movement. He was able to fire the last bullet in his chamber right as the first awakened test subject swung its fist at him. He dodged the attack and ran down the other end of the passage. The awakening test subjects were going to give chase when a chorus of footsteps rang from the opposite direction. It wasnt long before they decided to deal with the louder, much more agitating source of stimuli instead. Who was the stronger between the two groups, the stable test subjects who were only enhanced one time, or the unstable test subjects who were enhanced two twice? Whatever the result might be, Cillin didnt care enough to stay behind to watch the show. The only reason he stopped by the room was to pit the failed test subjects against the bases armed force and buy himself more time. There were a couple more rooms where failed test subjects were held, but it was unlikely Cillin could get them all in one go. He might wake them if he happened to pass by one such room, but he wasnt going to go out of his way to seek them out. The chaos brewing inside the base steadily worsened. The virus outbreak already brought a lot of panic, and the sudden release of the captives and the modified test subjects made things even worse. It was to the point no one could bother to deal with the inciter himself. Inside a warehouse on the other side of the base, a woman with a bob haircut and delicate features was tapping away on her device on top of a box. She was the one who had unlocked all the cages within the research base. Some time later, the man with metallic skin and indistinguishable facial features from before stepped through a rippling wall and into the warehouse. Finally! Ive gathered all the data, so lets get out of this place already! The woman urged immediately. What rotten luck, the metallic man complained as soon as he appeared to his companion. It was as he said. If the virus outbreak hadnt happened, they wouldve been able to stay longer, gather more data and even make some trouble for Miracle here and there. Unfortunately, they had to cut their mission short due to something that should only happen only once in a blue moon. What do we do if we were infected too, Silver? Should we spread it to everyone else in the organization? The woman packed her things and jumped down the box. Maybe we should shoot them a message now and get them to prepare our funeral or not. I refuse to die together with you! ... go fuck yourself. That is not how you speak to a lady! By the way, I did well this mission, right? I opened the cages pretty quick, right? How do I compare to my brother? And stop walking so fast, dammit! Silver didnt slow down or even look back in the slightest despite the womans protest. One foot already inside the wall, he said, Youre not even close to being as good as your brother. Juno wouldve taken half the time you took to complete everything. Impossible! Theres no way the gap between our skill is that huge! I dont care what you think! Now get moving! Stola is waiting for us! Silver raised his voice. After they exited the warehouse, they soundlessly bypassed a restaurant and arrived at an employees hostel. Inside the lounge, there was a drugged researcher who was snoring away like thunder, and a youngster sitting cross-legged on top of a bed and thinking about god-knows-what. Not the time to think, Stola. Pack your stuff and lets go! Silver kicked the guy out of his daydream as soon as he reached him. Stola stretched his back and worked his leg a bit after he came to. Then, he said, Youre so slow, Judy. Silver immediately shot Judy a I told you so look. Judy merely humphed at the response, turned around and started toward the exit. When the first heard about the virus outbreak, they had immediately injected themselves with a drug that increased their resistance. Theoretically speaking, it should help them resist the unknown virus to a certain degree, but it was impossible to say for certain until they had returned to their organization. That was why they needed to leave as soon as possible. This ways empty. Ive checked the cameras. Judy pointed down one passage when they arrived at a fork. The trio quickened their footsteps down the passage. However, they encountered two people immediately after they rounded a corner. Although Silver and Stola often made fun of Judy, they really trusted her abilities quite deeply. The organization wouldnt entrust such an important mission to her if she wasnt good at her job after all. However, the two people standing not far away from them proved that Judy had failed at her task. Whoever the duo were, they were capable of avoiding Judys detection, and they were exceptionally good at concealing themselves. Otherwise, they wouldve noticed them long before they even rounded the corner. The duo was none other than Czedow and Shusag. They were still wearing their disguises, so they werent afraid to be recorded by the unknown trio. Shusag was quite curious about the trio. According to Czedow, someone had altered the security cameras of this corridor and even did their task for them. He wasnt expecting to run into the mysterious group so soon, however. The stand-off lasted less than five seconds before Silver fired a bunch of metallic nails at Shusag and Czedow. At the same time, he dashed right into the wall next to him. Shusag stretched out his hand, but didnt use his special nail bones. A pair of gloves that looked like some sort of metallic claw covered his hands, and he used one claw to knock away the nails and the other to catch the long spike that had suddenly jutted out of the wall next to him. On the other end of the sharp spike was Silvers palm. Judy backed out of range the second Silver threw out his nails. She had worked with the duo long enough to know that her presence would only limit Silver and Stolas ability to fight. Stola acted while Shusag was handling Silver, and Czedow was dodging the nails. Compared to his metallic companion, Stola was much gentler in the sense that all he did was raise his hand. A single bullet flew toward the space where Czedow was dodging to. Czedow raised his hand in front of his forehead, but the bullet passed right through his palm and struck him squarely in the glabella. That wasnt all. Six other spots on Czedows body including the heart were shot as well. The man had fired seven bullets in one motion, and each bullet was enough to claim a persons life. That wasnt the end of his offense yet. There wasnt much distance between the duo to begin with, so he appeared in front of Czedow in a flash and thrust his arm forward. From behind, it would look like Czedow had been turned into a porcupine by countless blades. Originally, Stola was planning to back away upon landing his shots on Czedow. He was pretty confident in his shooting skills. However, he suddenly had a sense that something wasnt quite right, but he couldnt explain why he was feeling this way. That was why he had dealt the extra blow. After Stola had backed away from his victim, his expression abruptly turned stiff and grim. It was because he saw no change in Czedows expression whatsoever. Not only that, not a single drop of blood could be seen anywhere, and the seven gunshot wounds and the puncture wound on the robots torso were closing at an incredible rate! It was Czedows turn to charge, and his speed proved to be as fast as Stolas. The latter immediately expanded a semicircular wall of blades in front of himself. Crack crack crack crack The sound of metal breaking resonated crisply inside the passage. If Stolas attempt to skewer Czedow had ended in failure, then Czedows attempt to claw through the wall of blades with his bare hands was one of resounding success. He was about to reach the man hiding behind it when suddenly, he paused in mid-movement and retreated back to Shusags side. He said, Lets go! Shusag obeyed his companion without hesitation. He pulled aside the spike jutting his way and ran away with Czedow. Earlier, Czedow had received a message from Cillin saying to speed up the operation. That was why he withdrew and left with Shusag after he finished capturing all the data he could capture regarding the trio. After Czedow left, Stola took a closer look at his blade wall and noted that the claw-shaped depressionor rather protrusion from his point of viewwas only a dozen or so centimeters away from him. He was going to activate his life-saving shield when his opponent suddenly canceled his attack. Who are they? Are they Grim Reaper, or? Judy asked. Judy, Silver and Stola were members of Merciless, so they knew that the duo couldnt belong to their sworn enemy, Mist. However, they didnt look like they belonged in the military either, especially the guy who almost injured Stola. The only organization Judy could think of that matched the guys profile of strength and mystery was Grim Reaper. Stola shook his head. I dont know. Lets get out of this place. We can speak theories after were safe, Silver walked out of the wall and said to Stola and Judy. Yeah, youre right. Lets go. Judy recollected herself and caught up to Silver. After the trio had left, another person appeared from the far end of another corridor. He was none other than Yue Lou. Yue Lou was currently staring at the now empty corridor and scratching his head curiously. He heard enough to know that the trio belonged to Merciless, but he still knew nothing about the duo who opposed them. Yue Lou recognized their appearance of course, but he was one hundred percent certain that they werent Sward and his adjutant. Sward didnt fight like that, and his adjutant definitely wasnt a monster who could survive being shot or skewered like a porcupine. The shooter then glanced at the brown spots on his hand and sighed: man, what an unlucky year this has been! The appearance of more and more infected kept fueling the panic. Although the guards had successfully quelled the riots via brute force, they couldnt suppress the growing panic in everyones heart. Of all the bad news they had received thus far, the most despairing one was without a doubt the news that cases had appeared throughout all nine big research bases. Despite their best attempts, they werent able to prevent the virus from slipping past their defenses. The rumors grew abundant after that. Some said that their patients had lost their consciousness. Some said their base had had their first deaths. Some said The brown spots were like the grim reapers mark. They thought it was scary, but they had no idea that the panic was just beginning for the half of the planet that had just begun their night cycle. Chapter 357 It had only been four hours had passed since the first case was identified, but the virus had gotten to all nine big research bases already. The patient zeros had almost all mobility, and they felt as hopeless as their own test subjects. It was because their biggest hope, the task force made of the greatest minds in virus research on this planet, had succumbed to the virus themselves. It takes only an instant for a person to leave a state of life and enter a state of death, but this virus seemed intend on prolonging the process as much as possible. They could feel the virus robbing them of their control inch by inch, and there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it. It didnt rob them of their consciousness, but that only made the suffering and waiting for death to claim them that much worse. The nine big research bases werent the only ones who were experiencing problems. The good news was that it wasnt a virus outbreak. The bad news was that the space station and the patrol fleets were experiencing severe signal interferences, and it had reached the point where they couldnt even send out a request for help. The electromagnetic interferences had actually begun before the virus outbreak, but at the time they thought that it was simply a result of unusual stellar activities or exceptional electromagnetic storms and paid it little heed. Now though, they were really starting to panic. The persons-in-charge of the nine research bases, the patrol fleet captain, and the space stations chief administrator were all working their asses off to keep the situation under control right now. They were the highest leadership of this planet, and it was their responsibility to maintain control no matter what. Specifically, the PICs would keep their respective bases under control, and the patrol fleet captain and the space station chief administrator would prevent anyone from escaping to space. Right now, everyone in the patrol fleet and the space station were thanking their stars that they werent on the planet. Although the nine research bases usually stuck to their own researches, that hardly meant that there wasnt any communication between them at all. Occasionally, personnel would even travel from one base to another via spaceplanes. In their opinion, that had to be how the virus had spread to all nine research bases. The situation wouldnt have deteriorated nearly as much if they had entered lockdown sooner or so they thought. The patrol fleet captain wrote all his thoughts into his report so that the technicians could send them to the higher-ups after the communications equipment were fixed. He thought he might get a promotion from this. The guy wouldve been lynched if his thoughts were known to the people on the planet. As an outsider, he couldnt even begin to imagine the panic that was besetting everyone in the nine research bases. The only reason things hadnt broken down completely was because the guards were still maintaining order. Although Cillin had set loose some groups of failed test subjects, there were ultimately more guards than there were failed test subjects, not to mention that the researchers were no combatants. Speaking of which, the PICs were starting to suspect that someone was working against them. For starters, someone had released the failed test subjects from their confinement to create more chaos. Two, the drugs that were normally used to suppress them had suddenly failed without reason. The effects were either greatly diminished or completely useless. When the researchers analyzed the blood samples that were recovered from the dead bodies of the failed test subjects, they discovered that they had all developed a certain level of drug resistance. They couldve chalked it up as an coincidence if it was just one typeafter all, it wasnt uncommon for a test subject to undergo unusual biological changes after an experiment or tenbut the reality was that the failed test subjects had developed drug resistance to nearly all of their suppressants. Even if they werent completely immune, the suppressants effects were much more diminished than before. There was no way this couldve happened naturally! So, the question became whodunit. Who had the ability to release the test subjects from their cages? Who had the ability to make them resistant to their suppressants in such a short time? And finally, could they be the ones behind this virus outbreak? Most researchers believed that someone was behind the anomaly surrounding the failed test subjects, but not the unknown virus. Maybe it was because they were overly confident in their abilities, but they didnt believe that anyone was capable of creating such an overpowering virus; one that they couldnt even begin to cure. If even Miracle couldnt figure this out, who else could possibly create such a thing? Their arrogance wasnt completely misplaced, however. The personnel of Miracle quickly showed why they were a galaxy-famous corporation in GAL. Dissenting researchers were suppressed by force, and charismatic figures stepped out to calm panicking minds. Their efforts were also aided by the fact that the virus outbreak, while bad hadnt yet entered the worst case scenario. In the end, they were able to turn the situation around and even set themselves on the path of improvement. But of course, Cillin wasnt going to let them recover this quickly. The leaders were heaving sighs of relief inside their heads and enjoying a tiny bit of reprieve when suddenly, a music started playing not just on the nine research bases, but also the patrol fleet and the space station. The sounds of raining and the soothing tune that accompanied it was something everyone in the galaxy had heard before. It was the opus magnum of a composer from several hundred years ago called Rhapsody of a Rainy Night. The rhapsody described the composers transformation from shyness to burning passion during a romantic, rainy night. It had wowed the entire galaxy upon release and even started a trend where people intentionally sought out the romance of rainy nights. It was so beautiful and compelling that it even became one of the very, very few legendary works that survived the passage of time. To this day, people could still identify its name just by listening to its very first verse. But why was this melody being played now? Who in the world would want to pursue the romance of a rainy night at a time like this? At first, everyone thought that it was the higher-ups and their stupid ideas again. However, what happened next quickly informed them that that wasnt the case. Plop plop It sounded like the droplets dripping down a roof and splashing against a puddle of water. However, everyone who knew Rhapsody of a Rainy Night knew that this sound effect didnt exist in the original music! At the same time, nearly every hologram or display in the nine research bases, the patrol fleets and the spaceport except those that werent turned on in the first place began playing an unknown video: A muddy, brown liquid slid down a pale white background until it splashed against a surface. It rippled outward and formed an oval spot that looked just like the spots on the skin of an infected patient. Plop Plop The timing of the unnatural splashing sound synced perfectly with the video. Every time it plopped, a mud-like spot would appear on the screen. The music was supposed to invoke a sense of emotional comfort. Its rhythm was slow and comfortable for that reason. But with this modification, and in their current situation? All they could feel was an iciness like nothing they had ever felt before sliding down their backs, and a sudden tightness in their scalp that screamed only one emotion: fear. It was just the beginning. Like a drizzle that was slowly fading away, the rhapsody reached the end of its solemn, sorrowful stage and entered the calm before the storm. In the background, the sound of passersby stomping loudly against puddles of rainwater began, and every step felt like someone was pounding away at their hearts with a hammer. Slowly but surely, the suppressed emotions rose from the depths of their hearts. The plopping sounds quickened, and their heartbeats seemed to quicken with it as well. The screen grew dirtier and dirtier. It looked all too similar to the worsening symptoms on the patients bodies. The drizzle had turned into a furious downpour. This part of the music was supposed to herald the beginning of passion and excitement, but instead it inflicted upon its listeners a kind of boiling panic they didnt know existed, until now. It felt as if their surroundings had gone out of focus. All they could hear was the modified Rhapsody of a Rainy Night and the brown rain dripping on the screen, no, their skin and leaving brown spots on them. The moment contact was made, each spot began eating away at their nerves earnestly, numbing their bodies and draining away their energy. Was was that death they just felt? Was he close by? No! No I cant stay here Ill be caught by the rain! I need to leave! I need to leave this place now! The quickening raindrops had rapidly worsened their already stifling anxiety. The pressure kept building and building and building until finally... Madness was bad, but unleashed madness was the worst. Every person was a combination between an angel and a devil. When fear suppressed logic, and the angel fell aslumber, the devil would awaken and bring forth madness. What Cillin did was basically a form of mental suggestion plus a pinch of hypnosis. By employing a mental version of frequency disruption and signal assimilation, he had transformed the famous rhapsody from a soothing music into a summoning ritual that brought forth the devil in a persons hearts. For several hundred years, Rhapsody of a Rainy Night had brought comfort, romance and passion to its listeners. Today, it opened the Pandoras box that lies at the bottom of its listeners hearts. The devil awakened. The hard won reprieve instantly dissolved into chaos; one that was even greater than before. If the composer of the music was still alive, would he pass away with an even bigger smile on his face, or would he fight Cillin to the death? How many things could a person do in their life? A lot. How much destruction could a person wrought? Immeasurable. This virus was just an imitation Cillin had created based on the formation and pathogenesis of the Zebra Virus. He had even lowered its harmfulness it so that it couldnt be fatal no matter what. Of course, he hadnt done it out of pity toward Miracle. There were plenty of innocents, soldiers, and academicians like Mo Heng who were trapped inside the research bases, and he didnt want to kill them even by accident. The few fatal cases that had occurred was a result of internal strife and had nothing to do with his virus whatsoever. Had Cillin spread the real Zebra Virus and not produced the cure, every person on the planet wouldve died, and the planet itself would become ground zero. There were no powerful research organizations like the RAS or the Black Viper in GAL, so the virus wouldve spread uncontrollably to countless planets and Sectors for a very, very long time to come, and it wouldve resulted in a level of death and devastation unlike the world had ever seen. A galactic war wouldve seemed like a joke next to it. All virus researchers believed that a virus possessed the kill potential of an entire GAL army, but most people treated it as an interesting hypothesis at best, and a laughable joke at worst. If such a day did arrive though, would it sound the death knell of all of humanity? Cillin didnt mind showing these people that the real pathogen could kill, but for now at least, he didnt intend to become a sinner who would be remembered unto eternity. The imitation virus he engineered had a self-destruct timer of around 24 hours. The exact time might vary depending on the victims constitution, but it should plague its victims for at least 24 hours. Four hours had passed since the start of the outbreak, so there were still twenty hours left on the clock. That was enough time to do a lot of things. Chapter 358 At a certain spot outside the base. Silver, Judy and Stola werent the only Merciless operatives on this planet. They had agreed to meet on this spot, and everyone had shown up as agreed upon. They were acting unusually quiet, however. The brown rain video and the famous music Rhapsody of a Rainy Night were playing on Judys microcomputer right now. It was currently ascending toward the climax. Had she chosen to play the video of her own accord? Of course not. Her microcomputer had begun playing on its own without warning. It had been hacked by the alien signal, and she was utterly incapable of stopping it. This was the first time she had even seen a signal type like this. She had never been this stumped even when she was taught a lesson by her older brother, Juno. The only way to stop it was to shut down the microcomputer completely. Her companions didnt blame her. One look at her face was enough for them to realize that Judy was incapable of stopping this at all. Who on earth is doing this? Someone asked in a low tone. Silver and Stola didnt say anything. They knew for certain that the mysterious duo they ran into was connected to this. For one, the video and music had begun playing not long after the duo had left. Two, they had disengaged from the fight very abruptly when both sides were still relatively even. They now knew why they had done what they did. Its definitely not the military. It cannot be the work of the old foxes on the government either. Hell would turn cold before those old foxes in the government would involve themselves in the huge mess that is Miracle, especially not in these times. But... who else could it be if not them? Another Merciless operative asked. If it wasnt the military, the politicians, the Grim Reapers, the Mist or the Merciless, who else was capable of such a feat? It couldnt be those reckless hunters, could it? One thing was certain, however. For those who survived todays incident, especially those who were infected by the virus, they would never be able to listen to Rhapsody of A Rainy Night the same way again. In fact, they wouldnt even be able to face a rainy day without thinking of todays incident, which was probably the point. Whoever engineered this wanted their victims to panic at the mere sound of raindrops. They wanted the trauma to accompany them for a very, very long time to come. They would most likely get their wish. Enough. This isnt our business. We can figure this out after we get out of this planet. If we dilly dally, we may as well lie down on the ground and let the virus consume us, said a Merciless operative while patting a transfixed Judy on the shoulder. Silver turned off the microcomputer and said, Lets go. GAL is a big place, and Juno certainly isnt the only top-tier hacker in GAL. The only reason we havent heard of them is because they keep a lower profile than him. That being said, maybe this wouldnt have happened if Juno was the one who wrote the defense network, Stola added. A long time ago, Juno had given an outdated program into Miracles hands. They hadnt cooperated with each other afterward. Miracle had reached out to Juno when the research base was in its foundation stage, but the latter had turned them down. Grim Reaper had never displayed a clear cut stance or ideology, so no one knew what they were really thinking. Judy neither agreed nor disagreed with Silver and Stolas comments. They didnt have her depth of knowledge after all. Not only couldnt she analyze the alien signal, she couldnt even intercept or obtain a copy of the data. If all she could do was watch the signal, she wasnt sure if her older brother, Juno couldve done much better in her place. While Judy and her allies were busy being shocked by the alien signal, Wheeze was sitting on top of a tall building and observing everything that was going on inside and outside of the base where Mo Heng was imprisoned. Together with Czedow, it had also disabled the defense network of all nine research bases. Right now, many patients were attempting to escape the base due to the rising chaos caused by Rhapsody of a Rainy Night. Cillin had exploited the openings created by the musical banquet of his own making and slipped into Mo Hengs research base. It barely took him any effort to avoid the guards with Wheeze and Czedow guiding him. Cillin had stolen a set of work clothes and even manifested some brown spots on his skin to blend in better. Although most people in the base were wearing face masks and making it difficult to identify anyone by face, he did it anyway to minimize suspicion. Amidst this chaos, it was extremely unlikely that anyone would find him out of the place without careful observation. The base guards currently had their hands full, and not only because the patients were attempting to escape the base. While there were no failed test subjects in this base for him to exploit, there were a lot of unfinished robots and large machineries. Long story short, it would be a long time before the guards could extricate themselves and come looking for him. Cillin followed the road map he received from an encrypted message and quickly made his way to Mo Hengs prison room. The prison room was located in a key research department of the base, and there were far less people here than almost anywhere else in the place. After all, most of the personnel had run off to god-knows-where, and those who chose to self-isolate had made sure to seal their doors and protect themselves with modified defense shields. It would be incredibly difficult to get in or out of the rooms without a specific tool. Cillin wasnt worried about being captured on screen. The cameras had already been blacked out. Unfortunately, the lifts had stopped working for one reason or another, so Cillin had no choice but to climb the stairs. When he was at the third floor though, he slammed right into a person who was running down from above. The runner had missed a step when he saw Cillin, and he wouldve rolled all the way downstairs if Cillin hadnt caught him. The man didnt raise his head. He was also wearing a face mask that masked most of his features. After he caught himself and steadied his breathing, he tried to continue on his way only to find himself being lifted onto Cillins shoulder and carried downstairs. The mans only response was to swing a plier he produced from god-knows-where and stab Cillin in the side. He never even made a sound throughout the attack. Cillin caught it firmly before it could do any harm, however. You look pretty lively, Master Mo, Cillin said while running downstairs. Mo Heng was fishing for another tool to stab his kidnapper with when Cillins comment caused him to stop whatever he was doing. He examined the young man closely and puzzledly. He couldnt see Cillins face from this position, and he was pretty sure that the guys body shape was nothing like what he remembered, but that tone! Who else but that little bastard would speak to him like that? Is he really Cillin? It has to be him, right? Hes the only one who would address me as Master Mo. Mo Heng neither asked for confirmation nor tried to pull down his kidnappers face mask to reveal his face. This was hardly the right time or place to be compromising ones identity after all. Plus, he didnt sense any hostility from the young man whatsoever. In fact, he felt a kind of familiarity he hadnt felt in a very long time. Oh well, we can do this after we get out of this place. At the very least, Im one hundred percent certain that this guy isnt Anbixins lackey. Mo Heng obediently allowed himself to be carried away like a sack of potatoes after arriving at the resolution. He was happy to meet Cillinassuming that the young man was Cillinbut he was also very worried. The base, hell, the entire planet was under siege by the virus right now. It would be an understatement to say that this place wasnt the ideal reunion spot he envisioned. On his way out, Cillin received a transmission from Czedow. What is it? Cillin answered while running and observing his surroundings. Although the base personnels attention had been directed elsewhere, the corridor he was in was mostly empty, and the cameras were all blacked out, but he hadnt made it this far by being careless. All the failed test subjects have been injected with the drugs, and most of the base researchers are trying to escape. However, there are a lot more guards than there are failed test subjects and researchers, and I dont think the chaos will last for much longer. Should we bring forward the next step of the operation? Czedow asked. Do it. Ive found our man, and we can leave the moment we get out of here. Alright, Ill contact Wheeze and Shusag right away. Oh, there is one more thing I need to tell you. A small group of people is approaching this planet, but I dont know which side they belong to. Cillin thought for a moment before asking, You cant get any ID confirmation from them? No. I dont think they wish to reveal themselves. They cant be Miracle then. That is correct. Should I intercept them with the satellite arrays? Its fine. They probably belong to the First Army. Cillin thought of Yue Lou and guessed that the group might be his saviors. It was just as well. It meant that he could unload all the troublesome stuff on the First Army. How long will it take for them to arrive? Cillin asked again. Half an hour. Im almost out. Fetch us a spaceplane so we can leave this place. Roger that. After the transmission was over, Cillin checked his surroundings one more time before quickening his footsteps. Mo Heng frowned from Cillins shoulder. Again, the voice didnt sound like Cillin, but that tone by now, the old man was absolutely certain that Cillin was Cillin. He couldnt help but feel a sense of guilt, however. A virus outbreak was hardly a good time to mount a rescue. Chapter 358.1 At a certain spot outside the base. Silver, Judy and Stola werent the only Merciless operatives on this planet. They had agreed to meet on this spot, and everyone had shown up as agreed upon. They were acting unusually quiet, however. The brown rain video and the famous music Rhapsody of a Rainy Night were playing on Judys microcomputer right now. It was currently ascending toward the climax. Had she chosen to play the video of her own accord? Of course not. Her microcomputer had begun playing on its own without warning. It had been hacked by the alien signal, and she was utterly incapable of stopping it. This was the first time she had even seen a signal type like this. She had never been this stumped even when she was taught a lesson by her older brother, Juno. The only way to stop it was to shut down the microcomputer completely. Her companions didnt blame her. One look at her face was enough for them to realize that Judy was incapable of stopping this at all. Who on earth is doing this? Someone asked in a low tone. Silver and Stola didnt say anything. They knew for certain that the mysterious duo they ran into was connected to this. For one, the video and music had begun playing not long after the duo had left. Two, they had disengaged from the fight very abruptly when both sides were still relatively even. They now knew why they had done what they did. Its definitely not the military. It cannot be the work of the old foxes on the government either. Hell would turn cold before those old foxes in the government would involve themselves in the huge mess that is Miracle, especially not in these times. But... who else could it be if not them? Another Merciless operative asked. If it wasnt the military, the politicians, the Grim Reapers, the Mist or the Merciless, who else was capable of such a feat? It couldnt be those reckless hunters, could it? One thing was certain, however. For those who survived todays incident, especially those who were infected by the virus, they would never be able to listen to Rhapsody of A Rainy Night the same way again. In fact, they wouldnt even be able to face a rainy day without thinking of todays incident, which was probably the point. Whoever engineered this wanted their victims to panic at the mere sound of raindrops. They wanted the trauma to accompany them for a very, very long time to come. They would most likely get their wish. Enough. This isnt our business. We can figure this out after we get out of this planet. If we dilly dally, we may as well lie down on the ground and let the virus consume us, said a Merciless operative while patting a transfixed Judy on the shoulder. Silver turned off the microcomputer and said, Lets go. GAL is a big place, and Juno certainly isnt the only top-tier hacker in GAL. The only reason we havent heard of them is because they keep a lower profile than him. That being said, maybe this wouldnt have happened if Juno was the one who wrote the defense network, Stola added. A long time ago, Juno had given an outdated program into Miracles hands. They hadnt cooperated with each other afterward. Miracle had reached out to Juno when the research base was in its foundation stage, but the latter had turned them down. Grim Reaper had never displayed a clear cut stance or ideology, so no one knew what they were really thinking. Judy neither agreed nor disagreed with Silver and Stolas comments. They didnt have her depth of knowledge after all. Not only couldnt she analyze the alien signal, she couldnt even intercept or obtain a copy of the data. If all she could do was watch the signal, she wasnt sure if her older brother, Juno couldve done much better in her place. While Judy and her allies were busy being shocked by the alien signal, Wheeze was sitting on top of a tall building and observing everything that was going on inside and outside of the base where Mo Heng was imprisoned. Together with Czedow, it had also disabled the defense network of all nine research bases. Right now, many patients were attempting to escape the base due to the rising chaos caused by Rhapsody of a Rainy Night. Cillin had exploited the openings created by the musical banquet of his own making and slipped into Mo Hengs research base. It barely took him any effort to avoid the guards with Wheeze and Czedow guiding him. Cillin had stolen a set of work clothes and even manifested some brown spots on his skin to blend in better. Although most people in the base were wearing face masks and making it difficult to identify anyone by face, he did it anyway to minimize suspicion. Amidst this chaos, it was extremely unlikely that anyone would find him out of the place without careful observation. The base guards currently had their hands full, and not only because the patients were attempting to escape the base. While there were no failed test subjects in this base for him to exploit, there were a lot of unfinished robots and large machineries. Long story short, it would be a long time before the guards could extricate themselves and come looking for him. Cillin followed the road map he received from an encrypted message and quickly made his way to Mo Hengs prison room. The prison room was located in a key research department of the base, and there were far less people here than almost anywhere else in the place. After all, most of the personnel had run off to god-knows-where, and those who chose to self-isolate had made sure to seal their doors and protect themselves with modified defense shields. It would be incredibly difficult to get in or out of the rooms without a specific tool. Cillin wasnt worried about being captured on screen. The cameras had already been blacked out. Unfortunately, the lifts had stopped working for one reason or another, so Cillin had no choice but to climb the stairs. When he was at the third floor though, he slammed right into a person who was running down from above. The runner had missed a step when he saw Cillin, and he wouldve rolled all the way downstairs if Cillin hadnt caught him. The man didnt raise his head. He was also wearing a face mask that masked most of his features. After he caught himself and steadied his breathing, he tried to continue on his way only to find himself being lifted onto Cillins shoulder and carried downstairs. The mans only response was to swing a plier he produced from god-knows-where and stab Cillin in the side. He never even made a sound throughout the attack. Cillin caught it firmly before it could do any harm, however. You look pretty lively, Master Mo, Cillin said while running downstairs. Mo Heng was fishing for another tool to stab his kidnapper with when Cillins comment caused him to stop whatever he was doing. He examined the young man closely and puzzledly. He couldnt see Cillins face from this position, and he was pretty sure that the guys body shape was nothing like what he remembered, but that tone! Who else but that little bastard would speak to him like that? Is he really Cillin? It has to be him, right? Hes the only one who would address me as Master Mo. Mo Heng neither asked for confirmation nor tried to pull down his kidnappers face mask to reveal his face. This was hardly the right time or place to be compromising ones identity after all. Plus, he didnt sense any hostility from the young man whatsoever. In fact, he felt a kind of familiarity he hadnt felt in a very long time. Oh well, we can do this after we get out of this place. At the very least, Im one hundred percent certain that this guy isnt Anbixins lackey. Mo Heng obediently allowed himself to be carried away like a sack of potatoes after arriving at the resolution. He was happy to meet Cillinassuming that the young man was Cillinbut he was also very worried. The base, hell, the entire planet was under siege by the virus right now. It would be an understatement to say that this place wasnt the ideal reunion spot he envisioned. On his way out, Cillin received a transmission from Czedow. What is it? Cillin answered while running and observing his surroundings. Although the base personnels attention had been directed elsewhere, the corridor he was in was mostly empty, and the cameras were all blacked out, but he hadnt made it this far by being careless. All the failed test subjects have been injected with the drugs, and most of the base researchers are trying to escape. However, there are a lot more guards than there are failed test subjects and researchers, and I dont think the chaos will last for much longer. Should we bring forward the next step of the operation? Czedow asked. Do it. Ive found our man, and we can leave the moment we get out of here. Alright, Ill contact Wheeze and Shusag right away. Oh, there is one more thing I need to tell you. A small group of people is approaching this planet, but I dont know which side they belong to. Cillin thought for a moment before asking, You cant get any ID confirmation from them? No. I dont think they wish to reveal themselves. They cant be Miracle then. That is correct. Should I intercept them with the satellite arrays? Its fine. They probably belong to the First Army. Cillin thought of Yue Lou and guessed that the group might be his saviors. It was just as well. It meant that he could unload all the troublesome stuff on the First Army. How long will it take for them to arrive? Cillin asked again. Half an hour. Im almost out. Fetch us a spaceplane so we can leave this place. Roger that. After the transmission was over, Cillin checked his surroundings one more time before quickening his footsteps. Mo Heng frowned from Cillins shoulder. Again, the voice didnt sound like Cillin, but that tone by now, the old man was absolutely certain that Cillin was Cillin. He couldnt help but feel a sense of guilt, however. A virus outbreak was hardly a good time to mount a rescue. Chapter 358.2 Chapter 358: Why Are You So Precious [Part 2] In all nine research bases, at the entrances of the warehouses where the spaceplanes, fighters and more ships were parked, a lot of panicked researchers were clashing against the guards in an attempt to escape the planet. They obviously wanted to escape the planet, but the persons-in-charge couldnt allow that to happen and sealed the entrances shut. If the researchers were allowed to escape, they would never return to their projects and continue their projects, not without a massive amount of persuasion and coercion at least. There were also some things that best remained secret to the public even if the researchers had never been informed about the truly important secrets. The researchers were injected with GPS chips as an insurance policy, but the object was hardly indestructible. After all, these people were chosen precisely because they were outstanding in their respective fields. Some of them had to possess the knowledge and skill to disable the chips functions, and the persons-in-charge couldnt bear the risk of these people escaping. Long story short, the situation wasnt irrecoverable as long as no one managed to make it to space. On a related note, seven of the nine persons-in-charge had already been stricken by the virus. In that sense, they wanted to escape just as much as the researchers did. There was a reason why they werent doing so though. If they stayed, the company still might dispatch some reinforcements and save them. If they tried to escape, they knew that there was absolutely no chance they were going to live. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Not only did the warehouse entrances open without warning, a spaceplane flew out of one entrance immediately and knocked down the guards in the process. Encouraged, the researchers immediately swarmed into the warehouses. Those with slightly better physique had even opened the hatch to their chosen spaceplane already. It wasnt long before fighters and spaceplanes began taking off from every base. No one noticed a gray shadow dashing past them and disappearing from view. Stop them at all costs! The persons-in-charge roared through their communicator to the patrol fleet and space station. They meant to blast every ship and their passengers from the sky. However, the persons-in-charge soon realized that they werent receiving a response from the patrol fleet and the space station. In fact, the communication had cut off before they realized it. Meanwhile, both the patrol fleet and the space station were contending with their own problems. For some reason , most of their equipment were receiving varying degrees of inteferences, and they were unable to control the satellite array to bombard the ships that were taking off from the planet. Worst of all, they had picked up the signal of an incoming fleet, and they knew that it didnt belong to Miracle. Shusag had arrived with the spaceplane at the same time Cillin exited the research base with Mo Heng. After the bottom hatch opened, Cillin ran a few steps before jumping onto it. Czedow and Wheeze were already inside the spaceplane. Wheeze was currently sitting on a box near the hatch and staring at Mo Heng. Its tail were curled and swaying slowly from side to side. Cillin took off the face mask and work uniform he wore after he entered the spaceplane. Mo Heng stared intensely at Cillins face for a second before turning to look at the familiar cat. Then, he turned back toward Cillin, grabbed his cheeks and pulled it twice. You changed your appearance again, you brat? How did you recognize me? Mo Heng knew he hadnt made a peep when he ran into Cillin. The boy had still recognized him anyway. Cillin smiled, but it looked weird because his cheeks were still being pulled. I could feel it. Your body shape looked familiar too. Even if you were covered in armor, I could still recognize you from your movements, Master. Mo Heng nodded after he was done squeezing Cillins cheeks. However, his satisfaction and elation quickly gave way to worry when he noticed the brown spots on the young mans face. He resolved to take Cillin to his friends who dabbled in virus research and medical science as soon as they escaped this place. Cillin was his only disciple, and he would feel horribly guilty if something bad were to befall the boy because of him. Cillin noticed Mo Hengs worry and assured him. You dont need to worry, Master. The virus is non-lethal. Mo Hengs thoughts came to an abrupt stop. Then, a realization struck him and caused him to stare at Cillin for two seconds straight. ... you were the ones who created the virus? Cillin nodded. Who created it, exactly? I did. Mo Heng thumped his legs, took two deep breaths, and glanced at Cillin. He repeated the motions a couple more times before he abruptly seized Cillin by the cheeks again. Why are you so precious, boy? Its almost unfair how precious you are! Cillin: ... At least he looked happy. So, how did you get out of your prison room? I hadnt expected to run into you outside, Cillin asked. Mo Heng released Cillins cheeks and returned to his seat. He replied slowly but proudly, Give me a toolbox, and I can take apart the entire base myself. Do you believe me? Of course I do. Cillin wasnt lying. He had heard plenty of gossip regarding Mo Hengs younger days, andassuming they werent exaggerationsthe man had dismantled doors, cars, spaceplanes and many, many more things in his life. This was especially true if someone took a piss on him. His mask was perfect when he was facing his offender, but the moment their backs were turned he would destroy them like never before. Not only that, he had modified all kinds of things ranging from household appliances to flying vehicles with or without the other persons consent. There was a reason why everyone who really knew Mo Heng had called him an academic gangster. In summary, the only way to keep Mo Heng imprisoned was to keep his toolbox away from him. A short while later, Cillin took Mo Heng to his room so he might rest. He promised that he would wake his master if the situation called for it. After learning that the seemingly deadly virus was really as harmless as a prank, Mo Heng put relaxed and went to bed obediently. In fact, the old engineer hadnt had a good nights sleep since the day he was captured, so he fell asleep almost immediately after he closed his eyes. Hows it going? Cillin asked Czedow after entering the cockpit. Theyre here, Czedow answered while pointing at the display. He was referring to the unknown fleet, and they were already engaging the patrol fleet in combat. The latter was having an extremely hard time dealing with the fleets cannons because most of their equipment were still malfunctioning. If anything, they were lucky that something was working at all considering that Czedow and Wheeze had created the interferences together, not that it would matter once they were blasted to smithereens. Someone opened the warehouse entrances of the other four bases, or we wouldnt have been able to complete our operation this quickly, Czedow reported next while showing Cillin he and Shusags battle against Silver, Judy and Stola. These people are probably the culprit. It could be the work of Yue Lous rescuers as well, but Cillin decided to leave the analyses until after they had safely evacuated this place. The GAL military loved direct approaches, and it definitely didnt look like this was going to end in a peaceful manner. Of course, the chaos also made it easy for them to escape, so Cillin simply ordered Shusag to fly away at full speed. Meanwhile, Yue Lou had left the research base he was imprisoned in on a fighter to infiltrate the other research bases. At first, this wasnt his plan at all. He was going to destroy the research base, kill the sonuvabitches who experimented on his fellow comrades, the victims and himself in a blaze of glory. They were all infected by the unknown virus anyway, so what did it matter if they died sooner than later? His resolve lasted until he received a transmission from the fighters communicator informing him about the truth of the virus. His feelings regarding the message was mixed to say the least. On one hand, it chased away all the grim resolve in his heart and made him feel like he could breathe again. On the other hand, there was a smiley face at the end of the message that for some reason annoyed him so much that he nearly punched the display into oblivion. Anyway, this revelation caused Yue Lou to change his plans to infiltrating the other bases and collecting more evidences. It would give his faction a real reason to declare war on the other armies, and deal a huge blow to the Fifth Armys reputation. The virus didnt paralyze Yue Lou completely, but he was well and truly tired when all was said and done. So, he flew his fighter to a hidden spot some distance away from a research base, got out of the cockpit, and rested his back on the hard, metallic surface. It took a while, but the first ray of dawn eventually emerged from the horizon. When the sky grew brighter and brighter, and the brown spots on his body grew lighter and lighter, Yue Lou covered his face and smiled. A fighter that didnt belong to Miracle descended appeared from the horizon and descended next to Yue Lous spaceplane. Then, the pilot jumped out and yelled at Yue Lou, You dead yet?! Yue Lou looked up and said in a somewhat raspy voice, I was just reborn. Chapter 359.1 Chapter 359: Sea Paradise [Part 1] Yue Lou looked physically and mentally worn down, and his body was covered in brown spots that looked like leftover mud. Feng Haichao sat down beside Yue Lou, passed him a cigarette and lit another one for himself. I told you solo operations suck ass, Feng Haichao joked. Eh. Yue Lou flicked his cigar butt. I took out a couple of spies, confirmed where the POWs are headed to, and collected some intel. All in all, it should be enough for me to apply for a transfer. Feng Haichao punched Yue Lous shoulder playfully. Youre totally getting promoted after this. Again, Yue Lou let out a noncommittal eh before asking, So, you guys came out without permission again. You know youre getting beat up when you get back, right? So? I lost count already. Also, you should worry about yourself first. Judging from your current appearance, you wont last more than two punches. There is good news though! That guy will be shouldering the majority of the beating for us. Feng Haichao pointed at the sky. A fighter was flying toward them. Hes the one who organized this whole rescue. Knight? The Third Army is here? Not just. The Fourth and Seventh Army are here too. Feng Haichao looked real happy when he said this. The First Army Yue Lou and Feng Haichao were serving under, the Third Army commanded by the Feigler Family (Knights family), the Fourth Army commanded by the Ji Family and the Seventh Army commanded by the Ci Family were allies to a certain extent. Knight discovered that Yue Lou was missing and possibly kidnapped while recruiting members to create a special task force. Not everyone was aware of Miracles experimentations on the POWs, but Knight wasnt one of them. He had immediately gathered his buddies and flown over to Yue Lous rescue immediately. Of course, his actions hadnt escaped the notice of his superiors. They simply pretended to look elsewhere and even sent a secret escort to protect him. By the way, why are you covered in brown spots? Feng Haichao pointed Yue Lods face and arm. The spots had begun to fade, but they were still pretty obvious. Oh, this? This is a virus symptom, Yue Lou answered in a nonchalant voice. COUGH! Feng Haichao was so startled that he choked on his smoke. It wasnt until a couple of coughs later did he regain himself and ask, Virus? What virus? Did those Miracle motherfuckers experiment on you? Youre not going to die on me, are you? Nah. Didnt you notice? Miracle themselves are infected by the virus. Feng Haichao didnt reply. He actually didnt know because most of the people he saw were wearing protective suits that covered their whole body. He hadnt paid attention to those who werent either. Anyway, theres nothing to worry about. Its just a prank. It will fade in a few more hours. Youre not shitting me, are you? What kind of crazy would create a virus as a prank anyway? Seriously, its just a prank. But Im sure the creator of the virus can create a fatal one if they really wanted. Yue Lou proceeded to tell Feng Haichao some of his experiences. Theyre that strong? Who on earth do they belong to? Feng Haichao frowned. If the creator of the prank really was capable of making a fatal virus that spread as quickly as this one, how many people would die if an outbreak occurred? If even Miracles experts couldnt do anything to save themselves, they were only going to fare much, much worse. As soldiers, their specialty was fighting tangible enemies on the battlefield, not invisible, untouchable viruses. Feng Haichao shivered when looked at the brown spots on Yue Lous body again and imagined what might have happened when that modified Rhapsody of a Rainy Night started playing. The fighter on the sky finally landed, and Knightwearing an old military uniform with no discernible symbol on his person at allleaped out and looked at Yue Lou. Whats wrong with your face? It was a virus. Feng Haichao retold Yue Lous explanation to Knight. After learning that the virus was harmless, Knight relaxed and accepted a cigar from Feng Haichao. Then, he listened as Yue Loud retold his whole story. Yue Lou sucked in a breath of smoke before exhaling, Im a damn good marksman, but theres nothing I can do against a virus. Knight didnt say anything. He looked like he was thinking about something. You know, this reminds me of an incident from a couple of years ago. Feng Haichao extinguished his cigar butt before continuing, Do you remember how the Skull King died in the reports? It took Yue Lou a while to recall the details, but he eventually answered, I remember that the cause of death was parasites in the confidential files. I dont know enough to say anymore than that though. I do. Apparently Enough! Knight suddenly cut off Feng Haichao. Someones investigating this already. Meaning dont stick your nose where it doesnt belong. Feng Haichao and Yue Lou immediately understood that there was more to this than meets the eye. Knight clearly knew this case well, but he refused to elaborate for some reason. Was he trying to protect someone? After Feng Haichao took off with Yue Lou, Knight turned on his communicator and asked, Has Mo Heng been found? No. The door wa opened from inside, so it was probably Elder Mos handiwork. However, all the security cameras in the area were hacked, and we couldnt retrieve any security footage whatsoever. Elder Mo hadnt been spotted in the surrounding bases either. In that case, we continue as per planned. Yes sir! It was only then Knight flew away to somewhere. After that, the fighters and the spaceplanes began bombing the research bases in earnest. Nothing would be left behind when all was said and done. Meanwhile, Cillin and Co had escaped from the planet while the newcomer battled against the patrol flee and followed a flight route to Shi Huajings men as per planned. They had to switch spaceplanes and starships on the way out, but in the end everything proceeded pretty smoothly. They returned to Sector A so that no one would suspect that something was amiss. Speaking of Shi Huajing, he had proven himself to be a capable man and successfully persuaded Jiu Xun to stay with him. He even asked his disciple to move some his possessions from his old home so he could help him to the best of his abilities. Considering Jiu Xuns abilities, Shi Huajings future suddenly looked even brighter than before. Cillin could tell Shi Huajing was happy when they met each other again. Looks like everythings gone well! Elder Mo seems pretty healthy and vigorous as well, Shi Huajing commented while the old man in question was harassing Wheeze. Mo Heng had gotten a blade of grass out of somewhere to play with the long hair on the gray cats ear. Wheeze was taking a nap and couldnt be bothered to mount a serious counterattack, so it simply curled into a ball and flicked the grass away with its ear. It never even bothered to open its eyes. Cillin glanced at the strange duo but kept his opinion to himself. Long story short, one just woke up, and the other just lay down to sleep. This was the natural result. Do you know these three? Cillin showed Shi Huajing the video of the trio fighting against Czedow and Shusag. I think Ive seen them from somewhere. Give me a moment to check, said Shi Huajing before contacting a couple of people. Five minutes later, Shi Huajing passed Cillin the information he collected and said, I didnt think Merciless would set their eyes on that place. Did they find anything? As far as Im aware, that base shouldnt have produced any particularly significant results. Im not sure. Cillin stared at the file while pondering Merciless purpose. His mind was especially set on Judys introductionthe younger sister of Juno. He had never heard that Grim Reaper and Merciless shared a good relationship with each other. In fact, he had heard rumors of the opposite. Those people are the type to act as they pleased. Judy and Juno may be related, but it doesnt mean that theyre very close to each other. Of course, it can be also that the rumors are less true that they actually are, Shi Huajing said. He had learned many things after his return to the Shi Family, not least because Sector A was where the clash of power and politics occurred. Cillin memorized all the information on the file before deleting them completely. Ill deal with this another time. Ill be leaving as soon as possible. Ive already made the necessary arrangements. You can leave as soon as tomorrow. Got it. By the way, you should prepare since this incident with Miracle may take longer than expected to end. You mean the military will want to pursue this? Its not just that. The military may pursue things, but they always keep it within their bubble, or at least shift the blame to Merciless. Then Im talking about the media. Shi Huajing narrowed his eyes. These days, all the media knew to do was to stay neutral and protect themselves at all cost. Who would dare to expose Miracle? It would offend quite a number of people to say the least. Okay. I got it memorized, Shi Huajing replied. He knew that Cillin wasnt the type to speak carelessly. Chapter 359.2 Chapter 359: Sea Paradise [Part 2] After passing a night at the place Shi Huajing had prepared for them, Cillin and Co departed Sector A again with the formers aid. Only Shi Huajing and a handful of people even knew that Vanguards Eleventh B Squad commander had gone to Sector C and caused such a thing. There were many bigshots who had learned of the sabotage of the Miracles research bases, but so far no one knew who was the culprit behind it. Some people claimed that it had been done by Mercilessit was because one of Knights colleagues found traces of hacking that definitely fit Judys memobut some also argued that Judy wasnt be dumb enough to leave such an obvious trail behind. Judging from how things had turned out, it seemed clear that the true culprit had screwed her over in the process of the sabotage. Of course, it didnt change the fact that she was there, and that she had hacked into the bases system before. The number of people who were involved in the incident were unclear. It was unknown who was the one who released the virus either. Two things were certain, however. One, the First, Third, Fourth and Seventh Army were the ones who bombarded the bases to hell. Two, the Eight Armies were definitely going to go to war with each other. It was just a matter of when. On the day Mo Heng left Sector A with Cillin, a certain war zone commander of the Seventh Army station at Sector C was sitting in his office and staring at a message on the display. He didnt say anything for a very, very long time. The message was locked behind a triple encryption that left no doubt that the sender was Mo Heng. It was something Mo Qing had to deal with since he was a child after all. What really dumbfounded him was the content of the message. Mo Qing might have dealt with his fathers kidnapping calmly and logically, but that didnt mean that that he wasnt stewing on the inside. He hadnt had a good nights sleep since he made the decision to obey his fathers wishes and ignore Miracles demands. He was hopeful when he had heard of Knights operation, but that hope immediately turned into greater worry when he heard that Knight had failed to find Mo Heng. Then, he received this message: I have escaped safely, and I am well. Dont worry about me. A different person mightve interpreted the message as: Son, I am safe now, so you dont have to hold back anymore. Go get em! Knowing his father though, Mo Qing thought that the message should really be interpreted as: son, youre busy with work, right? Right. Relax, Ill come home once Im done having fun. Another wave of headache attacked Commander Mo as he read the message for the nth time. He just cant not make me worry, can he? Back to Cillin, the group had finally returned to the Eleventh Squadron. As it turned out, Mo Qings interpretation of Mo Hengs message was spot on because Mo Heng had decided to stay with the Eleventh Squadron for the foreseeable time to come. Right now there was no place in the entire galaxy that was safe, so he might as well stick around his disciple and use him to pass the time, right? On the same day Cillin reunited with his squad members, one-third of the media with over 60 GAL contribution points made Miracles gruesome experiments on POWs their headline. Horrifying videos showcasing some of the most horrifying processes of the experiments were also leaked. It even came with audio and textual explanations as to what the drugs that were used in the experiments did. Some caused side effects that were akin to being poisoned, some killed the patients nerves directly, and so on The list of side effects alone scared countless people into avoiding Miracles drugs for a time. Gene upgrade was important, true, but they had to be alive first to be able to enjoy the benefits. The horrifying videos also made it seem like using Miracles drugs would transform them into one of their emotionless, empty-minded soldiers, and who in the world would want to turn into that? As a result, the Armies and politician entities who supported Miracle came under heavy pressure and criticisms. The soldiers were shaken by this discovery, and the Fifth Armys reputation was shot full of holes. The soldiers of an Army didnt appear our of thin air as a matter of course. They had to be recruited from throughout the Sectors. After the news was spread, the Fifth Armys recruitment rate abruptly plunged to the bottom. No one wanted to serve under an Army who didnt treat their soldiers like people, not to mention that what they did went far beyond what was considered acceptable by any metric. No matter how divided the Eight Armies were, they were all ultimately the soldiers of GAL. If these people were cruel enough to put their former comrades through these inhumane experiments, who was to say they wouldnt bare their fangs on their own soldiers one day? Shi Huajing was amused to say the least when he read the news reports. The media organizations who published them claimed that someone had hacked into their systems, and that the reports were not their doing at all, but it was pointless. Whether or not they were really behind the release, it didnt change the fact that that their channels had reported it. Naturally, the consequences were theirs to bear. It wasnt just one person who was behind the hacking of these media organizations. Judy was one of them, and Cillin was another. He had even submitted some of his own analyses to fan the flames even more. While Cillin was observing the fruits of his labor, he received a comms request from Lung. It was you, wasnt it? Lung asked immediately after the line connected. Not entirely, Cillin replied. In fact, he was certain that Lung himself was behind some of it. To be specific, he suspected that the news reports by Infinite and Lavishtwo electronic magazines with over 80 contribution pointsand Tomorrows Star and Prospectanother two electronic magazines with over 60 contribution pointswere Lungs handiwork. Are you free for the foreseeable future, Cillin? Lung asked. Why? Do you have something for me? Yeah. You might be interested in it. Tell me. Im planning to make a trip to Sea Paradise. Sea Paradise wasnt as paradisiacal as it sounded. It was a huge ocean planet that became infamous throughout GAL for its dangers. The oceans of Sea Paradise nurtured a lot of gigantic sea creatures, and it was enveloped by a strange electromagnetic field that prevented many spaceplanes from even approaching the planet. Any electronic equipment that even got close to it would suddenly malfunction and shut down completely. Great danger were usually accompanied by great rewards, and Sea Paradise was a treasure trove overflowing with precious ores. However, not many people made the journey, and even less were able to return home to tell the tale. It was so dangerous that even the hunters of the Great Four had no desire to brave it. That was why Cillin was surprised to hear this. Why do you want to go there? Theres something I need to find there, but I can only bring a small crew with me. It needs to be kept under a low profile. Cillin thought about it. This actually wasnt the first time Lung had spoken about Sea Paradise. In fact, he mustve brought it up now because he had recalled their earlier conversation. The Andrea Family was definitely capable of acquiring the most suitable equipment to explore to Sea Paradise, and there were several types of ores Cillin had been looking for but was unable to make trip due to various considerations. This was a good, no, an excellent opportunity to tick that item off his checklist. In the end, Cillin decided that he would probably like to accompany Lung on his trip. Give it some thought. Im still making the preparations anyway. Just make sure to inform me of your decision in three galactic days. Got it. Ill be making my own arrangements. Cillin thought some more after the dialogue ended and decided that Czedow and Wheeze were the only companions he would like to bring for this trip. Most of them would be greatly hampered by the environment, and even Shusag wouldnt be able to bring his advantages to bear. Cillin came face to face with an upset-looking Mo Heng the moment he stepped out of his room. After Elder Mo had arrived on their starship, he had played a game of Link of Gypsophila with Xi Mu and instantly became addicted to it. Unfortunately, he hadnt managed to beat the game even once. Last he checked Elder Mo was stuck on the fifth level of the game, and judging from his expression that still hadnt changed. You are a commander, arent you? Why do you always look like you have a lot of free time in your hands? Bah, whatever. Come, lets go assemble some parts, the old man said grumpily. Every time Mo Heng lost a game, he would vent his frustration by assembling parts. Unfortunately for Cillin, he was Mo Hengs object of venting this time. Cillin followed Mo Heng to a table and began assembling a machine. When he was done, he said, Im planning to make a trip to Sea Paradise, Master Mo. Crack! The near complete machine Mo Heng was gripping in his hands instantly bent in half. Chapter 360.1 Chapter 360: Long Time No See, Old Friend [Part 1] Mo Heng tossed the broken machine parts on the table. He said nothing, but it was obvious from his aura that he was angry. Cillin shot his silent master a glance before continuing, Sea Paradise contains many types of ores that I need, and are necessary for the squads continued development. Most of them cant be purchased right now, and even if they are theyre usually too expensive to afford. Moreover, we are hunters. It is our nature to hunt for the items we need. Cillin explained his reason to travel to Sea Paradise from both his own and the squads perspective. A moment of silence later, Mo Heng looked up and asked, Is that all? Its a great opportunity. Cillin didnt tell Mo Heng about Lungs plans because the latter specifically mentioned that he wanted to keep it a secret. It was just like how Mo Heng wouldnt divulge to any outsider his reason for wanting to travel to Sea Paradise. Mo Heng tapped the table with his finger for another moment before sweeping aside the parts in front of him and resting his elbows on the table.Then, he asked seriously, Be honest with me. Are you going to Sea Paradise because of Yu Linglong? What? Cillin was confused. How did Yu Linglong come into this? Mo Heng visibly relaxed after seeing Cillins reaction. He said, In that case, feel free to do whatever you want. Why did you mention her? Cillin asked. Its nothing. Just, if youre looking for a wife, I dont think Yu Linglong is the right person, Cillin. ... you are worrying over nothing, master. There were certain things that Mo Heng hadnt spoken to Cillin about, but Cillin had learned about them from Shi Huajing anyway. For starters, Yu Linglong was the one who kidnapped Mo Heng from Seven Lights. To be fair, it wasnt done out of malicious intentions. The Yu Family wouldve sent someone to take Mo Heng regardless, and they wouldnt care if the assistant headmaster was roughed up during the process. However, it didnt change the fact that Yu Linglong had still chosen to bring Mo Heng to Miracle. Yu Linglong is currently looking for DH50 black ores, but there arent many DH50 black ores in GAL space at all. Sea Paradise is one of the few places that has it, but no one was willing to accept her request after the two teams she sent there were completely wiped out, Mo Heng both explained his weird question and warned Cillin about the dangers of Sea Paradise. Unfortunately, he knew that there was no changing the boys mind after he set himself to something. I understand. I promise to proceed with caution. The DG50 black ore was one of the ores he was looking for, but it had nothing to do with Yu Linglong. The ore code-named DH50 was called the black ore, but it wasnt actually black in color. The ore was a mono blue color so deep that people often mistook it for black, which was why people started calling it the black ore. (T/N: by mono, I mean theres literally no other color in the ore except blue) Moreover, natural, unprocessed DH50 black ores sometimes glowed a bluish light in dark environments. They happened in intervals, and it almost looked like they were breathing. That was why they were also nicknamed the ghosts of the sea. The older a DH50 black ore was, the shorter their breathing intervals. They appeared inert if there was light in the environment, but if you shone them with ultraviolet light they would appear to be red-colored. It was one of the simplest ways to identify the ore. DH50 black ores had incredible hardness and was mostly used to create space equipment and vehicles such as fighters and spaceplanes. Any alloy that had DH50 black ores mixed in it would automatically become several times harder than before. It was the perfect defense material. Anyway, back to the present. Cillins calm tone had immediately triggered Mo Heng and made him thump the table in frustration. My point is that your caution is not enough! Do you know that Sea Paradises electromagnetic field has been growing stranger and stranger for the past couple years? A couple decades ago it was still possible to scan the planet with some equipment, but now you cant even get close to it! Moreover, it is strongly believed that the sea beasts have become stronger since the start of the abnormality! The amount of weapons you can use underwater is already limited in the first place, and if you run into those sea beasts you wont even be able to fill the gap between their teeth! Mo Heng had never gone to Sea Paradise in person, but there used to be a team in the GAL Research Institute that researched it extensively. That was how Mo Heng came to know of the infamous planet. Cillin paused for a second but didnt answer how he planned to deal with the abnormal electromagnetic field or the powerful sea beasts directly. Instead, he asked, Have you heard of the Star Rank Hunter, Oskulos? Im no hunter, but yes, hes pretty infamous. I heard that Oskulos had forged his blade using an ore he found in Sea Paradise. However, no one knows where exactly he got it since he had made the venture alone, and no has ever found that type of ore afterward. It was exactly as he thought. Youve clearly made up your mind, and nothing I say will change your mind. Still, I must caution you to stay within your limits! Its good if you find the ore, but what good will it do if you lose your life as a result? I know. I never treat my life carelessly. Oh right, will you make us some fighters if I found the right resources in Sea Paradise, Master Mo? Mo Heng raised his eyebrows. Is that why youre really going there? Its not my main objective, but I do intend to fulfill it if I can. Ive always wanted the Eleventh Squad to have its own exclusive fighters. It wasnt difficult to procure a fighter, but to get one that was worth it and a good hunter to pilot them were more difficult than one might imagine. Very well. If you return safely, then I will do everything in my power to see it done. I have no intention of becoming a freeloader after all. That was what he said, but Mo Heng did find the idea very appealing. Ever since he came to know Xi Kai and Xi Mo, he had been looking to collaborate with them on something. He was curious about Xi Kai and even more curious about the white-haired boy, Xi Mu. After the discussion with Mo Heng, Cillin went to check on the others. The new recruits were blending into the squadron nicely, and nothing particularly terrible had happened while he was absent. Hunters usually got to know each other better through missions, and that was exactly what had happened during this time. Tang Qiuqiu was now proficient with the PTS E, although Cillin couldnt give her the PTS K yet because she wasnt strong enough to use it. In fact, some of the data he gathered from the Miracle research bases were him looking for a way to improve her constitution. The Armies have gone to war, Eudy said to Cillin while passing him a report he just received. Everything that had happened including the blowout with the media had put the Fifth Army and the forces behind Miracle under considerable pressure, and finally they could withstand it no longer. Though, the Armies had been looking for a good excuse to go to war against each other. This Miracle incident was exactly what they needed. The war affects not just Sector C, but also the other Sectors to a lesser extent. Local armies are joining, and the hunter regiments are moving away as a matter of course. Should we do the same? Eudy asked. Do you have the previous mission list with you? Cillin asked. Give me a moment. Eudy passed the mission list to Cillin. All of the places listed on the list were fairly remote, and only a few of them had been completed so far. That was fine. Cillin was planning to continue the missions and avoid the war at the same time. Cillin circled a couple of missions and marked a couple more with certain notations. Then, he returned the list to Eudy. Im heading out again in the near future. When the squad is done resting, have them complete the circled missions first. If Im not back by then, have them finish the marked ones as well. Youre heading out again? Eudy exclaimed in surprise. He had been in this profession for a long time, but he had never met a commander like Cillin. Yes? Im going to collect some resources to develop our squadron. If you dont mind me asking, where are you going this time? Sea Paradise. I see. Eudy covered his forehead. No wonder Cillin wanted to keep the Eleventh Squad out of this. Is everything planned already? Eudy asked. Yes. I will be leaving in ten days. Cillin had already confirmed his participation with Lung. Ten GAL days later, he would be traveling to Sector H to meet up with Lung. Of course, he would be keeping busy until then. Chapter 360: Long Time No See, Old Friend [Part 2] Cillin and Eudy were discussing more future plans when a running figure suddenly appeared on the other end of the corridor. He immediately skidded to a stop when he caught sight of the duo, but as if thinking better of it, he resumed to jogging speed and made toward Cillin. Right after that, a running Cary and Mogas showed up from the same end of the corridor as well, but unlike the figure, they merely stopped in their tracks, let out an awkward chuckle, and ran back down the way they came from. Oh, commander, vice commander, thank goodness youre here, The figure said after stopping in front of the duo. He looked as if he had found his saviors. Cillin looked at the reserved-looking person who looked exactly the same to him. He was a robot and his body double, X-7. Every time Cillin left the squad for some business he didnt wish outsiders to know about, such as his rescuing of Mo Heng, X-7 would show up in public and pretend to be him. X-7 wasnt an Origin robot and obviously inferior to Sigma and Moon. However, he stood a cut above all the other robots Xi Kai had created thus far. X-7 was the only robot among his new X series that developed a free attributesomething that was procedurally generated and had less than a thousandth chance to occurso Xi Kai nearly wept when he was born. X-7 was without a doubt the closest robot he had ever created to an Origin robot. Obviously, a robot closer to an Origin robot would be far more convincing than a basic robot. Therefore, Xi Kai canceled the robot he was originally going to use as Cillins double. X-7 had gone through multiple upgrades since its creation and becoming more and more lifelike every day. Although it didnt possess the Origin robots terrifying learning ability and self-awareness, it was still a rare robot. Since then, X-7 had become Cillins exclusive body double. In public, X-7 would activate a program and act very similar to the real Cillin. Since he looked exactly identical to Cillin, no one they had traded with realized they had been dealing with a fake the whole time. But unlike the actual Cillin, X-7 was always bullied by his squad mates. For example, they would try to make him pull a comical face and more things the real Cillin would never do it. Also, no one had the balls to ask the real Cillin to pull those stunts. What do they normally make you do, Seven? Cillin asked. X-7 searched his records for a bit before answering honestly, Pull a face, sing romantic songs, handwalking and breakdancing Cillin: ... Ahem. Its just something the squad does to uh, enliven the atmosphere a little, Eudy said with a distinct lack of confidence. Should I be thankful that they didnt make X-7 do a strip-tease or the pole dance then? Eudy fell silent and thought to himself: Cary, youre on your own. X-7 answered innocently, Commander, Moon told me that the regarding the two dances you just mentioned is almost complete, and that I should visit him later to get the upgrade. Cillin stared at Eudy. Eudy didnt make a peep. Moon, youre on your own as well. That day, Cary and Mogas were summoned to the training ground for a spar with Cillin himself, and Moon lost the visual tools he just made to watch his porn. Moon tried to reason with Cillin with truth and emotions, but of course all he got was a firmly shut door. Cillin wanted to help Tang Qiuqiu before he traveled to Sea Paradise with Lung. Learning from Miracles mistake, he decided to play it safe and administer her drugs that were specifically tailored to her constitution and physiological indices. People with different constitutions could react differently to the same drug. What might be considered safe for someone might not be the case for another. Gene evolution was one of the fields Cillin was very experienced with, so he knew exactly what to look out for when performing it for Tang Qiuqiu: the activation of silenced genes, the speed rate of DNA unwinding and coiling, the changes to genome assembly and protein assembly due to drug stimulation were all things to look out for. Cillin had no intention of playing with Tang Qiuqius life, so every step was carried out with the utmost caution. He carried out the next step only after he confirmed that the exiting step wouldnt harm Tang Qiuqiu overly much. Tang Qiuqiu gave Cillin her full cooperation and stayed inside the workshop the whole time. After Cillin gave Tang Qiuqiu her first injection, he observed Tang Qiuqiu for any signs of adverse reactions. There were some pain that was caused by adverse reaction, but so far everything was falling within his expectations. The first shot was just the buffer. After Tang Qiuqiu had adapted to it, Cillin performed the second shot and officially began the process of the drug-induced gene evolution. He didnt ask for immediate results. Slow but steady wins the race all the same. On the tenth day, Tang Qiuqiu received her third shot. Her gene was now at rank B, but it hadnt completely stabilized yet. Once your genes have completely stabilized, you can begin the process of excavating its potential. Your evolution to rank B went pretty well because you had a solid foundation when you were still at rank C. Some rank C people wouldnt be able to endure this induction process because their foundation is weak. In short, the better your foundation, the easier it is your evolution to the next rank will be, Cillin explained to an excited Tang Qiuqiu. I know, Tang Qiuqiu replied excitedly while staring at the alphabet B on the machines display. Tang Qiuqiu went to the shooting room almost immediately after she left the workshop. In the past, she could feel that controlling the PTS E was her absolute limit, but now, she discovered that that ceiling had become much higher than before. Cillin gave Tang Qiuqiu a PTS K. She might not be able to use it well at her current rank, but it was good training, and it would allow her to figure out her physical limits. Meanwhile, a pitiful-looking Moon finally saw Cillin and didnt hesitate to trail behind him like a gum on his shoe. You want your tools back? Cillin asked. Yes, yes! Moon nodded rapidly. He only had enough materials to create one set of visual tools, so he needed to get it back from Cillin no matter what. Come. Cillin beckoned the Origin robot to follow him while walking into a nearby lounge. After Cillin set the tools on the table, Moon seized it with lightning speed and clutched it against his chest. Every one of his gestures said that he would rather die than let it go again. Moon, the Gods Tear of Aurelios Cage, the one that represents redemption, what is it really? Cillin asked. Gods Tear was one of the five Aurelios, and Cillin had gotten one of its star map fragment from Jiada a long time ago. He had been meaning to give it to Lung, and the operation to Sea Paradise was a good time as any. Also, he had a feeling that Lungs operation had something to do with Gods Tear. Gods Tear? Still clinging to his visual tools, Moon swiveled his head toward Cillin and straightened the blue strip on his face to a single line, It is a chemical compound. A chemical compound? Yes. It is a chemical compound that causes the throat to grow a special organ. The Xi Family had created it after studying a huge number of sea beasts, but it is not very effective on the average person. It is far likelier to succeed if it is applied to some of the ancient races of Sector H. Unfortunately, Moons knowledge of Gods Tear wasnt very deep. It was because they werent born yet when Gods Tear was created. Still, some information was better than no information at all. Cillin prepared to leave after he had gotten his information. He had arranged everything that needed to be arranged in the Eleventh Squad, and he wasnt worried that someone might notice that he, the commander of the Eleventh Squad was absent from the squadron because he had X-7 to act as his body double. And so he left for the meeting location Lung had told him with Czedow and Wheeze. On a prosperous planet of Sector H, Cillin stepped into the room of a high-rise building at the city center. Young Master Lung had, as per his usual self, taken up an entire sofa for himself. Long time no see, old friend! Lung rose to his feet to bump fists with Cillin before motioning for Cillin to take a seat. At the same time, he placed a plate of fish biscuits on the table for Wheeze to grind its teeth. Lung checked the time before saying to Cillin, Lets wait just a bit longer, okay? Some dudes my grandfather sent will be joining us on our trip. Lungs grandfather was nicknamed the Old Fox in GAL, so Cillin had no doubt his subordinates were extraordinary. He only wondered if they were as foxy as their boss. Half an hour later, a serious-looking guy wearing a suit and carrying a black briefcase stepped into the room. Lung greeted him from the sofa, Aha, youre one of my grandpas ten super bodyguards, Big Cock right? Big Cock replied seriously, Young master, my name is Big Rock, not Big Cock. Cillin: ... He shouldve known better than to judge a bodyguard of the Andrea Family by the cover. Chapter 361.1: The Complete Star Map of God’s Tear Lung didnt bring many people with him. Just like he said before, he wanted to keep a low profile this time. There were two people in the room besides Lung when Cillin first showed up. However, both men only shot Cillin a glance before returning to the games they were playing to the pass the time. Including Big Rock, he had only seen three Andrea Family subordinates so far. Old man Berzett hadnt come with Lung either. Berzett was Lungs butler, and many people believed that it was easier to predict Lungs movement via him than it was to predict the unpredictable man himself. They were right, which was why Berzett had stayed behind to pull the wool over peoples eyes. Is this everyone? Cillin asked. A few years ago, they had visited the infamous Sector S alone and relied mostly on good equipment and good sense to protect themselves. Sea Paradise was even more dangerous than Sector S, however. Not even the Great Four was willing to brave its dangers for the vast riches it hid beneath its depths. Even for Lung, three men was too few especially considering the Andrea Familys modus operandi. Lung gave the bird nest that was his bed hair a scratch before replying, Nah. Not including you, Im bringing ten men in total for this adventure. The ten men he chose were completely trustworthy, strong, and had the best chance of surviving Sea Paradises environment. They might not be able to beat the Andrea Familys top fighters on land, but it might be a different story in the sea. However, Lung glanced at Czedow and Wheeze before saying, But why do I get the feeling like my ten men are less reliable than your companion and your pet? The two gamers immediately looked up from their devices and stared at Czedow and Wheeze. Even Big Rock had temporarily stopped tidying whatever it was he kept in his briefcase. Three pairs of eyes lasered onto Czedow and Wheeze, but Czedow continued to read the newspaper quietly as if nothing was going on, and Wheeze was still gobbling down its fish biscuits with all the grace of a messy eater. The only sign that it heard them at all was its ears twitching once when the three men looked in its direction. It was at this moment another three men entered the room. They were one of the ten people Lung had chosen for this mission. They had gone out earlier to make a couple of purchases. Cillin recognized one of them as a trainer that he had clashed briefly in the past. The trainer had shown great speed in the sea, and he was no standard human being. Cillin distinctly remembered seeing a tentacle or two while the man was zooming around in the waters. Pascado immediately sensed that the atmosphere was odd when he entered the room. There were two new faces in the room, and one of them were being scrutinized intensely by his companions. For some reason, there was also an ugly cat on the ta huh? Was it just him, or had he seen the cat before? Pascados expression grew odder and odder until finally, he asked Lung, Young master, is that Lung beckoned him and his companions over before saying, Introductions are in order, I see. This guy is my brother Cillin, that guy over there is Czedow, and this cat is Wheeze. Everyone rolled their eyes at the same time. Thats it? You give us their names but nothing else? At least they knew who Cillin was. Everyone here had served under Lung for quite some time and were privy to some of his contacts, and Pascado most definitely remembered Cillin now. Czedow was definitely an unfamiliar name though. Pascado had fought Cillin before, so he didnt think that he or his companions would be dragging their feet at Sea Paradise. However, the two gamers and Big Rock didnt share the same knowledge and thus were extremely displeased with Lungs comment. What do you mean the ten of us dont compare to one man and a cat? Why is he demoralizing us before the mission? His two companions and even Pascado himself shared more or less the same opinion after learning what the trio were so miffed about. He might be the weakest fighter of his group, but he still didnt believe that he would lose to the guy reading the newspaper. So, do you guys want to train together for a bit? To build rapport and improve teamwork, the guy next to Pascado suggested. Everyone voiced their agreements, and Lung shot Cillin an inquiring look. The latter nodded. Sure, why not? I need to speak with Lung though, so count me out. Lets go somewhere more private, Lung. Sure, Lung replied while pointing at a room. He said to his men after stepping inside, Keep it down, okay? Will do, young master!! The guys answered while doing some quick stretches. They obviously couldnt wait to train together with Czedow already. Lung knew they didnt understand what he really meant, but he left them to their fates and closed the door. They often thought too highly of their own abilities and could use the wake-up call anyway. Well? Whats this mystery about? Did the media movement from before affect you or something? Lung pulled over a chair and sat down. He would rather sit if he didnt need to stand, and lie down if he didnt need to sit. No, its regarding the Aurelios Cage. Lung subconsciously straightened his back and turned serious the moment he heard the two words. He hadnt told Cillin in detail why he was heading to Sea Paradise, so he was surprised to hear Cillin bringing up the Aurelios Cage himself. Cillin took out a star map fragment from his ring, and Lung immediately jumped to his feet. Holy shit! You have a star map fragment of G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-gods Tear!? I can hardly believe it!!! Lung carefully took the star map fragment from Cillins hands before asking, Are you really going to give this to us? Yes. This fragment is very valuable to your family, but not to me, Cillin replied. He had become allies with the Andrea Family from the moment he became staunch friends with Lung. Assuming that he might need to call on their aid in the future, they were sure to provide it especially if he made the request through Lung. However, Cillin would rather prove to the Andrea Family that he and the Eleventh Squadron were worthy allies in their own right. By giving this star map fragment to Lung, he would be helping a friend and showing the old fox behind the Andrea Family that the Eleventh Squadron was an ally they should strive to keep. After making some changes to the room so as to minimize the risk of detection, Lung took out a different star map fragment from his subspace container. The Andrea Family had come into possession of this star map fragment for a very long time, but their search for the other star map fragment hadnt yielded any fruit. That was why they had set it aside until now. If GALs future wasnt growing more and more uncertain everyday, Lung wouldnt have made the decision to search for Gods Tear using the incomplete star map. Before this, the Andrea Family guessed that Gods Tear might be hidden in Sea Paradise, but couldnt be certain because the star map was incomplete. In fact, Lung himself was just gambling on the possibility that it might be there. No one, not even the old fox, Andrea Fergus himself believed that Lung would actually find anything. After learning that Lung was going to Sea Paradise to search for Gods Tear, Fergus had given him a time limit of one hundred days. If he couldnt find Gods Tear in one hundred days, he would leave Sea Paradise immediately and return home. Big Rock was Fergus subordinate, and he wasnt just here to support the search mission and protect Lung from danger. If Lung exceeded the time limit but still refused to leave, then it was Big Rocks job to take him home by hook or by crook. Who wouldve thought? Seriously, who wouldve thought? Most of the core members of the Andrea Family were aware that there were only two Gods Tear star map fragments in the entire galaxy. Unfortunately, it also meant that finding the last star map fragment was about as easy as finding a needle in an ocean planet. Lung had never thought that he would be able to see and even hold the last star map fragment his family had been searching for god knows how long until now. Chapter 361.2: The Complete Star Map of God’s Tear [Part 2] Lung didnt ask where or how Cillin had gotten his fragment. It was a taboo to ask such questions becausebarring a few exceptionsmost Aurelio star map fragment owners would rather keep their secrets hidden and maintain their anonymity. Unless Cillin disclosed the story behind the fragment himself, he wouldnt be so uncouth as to ask him about it. He was content with just getting the item. Lungs eyes shone as he slowly fit the two fragments together. His hands were literally shaking in excitement. A hologram appeared after the two fragments were joined. Gods Tears star map wasnt as complicated as Shortcuts, and the dot that marked its location was pretty clear as well. Both Cillin and Lung knew which planet it was without needing to check a star map. Sea Paradise! It really is Sea Paradise! There was a key icon above the star map that functioned similarly to a compass, but instead of the north it always pointed toward Gods Tears location. This meant that Lung could skip right past the exploration phase and into the actual search phase. Hahaha!! Lung was so excited that he clapped his chairs armrest again and again. Originally, we reckoned that it wouldve taken a hundred days or so just to confirm that Gods Tear is really in Sea Paradise. But now? We may find the legendary treasure in just a couple of days if were lucky! Hahaha, theres no way that old man couldve predicted that the complete star map would fall into my hands! Lung changed targets and started clapping Cillins shoulder instead. I knew asking you to join me would bring me good fortune! I truly am a genius!! Hahaha, a genius!! Cillin: ... Cillin didnt understand how a lucky coincidence had anything to do with Lung being a genius, but whatever. Lung was so happy that he practically skipped his way out of the room. He didnt get angry or even care when he returned to the living room and saw that his subordinates had returned from their training, and they all looked down and defeated. At first glance, it almost looked like nothing had never happened. Wheeze was eating its fish biscuits, Czedow was still reading his newspaper, the gamers were playing games, and the newcomers were seated quietly in their seats. Even Big Rock had returned to his briefcase to shine his guns once more. There were some minor differences, however. Two of Lungs subordinates were rubbing their backs, and Pascados face was twitching a little when he was walking. He seemed to be holding in some sort of pain. Alright, lets pack the stuff and depart right now, everyone! Lung declared. His subordinates looked at their young masters uncontrollable grin and squirmed even more. He wasnt enjoying his suffering, was he? Probably not. One man asked, I thought we were going to standby for another two days and wait for the weather to get better, young master? Lung waved his arm. Not anymore! Were departing now! The sooner we depart, the sooner we can go home, am I right!? Lung didnt tell them about the star map fragments or make a report to his grandfather, Fergus because he didnt want to chance a leak. It was one thing to leak that he was currently holding the Andrea Familys star map fragment, and another to leak the fact that the second one was now in his possession as well. Gods Tear might be far less attractive than the other Aurelios to the average person, but they were in Sector H right now. In the end, Lung decided to play it safe and make his decision after the deed was done. Alright, Ill tell with Big Sail that were departing now, someone answered. Big Sail was one of the ten men Lung was bringing him on this journey. Big Sail was his codename, but most people in the Andrea Family had forgotten about his real name, so they simply addressed him as Big Sail. The reason Big Sail and a couple more men werent in the room was because they were guarding the spaceplane. Cillin shot the departing man a glance. Judging from the way he was shaking his arm, he was almost certain that he was one of the men who sparred with Czedow and proved wanting. That didnt mean that he was weak by any means, however. The moment they entered the sea, their offensive power would grow multifold. Moreover, most of these people were trainers. An excellent trainer could singlehandedly command thousands of common sea creatures or several extremely powerful sea creatures to their will. Maybe he was overestimating their abilities a little, but even then they couldnt be too far behind. Cillin looked forward to witnessing the trainers who supposedly received the blessing of the sea gods in action. Who would come out on top, the trainers or true kings of the sea? Back to the present, Pascado and the others quickly finished their preparations after being urged repeatedly by Lung. The Andrea Family was a rich family. Although they had chosen a spaceplane with a bland exterior to maintain secrecy, the interior was a completely different story. Moreover, the large spaceplane possessed many special equipment because their destination was Sea Paradise. Wheeze finally stopped eating after it entered the spaceplane. It found a comfortable spot, curled up into a ball and began dozing. Everyone thought that it was a cats natural reaction after eating a full meal, but only Cillin knew that it hadnt eaten its fill at all. It was just conserving its energy so it could really fill its stomach at Sea Paradise later. In the case of Sea Paradise, the GAL Research Institute scholars Mo Heng had introduced to Cillin might not necessarily know more than the people of Sector H. This was especially true in the case of the Andrea Family. The information Lung had shown Cillin alone told him that the Andrea Familys understanding of Sea paradise far exceeded the scholars. Right now, Cillin was reading up on some of the biological species of Sea Paradise. The screen was showing a kind of fish that was commonly seen on the epipelagic zone. In Cillins opinion, the fish was a bit too different from your average fish to fall under the same category. The fish wasnt particularly big in size. Even the largest adult wasnt over a meter long. However, its mouth was full of sharp teeth, and its pectoral fin and pelvic fin were covered in small thorns. They also looked like a crawling beast when they raised their dorsal fin and puffed up pectoral fin and pelvic fins. This fish normally traveled in schools, and each school numbered among thousands to tens of thousands. The reason they traveled in schools wasnt to protect themselves, but to hunt down their prey with overwhelming numbers. Moreover, the way they moved was incredibly organized because they were led by a leader. If their leader perished for one reason or another, they would quickly appoint a new leader and continue the hunt. Their viciousness extended toward their own kind as well. They were extremely territorial, and they wouldnt hesitate to tear another school of fishes who swam even an inch too close to their territory into pieces. The fishes also had a peculiar habit when they went out on a hunt: the first bite must bleed no matter what. To give an example, it was like setting a good precedent. The blood would raise the entire schools morale and drive to pursue their prey until the hunt was over. The opposite was equally true. If the first strike failed to bleed their prey, then the entire schools morale would plummet. This was why the fish responsible for the first blood was usually the leader or potential leader candidates. Long story short, they were the strongest fishes of their school. Generally speaking, if defeating or escaping the fishes proved to be impossible, then the person must avoid the first blood attack at the very least. If the fishes couldnt score the first blood, then it would become slightly easier to shake them off. The fishes would also give up on their own eventually. It wasnt the only fish in Sea Paradise to display this type of behavior. In fact, it was among the weaker sea creatures in Sea Paradise. After all, they were just common fishes that lived in the epipelagic zone. To put it simply, the deeper the depth, the more numerous and dangerous the sea creatures became. Cillin didnt know if they would encounter a sea beast that was similar to Blueskin, but it certainly looked like the deep sea monsters of Sea Paradise were just as great, if not greater. Sea Paradise was a paradise to sea creatures, but an absolute nightmare to humans. The gaseous elements of the atmosphere alone werent something a normal human could endure, not to mention that its weather was hardly peaceful. Its unusual magnetic field and hostile environment had kept countless would-be adventurers at bay, and still did until this day. It was precisely they understood how dangerous Sea Paradise environment was that the Andrea Family had developed many tools and equipment that werent sold to the public. It allowed them to enter the planet despite its unusual magnetic field. Some time later, they were close to their destination. Were just five minutes away from Sea Paradise. Prepare for landing, Lung said. The napping gray cat immediately raised its ears, opened its eyes and wiped its face with its paws.Then, it rubbed itself against the floor, stretched its back and shook some loose fur from its body. Time to go hunting! Chapter 362: Make Us Some Space, Wheeze [Part 1] From space, Sea Paradise looked like a massive, navy blue pupil that was staring directly at you. It was as if the planet itself was trying to awake the fear hidden in its visitors hearts little by little. Mo Heng had already mentioned this, but Sea Paradise was definitely surrounded by a strange electromagnetic field. Cillin could feel it in his bones when they entered the vicinity of the planet. The fact that some of the equipment in the spaceplane suddenly malfunctioned was the proof of it. They had come prepared, however. The fruits of the Andrea Familys labor immediately began working their magic. The spaceplane was outfitted with two different sets of equipment. One of them was for normal use, and the other was for Sea Paradise only. A quick switch later, everything returned to normal on the spaceplane. How do you feel? Cillin asked Czedow but not Wheeze because it was clear that the gluttonous cat was perfectly fine. Im fine. The electromagnetic field is effective against common machinery, but not so much against us because we are autonomous individuals. The equipment the Andrea Family prepared for Sea Paradise is excellent, however. The machine language they speak is different from the common machinery. Im learning a lot just listening to them, Czedow answered. Thats good. Cillin relaxed after hearing that Czedow was unaffected by the planets unusual electromagnetic field. The robot was a huge help and a giant load of burden off his shoulders in any situation. Wheeze, dont run off on your own when we enter the planet, Cillin instructed next. Mm mm, Wheeze responded, but didnt even look back at Cillin. It was too busy staring at the approaching planet on the display and swinging its tail from left to right. It was clear that the devious fellow was plotting something again. So Cillin pulled up one of its ears and asked, Do you hear me? Yes, yes! Wheeze promised. Cillin, get ready! Were about to make an entry! Lung called from the other side. A while later, turbulence began rocking the spaceplane as they made an atmospheric entry. This was normal because it was the moment where the unusual electromagnetic field was at its strongest. It was also why Lung had asked everyone to prepare themselves. The unprepared could definitely find themselves being thrown left and right like a ragdoll. As the environmental analysis appeared on bridge display, Cillin confirmed once more that the atmospheric composition of Sea Paradise wasnt something a normal person could endure. Even a rank A person with a very strong constitution might not be able to breathe unassisted for more than half a day. Humidity was sky high because it was an ocean planet, and thin layers of clouds and mists occasionally took form above the sea surface. As it turned out, the blue of Sea Paradise was even deeper at close range. From the sky, it looked like they were staring into a bottomless, navy blue abyss. The equipment had already been distributed, and everyone was changing into the appropriate attire. The protective suit and breathing mask Cillin was wearing were specifically developed by the Andrea Family for underwater use. Despite its unassuming appearance, it was tough and highly resistant to pressure. On the surface, it almost looked like a normal dive suit because most of its mechanisms were inactive. In the sea though, they would come online and distinguish it from a normal dive suit. Czedow? Why arent you putting on your equipment? Pascado asked when he saw that Czedow wasnt moving at all. They were going to take off the protective suit after the landingit was so that their bodies could adjust to the new environmentbut they put them on now because it was a precaution against emergencies. It would be far too late to begin putting on a protective suit if an accident happened, and they were forced to make an emergency exit. I dont need it, Czedow answered simply. Pascado and the rest of the bodyguards watched him oddly. Are you an aquatic human too? Czedow shook his head but didnt give an explanation. One of them shot Czedow a glance before pointing at the fat, round and ugly gray cat next to him. What about the cat? You cant seriously tell me that it doesnt need to wear a suit too? The atmosphere of this planet isnt nothing like a habitable planets, you know. Wheeze simply flicked its ear once before replying, Its fine. Im not like you people. Why does it sound like its condescending us? Unwilling to admit weakness, a couple of people removed their breathing masks and said, To be honest, we dont really need these equipment either. Once we entered the water, these breathing masks will be completely useless to us. Say, you guys wanna hold an underwater competition later? It was at this moment Lung walked over and slapped them in the back. Cut it out already. You wont have the time to fool around anyway. If Cillin hadnt given him the star map fragment, then maybe Lung wouldve given them some free time. That was no longer the case. Until Gods Tear was found, they couldnt waste any energy on useless things. Since the boss had given the word, the bodyguards had no choice but to suppress their pride. However, they were a bit confused by Lungs unusually serious attitude. Was it because he was nervous? Is the new map out yet? Lung asked next. The Andrea Family possessed several planetary maps of Sea Paradise, but they werent very useful because the planet itself was constantly changing for whatever reason. For example, Lung was currently holding a map from ten years ago. There were supposedly to be three large coral reefs at their chosen landing spot, but in reality they had sunk into the deep due to a crustal movement. That was why they had to rescan and redraw the planetary map every time they visited this place. The second equipment the Andrea Family developed was capable of withstanding the planets unusual electromagnetic field, but its calculation speed was much slower as a result. Normally, a detailed planetary map could be scanned and drawn in less than a minute. Now, it took nearly twenty minutes to complete the task. Young master, there is an atoll at your chosen coordinates, but its only a kilometer wide in diameter, and it is surrounded by a warm current. The salinity of the sea water is also above average, which probably means that some types of fishes and sea beasts will appear in large numbers in that area. Lung thought long and hard as he listened to his subordinates reports. Obviously, the old mans plan was no longer viable. They werent even at the landing spot they had discussed earlier, or he wouldnt be worrying about something as basic as finding a resting place. Unfortunately, there were no other atolls in this particular sea region. Most people would think that the atoll was more than big enough for their purposes, but Lung and his men were of the opposite opinion. It was because they took the fishes and sea beasts that resided in the area into consideration. Just like many large animals on the land, the coral reef was usually the domain of many powerful sea beasts. These ferocious animals absolutely had no intention of yielding even an inch of their territory, especially because there were no real land on Sea Paradise at all. Therefore, every coral reef was a never-ending battlefield. Aquatic creatures were battling each other for territory every moment. Lung looked at the new map before saying, Well, we definitely cannot land our spaceplane here. The images on the map told Lung a lot of things. Aquatic humans like them only needed one look to identify what type of species would be occupying a certain part of a coral reef. Moreover, unlike the sea beasts from other planets, the sea beasts of Sea Paradise were especially difficult to tame. Even highly trained tamers needed time to the new environment and make their taming skills work. That was why attempting to tame the sea beasts with their tamers would be a bad idea. Right now, nearly every part of the atoll was jampacked with large groups of sunbathing sea beasts. There were a couple of spots that were conspicuously empty, but that was because they were the territory of a much bigger sea beast. To set foot in those areas was the same as committing suicide. This meant that they would have to defeat a group of smaller sea beasts first before they could set foot on this atoll. Lung was about to give his subordinates the order to clear out some space when Wheeze leaped onto Cillins shoulder and said to Lung, Ill go. Ill take care of those worms for you. Chapter 362.2 Chapter 362: Make Us Some Space, Wheeze [Part 2] Worms? Lungs subordinates wore strange expressions on their faces yet again. Even the infant of these so-called worms were at least half a meter long. They also possessed tough shells, sharp claws and teeth, and a violent behavior to boot. From the gray cats point of view, these worms might as well be giants. Pascado kept his mouth shut because he had seen Wheeze in action before, but the same couldnt be said for the rest of his companions. Some of them even laughed after the gray cat had made its declaration. Look, little fatty, some of these worms might look like this from here, one man pretended as if he was holding a sesame between his thumb and forefinger before spreading his arms wide, but theyre really this big at the very least! Wheeze shot the speaker a disdainful glance before complaining to Cillin, Uncultured swines are just pitiful The guy wouldve argued further, but Lung raised a hand and stopped him. He asked, What do you think, Cillin? Cillin grabbed Wheeze by the nape and held it in front of his face. Are you sure you can do it? Absolutely! You sure you wont go overboard? One hundred percent! Cillin continued watching Wheeze until the gray cat raised a paw and swore on its fish biscuits. Only then he finally let go. It wasnt that Cillin didnt trust Wheezes abilities; it was the opposite. He also knew that Wheeze was prone to losing control especially when it was feeding. There were a ton of sea beasts on the atoll, and they only needed to clear out a small place to rest. If Wheeze caused too big a commotion during the hunt, it might trigger a chain reaction and cause other sea beasts to grow curious. That would be the opposite of what Cillin wished to happen. Their numbers were few after all. Lung also supported Cillin by explaining their next move and offering to reward Wheeze if it cleared out an area successfully. It definitely motivated the gray cat to treat the mission a lot more seriously. Were counting on you, Wheeze! No problem! Just dont forget the reward you promise me! Wheeze balled its paws eagerly. Should I lower the spaceplane now? The pilot asked. Theres no need. Cillin opened the hatch, and Wheeze shot outward like an arrow. The next moment, everyone saw on the camera display that Wheeze stretching its wings and flying straight toward the designated area. What the fuck? Is that really a pair of wings? My eyes arent deceiving me, right? What kind of cat is it? Pascado and the others oohed and aahed like they were watching a live miracle. Cillin was also watching the feed, but it was so that he could warn the glutton in a timely fashion in case it still lost its head despite its promises. There was a spot on the atoll that was jampacked with smaller sea beasts. Not far away from this spot were a bunch of twenty to thirty meter tall plants that looked like a mini forest. It was also the dividing line between territories. Wheezes mission was to clear out the cluster of smaller sea beasts and any other creature within the area. Right now, the the smaller sea beasts were lying on top of the coral reefs and enjoying the sunny weather. Some of them were playing with one another and some were lying on their front and absorbing the sunlight. They looked like they were having the time of their life. Once in a while, their claws would brush against the coral reefs and leave thin scratch marks on them. The coral reefs of Sea Paradise were several times tougher than the generic coral reef, however. Their claws wouldve gone through those like knife through carrots. Suddenly, the sea beast lying on the highest spot of the area opened its eyes and stared at the sky. A shadow was moving closer and closer toward them, and it could feel that their gaze were anything but friendly. Feeling very uncomfortable, it puffed up the plates on its back until it looked twice as big as normal. The sea beast also let out a guttural warning growl which caused the surrounding sea beasts to look up, spot the invader, and growled out themselves. It was their habit to warn any invader to stay away from their territory even if they turned out to be beneath their notice. Of course, if their prey insisted of delivering itself to its death, they had absolutely no reason to stop it. They all revealed their mouthful of sharp teeth and waited patiently for their prey to fall into their mouths. Wheezes eyes grew brighter and brighter as it sped up. When it was ten meters away from the atoll, it abruptly withdrew its wings and landed right in the middle of the atoll. After that, what looked like a felines giant maw suddenly appeared into existence. It was what most of them saw before they were devoured. The maw took its time devouring its prey, and it started with none other than the sea beast that was lying at the highest spot of the coral reef. The poor thing didnt even get to swing its claws in retaliation or make a squeak before it was sucked into the black hole. Meanwhile, the spaceplane was enveloped in shocked silence. Pascado and the others were busy digesting the fact that Wheeze wasnt the harmless fat cat it seemed, and that its appetite was absolutely humongous! In less than half a minute, every sea beast within ten meters of the spot Wheeze landed had become the food in its stomach. The farther, lucky ones had escaped as soon as they realized what was going on. After Wheeze had cleared out what it felt was an appropriate amount of territory, it leaped up to the highest spot of the coral reef, informed the others that they could land their spaceplane, and scratched its ears with its hind legs. A yawn later, it lay down and began cleaning itself. Right now, everyone in the spaceplane including the serious-looking Big Rock was looking at Cillin with envy. To say that it was a dream to have a pet like this would be an understatement. The cat had easily taken care of what wouldve been a tiring task for them. When a human fought against the sea beast, they normally just shot them to death. However, Wheeze did it by devouring them whole an establishing itself as the alpha predator right from the get go. Animals had their own way of settling their score, which was why Wheezes method worked way better than anything Lung and the others couldve come up with. We can land now, Cillin broke them out of their reverie. They flew down on a smaller spaceplane instead of their existing spaceplane. This new spaceplane would be the groups transport in the sky and underwater. It could even dive very deep into the sea. Triphibian flying cars were fairly well known, but not triphibian spaceplanes because they were extremely expensive to build. After all, they could dive deep into the sea like a submarine, function as a mobile base on land, and fly between Sectors like a normal spaceplane. The one they were currently piloting was even more expensive, of course. A triphibian spaceplane that could withstand the unusual electromagnetic field of Sea Paradise was even rarer. While the triphibian spaceplane was landing on the coral reefs, a bunch of sea beasts could be seen prowling around the edges. They instinctively raised their forelimbs when they noticed what the humans were doing, but withdrew backward the moment they recalled who currently owned the territory. A bare of fangs from Wheeze later, the sea beasts hurriedly dove back into the sea water and escaped. Well rest here for the moment and wait for our bodies to acclimatize to the environment, Lung said. After Lung measured the surroundings with a device, he took off his breathing mask and his protective suit. Then, he began stretching and warming up his body. Cillin knew that Lung wasnt a standard human, but he didnt expect him to be able to withstand even an environment like Sea Paradises. This is our species advantage. We have a natural affinity with ocean environments. Its not easy, mind you, but its only a matter of time before we adapt to it, Lung explained. Lungs subordinates also took off their breathing masks, but two of them had to put it back on after a while. Their ability to adapt to this atmosphere was weaker than the others. Cillin gave it a go himself and confirmed that he couldnt get used to the atmosphere either. He would last longer than your standard human, but he would have to take a lot longer to adapt to the atmosphere compared to sea-friendly humans like Lung. Wheeze took a moment to relax, and only a moment. It wasnt long before it began searching around the coral reefs for sea beast eggs to eat. Cillin allowed it as long as it promised not to go out of its way to provoke the other sea beasts on the atoll. Czedow was collecting data and recording the extraordinary sceneries of Sea Paradise. Cillin took off his protective suit and took a moment to soak in the unusual atmospheric pressure. Soon, he was able to stretch and warm up like Lung as well. That was the advantage of having an extraordinary constitution. A normal person wouldve broken a blood vessel or a hundred already. Cillin was in the middle of a warm-up when Wheeze called out from the forest. Oh my meow! A treasure! Chapter 363.1 Chapter 363: Underwater City [Part 1] Cillin followed Wheezes voice and found it crouching in front of a plant and pulling something out of the coral next to it. Roll roll roll A round object rolled into view. It was light blue in color and about as big as a pigeons egg. I have a feeling this ball is pretty valuable, Cillin, Wheeze said while playing with the crystal-like ball. Cillin grabbed the ball and examined it briefly. It felt cool to touch, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. There was also a faint plant scent that greatly invigorated the mind. Oh. I wasnt expecting to find this here, Lung said when he walked over and saw the ball. We call it the Guardian Heart. Guardian Heart? Wheeze repeated while waiting impatiently for Lung to continue. Now it was even more certain that the ball was worth a lot of money. Yep. Its something thats only found in some special ocean environments. Moreover, the Guardian Heart found in Sea Paradise possesses the highest quality and effect. Lung began explaining the origin and uses of the Guardian Heart. The crystal-like ball was formed by the root system of certain plants that were commonly found in coral reefs. They were used to repel sea beasts and some herbivorous animals and insects. The ball would slowly be pushed to the surface after it was formed, but not completely. In big enough numbers, they could form a protective circle around the plants and keep them safe from smaller sea beasts. Although it wasnt strong enough to repel a larger sea beast, it could neutralize their appetite and make them uninterested in consuming a plant that was protected by a Guardian Heart. You noticed that there arent any smaller sea beasts around the plants even though this atoll is jampacked with them? Thats because the Guardian Heart smells nice to us, but is quite disgusting to the sea beasts. Long story short, if you find a plant that is strangely free of sea beasts, it probably means that their root system has formed a Guardian Heart. The weird thing about this object is that its effects are pretty poor when created artificially. It is why natural Guardian Heart are always sold for a high price in the market. Of all the planets that produces Guardian Hearts, Sea Paradises is easily the most expensive. This one for example can probably sell for six or even seven figures. Feel free to dig up as many as you want, but please leave those that arent fully formed yet untouched, okay? We need them to keep the sea beasts away. Lungs last two sentences were directed at Wheeze because its eyes kept growing brighter as he spoke. In fact, its gaze reached peak intensity when he said that Sea Paradises Guardian Heart was the most expensive. It was at this moment Czedow walked over from another direction and reported, There are a lot of hallucinatory substances within the sea water. The Indigenous organisms have developed various degrees of resistances toward it, but the same cannot be said for foreigners like us. He then showed Cillin his analysis and briefly mentioned the distribution of sea beasts at the atoll as well. That is why the sea beasts and some of the fishes of Sea Paradise cannot be eaten directly, Lung said. Suddenly, he recalled Wheeze swallowing a ton of sea beasts while it was clearing out the area and shot the gray cat a glance. It was currently digging out more Guardian Hearts from the nearby plants with great spirit. Will your cat be fine, Cillin? Its fine, it has digested worse things. Just ignore it. Cillin had long since gotten used to it. Wheeze had eaten plenty of sea beasts back at the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, and those creatures were special in their own right. However, even they werent enough to give Wheeze indigestion. The scanner found something, young master, one of Lungs subordinates said. After Lung had landed on the atoll, his subordinates had deployed some scanners into the sea to scan their surroundings. He specifically requested ordered his subordinates to deploy more scanners in the direction the star map was pointing toward. What is it? Lung asked. Cillin and Czedow joined him. Wheeze was the only one who ignored the discussion because there were still a couple of Guardian Hearts it hadnt dug out yet. The scanners are currently three thousand meters below the sea level, and this is what they found, the man passed a tablet to Lung. The tablet was displaying a wavy line. Due to the Sea Paradises unique environment and the unusual electromagnetic field that affected the entire planet, the data the scanners captured wasnt very detailed. However, it was still enough to draw a 3D image based on some pictures, probing waves and unusual energy fluctuations in the scanned area. Every marked depth had a corresponding 3D image, and it was at the three thousand meters mark that the scanners began detecting abnormalities. The color of the 3D images they drew was deeper than normal, and the deeper the scanners went the darker the color became. Lung bubbled with excitement when he saw this. It was because the results showed that the reflection of energy of the affected area was different from other areas. No other scanner had detected such an abnormality, so there was a very high chance that that was where Gods Tear was at. Why is there a step-like formation here? Is this normal? Cillin pointed at an unusual spot of the 3D image and asked. According to this image, there was a steep incline beneath the sea surface of this atoll, and on the incline was what seemed to be a flight of steps leading all the way to the sea bed. These steps clearly arent made for human beings though. Was it made for sea beasts? Lung asked thoughtfully. No one could tell if it was man-made or natural, but it had caught their attention nonetheless. Anyway, keep a close eye on the scanners in this area and begin making the preparations. Were moving once the scanners are done scanning, Lung instructed. Uwah Suddenly, a long howl erupted from the forest where Wheeze was at. When they turned their heads to look, they saw a massive tail with dark stripes swinging wildly amidst the plants and destroying them. The plants were around twenty to thirty meters tall, but the were nowhere tall enough to conceal the tail at all. Some nearby sea beasts were frightened by the howl and sent scattering in every direction. Pwish The howls were accompanied by occasional spurts of blue blood that dyed the big leaves blue. Eventually, everything including the tail flailing subsided into nothing. A while later, the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground and rustling tree branches came from Wheezes direction. Then, the head of a massive sea beast poked out of the plants. It wasnt the sea beast that surprised Lung and his subordinates, however. It was the fact that Wheeze was dragging it out by the feelers around its mouth. That the size difference between the predator and the prey was even bigger than the time Wheeze had devoured the smaller sea beasts made it even more shocking. The sea beast looked a little like an eel. Its torso was about five meters wide, and it was lined with a lot of feelers. It was probably higher up on the food chain compared to the sea beasts Wheeze had chased away earlier. It wasnt long before the sea beast was fully dragged into the open. There was a long, deep wound around its abdominal area, and blue blood was leaking out of it. It formed a blue trail behind the sea beast. After Wheeze had dragged the sea beast before Cillin, it asked, Do you guys want to eat it? Pascado and everyone else shook its head in unison. No one wanted to eat something with a giant monster with mouth full of sharp teeth and eyes wide open with dying grievance. The internal organs and blue blood trailing its bacl alone was enough to cause them revulsion. Somethings not right about this. This sea beast isnt strictly an amphibianit can crawl along the coral reefs for a short time, but only a short timeand it wouldnt come here unless its time to feed. However, its obviously not its feeding time right now, not to mention that Wheeze had chased away the smaller sea beasts in the area a while ago. So what the heck is this big guy doing here? Lung questioned while scratching his chin. Wheeze was in the middle of licking the blue blood on its paws when it heard this. It hurriedly defended itself, Its not my fault! The big guy crawled out of the sea on its its own! I wasnt going to pay it any attentionI was busy digging out the rest of the treasurebut for some reason it charged straight toward me. My pile of treasures were in the way, and theres no way I was going to let it eat them! Really, its not my fault! It was at this moment Big Rock looked toward the sea and said, A school of largetooth sawfishes is nearby. Chapter 363.2 Chapter 363: Underwater City [Part 2] The largetooth sawfishes were mentioned in the Andrea Familys database. In fact, it was one of the more well-recorded and typical species. The largetooth sawfishes were usually found in the surface layer and thermocline. They operated in schools of tens of thousands or more, which was enough to intimidate some of the larger sea beasts in the surface layer and the thermocline. An adult largetooth sawfish could reach a length of 5 meters. It could open their jaws up to 270 degrees and bite down with enough force to crush all the bones in a sea beasts body. It was one of the reasons the Andrea Familys measures against these creatures was just to avoid them as far as possible. Unlike the first blood fishes, they wouldnt become demoralized and give up just because they had missed the first blood. The sawtooth fishes are hunting. That big fellow mustve swam to the coral reefs to avoid them, Big Rock explained. Dont worry though. The vanguard should pass by this atol in five minutes or so. Lung let out a sigh. We still have to wait until these annoying bastards are gone before we can begin our operation. Big Rock responded with a serious nod, Theoretically speaking, that is correct. Cillin had to admit that his senses werent as good as Lungs men in an ocean environment. The reason Big Rock spoke with such certainty was because he had obtained that information from the marine life themselves. So far, he certainly lived up to his name as one of the ten major bodyguards of Old Fox Andrea Fergus. Not only had he adapted to Sea Paradises environment in just a short time, he had tamed some of its sea creatures as well. Lets get back to the spaceplane. A lot of sea beasts will be climbing up the atoll in a moment, and there is no need to get caught up in the commotion, Lung said while beckoning Cillin to follow him. Wheeze handed over the Guardian Heart to Cillin for safekeeping because it wanted to stay outside to enjoy the show. It could escape to the sky if the atoll became too cramped anyway. After Cillin entered the spaceplane, a couple more sea beasts swam up the atoll just as Big Rock had predicted they would. This time, the territory owners only warned the newcomers to be obedient instead of chasing them away. Of course, the ones that were too unruly would be taught a painful lesson but otherwise everyone was watching the sea nervously from inside their hiding spots. Swoosh swoosh swoosh A bunch of fishes with wings flew out of the sea surface and into the coral reefs of the atoll. Some smaller sea beasts had crawled deeper into the atoll as well. It wasnt long before the place quickly became jampacked with sea beasts. The closed atoll was a haven for the smaller sea creatures because the largetooth sawfishes couldnt swim, jump or fly into the atoll. It was effectively a barrier that held the massive school of predators at bay. Unfortunately for the flying fishes, some of them managed to avoid the largetooth sawfishes only to fall prey to another predator. One such predator was a tiny gray cat with wings. Right now, Wheeze was hovering in the air and facing toward the flying fishes. It opened its mouth wide so that the flying fishes would land inside it. Not only that, it started smacking the flying fishes back whence they came from or batting them away toward a nearby sea beast after it had had its fill. Naturally, those sea beasts saw no reason not to gorge themselves on the free meals and opened their mouths as well. It was a bizarre scene to say the least. Lungs subordinates all thought the same thing when they saw this: poor, poor flying fishes. Of all the predators they couldve encountered, they just had to run into that scumbaggery cat! The number of sea creatures on the atoll was still increasing. It was around this time the largetooth sawfishes started showing themselves. Many triangular dorsal fins began emerging on the sea surface. The poor creatures who either failed to leap onto the atoll in time or outright lacked the ability to do so were torn apart and devoured by the sawfishes. It wasnt long before the sea surface was covered in largetooth sawfishes and the half-eaten bodies of their victims. Some body parts were even tossed into the air due to the thrashing of the sawfishes. The sea grew bluer, and Cillin recalled a famous saying: the sea is blue because that is the color of the marine lifes blood. Five minutes later, triangular dorsal fins filled the sea surface as far as the eyes could see, and this was just the vanguard; the tip of the iceberg. Countless more largetooth sawfishes were swimming in the water and ripping apart any and every prey they encountered. Plop! Suddenly, Wheeze stopped batting the flying fishes and dove into the sea. What is that fatso doing now? Pascado asked. It probably got bored of playing with the flying fishes and went underwater for more sport. A pause later, Cillin added, Can you turn on a monitor? After Lung did as he asked, Cillin motioned for Czedow to connect Wheeze to the monitor. Soon, they were seeing what Wheeze was seeing underwater. As expected, a brutal scene of murder and predation was happening below the atoll. The largetooth sawfishes were intentionally steering their prey toward atoll because sea creatures that could climb or fly over the barrier like the flying fishes were actually among the few. The rest could do nothing but be fed on after their retreat had been cut off by a wall. Scales and torn flesh were everywhere, the sawfishes jaw and sharp teeth even more so. The sea water had turned so blue that it was bone-chilling. Suddenly, there was a beep that drew everyones attention. The scanners had finished their tasks and transmitted the results back to the spaceplane. The scanners have reached the sea bed! Someone said excitedly. The 3D image transmitted back by the scanners showed an extraordinary scene. There was what looked like a city at the seas bed. The 3D image only showed a rough outline, but it was enough to excite Lung to no end. Gods Tear had to be somewhere inside the city! Wheres the video feed? Did we forget to turn it on or something? Lung asked. We lost contact with the three scanners that reached the sea bed, young master. We lost contact with the fourth scanner as well, young master. Young master we just lost contact with the fifth scanner. They had lost contact with all five scanners they had sent to the coordinates. They didnt even manage to record a video and transmit it back to the spaceplane. This reminded Cillin of something Moon had told him about Gods Tear before he came over. When the Xi Family was researching Gods Tear, they had lived at the bottom of the sea for some time to better understand the sea beds. Moon had used the word lived, not lingered or stayed other terms. Now that they knew that there was an entire city at the bottom of the sea, Cillin couldnt help but wonder if the Xi Family had built an underwater city. It sounded damned near impossible because Sea Paradise was no ordinary ocean planet. Many peoples spaceplanes couldnt even fly near to the planet, much less build an underwater city on the planet itself. Then again, the Xi Family had proven time and again to be a family that existed beyond the boundaries of common sense. It was definitely a possibility. How much longer until the largetooth sawfishes leave completely? Lung asked Big Rock. Theoretically speaking, itll be at least another hour before theyre completely gone. But? But if youre in a hurry, we can try to tame some of the sawfishes and convince them to leave sooner. Lung considered the suggestion for a moment but rejected it with the wave of a hand. He said, Its fine. There are way too many sawfishes down there, and we will need our strength when we head underwater and search for Gods Tear. Whats an hour of waiting when were but a moment away from our goal? Czedow was wearing a thoughtful expression on his face, so he asked, Did you find something? The magnetic field is the reason we lost contact with the five scanners, Czedow replied. Magnetic field? But we built those scanners specifically to resist the magnetic field of this planet. It took a lot of resources and manpower to build them too, Lung said with a frown. Czedow shook his head. And Im not saying that your efforts are useless. The scanners are capable of withstanding the planets magnetic field in general, but not the one that is emitting from our destination. There, the magnetic field is two or even three times stronger than normal. That is why the five scanners are unable to operate normally. Is it their work? Cillin asked. He was referring to the old Xi Family. Yes. Chapter 364.1 Chapter 364: Crystal Mountain A lot of sea beasts were surrounding the spaceplane, but thankfully they were only concerned with escaping the carnage. At most, they swiped the hull once or twice out of curiosity and not hostility. The sawtooth fishes hunt lasted an hour or so. But just because the sea surface had returned to calm didnt mean that the sawtooth fishes had left the area, at least not entirely. A large majority of the rear party were still parked under the sea for whatever reason. The best way to determine if they had truly left was to observe the sea beasts that were taking refuge on the atoll. Some sea beasts couldnt afford to loiter indefinitely on the atoll because they werent amphibians. They left the waters only because they had no other choice. Therefore, the gang only needed to wait until these creatures made their move. Ten or so minutes later, some sea beasts started making their way to the edge of the atoll. After probing the sea surface for a bit, they abruptly dove into the waters and werent seen again. The rest of the refugees began evacuating the atoll, and the territory owners began chasing away the outsiders. Get ready, Lung said after the sea beasts started leaving the atoll en masse. And call Wheeze back, Cillin. Were heading to our destination right now. Wheeze flew out of the waters despite not having played to its hearts content. However, it made sure to take a piss at a couple of key locations and rub its body against some coral reefs before returning to the spaceplane. It was like it was drawing an invisible line around the zone it had cleared out earlier. Is it marking its territory? Pascado asked. I think so, but I dont know if a sea beast can understand a cats markings, someone replied. Wheeze had already fed the large sea beast it killed earlier to the sawtooth fishes. Although the coral reef was still stained with its blue blood, Wheeze didnt believe it was enough to keep the smaller sea beasts from invading. That was why it had left behind its own markings. If the creatures still invaded its territory, then it would have all the justification it needed to devour them all. It was a win-win for it. After Wheeze had returned to the spaceplane, Lung activated its submarine mode and dove into the sea. They immediately saw the gigantic, seemingly artificial stairs they had caught on the camera earlier. It seemed to stretch from the atoll all the way to the seabed. Although the sea had become bluer due to the carnage wrought by the sawtooth fishes, there were still enough light to see the surrounding fishes and the sea beasts clearly. Larger sea beasts are rarely seen the sunlight zone. Although sea beasts from the midnight zone would occasionally rise to the surface to feed, generally speaking you wont find a true heavyweight anywhere in this layer. The sea beast Wheeze killed is fairly huge for a sunlight zone creature, but it is nothing but a small fry in the midnight zone. During the dive, Lung would occasionally point out a sea creature and impart with Cillin his knowledge. However, he rarely possessed complete information on the species, and encounters with never-before-seen species were incredibly common. When this happened, Lung would order his subordinates to gather as much basic data as possible and analyze it with them. Cillin was able to learn many new knowledge from their discussion. Not all data needed to be measured and analyzed by a machine to be accurate. For example, experienced seamenliterallylike Lung and his subordinates were able to identify a sea beasts a ton of general data based on their appearance alone. They could even identify the evolutionary features that benefited or impaired a creature clearly. Although the creatures of Sea Paradise evolved differently from sea creatures of other worlds due to its unique environment, they still obeyed the laws of natural selection. Each and every organ had their own reason for existing. The deeper they dove, the darker the sea became. However, Lung ordered his subordinates to activate their night vision equipment instead of the usual navigation lights because the large majority of the sea beasts at this layer were light sensitive. It would draw unwanted attention to say the least. You may be surprised, but most of the giants residing in this layer arent actually as scary or violent as they look. More accurately, they are only interested in familiar prey and have no interest in prodding unfamiliar objects. Lung explained to Cillin when a seventy-meter-long sea beast swam past their spaceplane. On Cillins shoulder, Wheeze stared at the departing sea beasts tails and smacked its lips. It already knew this, but one really shouldnt judge a sea beast solely by its cover. Maybe it was because the sawtooth fishes had just frequented the area, but the spaceplane didnt encounter any trouble during their descent. The number of sea beasts in the area were also fewer than expected. The sea beasts in the midnight zone were as huge and extraordinary as Lung had described. Already, Cillin had witnessed hundred-meter-long sea giants and even more strangely-shaped sea beasts. The giant jellyfishes were but the appetizers. Cillin glanced at a monitor. The spaceplane had dove to a depth 2700 meters and were descending even lower. It shouldnt be long before they reached the depth where the scanners had begun to experience abnormalities. Beep Beep It was at this moment the ships detection equipment made a series of beeping noises. This is where the signals started deteriorating, one of Lungs subordinates said. Begin deep analysis, said Lung before opening an apparatus and going to work himself. The scanners werent equipped with this apparatus and thus werent able to copy and transmit the signal back to the spaceplane properly. That was why they had to come all the way here before they could perform the analysis. The results came out soon enough. It looks like a guiding signal. I think its telling us which way to go, said the guy on the analyzer. Do we follow the signal, young master? Instead of answering, Lung shot Cillin a look before walking into a lounge. Cillin threw Wheeze onto Czedows shoulder and followed Lung into the lounge as well. After the door was closed, Lung took out the star map and examined its holographic key. Unless he was sorely mistaken, the direction it was pointing at wasnt the same as the direction of the guiding signal. What do you think? he asked Cillin. Follow the star map and ignore the guiding signal, Cillin answered immediately. He didnt know the Xi Family well, but he could tell that the guiding signal was meant to mislead someone who reached this point without a star map. Lung stared at the star map a bit longer before putting it away and saying, Very well. We will follow the guidance of the star map! Back at the bridge, Pascado and the others looked confused when Lung told them to ignore the signal and continue along their original path. However, they obeyed Lungs orders without question. Big Rock shot his young master and Cillin a glance before returning to his serious demeanor. It was clear that his young master possessed some sort of critical information, but he didnt think that he would rather share it with the B Squad commander of a hunter regiment than him, an old servant of his grandfather Fergus. What on earth could this information be? Endless possibilities ran through his head until one jolted his eyelids. Could it be Gods Tear?! They had reached a point where the sea temperature was basically unchanging. Their surroundings were pitch black as well. Vision hadnt been a problem until they reached the pointseven thousand meters below sea level to be exactwhere some of their night vision equipment were finally overwhelmed by the ever-strengthening magnetic field. Were close to the sea bed now, Pascado said. The scanners had lost contact with the spaceplane when they approached the sea bed. It looked like the same thing was happening to them as well. Lower our speed by one level and proceed cautiously. Yes, young master. Just like the scanners, their monitors were displaying the vague outline of what seemed to be an underwater city. However, they couldnt be certain because their night vision equipment had malfunctioned. Should they move toward the underwater city now, or? While Lung and his subordinates were busy studying the data, Cillin were staring at Wheezes ears intently. It was because he knew that its ears were far more reliable a detector than any equipment on the spaceplane. On Czedows shoulder, Wheeze was closing its eyes and swaying its tailed back and forth slowly. Its ears were fully erect and vibrating slightly as if it was listening for something. There was a sudden twitch, and Wheeze opened its eyes and patted Czedow once on the shoulder. Then, it looked at Cillin and declared, Were here! Lung and the others looked up from their work. They were just about to ask what it meant by that when all the lights in the spaceplane suddenly winked out without warning. At first glance, it looked like the rest of their equipment had suffered a complete failure as well. Lung immediately took out his backup lights. They were natural luminous stones and so werent affected by the overwhelming interference. Obviously, they couldnt compare to a functioning lighting system, but it was better than having no light at all. Young master, the thrusters have stopped completely. None of the equipment are operable as well. Were sinking toward the sea bed! Pascado said. Bang! Bang! A number of shudders later, the spaceplane came to a complete stop. We have reached the sea bed. What do we do now, young master? Lung checked out the apparatus he was holding. If even the Andrea Familys specialized equipment couldnt withstand the magnetic interference at this depth, then there was only one thing left to do. Lets head out, Lung said. Unless the spaceplane could be restarted, staying here was akin to waiting for death to claim them. There was also the slight but very distinct possibility that the overlords of this depth might choose to step on them for whatever reason. That would be a most humiliating way to die. Its pitch black outside, and we will have to use our lights carefully, young master. As you are aware, there are a lot of huge things at this depth, one of his subordinates said. We wont achieve our objective or escape this place if we act conservatively. Heading out is the only way. Lung stepped into the airlock first, putting on his protective suit and inspecting his equipment. The others followed suit as well. After everything was ready, Bigrock stood in front of Lung and motioned for his colleague to open the hatch. Cold water rushed into the airlock the moment the hatch was opened. Since the spaceplane had lost its pressurizing functions, they could feel an obvious pressure even through their pressure-resistant protective suits. The suits first comms device was dead. The second comms device, which was built to be resistant to interference, only had an effective range of a hundred meters despite functioning properly. They wouldnt be able to stray too far from one another. Wheeze, as usual, defied all logic by swimming unassisted in the water. It kicked its fat limbs and swam in a circle around Cillin. My detection range is shorter than normal, Wheeze said. That said, it was still better than Lungs equipment. Lung took out a barrel-shaped object and pointed it diagonally upward. Bang bang bang! A bunch of flares shot out of the barrel and illuminated the surroundings. They were luminous stones wrapped inside a shell that allowed them to remain at the depth they were shot to. The light they provided was practically nothing at this depth, but everyone in the the group possessed good enough eyesight to identify their surroundings immediately. That was how they spotted the giant, teeth-filled maw directly in front of them. Chapter 364.2 Chapter 364: Crystal Mountain [Part 2] The size of the creature was impossible. They could stand in a group and probably still not measure up to the width of one tooth. Its sudden appearance gave everyone quite the fright. Even Wheeze puffed out its fur and nearly transformed into its cyborg form. However, they quickly discovered that they were worried for nothing. One, the maw was completely still. Two, it was trapped inside some sort of crystalline substance. Their gazes shifted sideways. The creature was without a doubt a sea giant that lived at the bottom of the sea. Its head was humongous, and its body stretched deep into the darkness. The weak light reflecting off the crystalline substance coating its body also gave it an indescribably eerie appearance. More importantly, the group finally realized that the underwater city wasnt an underwater city at all. They were a field of crystal mountains, and you guessed it, each mountain had a sea beast trapped inside of it. It was like an underwater museum where specimens of the giant overlords of the past were stored. Speaking of which, the sea beast before them wasnt the only frozen giant in their vicinity. There were other types of frozen giants in various postureslying on the side, standing or crawlingaround them as well. Everyone felt as tiny as a speck of dust before these giants. That their reflections could be vaguely seen on the crystals only added to the terror in their hearts. How exactly was this museum of giant sea overlords made? Was this the work of the Xi Family? Czedowhe still wasnt wearing a protective suit despite the sea level they were undertouched the crystal and analyzed it for a moment. Then, he said, These crystals have existed for a thousand years at least. A thousand years? Lung and his subordinates were shocked all over again. Who could possibly possess the technology to freeze these giants a thousand years ago? And under such an extreme environment no less? Cillin took a moment to observe the sea giants sealed within the crystal. They looked very lifelike even though they had been frozen for a thousand years, and he recalled a small number of existing sea beasts that looked almost similar to the ones before him, which meant that they most likely belonged to the same species. The reason a descendant didnt look the same as its ancestor a thousand years later was because Sea Paradises unique environment had rapidly accelerated their rate of evolution. Usually, a thousand years wasnt enough time for any significant evolutionary changes to occur. Here though, plenty of species might look drastically different from what they were a thousand years ago. What do we do now, young master? Pascado asked. Lung thought for a moment before producing the star map once more. The holographic key was pointing toward a certain direction as usual. Big Rocks nerves were already taut since the discovery of the museum, but now he couldnt stop himself from breathing heavily. Gods Tear! It really was Gods Tear! No wonder the young master was acting so strangely! No wonder he wasnt following procedures! It was because he possessed the complete star map of Gods Tear! Big Rock shot Cillin a glance. If he wasnt sure before, he now knew for sure that Cillin was the one who had given Lung the missing fragment. It was surprising that the B Squad commander of a hunter regiment would possess a star map fragment. It was even more surprising that he would be willing to give it up to someone else! Big Rock wasnt the only one who recognized the Aurelio star map, of course. Everyone who had accompanied Lung on this journey was his or Fergus servant after all. It would be stranger if they werent made aware of at least some secrets. Now that they knew what they were really here for, Lungs subordinates quickly regained their calm. They resolved to obtain Gods Tear for Lung even if it costs them all of their lives! Lets go. Lung pointed at the direction of the key and began walking. Cillin took two steps after Lung before realizing that Wheeze wasnt following. He looked back and noticed immediately that the idiot was lying on top of a frozen giant beast and getting ready to take a bite. His mouth twitched as he seized the glutton by the nape. Seriously? Its been dead for a thousand years, chided Cillin before letting it go and slapping it lightly on the head as a warning. And so the group walked across the museum of sea giants following the keys guidance for an hour or so. Despite their obvious worry, they hadnt encountered a single living overlord throughout their journey. In fact, they had found two of their lost scanners. It looks like there arent any big fellows in the area, Pascado said while looking around him. The guy next to him immediately slapped him at the back of his head for jinxing them. Do you want to meet one? Pascado shook his head. Of course not! Eventually, the star map led them to a small hill. Unlike the crystal mountains, this one was just a natural protrusion on the ground. The star map was pointing at the hill, so they circled around it to discover its hidden mysteries. They quickly discovered a tightly shut door. Lung approached the door with the star map. The closer he went, the brighter the holographic key glowed. CREAK The door opened. As it turned out, the holographic key was literally the key to this door. The area behind the door must be pretty huge because seawater poured into it with incredible force. Lung wouldve been sucked in uncontrollably if Cillin and Big Rock hadnt caught him in time. They stepped inside only after the current had fully subsided. They scanned the cavern interior with their luminous stones. Contrary to their expectations, the three hundred square meter wide room looked empty and perfectly ordinary. CREAK The door closed on its own behind them. To their surprise, the seawater in the cavern was gradually siphoned away after the door was closed. Then, a round-shaped hole appeared at the center of the cavern floor. From it, a flight of stairs extended upward until it connected with the hole in the ceiling. That one had opened up around the same time as the one on the ground. Big Rock took the lead and walked up the flight of stairs first. Everyone else followed behind him. After Big Rock had entered the second cavern, the room lit up on its own. The moment Cillin saw the murals on the walls, he knew that it was the work of the Xi Family from a thousand years ago. Chapter 365.1 Chapter 365: We Come In Peace [Part 1] The mural contained a lot of thingsdepiction of sea beasts, caricature of humans and morebut it was the game board of Link of Gypsophila that assured Cillin that it was the work of the Xi Family. Someone who had never seen a Link of Gypsophila game before wouldnt be able to make heads or tails out of the differently-sized speckles on the wall, but Cillin wasnt one of them. If he wasnt mistaken, the board state depicted on the mural was level 7 or higher. There was a round-shaped pedestal on the second floor, and at the center of it was a recess that looked like it could fit the Aurelio star map fragments perfectly. So, Lung did it. Everyone watched as Lung joined the fragments together before placing them inside the recess. Kra kra kra The pedestal wasnt a singular structure. It had multiple ring-shaped sections that, after the star map was inserted, began rotating not just in different directions, but also at different angles as well.When nine rings had come to a stop, the hologram of a sea beast was projected above the pedestal. The sea beast looked like an amphibious reptile to Cillin, but both Lung and Big Rock were certain that it was a deep sea creature. Cillin didnt know how they arrived at the conclusion, but he trusted them to know better in this field. The Andrea Family didnt possess a record of the sea beast in question. They hadnt encountered it on their way down either. What on earth does this mean? Lung asked while looking at the pedestal. Cillin glanced at Wheeze and noticed that its ears were twitching again. He was about to pick its brain when an intense shaking interrupted him. Whats going on?! Is it an earthquake? A screen appeared on the circular wall while everyone was letting out various exclamations of surprise. It seemed to be a live feed of the scenery outside the cave. Countless hemisphere-shaped buildingsyes, actual buildingswere rising from the ground, and bright lines were shining all across the sea bed. At first glance, they looked like the roads of the rising city. Its an actual underwater city To say that the group was stunned by what they were seeing would be the understatement of the year. Somehow someway, someone had built a goddamn city on the sea bed of the infamous Sea Paradise. Just how extraordinary the builders had to be to achieve such a feat? That wasnt all. When the buildings began rising to the surface, a film-like, hemisphere-shaped substance also expanded from the center of the city and repelled the sea water. It kept growing until the entire city and some more was completely covered by it. The sounds of excited breathing could be heard when the commotion finally subsided. This was especially true for Lungs group because they, seamen who were born to the sea knew exactly how difficult it was to pull off such a feat. It wasnt that building an underwater city was an unprecedented featquite the contrary, it was almost trivial on planets with the right environmentbut this was THE infamous Sea Paradise! A planet with monstrous sea creatures, an unusual magnetic field, a terrible environment and countless more disruptive substances! It was hardly a bad thing, of course. After all, it meant that they were exactly where they needed to be, and that Gods Tear had to be somewhere in this underwater city! Lets go, Lung said while moving back down the staircase. Big Rock and the rest of his subordinates followed right behind him. Not Cillin though. He shot Wheezes fully erect and occasionally turning ears a glance before asking, Did you discover something? The gray cat answered, Im not sure. I keep having this feeling that there is something else in the area, but I cant confirm what it is since my detection range is shorter than normal. Is it a machine? No. Im talking about something alive. A living creature, Wheeze clarified while kneading its paws a little. I sense a massive mechanical construct in the underground, Czedow said after observing the surroundings for a bit. Geothermal energy is probably what empowers this whole place. Cillin didnt doubt that Czedows analysis was true. It was why he grew even more impressed with the old Xi Family. No wonder they were known as the generation that even the gods were jealous of! Lets catch up with the others and see whats changed outside. By the time Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze had stepped back into the open once more, they discovered that Lung and his men had removed their breathing masks. The atmosphere composition of artificial atmosphere is more or less the same as the planets atmosphere. Even the atmospheric pressure is almost identical, Lung said after Cillin had emerged from the entrance. Thanks to the bright lines on the ground, they no longer needed the luminous stones to see their way anymore. It was so much brighter that there were practically nothing they couldnt see clearly. There must be a place where the atmospheric composition and pressure could be changed as the controllers pleased, Cillin said while looking at the new buildings all around them. The buildings varied in size, but not shape. Built from what looked like common stone, they were all shaped like hemispheres and were completely opaque. There were also no entryway where they might be able to look through or get inside. Lung wanted to continue the search for Gods Tear immediately, but had no idea where to begin. It was because all of the buildings looked more or less the same, and attempts to cut a hole with their blade only left shallow scratches on the surface. Cillin removed his breathing mask and protective suit. Then, he touched a nearby building with his bare fingers. There are DH50s in this rock, Cillin thought to himself. And unless he was sorely mistaken, the building blocks of each and every building had DH50s in them as well. He couldnt help but be impressed by this discovery. DH50s were incredibly rare in GAL space, but this entire city was made up of it! Sea Paradise was definitely rich with the black ore. There are working mechanisms inside them, Czedow said. He could sense the mechanical activities within the hemispheric buildings as clear as day. Cillin had sensed the same thing as well. Yes, just like any house or skyscraper on the surface, these buildings must have an entrance or ten. Im sure that the creators of this underwater city have more surprises in store for us as well. Young master! Can you come over here for a minute? beckoned Big Rock suddenly with a note of worry and urgency in his tone. Cillin stayed where he was while Lung made his way to his subordinate. It was because he felt Wheeze poking his shoulder unconsciously with its claws. Usually, this meant that Wheeze had sent a prey nearby. Lung had just reached Big Rock when suddenly, he glanced around warily before locking his gaze behind Cillin. He cried out a warning, Cillin! Watch out! Cillin felt something rushing toward him the second the first syllable had escaped his lips. It was quick and as imperceptible as a shadow. One moment there was nothing, and the next it was speeding toward him. Cillin still didnt move a muscle. Wheeze was getting ready to extend its claws, and Czedow was ready for battle as well. However, the creature suddenly stopped in its tracks when it was five meters away from him. It let out a couple of raspy cries that sounded like a warning, but it didnt attack him. Seeing as the anticipated fight hadnt occurred for some reason, Cillin turned around and got a good look of his ambusher. The creature was about 15 meters in length. It had four limbs with well-developed epidermis and a long tail. Although its black surface wasnt covered in scales, he had a feeling that they wouldnt be easy to penetrate. It had no pupils, and its eye color was identical to the color of the sea water. That being said, it was possible to identify its emotions from its deep, dark eyes. There were thick skinfolds around its neck. They were tightly constricted around its neck when it was charging toward him, but after it came to a stop they relaxed into something that looked like a constantly expanding and folding umbrella. It was a strange species to say the least. Predator! Lung and his men immediately drew out their weapons. Energy weapons were difficult to use in this environment, so they had only brought firearms and melee weapons with them. Every few years or over a decade or so, the Andrea Family would dispatch an investigation team to Sea Paradise for a scientific expedition. Of course, most of them only observed the sea creatures from the air or the sea surface. Certainly no one had ever ventured to the bottom of the sea like Lung. That was probably why they had only ever caught the Predators in action one time, and they had never had another encounter until now. The Predators were incredibly fast creatures. In that footage, three Predators had been seen forcing a midnight zone sea beast to the sea surface before killing it. Their claws were far sharper than they looked, and their incredible speed gave them the ability to slaughter a prey a hundred of times bigger than them without a scratch. The footage of the Predators were only available to the core members of the Andrea Family. This meant that Lung and Big Rock were the only ones among their group to have seen it. The reason Big Rock had become worried called Lung to his side was because he had spotted a Predators claw mark on one of the buildings. On a related note, the tamers who caught the footage had attempted to tame the Predators to no avail. The black creatures had continued to attack their prey without paying them any heed whatsoever. When Lung saw the scratch mark on the buildings surface, he too began to pay attention to his surroundings only to discover that one such creature was behind Cillin almost immediately. They were much better at detecting aquatic creatures than most others thanks to their racial trait. Lung had cried out his warning as soon as he could, but what happened afterward confused both him and Big Rock. Why did the Predator stop suddenly? Lung asked Big Rock as quietly as he could. They didnt speak or move too overtly because they didnt want to provoke the Predator into a rage. That would only make it harder to deal with. Big Rock was confused as well. After the Andrea Family had analyzed the footage and various data, they had come to the conclusion that the Predator were vicious creatures whom, once the hunt had begun, wouldnt stop their assault until their prey was dead. Some analysts even deduced that the Predators might not have a natural enemy. Whether or not their analysis was correct, it didnt explain why the Predatorwho were clearly hostile toward them and were acting as suchhad suddenly decided to stop its attack. Chapter 365.2 Chapter 365: We Come in Peace [Part 2] Wheeze was about to make a move when Cillin stopped it with a pat to the head. It was because the Predators unusual reaction had brought up a memory. He proceeded to take out one of Wheezes most treasured possessiona ball. What the meow? Why did you bring out my ball?! Wheeze hurriedly trapped its precious between its claws. The ball was rare enough in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, but in GAL? It was literally one of a kind. There was no way it would allow any harm to come to it. Let go. Im just experimenting. No way! What if blackie damages it? Cillin noticed that said blackie had grown even warier upon seeing Wheezes protectiveness over the ball. Cillin tried pulling the ball out of Wheezes claws to no avail. So, he said, How about this: you play with the ball right here where no harm can come to it. It looks like blackie is afraid of it probably because it instinctively recognized that its the skin of a thousand-year-old viper. Wheezes ears flicked once as it glanced at the teeth baring, frill flapping Predator. Then, it sent the ball sailing toward a nearby building before catching the rebound with its tail. The Predators gaze followed the ball like it was affixed to it. In fact, it backed up a few steps and growled when the ball was thrown. By now, even Lung and the others noticed that the Predator was wary of the ball. Big Rock shot Lung a meaningful lookwhat is that thing, boss? Lung glanced backI dont know either. While everyone was watching the Predator, Czedow had circled to the back of another building. It was at that moment a second shadowanother Predatorflashed into view. Uwoooo! Stop! Stop! We come in peace! Please dont kill it or me! A strange cry erupted from the same direction. There was no way it belonged to Czedow. Who is that? Lung immediately motioned his men to take a look. The first Predator had abandoned Cillin and rushed toward the voice as well. Cillin was greeted by an odd sight when he made it to the scene. Czedow was currently holding a manhe didnt look like a standard human, but he could almost be mistaken as oneby the neck. A pair of growling Predators were flanking his left and right and growling menacingly at him. A third Predator had swallowed on Czedows upper torso and bitten him right through the stomach. The only reason it hadnt swallowed him whole was because Czedow had blocked it with its arm. It was no wonder that Lung and the others were wearing strange expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, the strange man Czedow was holding slapped the Predators head repeatedly while urging, Let go! Let go already! The Predator let out a couple raspy noises of displeasure, but it ultimately let go and retreated to the mans sides. Many eyes widened when they saw that Czedows upper torso from the head all the way to the stomach were riddled in holes. Just how many rows of teeth did a Predator have?? It looked like Czedow was caught in an iron maiden or something! However, even more surprising was the fact that Czedow wasnt bleeding at all. Big Rock and his colleagues could only watch in disbelief as the holes on his body shrank until they were gone completely. It was almost as if he hadnt been turned into a bee hive a moment ago. Who are you? Cillin asked. The strange man scratched his finger-sized hair with a webbed hand and replied in an embarrassed manner, My name is Cyrea, but everyone calls me Cycy. The reply was short, but it revealed a lot of information. First, the man had spoken in the common language of GAL and the dialect of Sector H. Second, his use of the word everyone revealed that he wasnt alone. Third, there was a high chance that he and his companions were most likely the denizens of this underwater city, and fourth, they and the Predators were very friendly to one another. Czedow didnt let go, and the others were too busy arranging their thoughts. After seeing no reaction from Cillins group, Cyrea added in a frustrated tone, I really didnt do it on purpose. I just wanted to know what happened outside. Cillin motioned for Czedow to let Cyrea go before replying, We come in peace as well. Please tell your companions to lower their weapons. Lung motioned for his men to lower their weapons. Cyrea glanced back and forth between them and Cillin, scratched his left hand a little, and tilted his head in thought for a moment before he finally waved at the buildings nearby. Some parts of the buildings began turning transparent until they resembled windows. A number of peoplelike Cyrea, they all had thick hair and webbed handswere crouching behind the windows, and they were all armed and ready to attack at a moments notice. One of these aquatic people yelled, Cycy, ask them if they are invaders without the key. If they are, then we should inform the guards to kill them all. Cillins group: ... Is it really alright to declare something like this out loud? Cyrea turned back toward them and asked, Sure! So, are you guys invaders without the key or not? Lung facepalmed for a moment. Are they really intelligent beings?! After he had recollected himself, Lung answered, We are not invaders. We were led to this place by the key, and I have placed it inside that place. He pointed at the hill before continuing, I couldnt have been able to elevate this underwater city to the seabed without it, could I? Speaking of which, were you guys living under the sea bed? Cyrea nodded excitedly. Thats right! After the city first sank into the ground, it had never risen again until now! He then waved at the direction of the buildings again and shouted, Hey! They definitely came over with the key! A door opened on the roof of the buildings after they had obtained the confirmation they needed. Most of them looked to be youngsters, and their eyes were filled with expectation for some reason. A couple of Predators moved up to them immediately. They really were extremely friendly with each other. Lung couldnt help a sense of incredulity when he saw the Predators brushing affectionately against the denizens and wagging their tails like pet dogs. He had always believed that a sea beast that couldnt be tamed by a tamer was untameable by anyone else, but that not anymore. Lung shook his head to clear his mind before turning his attention to Czedow next. He gave Czedows arm a curious squeeze before bumping him with his elbow. So? How does it feel to be half-swallowed by a Predator? Czedow thought for a second before answering, Its mouth stinks. Lung: ... that sounds like quite the experience alright. They were just pondering what to do next when the denizens parted away to reveal an old man. He was holding a bottle that made Lungs heart rate quicken the moment he set his gaze on it. Could it be? The old man ran up to them and stared for a moment. Then, he looked at Lungs group and asked, Are you guys here for Gods Tear? Er, yes! It was such a blunt question that it caught Lung a little off guard. Who wants it? Me. Lung pointed at himself. This is Gods Tear! The old man immediately passed the bottle to Lung and looked at him expectantly. Now, drink it! Big Rock and the others were immediately suspicious, but they couldnt deny feeling a strange connection to the bottle for some reason. It almost felt like they were communicating with one of their tamed sea beasts. Big Rock wanted to inspect the content of the bottle, but Lung stopped him and said to the old man, I heard that Gods Tear gives its consumer the power to reform a sea beast. That is correct! But I also heard that it doesnt have a 100% chance to succeed. That is also correct! So, what happens if I fail? The old man replied with a kind smile on his face, Youll die. Lung: ... Chapter 366.1 Chapter 366: The Amalgam of Genius and Stupidity [Part 1] Lung didnt drink Gods Tear immediately despite his attraction toward it. He wasnt in a position where he could act without thinking things through. Who are these people? How are they living in an underwater city? There were too many questions that still needed an answer. Cillin glanced at his surroundings. Including the people watching them from inside the buildings, the number of watchers had grown to three hundred or so. It sounded like a lot until you considered how big the underwater city was. Assuming that their birth rate was equal to that of a standard humans, there should be a lot more people than this. How are you related to the Xi Family? Cillin asked. The old man was growing worried since Lung still hadnt drank the Gods Tear, but Cillins question immediately drew his attention away. In fact, everyone close enough to hear the question was looking at him in surprise as well. Cillin had told Lung about the connection between the Xi Family and the Aurelios only. Therefore, neither him nor his subordinates knew much about them. They were curious to hear what Cillin had to say as well. A look of deep respect passed through the old mans features. It was directed toward the Xi Family, not Cillin. The Xi Family is our benefactor! Benefactor? Yes. Our ancestors were faced with a calamity a thousand years ago, and it was them who had lent them a helping hand. We might not have existed without them. The look in the aquatic peoples eyes reminded Cillin of a faithful worshiper. Suddenly, Lung recalled something and asked, Excuse me, but what is your surname? We do not have a surname per se, but you may call us the Moor. The Moor?! Big Rock, Pascado and more turned slack-jawed. The Moor was a legendary race that only existed as bits and pieces in historical records. They were known among experts as the amalgam between genius and stupidity. And now, these people claimed that they were that legendary race?! Cillin knew a little about the Moor as well. He had read about them while going through some sectors history books. The Moor was one of the older families of Sector H, and every single one of them was a natural tamer. It was said that their children could communicate with giant sea beasts before they even learned how to run. At present time, few people believed the accounts because they only existed in legends. Moreover, there was no existing photographic or videographic evidence. It all vanished along the races destruction a thousand years ago. However, the Andrea Family had always believed in the Moors existence. It was because their forefathers handwritten accounts on the Moor had survived to this day. That was why Lung and his subordinates were as stunned as they were. According to their forefathers accounts, Moor was their racial name, not surname. It meant sea in an ancient language. The Moor was unusual even among all the races that were native to Sector H. They were innocent, stubborn, and very single-minded. Their complete lack of tact had led to them creating many enemies for themselves. Just like the experts had commented, the Moor was an amalgam of genius and stupidity. They were so talented that they could communicate with any sea beast without a hitch, but they were also so foolish that they could offend an entire hall of people in under an hour. They didnt understand social climbing, tact, or reservation. In a sense, they were less like a human and more like an animal. The reason they nearly went extinct a thousand years ago was precisely because they had offended a powerful group by accident. Their enemy had driven them into space and, according to historical accounts, destroyed them all. Obviously, that wasnt true anymore. From the looks of it, the Xi Familytheir best generation to be exacthad not only rescued them from extinction, but also wiped away traces of their existence so that everyone believed that they were gone. Lung examined the aquatic peopleno, the Moor around him closer than ever before. Who wouldve thought that the race everyone thought was extinct would be hiding at such a place? The crowd was growing bigger still, so Cillin suggested, Why dont we find a better place to speak? Yes, yes, that makes sense, said the old man before taking off somewhere. He didnt say follow me or beckon Cillins group to join them, but after a few steps he shot them an annoyed look and said, What are you waiting for? Come on! Lung gestured for the others to follow with his chin. No one was offended because they already knew not to judge the Moor by a normal humans standards. The old man led them into one of the hemispheric buildings. The decor was barebones, and the majority of them were carved out of rocks. It wasnt primitive in the slightest, howeverthe rocks were all precious ores! When Wheeze looked in from the front door and saw multiple highly-priced ores just sitting in the middle of the living room, it could barely stop itself from clawing them toward itself. After all, they represented heaps and heaps of fish biscuits! The interior design was simple to the point it was practically minimalistic, but the technology behind them could only be described as astonishing. How could they not? Not only did the Xi Family automatize everything despite Sea Paradises environment, they managed to do this a thousand years ago. On a side note, nobody believed that the Moor were the ones who pulled this off as a matter of course. After they entered the living room, they were treated to a brief summary of the whole story. A thousand years ago, the Xi Family had traveled to Sector H to study the sea beasts and tamers. They were looking for appropriate research participants and environments when they ran into the Moor, who happened to be in the midst of their worst disaster. After rescuing a little less than 30 peoplethe Moor was a small race with a tiny population of only several hundred, so they really had been a hairs breadth away from true extinctionthe Xi Family drove their destroyers into Sea Paradise so that the remaining Moor could take revenge by their own hands. In the end, they were successful. Their sea beasts had devoured all of their enemies. After that, the Xi Family built an underwater city and invented an anti-interference system. It wasnt perfect, however. Building the underwater city alone had pushed them to their limits, not to mention that Sea Paradises unique environment meant that even they werent able to incorporate most of the technology they knew. Thankfully, they ultimately succeeded in building the underwater city and completed their own research. On the day the Xi Family was about to take their leave, the new Moor chief promised them that they would stay in the city and keep watch over Gods Tear until its next successor was found. It was the only way they could repay the Xi Family not only for saving them from extinction, but also giving them an entire underwater city without asking anything in return. Just like that, a thousand years passed by. True to their word, the Moor never left the underwater city in order to keep their promise. On a related note, the reason the Predators occasionally went to the sea surface when they didnt have to was to bring back some souvenirs for the Moor. It was their way of showing them the sea surface and alleviating some of their burden. The old man pointed at the bottle in Lungs hand. And now youre finally here. Our watch will be complete when you consume Gods Tear and complete your evolution. Youve never used this for yourselves? Lung asked. Of course not! The old man said matter-of-factly. Why would we do that? Its not for us. Pascado and the others couldnt help but exchange strange looks with one another. It looked like the Moor truly was as eccentric as the legends claimed. If this was any other family at all, they wouldve consumed Gods Tear as soon as eight hundred yearsno, as soon as the Xi Family took their leave. No, seriously. Dont you understand what you were holding? Its Gods Tear, man. The tear of a god, man! Pascado insisted. That pissed off the old man a little. He had the feeling that Pascado was looking down on his IQ. He slapped the table hardWheeze visibly winced when he did thisand yelled, Of course I know! My race has guarded Gods Tear for a thousand years, and I, the chief, am tasked with protecting it more than anyone else in my race! You think my knowledge of Gods Tear is in any way lesser than you people?! Youre completely missing the point! Everyone under Lungs employ thought at the same time. There was a line about Gods Tear in Genesis Mythos that went something like this: Touched by the gods tear that melted into the sea, the sea beasts decided to give Him their undying loyalty. In other words, Gods Tear was the power that allowed a person to control any sea beast including the overlords that were said to be impossible to control. With that in mind, how were these people not tempted in the slightest?! If it was just the chief then whatever, but their entire race was like this for multiple generations across a thousand years! How was this possible? Did they have literal shit for brains? How can they be so infuriating?! Cough! Lung had to slap himself to keep from losing control. It wasnt his fault really. As someone who was born to a family of merchants, he simply wasnt capable of imagining the neural makeup of a Moors brain. Chapter 366.2 Chapter 366: The Amalgam of Genius and Stupidity [Part 2] Lung changed the subject to distract himself. Mr. chief, if you dont mind me asking, you and your people look quite different from how you were described in my ancestors records. Oh that? Its because we evolved, of course. The environment of Sea Paradise greatly accelerated ones evolution speed, which is why almost every generation undergoes some changes. The Moor chief raised his webbed hand and wriggled his fingers for a moment. The longer he wriggled, the smaller the webbings became. Eventually, his hands almost looked like a standard humans. When the Moor first came to Sea Paradise, they did not have any webbing on their hands. However, a thousand years was enough time for many things to change. The webbings werent the only thing the Moor had grown to have. Their unnaturally thick hair, body shape, bone structure and more had all undergone a certain degree of changes as well. In a way, you can say were better than our ancestors now, the Moor chief said with a pleased expression. Pascado and the others bowed their heads so he wouldnt notice their distorted expressions, however. Better, how?? Your ancestors at least fought a war that decided the fate of their race! You guys just sat here for a thousand years doing nothing at all! It wasnt all good news though. The Moor chief suddenly let out a sigh. Our birth rate has become much lower than it used to be. A millennium has passed, but our population has only grown to four hundred and seventy six. A short silence later, Lung gave the bottle a shake and asked a question, Is this the only Gods Tear you have? Yes, yes. We only have enough for exactly one person, the chief answered. This was the second time the Moor chief had said the words yes, yes. It could just be a coincidence, but Cillin suspected that it was his way to doubly confirm something. Lung thought it was a shame that there was only one Gods Tear, but the Moor chief continued, However, the transformation caused by Gods Tear is a hereditary mutation, meaning that it can be passed down to your descendants. Its not a sure thing though. Assuming that your evolution ends in success, some of your descendants may inherit the traits you gained from Gods Tear, and some may not. Oh, thats much better. I guess that makes sense. If this was just a one-time consumable that benefits me and no one else, then it really doesnt deserve to be known as one of the Aurelios. One last question, please. What are the odds that consuming Gods Tear will end in success? The Moor chief thought for a second before answering, As far as I know, it is a 100% chance on record. Lungs subordinates breathed out a sigh of relief when they heard that, or at least they tried to before the Moor chief gave his webbings a scratch and continued, The only other person who drank Gods Tear was the Xi Family member from a thousand years ago. Since he succeeded, it is definitely a 100% success rate alright. Everyone: ... I want to strangle him, they thought to themselves. Oh, one more thing. There is only one way to exit this place, and it is the same method the Xi Family used to leave this place back then. What way? Many backs were straightened at the sudden but important revelation. The Moor chief fiddled with a strand of finger-sized white hair before answering, Ill tell you guys if he evolves successfully. Everyone: ... I really want to strangle him to death. Now I understand why so many wanted the Moor dead back then. When the Xi Family first researched the common frequency, they quickly discovered that their machines are unable to achieve the same effect even when they share the same wave band. That is why I say that there is only one way you guys can return to the surface. Anyway, Ive spoken enough for the day. Our entire race prays for your success, young man! Big Rocks expression crumbled for the nth time since the start of the day. He still had so many questions he wanted to ask, but the old bastard had shut it all down just like that. Ten minutes later, Lung finished his mental preparation, popped open Gods Tear and drank it in one gulp. Right after that, he collapsed on the ground. Before they could erupt into righteous panic, the Moor chief declared that this was normal and whipped out a thousand-year-old manual that he absolutely should have shown them first but did not for whatever reason. They did not ask because they were afraid they would not be able to control themselves after hearing the answer. After Big Rock read the manual though, he almost wished that the old man hadnt shown them the manual. It was because it showed what the consumer would gain should the evolution end successfully based on the one successful case, and what the consumer would lose in a million and one other possible failure scenarios. To say that they were gruesome would be an understatement. There wasnt a single failure scenario that left the consumer with an intact body. Big Rocks hands were literally shaking when he reached the end of the manual. He could not even imagine what the Andrea Family would do should Lung prove incapable of subsuming Gods Tear. Lung was laid down on a bed in the chiefs house. His body temperature had experienced a nose dive, and his expression and body language suggested that he was in great pain. On the other hand, his vitals were surprisingly strong, so Cillin took it as a good sign and waited patiently for him to recover. His body temperature finally stabilized an hour later, but he was still unconscious. According to the manual, it was because he was undergoing dominance variance. It was a unique occurrence that was only observed in the successful case, meaning that Lung was definitely not going to die anytime soon. It was only then everyone finally relaxed. Well, almost everyone. At first, everyone was watching over Lung in the chiefs house, but Wheeze eventually got bored and demanded to be let out to play. Cillin could not trust the cat to stay out of trouble, so he asked Czedow to stay behind before stepping outside with it. Cillin passed Wheeze a bag of fish biscuits as they explored the underwater city. It was a simple city where simply people lived. He would believe it if a Moor told him that the blood-drenched, dark blue waters of Sea Paradise were pure. That was just how they were. A Moors life was simple yet unswerving. They were able to protect a bottle for a thousand years because they were very simple-minded beings, but that didnt mean they were fully immune to the desire to see the world beyond the sea waters. That desire had reached its peak since their group entered the underwater city, but their resolve to keep their promise remained unchanged. If Lung had failed to subsume Gods Tear, Cillin had no doubt that they would wait another one thousand years for the destined person to appear. The Moor was undoubtedly geniuses at taming sea beasts. Considering that their talents outstripped even Lungs, they might even be the greatest sea beast tamers in the entire world. However, that talent was offset by their inability to integrate into human society despite being human themselves. A thousand years ago, the amount of conflicts had accumulated to the point where their enemies had hated them enough to commit genocide. Greatest tamers in the galaxy they might be, their advantages were completely nullified after they had been lured into space. They were unable to contact a sea creature or make use of their environment. Their technology and martial prowess were fairly behind their opponents as well. They would not have survived if the Xi Family had not rescued them back then. The Moor needed a protector back then, and Cillin had a feeling that they were going to need another one after today. Since Lung was the inheritor of Gods Tear, it would be logical to assume that the Andrea Family would assume the mantle next. However, there was a huge problem with this arrangement: the Andrea Family was a merchants family. Their very nature clashed against the Moors; demanded them to exploit the Moors simple-mindedness. Even if Lung sincerely wanted to protect the Moor, could he really hold back his familys greed alone? Cillin raised his head to look at the barrier that kept the sea water from flooding into the city. The light and shadows that were cast over the underwater city seemed both poetic and ancient. Suddenly, Wheeze tapped Cillins cheek with a paw before pointing in a certain direction. Hey look! Thats Cycy, isnt it? Cyrea was currently scrubbing a Predators tongue with a huge brush that was bigger than a mop. The Predator was lying on the ground and closing its eyes in comfort. Do all sea beasts like having their tongues scrubbed? Cillin thought this because he remembered Blueskin having the same habit. When Cyrea caught sight of Cillin, he leaped up in excitement and accidentally poked the roof of the Predators mouth. Displeased, the creature immediately wrapped its tongue around the brush before hitting Cyreas head repeatedly with the butt end. It was a scene straight out of a comedy, but Cillin could tell they were really close to one another. Wheeze grabbed a couple of fish biscuits and tossed it into the Predators mouth to appease it. Then, it tossed a couple more into Cyreas hands and declared generously, This is my treat. Cillin wasnt sure if the massive Predator could even taste the fish biscuits, but Cyrea certainly looked like he enjoyed it. It was to the point where Cillin did not have the heart to tell the young man that it was pet food. You two look really close. Its rare for a human to interact so well with a sea beast, said Cillin. Even tamers only used sea beasts as a weapon. Of course, not all tamers treated their sea beasts like tools, but the language barrier was too big to forge such a deep connection. Cyrea replied while crunching and swallowing the fish biscuits, Thats because we see ourselves as a member of the sea beasts. Everyone heres a friend, you know? He then looked at Wheeze hoping that the cat would toss him more fish biscuits. Chapter 367.1 Chapter 367: Is That A Sea Beasts Fart? [Part 1] Wheeze appeared conflicted when Cyrea peered longingly at its bag of fish biscuits, but it eventually decided to share some of its contents with him. As for the Predator, it was too big to taste the tiny morsel of food and so was completely uninterested in it. Right now, it was wielding the brush with its tongue and playing games with itself. Cyrea spread outs his webbed hands to catch Wheezes fish biscuits easier. While he was stuffing his face, Cillin asked, Have you guys been living underground all this time, Cyrea? Has the city never surfaced even once before our arrival? That is correct, Cyrea confirmed while crunching down the fish biscuits. According to the records, me and my ancestors have always been living underground in the city. We would occasionally come out for a swim if were too bored, but without the key the city would never have resurfaced. Swim? Cillin looked at Cyreas bare body. Now that you mention it, I dont see anyone wearing a protective suit of sort. Can you swim under this pressure without any protection? Of course! Its just a stroll around the neighborhood. Why on earth would I need to wear a protective suit? Speaking of which, what is a protective suit? Cyrea asked confusedly. ... its a gear normal people need to wear when swimming at this depth. This applies to the rest of the Moor as well, right? You can all fool around like nothing at this depth? Cyrea took a moment to shove all of the fish biscuits into his mouth and scratch his webbings. After he swallowed, he answered, Yes, but I have heard that it wasnt always like this. At the beginning, my ancestors could only stay within the confines of the city. However, the next generation gained the ability to swim outside, although they could only last for a short while. Now, my generation can swim around the sea bed almost all the time. Cillin was astonished. The Moor might have wasted a thousand years at the bottom of the sea, but the benefits they gained were just as great. Their bodies had evolved to adapt to the deep sea; a feat that would have taken millions of years on another planet. In that case, you must have explored a lot of places, right? But wouldnt it be dangerous? There should be a lot of overlords at this depth such as the ones that were sealed inside the crystals. Arent you afraid you might be attacked by them? This city emits a sound wave that is inaudible to humans, but not so to the overlords. That is why the overlords usually stay away from this area, Cyrea spoke as if he was reciting a passage from his memory, which he probably was. Cillin did not think he even knew what the words sound wave or inaudible meant. Cillin glanced sideway just in time to see a massive sea beast swimming past the barrier. It showed zero intention of approaching the city even though it was shining like an underwater sun at this depth probably because of the sound wave Cyrea was talking about. Czedows analysis also informed him that the sound wave was part of the reason their spaceplane had become completely paralyzed after it sank to this depth. If he had to guess, the sound wave was also meant to protect the Moor from planet invaders. Cyrea continued, So, no, we havent explored too far from the city because the sound waves quickly loses its effectiveness beyond a certain range. Also, there is a marine trench next to the city that is so dangerous that our ancestors strictly forbid us from getting close to it. About for the crystallized overlords, I heard that they were sealed by our benefactors because they tried to cause trouble during the citys construction. His eyes shone with the light of admiration when he spoke of the crystallized sea beasts. The crystals werent enclosed within the light barrier, so it was safe to assume that they did not count as part of the underwater city. Plus, Cyrea confirmed that the overlords were dealt with before the city was fully constructed. So, how did the Xi Family seal the overlords? Whatever the method they used, it had to be really special. Cyrea probably knew anything about it though, so Cillin asked another question instead, Where is this marine trench? Its down that direction right next to the barrier, Cyrea answered while pointing a finger at a certain direction. Cillin offered Cyrea a bag of fish biscuits to guide them there. Cyrea was terribly afraid of the marine trench, but since the offer was tempting and they werent going out of the barrier, he thought it would be safe enough and agreed to it. As Cyrea had mentioned before, the marine trench was located beside the city and right next to the barrier. It almost felt like the city was built at a cliffs edge. Of course, they were really a fair distance away from the marine trench; its just that the marine trench was so massive that it gave off the illusion. According to Cyrea, the Predators were one of the sea creatures that lived in the marine trench. While the Andrea Family called them Predators, the Moor called them Guardians because they shared a great relationship with the Moor and kept the edges of the city free of attackers. While the Guardians were the smallest sea beast in the marine trench, they were formidable predators and they lived in groups. That was why even larger sea beasts avoided provoking them in the norm. Without a doubt, they were one of the main reasons the Moor had been able to live a thousand years at this depth in relative peace. According to Cyrea, most of the sea creatures living in the marine trench had terrible tempers. The reason the Moor was able to befriend the Guardians was because they were the least bad-tempered of them all. There were other species that the Moor were friendly with, but only a small number. Theres also a huge fellow in the trench that everyone makes sure to stay out of its way. According to my seniors, its the reason why the city sometimes shakes like there was an earthquake. Its snores are just that powerful, Cyrea complained. Tell us more, Cillin prodded. Its like this. Every few years or so, the big fellow living in the marine trench would snore and cause the entire area to shake. Ive never seen it with my own eyes, but the clan chief has shown me records of its appearance when I was receiving my education. Cyrea proceeded to tell Cillin all about his younger days. However, the more he spoke, the more Cillin felt that something was off. When his suspicion reached its peak, he interrupted Cyrea with a question, Excuse me, but at what age do you receive your education? Cyrea took a moment to recall before replying, We start our education at five and end at twenty. Its really annoying, but what can you do? And how old are you right now? Im just fifty one years old! Me ma said I havent reached adulthood yet, and that I still have plenty of time to grow bigger and taller! Cyrea replied while flexing his biceps. Cillin: ... At what age are you considered an adult? Cillin asked. Its not a constant thing. At the beginning, it was twenty years old. Then, it was changed to thirty years old. Currently, the age for adulthood is sixty years old. The reason for the change is because our lifespans are much longer than what they used to be. According to the clan chief, our average lifespan is around three hundred years old now, Cyrea answered while delighting in the fact that he still could grow taller. In fact, Cyrea was at least two heads taller than Cillin and definitely taller than your standard human being. However, the only frame of reference he had was other Moor and sea beasts that were absolutely bigger than a human in every way. Cillin could see why Cyrea was so happy about being able to grow taller. Meanwhile, the Guardian that was accompanying Cyrea had passed through the barrier to play around in the water. In just a few seconds, Cyreas resolve to not approach the marine trench began to waver. It should be safe, right? He thought to himself. It wouldnt be fooling around like this if it wasnt safe. As Cyrea passed through the barrier to join his companion, Cillin saw his arms taking on a more animalistic form, and his legs joining together to form something that looked like a fish tail. A protective film had appeared around his eyeballs like some sort of goggles, and scales had grown on certain parts of his body as well. When the transformation was complete, Cyrea resembled an underwater creature far more than he was a human being. Just as he had said a while ago, the Moor really did consider themselves to be more sea beast than human. After he entered the water, Cyrea began playing tag with his Guardian. Although he wasnt as fast as the sea beast, he was pretty good compared to most swimmers. A short while later, Wheeze passed its fish biscuits to Cillin fo safekeeping before joining them in their game of tag as well. The relaxing time did not last long, however. Just five minutes later, the Guardian abruptly swallowed Cyrea before swimming toward the city in a beeline. It spat out Cyrea after it had passed through the barrier. Whats wrong? Did something Cyrea ignored the fact that he was still drenched and looked outside the barrier just in time to see a massive tentacle stretching out of the marine trench toward Wheeze. It was like a human moving to crush an ant with its finger. Cyrea immediately beckoned its Guardian to save Wheeze, but before it could move its feet the giant tentacle was abruptly severed into several pieces. Both Cyrea and the Guardian were stunned by the sight. The Guardian even forgot to move its tail because it had no idea that tiny, fat and seemingly useless cat would be this powerful. More tentacles extended out of the marine trench as the creatures head surfaced from the bottom. Its ire wasnt directed at Wheeze, however. In fact, forget being angry, it looked like it was escaping something with all of its might. OOOOOOOOOOOOOO Suddenly, a low, rumbling sound that sounded like a ships air horn resounded from the bottom of the marine trench. It was so powerful that the sound waves caused visible ripples on the barrier. Then, what looked like a giant maw bit down on the giant tentacles body in one swift motion before dragging it back to the bottom. The tentacled creature was unable to break free despite its violent struggles, and soon both creatures had vanished completely from view. The absolutely massive maw Cillin saw was but one part of the whole maw. He also wasnt able to see its head because the mysterious creature had caught the tentacle creature too quickly. Still, that was all he needed to see to recognize exactly how ridiculous the creatures living in the marine trench were. Both creatures were ridiculously huge, but they were small compared to the marine trench they lived in. It almost felt like the marine trench was an underwater passage that led to a whole new world. Chapter 367.2 Chapter 367: Is That A Sea Beasts Fart? [Part 2] Cyrea slapped his chest with lingering trepidation. I knew we shouldnt have gotten close to that trench. The Guardians was fast and sensitive enough to escape from danger if they encountered a sea beast that they could not defeat, but the same could not be said for the Moors. That was why the Moors always brought the Guardians with them whenever they left the safety of their city. Over the years, a strong bond has been established between the two species. Cyrea trusted his Guardian so much that he didnt even react to his Guardian swallowing him alive to escape danger. Speaking of danger, Cyreas opinion of Wheeze had clearly changed after its display of power. As the gray cat swam back to the city, he looked at it like he might look at any great power; with great deal of fear and respect. It was at this moment Czedow sent Cillin a message. Lungs awake! The hunter immediately seized the gray cat by the nape and made a beeline toward the clan elders house. Cyrea was slow, but he quickly realized that it had something to do with the man who consumed Gods Tear and followed behind Cillin. At the same time, he thought to himself, did it work? If it did, does that mean we can leave and play freely from now on? At the clan elders house, Lung was sitting up from the stone bed. He still looked a little pale, but his eyes were shining with excitement. Big Rock was just ecstatic that his young master had awakened, but he wasnt sure if the transformation was a success. It should behe would be dead if it wasntbut Lung looked the same as before, and he had not uttered a word since he had awoken. He had no idea what his young master was thinking right now. How do you feel, young master? Big Rock asked tentatively. Lung gave his throat a squeeze and frowned a little. His expression kept alternating between exertion and relaxation. Then, joy overcame his features all of a sudden. Lungs subordinates could only stew in anxiety since the young man still wasnt saying anything. It wasnt their place to prompt the young master, not to mention that they had zero experience in this area. Some of them looked at the clan elder in hopes that he could provide them with an answer, but the old man was just as clueless as they were. After all, the manual never mentioned what would happen after the subject had awakened. I am fine. A long, long silence later, Lung finally said three words in total. The first word sounded strange, and the second word sounded stiff. His intonation had returned to normal on the third word, however. Cillin happened to hear Lung speak when he entered the house. He shot his friend a look and asked, It changed your throat? Lung nodded and gave his throatspecifically the vocal cordsanother light squeeze. Unable to suppress a smile, he said, Im still not completely used to it, but Im sure it wont take long. Excuse me, but what exactly has changed, young master? Big Rock asked. Lung cleared his throat before replying, I have two vocal cords now. Two vocal cords? His subordinates looked at each other in confusion, but the clan elder slapped his knee as if he just recalled something. Thats right! I remember now! It was said that the person who survived the transformation would grow a second cord! He took out an old style notebook and flipped to a certain page before nodding. Yep. Your first vocal cord is the original; a.k.a the one you use to communicate with humans. Your second vocal cord is used to communicate with sea beasts. ... We can already communicate with sea beasts without a special vocal cord though, Pascado commented. It was the truth. Trainers could not communicate verbally with sea beasts, but there were many other ways they could use to communicate and tame one. Frankly, this was starting to look a little underwhelming. However, the clan elder shot him a look of disdain before pointing at the Guardian lurking at the entrance behind Cyrea. You said you couldnt tame a Guardian, right? If you cant even tame something as gentle as a Guardian, then theres not a chance in hell you can tame anything else in that marine trench. I bet the only fishes you can tame are the innocent babies at the middle to upper levels, am I right? Pah! If that things gentle, then everything in the sea is gentle! And screw you! Our beasts are anything but babies! The clan elders words were hurtful enough, but his condescending tone made it hurt twice as bad. For a second, Big Rock and the rest of Lungs subordinates contemplated if they could get away with slapping an elderly. That said, they understood that the clan elder wasnt talking out of his ass, and that Gods Tear could not be as ordinary as it looked. They just wished that the old man could be less offensive. The clan elder gave no fucks about their dissatisfaction though. He continued, Now that he has successfully grown his second vocal cord, he should be able to communicate with the fellow in the marine trench and have him carry you back to the sea surface. That fellow? Lung asked in confusion. Cillin immediately recalled the story Cyrea had told him earlier. It was probably the sea beast whose snores were loud enough to shake the city. How do you feel now? The clan elder asked Lung. I think Im doing okay, Lung replied while squeezing his throat again. In that case, feel free to test out your new vocal cords. You must not go to the marine trench before youve mastered it though. No problem! Lung was all for it. Ever since he grew a new vocal cord, he felt like his affinity with the sea had grown by leaps and bounds. He instinctively felt that he could understand the creatures of this sea a lot better than before. Just in case, Lung traveled to the opposite end of the marine trench before he tested out his new toy. As it turned out, his feelings werent imaginary after all. Not only had he grown a second vocal cord, he really had become a lot more acclimatized with the ocean environment. He felt like he was a true sea beast who could breath and swim in the deep sea as easily as it was on land. In fact, he was certain he could swim all the way to the surface on his own. But of course, he was hardly going to leave his friends and subordinates behind. The initial tests went very smoothly. Lung was able to compel a sea beast to swim up to him and show him its tongue. He even made it roll around in circles like a pet trying to please its master. On Cillins shoulder, Wheeze shot the playful sea beast a glance before snorting. Disgraceful! Cillin shot Wheeze a glance and said nothing. Even if he did, it would never admit that it was just as disgraceful a creature as the sea beast, if not worse. After testing his ability on multiple sea beasts and getting more or less the same results, Lung finally followed the clan elder to a spot in the marine trench. It wasnt far away from the spot Cillin had been at earlier, but here there was a stone platform on the ground. All the Moors in the city had assembled in order to witness this historical moment with their own eyes. When the day was over, they would finally be able to relinquish their responsibility and enjoy the sea to their hearts content. Lungs subordinates stared at their young master with deep pride as the latter stood on the platform. And how could they not? Lung had more than proven himself to be the worthy successor of the Andrea Family! After studying the instructions jotted in the clan elders notebook and preparing himself, Lung began communicating with that fellow in the marine trench. When he was done, everyone held their breaths and waited for whatever it was that was going to happen. BOOOOOOOOOM! There was a massive boom, and the world began to shake as if there was an earthquake. The humans and almost-humans saw nothing out of the ordinary, but all of the Guardians were pressing themselves against the ground and shivering slightly. Their eyes were full of fear, and they were making weird, bubbly noises from their mouths. These creatures were usually unperturbed even when they encountered grave danger, but now they looked like all they wanted was to crawl into a hole and hide. Look! A Moor pointed at the marine trench. Bubbles of all sizes had begun to rise from the marine trench. In fact, they covered nearly the entire marine trench. It was as spectacular as it was terrifying. It was at this moment Wheeze said something that absolutely ruined the mood beside Cillins ear. Hey, do you think that the sea beasts living in the marine trench just farted at the same time? Cillin gave its ears a pinch. Have some manners, will you? Wheeze flicked his fingers away, disgruntled. If that wasnt the case, then why did the bubbles appear to be brown in color? Cillin stared at the rising bubbles for a moment. It was true that they looked rather brown, but they definitely werent the farts of a sea beast. Chapter 368.1 Chapter 368: One In A Hundred [Part 1] Some of the gas in the bubbles were partially dissolved in the water. Cillin stretched his fingers out of the barrier so he could find out what the mysterious substances were. The results were pretty surprising. The bubbles contained all kinds of gasses. Some could be used as fuel, and some were fairly toxic. Of course, the toxic gasses posed no threat as long as they did not reach a lethal amount. A bunch of sea beasts swam out of the marine trench after the bubbles had mostly risen. Generally speaking, they were than most of the aquatic creatures that did not live in the marine trench. Even the small ones were incredibly deadly predators such as the Guardians. Cillin saw tentacle-like creatures like the one Wheeze had attacked earlier, and sea beasts that were even bigger than them. They were all fleeing as quickly as possible though. Most of the sea creatures were swimming away from the marine trench, while the few that remained swam to its farthest edges. Boom! There was another loud boom, and the entire underwater city shook in response. The sea creatures fled even faster, and the Guardians who stayed behind with the Moors grouped together and clung to the ground tightly. Their eyes were full of fear. Its coming! The clan elder was shaking with excitement. The legendary overlord of the marine trench and the true overlord of the sea, Antioch! The rest of the Moors were staring intently at the marine trench as well. The younglings had only heard of it from their elders, and their elders had only heard of it from their elders. No one here had ever truly witnessed the apex predator of Sea Paradise with their own two eyes. The sea water began to churn dangerously. They couldnt feel it behind the barrier, but they could see it from the swaying seaweeds that it was getting more and more violent. Lung could sense that Antioch was rapidly approaching his location. He knew that the overlord held no ill will toward them, but he could not help but feel a bit nervous anyway. The pressure it gave off was that overwhelming. OOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGHHHHHHH A low-pitched noise that sounded like the blaring of a ship horn or muffled thunder rang in everyones ears. Not only that, it was growing louder by the second. Some Moors were already covering their ears and backing away in fear. They hugged the cowering Guardians in an attempt to feel secure. Cillin was recording the sound because he realized that it contained a lot of information. OOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGHHHHHHH The noise happened again. It sounded much louder and closer than the previous one. On the platform, Lung was making a weird cry of his own to communicate with Antioch. He most likely succeeded because Antiochs third cry was far, far more subdued than before. It no longer felt like the sound waves were going to kill them. By now, every deadly predator in the marine trench had left to make way for the arrival of the true overlord of the sea. Even some of the plants on the walls had curled inward. Everyone sucked in a deep breath when a massive head finally emerged into view. They had thought that the marine trench was absolutely massive, and it was. It just wasnt big enough for Antioch to surface comfortably. As the overlord slowly swam upward, Cillin suddenly realized that he had seen it from somewhere. Lungs subordinates also realized the same thing a minute later. Some time ago, they had entered the second floor of the small hill and deposited the star map fragment into a round-shaped pedestal. The hologram of a sea beast had been projected after the pedestal had come to a stop. Barring exceptional circumstances, the sea beast had to be Antioch. A thousand years? Cillin had met a thousand-year-old creature before, the Black Viper. However, this Antioch was even bigger than it was. He was almost certain that the sea beast was much, much older than just a thousand years old. Even if he assumed that Antioch could not understand the human language, it had surely lived long enough to become sapient. He could not treat it like your generic animal for sure. While Lung was communicating with the big fellow, Wheeze had launched into a rant right next to Cillins ears, Is it just me, or does this big fellow look like a dumb brick? The cohort it surrounds itself with are pretty lacking as well. Not only could they not speak, they couldnt even stand on their tails! Cillin knew that Wheeze was missing its friends at the Mist Bodhisattva Empire and his little pet, Blueskin. It just couldnt bring itself to admit it directly. Blueskin cant grow this big, you know. Even its mother is only as big as the mid-sized creatures in the marine trench, Cillin commented. Wheeze disagreed. Brawn without brains is just as bad as brains without brawn! Blueskins race is easily ten times more cunning than these dumbos! Perhaps, but Im pretty sure that Antioch is at least as smart as they are. Like meow it is! Cillin stopped arguing with it after that. The cat was currently throwing a fit, and it wasnt going to listen to anything until it had calmed down. A while later, Lung finished communicating with Antioch and shot his subordinates a smile. Antioch said it can return us to the surface. As it turned out, the sea overlord really was named Antioch. Er, were not in a hurry, right young master? I have a question, Pascado said, Gods Tear allows you to command all manner of sea beasts, right? In that case, why must we summon this Antioch? Surely you couldve just command the other sea beasts to help us. Or did Antioch forbid them to help us or something? Lung shook his head. Antioch is part of the reason why they wouldnt help us, yes, but its not the main reason. A thousand years ago, the first person who drank Gods Tear forbade them from helping anyone who came to the sea bed from returning to the sea surface. The ban is lifted only when the next person to consume Gods Tear and grow a second vocal cord successfully appears. None of the sea beasts living in the marine trench are stupid, and they made sure to inform their offspring about this rule when they have reached the end of their lifespan. There is also Antioch to make sure that the rule is enforced. That is why none of the sea beasts living in the marine trench or the deep sea overlords would have helped us. I see. Even if that isnt the case, I wouldve summoned Antioch anyway. I wanted to know if Gods Tear truly is as amazing as it sounds. If yes, then all is well. If not, then I would know that its not the genuine article, or at least not as good as the legend claims. So far though, I can tell that its definitely the real thing. Another person asked, What were you talking about with the big guy, young master? We talked a bit about the past, but it wasnt willing to speak much about the Xi Family because it promised them it wouldnt divulge their secrets. However, it also said that the Xi Family is its friend, and a friend of the Xi Family is also its friend. Since I am the second person to obtain Gods Tear, it would help us because I was technically chosen by the Xi Family. Cillin did not take Lungs last sentence seriously though. If Lung had not been able to grow a second vocal cord and thus could not communicate with Antioch, he was certain that overlord would not treat them kindly even if it had chosen to show itself. There was no such thing as a easygoing sea creature, and Blueskin was a prime example of that. It could act like a clown before those it acknowledged, but everyone else was just food to be consumed. The expedition squad had gone through a lot to come to this point. Most of their machinery were unusable in the deep sea, and even the triphibian spaceplane that had cost a lot to build were severely paralyzed. It was all worth it in the end though. They would soon be going home with everything they had dreamed of, and more. A while later, Antioch grabbed their paralyzed spaceplane and began swimming toward the spaceplane. Big Rock and the others had returned to the spaceplane, but Lung had decided to stand on Antiochs head as it rose. He leaned against one of its giant horns for support. Cillin, Wheeze and Czedow chose to follow the Moors. This would be the first time they swam to the sea surface in such numbers, but no one thought they would encounter any trouble with Antioch to open up the path and the Guardians to protect them. This was the first time in a thousand years the Moors were able to swim upward without fear or worry. It wasnt hard to see why Cyrea and everyone else believed that they were the luckiest generation ever in the history of their race. Not only did they get to witness the overlord of the marine trench with their own eyes, their thousand-year burden was finally removed from their shoulders. Every single Moor was cheering on top of their lungs. Cillin also got what he came to Sea Paradise in the first place. The rare ores he needed were literally a dime a dozen at the sea bed. Many of the ores that were listed as rare in the entire GAL were ridiculously common in the deep sea of Sea Paradise as well. Whenever the Moors needed to build something, they would ask the Guardians to help transport them to the city. Moreover, the Moors treated them like they would a common rock. When Cillin had offered to purchase the ores, the clan elder had waved him off and declared, Just take them! He would not accept a single credit from Cillin even after Cillin had informed him that they were incredibly valuable throughout the galaxy. In the end, Cillin was able to convince the clan elder to accept some toys, food, and an assortment of other items that the Moors found to be interesting. He even gave away a couple bags of fish biscuits. For once, Wheeze was completely fine with losing its precious food. After all, it knew that the ores were far, far more valuable than the fish biscuits. Chapter 368.2 Chapter 368: One In A Hundred [Part 2] When they passed through the mesopelagic zone and into the epipelagic zone, Cillin at last understood the purpose of the "stairs" beneath the coral reefs. Antioch was using them to walk up to sea surface. However, maybe it was because Antioch had grown bigger in the past millennium, but the stairs were unable to accommodate its massive feet completely. In the end, the overlord grew impatient and took matters into its own hands. It flattened them every time it took a step to make them wider. The sea beasts and fishes in the epipelagic zone escaped the moment they detected the activity. The sea beasts resting on the coral reef were no exception. It was so empty you would think it had always been this way. When Antioch finally emerged on the sea surface, the waters rose like a massive tsunami. It slowly walked toward the coral reef until it was around kilometer away from it and stopped. It was because it would destroy it if it went any closer. Antioch then placed Lungs spaceplane on the sea surface and gave it a small push. For a giant of indescribable proportions, it controlled its strength so well that the spaceplane ran aground at a suitable spot for landing perfectly. Wheeze sprinted to its territory the moment Cillin had swam onto the coral reef. When it discovered that a couple of sea beasts had foolishly invaded its territory despite its scent, it wanted to give chase and teach them a lesson immediately. Unfortunately, Cillin seized it by the nape and threw it into the spaceplane before it could do anything. The triphibian spaceplane was in a half-broken state due to punishment it suffered at the sea bed, but they had left behind some repair robots in the sky exactly for this type of situation. Lung instructed the robots to begin the repairs after the spaceplane was parked properly. Unfortunately, the planet remained a hazard to most machinery, so it took the robots almost a full day to progress the repairs by 10% or so. 10% was fine though. It wasnt like they were relying on it to fly back home. It only needed to be secure enough to be flown back into their main spaceplane. During this time, Wheeze worked hard to gather as many Guardian Hearts as possible. It even mobilized Cyrea and the other Moors to help it. This was the first time the youngstersrelatively speakingventured to the sea surface, so they were all too happy to carry out the work while exploring the coral reef. The thought of keeping Guardian Hearts themselves never crossed their minds because they lived on Sea Paradise. They could simply seek out another coral reef if they wanted to harvest them one day. Have you collected the seeds? Cillin asked Czedow. I have. Cillin had asked Czedow to collect some seeds for Sigma. The plants here were special enough that even Cillin learned many new things just by observing them. Czedow had also recorded everything that had happened during this journey not just for himself, but also because Moon had asked him to. Moon did not care who got the second Gods Tear; he simply wanted to learn more about the Xi Family such as the underwater city they built. Antioch seemed reluctant to part ways with Lung. It was currently speaking with the human. The Andrea Family was sure to visit Sea Paradise a lot more often than before after learning about Lungs success and the underwater city. It should not cause any troubleat least, not on the scale where it would seriously endanger either partybut Sea Paradise was definitely going to be a bit more crowded in the future. Furthermore, anyone who wasnt part of Lungs group was still going to face the wrath of the sea beasts. As mentioned before, sea creatures were very simple in a sense. Friends were friends, and food were food. Before they left, Antioch spoke with Cillin and Wheeze with Lung acting as its translator. It was because the overlord was very curious about the snakeskin suit he was wearing. It could sense that it belonged to a powerful and ancient creature just like itself. The fact gladdened it even though they werent the same species. To Wheeze, Antioch simply said, Do come over and play when you have the time. I have a lot of ores at my place. It was all it took for Antiochs place in Wheezes heart to skyrocket all the way to the top. Cillin was tempted to slap it a couple of times when its feigned dignity melted into a wide, silly grin in the blink of an eye. In fact, Antioch managed to score so many affection points that Wheeze actually told Cillin to gift it one of the few scales of the Black Viper it had. Obviously, the scale was far, far too small for a giant like Antioch, but there was no denying the power contained inside of it. To countless creatures, this single scale could bring them in line like it was the edict of the universe itself. Antioch was very happy to receive the gift. The two creatures engaged in a happy conversation for a very long time. Not far away, Pascado gave Big Rock a poke and asked, Say, why do I feel like Antioch is more friendly with that fatty that even our young master? The stern-faced man mulled over the question before answering, Its probably because theyre both animals, and not your average animal either. Its only natural they found a kinship in one another. In reality, they did not need to be a tamer to know his answer didnt really hold up to scrutiny. There were plenty of unusual animals out there who most definitely would not have received such a friendly treatment from either Antioch or Wheeze. There was one other answer they could think of, but neither Pascado nor Big Rock had to courage to verbalize their thoughts. Animals tend to respect equals, but that fatty cant possibly be on the same level as Antioch right? Eventually, it was finally time to go home. When they came, they had been alone with no one but their machines and equipment to accompany them. But when they left, the Moors, the Guardians and what was possibly the biggest sea overlord of the entire planet had seen them off with much joy and fanfare. This one trip had not just netted Lung the Gods Tear. It also guaranteed he would become a legend on par or greater than even his grandfather, Andrea Fergus. Cillin had also gotten what he came here for. He had collected enough ores and materials he collected to strengthen the Eleventh Squadron further. He had no qualms seeing the planet behind him, but of course, he might visit it again to check out the underwater city again in the future. That day might not even be too far away. At the bridge, Cillin was thinking about something and playing with a crystal in his hand. The crystal looked ordinary and poorly cut, but appearance could be deceiving. For starters, it was way harder than it seemed to be. Moreover, it would shine like a blooming flower when hit with a ray of light. This should not be possible because it hadnt been processed. Whats that? Pascado asked while passing by the hunters chair. A souvenir, Cillin replied simply. Pascado was uninterested in crystals, so he simply let out a yawn and gave Cillin a wave. He then went back to his room to catch some rest. Lungs subordinates and the man himself had all returned to their rooms to take a well-deserved sleep. They had been physically and mentally exhausted after the trip, and this was especially true for Lung. The young man had spoken with Antioch for an extended period of time despite not having fully mastered his second vocal cord, so he desperately needed some rest right now. The spaceplane was on auto pilot, so there was no need to keep an eye on the controls. Cillin juggled with the crystal for a bit before looking at Czedow and asking, Say, how do you think the Xi Family managed to freeze those massive sea beasts? Cillin had noticed that the expressions of the frozen creatures were too natural. Most of them did not even realize they had been frozen until the very end. Whatever the Xi Family did, it must have been near instantaneous. Czedow was reading a book on another chair. He shut the book and replied, Im not sure. The crystal has a uniform structure and incredible hardness. Furthermore, over ninety percent of its composition are water molecules. The crystal Cillin was toying with was a shard he had cut off from the frozen specimens after considerable effort. Despite having analyzed the object many times up until this point, its composition continued to confound him even now. Just what was the technology they used to freeze the sea beast? It was just unimaginable. On Cillins thighs, a dozing Wheeze let out a disgusting chuckle in its dreams. The spaceplane did not fly back to the Andrea Familys headquarters immediately. It landed on a planet first so they could drop off Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze. So like, I understand why we did it last time, but why are we boarding a passenger starship again? Because its anonymous. Cillin understood why Wheeze was disgruntled, but even this was something even he did not have a solution to. According to Lung, the patrols had recently tightened their inspection toward private spaceplanes, and he was made known only because he was one of the few uniquely privileged people in the entire Sector H. He did not yet know why the regulations had been tightened all of the sudden, but he promised to tell Cillin as soon as he found out. Cillin waved his ticket and said in a consoling tone, The two of you will just make to make do with it. Cillin had bought only a single ticket as a matter of course. By the time the starship had taken flight, Wheeze and Czedow had already slipped onboard like a ghost. Cillin had climbed into a sleep pod and fallen asleep. He was feeling a bit dizzy because he had wracked his brain too much recently. The passenger starship jumped a few times until it had passed through a magnetic zone completely. After it returned to normal flight, Wheeze lay on top of the starshipyes, it was outside the ship right nowand watched the stars. Say, Czedow, do you think well run into space bandits? Wheeze asked suddenly with a hopeful look on its face. Czedow was lying next to the gray cat while using its arm as a pillow. He replied, According to the data Ive collected so far, theres a 99% chance it wont happen. Although GAL is pretty chaotic right now, this particular area is known to have few to no bandits at all. As if on cue, an explosion happened inside one of the passenger cabins. Wheezes ears twitched as it curled its tail into a circle. I guess todays our lucky day then. Chapter 369.1 Chapter 369: Blood Eye [Part 1] Czedows calculation wasnt wrong. This zone wasnt just mostly bandit-free, even Hunters had to restrain themselves unless they wanted to land themselves in deep shit. It was because this zone belonged to the major families of Sector H, and right now their influence was positively oppressive. Only those with a death wish would dare to challenge their authority. It was why few people foresaw this happening at all. Wheeze had taken off toward ground zero immediately after it felt the commotion, and Czedow had also decided to make his own move. Although the explosion had not taken place at the cabin where Cillin was, they were close enough that his presence might be necessary. Cillin was enjoying a wonderful sleep up until that moment. He had calculating a couple of equations when the explosion had jolted him from his slumber. The passengers around him panicked quite a bit until the flight attendants rushed over to soothe them. It didnt take much effort to do so because they all knew that they were traveling in a safe zone. They believed that someone would handle whoever or whatever had caused the commotion shortly. Unfortunately, today was destined to be a day of disappointment. The passengers had just returned to their seats when the entrance to their cabin suddenly exploded inward. The next thing they knew, two men carrying guns in their hands and shoulder cannons on their shoulders had strode into the cabin like they owned the place. The controls to the cabin doors were password-protected, and the ship captain had not told them the password. Moreover, the hijackers own jammers made the doors even harder to open than normal. They were in a hurry, so they chose to blast it open with their shoulder cannons. Obviously, the appearance of the two hijackers caused the passengers to panic once more. It took a couple of warning shots before the cabin finally returned to silence. Generally speaking, someone who would choose to fly in a passenger starship could not be rich or powerful. If they were, they would be flying around in a private spaceplane instead. That said, they were all richer compared to the ordinary citizens of most sectors. Most of them were here to better their prospects, and Sector H was considered to be one of the top 5 Sectors of the Ten Business Sectors. Space bandits? That was the collective reaction of most passengers thought when they saw the two hijackers. They didnt know what to do because neither the flight attendants nor the robot helpers were doing anything. In fact, the guards who should be protecting the ship were nowhere to be seen. The more perceptive ones already realized that they might never see them. The defense system had also been taken out by the jammer, and the bridge had fallen completely under the hijackers control. The original pilots had been knocked out, bound, and left at a corner. Oppressive silence reigned over the cabins for a moment. The ship captain hadnt made an announcement, and no guards had shown up to save the day. By now, everyone knew there was no point hoping that help would not be arriving from inside the ship. They could only keep quiet and hope that the space bandits would spare them. Suddenly, the space bandits did something no one was expecting. One of them walked up to a passenger, grabbed their wrist, and started pulling them toward the entrance. W-what are you doing? I dont have much money on me, b-but I can give you everything I have! Just dont kill me! The guy begged. In that moment, he looked like a chicken who was being held by the neck by the butcher. The space bandit didnt show any reaction though. He simply walked back to the entrance with his prey and disappeared, leaving behind a bunch of confused passengers. Although the space bandit was gone, there were still two of them guarding the entrance. No one, not even those who were deluded about their strength dared to make a move. Two fists cannot beat a shoulder cannon after all. Cillin was seated next to an uncle. The shivering man shot the two bandits a glance and was about to pour his heart out to Cillin when suddenly, he realized that the young man was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Cillin had concealed himself immediately after the cabin door was blown off. He didnt have much presence to begin with because his seat was close to a corner. He was on already the move while everyone was still distracted by the noise. In his opinion, these people looked more like terrorists than space bandits. The reason he said this was because the emotion behind their eyes were less greedy and more contemptuous. More specifically, they seemed to regard the passengers they were guarding to be little better than worms. Assuming that they were terrorist, and this was an organized attack, then they could not have attacked the ship for wealth. In addition, the person they took away earlier was a doctor; an ordinary doctor with no extraordinary background whatsoever. What could they possibly want with him? Could they be trying to get their hands on every doctor in this ship, good or bad? One thing for certain, these people had to access the passengers information. The terrorist would not have gone straight for the doctor without even making an inquiry otherwise. It was of no concern to Cillin though. The ID he used to purchase the ticket was fake. The doctor was hauled to the private cabin where the ship captain and a few officers slept in. It was a privilege only the most persons-in-charge of the ship got to enjoy, although that privilege had obviously backfired on them today. A woman was lying on a bed. She looked to be around her forties or late thirties, and it seemed that she was plagued by some sort of illness. Her complexion was pale, and her skin was dry to the point of cracking. There was a man applying a humidifier to her body in an attempt to alleviate her symptoms to no avail. She was beautiful once, but she was so sick that only a husk of that beauty had remained. There were two people sitting next to the patient. One of them was the man who was applying the humidifier to her skin, and the other was probably a doctor judging from the vials in his hand. They were almost certainly on the same side judging from how casually they were acting around each other. Ive brought him, boss, The guy hauling the ordinary doctor said before pushing him forward. The doctor was terrified to begin with, but his knees immediately failed him when he saw the people inside the private cabin. At the same time, the man using the humidifier finally stopped what he was doing and turned his head. He was an incredibly muscular man with thick, brown hair that covered up most of his head. It was just a sideway glancehis eyes werent even looking at them directlybut the poor doctor still felt like someone had cleaved him in the heart. Not only was the mans aura too powerful, it was an aura of immense pressure and brutality. He was like a sharp blade that reeked of murderous intent and the blood of his prey, and one look from him was enough to send most people fleeing. Come, the man said. It was just one word, but it felt like a mountain was sitting on his chest. The kneeling doctor was trembling so hard that he couldnt even breathe. He took half a step forward before collapsing on the ground all of a sudden. He had blacked out from sheer fright. The guy who hauled the doctor in raised his eyebrows. He didnt think he was going to be useful, but he didnt think he was so spineless as to pass out before he even managed to do his job. Do you want me to deal with him, boss? he asked while averting his gaze. He dared not look his boss in the eye. Toss him out. The boss had already turned back toward the woman before he knew it. It was just three simple words, but the man could clearly sense that his boss mood had grown even fouler. The only reason he hadnt exploded yet was because of the womans presence. Otherwise, he had little doubt that the doctors brain would be sprawled across the floor already. Yes sir! Were gathering the rest of the doctors on the ship right now. Im sure theyll be brought over very soon He was just trying to console his boss, but his voice grew smaller and smaller as he spoke. In the end, he wanted to give his past self a few hard slaps to the face for his stupidity. He tensed and waited for the worst, but after waiting for a while and hearing nothing, he carefully looked up and found that his boss had resumed his care of the woman. It wasnt until the doctor beside the bed had shot him a look did he finally snap out of his stupor and hauled the unconscious doctor out of the room in a hurry. After the duo was gone, the doctor preparing a medicine shot both the woman and his boss a look and let out a quiet sigh. Everyone in their group had gotten used to death a long time ago. They were always prepared to go to heaven or hell in the next second. When the moment actually arrived though, when the person who was about to depart this world was a loved one, they could not help but feel despair anyway. Everyone dies someday, but no one liked being helpless before death. Chapter 369: Blood Eye (2) Chapter 369: Blood Eye (2) The man beside the bed was carefully adjusting the position of the humidifier so that it would be more effective when suddenly, his hand suddenly froze in mid-movement. The next moment, he had aimed his gun at a certain spot of the cabin and squeezed the trigger three times in a row. The bullets contained incredible penetrating power. Not only did they pass through the steel wall with ease, the bullet holes they left behind widened to the size of a fist in less than a breaths time. The entire sequence of movements was completed in less than a fraction of a second as well. The doctor had also stopped whatever he was doing, pulled out his gun, and stared in the direction of the bullet hole warily. He could sense that there was someone on the other side of the wall, and he was certain that it wasnt one of theirs. They had already cleared out all the rooms around the cabin before moving inside, and they had posted guards specifically to prevent anyone from trying anything sneaky. Therefore, there shouldnt be anyone in the room at all. As for the possibility that the person might be one of their subordinates, the thought never even crossed the doctors mind. Everyone in this group was aware of their boss legendary temper. They wouldnt dare to cross him even if they had a death wish. Naturally, it could only be an enemy! The bullet holes were huge enough that they could see the person in the next room. They didnt recognize him, but it only heightened their wariness even more. The unknown person stabbed a finger into the wall. Then, he carved out a door big enough to fit his entire person as if the wall was made of butter, not alloy. The man holding the humidifier narrowed his eyes. This display of abnormal strength was strange enough, but he was certain that all three of his shots hit the unknown person squarely. Otherwise, his bullets wouldve penetrated the wall on the other side of the other room as well. What on earth was this man? Czedow walked through the hole he carved but did not attempt to approach the two men. It would only increase their hostility unduly, which was not his intention. Seeing that Cezdow was just standing there and doing nothing, the man holding the humidifier asked, Are you the Sixth? Or are you the Fifth, the Eighth, or maybe even the Second Army? We are neither. The reply had not come from Czedow. Cillin stepped out from behind the robot, looked at the man directly in the eye and asked, Are you Blood Eye Aiken? After Cillin had slipped away from the passengers cabin, he had climbed into the room next to Aikens through the vents. It was then he received a message from Lung. As it turned out, the reason martial law had been declared on the entire Sector H was because an infamous figure had entered the Sector and hijacked a luxury spaceplane a while ago. He was the leader of the Free Army, Aikenseth. The Free Army was one of the major forces that had risen to power during the revolt of Sector V. Aikenseth was nicknamed Blood Eye Aiken because his eyes were literally blood red in color. No one knew why he had come in Sector H, only that he absolutely deserved his reputation. He was hot-tempered, tyrannical, and incredibly powerful. He also possessed incredible senses. Czedow was just trying to touch the wall to install a surveillance device, but he took three bullets to the torso almost immediately after his fingers made contact with it. Obviously, Aikenseths reaction speed was top-notch as well. Cillin could see that something was wrong with Aikenseths eyes. His eye movements were unusually stiff, and it wasnt nearly as red as his reputation suggested. It was because Aikenseth had applied a drug to cover up his eye color. He knew he could be spotted a mile away if he didnt conceal it, but his eyes were so special that most methods were completely useless. Reysen, his doctor and the other man who was preparing some sort of drug a while ago was the only one who managed to create a drug that could conceal them. It wasnt perfect though. Applying the drug weakened his eyesight enough that it couldnt catch up with his body. Even so, it was clear that Aikenseths other senses were more than enough to make up for the artificial weakness. Aikenseths eyes were brown-colored and almost glassy when they were under the drugs effects. But after Cillin had exposed his identity, they abruptly began to change color almost as if blood was flooding into his eyes. The red spread from the edges of the eyes until they overwhelmed not just the iris, but also the entire pupil. Some people described Blood Eye Aiken as a man who bore hell in his eyes, and it turned out it wasnt an exaggeration. When the unnatural red covered Aikenseths pupils completely, Cillin felt as if he had suddenly fallen into a sea of blood. Of course, it was really a hallucination caused by the mental pressure of Aikenseths gaze, but there werent many people who could withstand it. Most people would feel as if the entire world had become dyed in red. Aikenseth saw no point in concealing his identity further since Cillin had already figured out who it was. Moreover, the drug would limit his eye movement, and it was clear that neither Czedow nor Cillin were slouches. At the very least, he did not think his subordinates could do much against them. That was why he chose to cancel the drugs effects and regain his full strength. If Aikenseth emanated the aura of a murderous killer when he was disguised, now he looked like a blood-drenched tyrant ready to unleash hell upon his enemies at any moment. Cillin said calmly, Were just passing through. Were not with the military, and we have no intention of tangling with you. Aikenseth didnt believe him, though to be fair the number of people he trusted could be counted on one hand. He and his people were born in Sector V after all. That there was anyone they could trust was in itself a minor miracle. Originally, Cillin wasnt planning to get involved in this mess. Unless they were planning to blow up the entire ship or something, he was just planning to keep an eye on the hijackers until they were gone. However, Aikenseth had surprised them with his exceptional senses, so he had no choice but to abandon his original plan. From what Lung told him about Aikenseth, he wasnt the type to let them go without exacting a terrible price. Cillin wasnt afraid of going toe-to-toe against Aikenseth, but he didnt want to expose themselves more than they already had. They were operating undercover just like Aikenseth after all. As Cillin had guessed, Aikenseth was planning to end them here. Although he was aware that his opponents were formidable, this was hardly the first time he had fought against bullet-proof opponents. Right before he was about to launch his attack though, Cillin said something that caused him to freeze like a statue. She wont last much longer. At most, she has fifteen minutes left. The woman on the bed was incredibly weakened. He could tell by the rhythm and sound of her breathing alone that she was drawing closer to death with every breath. Its bad enough shes poisoned, but her health isnt very good to begin with. It made things worse, Cilin continued. If Cillins first words only halted Aikenseths movement, his second words extinguished the Free Army leaders decision to kill his opponents temporarily. Before this, he had tried everything to improve the patients condition to no avail. To say he was desperate enough to grasp at straws would be an understatement. Sector E was their best hope of treating the patient, but they couldnt go there because the military kept a close eye on that Sector. Sector H was a very prosperous Sector thanks to the presence of big families like the Andrea, and other smaller but equally old families. Sector H might not be the master of a particular field, but it was certainly the jack of all trades. Its clothing, food, housing, transportation, healthcare, culture, education and more were all very well-developed. That was why they had come to Sector H in search of medical aid. Unfortunately, they had committed a couple of mistakes on their way here and exposed their tracks, which caused martial law to be declared on the entire Sector. The patient was afflicted with a poison that prevented her from ingesting any water. She was so dehydrated that she was incapable of swallowing any food, and liquid food would only hasten her water loss rate. IV was out of the question either. Not long ago, they had reached the point where they could only feed her super small nutrient pills to keep her alive. Suddenly, the womans fingers twitched a little. There was a clear layer of dead skin flakes on her dry skin. Her eyes twitched, but she did not attempt to open them. Aiken I see it she said. Her voice sounded unbelievably hoarse. It was a miracle she managed to say anything at all. She fell into a coma right after she said those incomprehensible words. You have ten minutes, Cillin said again. Aikenseths eyes turned even redder as he spun toward Cillin. Can you save her? Ill do anything if you can save her! Ill even fight the Eight Armies if that is your wish! Cillin shook his head. I cant save her, but I can buy her some time. Chapter 370: You Will Owe Me A Favor (1) Chapter 370: You Will Owe Me A Favor (1) How long can you give her? Aikenseth asked in a hurry. It was a race against time. They had discovered a means to save the woman a while ago, but she wouldnt last until a cure was created. They had wasted too much time to research the cure, and now the patient was literally minutes away from deaths door. I just need ten, no, five hours to create the prototype! Reysen said next to him. Reysen had thought himself to be a good doctor until this incident. In his opinion, any doctor who could not defeat the Grim Reapers scythe was a failure, and he was moments away from becoming that. Moreover, he was childhood friends with Aikenseth and the patient. Sector V was a place where friendship was taught to be worth less than scrap, but they were of the opposite opinion. The entire Sector V could go to hell, and it wouldnt matter as long as their friend wasnt part of the casualty. That was how much they cherished one another. After the woman had fallen ill, they had come all the way to Sector H to find someone who knew a way to cure her. Although they were successful in their search, they soon discovered that the cure needed to be created from scratch. Worse, they discovered that the cure wouldnt be made in time even if he dedicated all of his time into creating it. Reysen had been close to abandoning all hope when Cillin appeared out of nowhere and offered him exactly what he needed: more time. I dont know. Well have to see for ourselves, Cillin answered before walking toward the bed. The instant the Hunter shuffled his feet, he immediately felt a burst of hostility and killing intent from Aikenseth. It was just a reflex; it was ingrained in his muscle memory to treat everyone as hostile until proven otherwise. Thankfully, Cillin stopped after just taking two steps toward Aikenseth. Just like Aikenseth, Cillin did not trust him enough to get too close to him. Blood Eye Aiken was infamous not just because of his achievements, but also his temper. God only knows what might happen if he pushed the mans already thin line of patience too much, not to mention that he had only known of the man today. It would be wise to act with prudence until he had more information on the man. After Cillin came to a stop, he took out a green pearl and tossed it to Aikenseth. Try this. The poison afflicting the patient was a strange one. For starters, it was alive. Not only did it evaporate the water in the patients body like a miniature fire, drinking water or ingesting any liquid food would cause it to react aggressively and evaporate the patients body even faster. Since the poison had spread to every corner of the patients body, so IV drips wouldnt help either. The poison was like a bunch of invisible, water-hating creature that had taken residence inside the patients body. Since drugs or liquid medicine would only worsen the symptoms, Cillin decided that the green pearl would be the best choice. Its affinity with nature and abundant life force would help to prolong the patients life. This pearl will prolong her life, but how long shell last is ultimately up to her. Cillin couldnt give any promises because he knew nothing about the patient. Different people reacted differently in desperate situations. Some rose to the challenge and fought tooth and nail to live, while some just gave up and perished. If the woman was the former, then all was well. If she was the latter, well that was why he wasnt promising anything. Aikenseth caught the pearl with ease and held it for a moment. Neither he nor Reysen had seen the pearl before, but their confidence reignited almost immediately when they sensed its power. There was so much life force packed into the tiny object that Aikenseth nearly shed a tear when he realized there was hope after all. How do I use it? Aikenseth asked without hesitation. Although his suspicion hadnt changed, the fact that Cillin gave away something so precious proved that he wasnt with the Armies at the very least. Put it in her mouth. She wont be able to swallow it, but it will improve the pearls efficacy, Cillin answered. Aikenseth did as he was told, and in just a few seconds the patients almost unnoticeable breathing suddenly became stronger than before. Not only was it the first real sign of improvement since the day she had fallen ill, it was clear she was gettingalbeit slowlybetter and better. Cillin had five massive green pearls in total, and the one he gave away wasnt one of them. Unfortunately, that wouldnt stop a certain gray cat from being miffed because it was part of their collective wealth. If he had to guess, Wheeze was currently scratching its claws somewhere in the ship to vent its annoyance. He would have to buy some cat food to appease it later. Meanwhile, Reysen was handing Aikenseth a can of medicinal spray to apply on the patient. It was supposed to alleviate her symptoms when sprayed on her skin, but the poison had been too strong for it to have any effect at all. Combined with the green pearl though, is effects should be a lot more noticeable. Aikenseth was about to do as he said when suddenly, he turned to look at Cillin and Czedow. He hadnt said anything, but the meaning in his eyes was as clear as day: some privacy, please? Catching the mans meaning immediately, Cillin immediately turned around and stepped through the gap on the wall. They could always have their conversation later. After Czedow followed Cillin back to the other room, he put the chunk of metal he had carved out a moment ago back where it was. It was almost like he was closing a door. Suddenly, Wheeze jumped out of nowhere and clung onto Cillins pants. Then, he started clawing at them until they were nothing more but spaghetti-like strings. Why didnt you just kill that bastard? Czedow couldve taken on the other guy, and I couldve taken out the minions all on my own! It wouldve been easy! Wheeze complained as it scratched, Even worse, you gave away our treasure for free! Sure, youve got a dozen of them in your subspace, but every single one of them is worth a ton of money! Lung even told me that their price would increase in the future! I cant believe you! A sound barrier had been set up, so Cillin wasnt worried that someone might overheard their conversation. He caught Wheeze by the nape, held it in front of his face and said, When have I ever said that Im going to give away the pearl for free? Wheeze was going to claw him in the face when it mulled over the words and suddenly felt much better than before. Did you see the tattoo behind the patients back, Czedow? Cillin turned to Czedow and asked. Only a little, the robot replied while projecting a hologram in front of them. It showed Aikenseth carefully pulling up the patients shoulder to apply the spray before he suddenly turned toward them. Are those feathers? Wheeze suggested. Unfortunately, they saw nothing but than what seemed to be the tip of a feather before Aikenseth had chased them out of the room. Whats wrong with the tattoo? Wheeze curled its tail before grinning deviously. Wait a second, are you two lusting over her bo Cillin slapped the gray cats head before it could finish. Is fish poop all you can think about? If thats not it, then why do you care? Wheeze complained while flicking its ear. Cillin produced the document Lung had sent him earlier and showed Wheeze an image. It was a photo of the three current heads of a major force called the Free Army in Sector V. The man at the center was none other than Blood Eye Aiken, and he was flanked by Reysen and another person covered in a mask and a cloak. The person of unknown gender was known as Blue, and no one, not even the Andrea Family knew much about them. The Free Armys symbol is a blue bird. According to the rumors, Blue was the one who drew it themselves before it was made the symbol of the Free Army, Cillin repeated a line on the document he received before saying, Its obvious how much Aikenseth and Reysen cares about the patient, so theres no way shes your random small fry. While it would make more sense that Blue is guarding their headquarters at Sector V while Aikenseth and Reysen left to save the patient, the feather tattoo behind her back suggests a different story Cillin had very good reason to believe that the patient was none other than Blue herself. Im surprised they would leave their headquarters completely unguarded. Then again, they probably do not care much for anyone from Sector V, not even those who serve under them. Chapter 370: You Will Owe Me A Favor (2) Chapter 370: You Will Owe Me A Favor (2) Ten minutes later, they heard two knocks on the wall. Cillin removed the sound isolation barrier and the carved metal to reveal Aikenseth on the other side. Lets talk about terms, the leader of the Free Army said. He looked much calmer compared to before, so the patient was probably in good shape. Wheeze had concealed itself the moment Czedow had removed the chunk of metal on the wall once more, ready to attack the enemy the second they tried anything unusual. More accurately, it was hoping that they would try something so it could reclaim its possession and rob them blind. Unfortunately, it was destined to be disappointed. It was clear that neither Aikenseth nor Reysen was planning such a thing. The two parties went into negotiations immediately. Aikenseth made Cillin promise that he would keep their information a secret, and Cillin made Aikenseth promise the same thing. To sweeten the deal, the Hunter tossed a pill into Aikenseths hands and said, This is a nutrition pill. I promise its far more nutritious than the ones youve been feeding the patient, stresses the patient less, and lasts much longer. Aikenseth accepted it without question. Wheeze started scratching the floor again as it grumbled to itself: Thats the Food Gods nutrition pill! I cannot believe this guy! Whats the price? Aikenseth asked. I dont need credits, and Sector V doesnt have any ore I currently need. I detest owing favors to others. Owe it anyway. Aikenseth stared at Cillin and Czedow with his blood red eyes for a moment before nodding. Very well. It was a fact that the Free Army was poor and lacking in ores. They didnt even have advanced weaponry. The only advantage they had was a large group of people who didnt fear death. After they came to an agreement, Cillin asked Aikenseth a question, Where did the news of Oskulos death come from? It was true that the head of a violent group was the one who spread the news of Oskulos death a few years ago, but no one knew who had told him about it. Almost immediately after that, riots started breaking out across the entire Sector, and new forces began emerging at breakneck speed. It wasnt long before the denizens of Sector V began showing off their firepower brazenly and declaring that they were building the Free Alliance. The Free Army was one of the main members of the Free Alliance. Cillin was hoping that Aikenseth might know about the truth of the matter, but unfortunately that wasnt the case. All I know is that a number of notorious figures had announced the death of the Star Rank Hunter, Oskulos, and that led to the forces serving under him to fight among themselves. A lot of forces including us had used that opportunity to rise to power, Aikenseth explained, Incidentally, the people who made the announcement are all dead. Some of them died of accidents, some where killed by their subordinates or their enemies. Long story short, theyve been dead for a very long time. They were silenced. That was the first thought that crossed Cillins mind after hearing that. These people had survived the hell that was Sector V to become the leader of a violent group. There was no way they wouldve been taken out by mere accident, betrayal and opposition. Aikenseth was also aware that something was fishy about the situation, but he didn''t care. All he cared about was that he and his friends were able to exploit their deaths and rise to power. They had to. In Sector V, you were either the oppressor or the oppressed. We plan to land on an unassuming planet, Aikenseth said, implying that that was Cillins chance to make a clean escape. But I cannot promise we wont run into any escort ships until then. To the mans surprise, Cillin replied without hesitation, Do it. I promise that the ship wont encounter anything of the sort unless you start shooting the passengers or something. If Aikenseth wasnt curious about Cillins identity before, he was now. He was sure that Cillin was deeply connected with at least one great family in Sector Hthe young man wouldnt be able to make such a declaration otherwisebut he couldnt understand why someone with such connections would need to keep their identity a secret. Who on earth was this man? Aikenseth gave his word that he and his subordinates wouldnt harm the passengers unless they were attacked first. Thankfully, nothing happened until the ship landed on their destination. On a side note, passenger starships normally did not land on a planet, so the atmospheric entry had caused quite a bit of panic. The moment the ship came to a stop, and Aikenseths men had motioned for them to leave, they had rushed out of the exits like their lives depended on it. Aikenseth and Cillin had made their own exits during the commotion. A small and unassuming spaceplane was parked on a different location on the planet. The hatch opened to reveal a metallic head as soon as Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze got close to it. Youre finally back. Long time no see! Moon greeted them with a literal smiley face on his face. However, Wheezes response was unusually lethargic. In fact, it was sitting on Cillins shoulders with its butt facing toward Cillin and sighing non-stop like it was in a drama. What happened? Is it going through a mood swing again? Moon wasnt worried though. He knew Wheeze well enough to know that it would recover in no time. In fact Hey Wheeze! I brought you a gift! Moon said while taking out a bag of fish biscuits. Its a new variety with improved flavors! It worked. Tail shooting upward like an antenna, Wheeze immediately accepted the offering and bit a hole on the package. Thats fast! I thought it took a while before the new product hits the market? Thats because it hasnt hit the market yet. That got Cillins attention. Did Hara visit you while we were gone? Yep. He sought us out while we were traveling to a trade center a short distance away from Sector S. He saw through your body double immediately, but he was kind enough to keep it a secret and even act along with it. Did he leave a message or something? Yes. He wanted you to contact him after you came back. He said its not urgent though. Whatever his business is, its not related to those people from Sector S. They left the planet after that. They werent worried about the stranded passengers because someone would take care of them very soon. On the way back, Moon listened to Wheezes stories about Sea Paradise while Cillin wondered what Hara wanted. He didnt think it was about Genya because the passage wasnt completely safe yet, and it couldnt support too many vessels. He also wasnt planning to return to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire just yet. The Eleventh Squadron had completed their current missions was currently staying over at the base. They were in the middle of training when the spaceplane had touched down on the planet. At first, the gang was going to carry out the rest of their missions, but Cillin had told them to wait for him at the base. Mo Heng was overjoyed that Cillin was able to come back safely, and he was almost as happy when he saw the rare ores Cillin had brought back with him. It was because they could be used to make alloys that were normally seen in space fighters, not to mention that they were all of excellent quality. The old man excitedly dragged Xi Kai and his fellow researchers back to the workshop while the robots did the grunt work. Cillin contacted Hara immediately after he returned to his room. Long time no see, kid! The Food King hadnt changed one bit. His cheeks were almost chubby enough to fold in on themselves. Is it just me, or have you gotten fatter? Cillin joked. The Food King squeezed his face lightly before sighing. You know how I get when I worry about something. Everyone knows that the Food King relieves his stress via eating when he was worried. On a side note, he also expresses his joy via eating. What could possibly be troubling you, sir? As far as Im aware, all of your companies are doing fantastically as of late. The galaxy may be in chaos, but your business hasnt been impacted in the slightest. Thats because its not my business that Im worried about, Cillin. Youve heard of the Robert Family, havent you? The Robert Family? You mean the one with the Robot Kingdom? That is correct. Not long ago, a bird told me that they are planning an attack against some Hunters. I dont think theyre targeting the Great Fouror rather, I cant see why they would offend the Great Four considering the state of the galaxybut its better to be safe than sorry, you get me? I see. Ill watch my back. Thank you for the warning. Its nothing. Its just one of the matters thats been irritating me as of late, and Im glad I can lift it off my chest. ... Okay, whats the other matter thats troubling you? Hara sighed. Sorry, but I would rather not say. Its my own personal business, and I see no need to burden you with it. Just keep doing what youre doing, okay? Oh right, Im planning to expand my business, Cillin. Do you think it would be a good idea to build a trade center at Sector V? Cillin wouldve called him crazy if he was anyone else. To give an analogy, building a trade centerone that primarily sells food no lessin Sector V was like cooking food in the middle of a jungle full of starving animals. That said, he could not deny that Sector V was ripe with business opportunities if the opportunist possessed enough power to protect themselves, and the Food King definitely qualified as one of them. Before that, do you want to build a trade center at Sector V? I do, and Ive done some research. I still havent narrowed down a collaborator though. Do you have anyone in mind? I could use a Hunters opinion. Cillin thought for a second before replying, As a matter of fact, I do. Tell me. Blood Eye Aiken of the Free Army. Cillin went to look for Xi Kai next after bidding the Food King goodbye. Robot Kingdom? Xi Kai frowned deeply when he heard the term. Who gave them the gall to call themselves that? Chapter 371: Going To Mist Bodhisattva Chapter 371: Going To Mist Bodhisattva Cillin gave Xi Kai a summarized account of the Robert Family, and the researcher reacted exactly as he thought he would: disdainful. He even sought out Eudy and asked him to provide some data on the Robert Family and the robots and cyborg weapons they produced. Unbelievable. Who gave them the courage to call themselves the Robot Kingdom? Xi Kai said while staring at a hologram. A video with robots that looked almost identical to humans and the fourth and fifth generation robots Cillins group had encountered during their run-in with the Robert Family was being played. For those who didnt know much about robots, there was no denying that their robots were amazing. Like real people, they could lose their temper, throw a tantrum, comfort people like a friend, and even execute their masters instructions like a true soldier. However, this was only true if you looked at it from a laymans point of view. Xi Kai had researched Origin robots for decades, and the Xi Family of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire for generations. The ability to identify whether a robots behavior was artificial or real was practically ingrained in their genes since they were born. That was why Xi Kai could tell who was a robot and who wasnt from the video in a single glance. Czedow mightve been able to fool him if he were present in the video, but these shoddy creations were nowhere good enough to fool his eyes. Unfortunately, neither Cillin nor Eudy had gathered much information on the Robert Family, so Cillin asked Lung and Shi Huajing to do him a favor and send him all the information they had on them. They were aware of the Robert Familys recent movement, but only to a certain extent. It wasnt like they went out of their way to spy on them after all. Both men sent everything they had on the Robot Kingdom for the past two years or so. The massive robot rebellion that had taken place in Robert Frenzs planet had hit the Robert Family hard. Cillins impression of Robert Frenz was that of a man who was so stubborn and obsessive in his ways that he gaslighted even himself to believe an obvious lie. No one was saying that the Robert Family wasnt praiseworthyin fact, they are the indisputable in terms of robotic technology in the entire GALbut having too much pride and confidence also blinded them to many things. In that sense, the robot rebellion was a good thing to them. It had shaken them out of their self-inflicted stupor and forced them to strive for greater heights. Looking at the first-hand information Cillin had gotten from Lung and Shi Huajing, the new robots were much better than what they were two years ago. Although they hadnt developed in the way Xi Kai had hoped they would, they were an absolute menace on the battlefield. Their weapons configuration, material construct and liquid cores had also been upgraded to become as stable as the first generation robots. At the very least, they hadnt experienced another robot rebellion since two years ago. Xi Kai admitted that the robots in the latest information were much better, but he paid them little to no attention because they werent the type of robots he was striving to create. On a related note, Xi Kais confidence had skyrocketed ever since he began the X-series and accidentally created X-7, a robot with a randomized attribute. The probability of an X-7 occurring was less than one in a thousand, but it still gave Xi Kai a lot of inspiration. As a result, he had burning through resources like crazy as of late. This situation was made worse by the fact that his robots werent the only projects he had to handle, and Mo Heng was building some space fighters for the Eleventh Squad, meaning that a portion of their supplies were off limits to him. Frankly, Xi Kai was getting desperate as of late. He had everything planned down to the letter, but if he ran out of resources then everything would come to a screeching halt to say the least. He had never encountered this situation before he came to GAL because there wasnt a day where the Xi Family werent gathering resources in case of emergencies, not to mention that some members of Black Viper was sent on resource-gathering missions from time to time. With an entire robot army to help handle their resource problem, of course they were never in danger of running out of basic resources. In the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, their only problem was their inability to reproduce the Origin robots. However, they werent in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire anymore, so there was next to nothing Xi Kai could do to fix the problem. So, he looked to Cillin for a solution. Cillin thought of Xi Kais request after leaving the researchers workshop. Without resources, Xi Kai would not be able to execute his projects or create the new batch of robots for the Eleventh Squad, which was a problem for both of them. The researcher had been so desperate that he returned some of the robots he considered to be failures into the furnace, but that had led to Moon treating him like air to this day. Even Sigma was ignoring the researcher despite his attempts to justify his actions. He had come to Cillin because he was literally at his wits end. Cillin went to Shi Tangs workshop next. The young man had been working on the Shortcut since he joined the Eleventh Squad. How is it? Cillin asked. Its a lot more stable than before, but it still cant support the crossing of more than a couple of vessels at the same time, Shi Tang replied while showing Cillin his latest findings. Although Cillin had managed to return to GAL using the black box, the data showed that it wasnt a perfect crossing. Perhaps it was because the black box was too dated to perform at its full capacity, or perhaps there were some other factors in play. Regardless, the black box wasnt working exactly as intended even after Moon had given it a look-over. Its not a problem if were crossing over to the other side with just a space fortress like last time. However, anything bigger than a space fortress may not be able to cross over safely. Its the same with pushing more than a couple of vessels through the Shortcut at the same time, Shi Tang explained. The young man looked ashamed because he had failed to live up to expectations. In his opinion, the results he got were disproportional to the amount of time he had invested to the research to say the least. Whats this? Cillin pointed at a rough chart that Shi Tang had drawn himself. Oh, I almost forgot. Shi Tang perked up a little. I calculated the best access point for the Shortcut on GALs side, and I discovered the spot we came through is no longer the best choice. Its still a great access point, mind you, but things have changed since the planet with a ton of machinery installed in it took some damage, and the fact that the magnetic field of the entire Sector Z is undergoing a subtle change. I recalculated things based on the black boxs current capabilities and found that the new best access point is here! Cillin smiled when he saw the spot Shi Tang had marked. It was because the new access point turned out to be very close to their base. Not only that, it was secluded in the sense that it was located amidst a cluster of rank D planets. Few people would pay attention to such a place. At first, Cillin wasnt planning to return to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. It was because at least a handful of factions were watching the original access point closely. Considering how chaotic GAL was right now, the last thing he wanted was to catch a tail while he was literally crossing over to another galaxy. However, Sigma informed him that most of the instruments on the planet were destroyed, so there was next to nothing it could do to support them if they tried to cross over to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire using the original access point. They didnt need it anyway since they had the black box. Now that Shi Tang had calculated a new access point, the idea of traveling to the empire suddenly seemed a lot more appealing than before. And that was exactly what he ultimately decided to do. Of course, they wouldnt need to find a best access point to mitigate the risks if they could just restore the black box to its original state a thousand years ago. Ideally, Cillin wanted to restore the black box to its former state or build his own black box, but a brief look into the device told him that the old Xi Family had left behind a ton of traps in their equipment. It would more time than they could currently afford to duplicate it, so Cillin had no choice but to postpone that project to a later date. He was sure it could be done though, especially with Xi Kai and Xi Mu at his side. There would be a time where the Eleventh Squadron could travel anywhere they wanted without restriction. Back to the subject of the Robert Family. According to the information he gathered thus far, it seemed that the Robert Family was in cahoots with the military right now. No one knew exactly which Army they were cooperating with, but they had definitely built a batch of improved combat robots and a vast number of half-cyborg weapons as of late, and their first victim was none other than the Hunters. Obviously, they werent going to attack the Great Four from the get goyou do not attack a formidable foe with untested weaponry after allbut it was only a matter of time before things escalated to that point. No one stayed at the same spot forever. Unlike fiction, progress and advancement werent unique to the good guys only. If you were content to stay as you were while everyone else was fighting to improve themselves, then you only had yourself to blame when you found yourself left behind or worse, dead. Just like the Food King Hara had said, it was always better to be safe than sorry. After all, you never truly know when your enemies would hit you. Anyway, there were several reasons Cillin ultimately decided to travel to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. Xi Kais resource shortage was one reason, and Moon, Sigma and Xi Mus wishes to visit was another. Thirdly, he himself was planning to obtain something that only the Mist Bodhisattva Empire could provide. Who should I bring with me on this trip though? Cillin visited Tico after he left Shi Tangs workshop. The doctor was currently giving Sha Rou and Kong Lujia a lecture on various medical knowledge, and it was an arrangement that had persisted for quite some time now. Tico was very happy to have the two girls because she was the only doctor in the entire squadron. If there was a large-scale battle, there was a high chance Tico would not be able to handle every medical issue on her own. They did have medical robots, but they were less reliable than humans in this regard. As for Mo Hengs workshop, Cillin could hear how busy they were before he even stepped through the door. Cary, Xiao Shang, Mogas and more were all spending time in Mo Hengs workshop as of late because the old gangster was responsible for building their personal fighters. They wanted to help out not just because they wanted to show Mo Heng their sincerity, but also because they very much wanted to participate in the process of building their own fighter. Cary was inserting a component into a slot as Mo Heng had instructed him to when he saw Cillin. When he was done, he wiped the stains on his work uniform and asked, Yo, commander! What brings you here? We dont have any missions to do yet, do we? You guys look busy, Cillin commented while sweeping his gaze across the workshop. Cary chuckled. Gotta leave the oldI mean, scholar Mo a good impression, you know? Sure. There wont be any assignments in the foreseeable future, so feel free to help out during this time. Haha, thanks! Not far away, Xiao Shang and Ba Dao also let out a sigh of relief. They would prefer to participate in the process of building their fighters from the start until the end than to be pulled away for a mission somewhere in the middle. Perhaps they wouldve have changed their mind if they realized that it came at the cost of visiting a whole new galaxy and civilization. Cillin visited a few more locations after that, and he was happy to find that everyone was busy with their own thing. Mao was dueling Shusag to improve his combat skills, Scarlet Wind was instructing Tesoro to better use his claws and more. Everyone was striving to improve themselves even though this was supposed to be a free period for them. Xi Kai was overjoyed when Cillin told him that they would be paying the Mist Bodhisattva Empire a visit. He immediately started calculating the amount of resources he needed to bring back to GAL. Some people might wonder why he didnt just stay at the Mist Bodhisattva Empire if he didnt want to run out of resources. It was because the Xi Family enjoyed a special status in the empire, but that same status also meant that they had to obey some rules if they wished to maintain their privileges. As a result, there were certain ideas Xi Kai could never test out unless he wished to risk his entire family for it. This wasnt an issue in GAL as a matter of course. So much freedom! Xi Mu had also expressed his wish to join in the visit. He wanted to see how the Xi Family in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire was doing, and check out the technology of a whole new civilization in a whole new galaxy. Wheeze wanted to come along as well. As a cat, it was a greedy bastard who wanted the best of both worlds. When they were stranded in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, it had missed GAL greatly and wanted nothing more but to return home. However, it hadnt even been a couple of months before it started missing the Mist Bodhisattva Empire once more. That was why Wheeze had begun packing almost as soon as Cillin had inquired its intentions about the matter. It brought nearly all of the new fish biscuits the Food King had made for him and everything else because even Cillin had no idea when they would be returning to GAL. It could be as short as weeks, or as long as months depending on the situation. The last thing it wanted was to run out of its favorite food while it was there. Cillin decided to bring Tang Qiuqiu with him this time. He was sure Guan Feng would be very happy to meet her. Cillin had a feeling that Shusag, Tesoro and Sha Rou wouldnt want to visit the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, and he was right. After everything they had suffered in the empire, they were only too happy to escape it once and for all. Although GAL was currently embroiled in a chaotic war, they still found it a far better place than the Mist Bodhisattva Empire ever was. Long story short, they would rather die than go back to their home galaxy. Shi Tang was coming with them as a matter of course. He was one of the main personnel who would be controlling and adjusting the black box after all. Moon, Sigma, Cillins body double and Xi Kais prized X-7 would be accompanying them as well. No one else except Eudy and Dias knew exactly where Cillin and some of the gang would be going. Cary, Xiao Shang, and the new members of the Eleventh Squad all thought that Cillin had left on a secret mission againwhich wasnt an entirely inaccurate assumptionso they paid the odd activity no attention whatsoever. They would be flying back using the same space fortress. The passengers were just a bit different this time. Wheeze and Sigma could barely contain their excitement, and Tang Qiuqiu was confused as hell. What is this Mist Bodhisattva Empire? Cillin said its in another galaxy, but what is even a galaxy? Cillin had kept his explanation brief and simple, but it was still almost too much for Tang Qiuqiu to understand. That was fine though. Her confusion turned into utter shock when a gigantic, maelstrom-like vortex opened in front of the space fortress. Wh what is that? Tang Qiuqiu asked while nudging Wheeze. The gray cats tail curled into a happy loop as it answered, Its a very fun place. Chapter 372: Your Granddaddy’s Back, Bitches! (1) Chapter 372: Your Granddaddys Back, Bitches! (1) Tang Qiuqiu thought that Wheezes answer was less than helpful, but if the massive vortex in front of her was any indicator, it was probably going to be a unique experience. As the ship began moving toward the Shortcut, everyone went to their seats and activated the barrier. It was not a pleasant experience to pass through the portal without protection, and for the weaker person it might even be a fatal experience. That was why Cillin had personally activated the barrier and the artificial sleep program for Tang Qiuqiu. It was because there was a high chance she would not react well if she was awake during the crossing. By the time she came to, she was already in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. At first glance, it looked like nothing had changed except the vortex had disappeared. The cosmos looked the same as ever on the displays. The space fortress had appeared very close to where they had departed in the first place. No one was in the area, and there wasnt a patrol ship to be seen anywhere. Tang Qiuqiu couldve believed that they were still in GAL if not for the fact that a news report spoken in a language that she had never heard before was currently being played on one of the displays. Cillin gave her a translator earpiece so she could better understand this whole new world and how its lifestyle, social system and more differed from GAL. Czedow didnt need a translator. Cillin and Moon had given him some language programs that contained the imperial language of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire and the dialects of some of the major planets. Xi Mu didnt really need his translator either. Although he could not memorize every language like Czedow, he knew the lingua franca well enough to converse with it without problem. The first thing Wheeze did after returning to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire was to log onto Return. The forum had just been established when they departed for GAL, so it was in a period of rapid development at the time. Today, it had become the biggest and strongest academic forum in the empire. The login screen alone showed just how special the forum was. Two badges of authority had been plastered to the front page. One of them belonged to the imperial family, and the other the Royal Academy of Sciences. Although this was Xi Mus first visit ever to this galaxy, he had learned much of the Mist Bodhisattva Empire from Xi Kai long before either Czedow or Tang Qiuqiu had received the same lesson. That was why he impressed by Return more than either of them. The badges meant that the forum had the support of the imperial family, the royal families, the nobles, and even the Royal Academy of Sciences, factions that were usually opposed against one another for one reason or another. Once again, Cillin had exceeded his expectations. It would be an exaggeration to say that every man and woman in the entire galaxy knew of Return, but a good 80% of them? Not so much. A lot of people relied on answering bounty questions on the forums to make a living after all. In fact, some commoners went from nothing to millionaire because they managed to answer the literally million-credit questions. So many people had registered an account in Return during its period of rapid development that even the imperial family and the Royal Academy of Sciences almost couldnt believe their eyes, although user growth had slowed down considerably as of today and trending toward stability. When Wheeze first joined Return, everyone knew each other to an extent because the userbase wasnt that big yet. Today, many people had forgotten the ID Whebeze, and on the rare occasion it was mentioned it would quickly be buried under an avalanche of messages and threads. It was because the new users did not recognize the infamous ID, and those who did pretended they didnt see or hear it. After all, why would they want anything to do with the headache-inducing ID? The retirement of Whebeze came as a massive relief to many veterans, and the tsunami of users that came after made it fairly easy to pretend they never existed. On a related note, the Arenathe virtual platform where people went on stage to debate one another about all things, which resulted in many theories that were thought to be rock solid to be debunkedhad become so popular that it was practically a lifestyle these days. It had become a habit for the scholars, media or your random person to spectate the Arena just for the heck of it. The Arena was already pretty popular when Wheeze had announced its temporary departure, but today the spectator count were hundreds, no, thousands of times greater than what it used to be. Not only that, the virtual platform was both aesthetically and functionally much better than before. It was clear that the imperial family and the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences valued it greatly. A fierce debate was currently taking place at the Arena, and countless experts and well-known authorities were commenting about it from the sidelines. It seemed like today was going to be just another day on the virtual platform when suddenly, an ID that hadnt been seen for a long time suddenly lit up. After the debate came to an end, and a rest period was announced before the next debate, a loud voice suddenly cut through the air YOUR GRANDADDYS BACK, BITCHES! To be fair, a lot of self-proclaimed experts declared more or less the same thing back when the Arena was first created, but that was in the past. Today, only a handful of people would have the temerity and achievement to call themselves the granddaddy of anything, much less shout it for everyone to hear in the public. It was why everyone temporarily stopped what they were doing to check out the newcomer. Did an old-timer show up to humiliate their opponents again? they thought to themselves. It was then they noticed that the person who made the cocky statement was level zero. Someone immediately hollered, Who the fuck do you think you are, you level 0 noob? It was answered by a chorus of agreements and hoots. However, it didnt take long for some people to notice that some of the veterans had fallen into utter silence for some reason. When one of them finally revealed Whebezes glorious past, the forum became abuzz with excitement once more. At the space fortress, sitting in front of a microcomputer, Wheezes shook its whiskers in displeasure while complaining, Since when did Return have a level thingy? Meow dangit! I cant believe they didnt count all the debates Ive won when the forum was initially founded! When a participant first wins a debate in the Arena, they would unlock an Overlord badge. The system then tallies their number of participation, victories, losses and other statistics and reflects them as levels and ranks on their Overlord badge. Unfortunately for Wheeze, this ranking system was established after it had left the Mist Bodhisattva Empire with Cillin. Naturally, its badge was level zero even though it had won many debates in the past. It wasnt long before Moon logged onto the forum after Wheeze had made its grand return. Sigma, Czedow and Xi Mu had also registered their own accounts. An exceptional amount of people blacked out from sheer rage that day. Tang Qiuqiu did not understand a thing Wheeze and the rest of her companions did on Return, but she was fine with it. She had never gone to school, and she had no intentions of attending one ever. Shrugging, she left everyone behind and went to the training room to practice with the Purgatory Thunder Snake Cillin gave her. Their first destination was Xi Kais electronic planet. Xi Kai, Xi Mu, Moon and Sigma all boarded the planet because they had their own things to do. Sigma had been especially sad when he discovered that his long lost brother, Chip had been transformed into the monstrous shape he was. Xi Kai wisely left the Origin robots to their own devices not only because he didnt want to cause an awkward situation, but because he didnt want to tempt Moon to give him an accident. Sigmas dream was finally fulfilled after a thousand years, but there were only three of them now. Worse, Moon was the only one out of his four brothers who came through unscathed, and that made the robot very, very sad. The blue strips on his faceplate flowed downward like tears as he clung to one of Chips cables. How long are you going to cry, Sigma? You havent changed at all, Chip said in an affectionate voice while wrapping a cable around his brother. He then looked at Moon and said, You dont have to be so sad. Not all is lost. Come, let me show you something. The four Origin robots were catching up with each other, so it did not look like they would be leaving the planet anytime soon. Xi Mu would also be staying to find out how more about the Gen Family. That was why Cillin took Tang Qiuqiu, Czedow and a certain gray cat who was having way too much fun destroying people on the forum to their next destination on a spaceplane. There was nothing Cillin needed to do for Black Viper despite his prolonged absence. Guan Feng did mention that the leader didnt need to do anything unless a major incident had occurred, and he definitely didnt feel like managing the organizations weirdos right now. Cillins next destination after Xi Kais electronic planet was the capital. He was sure his surrogate parent would appreciate hearing about Angenia and Gensheng as soon as possible. The spaceplane Xi Kai had provided him didnt have any noble marking or special code on its hull. It simply wasent necessary. After Cillin had entered some additional information into the computer, the spaceplane could to travel nearly any corner of the galaxy without meeting any resistance. Tang Qiuqiu knew little about the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. She was both surprised and curious that there could be a galaxy that was a united empire instead of the mixed bag of factions that was GAL. That wasnt to say that her impression of the empire was completely positive though. She was unhappy with the noble system in general, and she was especially unhappy with the snobbish nobles who carried themselves around like they were the king of the galaxy. In her opinion, all heads were equal within her scope, so these nobles really should keep their head down unless they wanted to lose it. There were a lot of patrol fleets and guards protecting the capital star region as a matter of course. Generally speaking, anyone who wished to enter the star region must use certain entry points to enter the star region unless they wished to be blasted into smithereens. Of course, there were also exclusive entry points where only some special nobles got to use; one of which Cillin was using right now. This particular entry point belonged to the Fujis royal family and was accessible only to those who were connected to the Gen Family. The large majority of starships and spaceplanes that used this entry point had the royal familys symbol stamped on their hull, so Cillins small and unmarked spaceplane stood out among the many huge and gorgeous-looking space vessels to say the least. There was no way the patrol fleet couldve missed them even if they tried. Who are those people? That has to be a commoners spaceplane, right? Hey guards! Whats up with that ship? All the nobles who saw Cillins spaceplane started complaining boisterously. They were all ashamed to share passage with an unmarked, poor looking spaceplane. To their surprise, not only did the patrol fleet not attempt to stop Cillins spaceplane, they purposely opened up a path so they could pass through unhindered. Some of them even ordered their servants to move their vessels get in front of Cillins spaceplane in a childish attempt to obstruct their path. However, they didnt go far before the patrol fleet got in their way. At this point, the smart ones realized that Cillin and co. could not be as ordinary as they seemed and quickly restrained themselves. However, the brainless ones continued to broadcast their annoyance to the patrol fleets captain and threatened to get him removed from his post. The captain didn''t bother to reply to any of these messages as a matter of course. In fact, he hoped that these idiots would be foolish enough to bring their complaints to someone with the authority to kick their stupid asses. How stupid would you have to be to stop a spaceplane with an access code that was issued by the current and previous king themselves? Cillin flew past the flamboyant vessels and headed straight for Genyas planet. A record was logged in the system every time an access code issued by the Fuji King was used, and each access code corresponded to a specific person only. That was why Genya was notified of Cillins return not long after the access code was used. The old man had sprung to his feet immediately after hearing the news, but he forced himself to stay put because he knew that him taking any action would only bring undue attention to Cillin. He could not sit still though, so he vent his impatience by walking circles around the courtyard again and again. A while later, he looked up at the sky for the umpteenth time and finally saw what he was hoping to see: Cillins spaceplane. Now that the young man was here though, his impatience immediately transformed into apprehension instead. He had been waiting this whole time to hear about Angenia and his family at GAL, but he was also terrified that the news Cillin brought back would confirm his worst fears. His feelings were conflicted to say the least. There was an airstrip close to the courtyard, and it was manned by people whom Genya could trust. They quickly cleared out the airstrip and got ready to receive Cillin after receiving a notice from Genya. Genyas aides knew Cillin very well at this point. It was also why they were surprised that the young man hadnt visited Genya for a long time. They didnt say anything about it though. For starters, who were they to criticize Cillins actions? There wasnt a single notable figure in the Gen Family who didnt know about Cillin and Genyas relationship, and they all treated him he was Genyas own son and the prince of the Gen Family. Two, Cillin was pretty famous these days. It was understandable that a galaxy famous person would have a less-than-predictable schedule. Czedow and Tang Qiuqiu were unfamiliar faces, and according to standard protocol they shouldve been screened before they were allowed into the residence. However, they skipped this step because Genya had given them special permission. Tang Qiuqiu could not help but goggle at the artificial sea as she and Czedow followed Cillin into the courtyard. Although Cillin had already told her about it, she still couldnt quite believe that it was man made. It was that impressive. The first thing Wheeze did after entering the courtyard was to let out a high-pitched howl. Just a few seconds later, a thick column of water jetted into the air, and a colossal figure appeared on the surface before the water column had fully subsided yet. It swam toward the seashore at top speed while responding with a howl that was quite similar to the gray cats. All the guards in the area broke into smiles. Blueskin was depressed recently because Cillin and Wheeze had been gone longer than expected. It was worth it though. Everyone could see how happy it was at their return. I miss you so much, Blueskin! Wheeze ran all the way to the edge of the water, leaped into the air and, whoosh! Spread its wings before taking to the sky. The guards standing just outside the courtyard were speechless when they saw this. Holy shit balls! Since when did this cat know how to fly? Blueskin had been really sad because Cillin and Wheeze hadnt visited it for a very long time. In fact, it was to the point where its appetite was affected, and the amount of fishes in the artificial sea skyrocketed as a result. Things were different now. It was so happy that that it even stood on its tail, swam backward in circles, and made ow ow noises exactly like Wheeze had taught it to. Everyone here was used to this sight already, but Tang Qiuqiu wasnt one of them. When Blueskin had made its entry, she had been awed by its size and formidable appearance. Now though, her eyes were twitching uncontrollably, and she was barely restraining the impulse to smack the big guy with her rifle. This isnt a sea beast! This is the shrunken version of an alien seal! Chapter 372: Your Granddaddy’s Back, Bitches! (2) Chapter 372: Your Granddaddys Back, Bitches! (2) Cillin greeted Blueskin briefly before heading into the house to speak with Genya. Czedow read books that were written in the imperial language, and Tang Qiuqiu enjoyed sweets that were produced by the empire while waiting at the courtyard. As soon as they got some privacy, Cillin began playing videos of Angenia and her family for Genya. His master broke into tears practically the second he saw the wife and son he once thought he would never see again in his life. The last time he saw Gensheng, he was just a little wee thing that nested just right in the crook of his arm. Now, his son had his own children, and they both had the word Xing in their names. In that moment, he felt all of the hardships he had faced in his life was worth it. Some of the videos were recorded by Cillin himself, and some were given to him by Angenia. The footages containing Gensheng, Gen Xingfu and Gen Xingjis growth were all from Angenias collection. After Genya had finally collected himself, Cillin told him about the current state of GAL next. His master was worried that the chaos ripping through GAL would bring harm to his family, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Until the Shortcut was stable enough for mass teleportation, he could not do something like dispatch his private army to the other galaxy. Sector S is now in a relatively stable state, and so are the three major factions controlling it. I dont believe they will be pulled into the ongoing war because theyre now cooperating with each other, not to mention that they have a vast network of connections to begin with. Genya felt a lot better after hearing Cillins assessment. When Cillin brought up the Food King Hara, Genya had broken into a wide smile immediately. The chuckles would not stop when he saw the videos Hara had recorded himself. He was very happy that his best friend had achieved his dream and leading a great life. Genya felt much younger after hearing so many good news from Cillin. For the longest time, he thought and felt like an old man despite his physical health improving steadily after he returned to the Gen Family. Now, he felt like there was a spring in his step. Some time during the day, his master suddenly said, Oh right, are you planning to visit Guan Feng soon? If so, Id advise you to delay your plans for a couple of days before heading over. I dont know why, but the guys been acting like hes eaten a barrel of explosives or something. Many of his students got absolutely destroyed by him as of late. That was a surprise. As far as he knew, Guan Feng rarely revealed his hot-tempered side unless something really bugged him the wrong way. So the question was, what could possibly annoy his second teacher so much? But dont worry, I guarantee its not a serious issue. Its probably a private matter that hes pissed off about, Genya added. Cillin relaxed when he heard that. For a second, he thought it might be related to the Black Viper, the RAS, or even imperial politics, but if it was a private matter that annoyed his teacher, then there was no need to risk his neck. He could head over after his senior brothers and sisters had detonated most of the land mines. Genya treated Czedow and Tang Qiuqiu very well during the few days they stayed at his residence. He gifted Czedow a ton of collectors edition paperbacks because the robot loved books, and Tang Qiuqiu candies of all kinds and some teeth protection products. One should protect their teeth as diligently as they ate their candies after all. After staying at Genyas place for a couple of days, Cillin finally departed for the affiliated schools. As the honorary scholar of the RAS, Cillin enjoyed a great deal more freedom than most people in the affiliated schools. Although he was the most famous person in AF3 a few months ago, few people paid attention to him these days because he had disappeared for too long. A lot of people doubted his abilities during this period, and those who did not think highly of him in the first place believed even more that the young man had escaped to hide the fact that he was really just a charlatan. That was until Guan Feng announced one of the findings of his big project a while ago, and the second biggest contributor after Guan Feng himself was none other than Cillin. Not only that, the introduction listed a summary of Cillins contributions and achievements in the project, and suffice to say, it was a lot. The voices of doubt vanished like magic, and the journalists and paparazzi mobilized to seek out Cillin for an interview. Unfortunately for them, they could not find the Hunter no matter how much time, money and effort they spent to track him down. it was almost as if the young man had vanished from the galaxy itself. It was lunch time when Cillin arrived at Guan Fengs residence, so when he walked inside his teacher was just taking a seat and getting ready to eat the super nutritious meal he had cooked for himself. Guan Feng had not greeted him or even smiled at him when he saw Cillin, but he did not criticize Wheeze when it leaped onto the table and ate some of the food either. Cillin sat down on a sofa at the living room and waited patiently for Guan Feng to finish his lunch. After he was done, his teacher went to the back to rinse his mouth and wash his face while the cleaner robot took the dishes away for cleaning. After he poured himself a cup of tea, Guan Feng finally walked up to Cillin and leaned against the sofa, saying, So. The prodigal son finally returns home. Wow, hes mad. Cillin chuckled, but did not attempt to excuse or explain himself. Well, youve shown your face, so you can fuck off now. I have an afternoon nap to catch up to, Guan Feng said leisurely before turning around to head upstairs. Two things, Teacher Guan. Ill fuck off immediately after Im done. Guan Feng stopped in his tracks and looked at Cillin. You have half a minute. Got it. Cillin handed the older man a document containing various statistics and images, to which he began reading immediately. It wasnt until two minutes later before he finally looked up from the document. Since Guan Feng had gone over his own time limit, it meant that Cillin did not have to fuck off for the time being. The document detailed Cillins usage of the PTS C and the modifications he had done to its original design. He was able to spot a number of issues and improve on the design thanks to his experience of assembling and using the weapon in live combat. Instead of commenting on the document, Guan Feng asked, Whats the second matter? I gave a girl the PTS B, E, and K, and she was able to use them all to a very high level. I would like you to meet with her in person. Guan Feng stopped sipping his tea. Then, he took two steps to another sofa and sat down. His behavior reassured Cillin because it meant that his teacher was now open to a proper discussion. The older man set down his cup on the table before saying, Profile. Cillin handed over the other set of documents he had brought with him before saying, Shes not been formally educated, but she is easily the most gifted shooter Ive ever met in my life. Guan Feng did not respond to Cillins unusually high praise, but he could not deny feeling a bit of shock when he read Tang Qiuqius data. The girl was young, uneducated, and ridiculously weak when she first came to Cillins attention. But so what? Assuming that Cillin wasnt bullshitting him, her gun stats easily rendered all these issues a moot point. Why was Guan Feng so pissed off as of late? It was because he could not find a single person besides Cillin who could use the PTS S. That wouldve been fine, he had been dealing with a similar kind of disappointment for way longer before Cillin had shown up, but his students, whom he thought would knew better, had been requesting to use the PTS S as well. Goryeo, Pistura, Fu Qingqing. They shouldve known better, but they didnt! In Goryeos case, he couldve strangled the boy if he didnt have an image to maintain, thin as it was before those who knew his true personality. It hadnt been long since he upgraded from the E model to the K model, and the foolish boy actually believed he had mastered the K model enough that he could now use the PTS S! Of course, Guan Feng had scolded the crap out of them before kicking them out of his house. He gave no quarter even when some of his friends visited him to plead on their behalf. He was stubborn like that. Recently, he had been thinking if he should put aside his responsibilities for the moment and scour the galaxy for his talent, because there certainly wasnt any in the three affiliated schools at all. They were all arrogant bastards who overestimated their abilities way too much, and he wouldnt even give them a side eye, much less his Purgatory Thunder Snakes. But now? Guan Feng thought long and hard as he stared at the document in his hands. Outside Guan Fengs residence, Czedow and Tang Qiuqiu were sitting in a flying car and doing their own thing. They had to stay outside because Guan Feng didnt allow strangers into his house. Tang Qiuqiu was just putting a candy into her mouth when her communicator beeped. It was Cillin asking her to enter the house. The girl grabbed her candy pack with one hand and her sniper rifle with the other, or at least she tried to. Her left hand touched nothing because she had left behind her sniper rifle at GAL. She had come to this galaxy with only the PTSs Cillin had given her, but Cillin had taken them away temporarily because he said it would make today''s meeting go smoother, whatever that meant. There was also the fact that gun carrying was forbidden in many places in the affiliated schools. Tang Qiuqiu could not help but feel insecure without a gun by her side. She strode quickly into the house and only relaxed a little when she caught sight of Cillin. After she took a seat next to her captain, she finally examined the older man sitting on the opposite side of the table with a curious but critical eye. Is this the man who designed the Purgatory Thunder Snake series? Tang Qiuqiu wasnt the only one who was examining Guan Feng. Guan Feng was examining her as well. He spotted a tinge of worry in her eyes, but that was it. She was an incredibly pure person. In that moment, he decided that his first impression of Tang Qiuqiu was a good one. You look worried, Guan Feng started. I am, Tang Qiuqiu admitted honestly. She had never been one for guile, not to mention that Cillin was around to bail her out if anything bad happened. Whys that? I dont have my gun with me. Guan Feng broke into a smile when he heard her answer. In fact, it was the first time he smiled in almost a month. Come with me. Guan Feng rose to his feet and led Cillin and Tang Qiuqiu to his shooting range. From the moment she laid eyes on the room, Tang Qiuqiu knew that it was the best shooting range she had ever been in her life. There was practically everything a shooter could ask for in a shooting range, and the itemseven the safety gearwere all high-quality, well-made goods. Guan Feng pressed a button that caused one wall to split inward and reveal rows and rows of equipment. He grabbed a metallic box from the racks and opened it to reveal a bunch of gun parts. The box was marked with the symbol of the Purgatory Thunder Snake. It took Guan Feng no time to turn the parts into a complete gun. Tang Qiuqiu recognized it immediately because Cillin carried one with him. It was the PTS K. Guan Feng then handed the gun to Tang Qiuqiu and said, Give it a try. Cillin shot the girl an encouraging look when she glanced at him. She accepted the gun after she got the assurance she sought. Speaking of which, the remote control that controlled the targets configuration was in Guan Fengs hands. This meant that Tang Qiuqiu wouldnt have a clue where the targets would come out from, how big they were, and fast they would move and so on. Are you ready? Guan Feng asked in a rare show of concern. Most of the time, the older man would kick off the test without any warning at all. No. To his surprise, Tang Qiuqiu grabbed a set of safety gear from the racks and put them on. It was only then she walked to the firing point and said, Im ready now. When taking one of his tests, Guan Feng had never had a student who volunteered to put on safety gear unless he made them. Tang Qiuqiu was literally the first person to do so. He didnt comment on it though. He pressed a button on the remote control, and the interior of the shooting range changed all of a sudden. The images looked so real that Tang Qiuqiu could almost believe that she was standing in the middle of a jungle. Swoosh A green object suddenly shot toward her. Bang! Tang Qiuqiu took her first shot. The girl kept shooting as more and more targets appeared. Her movements were slightly rigid at the beginning, but she quickly adjusted to the point where her aiming time was almost zero. Cillin pulled a chair from nearby and sat down. Tang Qiuqiu was in the zone now, and he was sure she would give Guan Feng a pleasant surprise. Chapter 373: Young Exam Instructor (1) Chapter 373: Young Exam Instructor (1) High-speed targets scattered in every direction as Guan Feng fiddled with the tuning stick in his head. However, the interval between each of Tang Qiuqius shots only got shorter and shorter. Instead of looking to the hit rate counter that was constantly updating on the monitor, his gaze was fully focused on the girl in front of him. It was just as Cillin had told him. Tang Qiuqiu possessed an outstanding talent that border-lined on instinct. She was calm and decisive, and each shot was taken with near total confidence and zero hesitation. She truly was a natural born shooter. Neither her upbringing nor her age mattered in the slightest. Cillin smiled when he saw that Guan Fengs eyes were growing brighter and brighter. He was certain that his teacher would be feeling much better for the foreseeable future. Some time later, Guan Feng finally pressed the off button and returned the shooting range to its original outlook. Tang Qiuqiu shot the older man a confused look before lowering her gun a little reluctantly. She greatly enjoyed the shooting practice, and there were very few things she could complain about the conditions of the shooting range. It really did feel like she was fighting in the middle of a jungle. She would be even happier if the target had been shaped like humans. It was because she had killed far more humans than she did animals in her career. Tang Qiuqiu walked to the shelves and deposited the PTS K back into its box. Then, she began removing her safety gear. Youre the first person ever to put on safety gear in my shooting range. Whys that? Do you not believe in your own skill? Guan Feng asked. Tang Qiuqiu shot Cillin a glance before turning toward the older man and replying, I dont trust you. Guan Feng was the one who gave her the gun, so why on earth would she trust it fully? She had even taken a moment to feel it in her hands and confirm that it was as safe as the one Cillin had given her continuing with her task. Two, no two guns were the same even if they were the exact same type and model. To use a gun that wasnt hers was like meeting a stranger for the first time, strange and untrustworthy. It wasnt until she fired a couple of shots and grasped its temper did she begin to feel more comfortable. Guan Feng didnt get angry with Tang Qiuqiu. In fact, he spent a long time speaking with her about guns. Cillin gave Wheeze scritches under its chin while the duo enjoyed a fruitful conversation with each other. Guan Feng was so delighted that he even broke his own rule and allowed Czedow to enter the house. Surprise flashed across his features when he laid his eyes on the robot for the first time, but he didnt pry beyond what might be considered rude. He was no longer the leader of the Black Viper, so he wasnt keen on heaping unnecessary responsibilities on own his shoulders. Right now, all he wanted to do was to speak with little Tang Qiuqiu. The more he spoke with her, the more he became curious about her story. It was rare that Guan Feng was in such a good mood, and Tang Qiuqius performance was impressive to say the least. That was why he announced that he had accepted Tang Qiuqiu as his disciple on the very same day. For obvious reasons, not anyone could to become Guan Fengs disciple. The gunmaker had become even more famous than he was before due to recent events, and a lot of people hoped to join him and partake in the benefits. He rejected them all, of course. Guan Feng was the kind of man who followed his hearts desire to the letter, not to mention that he wasnt lacking in fame, wealth, soft or hard power. With that in mind, why would he ever mistreat himself to accommodate the demands of others? Oh, you think you can pressure me into accepting your baby little boy? How about I shove my boot up your ass instead? His ridiculously high standards showed just how special Tang Qiuqiu was. She was neither a master of many things nor a strong fighter like Cillin, but her talent in shooting more than made up for all of her weaknesses. In fact, the older man felt like he had lucked upon a priceless treasure, and he could not wait to see how far she would go. Oh right, I have something for you, Cillin. Its about time you do some work since youve been away for so long. Cillin caught the e-card Guan Feng threw at his direction and pressed a button. A hologram displaying a short paragraph immediately flashed out of the card. An invitation letter? It was an invitation letter to become an exam instructor for the selection tests. Now that he thought about it, it was almost time for the affiliated schools selection tests. The organizer had sent many people the same invitation because they could always use more manpower. Cillin took a look at the description and the listed remuneration. The money was one thing, but what really caught his attention was the list of benefits. Included in the list was the permission to procure materials from the RAS and so on. The RAS was incredibly wealthy, and the large majority of their assets was reflected in their researches. For starters, they had a ridiculous amount of composite materials. Black Viper had their own unique advantages, but the RAS was by no means a weak institute. They had made many breakthroughs across the years and accrued a sizable amount of wealth. Cillin very much wanted the composite materials in their stock, which was why he ultimately decided to accept the invitation. The empires academic community had undergone a reform since the emergence of Return. With the assistance of the imperial family, the three kings and the RAS, all three affiliated schools had made many changes to their exams as well as modified their test period and number of test applicants. In the past, you could participate in the affiliated schools selection test only if someone had recommended you. You were not eligible to take the test if you had not received a recommendation card. It was that simple. Now though, participants could qualify for a spot via Return as well. Unlike the recommendation method, any applicant who qualified via Return was almost guaranteed to be the real deal because they had to compete against countless other experts for a spot, not to mention that the competition would be based purely on academic ability. Although the new system was still criticized by many, it was without a doubt much better than what it used to be. At the very least, it gave more people the chance to shoot for the stars. There were three of them and one cat when Cillin and Co had paid Guan Feng a visit, but now there were only two of them and one cat when they left. It was because Tang Qiuqiu had stayed behind to research the wonderful world of firearms with Guan Feng. The invitation letter had been directed at Guan Feng, and the irresponsible man had been ready to reject it like he always did. Fortunately for himand unfortunately for Cillinhis student had shown up at the perfect time, so he decided to dump the responsibility in his lap instead. Cillin was perfectly qualified to be an exam instructor anyway, so why not? Cillin was the type to treat his duties seriously once he had decided to accept them, so he made haste to wrap up all the tests he had missed during his absence. After all, it would be troublesome if he had leftover responsibilities when the selection test began. Thankfully, he was able to finish his make-up exam with relatively few trouble because Guan Feng had spoken to his teachers about this beforehand, and most of the teachers were aware that he was a very special case. They treated Cillin the same as they would have any other student, and since he did well in all of his exams they had nothing to complain about either. It wouldve been insulting to do otherwise, not to mention that many of them did think very highly of Cillin. The young man had said what they were too afraid to say, did what they were too powerless to do, and even founded the single most concentrated and authoritative academic community in the empire. Returns influence was easily much greater than the exchange forum the members of the RAS used internally. After Cillin was done with his make-up exams, he wrapped up the miscellaneous stuff of his courses before finally getting ready to perform his duties. The selection test would be taking place at the moon not far away from the planet where the main campus of the affiliated schools were located five days later. Czedow had borrowed Cillin''s library card. The robot had been reading and having a great time at the library of the affiliated schools during this time, so Cillin wasn''t concerned that he would grow bored any time soon. In fact, since Czedow did not need to sleep like a human does, he could often be seen reading in the library well into the night. It wasnt long before every librarian in the library became acquainted with him, and it was even rumored among the students that Czedow made for a fantastic conversation partner. Long story short, the robot had become quite the famous person in the library. After his preparations were complete, Cillin reported to the organizer with the invitation card. To be honest, the person in charge of the selection test wasnt expecting this because Guan Feng hadnt attended this event for a very long time. The only reason they still bothered to send him the invitation letter was because it had become a habit at some point, and there was the miniscule chance that Guan Feng might take offense if they stopped sending him the invitation letter. The person-in-charge didnt think that this term would be any different from usual, so he waited for the rejection letter practically the second he sent out the invitation letter. To his surprise though, the rejection letter never came. Since it was rumored that Guan Feng was in a foul mood as of late, some of his colleagues even wondered if the older man had forgotten all about it amidst his rage. That was why he was completely confused when Cillin had handed him Guan Fengs invitation card. It took him a good few seconds before he finally processed that Cillin was replacing Guan Feng as an exam instructor. Chapter 373: Young Exam Instructor (2) Chapter 373: Young Exam Instructor (2) How is Mr. Guan doing? The person-in-charge made small talk while processing the invitation card. Few outsiders knew about Cillins connections, but the same couldnt be said for some of the senior management of the affiliated schools. They knew that Cillin wasnt just the student of Guan Feng; he also enjoyed the patronage of the imperial and royal families and was good friends with the princes. As the founder of Return, Cillin was also the head administrator of the forum. Even if he exercised his power only once in a blue moon, no one in the academic and education circle was stupid enough to disrespect him. It was also why Wheeze was allowed to roar as it pleased on the forum where another person wouldve been punished for a similar conduct. Hes in a good mood lately, Cillin replied smilingly. Oh? Didnt he lose his temper over something a while ago? That was then, this is now. You didnt hear it from me, but now is the best time to speak with him if you need him for something. Practically everyone had heard of Guan Fengs foul mood at this point. It was why few people dared to speak with the older man as of late despite needing his help, and why the person-in-charge had made the discreet inquiry. Cillin volunteered the information since he saw no harm in doing so. After the personal information on the invitation card was modified accordingly, the person-in-charge passed it back to Cillins hands. His name had been logged into the system, and the data on the card had been refreshed. All Cillin needed to do now was to head to the campus with the invitation card. On a related note, Wheeze had been given official permission to participate in the selection test as well. It would be playing the role of a troublemaker, a.k.a the same role as King Kong and the other animals during Cillins selection test some time ago. Of course, Wheeze accepted the responsibility wholeheartedly. Not only would be it be able to fight together with King Kong and the others, it could bully the crap out of the candidates and make some extra cash to buy more cat food. It would be killing three birds with one stone. Whats not to like about it? This was the first selection test after the system reform, so there were more people at the reserve campus than usual. A lot of new buildings had been added to accommodate the increased number of visitors as well. Gen Xingming and the others managed to catch Cillin for a quick reunion before the young man headed to the reserve campus. At first, all the princes wanted was to enjoy a simple get-together with Cillin because they hadnt seen him for a long time. When they learned that Cillin would be participating as the exam instructor though, all three of them broke into wicked grins immediately. The selection test doubled as a semester exam for them just like the previous selection test, so they shamelessly begged Cillin to er, give them some tips and lower the bar so to speak. You absolutely must help us out when the time comes, kay Cillin? Yeah, yeah! Whether or not we do well in the exam is all up to you now! Seriously man, you have to help us. Theres no telling if well run into a useful teammate like last time. If we got unlucky and got a poor score, our parents will beat the crap out of us! Unfortunately, Cillin could not give them a sure answer. It was because the specifics of the test was a mystery even to him. After the system reform, the top brass was tight-lipped about some secrets more than ever before. It had been a joint decision by the imperial family and the RAS, so no one was bold enough to oppose it. The next day, Cillin arrived at the reserve campus a bit later than expected because he had been forced to spend the night before drinking with the Three Dissolute Musketeers. Most of the exam instructors had already moved into the instructors hostels by the time he checked into his designated lodging, or at least, he tried to. At the check-in counter, he ran into one of the administrators of the exam and a long-time teacher in AF1. He seemed like a kind and agreeable man on the surface, but in reality he was an immature senior just like Mo Heng. Cillin had just finished his make-up exam at his place two days ago. Yo, Cillin. You know youre running the risk of getting your pay docked for showing up so late, right? The administrator greeted him. Im almost late, but Im not actually late, so I doubt it, Cillin replied unconcernedly while passing his card to the receptionist. The old man glanced at the form on the monitor before letting out a chuckle. He then said to the receptionist, Transfer him to the temporary hostels. The first floor of Block C seems good, dont you think? Consider it a punishment for being late. The temporary lodging area was where the candidates were staying. It was where Cillin had stayed during his selection test. The receptionist glanced back and forth between Cillin and the administrator. Then, he swiped a finger and moved Cillins name to the temporary accommodation area. Cillin glanced at the smiling old man as he received his hostel card and invitation card. Before he left, he commented, You look like a fox when you smile, sir. Thank you for the compliment. By the way, I heard that Old Man Guan is in a good mood as of late. Apparently, he has found himself a new disciple; a girl to be exact. That is correct. Thats a shame. That means youre not his favorite disciple anymore, huh? The administrator said in a regretful tone that wasnt reflected on his expression at all. Didnt you know? Im the one who recommended his new disciple to him, Cillin replied one last time before waving his hand and leaving. Staring at the young mans back, the old man harrumphed while scratching his short beard, That lucky old bastard! The receptionist wisely kept his mouth shut while thinking to himself: man, I can smell the sour grapes all the way from here. Cillin recalled the past when he arrived at the temporary lodging area. The faces were different, but the expressions were still the same. They were all full of yearning and ambition. When the candidates looked up, they could see the main campus planet on the sky. This was an intentional design, of course. It reminded them the ground they were standing on was just temporary, and that they needed to give it their all if they truly wished to enter the affiliated schools. In a sense, the planet represented the candidates faith. It didnt matter if you were poor, alien, noble or something else. If you could enter that planet, then your fates could be changed forever. Lets see. Block C first floor, unit 103 should be over here? Cillin slowly made his way toward his destination while holding the hostel card in his hand. There werent many examinees in the area right now because there were still two days before the selection test began. The exam instructors had to arrive sooner because they had to organize things, assign tasks, gather together for meetings and so on. After he had arriving at his hostel, Cillin swiped his card to unlock the door before stepping through the entrance. Obviously, the the exam instructors hostels were way better than the examinees, but it was still a lot better compared to other schools, not that Cillin minded even if it was a shack with holes on the roof. Two of the five rooms in unit 103 were already occupied, so Cillin simply picked one from the remaining three at random. He hadnt brought many personal effects with him, but Wheeze did. Not only did sir cat insist that he moved its "den" to the hostel, it wanted the floor of its den to be carpeted as well. Seriously. It took a while for Cillin to finish arranging everything. You can keep your den clean on your own, right? Im not going to help you even if you accidentally pooped the bed or something, Cillin said. No problem. Ill just make the cleaner robot clean up after me. Wheeze nodded in satisfaction after running around its den once and rolling on the carpet. The two examinees who arrived early were not in the hostelthey had probably gone away to train or somethingso Cillin made some food, packed his toolbox into his backpack, and left the place. Cillin was responsible for preparing part of the obstacles the examinees would be facing during the test. Guan Feng had given him a lot of ideas before he came, but most of them were so despicable that even he was too embarrassed to use them. He committed the less heinous ones to memory and made the decision to arrive at the site first before considering how to set up his obstacles. There was an outdoor training ground not far away from the entrance of Block C, and it was surrounded by spectators when Cillin stepped out into the open. It was a standard human and an alien was fighting a duel with each other. They seemed to be evenly-matched, and it did not look like a victor would be decided anytime soon. Cillin watched the duel for only a few seconds before resuming his departure. He had work to do after all. However, he had just taken two steps when he heard a cracking sound from the crowd. It was soft enough that it was nigh impossible to hear considering the noise. Tap! Cillin caught the object flying toward him between two fingers before examining it for a second. It reminded him of the toy bullets of a toy gun, except it was smaller and higher quality. It was relatively harmless even though it flew faster than your conventional toy bullet. Cillin looked through the crowd and quickly spotted a girl almost the same age as Tang Qiuqiu sitting on top of a shelf at the edge of the training ground. When their eyes met, she immediately stuck out her tongue and made a face at him. It was clear she felt neither guilt nor embarrassment despite being caught red-handed by Cillin. There were a few people who saw Cillin catching the toy bullet as well. A good number of people had been pranked by the young girl for the past couple days, and none of them thought they would be able to avoid getting hit without forewarning. That was why they were surprised by Cillins agility. The Hunter paid them no attention. He simply tossed the toy bullet into the nearest bin and left the area. Whos that guy? One of the examinees asked the guy next to him. No idea. All I know is that someone this good cant possibly belong to our star region. He is quite strong. I can understand why he thinks hes a cut above all of us. Really? I think hes just trying to keep a low profile. Its easy to draw aggro if you stand out too much. After Cillin was gone, the young girl pulled up her sleeve to reveal a bracelet on her wrist. It was a communicator. Investigate that man. Yes, miss! The person on the communicator responded in a respectful tone. The guards posted at the test site was quite surprised when Cillin had walked up to them and announced that he was an exam instructor. He couldnt be an examinee in disguise, could he? They let him in only after they checked his personal information and his invitation card multiple times. Can we set up the traps now, Cillin? Wheeze asked after running around for a bit and climbing up a tree. Chapter 374: Oh Yeah, I’m One Of The Exam Instructors (1) Chapter 374: Oh Yeah, Im One Of The Exam Instructors (1) Wheeze was the archetypal example of a schadenfreude-loving personality. There werent many things that delighted it more than making its victims suffer. To its disappointment though, Cillin was only here to investigate the site, write up a report, and submit it to the team. The setup of the exam venue was a joint contribution by the exam instructors. Everyone would submit their reports, and the general person-in-charge would select the suitable suggestions and make the necessary arrangements later. It was why no one knew if their idea would be adopted, or which exam it would be used in if it was adopted. On a related note, not every exam instructor had to submit a recommendation report. It just so happened that Cillin was one of the instructors who was given the assignment. He planned to finish the report and submit it during the next meeting. This was a simple task for experienced exam instructors. All they needed to do was to refer to their previous recommendation reports and adjust the details accordingly. Unfortunately, Cillin did not have the luxury of experience, so he had to spend more time and energy than his fellow exam instructors to complete the assignment. For example, he had to set foot on the site itself and collect data on its weather, humidity, air pressure, species, geography and so on. Although that data had already been shared on the exam instructors platform, Cillin would rather cut his teeth than diminish the experience for convenience. The morning of the next day, Cillin returned to the hostel and discovered that it was now packed with people. When he entered his unit, he saw four people eating breakfast and trading gossip around the dining table. They paused to examine Cillin for a brief moment when he stepped through the door. Cillin recognized one of them as the alien who fought a duel on the training ground yesterday. The rest were unfamiliar faces, but they were another alien and two standard humans. Good morning, my friend. You were away the whole night, werent you? Was it a girl? Not bad at all! One of they greeted Cillin smilingly. I was busy with something, Cillin replied while dropping a bag of food on the table and unwrapping it to share it with everyone. Feel free. Ive already eaten breakfast earlier. Oh, its piping hot! Awesome! A different guy grabbed a pastry and chowed down immediately. He wasnt bothered by the temperature in the slightest. They briefly introduced themselves to one another. As it turned out, the two standard humans were of noble status, although they were no upper nobles. It was probably one of the reasons why they werent nearly as arrogant or specist as many of the nobles he met. When Cillin introduced himself, one of them said jokingly, Hey, you share the same name as the founder of Return! Good for you! There were, in fact, a not insignificant amount of people who were called Cillin across the entire Mist Bodhisattva Empire, not to mention that most people had never seen him before. Moreover, many people believed that the founder of Return was an upper noble, so no one here actually thought that Cillin was the real deal. There was also the fact that people tended to pay far more attention to something popular than the person behind said popularity. There were far, far more people who knew about Return but not Cillin. It was at this moment the sound of a sliding zipper caught everyones attention. Wheeze poked its head out of Cillins backpack and surveyed the area for a second before leaping onto the table. Tail high, it nabbed a pastry from the plastic bag before leaping onto Cillins shoulder and nibbling away at its food. It just woke up from sleep, and it was feeling hungry. You have a cat? You brought a pet to the test? All four men stared at Cillin in disbelief. This was a chance of a lifetime they were contending with, so they could not imagine anyoneexcept maybe an extremely attentive womanbringing a pet with them and splitting their attention. That said, there was no rule that forbade a candidate from bringing their pets, so it was probably fine right? Cillin shot Wheeze a glance before replying, Believe it or not, this fellows not as difficult to raise as you think. I can see that. At the very least, its not a picky eater, one guy commented believing that that was what Cillin was referring to. Seeing no need to clarify the truth, Cillin took his leave and returned to his room. After setting down his backpack on the table, he opened another bag of food for Wheeze to bury its face in before heading to the shower. His clothes were pretty dusty because he had worked at the site for the entire night. When Cillin emerged from his room once more, he discovered that his roommates had finished eating their breakfast and cleaning up everything. However, they were still seated around the dining table as if they were waiting for him. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. Chuck has a date with his fellow shooters at the shooting range, and the three of us are planning to follow and cheer for him. Do you want to come with us? Chuck was a standard human. He had a powerful physique, and his reaction speed was superb. His only weakness seemed to be his shy personality, but that was fine, because he transformed into a completely different person when he had a gun in hand. Literally. This guy has DID, Cillin thought to himself. It wasnt necessarily a bad trait for a shooter to have though. Sure. Give me half a minute, Cillin responded while returning to his room to put on a new set of clothes. No need to rush. Theres still half an hour before the appointed time, Harvin said in a careless tone. He was the alien who had fought on the open-air training ground. Wheeze would not be following Cillin this time. It was because it had a strategy to discuss with King Kong and the others. He would be lying if he said he didnt feel a bit of trepidationwhatever the hell they were cooking could not be goodbut first, he wasnt the target of their ire, and second, he saw no reason to interfere in their business. Even the general person-in-charge didnt bother to control them, so why would he? The shooting competition would not be taking place at the open-air training ground. There was a separate, large-sized indoor shooting range within the hostel area. Chuck had reserved a spot at the shooting range the day before for the competition. At least a dozen or so peoplethey were all people who had chosen shooting for their third testwould be competing in it. Many of the examinees with noble background had chosen to wear their family badge on their chest to show off their superior status. Only a handful of nobles had opted to keep a low profile, such as the girl who was sitting on a tall stool next to the shooting range. Cillin, look! Yvonne is looking at you! Harvin bumped Cillin with his elbow and said softly. Although Yvonne wasnt wearing a badge, it didn''t take long for word about her identity to get out at all. She was the daughter of one of the military giants of the empire, the Nuhatch Family. If she was just your generic noble, then whatever. A lot of generic nobles were attending the test after all. However, the Nuhatch Family was highly prestigious even among the upper nobility. She couldve entered AF3 directly if she wanted to, especially since she was at the right age. To many peoples puzzlement though, she had chosen not to take the shortcut and go through the test like most others. It was because she was hoping to join AF2 or AF1. Most people would choose the safer option, but Yvonne wasnt just ambitious, her shooting skills were actually good enough to aim for AF2 or AF1. A lot of examinees had found that out with their own bodies. As a result, it was unsurprising that Yvonne wasnt participating in todays competition. Her presence wouldve singlehandedly destroyed the spirit of the competition. Some examinees might choose to throw the game either to hide their strength or curry favor with Yvonne. Some might choose to go all out, but there was a chance the action might piss off the young miss and make their life a living hell even if they did manage to enter the affiliated schools. One way or another, it wouldve been a killjoy for everyone. Unbeknownst to everyone, Yvonne couldnt care less what most people thought and wouldve joined the competition if her family hadnt given her a stern warning a while ago. Yesterday, her attempts to investigate Cillin had resulted in her dad scolding her ears off over the phone. Not only did he warn her repeatedly not to cause trouble, he even threatened to throw her into the military for two years if she continued to act as she pleased. Yvonne would not have been allowed to participate in the selection test if it wasnt for her grandfathers support. It was because most of her peersnoble children who were born in a military family such as her older cousin Tousen, Bryce and morehad skipped the selection test to join AF3 directly. After the old general heard of the incident regarding Teita of the Yurong Family though, he changed his mind and began encouraging all of his grandchildren to participate in the selection test. He wanted them to prove to the world that the future generation of the Nuhatch Family was the real deal as well. Despite her reluctance, Yvonne ultimately chose to heed her fathers warning after weighing the pros and cons. That was why she just stared at Cillin instead of speaking with him. Just like many others, Yvonne only knew about Return but not about its founder. She also didnt recognize Cillin because wasnt interested in the matter of academics. Perhaps she would know who he really was if she had paid attention to that AF3 whatchamacallit ranking, but then again, maybe not. After all, her older cousin, Tousen had been pretty famous in AF3 back in his days. It was hardly a special achievement. However, just because she couldnt challenge Cillin to a duel doesnt mean that she couldnt stare at him until he exposed his own secrets. She wanted to know very much what was so special about this man, and why her father had warned her to stay out of his way again and again. Chapter 374: Oh Yeah, I’m One Of The Exam Instructors (2) Chapter 374: Oh Yeah, Im One Of The Exam Instructors (2) Yvonne was staring at him with scrutiny and even a bit of hostility in her eyes, but he simply ignored like water off a duck''s back. He didnt even bother looking into her background because it was unnecessary. The girl thought he was a powerful rival she needed to keep an eye out for, but in reality she had completely misunderstood the situation. He wasnt an examinee, so no rivalry existed between them whatsoever. Meanwhile, his roommates were doing their best to steel Chucks nerves, Theres no need to be nervous, Chuck. Its just a friendly competition with no stakes whatsoever, so just treat it like its a practice round or something. Relax, stay calm, be cool Chuck really wanted to tell them he wasnt nervous at all, but he refrained from doing so seeing as they only meant well. Chuck knew that his greatest rival out of all the examinees was Yvonne bar none, and it wasnt just because they shared the same expertise. They were nobles, so whenever they fought it was as if their families were clashing against one another. If he performed too poorly against Yvonne, he would surely be ostracized by his family members. The training ground personnel briefly explained the rules to the examinees. Although this was just a warm-up competition before the exam, they invited three fairly experienced exam instructors to be the judges to ensure fairness. The three instructors looked a bit standoffish at the beginning, but their attitude changed quickly when they spotted Cillin on the spectators stand. Shooters had much more discerning eyes than your average person, which was why they were able to spot him in a single glance. Cillin smiled and nodded at them in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to the shooting line. It didnt look like the young man was planning to blow his anonymity, so they pretended they didnt notice him and went about their business as normal. The three instructors werent just shooting enthusiasts, they were fans of Guan Feng, and they had access to more secrets than most due to their position. That was why they knew Cillin better than most people. They envied the boy a lot because he was both Guan Fengs favorite pupil and the only one who was allowed to carry the PTS S. The competition began soon after that. Although Cillins reactions were much tamer compared to the spectators, he had to admit that this terms examinees were pretty entertaining. Some of them even managed to pull off some sick trick shots and win themselves a lot of cheers and support. In the end, Chuck came out on top of the warm-up competition by a narrow margin. Just as Cillin had anticipated, the guy had acted like he was a completely different person when he stood at the firing bay. His eyes had turned cold and indifferent, and he had gunned down his targets with no wasted movement or emotion whatsoever. The transformation from a cute, shy boy to cold-blooded hunter was so drastic that his roommates almost couldnt recognize him. It wasnt surprising though. An ordinary person could never have qualified for the affiliated schools selection exam. It only made sense that everyone would have their own trump cards and specialties. Chucks shyness returned in full after he holstered his gun and walked away from the firing bay, but no one was looking at him the same light as before. He didnt care though. He didnt even care that he won the warm-up competition. What was there to be proud about when none of the real experts had come out to play? Cillin was planning to return to the hostel with his roommates after the competition was over, but a big-bearded man had seized him by the neck before he even took his second step. In fact, Cillin had sensed him immediately after he began approaching him, but he didnt resist because one, it was a familiar face, and two, he didnt sense any hostility from him. Why didnt you tell us that youre coming, kid? Anyway, if youre free right now then lets go grab a drink and chat a bit, shall we? The big-bearded man holding Cillin in a head lock was one of the three instructors who acted as the judges for the warm-up competition. Cillin could tell he had great control over his strength because the head lock was just tight enough to give him some trouble if he tried to escape, but not so tight that it would actually hurt him. He was also a frequent visitor of Guan Feng. Cillin often saw him visiting his mentor for a favor only to be turned away for one reason or another. Everyone standing around Cillin and the instructors in their vicinity felt their jaws hitting the floor at the same time. This was especially true for his four roommates. They watched in amazement as the instructor who had been commenting on their shooting skills with all the seriousness of an actual judge a while ago fooling around with Cillin like he was a teenager. The young man had just enough time to signal his roommates to leave first before he was dragged away for a drink. A lot of people saw this scene, and a small amount of them even recognized him. However, none of them said a word for fear of giving their competitors the chance to curry favor with Cillin. At the same time, they were confused by his presence: didnt he pass the selection test last term? What is he doing here? The instructor dragged Cillin out of the shooting range and into a lounge that was exclusive to exam instructors only. Then, they both ordered themselves some lunch. The big-bearded man couldnt care less about the sumptuous meal on the table, however. He rubbed his hands subconsciously as he said in an excited tone, Can you show me the PTS S, Cillin? Guan Fengs not here, and if you dont say anything, and I dont say anything, then Cillin delivered a slice of meat into his mouth and chewed slowly. After he was done swallowing, he replied in a polite tone, Sorry, I cannot. Come now! Its not like youll lose anything if I take a single glance! Sure, but there is a chance it might misfire, which would be bad. Are you kidding me?! We both know that misfiring isnt a thing for the PTS series! In the end, the big-bearded man wasnt able to overcome Cillins defenses and get him to show him the PTS S. Wheeze still wasnt home when Cillin returned to the hostel. His roommates were there, and they were all shooting him weird looks here and there. Say Cillin, youre not an elite or something, are you? Harvin asked. No. I just know that guy is all. Is all, he says Well, whatever. I wont force you to say anything you dont want to. However the young man moved closer to Cillin before asking in a quiet voice, You mustve gotten a lot of useful information out of your acquaintance, right? Cillin shot his expectant roommates a look before nodding. I do know some useful information. He then shared some of the lessons he learned from his own experience with them. It didnt count as cheating because not even the exam instructors knew what the examinees would be tested during the test, not to mention that no selection test was exactly the same as the other. He was merely sharing some of his experiences when he had taken his selection test with them. Finding the info massively useful, the quartet thanked Cillin with all their heart before hurrying away to make the necessary preparations. Of course, no one was stupid enough to share their new found knowledge with the other examinees. They were technically competitors after all. Meanwhile, Cillin had returned to his room to wrap up his report before uploading it into the server. Then, he lay down on his bed and spent the rest of the day thinking. He had a feeling that he would gain something very useful out of this event, though he didnt know what it was as a matter of course. It was just his intuition whispering to him as usual. The next day, Cillin attended a meeting with his fellow exam instructors while his four roommates remained in their rooms to prepare for the upcoming test. The meeting was nothing serious. It was just to inform your standard information sharing regarding the selection test and task assignments. Finally, the selection test began amid a nervous yet excited atmosphere. The first round was the written test, but unlike Cillins term the examinees only needed to deal with three test papers instead of an entire stack of them. However, none of the questions were easy, and Cillin discovered that a lot of them were trick questions. It was up to the examinees to spot and answer them accordingly. Cillin wasnt invigilating during the first round, so he hung out with the other exam instructors in the control room. The venue was designed so that the exam instructors could see the examinees clearly, but the latter could not see through the dividers at all. An invigilator could be standing right next to their cubicle, and they would never know it unless the invigilator themselves. The last time he was here, he had participated in the capacity of an examinee. This time though, he was an exam instructor hanging out with his colleagues in the control room. Cillin found the experience quite interesting overall. The second round of the test was a physical stress test, and a lot of aliens had revealed their true forms so that they could give it their all. They were the perfect example of the idiom one shouldnt judge a book by its cover. Most of these people looked ordinary and even naive in their human form, but once they transformed their combat strength was at a completely different level. The third round was the easiest round for most of the examinees. After all, a written test was stressful to the mind in general, and a stress test was designed to push a person to their physical limits. However, when Cillins roommates made it to the shooting range, they suddenly froze as if they couldnt believe their eyes. They werent the only ones either. The other examinees felt their jaws dropping to the floor as well. It was because Cillin was seated at the judging panel. Harvin pointed a shivering finger in Cillins direction and stuttered, M-m-m-m-m-my eyes arent fooling me, right? Is that our Cillin Im seeing?! Chuck gulped audibly before forcing a smile on his face. I think so. Fuck me! How the heck did he become an exam instructor?! Not only that, they knew for certain that he wasnt replacing someone. Substitute exam instructors did not get to wear an identifying badge on their clothes. No wonder he was so relaxed the whole time no wonder he wasnt moving with us no wonder we didnt see him getting wrecked by the first two tests Cillin shot them a friendly smile, but in their shock they interpreted it as a direct response to their inner thoughts, Oh yeah, Im one of the exam instructors. It would be an understatement to say they were swearing a million curses in their heads right now. Chapter 375: He’s Gone Too Far! (1) Chapter 375: Hes Gone Too Far! (1) A lot of people had seen Cillin during that warm-up competition before the actual exam, so they quickly noticed that one of the judges for the shooting test looked very familiar. Everyone was speechless when they realized they werent seeing things: that guy looks like hes the same age as me, but hes an exam instructor already? How the Unlike the examinees, most of the exam instructors did not hold much expectation for this terms selection test at all. It was because Cillin wasnt participating in the selection test. Cillin had stunned everyone with his PTS K during the previous term, and in their opinion the only way that experience could be topped was if the young man showed off the PTS S this term. Obviously, that wasnt going to happen. The PTS S was a weapon that most of the teachers in the affiliated schools had only heard of. In fact, they reckoned that most of Guan Fengs own disciples had not laid their eyes on the weapon before. In Guan Fengs words, the PTS S was a far superior weapon to the PTS K, so it only made sense that its wielder must be even better. To this day, Cillin was the only one who qualified to use it. Some exam instructors tried to persuade Cillin into kicking off the shooting test with a demonstration, but Cillin rejected the suggestion not only because he saw no benefit in doing so, but also because it was too powerful. It would be disastrous if he accidentally blew a hole in the shooting range and caused the exam to be delayed. Some people said that Cillin performed exceptionally during his selection test only because he was lucky enough to get his hands on an amazing gun, but that could not be further away from the truth. Every teacher in the affiliated schools knew just how difficult it was to master the Purgatory Thunder Snake. Back to the present. The exam instructors were about to kick off the test when suddenly, the sub-head of the shooting rangealso the team leader of the exam instructors who were assigned to handle the shooting testcalled a halt. It was because someone would be coming over to give the examinees a live demonstration of the test. The exam instructors were confused to say the least. In the past, the demonstration was either performed live by one of the instructors, or shown via video. Since Cillin had refused to give a live demonstration, they had agreed to do it via video this time. Apparently, they thought wrong. Whats going on? Someone asked. Not sure. It seems like the team leader received a notice last minute. He looks confident though, so its probably someone who can definitely wow the audience. The examinees'' eyes grew expectant as the exam instructors chatted among themselves. Most of the time, the person performing the live demonstration was at least at the level of an exam instructor. They were all wondering who would be making the live demonstration when the entrance slid open to reveal a pair of newcomers. Cillin knew immediately what was going to happen when he saw them. Guan Feng?! What the heck is he doing here? The exam instructors exclaimed in surprise. Guan Feng normally did not involve himself in a certain task after he had delegated it to someone, not to mention that he had never been interested in overseeing a selection test like this. What was going on here? Some of the examinees also recognized Guan Feng right away. His exposure rate wasnt high, but many people still followed him because of his fame. Its Guan Feng! Its actually Guan Feng! I cannot believe it! My idol!! To say that the examinees were boiling with excitement would be an understatement Guan Feng was going to perform a live demonstration for them! It would be worth it even if they failed the selection test! Some people were also planning to give it their all during their turn. Who knows, maybe Guan Feng would choose them to be his next disciple? The exam instructors focus was somewhere else, however. They were all looking at the girl walking next to Guan Feng. Hey Cillin, thats not your junior sister, is it? someone asked. She is indeed. Her name is Tang Qiuqiu. It neednt be said that Cillin was very proud of Tang Qiuqiu. Judging from the glint of excitement in her eyes, he bet that Guan Feng must have shared with her much of his private stash. She mustve had one hell of a good time. Who will perform the live demonstration? Guan Feng or your junior sister? My junior sister. Guan Feng hadnt notified Cillin about this beforehand, but he knew his mentor was here to show off one hundred percent. As expected, Guan Feng simply sat down at a chair outside the firing bay and did nothing after entering the venue. The examinees were confused until they saw a young girl about the same age as Yvonne walking into the cone-shaped shooting field. Unlike Cillin, Tang Qiuqiu hadnt entered the field with an unassembled gun. The moment she was in position, she immediately unholstered a gun from her waist. Most of the examinees did not recognize the weapon, but the graduates from AF1 and AF2 and the exam instructors did. It was none other than the gun Cillin had used to wow the audience during the previous term, the PTS K. The countdown began. Since the door to the shooting field wasnt shut, everyone could hear the countdown clearly. Even as they held their breaths and waited, they noticed that the shooters physiological parameters such as heart rate were measured and displayed real time on the apparatus. If the numbers were to be believed, the young girl was so composed it was unnerving. ... five, four, three, two, one!! Bang bang bang bang bang The shooting range echoed with a series of rapid-fire shos, and the text "target hit" kept popping up on the screen. The examinees still hadnt recovered from their shock when Tang Qiuqiu had holstered and walked out of the firing bay. Guan Feng shot everyone a smile before leading Tang Qiuqiu out of the shooting range. That thats it? an examinee blurted in confusion after he came to. Before the shooting began, they clearly saw the number 100 on the shooting counter. It meant that a hundred targets were still standing. However, that made no sense because Why do I hear fifteen shots only? Fifteen? I only heard fourteen shots. Its sixteen. No, Im sure its fifteen It was a moot argument because it didnt change the fact that the girl had somehow taken out a hundred targets in just a dozen or so shots. Meanwhile, every exam instructor except Cillin felt a vein popping across their forehead. One of them clenched his fists so hard that it was cracking audibly. That goddamn sonuvabitch is just just hes gone too far! Too far, goddammit!! It was a sentiment that everyone echoed. We can tolerate you for not showing us your guns, we can ignore you for not joining the exam team, and we can accept that youve found another disciple, but this? This is just rubbing it in our face adding salt to the wound! So what if you got a new disciple who could use the PTS K? So what if shes just a teenager? God fucking dammit! Chapter 375: He’s Gone Too Far! (2) Chapter 375: Hes Gone Too Far! (2) Cillin pretended to dig his nose so that the furious instructors wouldnt notice that he was smiling. Although Guan Fengs facial expression control was impeccable, Cillin knew that he was doing backflips in his head right now. He must have been so pleased with Tang Qiuqiu that he decided to indulge in a bit of mischief, not that his fellow colleagues would see it as that. Guan Fengs sudden appearance not only pissed off the exam instructors to no end, it also dealt a huge blow to many of the examinees present. Of course, there were even more examinees who had even greater admiration for Guan Feng. As expected of a famous mentor! If his disciple is already this strong, how much better must the man himself be? I think mentor Guan is teaching a course or two in the affiliated schools. I gotta get in no matter what! Whats so funny? Dont think I dont know youre snickering just because youre covering your mouth! An older instructor roared at Cillin. Get to your post and invigilate the exam already! It was hardly fair that the instructor was taking out his frustrations against Guan Feng on him, Cillin didnt take it to heart. He got ready to work after organizing the documents he was holding. The examinees who were assigned to Cillins area worked extra hard to put on a good performance. Why? Because he was Guan Fengs student, of course. The man they were really trying to impress wasnt present, but surely his student would mention them if their performance was exceptional, right? The news had spread faster than lightning, and those who still hadnt heard about this were total fools. The first person to muster her courage and speak with Cillin after her exam was a girl. Many examinees did the same afterward. They all got in a few words with him during the lull between their exam and their departure, and most of them had wanted to speak with him about Guan Feng and the Purgatory Thunder Snake. There were a couple of exceptions though. A young man had asked him respectfully and nervously after his exam, Are you the founder of Return, sir? I am, Cillin replied while motioning for the examinee to relax. Thank you very much for founding your forum, sir! The examinee gave Cillin a deep bow before bidding him goodbye. The young man was one of the many people who earned a living via clearing bounties on the forum and one of the lucky few who were chosen to participate in the affiliated school test. As someone who was born at the bottom of the class system, he knew exactly how rare it was for someone like him to come by an opportunity like this. That was why he and many others like him were extremely appreciative that Cillin had developed a system that would give them the opportunity to better their lives. Yvonne had also been assigned to Cillins area, but unlike the others she merely said, See you at AF1! before leaving the area. Cillins response was noncommittal. He wasnt planning on staying in the Empire for long, so she would not be seeing him in AF1 anytime soon. Out of all the examinees, Yvonne was the person who was hit the hardest by Tang Qiuqius performance. They were both female and about the same age, but even a total amateur could see that Tang Qiuqius shooting skill was better than hers. Sure, her performance wasnt good enough to beat Cillins existing record, but so what? She was still the indisputable number one out of everyone who was participating in this test. It wasnt a matter of familiarity either. Yvonne was certain that Tang Qiuqiu could put on a stunning performance even if she had wielded an old rifle she had never used in her life. Her mental fortitude was a sight to behold as well. The targets could be living, breathing humans, and she had a feeling that the girl wouldve popped their heads all without batting an eye all the same. Shes born to shoot. That was what everyone thought after witnessing Tang Qiuqius performance. Harvin wanted to inquire Cillin about their performance so far after the third test had come to an end, but there just wasnt enough time. He was dragged away for the fourth test almost as soon as he was done saying hello. There wasnt an additional test during the third round like the previous term, but Cillin had a feeling that it didnt necessarily mean good news for the examinees. It simply meant that the fourth round would be that much harder compared to the previous term, especially considering the fact that Wheeze would be supervising that round. That fatso had been so busy discussing tactics with King Kong and its beastial friends that it hadnt shown its face for days. Days! Cillin could barely remember the last time Wheeze had left him for so long. Long story short, the examinees were in for a treat this time. On a side note, the Three Dissolute Musketeers had sought out Cillins housemates to form a team exactly because they were Cillins housemates. They understood that it wasnt the most reliable method of choosing a partner, but Cillins housemates couldnt be too terrible, right? Before the fourth test began, King Kong could be seen slowly walking across the entrance to the test area. It had been a while since Cillin saw the big guy, and it was a lot brawnier and taller than it used to be. It was certainly big enough to put the examinees under a certain amount of pressure even from a distance. Right before King Kong was about to pass through the entrance, it abruptly stopped in its tracks and looked at the examinees. Then, it casually stuck a big, fat finger into its nose, dug around for a bit, and flicked a bogey toward the ground. Pu! The huge, sticky mucus became lodged at the center of the entrance just like that. The examinees: ... I think Im gonna puke. I better watch every step when I enter the test area. Cillin was immensely glad he hadnt encountered a situation like this, and that he had the good luck of running into Teita. It wouldve been quite the exciting experience if he hadnt. King Kong sashayed away to the distance after leaving behind a wonderful gift to the examinees. If the poor fellows felt pressured before, now they felt as if they were about to jump off a cliff with no safety equipment. Cillin glanced at the distant forest. He was sure that Wheeze was the one who spurred King Kong into acting this way because he saw a grayish blur right after King Kong took its leave. Cillin didnt need to enter the test area because he was an exam instructor. The postgraduates of AF1 and AF2 and the trouble-making animals would be doing the trouble-making for them. Cillin was currently going through coordinate after coordinate and monitoring the examinees, but most of his attention was devoted to Gen Xingming and Harvins group. They were his friends and acquaintances after all. It was a lot more interesting observing the progress of someone he knew than otherwise. Many of Cillins ideas were accepted and implemented in this test, but he was certain that they were trivial at best compared to the obstacles Wheeze and the animals had prepared for the examinees. King Kongs initial conduct had caused the examinees to pay extra attention to their feet. However, traps werent necessarily set on the ground only. For example, one group was absolutely toyed like a fiddle because they kept hearing the growls of wild animals from nearby, but they werent able to determine the location of the growl no matter what they tried. One second it came from the left, the next it came from the right, and the second after that it came from the front. The examinees were already nervous to begin with, but the indeterminable growls positively drove them mad. They tried throwing stones in every direction, but it was no use. At some point, a black shadow that stank of blood dashed right past them and nearly caused their taut nerves to break there and then. The fourth test was no joke. People had died in this test area before. That was why no onethe AF3 students or the selection test examineeswas taking this lightly. On his screen, Cillin watched the cat and leopard toying with the poor examinees and shook his head. Wheeze had always loved making people nervous, and this time it even inquired Czedows opinion to up its game. The robot was reading a book when he replied to Wheeze, Humans are different from animals like you. They are naturally fearful when interacting with nature, and they form preconceptions based on personal experiences. These preconceptions and the experiences that they perceived as harmful to them would gradually accumulate into fear as they grow older and older. Although these fears rarely manifest in everyday life, that does not mean that they do not exist subconsciously. With enough pressure, its possible to drive a human into developing certain symptoms such as hallucinations, psychosis and more As an animalor a half-animal to be exactWheeze could not understand the human fear Czedow was explaining to it at all, especially since it was an apex predator who stood at the top of the food chain since time immemorial. That was fine though. Just because it didnt understand something didnt mean it couldnt take inspiration from it, and boy did it took inspiration. Fear doesnt need to have a physical body. A predator doesnt always need to show itself. For example, there wasnt a single sparrow in the universe it couldnt swallow in an instant if it felt like it. However, it didnt do so because it loved watching their fearful reactions and futile struggles. It made the eventual consumption so much more delicious and satisfying. It should be obvious, but this unlucky group of examinees wasnt the only group that was ganged up by Wheeze and the other animals. One group paid so much attention to the flying cat in the sky that they neglected to check the ground. There were no pit traps that killed them instantly, but there was a King Kong bogey that was concealed beneath a layer of dust This terms examinees suffered far, far more mental damage than physical damage compared to previous terms. Most of them werent afraid to bleed or hurt, but to sink their entire leg into a certain giant apes disgusting bogey? To drink from a stream only to look up and find a goddamn cat pissing upstream? Who in the fuck could handle that without losing their shit? The air, land and sea were all booby-trapped. At first, they believed that the postgraduates would be the biggest obstacles they could encounter during the fourth test, but the deeper they went, the more they wished they had run into the postgraduates! They were at least a hundred times cuter than those goddamn animals ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The end of the fourth test couldnt have come sooner. The mentally tough examinees were one thing, but the weaker ones puked so hard they looked more dead than alive by the time they reached the exit. A wriggling, half-eaten caterpillar? That was nothing! A signpost that was intentionally mislabeled to lead them to a nest of man-eating salamanders? Bring it on! Everything they thought was bad at the beginning was nothing compared to the shit they had to endure, nay, suffer the deeper they trekked into the test area. They could not imagine how those fucking animals even came up with the bizarre tricks. Wheeze had a helluva good time despite not harming a hair on the students bodyphysically speaking, of course. Not only that, it was paid enough money to buy yet another truckload of cat food. It was an excellent deal no matter how you cut it. The examinees thought that the fourth test was finally over, and it was, but that did not mean there wasnt one last scare in store for them. Every examinee who had suffered the gray cats ministrations tensed up like a coiled spring when they saw a gray blur cut across the sky. Then, they saw the motherfucking fatso landing on top of Cillins shoulder and reporting its meritorious service to the senior exam instructors. To borrow the words of the exam instructors participating in the shooting test earlierthe sonuvabitch has gone too far! Too far! On the other hand, the three princes and Cillins housemates enjoyed a much smoother journey compared to their peers. They were the only ones Wheeze hadnt tried to harass, and that alone made their journey so, so much more bearable. Cillins housemates in particular breathed an audible sigh of relief when they heard the complaints of the other examinees. They thanked their lucky stars that they hadnt run into Wheezeactually, no, that was wrong. They thanked their lucky stars that their housemate was Cillin, and that they had chosen to team up with the three princes, because no way the fatso wouldve ignored them otherwise. There was a rest period after the fourth test. After most of the examinees had left the area, Chuck walked into a room where an old man was waiting for him. It was none other than the old man who had assigned Cillin to the examinees hostel at the beginning. Do you understand why Ive assigned you to that hostel now? The old man said while narrowing his eyes. Yeah. Thank you very much for your help, sir! Chuck replied with the utmost respect. The old man was his teachers teacher. Without him, he would never have been assigned in the same house as Cillin and gotten all the benefits he had gotten up until this point. To Chucks surprise, the old man said, I dont think you do, not really. The true benefit you got out of this arrangement isnt passing the test, but getting to know Cillin. He is a lot more amazing than you imagine. Chapter 376: “Water” Bullet (1) Chapter 376: Water Bullet (1) The examinees looked much more at ease after the fourth test was behind them. And why wouldnt they? They had already come this far. All they needed to do was to get through the interview. The interview was the stage where a instructor handpicks the student they wish to teach. To many people, this was one of the most important stages of the selection test because it was the stage where they appealed to their ideal instructor in hopes of being chosen by them. For those who had already communicated with their instructors beforehand though, the interview round was just a formality. Chuck was one such example. He had made contact with the old instructor since a long time ago, and today they shared a fairly close relationship with one another. Once he had gotten through the fifth test, he would be leaving immediately with the old instructor. He did not need to wait for the final result with trepidation like the other examinees. Have you decided yet, Cillin? An instructor asked. Cillin took a moment to organize the examinee files in his hands before answering, Mm. Ill go to the third interview location. The third interview location? Another instructor took a glance at the files before muttering, I dont see anyone particularly special in that area though? Yvonne was at the first interview location. Chuck and a few well-performing examinees were assigned to the first interview location as well. It was why a lot of instructors were scrambling for the right to oversee the first interview location. Unfortunately, not everyone would be able to get their wish. Compared to the prestigious first interview location, the overachievers and underachievers in the second and third interview location were evenly distributed. Naturally, the instructors who failed to get a spot in the first interview location were a bit miffed. That didnt stop them from plotting to get the examinee they wanted before the other instructors though. The reason they were a lot more proactive than before was because Guan Fengs show-off had dealt a huge blow to their ego. Now, everyone wanted to secure an excellent student of their own and show off to their colleagues. So far, it seemed like the reform was a positive one. There were a lot more examinees who met the instructors expectations than before. In fact, most of the instructors had already made their pick beforehand, meaning that the interview was nothing more but a formality. No matter how poor an examinee had performed in the AF1 five tests, the fact that they survived until the end meant they were qualified to join the affiliated schools. At the very least, they were better than those who dropped out in the middle for one reason or another. There were examinees who were contacted by the instructors before the selection test even began, but of course they belonged to the minority. At first, the instructors were surprised that Cillin would volunteer to go to the third interview location. After all, he absolutely could abuse his relationship with Guan Feng and win a spot in the first interview location if he wanted to. Is Guan Feng really satisfied with just one new student? Then, they recalled Guan Fengs modus operandi and realized that the sonuvabitch never cared for procedure when picking his students. If there really was someone he wanted among this batch, he wouldve gotten them before the selection test had even begun. It was the advantage of being high on the totem pole. They were given the privilege of taking shortcuts and making the first move before anyone else. After withdrawing the files of all the examinees in the third interview location, Cillin went straight to the interview hall. At first, the examinees waiting outside the third interview hall were pretty dejected. It was because they knew that those who received their interviews in the first interview location were practically guaranteed to enter the affiliated schools, and the instructors were of exceptional quality. That changed when Cillin walked into the third interview location. Everyoneespecially those who did pretty well during the shooting testfelt as if Guan Feng himself had stepped into the interview location. If this wasnt a golden opportunity, they didnt know what was! The interview hall was round-shaped. The instructors were also seated in a circle. The examinee would take a seat at the center where they would be stared at by every instructor from every direction. Suffice to say, not everyone possessed the mental fortitude to perform well in such a setup. To put it in simpler terms, it was nerve-wracking and or heart attack-inducing to undergo an interview like this! However, most of the examinees quickly discovered that their nervousness slowly faded over time. More accurately, most of their anxiety had transformed into utter confusion as they fended off one weird question after another. By the end of the interview, quite a lot of examinees were confuzzled to the point where they wondered if they were living a lie their whole life. It was interesting how people reacted when they were subjected to various forms of embarrassment and pressure. The ones with a fair bit of mental fortitude could usually respond to the instructors bullshit questions with bullshit answers of their own. The straightforward ones would turn red and reply I dont know, and the reserved ones would not be able to say a single word even after a long time had passed. In contrast to toward the examinees constipated looks, the instructors only smiled and said not a word about their answers at all. In fact, every instructor had a scale in their hearts, and they could tell which examinee was a good fit with them just based on their responses. The questions werent meant to be answered. They were just a method to expose a facade of the examinees true character. Of course, there were also instructors who picked their students based on their looks. A look into their history would reveal that every man and woman he had ever taught were extremely attractive no matter where they went. As for the instructors who were focused on engineering and other relevant applications, they preferred recruiting male over female because male usually had greater stamina and the willingness to do hard labor. On the rare occasion they did recruit the fairer gender, the woman was guaranteed to be a strong one. As the examinees came and went, everyone except Cillin had chosen the examinees they wanted. Not only that, Cillin hadnt asked many questions at all during the interview. He was perfectly content to give away examinees he didnt want to the other instructors. The colleague sitting next to Cillin snuck a glance at his perfectly blank name list before thinking to himself: I knew Guan Feng isnt planning to get another student. He already has his hands full with Tang Qiuqiu, not to mention that no onenot even the popular Yvonnecan match that girl in terms of shooting skills. The door to the interview hall opened once more, and a timid and frail-looking girl walked in. Her looks were ordinary, and her attire was plain. She visibly tensed up when she sensed the atmosphere of the interview hall. She was trembling unconsciously despite her best attempts to control her nerve. The girl was one of the candidates who had won a quota through Return, but she clearly wasnt as open as her peers. Rung Ruo was twenty years old and a commoner. She had a small accessories store under her name, but otherwise she was as ordinary as it gets. The reason she was chosen to participate in the selection test was because her bounty score in Return was exceptional, and because she also answered many questions that werent put up for reward. Her education level was lowshe had had to give up on schooling due to her family situationbut she was able to make up for it via self-study. She was the main reason Cillin had chosen to come to this interview location. He kept an eye on everyone who was recommended through Return including their forum replies, activities so on, but Rong Ruo drew his interest more than the others. He was particularly curious about some of the videos she uploaded when she answered some questions. Rong Ruos accessory store was pitifully small even compared to the other shops on the street where she lived, much less her competitors. It wasnt without its niche advantage though. For starters, every accessory in her store was hand-made, though it wasnt so much a choice as it was a necessity. It saved her a lot of money in terms of cost. Second, she had one type of accessories that was completely unique and unobtainable in any other accessory store. The shapes of those accessories were incredibly regular in the sense that it almost looked like a product of nature. In fact, Cillin couldnt spot a single cut mark on those accessories. Of course, it was possible to create an accessory of that level via machine-processing, but Cillin didnt believe that was the case because the cost alone was worth several times her store. Moreover, the prices of those particular accessories were incredibly low; so low not even the lowest noble would spare them a single glance. Back to the present. The instructors had shot Rong Ruo a couple of questions, but the poor girl wasnt able to answer a single question up until this point. She was so embarrassed that she bowed her head and avoided looking anyone in the eye. Unfortunately for her, many of the instructors were also in no mood to ask her questions because they were fatigued from all the examinees they had interviewed. It was when the atmosphere was getting awkward when Cillin spoke up, Most of the questions you answered on Return are about bond energies, but judging from your official education level, you should not have been able to answer them. Are you self-taught? Y yes Before Cillin spoke up, Rong Ruo was so dejected that her eyes had turned red. It took her a great deal of willpower to stop herself from breaking into tears. Her father was waiting for her to finish at a hotel on the capital planet right now, and she knew full well how he and her mother would feel if they learned that she was eliminated. They would hide their disappointment or sorrow behind kind smiles, and she would feel all the worse because of it. She never expected Cillin to ask a question until he did. According to some of the gossips that circulated among the examinees, the amount of questions you received during an interview was a good indication of how much an instructor was interested in you. If they were incredibly interested in you, then they would ask a lot of questions. Otherwise, they would stop after just a couple of cursory, mandatory questions. Rong Ruo looked up and stared at the young man who asked her a question. She knew him. Of course she knew about him. Even if he wasnt the main subject of the examinees gossip for the past couple days, she wouldve recognized him because she was one of those people who greatly benefited from the Return he established. Her housemates and even the girls in the hostels talked about him a lot. In Rong Ruos opinion, assuming that everything the people said werent too exaggerated, she could never hope to be affiliated with someone like him right? She turned even redder when she came back down to earth and noticed that Cillin was looking at her. You a series of accessories called Water in your store, am I right? Do you mind if I take a look? Cillin asked. He noticed that Rong Ruo was wearing a bracelet that looked like it was made of crystals from the moment she had walked into the interview hall. O of course! Rong Ruo hurriedly took off her bracelet and passed it to Cillin with both hands. They were literally shaking as she did so. Cillin accepted the bracelet before shooting her a comforting smile. You dont have to be nervous. You did very well. Meanwhile, the instructors were all staring at Cillin with strange looks in their eyes. At first, they believed that Cillin was just giving Rong Ruo a lifeline because she was a Return candidate, but they could not help but wonder if he was actually interested in her after he asked her for her bracelet. However, no matter how many times they checked out her appearance and her file, they just couldnt find anything special about the girl at all. Her looks were nothing special, and her stats were perfectly average. In fact, she did pretty poorly in most of the tests, and to call her shooting skills trash would be an insult to said trash. The only thing that kept her from being written off completely was the written test. Her overall score was hanging by a thread to put it bluntly. Guan Feng would never accept a student like her. They knew that much. Cillin ignored their strange looks and looked at the bracelet in his hands. The bracelet was made of a string of bean-sized beads that looked like translucent gems. Each bead had a different shape such as prism, star, square and so on. They were all very regular shapes, and he felt like touching water when he held it in his hands. After he analyzed the material composition of the beads for a bit, he wasnt surprised to find that these crystals were mostly made up of water molecules. It was very similar to the substance that the Xi Family used to freeze the massive sea overlords into crystalline specimens. Cillin was very happy with this discovery as a matter of course. His widening smile caused the instructors to shoot him even stranger looks, and Rong Ruo to feel even more uneasy. She couldnt fathom what the young man was trying to do. Every girl had a Cinderella dream of her own, but Rong Ruo had experienced too much in life to believe it would come true. She was a lot more rational than most girls at her age. Can you describe to me how you made this? Cillin asked. Rong Ruo instinctively opened her mouth, but she stopped herself at the last second. She would repeat the action a couple more times as she wrestled with hesitation, her hands clenching together so hard that her face was completely red. Ah, it''s okay if you don''t want to answer. Cillin returned the bracelet before adding, Keep it up. Cillin nodded at the team leader of the interview hall to indicate that he was done with his questioning. After the instructor looked around and found that no one else had a question for Rong Ruo, he declared, Next. There was a short lull before the next examinee entered the interview hall, so some of the instructors asked immediately, Is Guan Feng planning to recruit more students, Cillin? No. Teacher Guan is satisfied for now, and you know he usually seeks out his students himself. Thats true. They nodded knowingly before continuing, But why are you interested in that girl then? Cillin simply added Rong Ruos name to his list before saying in a joking tone, Shes mine. Dont you dare take her from me. Seriously? Who on earth would fight you over such an inferior stock? Of course, their answer was a lot more polite than their real thoughts, Relax, most of us are maxed out already. We couldnt recruit more even if we wanted to. It was only then the instructors recalled that Cillin himself was qualified to take an examinee under his wings. Although he hadnt graduated yet, he was an honorary scholar of the RAS. Theoretically speaking, he was qualified to take a student even if his allowed quota was lower than normal. There werent many examinees left after Rong Ruo. The interview ended shortly after that. Now that the selection test was truly over, all that was left to do was wait for the final results to come out; to pray that they would receive a message on their communicators soon. Basically everyone who passed all five tests would be accepted into the affiliated schools. Moreover, there were many instructors who werent assigned to help out with the selection test, but had a quota in their hands. With that in mind, the amount of examinees who would be walking away disappointed should be few and far between. On the way back to the hostel, Rong Ruo spotted a lot of examinees who had finished their interviews discussing if they would receive the notice to enter AF1 or AF2. Some of them were also gossiping about the instructors. Most of these people did well in the selection test, so they werent overly worried about the result. Some were even packing their stuff and leaving because they had already received a notice. Yes, they were the ones who had made contact with their instructors before they even attended the fifth test. When Rong Ruo returned to her unit, she discovered that her four housemates were discussing more or less the same thing. Two of them asked immediately after noticing her return, How did it go, Rong Ruo? Was there an instructor who paid extra attention to you or something? You were at the third interview location, right? I heard that Cillin was there. Did he ask you a question? Her other two housemates stayed where they were and simply looked at Rong Ruo with scorn. They were nobles, and they personally believed that a lower class civilian like Rong Ruo did not have the right to enter the affiliated schools at all. If it wasnt for the systemic reform, a commoner with no backer like her would never even be able to enter this planet. That said, they werent so heartless that they would kick the commoner when she was down. It wasnt long before the robots visited their unit to give them their communicators. The two noble girls were the first ones to receive their communicators. The two girls who spoke with Rong Ruo received theirs not long after that. Rong Ruo was the last person to receive her communicator because the communicator was distributed based on their final score, and hers placed her near the bottom of the ranking. But who cares if she received her communicator last? The important thing was that he got one. This time, all four girls were looking at Rong Ruo with great interest. I heard that anyone who passed through all five tests would receive a communicator, one of the noble girls said. Well, what are you waiting for? Turn it on already! I want to know which school youre heading to, and which instructor youre getting! Another girl urged. Rong Ruo sucked in a deep breath before opening the communicator. A hologram screen appeared above the device, and the first thing they saw wasthe massive head of a cat. Hello! Youre Rong Ruo, right? Everyone in the unit: ... Chapter 376: “Water” Bullet (2) Chapter 376: Water Bullet (2) There was no one in the unit who didnt know the gray cat not just because of all the shit it pulled during the fourth test, but also because it was Cillins pet! The one and only! A myriad of indescribable emotions filled the other four girls hearts immediately. Hello? Are you there? Can you give me a response or something? Cillin! Shes not a mute, is she? Wheeze looked away and yelled at the end of the sentence. Rong Ruo snapped out of her shock and spoke up, I-I-I-I-Im Rong Ruo, yes! The gray cat moved closer, causing its head to look bigger and taking up the entire screen. Okay! Youre Cillins student starting now, and I suppose my student too! Feel free to come to me if you ever run into any trouble! Ill cover you if anything happens! Rong Ruo: ... Wheeze ignored her silence this time. It was because it was too absorbed in the joy of being a master. It continued, Cillin is busy right now, so Ill head over and receive you in a moment, okay? Okay! Wheeze broke off the transmission there before looking at Cillin on his own communicator. Cillin, Im going to receive our disciple now! After Cillin gave it a wave to indicate that he heard it, Wheeze leaped out of the window, tracked the source of the signal and made a beeline toward Rong Ruo. Wheeze wasnt lying when it claimed that Cillin was busy. In fact, it was the busiest he had been in a while. After the interview session ended, and Cillin had submitted Rong Ruos name to the committee, the news that he had taken in an underachiever and an average looker as his student had spread like wildfire. As a result, countless people calledwere callinghim to find out the truth. Forget Gen Xingming and the other princes, even Genya had called him and clarified three times that he hadnt used the interview session to get himself a wife. It was only then they tentatively believed him and hung up. After the seemingly endless calls were finally over, one of his roommates called out to him, Cilliner Chuck was hesitating because he didnt know if he should address Cillin casually or the more respectful instructor. Just call me your senior brother. Were both studying in AF1 now, Cillin answered after putting away his communicator. No problem, senior brother Cillin. Well, I just want to say goodbye since my ride is here. See you in AF1! Chuck left the hostel after bidding Cillin goodbye. A flying car was already waiting for him outside the hostel. In fact, everyone else had left a short while ago. The young man had intentionally waited until Cillin was done with his calls so that he could speak with him and bid him goodbye. After Cillin was ready, he stepped out of the door and looked at the empty hostel unit behind me. He gave his bag a tug before closing the door. Just like that, the hostel had seen off yet another term of hopeful prospects. Cillin returned to AF1 after receiving Rong Ruo. As an honorary scholar of the RAS, Cillin had the right to own his own lab. The location he chose was a non-instructional space because not everyone could own a massive plot of land to put a lab and a training ground on like Guan Feng. Cillin was satisfied even though his treatment was far below Guan Fengs. He only needed this much at this stage anyway. Although his land was much smaller compared to Guan Fengs or a senior fellows, it was still a thousand square meters wide or so. The reason he hadnt used it before was because he did not have his own independent project. The cure for the Zebra Virus didnt count because it had been made using Black Vipers resources. The new project Cillin wanted to launch was a private project where both the fruits and the costs of labor were completely borne by himself. It also had nothing to do with viruses or guns. After the new hostel arrangements were complete, Rong Ruo went to Cillins lab. When she laid eyes on it for the first time, she thought it looked more like a factory than a lab. On the way, Cillin revealed that the main reason he was attracted to her was because of the Water series accessories she developed, specifically the technology behind it. Cillin didnt force her to offer up her technology as compensation for her current treatment as a matter of course. In fact, he even offered to pay her handsomely if that was her wish. However, Rong Ruo willingly gave up the technology to him. It was pure coincidence that I discovered it in the first place, and Im only using it to feed my family. Now that Im in AF1, Ill be paid a salary. I see no reason to hoard a technology thats no longer useful to me. The reason Rong Ruo couldnt bring herself to say yes during the interview was because that technology was her backup plan in case she wasnt accepted into the affiliated schools. It was no longer necessary now. She was very grateful toward Cillin for facilitating her entry to AF1. When Rong Ruo first discovered the technology, she was melting several ores to create a type of experimental reagent. A number of steps later, she dissolved the reagent with a solvent before heating it up. It was around this time she was interrupted by something and had to place the reagent in a compressed capsule and stuff them inside a magnetic decompression furnace. When she came back and opened the furnace door, she discovered that the crystals in the flask were shaped like dodecahedrons instead of the prisms she was expecting! However, the dodecahedron crystals were pretty unstable. They dissipated not long after the furnace door was open. If Rong Ruo didnt pay attention to the crystals in her flasks all the time, she would not have discovered it. Since then, Rong Ruo had begun researching a way to make use of her discovery and successfully created crystals of all shapes and sizes. To cut down on cost, she chose H2O a.k.a water as the main component of her crystals. That was how the Water series accessories came to be. See? You dont need to feel inferior to others. Youre just as good as everyone else, Cillin said. He acted more like a senior brother than a mentor toward her. The first thing Cillin asked Rong Ruo to do was to shut down the accessory shop. She could reopen it at a later date if she wanted to. Rong Ruo was okay with this because business was pretty poor anyway. The wealthy ones wouldnt stoop to buying cheap accessories, and the poor ones wouldnt waste their money on unnecessary purchases. The only reason she opened the shop was because she discovered the technology, so she had no qualms shutting it down. Also, Cillin had given her an advance so her family would be able to live comfortably without her shop, not to mention that her entry to AF1 basically guaranteed that they would enjoy various benefits. The planetary government loves it when one of their own got chose to join the empires affiliated schools, much less AF1. When are we going back, Cillin? Xi Kais asking about it this morning. Hes already prepared everything and is just waiting for us to finish, Wheeze asked. The gray cat was currently lying sideways above a shelf, licking its paws and basking in the sunlight. Not yet. Well see once Ive finished this, Cillin replied while performing his experiment. He was planning to head back in a few days time, but the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Rong Ruos technology had helped to open his eyes to several things and point out the general direction of his research, so he wasnt going to waste that inspiration. Rong Ruo wanted to help Cillin out as an assistant since her classes hadnt begun yet, but she quickly realized that she wasnt able to do anything beyond the superficial stuff. If the technology she possessed was a foundation, then Cillin had rapidly expanded on that foundation to the point where she almost couldnt understand what she was looking at. It was why she had been busy enriching her knowledge for the past couple days. Czedow had also showed her some of the stuff he had copied from the library, although what constituted as one hour of reading to him was enough to keep Rong Ruo busy for ten days straight. It wasnt because Rong Ruo was slow, of course. Czedows reading speed was literally inhuman. Ten days later, in a three hundred square meter wide space in Cillins lab, the Hunter loaded a bullet that looked like a bead of water into a gun he had made himself. The bullet had watery ripples on its surface. He then shot a dead leaf about fifty meters away from him. The dead leaf had been propped up with a thin needle. When the bullet made contact with the leaf, it spread out and enveloped the entire leaf at high speed instead of penetrating it. Cillin checked the hygrometer. The humidity in the room was falling rapidly. Five seconds later, the reaction on the leaf finally came to a stop. Wheeze leaped over to the leaf and circled around it before saying, It really is quite similar to the crystals at the bottom of the sea! Rong Ruo had used water to create small accessories of all shapes using water, but anything beyond a certain size had a high chance of not forming at all. Cillin was able to grasp onto part of the information of this technology and create the water bullet. The leaf was currently surrounded by a thick layer of crystals. It looked like a specimen just like the ones they saw at the underwater city. Wheeze tried touching the frozen leaf with its paw pad. It was cold, but not nearly as cold as actual ice. The crystals temperature was similar to normal water, but it was way harder than the water crystals Rong Ruo had created. Wheeze proceeded to swallow the crystal and give it a tentative chew. Its pretty tough. Do you wanna proceed with the next test? Wheeze asked. Yeah. After the humidity in the room was restored, Cillin loaded another bullet into his gun. The size of this bullet was the same as the previous one, but the ripples on its surface was denser. This time, Czedow produced a bottle with a flea in it. Wheeze had just swiped the insect from King Kongs body a while ago. He shouldve expected this, but the flea was way bigger than your normal flea. He did not want to know how much blood it was draining from its host each day. Czedow opened the bottle cap after Cillin gave him the signal. Pop! A flea the size of half a thumb rushed out into the open immediately. Unfortunately, what greeted it was a watery bullet, not freedom. Pala The crystal hit the ground with a solid thud. Looking at the flea it had trapped in mid-leap, you wouldnt think it was dead at all. Wheeze quickly leaped over and chewed that crystal as well. It commented, This ones much harder than the previous crystal. Cillin would continue to experiment on several types of dangerous parasites, each time using a water bullet with a slightly different pattern on it. The results were all pretty positive. He would have liked to test his creation on a larger sea beast, but there was no such prey in the campus as a matter of course. The water bullet was perfected yetthe bullet speed could be better, and the hardness of the water crystal could be improvedbut all in all, he was pretty satisfied with what he got right now. Obviously, the water bullet was meant to be used as a weapon. To Wheeze though? It suggested that Cillin process its food with the low grade water bullets from now on. It even named the fish biscuits covered inside a water crystal, Sandwich Fish Biscuits. Right now, it cost a good amount of credits to make a single water bullet. It wasnt just a simple accessory after all. Not only was the process to create a water bullet complicated, many parts of the processing required a high level of precision. Even the lousiest water bullet they could create right now cost three figures if they calculated the cost by credits. It might not seem like a lot individually, but if he were to make hundreds and thousands of them? The sum adds up to put it mildly, and right now Cillin most certainly did not possess the wealth to feed Wheeze Sandwich Fish Biscuits on any basis. It would take thousands of water bullets just to process all the fish biscuits in a single bag, and the glutton goes through dozens on a daily basis. Would you make your food taste better at the expense of all the money in your wallet? In the end, Wheezes answer was no when Cillin calculated the estimated cost and showed it the numbers. But only for now. Meow dammit. When Im rich, Im going to use top-grade water bullets to process all my fish biscuits! Wheeze declared. Say that again when youre actually rich, Cillin said sarcastically while flicking its ears. It had taken the glutton merely half a day to use up all the money it had made during the selection test on food. Shusag was absolute right when he said that Wheeze was literally eating a hole in its own wallet. That night, Wheeze complained about how expensive prices were these days and how it would be so much happier if it could eat without reservations to Black Viper, the living legend itself. However, the gargantuan viper was unable to respond affirmatively to its complaints at all. Ever since the Black Viper and Wheeze had become friends, the gray cat would visit once in a while for a chat. This was the first time the gargantuan viper was completely speechless though. Not only was Wheezes appetite too much, the amount of things it couldnt eat could be counted on one hand! Not even the imperial family was wealthy enough to pay for the cost necessary to research and create water-encased food for the insatiable glutton! Of course, the Black Viper did not reveal the water bullet to anyone; not even the imperial family. It was because it believed that Cillin would not pose a threat against the empire. Not only that, it told the emperor that Cillin would become a second Guan Feng at minimum, and the man who surpassed Guan Feng at best. The next day after Wheeze voiced its complaints to the gargantuan viper, it sent someone to give it a card that was absolutely loaded with credits. Surprisingly, the gray cat did not cave in to its greed and turned down the gift. Im going to earn my own money! Just when the Black Viper thought that even Wheeze had some pride, it ran up to Cillin and attempted to pull a pity play against him. It was because it had finished all of the food it brought. Cillin poked its ridiculously rotund stomach and commented, Your appetite has gone up again. Wheeze sighed. I used too much brain recently. You know how tiring it is to overwork your brain. Cillin: ... Yeah, Im going to pretend I didnt hear that. Like, what could he even say? Point out that the sloth slept at least twenty hours per day? Cillin did not forget to teach Rong Ruo his insights while he was working on improving the water bullet. As a result, the new accessories she created were much improved be it in terms of purity or luminosity. Besides that, the characteristic coldness of hard crystals were replaced by the cool, gentle feeling of water. The first batch of the new accessories were sold to none other than the three princes themselves. Originally, they supported Rong Ruo only because she was Cillins student, but when they showed off the accessories to the girls they were attempting to woo, they discovered that they were more popular than expected. After that, they contacted Rong Ruo and offered various ideas to promote her products. They even said they would help her establish an accessory company if that was what she wanted. Cillin let them do as they pleased because Rong Ruo would only benefit from the contact. At the very least, she would not be defenseless after he returned to GAL. After Cillin was finally done with the water bullet, he made preparations to return to GAL immediately. Xi Kai had already urged him to leave a couple of times. If he dilly-dallied any further, he was sure that the scientist would pay him a visit. He entrusted the lab to Rong Ruo in his absence so she could continue her crystal dream. Gen Xingming and Co. showed up from time to time to help as well. It wasnt anything serious. The lazy bastards were just bored, and the water crystal seemed interesting enough to hold their attention for now. Cillin deleted all data regarding the water bullet just in case someone found out his findings and tried to steal them. He wasnt ready to publicize his findings yet, not to mention that the water bullet still wasnt good enough. He needed to test out the ammo in real battle, and the best place to do so was of course, GAL. Cillin visited Genya one last time before going to Xi Kai. However, Genya turned down his offer to take him back to GAL. Although he desired very much to see his family again, Shortcut still wasnt stable enough to support an entire army passing through. If he returned to GAL alone, he would only be burdening his family and friends. That was not how he envisioned his return. It wont be long now. Youll be able to meet everyone very soon, Cillin consoled his master. Genya smiled as he watched Wheeze fooling around with Blueskin on the sea surface. Dont worry about me. Youve already brought me the best gift I could hope for. Cillin recorded a video containing everything Genra wished to say to his family and friends. After that, he finally went to Xi Kais planet with Wheeze and Czedow. Guan Feng had also returned Tang Qiuqiu to Cillin with a gift. The gunsmith had made a new gun called the PTS K2. It was part of the K series as a matter of course, but the model was exclusive to Tang Qiuqiu only. It even had her initials on it. It was time to go. All the materials they needed had been obtained, and Cillin was worried about leaving the Eleventh Squad leaderless for too long. Although they were standing by at the base right now, there was always the chance that an emergency could happen. Xi Kai was already waiting at the space fortress when they arrived at his electronic planet. He asked the second he saw Cillin, What kept you so long? What, you have a problem? Wheeze immediately countered from Cillins shoulder. Xi Kai scratched his cheek. Of course not. He wasnt stupid enough to butt heads with the gray cat. Wheeze shifted his gaze before calling out, Sigma! What is that youre carrying? The Origin robot was holding a small box like it was his lifes treasure. For some reason, Xi Kai scratched his head and went to his robots in silence. The answer was revealed a second later. Oh, this is Reefia and Suyi, Sigma answered happily. What? Wheeze immediately leaped down to the floor and sniffed the box a few times. It could not detect anything special though. Reefia and Suyi were the two pitiful robots whom the Xi Family had unwittingly destroyed with their experiments. However, the box wasnt nearly big enough to fit an entire Origin robot, much less two. Is it their ashes? Wheeze asked without thinking. This was why Cillin smacked it sometimes. It really did not know how to control its mouth. No, no. This is Reefia and Suyi. Theyre just asleep right now, Sigma answered. Wheeze was going to question Sigma until its curiosity was satisfied, but it fell silent after Cillin threw a bag of fish biscuits at its face. Their stay in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire this time was short but fruitful. Xi Mu and Xi Kai had joined hands to create a new robot project, although they werent keen on revealing any details just yet. Both men said that they would reveal the plan when they were ready. Were leaving now, Chip! But dont worry, well come back to see you very soon! Sigma and Moon bade Chip goodbye from the space fortress. Good luck. Hopefully, Reefia and Suyi would be awake the next time I see you all, Chip replied from the electronic planet. He was really glad to meet Sigma again, and more importantly, he was glad that the robot had not changed even after a thousand years had passed. Chip did not know if the five of them would finally be reunited, but Moon had told him that there was a chance, so there must be a chance. When Reefia and Suyi came back to life, and when Xi Mu and Xi Kais new project became a success, he too would finally be able to break free from his chained state and explore the universe with his brothers once more. The Xi Family loved living among the stars and hated staying in one place for too long. Even Sigma preferred to travel all over the world, meet people, and create more experiences. When someone was at the bottom of despair, faith was the one light that kept them going. It might be weak, but it was beautiful regardless. The worst has passed, Chip thought to himself as he watched the rising space fortress. Yes, the darkest moment of our lives truly is behind us. After the space fortress was gone, a hologram appeared on the ground in front of Chip. It was a footage between Moon and their master from way back then. If there comes a day where all four of your brothers are asleep, make sure that you stay alive no matter what. You may have to lie, you may have to cheat, and you may have to break your principles every once in a while. But as long as youre alive, you will always be able to rouse them again. So live no matter what it takes, Moon Moon had not shown him the footage sooner because he himself couldnt shake the feeling that his master was just offering him empty comfort. But after he found Sigma, he finally started to believe that his masters words were true after all. The journey might be long and difficult, but things really were changing for the better. Why was Moon the most complex Origin robot of them all? The answer was simple. It was because he carried the biggest burden. Cillin knew that Moon carried a lot of secrets with him. He even suspected that he knew the technology that was used to turn the sea overlords at Sea Paradise to specimens. However, no one could pry the secret out of Moon if he chose to keep them. The peak generation of the Xi Family might be gone for a thousand years, but were their wisdom and fruits of labors truly lost forever? The space fortress flew into the belly of the stars; toward the uninhabited zone they had come from. A massive vortex appeared out of nowhere once more, but this time Tang Qiuqiu was perfectly calm and collected. She did not go into hibernation either. As the space fortress slowly flew into the center of the vortex, the numbers on the screens looked a lot more encouraging than before. Wheeze let out a yawn and curled up into a ball next to Cillin. It would be busy the next time it awoke. Chapter 377: White Ghost (1) Chapter 377: White Ghost (1) When Cillins group returned to the Eleventh Squads base at Sector Z, they discovered that Mo Heng was almost done building his fighters. The old man was delighted to see them because he had had to abandon some of his designs due to a lack of materials, and part of the resources they brought back were exactly what he needed. Now he could build everything he wanted to build. As usual, Tang Qiuqiu went straight to the shooting range to train even though she had just come back from a whole new galaxy. However, Cillin noticed that her training regime was slightly different from before. Guan Feng was most likely the catalyst behind the change; he had seen Goryeo and the others practice something similar to improve their usage of the PTS. Xi Kai and Xi Mu went straight to their mechanical workshop the second they returned. Cillin still had no idea what their new project was, but it must be a good one considering how eager the normally calm Xi Mu looked. It wasnt just Xi Mu either. Moon and Sigma often went in to help out with their precious box in tow. The project probably has something to do with their two lost brothers. Cillin had no time to look into their project though. The moment he returned to the base, he immediately went through all the information Eudy had collected while they were gone. The Food King Hara and his food empire had officially entered Sector V and contacted Aikenseth of the Free Army. So far, both sides looked pretty content with the arrangement. The Free Army was rising fast to begin with, and now they looked like they were going to become the top power of Sector V. The Food King contacted me while you were gone, by the way. He wants you to contact him after you come back, Eudy said to Cillin. Got it. Is there any news regarding the Robert Family? Cillin asked. Not yet. They seem to have quieted down again. Eduy was pretty curious himself. They had caused quite the big splash earlier, so their sudden silence was rather unexpected. Rumors say that the Robert Family had decided to put their plans on hold because the Hunter regiments protests are growing a little too big. Do you think thats true? No. Eudy shook his head. I dont know them very well, but I could tell from our brief contract and the information I gathered alone that this family is incredibly stubborn once they had set their mind to something. Plus, the Robert Family wasnt the type of family that fears retaliation, especially since their robot army had displayed an exceptional amount of prowess in their recent battles. Eudy showed Cillin a few short clips, and the commander commented, Thats it? The clips showed the Robert Familys robot army annihilating a small Hunter regiment, but they were incredibly short and had a lot of details blurred out. Clearly, they had been processed to reveal as little information as possible. Yep. Thats all. Im pretty sure the Robert Family are the ones who leaked them. The reason they did this was to intimidate their enemies and create mystique, of course. Although the Hunter regiment they annihilated was a young group that was built after GAL had fallen into chaos, that didnt mean they were easy to beat, not to mention that the kill squad was entirely made up of robots. Im certain that their Army patron and their allies had a hand in this matter. Otherwise, theres no way they couldve pulled this off as cleanly as they did, Eudy added. Cillin knew this as well. The real questions were: who are they? What is their objective? And does the Great Four lie at the end of said objective? After Eudy left, Cillin contacted hara immediately. It wasnt long before a man who looked like he would have difficulty walking appeared on the screen. Youre a busy man, arent you, boy? Hara greeted with a wide smile on his face. I see youre doing pretty well in Sector V. Hara wagged his fat and short fingers and smiled until his cheeks were folding unto themselves. Its all thanks to you, of course. Truth be told, Ive known of the Free Army long before you introduced them to me, but I had no way to make contact with their three young leaders because they do not trust outsiders at all. More accurately, they do not trust anyone beyond their tiny circle, not even their own subordinates. However, they gave me face because you were the one who recommended me to them. Excessive modesty feels fake, you know. You are the Food King. Im sure you couldve formed a fruitful partnership with the Free Army even without me acting as the middleman. Im not trying to be modest though. Anyway, were getting off topic. The reason I tried to contact you a few days ago is because someone wants to speak with you. She asked me for help because she couldnt contact you directly. Who is it? Its Blue of the Free Army. They exchanged a few more words before the transmission was transferred to Blue. Cillin believed in Haras security measures, and Blue herself was an incredibly paranoid woman. There was little chance that someone could eavesdrop on their transmission. On the screen, Blue wore a mask, donned a hat, and sported a long cloak that covered up her entire body. However, Cillin knew immediately that she was the woman who almost died back then. I believe you already know who I am. Thank you for your help regarding the previous matter, Blue said. Her voice had also been masked, but she didnt try to hide her identity from Cillin. Blues real name was Anna. She ran just as many security measures for her public identity as she had her covert one. Since no one from Sector V or even the Andrea Family ever found out the truth of Blue or Anna, she clearly knew what she was doing. Im glad to see that youve recovered. So, do you have business with me? Cillin didnt beat around the bush and got straight to the point. I do. Whether we go through with it is up to you though, Blue said a bit mysteriously. Im all ears. Blue took out a palm-sized projector and pressed a button. It projected a planet that, judging from the data displayed next to it, was pretty small. However, flashes could be seen from the rotating planet. Cillin raised an eyebrow. An energy mine! Thats right. Blue turned off the projector before continuing, We had discovered this planet by accident. Unfortunately, we couldnt just swoop in and claim them all because we arent the only ones who are keeping an eye on it. Is it located at Sector V? That is correct. In the past, everyone avoided that particular star region because it had spotty magnetic fields. Later on, some fool barged into that star region without thought but was lucky enough to come out alive. Since then, people started taking notice of that planet. How many people are watching that planet? Cillin asked. At least five factions including ours are watching that planet. A pause later, Blue added, Theyre all Sector V. The people of Sector V were infamous for their fearlessness and madness. Even he would have a headache if they chose to set their sights on the Eleventh Squad. Despite that, Cillin remained tempted because Blue showed him a survey report. Assuming that the data could be trusted, forget Hunters, even the merchants and the Armies would be tempted to make a move. If Im not mistaken, the purest portion of the energy mine is comparable to the White Night of the Aurelios Cage! Blue declared with clear excitement. It was an incredible discovery. The true White Night had been divvied between the military and the political factions a long time ago. The Hunters also got a share, but it was such a tiny sum it was barely worth mentioning. Although it was said that White Night was a replaceable resource, who in their right mind would surrender something that was right within their reach without a fight? Cillin was sure that Cary and the others would go crazy when they heard about this. So? Are you interested in working with us? Blue asked. Chapter 377: White Ghost (2) Chapter 377: White Ghost (2) Although the Free Army was growing rapidly, they would suffer significant damage if they chose to clash directly against the other factions who were eyeing that planet. Their rise to power had not been an easy climb, and god knows how long it would take for them to recover if they suffered too much damage. After all, there were countless people who would love nothing more but to kill them while they were weakened. If they could obtain Cillins cooperation though, then it would be a very different story. There were plenty of energy ores on the planet to share around anyway. More importantly, Aikenseth said it was a good opportunity to return the favor they owed, and she agreed. When will you begin the operation? Cillin asked the question that concerned him the most right away. They still had a lot of preparatory work to do. Fifteen to twenty GAL days from now, Blue replied. They had spent the past week or so preparing for their voyage to the planet. Countless people had lost their lives before they even made it to their destination because they were too hasty, and the Free Army wasnt about to become another pointless statistic. I need half a day to consider my response. No problem. The first thing Cillin did after ending the transmission was to check out Mo Hengs progress. After noting that the fighters were all at the final stage of their construction, he proceeded to hold a crew meeting to obtain their opinion on this. As expected, Cary and the senior Hunters immediately turned excited when they heard that the energy ores were comparable to the fabled White Night. Everyone else was pretty thrilled as well. About the fighters Mo Heng waved his hand immediately. No worries. Ten days is enough time for me to wrap up everything, and even if it isnt, its not like I have to finish the job in the base. The starships hangar is a perfectly acceptable place to work, isnt it? What about you, Xi Kai? Cillin looked at the researcher who was rubbing his chin and thinking about god-knows-what. Were fine with this. The starship has everything we need anyway. Materials werent the only things Xi Kai had brought back from the Mist Bodhisattva Empire. He had brought back multiple sets of equipmentone for the base, one of the space fortress, and one for the little starship they used to travel around the galaxy, and a couple more sparesso he would never run into a lack-of-equipment problem. Wheeze was jumping around in excitement as well. Were all in agreement then! We have to go, Cillin! This is money were talking about! We can sell them even if we cant use them! Cillin gave the restless cat a pat on the head before declaring, Very well. Begin the preparations immediately. I will inform you all when the plan is ready. After the meeting was over, Mogas immediately went up to Cary and commented, Hey dude, Im beginning to think more and more that joining the Eleventh Squad is one of the wisest decision of my life. Not only do we get custom-made fighters, armors and luxury food, we even get to participate in top-tier missions like this! My blood is boiling just thinking about it! Cary chuckled. Theres a reason we all call him commander, you know? Xiao Shang patted Mogas on the shoulder. Give it your all. It goes without saying, but excellent performance is rewarded with excellent bonuses. Meanwhile, Cillin had contacted Blue and gave her an affirmative response. They immediately jumped into negotiations and hashed out the details. When it was time, the Eleventh Squad would meet up with the Free Army at the designated coordinates in Sector V. After the negotiation was over, Blue cut off the transmission and looked at Aikenseth and Reysen, who were sitting not far away from her. Its done. Reysen said while wiping down his gun, Im not trying to be a downer, but isnt the Eleventh Squad a brand new squadron? A B Squad of Vanguard no less? They dont even have enough crew or ships to make up a fleet. Im worried theyll drag us down when we carry out the mission. Aikenseth disagreed with his assessment, however. I agree that the Eleventh Squad is tiny, but Cillin is a very strange man. You probably noticed this already, but he is far more capable than he appears. Its why I thought he belonged to a great family of Sector H back then. Its one of the smoothest escape weve ever had, and I highly doubt it has anything to do with us. I agree. Yes, hes one of the Great Four, and yes, hes the commander of the B Squad, but how many B Squad commanders have the ability to influence the administration of Sector H? And lets not forget that that hes somehow acquainted to the Food King himself, Blue said. Aikenseth paused for a second before continuing, Returning the favor isnt the only reason I wanted to add him to our operation. You know me. I would not have made such a hasty decision if they were weak. What did you learn? Reysen stopped wiping his gun and looked at Aikenseth. While I was speaking with the Food King, he told me that Cillin had connections up there, Aikenseth pointed three fingers at the sky. Blue and Reysen understood the gesture immediately. He was referring to Sector A, B and C. If Cillin really was connected to the three Sectors, then it made perfect sense to upgrade their evaluation of Cillin by a long shot. Back to the Eleventh Squads base, Moon was watching porn in his tiny room using a top grade audio visual equipment as usual. His mind wasnt on the video though. He had been doing his best to keep his thoughts under control so that they would not affect the surrounding equipment, but he couldnt always be aware of it as a matter of course. The reason he kept his audio visual equipment turned on was so that he would notice immediately if he had lost control. It was at this moment Sigma flew over while still holding the box and said, Moon, Xi Kai has come up with the first draft of the project plan already. Once its finalized, well begin mass-producing the new robots. One hand propped beneath his chin, Moon moved his fingers a little before turning toward Sigma. He asked, Its been a while since you lived with the Eleventh Squad, Sigma. Are you happy here? The childish robot tilted his head and answered honestlyOf course! The Eleventh Squad has you, Wheeze, Czedow, and even the descendants of the Xi Family. Cillin had given me a lot of help, and everyone else in the Eleventh Squad is pretty nice as well. Im just waiting for Reefia and Suyi to wake up now. When Chip is repaired, the five of us will finally be able to explore the universe together with the Eleventh Squadron! The blue strip on his face curved into what passes for a wide smile for a robot. Youre happy, huh Moon extended his arms as if he was stretching before rising to his feet. Hmm? Where are you going, Moon? Sigma asked while following right behind his brother. Im going to speak with Cillin about our wages. What? B-but thats not very nice we all live here now sure, most of the base was built by me, but but If you have time for buts, you should spend them checking out your fruit garden. It would be terrible if the trees are dead when we take off, dont you think? Oh, and dont forget to bring some fresh fruits to the ship! Cillin was surprised when Moon requested a meeting with him. He was checking out the observation data Blue had given him regarding the planet, and he found himself agreeing that its surrounding space was pretty bad. It was no wonder it had killed countless people until recently. The reason the Free Army hadnt lost anyone when collecting this observation data was because they had scanned the planet and its environment from afar. Otherwise, he would not be surprised if they suffered some casualties. In fact, one of the interesting things Blue mentioned was that not one person who landed on that planet had ever made it out alive. The lucky survivor she mentioned before didnt die only because he had stayed on orbit the entire time. According to him, the reason everyone who landed on the planet died was because a ghost had killed them all. This was why the Free Army and the rest of the factions who had their eyes on the energy ores hadnt made a move yet. To go in without preparation was to commit suicide. Of course, none of them believe that there was an actual ghost haunting the planet. It could only be a strange species or an illusion. Cillin didnt try putting away the documents on the table when Moon walked into his room. He asked, Whats wrong? Theres something I need to speak with you about. Is it something to do with the planet? Cillin tapped at the projector sitting beside his arm and brought up the hologram of the planet. It looked just like every other non-habitable planet with one exceptionthe surface was covered in many shiny, reflective dots. Moon tilted his head as if he was curious how Cillin was able to arrive at the conclusion, but he nodded and said, That is exactly right. Moon flew up to the hologram and stared at the planet for a bit. Although the blue strips on his face barely moved, Cillin could feel that he was watching it very, very seriously. White Night is, in fact, not the name of the energy ores. Cillin simply kept quiet and waited for Moon to continue. It is the name of someone we once called the White Ghost. Moon lifted his index finger. His fingertip opened up to project the hologram of a girl. The girl was pure white, literally. There wasnt a part of her bodyskin, hair, pupils, eyebrows, and morethat wasnt pure white in color. She had white hair that stretched all the way down to her ankles, and they moved constantly as if they blown by the wind. Her eyes were filled with childish innocence, but a closer look would reveal that that innocence was hiding a cold, mechanical indifference. She does not have a physical body. She is a program; a living program. My master told me that she was the most successful experiment of all the experiments they had carried out in their attempt to create the five of us. Unfortunately, they were unable to create a physical body for her, so she was left behind to look over the remaining energy ores. Cillin figured out a few things when he heard up till this point. One, the energy ores that seemed as potent as the fabled White Night were in fact, one and the same. Two, the man-eating ghost that lived on the planet was a guardian the Xi Family had created and left behind to protect their assets. Why are you telling me this now? Cillin asked. Moon had not spoken about this when he brought up the mission during the meeting. It was clear that he had thought through things carefully before he finally decided to visit Cillin. I want to take White Night into the squad. I dont care who gets the energy ores in the end, only that we could retrieve her safely. And how do we do that? Ill negotiate with White Night when we get there. Weve never met, but I have the data my master had left behind. It should be enough to get things done. You just need to make sure that this area isnt damaged no matter what. Moon pointed at a particular spot on the planet. Unfortunately, it was the spot with the most amount of energy ores. This would not be an easy task. Ill do my best. Thank you! Moon said before adding in a mysterious tone, Theres a reason White Night was known as the Ghost. Im sure shell be a great addition to the squad. Chapter 378: Czedow’s Girlfriend (1) Chapter 378: Czedows Girlfriend (1) White Nights existence was interesting to put it mildly, but it wasnt their first priority right now. The preparatory work was. That was why Moon skipped over the subject pretty quickly and focused on the environment of the planet. The robot had never been there in person, but the information in its memory proved useful even though it was over a thousand years old. After obtaining the information, Cillin updated the parameters of the bases virtual simulation training ground so that Cary and the others could adapt to the planets environment and improve their mission performance as soon as possible. Cillin also shared some of the information Moon gave him with Aikenseth. They were in a collaborative relationship right now, not to mention that his crews biggest weakness was their small number. There was a good chance they might need to borrow the Free Armys strength when they carried out their mission on the planet. Most Hunters were Hunters because they were born travelers who could never settle in one place for long. The Eleventh Squadron was no exception. After being cooped up in the base for so long, Cary and the others were itching to get on with the mission already. The only reason they held out this long was because they were helping out Mo Heng with their space fighters. Now that their babies were almost complete, they spent almost all day and night training in the virtual simulation training ground. Thanks to their genetic rank, they were able to adapt to the simulated environment Cillin had set up very quickly. For this mission, they would be wearing the armor Xi Mu had created instead of normal protective suits. With luck, they would be able to put their newly minted equipment to good use in their latest mission. Already, they could not wait to get to the planet. When it was finally time, they took off from the base and traveled straight to the agreed coordinates on their starship. On the way, Mo Heng asked the crew to test out the fighters for debugging and satisfaction purposes. The last thing anyone wanted was for the fighters to malfunction in the middle of the battlefield. Everyone was ecstatic with their fighters for obvious reasons. The fighters were customized based on the crews personal preferences and characteristics, meaning that it was unlike any mass-produced fighters they had ever flown in their lives. Besides the unique design, the materials used to create the space fighters were also incredibly rare. If Cillin hadnt procured them from the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, the fighters might not have been up to Mo Hengs satisfaction. Of course, his master had not asked him about the source of these materials. Everyone had their own secrets to keep, and he respected that. Meanwhile, Wheeze was lying on top of a shelf, closing his eyes and plotting its next move. It was no longer the clueless cat it was when it joined Cillin at the beginning, nor did it have to limit anymore. Today, it could fight in any form it wanted to even if they drew the attention of mad scientists because Wheeze and co. now had the power to crush all of them! Wheeze was a little annoyed that they had to give away some of the energy ores to the Free Army, but it endured it because they were in a collaborative relationship. It was fine as long as they were the majority of the profit belonged to the Eleventh Squad. There was no way it would allow another party to partake in the pie though. All the other factions in Sector V can eat shit for all it cared! Cillin briefly explained their course of action before they met up with the Free Army. In particular, he mentioned the area Moon had requested him to protect; the location where White Night was residing. Since he had given his word, the Eleventh Squad would protect her even if they had to give up the energy ores. Sector V did not have a good reputation in GAL. Once a colonized sector infamous for its criminal activities, all the areas the military failed to suppress after GAL had fallen into chaos had seized the opportunity to expand their power as much as possible. That was why few people would travel to Sector V despite the fact that there wasnt a corner in the galaxy that hadnt been touched by war. The space they were heading toward to carry out their mission was even more isolated for several reasons. One, it basically had no habitable planets. Two, there were minable planets on the edges of the zone, but none so rich it was nearly worth the trouble to make the trip. And three, its space environment was incredibly bad. Anyone who wished to travel in and out of the zone would have to have a good amount of high-end equipment, and high-end equipment cost an obscene amount of credits. Even the rich colonists of Sector V would not waste their wealth exploring an area that had next to zero value, or so it seemed. This was why no one had noticed that ore-rich planet until now. Otherwise, it wouldve been emptied a long time ago. When the starship reached the coordinates, they found that the Free Army was already waiting for them. The Free Army did not bring any large-sized starships or spaceplanes with them not just because their wealth was limited, but also because a fleet made up of middle to small-sized ships were more mobile. Their vessels were anything but pretty, but they were armed to the teeth and oozing danger. Some spaceplanes were even covered in holes and scars that were obviously caused by cannon shots. Fresh ones, in fact. Did you guys fight in a battle on the way here? Cillin asked Aikenseth on his comms. Its just some annoying flies. Its no big deal, Aikenseth replied, though his blood red eyes suggested that he hadnt calm down completely. It was at this moment Cillin noticed that Blue and Reysen were standing behind him. Youre all here? Arent you guys afraid that something might happen to your home base while youre gone? Aikenseth smiled but didnt give him an answer. Cillin was sure they were prepared though, especially since they seemed to travel together all the time. The Free Armys business was the Free Armys, so Cillin moved onto the next topica.k.a their missionand went over some details with Aikenseth. Then, they set off toward the planet in tandem. Not everyone in the Free Army was happy with the fact that the Eleventh Squadron was accompanying them, however. The people of Sector V naturally distrusted strangers, and the fact that the Eleventh Squads starship looked pretty only worsened their doubts. After all, aesthetics meant absolutely nothing in war. The ridicule didnt just happen between crew members of a vessel. They were happening between spaceplanes as well. However, they didnt get far before a furious voice blasted through everyones comms, Fuck your meowther! Who are you calling flashy and no substance? You guys are the real losers here! In a spaceplane, Aikenseth, Blue and Reysen exchanged surprised looks with each other. They did not expect the Eleventh Squad to somehow intercept their sides transmissions. Cillins voice crackled from the comms after Wheeze was done ranting. Apologies. One of our crew is an impulsive hothead. That said, I must say that your comms security could stand to be improved. Aikenseth wasnt one to ignore sound advice. He immediately contacted the team leaders of the spaceplanes in questioneach spaceplane was carrying a team, and each team was led by a team leaderand ordered them to inspect their communication equipment and network, and activate their security measures. This was just another example that one should never let down their guard. Wheezes rant left many a soldier annoyed as a matter of course, but it also quelled much of the Free Armys doubts. In the Eleventh Squads starship, Wheeze complained while licking its paw, Hmph! Its not like Im eavesdropping them on purpose. Theyre the ones who didnt even bother to encrypt their communications network. The gray cat was already annoyed that they had to share some of their spoils with their ally, and just now the Free Army was insulting them practically in their face. Of course it was going to get mad. Cillin gave it a head rub before saying, Yes, yes. Now stop wasting time on the Free Army and keep an eye out for anything unordinary. Such as? Such as those who arent included in our plans. Those who arent included in our plans? Wheeze did not quite understand what Cillin was referring to, but since it was his request, it supposed it could exert itself a little. They already knew this, but the zones space environment really was pretty unwelcoming. There were a lot of massive, floating debris, and some of the iron storms were pretty bad. Their travel was inevitably slowed as predicted. Still, the course they were following had been plotted based on Moons informationit was one of the easier courses to follow tooso they were able to arrive at their destination point despite the many minor issues they encountered along the way. Suffice to say, the Free Army was very happy that they made it before any other Sector V factions could. Chapter 378: Czedow’s Girlfriend (2) Chapter 378: Czedows Girlfriend (2) Can you contact White Night right now? Cillin asked Moon. Moon shook his head. Not from here. We need to enter the first planet before we can reach out to her. It was at this moment Cary walked up to them and asked, Who are you talking about? The Hunter had finished his preparations a while ago, and he was just waiting for the mission to begin. Moon tilted his head and answered, Oh, nothing. Were just talking about Czedows girlfriend. Czedow, who was reading a book nearby: ... Since when do I have a girlfriend? Oh The bridge wasnt nearly big enough for their conversation to not be overheard, so everyone walked over to them like flies to honey immediately. Even Mao, someone who had never cared much for gossip couldnt help but join the group of gossipers. The curiosity was just too great. Czedows girlfriend? A robots girlfriend? Who was she, and how would a relationship like that work? I know you guys are curious, but youll know naturally when the time comes. Now get into position and stand by for orders. Also, were going to be cooperating with the Free Army this time, so be sure to perform to the best of your abilities. Dont let them look down on us, understand? Cillin said while clapping Cary behind the shoulder. Cary and the others looked conflicted, but in the end their sense of duty won over curiosity. Still, they wanted to know about everything so bad On screen, Aikenseth said, Were ready to descend. Understood. Cillin gestured at his crew, and they all got to work immediately. The whole crew would be descending on the planet. There should be no problems leaving their starship unmanned outside the planet because their super AI, Little Eleven would be in command while they were gone. When it was time, a small number of space fighters flew out of the Eleventh Squadron starships hangar and toward the planet. Their streamlined fuselage and unusual exterior made them look like ghosts in space. Their camouflage was so good, and their speed so fast that it was difficult to catch even a glimpse of them with the naked eye. Aikenseth observed the Eleventh Squadrons fighters on the screen for a moment. He would be lying if he claimed that he wasnt envious. He was also surprised because as far as he was aware, the only force in Vanguard that owned custom-made fighters was the Liberty Fleet. A B squad definitely shouldnt have them. The scanners cannot detect anything. Weve tried several different scanning methods to no avail either, Reysen said while pointing at the screen. All they saw was the fighters exiting the Eleventh Squadrons starship, a flash, and then nothing. Their spaceplanes scanner were unable to pick up anything. Cillin did not pilot a fighter. He was piloting the small spaceplane carrying Mo Heng, Czedow, Tang Qiuqiu, Snowball and Scarlet Wind. He wouldve left his master behind on the starship, but Mo Heng had insisted on following them. He was extremely curious about the planet and even more curious about the top-grade energy ores that countless would kill to get. There were no plants on the planet. It was all rocks and mountains with energy ores embedded in them. The moment the Free Army touched down on the planet, they immediately got out of their ships in protective suits and started mining the energy ores. It was because it was only a matter of time before their competitors showed up and fight them for the spoils. Meanwhile, Sigma and Moon had flown out of the spaceplane after Cillin had landed it at the coordinates Moon had specified. The Free Army was having a helluva good time mining the energy ores when suddenly, they began to shine brightly. The area was pretty dark just a moment ago, but now it was like someone was shining a spotlight on them. Who, are you people? A gentle voice entered everyones ears. At the same time, a bunch of white figures appeared all over the place. They were all identical copies of each other, and they all looked as white as snow. They were White Night. One of the figures was sitting on top of a pile of energy ores and staring at the miners with her pure white eyes. She was holding up her long hair with one hand and combing it with the other. Its the Ghost! Someone exclaimed in shock. None of them tried to attack her, however. Aikenseth had told them someone would deal with the Ghost beforehand, and all they needed to do was to leave her alone and keep mining. That was the plan, but White Nights appearance still scared the shit out of everyone. It wasnt just the Free Army either. Even Cary and the crew who were patrolling the airspace in their fighters could not help but break out in goosebumps. How did she appear like that? Is it just a projection, or? Moon immediately began communicating with White Night using the method his master had left behind to him. Although White Night, Moon and Sigma had never met each other before, they were all creations of the Xi Family. Not only did they share similar characteristics, they were marked in some ways that would allow them to identify one another with ease. Once Sigma also produced some proof that proved his connection to his late master as well, the communication process was well underway. A while later, a passage opened on the wall beside Moon that seemed to lead underground. He informed Cillin that they would gone for a bit before entering the passage with Sigma. The passage closed, and the copies of White Nights vanished into thin air once they were inside. The Free Army resumed working after noting that the Ghost was truly gone. They were curious about her existence as a matter of course, but not so curious that they would abandon the energy ores right in front of their faces in pursuit of the truth. Aikenseth was wondering why the Eleventh Squadron hadnt started mining the energy ores yet when he saw the bigger spaceplanes descending on the planet and unloading a ton of big mining robots on the ground. The robots immediately started mining and carrying the energy ores into the spaceplanes. Aikenseth shot Cillinthe young man was still sitting inside his spaceplanea glance. This time, he had to admit that he was jealous. The Eleventh Squad had a small crew, but they made up for their deficiency with the robots. The mining robots were great at mining for obvious reasons, and they worked fast enough that they werent slower than the Free Army even though the latter had more people. The mining robots werent the only ones who were working either. Wheeze wasnt the type to sit still and do nothing when something interesting was going on, so it had exited the spaceplane together with Sigma and Moon. But instead of following the two robots down the underground passage, it had opted to stay behind instead. Why? To mine the energy ores with its own claws, of course! These were all credits! Once again, the Free Army was very curious about the fat gray cat that seemed completely unimpeded by the planets hellish environment despite wearing no protective suit, but they could not allow themselves to be outdone by it. They started working harder and faster when they saw the cat digging out the energy ors with everything they got. Suddenly, Wheeze froze for a moment and looked up into the sky. Meowtherfucker! Theyre here, Cillin! Cary, shoot them all out of the sky! The Free Armys first thought after seeing Wheeze standing atop a pile of energy ores and shouting at the sky: The cats the one eavesdropping on us last time? Their second thought was: It can talk? And their third: Who did it say is here? It took them only an instant to realize who Wheeze was talking about though. It could only be the other Sector V factions. In the sky, Cary felt a vein popping across his forehead after hearing Wheezes shout. The gray cat had been growing more and more arrogant as of late. On a side note, the Eleventh Squads starship was currently invisible right now. That was why the newcomers never noticed that a starship was parked right outside the planet. Their fleet was made up of countless spaceplanes just like the Free Army, and they were frustrated that someone had made it to the planet before them. They all wanted first dibs on the energy ores after all, if not all of it. That was why they attacked the Free Army before they even descended on the planet. Cannonfire began blasting giant holes on the ground, scattering debris and ore fragments were all over the place. The unrestrained bombardment only lasted until Cary and the others began returning fire though. Their fighters were moving so quickly that the enemy just barely caught a glimpse of them before they were struck. It was also near impossible to lock down their attackers. On the surface, it looked like the Eleventh Squad was retaliating against the enemy haphazardly. In reality, they were executing a battle plan and coordinating wonderfully with each other. From time to time, Cillin would hear them joking and quipping with each other through the communicator. Brilliant colors and flashes of light began populating the sky like fireworks, though no fireworks would rain metallic debris on the ground. Some of them belonged to the Free Army, and some to the newcomers. None of them came from the Eleventh Squad. Wheeze didnt stop mining even though an aerial battle was taking place right above their heads. Together with the mining robots, it worked like its life depended on it. Some fighters saw this and wanted to shoot Wheeze and the mining robots, but they couldnt even get a shot off before they were attacked by the ghost-like fighters. The reason Wheeze was mining away with impunity was because Cary and the crew were covering for it, but of course, it had nothing to fear from the fighters even without their protection. It would take quite a number of direct hits for the cannons to injure it significantly. A new force is here, Czedow said suddenly. As he said, a new force had flown in their direction, but did not engage them in battle immediately. They waited just outside the periphery of the battlefield as if they were waiting for both sides to be weakened before they swooped in for the kill. Unfortunately for them, reality was a cruel mistress. They were hardly the only ones who wanted a piece of the pie. As if on cue, another force appeared from the distance and soon engaged them in battle. It did not take a genius to figure out that more forces would be showing up as well. They all learned about the planet at about the same time and spent almost the same time preparing for the journey. If the Free Army hadnt chosen to cooperate with Cillin, or Cillin hadnt told them to use faster route, they wouldve arrived at the same time as these forces. The battle quickly grew in size as it devolved into utter chaos. The sounds of battle shattered the silence that had dominated the planet for centuries. Although the aerial battle was fierce, the energy ores on the ground was everyones goal. That was why the enemys land forces quickly landed on the planet and began scrambling for the resources. Lets go, Cillin said to everyone before stepping out of the spaceplane. Chapter 379: Say What Again? Chapter 379: Say What Again? Cillins group did not participate in the mixed battle. Their job was to secure the area Moon had requested him to protect and to eliminate any intruders. Tang Qiuqius combat effectiveness improved by leaps and bounds ever since she obtained the Purgatory Thunder Snake. Add to the fact that she was unnaturally calm in any combat situation, and she was able to pop a dozen of heads in just the blink of an eye. Barring the Eleventh Squad, everyone who landed on the planet had to wear a protective suit to survive its harsh environment. However, it also slowed them down so much that most of the were dead long before they could even train their scope onto Tang Qiuqiu. Aikenseth snuck a glance at the Eleventh Squad in between gunning down the enemies in front of him. He regretted it immediately because it was revealed just how pitiful his forces were compared to them. It was common sense that a protective suit restricted the wearers movement in some ways, and not even the most genetically enhanced person was an exception to this rule. The protective suits the Free Army was wearing were more or less on the same level as their enemies. This did not bother Aikenseth because it simply meant that they were fighting on an equal footing. However, the Eleventh Squads protective suits were clearly on a whole different level. The young girl with incredible shooting skills was waltzing across the battlefield with insulting ease, and even the fat bear sticking by her side at all times was moving as lithely as a butterfly. To say that they put him to shame would be an understatement. It was bad enough that their space fighters being behind the Eleventh Squads, but protective suits as well? Actually, thats no protective suit. Thats what they call an Armor, isnt it? It would be lying if say Im not envious, Aikenseth and Blue thought at the same time. So far, not a single person managed to break into the area Cillin was guarding. Every time he squeezed the trigger, at least a couple of people would drop dead on the ground. He was using the PTS K right now because the PTS S would be way overkill on these people. Wheeze was focused on mining the energy ores and paid no attention to the chaotic battle at all. Boom, boom Fighters were being shot out of the air every few seconds or so, so debris was raining all over the place. Some people failed to get out of the way in time and were crushed like pancakes, and some were hit by the shockwaves. As if that wasnt bad enough, they still had to battle the enemy and avoid the fighters cannon shots all the time. Practically everyone on the ground was as tensed as a guitar string right now. However, to the denizens of Sector V, the razor sharp tension only brought excitement, not fear. The flames of war scorched the sky, the sounds of explosions deafened the eardrums, and the blood that splattered across their bodies every time they took a hit excited them so much they could die. Cillin could sense clearly that none of the enemies he killed had been afraid to die in the slightest. Or rather, their mind seemed to transition into a state of utter fearlessness and excitement every time they entered an environment that was similar to a live warzone. In a sense, they were similar to the soldiers many families trained specifically to carry out missions that were extremely high risk or straight up suicidal. In this state, these people would not feel the slightest fear even if they were going up against White Night herself. The reason most people would not interact with a denizen of Sector V with a ten foot pole was because the latter was utterly numb to many things in life. Take the combatants on this battlefield for example. They were so intoxicated on bloodlust and the joy of killing that they had completely forgotten about their original objective; the energy ores that once enticed countless people to go to war against each other. They didnt even try to dodge as Cillin gunned them down one after another. This reminded him of a conversation he had had when he first joined Vanguard. They had said that battling against the crazies of Sector V was supremely dissatisfying because you could kill them all and barely feel any sense of accomplishment. In some cases, you might even feel like you had just destroyed a moving piece of wood. Cillin was in the middle of cleaning up the intruders when Xi Kais voice crackled through his communicator. Should I send over some robots to help you out? Cillin observed both the sky and the land for a moment before replying, Not yet. How much longer do you need? We just need another fiveno, three minutes. Roughly or precisely? Precisely. Good! It should not be difficult to hold out for three minutes. As if on cue, Moons voice rang from the communicator almost immediately after he disconnected from Xi Kais transmission. The robot said in an unusually urgent voice, Cillin, White Night just told me that we are not the first ones to land on the planet. The reason our scanners didnt detect them is because the planets magnetic field, and because they were hiding up on the other side of the planet. Someone was here before us? Do we know who they are? Cillin asked while gunning down all the enemies who entered his range. Theyre mostly robots. So, the Robert Family? Most likely. Understood. How''s it going on your end? Im communicating with White Night and sorting out some of the settings. Itll take a while, but I should be able to separate her from this place. He sounded pretty busy. Cillin could even hear Moon touching some equipment with his metallic hands. Got it. Ill handle everything on the outside, so keep doing what youre doing. Sure. Cillin had been doubtful from the moment he learned about the planet from Blue, and she had claimed that someone from Sector V had discovered it by accident. While he couldnt deny that it was a possibilitycoincidences could happen after allbut he found it extremely unlikely that someone from Sector V could escape this place, especially considering that they had no knowledge of the planets environment beforehand. The reason he thought this wasnt because he believed that the people of Sector V was inferior, but because he was viewing this from a different angle. In addition, the colonists of this Sector were busy finding refuge from the chaos that had overtaken the galaxy of GAL, and the factions fighting each other to expand their power. With that in mind, did it really make sense that someone from Sector V just happened to pass by this area and discover the planet by accident? Even if the rumor was real, someone had to have leaked the information to them. Now Cillin understood what the Robert Family had been silent for so long. It was because they had been aiming for the top grade energy ores of this planet. Not only that, they were planning to kill two birds with one stones by luring the more influential factions of Sector V to this place and killing them all! This way, they would obtain both the energy ores and reduced the number of hostile factions on Sector V, which would benefit the military forces behind them. All fighters, come to me within a minute and clean up these areas said Cillin while explaining their new operation plan. He also contacted Aikenseth to explain things and have him rearrange his forces. He ordered Scarlet Wind to come back and told the rest of the squad to get ready. By the time Cillin had counted down to fifteen, everyone was in position, and the fighters were circling around Cillin at a low altitude. Cillin made a ready hand sign at Aikenseths direction. The red-eyed commander nodded to indicate that his side was ready. Five four three two one! A beam of light rose into the sky before expanding outward like an umbrella. It enveloped the area Cillin had mentioned in his plan. An energy shield!? Butwhy is it so big? It cost a lot of energy to support an energy shield this size, but they were on a planet filled with top grade energy ores right now. All it took was a little bit of setup. In fact, Xi Kai and Xi Mu had been doing just that from the moment they came here, and so far they were very satisfied with the strength of the energy shield, or more accurately, the quality of the top grade energy ores of the planet. Their devices were displaying wonderful numbers. The appearance of the energy shield instantly lightened the Eleventh Squad and the Free Armys burden. Now, all they needed to do was to clean up the enemies still within the energy shield. Even if the enemies outside suddenly came together and attacked them as one, they would not be able to break through until some time later. Aikenseth looked back and forth between the chaotic battle still going on outside the energy shield and Cillins group. It was then he experienced a moment of enlightenment. Fearlessness and people with excellent genes were great things to have, but it was ones technology and talent that truly determined how far a group could go most of the time. From the moment the Free Army encountered Cillin and the Eleventh Squad, they had been outmatched in nearly every area. It made Aikenseth realize that the only way the Free Army could continue climbing to the top was to acquire technical support. Sector V was an extremely isolated sector, so the Food Kings support alone had accelerated their growth far beyond the factions that had risen to power at the same time as them. What if they could acquire more technology? It was around this time Reysen suddenly interrupted his thoughts with an elbow bump before pointing toward a certain direction with his chin. Aikenseth looked and saw Czedow pulling out a massive piece of energy ore from the ground with his bare hands. Yes, the man wasnt wearing any protective suit at all. If Cillin was a mystery, then Czedow was an unidentified object Aikenseth had never been able to figure out even now. Cillin was the commander of the Eleventh Squad, and while information on him was sparse there was at least something to read. However, information regarding Czedow was non-existent, or more accurately, everything they could find about Czedow was fake. It was to the point where they didnt even know if he was human or not. He probably isnt human. I dont think its possible for a human to survive in this environment without a protective suit. Some of the people outside were attacking the energy shield in anger, but there was no way they would be able to make it in in a short time. Moreover, there were a ton of energy ores within the energy shield, so waiting for the shield to run out of energy was unfeasible either. As a result, the factions chose to battle each other twice as hard to vent their frustration. When the number of combatants had decreased to a certain degree, the bosses were finally able to retake control of their subordinates. However, just when they were about to cease fire, powerful energy beams abruptly swept across the sky and took out a great number of the aircrafts. Some fighters and spaceplanes exploded into tiny smithereens, while some fell toward the ground after their wings had been cut. Before they could even hit the ground though, another set of laser beams passed through the area and sliced them into multiple pieces. Here they come! Cillin said while looking at the direction the laser beams had come from. A bunch of robots could be seen flying over from the distant, dark sky. Is that the Robert Familys so-called robot army? Xi Kai asked while looking in the same direction. Thats them. The Robert Family had absorbed the lessons they learned from the rebellion incident and made massive improvements to their robots in just a short time. In GAL, they were definitely deserving of their title, the Robot Empire. It wasnt long before most of the combatants outside the energy shields were killed. The ground was littered with wreckages, and the survivors were easily cut down by the robots. Blood splattered everywhere as metal sliced through flesh and bone. The sight of bodies splayed across wreckages that were still smoldering with fire and smoke was unusually gruesome. The people of Sector V were cold, but these robots were even colder. They had no choice but to beat a hasty retreat while they still could. More and more robots appeared on the ground. A ton of robots were circling the energy shield in the air as well. Some of the robots had a humans appearance, though the oddly-shaped weapons protruding out of their arms were anything but. After they had the area completely surrounded, a spaceplane emerged from the distance and stopped not too far away from the energy shield. Aikenseths communicator rang at this moment. It was a call request from an unknown caller. He pressed the accept button and placed the communicator on a flat surface so that everyone could see the hologram. After the call was connected, the hologram of a man appeared above the communicator. It wasnt Robert Frentz, but Cillin noted that his features were somewhat similar to Frentz. The man wasnt facing toward the communicator. Judging from the hologram, it seemed like he was staring at the massive energy shield. He began, Im surprised. I didnt think people like you are capable of this level of intelligence. Aikenseth did not say anything. Even he knew who their enemy was now. The only faction in the world who possessed a robot army at this level was the Robert Family. But if you think youre safe from me, then I must say that youre mistaken. I havent brought many combat robots with me, but there is enough to take you all out. As for this energy shield huhu, it is but a trifling issue to me! The second he said this, the energy shield started flashing unnaturally. Then, it began to weaken visibly. Hes affecting the energy shield somehow! Cary exclaimed in surprise. Everyone got ready to rush out as soon as the energy shield broke down. Their fear never came true though. The shield was thinning at the beginning, but it regained its strength almost just as quickly. Xi Kai snorted disdainfully at the man while fiddling with his remote. Say what again? The man on hologram looked shocked, flustered and angry all at the same time. His complexion changed visibly before he finally waved his hand. Ill admit that youre not as pathetic as I thought, but how long can you hold out before my robot army? All you did is to give yourself a front row seat as I dismantle your defenses little by little and destroy everything! Right as he said this, a new voice entered his ears, Did you just say, you wish, to destroy, this place? A white figure appeared next to the mans hologram. It almost looked like they were facing each other. We meet again, Guardian, The man said with a frown on his face. He clearly wasnt expecting White Night to appear now. On the surface, it looked like she was bothered by his threat to turn her home upside down to take out these gnats, but if that was the case, then why hadnt she stopped the Sector V factions from murdering each other before? White Night did not respond to what she perceived as a useless greeting. She simply stared into the mans eyes silently yet intimidatingly. The man faltered first and looked away. We may have avoided you before, but that isnt because were afraid fo you. Do not forget you were just a failed experiment! Is that so? She disappeared from the hologram, but not because she had chosen to withdraw. The next moment, a white figure appeared on the screen in front of him, the screen next to him; a third, a fourth Whats going on? Cillin looked at Moon. The robot had finally wrapped up whatever he was doing and returned to them. Moon shrugged. Nothing. Id simply unbound her from this place completely. Chapter 380: Just Because Im Cute Doesnt Mean Im Harmless! (1) Chapter 380: Just Because Im Cute Doesnt Mean Im Harmless! (1) White Ghost did not bring shame to her own name. Although she had no physical body and could only show herself to the world as a hologram, few entities were as free as her in the world of electronic systems. In a sense, she was akin to a computer virus. The Robert Family was the best robot builder in GAL, so it stood to reason that their system protection was almost as good. However, White Ghost had taken over the dozen of monitors in the control room in just the blink of an eye. Robert Borat, a.k.a the man in the hologram, was shaking with fury right now. When he decided to execute his plan, he hadnt known that the guardian of this planet would be this annoying to deal with, and he definitely hadnt expected these people to possess the technology to ward off his shield disrupter. How the hell did some trash from Sector V come by such a technology anyway? Borat clenched his fists together. An unexpected obstacle or two might have appeared on his path, but it did not matter. Since he had decided to take on this action plan, he would see it through by hook or by crook! Only then could he return home and become the biggest authority in his family! Borat was no match for Frentz when it came to research. It was why his voice had always come second to Frentz. After he cooperated with the military though, he was able to obtain the support of the Eighth Army and some of his clan members and snap up the executive rights of several action plans with his diplomacy skills, which was much better than Frentz. He had encountered little to no problems when carrying out the early action plans, and it was during that time he accidentally discovered this gem of a planet. Borats first thought after discovering the planet wasnt to dig out the top grade energy ores, however. It was true that the quality of their energy ores were no match for them, but what they lacked in quality, they made up with sheer quantity. That was why Borats attention was more on how he could leverage these energy ores to carry out his plans, not the other way around. As Cillin had predicted, Sector Vs accidental discovery of this planet wasnt an accident after all. Borat was the mastermind who had instigated everything. He was going to use this opportunity to take out most of the rising stars of Sector V in one go, earn enough merit in the eyes of his family and the Eighth Army, and obtain even greater support as a result. Assuming this mission went well, he even believed that he would surpass Frentz and all other competitors to become the new generation leader of his family once the war situation had stabilized. Unfortunately, reality was, as usual, a harsh mistress. He had not anticipated that the Free Army would seek out an ally, and that that ally would be far more formidable than anticipated. In fact, he still did not think that they were a true threat. Like most of the people of the Robert Family, Borat was your stereotypical stubborn and arrogant bastard. Not only was he too confident in himself and the strength of his robot army, he had not researched the Eleventh Squad and their past achievements as well as he should have. In his opinion, the Ghost was the only worthy opponent on the battlefield right now. Back to the present. All of the monitors in the control room had been taken over by the Ghost. Borat ordered his subordinate to intercept her electronically only to discover that their efforts were useless because the enemy was already inside their system. Already, White Ghost had altered or wrecked many of their programs in just a short time, and even their countermeasures only caused the monitors to flash twice. The white figure remained affixed to the screens as if she was a permanent fixture of their spaceplane. Activate Private Room! Borat ordered without hesitation. Private Room was a system-encrypted zone that only the master had access to. It was a technology the Robert Family had developed independently. Usually, the technology was left inactive, and the master was potentially exposed to any intruder lurking in the external systems. However, once Private Room was activated, the master would be isolated from all external systems and theoretically be fully secure from all intruders. Activating Private Room increased ones computer security, but the trade off was reduced functionality. In Borats case, he had been cut off from many of the functions of the spaceplane. He was fine with this though. Reduced functionality was still better than being overtaken completely by the Ghost. On the ground, Cillin took a moment to observe the spaceplane. Although he couldnt tell exactly what was going on in there, the occasional burst of mechanical language told him that a silent war was happening inside the vessel right now. A sense of helplessness washed over Aikenseth as he looked back and forth between the spaceplane in the sky and Cillin. He was incredibly glad that he had decided to ask Cillin to join them on this mission, or the Free Army could have brought twice as many men and still be absolutely massacred by the robot army. It was bad enough that the robot had superior technology, but their numbers were almost the same as well. This meant that their combat strength was at least several times greater than the Free Armys. They only needed to look at the bodies and debris outside the energy shield to know what would have happened if they had had to clash against the robot army head on. Even with the Eleventh Squads help, he still did not think that the battle was in their favor. The energy shield was currently protecting them from all harm, but it wasnt like they could hide here forever. How could they overcome this situation? Aikenseth was wracking his brain to come up with a plan when Cillin looked in a certain direction. The next second, a white figure winked into view. The blue strip on Moons face flashed as he asked, What happened in there, Little White? Little White? A lot of people had unkind thoughts about that nickname, but they wisely chose to keep their mouths shut. After all, only an idiot would try to provoke an actual ghost-like entity. White Ghost did not look at Moon, but she replied while staring at the spaceplane in the sky, They have quarantine measures. What should we do then? Cary asked Cillin while observing the robots outside the energy shield warily. No one thought that charging out of the shield heedlessly was a good idea. Unlike the slow enemies they had fought before, these robots were at a whole other level. Even with their new fighters, he did not think the situation would improve much considering that the enemy had enough firepower and precision to wipe the airspace clean in just a short time. Before Cillin could give him an answer, Borats voice blasted out of the speakers on the spaceplane. You guys like hiding inside your shell, huh? Very well! I shall give you a taste of the apocalypse and the might of our robot army! Attack! With that command, all the robots in the sky and on the ground started firing at the energy shield. Although the energy shield shielded them from all attacks, the same could not be said for the shockwaves that were generated as a result of the impact. Waves of dizziness and nausea spread across the protected zone immediately. The Eleventh Squad weathered it well because they were all wearing Armor, but the members of the Free Army couldnt claim the same thing. The protective suit they wore were good enough to withstand the hostile environment of this planet, but not the terrible shockwaves that felt like the world was ending. In fact, the bombardment had barely begun when some members of the Free Army started yelling about giving the metallic sonuvabitches a taste of their own medicine. They would rather risk it all than endure this kind of torture. Aikenseth looked to Cillin for his opinion. After all, the master control of the energy shield was in his hands. If he refused to let them out, the Free Army could cry all they wanted, and they still would not be able to get out of the shield. They could battle the Eleventh Squad for it, but he would rather not as a matter of course. Not only did he think they couldnt win, he really did not want to damage their newly established alliance unless he there was no other option. Tell your people to endure for a bit. Itll take half a minute at most, Cillin replied simply. Even before he said this, he had already ordered Xi Kai and Xi Mu to do their thing and the flyers to land their fighters for the moment. It was only half a minute, but the frustration building up in the Free Army was visible for all to see. The shockwaves had caused the air inside the energy shield to be filled up with charged particles, and they felt extremely uncomfortable even though it did them little to no harm. To give an example, it was like being pricked by millions of needles. Their temper was already terrible in the first place, and the unwanted stimulation had shredded their self-control like paper. If Aikenseth hadnt shouted for them to wait and kept an iron grip over them, they would have thrown themselves at the energy shields in an attempt to break out and fight their enemies already. Meanwhile, the Eleventh Squad had spent the half a minute reorganizing the equipment at hand. Fighting robots were quite different from fighting organic creatures, so much so that even the ammo they used had to be switched out completely. When Cary had walked out of his fighter, he had installed a shoulder cannon on his shoulder, tested the folded wristblade on his arm, and reassembled his guns. He was currently warming himself up for the inevitable battle. When Aikenseth counted up to twenty three seconds, a number of energy beams suddenly appeared at the distant sky. In fact, he realized that they were appearing from every direction. They were not aimed at them, however. They were aimed at the robots bombarding the energy shield. The robots had come from the Eleventh Squads starship, and truth be told they could have reached their location even sooner. However, Xi Kai took his time spreading them out and organizing their formation so as to maximize their combat effectiveness. The appearance of the new force stunned the Free Army so much that they forgot about their discomfort for a moment. Just a while ago, they had seen Borats robot army absolutely massacring their enemies outside the energy shield. To say that they were formidable would be understatement. However, a new force had appeared out of seemingly nowhere to challenge them. Who are they? In the spaceplane, Borats complexion had turned a shade of angry purple. Some of the energy beams had struck his spaceplane and shaken it to the point where he nearly tripped over his own feet. Things improved a little after the shields were turned on, by only a little. Because Private Room was active right now, part of the functions of their scanners were unusable. That was why they failed to detect the surprise attack until it literally hit their ship. Are those robots?! One of Borats subordinate exclaimed in shock. As the people who fired the energy beams flew closer and closer, it became clear that they were no people at all. Their silver white exterior gleamed coldly under the dark sky. At this point, it was clear to everyone that the new force was made up of robots. Looking at their exterior alone, they did not look so different from Borats robot army. They were shaped like birds, humans, and other animals. Beside Aikenseth, Reysen asked in disbelief, Since when did GAL have another force with a robot army of this caliber? Blue shot Cillin a glance before whispering, And this is why theyre so mysterious. Chapter 380: Just Because Im Cute Doesnt Mean Im Harmless! (2) Chapter 380: Just Because Im Cute Doesnt Mean Im Harmless! (2) As the distance between the two robot armies grew shorter and shorter, the robots attacking the energy shield started turning their weapons against the newcomers. Judging from the exterior alone, it looked like the two armies were equal in strength. However, Borat quickly realized that the enemy robots possessed incredible adaptability, so much so that they seemed more like well-trained soldiers in armor than actual robots. They knew how to organize themselves, find cover, and coordinate with each other depending on the situation. For example, when his robots attempted to focus down a certain enemy, a big robot would activate its energy shield to defend its ally. At the same time, the smaller robots in the area would swiftly move behind the big robot to take cover. The second the barrage was over, they would rapidly emerge from behind the big robot, zigzag a bit to keep their movements unpredictable, and launch a devastating counter attack of their own. This tactic might seem easy for a robot to execute, but it was a different story to execute it in the air and at the speed they were flying. It wasnt undoable of course, but Borat couldnt shake the feeling that something about these new robots didnt feel right. He didnt know why he was feeling like this, only that the way they moved and more instilled within him a deep sense of unease and irritation. It was during this time the two robot armies finally collided against each other. For the longest time, Borat had believed that the robot army under his command was the best robot army in the entire GAL. The Robert Family had spent enough money on them to attract the attention of any top family in the galaxy, and even the Eighth Army had chipped in some support here and there. However, his pride and belief were immediately shaken when he saw the outcome of the clash. A group of his robots had been sent flying by the collision, and while they were able to catch themselves in just a short time, the massive dent on their bodies practically announced their failure to all to see. Of course, the enemies robots hadnt gotten away unscathed, but the dents they suffered were noticeably smaller, they were restored to their pre-deformed state in almost no time at all. Both sides were made of memory alloy, and yet the new robots had recovered way faster than Borats. It wasnt just a matter of the gap between materials anymore, this outcome was proof that his robots was fundamentally inferior to the enemys in some ways. Borat might not be an exceptional researcher, but he was still a member of the Robert Family. He had seen too many things in that brief clash alone. In the sky, a robotic beast that was shaped like an eagle flew straight toward one of Borats robots. It looked like they were about to collide in mid-air, but it transformed into a boa at the last possible second and wrapped around its target. At the same time, countless sawteeth covered in high power laser emerged from its body and sliced its prey into several pieces in the blink of an eye. Similar outcomes were playing out all across the sky. The Xi Familys robots were always able to identify the circumstances correctly, adopt the best form, and kill their prey with the best method available to them. On the ground, some of the smaller robots were also battling their enemies with a similar style. Whenever they encountered a bigger opponent, they would merge together to form an entity that was as big or bigger than their enemy before annihilating them with impunity. One of the fused robots Cillin was observing had caught an enemy robots with its massive fists, ripped it in half, then turned around nimbly to punch another robot who was attempting to ambush it in the face, crushing it completely. If he wasnt mistaken, Xi Kai had most likely taken inspiration from King Kong when he designed this form. Bang! There was a cannon shot, and a giant hole appeared on the mecha King Kongs chest. It did not collapse from its injury, however. It simply split up into several smaller beasts and resumed its hunt elsewhere. What the hell are those things? A member of the Free Army could not help but blurt out. Inside the energy shield, Xi Kai put away his remote controller while declaring, These prototypes arent perfected yet, but theyll do for this battle. His tone sounded regretful, but the upturned corners of his lips revealed his true feelings. He might as well be boasting, See, my prototypes are good enough to deal with these trashes! After observing the battle situation for a moment, Cillin gestured toward Xi Mu. Lets begin the next step. A short while later, a good amount of smaller energy shields were placed on some of the larger piles of energy ores. It was to protect the energy ores from harm. It went without saying that the energy ores would be much less effective if they were blasted to smithereens by a stray shot or something. Also, since White Night had been released from the planet, they no longer needed to protect the whole area anymore. He snapped his fingers, and the Eleventh Squad immediately took off to carry out their duties. Since he had communicated his plan with his crew many times beforehand, even the newcomers such as Mogas were able to perform their responsibilities wonderfully. Finally, Cillin notified Aikenseth about their intentions. Once the Free Army was ready, Xi Kai shut down the massive energy shield. Xi Kais robots were holding back the main bulk of Borats forces, so the Eleventh Squad and the Free Army only had to deal with a small portion of them. Cary let out a whoop of excitement before charing straight toward the closest robot. In fact, the Eleventh Squad was very used to battling robots. When the crew was free, and they didnt have a training session with Shusag, Xi Kai would often pit his robots against them for research purposes. As a result, they were able to enter the zone almost immediately they joined the battlefield. However, while Cary was carving an enemy robot into sushi, he suddenly noticed that a monkey-shaped robot next to him had leaped into the air to dodge a burst of enemy fire. While spinning over its attacker, it caught the robot by the neck before landing on the ground and heaving it right over its shoulder. The poor robot drew a beautiful arc in the air before its entire body was smashed into the ground. A muscle twitched in Shusag and Carys face when they saw this. Why does this look so familiar, both men thought to themselves. It was then they recalled that Xi Kais robot had applied the exact same maneuver against them while they were training in the training room. Shusag had been skilled enough to break out of the maneuver, but Cary was not as skilled as he was. That was why he could feel it in his bones when the poor robot had been literally smashed into the ground. On a side note, the robot was smashed into the ground only because the planets ground was harder than normal, and because the victim was a robot, not a human. Had the monkey-shaped robot pulled the same maneuver on a human, it could smash them hard enough to turn them into paste and still not plant them into the ground. The strike looked fatal enough even for a robot, but the monkey-shaped robot was clearly a believer of overkill. It kicked its defeated opponent twice before turning around to face down another opponent. Cary was one hundred percent sure the monkey-shaped robot would have popped out its laser arm blade and carved the poor thing open if the other robot hadnt interrupted it. There was a chance that the enemy robot was still functional, but judging from the fact it hadnt climbed back to its feet and that it was discharging electrical sparks from time to time, it was incapable of further combat at the very least. Wheeze had no intentions of getting involved in this fight, or at least not at the beginning. Right here and now, there was nothing more important that the energy ores before its eyes. When the small pile of unprotected energy ores a few feet away from it abruptly exploded to smithereens though, it saw red and went absolutely bonkers. You meowtherfuckers! Just because Im cute doesnt mean Im harmless! And so, everyone bore witness to a round, fat, ugly gray cat transforming into a ferocious mechanical beast in the blink of an eye. Wheeze expanded its wings and shot into the sky. Then, it opened its mouth and let out a powerful roar. Everyone who heard it felt as if someone had stabbed an entire stack of needles into their eardrums. The roar was unblockable even with the helmets of their protective suits because it wasnt just made up of sound waves. This was evident from the fact that all the robots within hearing range of Wheezes roar, which was very far, started to lag all of a sudden. Xi Kais newly made robots were no exception. However, the researchers robots lagged much less than the Robert Familys robots, and the small difference was all it took to widen the gap between the two robot armies into an unbridgeable chasm. This was just the beginning, however. After wing-slapping a couple of eyesores out of its sight, Wheeze officially began venting its anger. In terms of speed, not even Xi Kais new robots were a match for it. The gray cat might be unreliable at times, but it was hardly slow-witted when it got serious. Since the moment it joined the battlefield, Borats robot army had been unable to land a solid hit on it. The best they managed was a glancing hit. Reysen visibly shuddered when Wheeze popped out its claws and went to town on a big robot. This particular enemy had beaten the crap out of his men, and the gray cat had clawed out half of its waist with a single swipe. Inside the spaceplane, Mo Heng pointed at the gray cat rampaging across the battlefield and asked Xi Kai, So, when do you think you can build a humanoid or beastial robot thats a match for Cillins pet? Xi Kai shot him a mirthless smile and said nothing. The pleased look on his face also vanished completely. Comparison breeds competitiveness, and competitiveness breeds excellence. While it was true that Xi Kais robots were superior to the Robert Familys, they were nothing compared to the gray cat. Without exaggeration, Wheezes performance had snapped Xi Kai out of his smugness and made him realize that he still had a long, long way to go. It wasnt just Wheeze either. Czedow was another robot that he felt completely out of reach to him. If Wheeze was the definition of high profile, then Czedow was the example of the complete opposite. Like a true shadow, he was someone you would notice only if you were actively looking for him. Even so, he had done countless astonishing things when no one was looking. He was an anomaly you could not help but be impressed with every time you really looked at him. Right now, Czedow was battling the robot army just like anyone else, but unlike usual he stood out like a sore thumb because of several reasons. For one, he was dressed in casual clothing when everyone else was covered in protective suit or Armor. Two, he was fighting with his bare hands. Three, he had no wings like Wheeze, but he was flying no slower than all of the robots around him. And four, his attacks were neither flashy nor impressive-looking, but the trail of bodies he left in his wake could only be described as terrifying. Mo Heng was right. When could he build a robot like this? When could he create a robot army where every robot was as strong as Czedow or Wheeze? He had a long, long, long way to go. Mo Heng scratched his gray hair and let out an awkward chuckle when he saw Xi Kais mood going from highly spirited all the way to gravely solemn. Not knowing what to say, he kept his silence and returned to watching the battle on the screen. He was old, as much as he hated to admit it, he could only watch a battle like this from a safe space now. That did not mean he had departed the battlefield, however. When he built Cary and his friends their space fighters, when he improved the Eleventh Squads weaponry, and when he watched these children fighting on the battlefield with his creations, he felt like he was right there with them. His heart might be old, but his blood still boiled just as easily as ever. Meanwhile, Cillin wasnt idle either. On one hand, he wielded a thin, long blade that carved through any metal as if they did not exist. On the other, he wielded the PTS S, a Snake King that devoured any and every without mercy. Not only did the robots shot by the PTS S crumbled to the ground with little to no resistance, Aikenseth, Reysen and Blue all noticed that quite a number of robots had exploded before they even got close to him. Heck, he wasnt even pointing his gun at them, but they were still destroyed somehow. Aikenseth recalled the first time they had encountered Cillin and Czedow on the passenger ship. He had no doubt they would have died if he had given in to his suspicion and chosen to fight the young man back then. Forget Czedow, Cillin alone couldve sent them all to hell without a scratch, and while he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, he was sure that that strange cat had been on the ship as well. Once again, he was glad that he had not made an enemy out of the Eleventh Squad. It might be a small, unassuming force with only a few stars in it, but they had pleasantly surprised him so many times that it would be outright idiotic to continue to judge the book by its over. We must continue this alliance no matter what. That was the promise Aikenseth made to himself after this experience. Unnoticed by Aikenseth, Blue was experiencing a revelation of her own. What caught her attention was the blade Cillin was wielding. Most people wouldnt be able to recognize it, but she knew because her late adopted fathera former boss in Sector V who was assassinated by his enemieshad kept a diary, and inside was a record the infamous Star Rank Hunter, Oskulos and his thin, long blade. Blue was already suspicious when Cillin had pulled out the blade, but after she saw him cutting down the robots with borderline supernatural easesomething their expensive blades could could barely achieveshe became certain that it was none other than the blade of Oskulos! Oskulos was killed by someone. That was the rumor that had spread throughout the entire Sector V. However, there had never been a definite conclusion as to who his killer was. Some people said that it was the other Star Rank Hunters who did him in, and some said that it was the Heavenly Edict Generals who did it. No one had any reason to suspect otherwise because at their level, it was almost unthinkable that they could die to anyone else. But now, Blue discovered that Cillin was wielding Oskulos blade. How could she not be shocked? Just who on earth is he?! Xi Kais robot army, the Eleventh Squad and the Free Army werent the only ones who were fighting against the Robert Familys robot army. From time to time, traps such as spike traps, pinion traps and more would appear out of nowhere and impede the robots further. They were all controlled by White Night as a matter of course. The planet had had many visitors in the past, but they had all been devoured without leaving a trace behind. The traps might be far less effective against robots than they were organics, but they were still a major boon for Cillins side. The tide began to turn in their favor. Inside the spaceplane, Borat looked like a demented man as he watched the ongoing battle with bloodshot eyes, fingers scratching his own head hard enough to bloody the scalp and tear out chunks of his well-groomed hair and muttering indecipherable things underneath his breath. When a subordinate came over and tried to persuade him to escape, he slapped them hard enough to bleed out of their mouths. His subordinates did not care about the act of violence, however. Together, they physically dragged him away from the control room and toward the escape ship. Keeping Borat alive was their number one priority because it was a direct order from the higher-ups of the Robert Family. If they failed their duty, they and their families would all be going to the grave with him. Half an hour later, a disc-shaped spaceplane abruptly ejected itself from the main spaceplane and sped toward the sky. Borat and his main subordinates were all inside as a matter of course. The spaceplane was clearly a special construct. Xi Kais robots tried to shoot it down, but it was gone in just the blink of an eye. Meow dammit! I cant believe he got away! Wheeze exclaimed in anger before grabbing an enemy robot who was unfortunate enough to be in its path at this exact moment. As if venting its emotions, it swallowed the robot in one gulp, chewed visibly a couple of times, before spitting out the pile of scrap metal it had been turned into. Xi Kai pressed a fist to his forehead when he saw this. How the fuck am I supposed to create a robot like this!? The mastermind had escaped, and the remaining enemies were all fodders. So, Wheeze ditched the robots and flew straight toward the abandoned spaceplane, hoping that Borat had left behind some valuables in his haste to escape. Chapter 381: You May Join The Squad Chapter 381: You May Join The Squad Wheeze deeply resented the Robert Family not just because of past offenses, but also because the spaceplane had suddenly exploded before it was able to get much out of it. If the spaceplane hadnt exploded, and if they hadnt discovered this planet, it would have dug out even the energy ore reserves on the spaceplane. They were worth some credits after all. Of course, that wasnt necessary anymore since there were tons of top-grade energy ores just lying in the ground waiting to be dug out. So, Wheeze cursed loudly at the exploding spaceplane before returning to the ground. It did not even look at the others as it resumed its mining operation. No one was stupid enough to attract its attention right now as a matter of course. It wasnt long before only a handful of enemy robots were still struggling, and the amount of debris falling from the sky had decreased considerably. They also ceased burning far quickly than they normally did planet had an unusual atmospheric composition. The sky quickly regained its dark gray color in just a short time. Cillin took a moment observe the debris on the ground before shifting his gaze to the struggling robots. Their behavior had not been affected by the departure of the spaceplane at all, meaning that they were both capable of independent behavior and carrying out their masters orders faithfully. To be honest, ignoring the fact that they were mindless, the robot army definitely deserved to be called one of the best in the entire GAL. They just had the misfortune of running into the one robot-making family that owned a better robot army than them, the Xi Family. If Xi Kai was the only man behind his robot army, then this battle wouldve been a lot closer than it was. However, the incredible genius, Xi Mu also had a hand in creating the robot army. As a result, the Robert Family had suffered a crushing defeat in the hands of the Xi Family. As if that wasnt bad enough, things were only going to get worse for the Robert Family when Moon finally shared his secrets with the Xi Family. Although the robot hadnt said anything about this, Cillin had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before it happened. Some members of the Free Army had begun cleaning up the battlefield while the rest resumed their mining duties. Since the enemies were dead, they could mine the ores without worry now. A Free Army soldier walked up to a big pile of ores with his tool with the intention of extracting it when suddenly, a pair of claws wrapped around it. The next moment, the head of a seemingly harmless cat popped out from behind the ore. Wheeze bared its fangs at the Free Army soldier and hissed as it held the energy ore tightly. After the guy had recovered from his shock, he did not hesitate to escape like the plague was nipping at its heels. Pleased with the Free Army soldiers abundance of wisdom, Wheeze did not pressure him further and returned to his ores. A couple of Free Army soldiers exchanged glances with each other before grimacing. Screw it, Id rather lose some money than provoke a cat that could literally crush a robot between its teeth. The Free Army thought that Wheeze was just acting territorialit was standard behavior for a lot of animals after allbut everyone in the Eleventh Squad would have told them it was complete bull if they knew what they were thinking. Wheeze certainly had territorial instincts, but right now it was defending the energy ores not because it was feeling territorial, but because it saw the energy ores as mountains and mountains of fish biscuits through its, well, fish biscuit-tinted lens. In other words, it was defending its food. That was all there is to it! Aikenseth noticed this and engaged Cillin in a short discussion. They quickly decided the zones they would be mining not just because it would be faster this way, but also to avoid clashing with one another. The Eleventh Squad got the bigger share of the pie, but the Free Army had zero problems with that. The sky was still full of robots after all. If they pissed off the Eleventh Squad enough to turn on them, it would only end badly for them. So, they resigned themselves to be good boys and girls and focused on reaping the profits they were allowed to thoroughly. The good news was that everyone Aikenseth brought wasnt just good at fighting, they were also a lot more intelligent than your average Sector V crazy. There was no bad news, so everyone was happy. Now that the crisis was over, and the Xi Familys robot army was keeping watch in the sky, Sir Mo deemed it safe enough to walk out and explore the planet a little. While most peoples attention was on the energy ores themselves, he was more interested in learning how the energy ores came to be. Although he wasnt an expert in this field, he had researched something similar in the past. After a thorough investigation, he had the feeling that the energy ore hadnt taken form naturally. He believed that someone had applied some sort of technology on the planets unique environment and magnetic field to create these energy ores. He had no idea how they did it as a matter of course, but he definitely noticed artificial traces here and there. They just werent obvious due to the passage of time. After Mo Heng voiced his concerns to Cillin, the young man simply smiled and told him that he didnt need to look too deeply into it. Mo Heng sighed. There would always be unrivaled geniuses no matter the era. Its just that some were discovered and became famous overnight, and some were not and remained unknown to this day. Cillin had never told his master about the Xi Family because it wasnt the right time. Mo Heng knew that Cillin was hiding something but also pretended to be foolish and play along with the deception. In fact, during his time with the Eleventh Squad, Mo Heng had come to glimpse many, many hidden truths, but pretended he did not notice any of them. This was no different. If Cillin told him he didnt need to look deep into it, then he would feign ignorance as usual. Despite the total victory, it wasnt like the Eleventh Squad and the Free Army had gotten away completely unscathed. Most members of the Eleventh Squad had suffered minor injuries, and Scarlet Wind in particular had hurt his claws quite severely. On the other hand, the Free Army suffered much more damage and even lost a couple of people. This was the best possible outcome though. If the Eleventh Squad wasnt here, or if they had chosen not to support them during the battle, they would have suffered a lot more casualties at best, or total annihilation at worst. Aikenseth was very grateful for their aid. On a side note, there were projectors in the underground in the areas where the energy ores were denser. It was why White Night was able to appear as a projection in those places. Right now, the ghostly woman was walking with Moon and Sigma, but no one except them knew what they were talking about. Their conversation was literally soundless, spoken in a language that ordinary people could not hear at all. When the conversation was over, Moon led White Night into their spaceplane. Wheeze followed them after nothing that the zones had been assigned, and it did not need to watch over the energy ores like a hound anymore. Your name is White Night? Wheeze asked the ghostly woman from atop a shelf. As of late, it found itself enjoying looking down on people from a tall place more and more. It gave it a smug sense of superiority. White Night stared at it instead of answering. She knew that the gray cat was special after the previous battle. Wheezes tail looped on itself as it continued, You know, I have an acquaintance in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire whos also called White Night. But unlike you, hes a guy, and he has black and white eye rims that makes him look like a silly panda. Its not like the two of you are completely dissimilar though. You both have facial nerve paralysis. White Night, Moon: ... Do the words indirect and politeness not exist in this cats dictionary?! Although White Night was always expressionless, Moon knew for a fact that Wheezes comment had disturbed her greatly. In fact, White Night wasnt always called White Night. She had gained that name due to the energy ores and the Genesis Mythos. Her original name was only one word, White. Dont take it to heart, White Night. Both GAL and the Mist Bodhisattva Empire are huge. Its only natural that plenty of people would share the same name, Sigma hurriedly consoled her. White Ghost. What? Wheeze bent an ear while still staring at the ghostly woman. White Night is the name of the energy ore. Please call me White Ghost from now on, White Ghost said. Moon spun his arms and circled around White Ghost once. Sure. Im still going to call you Little White though. Moon told Wheeze a little about White Ghosts history after that. Now that the ghostly woman had been completely released from this planet, she no longer had to guard the energy ores for eternity anymore. Plus, Moon believed that members of the Xi Family should stick together, so of course White Ghost should join him and Sigma. Wheeze flicked its tail lazily while staring at White Ghost with its round eyes for a while. Finally, it said, You dont look like a bad person. Fine. You may join the squad! Cary just happened to be walking into the room when he heard Wheezes comment. He smirked a little, smacked the gray cats head with his extraction tool, then ran like hell before Wheeze could rain hell upon him. He even dropped the tool so he could escape faster. Wheeze spun around and hissed at Cary as the man vanished around the corner. Its claws were already extended, but it slowly retracted them after deciding that it could just take revenge later. It was going steal everything in Carys food cabinet later. White Ghost watched this scene with an indecipherable look in her eyes. To an outsider, she was just a virtual character that was composed of programs. But in reality, White Ghost possessed her own thoughts just like any other person. Her sentience was what impressed Xi Kai the more than anything. While smoothening the fur that had been messed up by Cary with its forelimbs, Wheeze suddenly recalled something and asked White Ghost, Oh right, when did you become Czedows girlfriend? White Ghost: ... Whos Czedow? White Ghost looked at the two Origin robots. Moon was playing with his finger with his head lowered, and Sigma was looking left and right. She said, I want to know too. Chapter 382: Fish, Dried Fish, Fish Biscuits (1) Chapter 382: Fish, Dried Fish, Fish Biscuits (1) The place was covered in wreckages. The cleaner robots only cleaned up the wreckages within the mining areas and ignored the countless mechanical debris and smashed up robots beyond them. The Free Army cared even less for them, doing only the bare minimum to deal with their own dead and wounded. Everyone was busy mining the ores right now. Czedow was currently standing amidst the wreckage and thinking god-knows-what. He looked melancholic and lonely amidst the dark environment, or at least that was what Cary thought after seeing him. The man was running circles around the outskirts because he had just hit Wheeze with a tool. After he saw Czedow standing alone in the wreckage, he suddenly took diverted from his original path and walked toward the robot. In Carys opinion, the battlefield had probably evoked some emotions within the robot. Czedow was a robot, and the wreckages around them were technically his own kind. It made sense that Czedow was wrestling with emotions just like how a human would feel emotional if they stood on a battlefield strewn with human corpses for the first time. Hey man. Why are you acting sad by your lonesome? Cary asked while giving Czedow a casual pat on the shoulder. Czedow slowly turned around to face the Hunter. The robots expression betrayed no signs of sadness whatsoever, but Cary thought it was just another case of facial paralysisan illness that was commonly shared by all robotsand continued, Theres no need to think too much about this. As Hunters, this is a sight were going to encounter a lot more often in the future. Take me for example. The first time I saw a corpse-strewn battlefield, I gotta admit that I felt pretty bad myself. Enemies or not, they were all people just like me after all. That said, youll get used to it eventually, not to mention that some bastards do deserve to die. Just think of all the pains these robots put us through just now Cary wasnt done comforting Czedow yet, but he abruptly saw Wheeze leading Moon, Sigma and White Ghost toward them from the corner of his eyes. They were pretty silent, but White Ghost was just way too eye-catching. He would be a failure of a Hunter if he missed someone as obvious as her. Ahem, anyway, I need to go and help out the gang, so Ill leave you to your thoughts. Bye! Cary ran away as soon as he left behind these parting words. There was no way he was staying and giving a certain fat cat the chance to take revenge against him. Wheeze ran all the way to Czedow before leaping onto his shoulder. It then patted the robot with its paw as emphasis while saying, This here is Czedow! Czedow looked at Wheeze, Moon, Sigma, and finally White Ghost. Then, he looked back at Wheeze and asked, Whats the matter? Oh, its nothing. Little White said she doesnt know you, so I brought her over to introduce the two of you to each other! She is your girlfriend after all, said Wheeze while licking its paws innocently. It pretended not to notice Moons hand gestures. Czedow and White Ghost looked at Moon at the same time, and Moon lowered his head while fidgeted with his oval, metallic thumbs. Suddenly, he let out ah Oh! before asking Czedow, What was Cary talking to you about? Is it a secret? It was one of the worst attempts at changing a subject Czedow had ever seen, but he gave Moon face and answered, Its nothing. Cary thought I was feeling melancholic and decided to show me his support, thats all. What? What is there to be sad about all these? Wheeze tilted its head in confusion. Czedow responded with a helpless look of his own. I dont know either. Maybe the human psyche is fragile enough that a sight like this makes them feel sentimental or something? Moon scratched his round head. If its not that, then why are you here? Theres nothing here but trash. Im searching for useful information, Czedow replied. Info? Yes. Czedow pointed at a nearby robot with its head bashed in and its lower half of the body missing. He then projected a hologram from his eyes. The footage was intermittent and incredibly blurry, but they could see two people in the hologram. One of them was Robert Borat, and the other person was flickering too much even for them to see. Is this It is their memories. The hologram disappeared after Czedows eyes had turned back to normal. So, youre saying we should read the memories of these dead robots and acquire potentially useful information for ourselves, Wheeze asked. Not really. You can only read the memories of robots that are neither too dead nor awake. Moreover, these memories are always incomplete due to the damage they suffered. Its up to luck whether well find any useful information among them. Curious, Wheeze, Moon Sigma and even White Ghost tried to read the robots memories using the method that was outlined by Czedow, but the amount of robots that were stuck between death and wakefulness were just too few. Most of the robots were fully dead, and even when they found a robot that was stuck between the two states, they were unable to perform up to Czedows level. Screw it! Im not doing this anymore! Wheeze exploded while putting a hole into a dead robot. No matter how hard it tried, all it got from the near dead robot it was reading was a bunch of indecipherable images. That said, it was wise enough to take out its anger on a dead robot instead of the near dead one. Czedow walked over and read the memories of the robot Wheeze had left behind. He didnt discover anything either, but he decided to save the memories and reassemble them after the mission was over. Given enough time, he should be able to find something useful. We could dig out more secrets of the Robert Family if we could collect more information. Itll make our future operations easier and benefit us in some ways, Wheeze said while standing atop of another dead robot and scratching its exterior again and again. Cats were extremely grudgeful creatures, and it would never forget that it had let Robert Borat escape and failed to get any real benefit from the bastard! However, Czedow surprised them by saying, No, these memories can only be used as points of reference. They might not necessarily be a true representation of things. Robots do not lie! Moon argued. Moon disagreed with him because his master used to say that robots were extremely honest creatures because unlike humans, their memories never changes. Yeah! My thoughts exactly! Wheeze echoed in agreement. Czedow let out a sigh and pushed away a robot blocking his way with his leg. Then, he sat in front of Wheeze, held out his palm, and projected the hologram of a fish. Specifically, it was the fish Wheeze was raising in the small pond Sigma had created in his indoors fruit garden. What is this? Czedow asked. Its a fish, duh! Wheeze answered immediately. The hologram changed, and this time it showed a plate of dried fishes. It was the kind Wheeze often ate. What about this? A plate of dried fishes! The hologram into a bag of fish biscuits; Wheezes favorite flavor. What about this? Fishbiscuits! Wheezes eyes grew brighter and brighter. Finally, the bag of fish biscuits transformed into a full-course meal of fishes. It was something Wheeze craved but almost never got to enjoy. Czedow asked again, What do you hate the most? Wheeze started salivating when it saw the tableful of fishes in Czedows hologram. Its pupils dilated, and its voice turned high-pitched as it yelled in delight, A full~ course~ meal Wheeze stiffened like a statue before it could finish. Its ears moved backward, and its whiskers trembled restlessly as it fell into deep thought. What do you hate the most what do you hate the most Moon, Sigma and White Ghost were utterly silent. When it came to perspective taking, they might not necessarily have done better than Wheeze. Czedow withdrew his palm and removed the hologram. The memories are real, but they arent necessarily accurate. Perhaps you wouldve answered correctly if I had asked the final question separately, or if I hadnt shown you that final image. Czedow gave Wheeze a head rub before resuming his search for more memories. Meanwhile, Elder Mo was resting on a rock not far away from the robotic group. After Czedows demonstration was over, he gave Cillin a tap on the back before pointing at the robot, asking, How on earth did you manage to build such an incredible robot? Cillin rubbed his forehead. If you asked me this question a couple of years ago, I couldve given you a proper answer. Now, Im not sure anymore. Chapter 382: Fish, Dried Fish, Fish Biscuits (2) Chapter 382: Fish, Dried Fish, Fish Biscuits (2) Czedows learning ability was just too good. Not only was he picking a lot of practical experiences by interacting with others, his hobby was reading, and his favorite genre was all of them. During their stay the affiliated schools, he had read an ancient paperback classical literature analysis book that no student in their right mind would even touch for an entire day, and held nightly discussions with the students on all kinds of recreational and leisure activities. Heck, he just gave Wheeze of all people a lesson on psychology a moment ago. The question I really want to ask is, are you sure your cat wont become a bigger headache in the future? Czedow was a logical person because that was his nature, but Wheeze was fundamentally different from all the other sapient robots they knew until now. To the cat, mechanical rationality was worth less than a single fish biscuit. Cillin could not answer that question. The cats mind was nothing like a robot or an animal. Speaking of which, the reason Czedow had an easier time reading the memories of robots than the others was because Cillin had created him using the Robert Familys first generation liquid nucleus chip. Of course, that chip had taken on a completely different shape since a long time ago, but he still knew about their technology and circuitries better than anyone else. Two days later, the Eleventh Squad was more or less done with their tasks, and the Free Army was ready to head home as well. This mission had been a fruitful one all thanks to the Eleventh Squad. Without them, the amount of people who couldve escaped aliveand that was a big ifcould probably be counted on one hand. They also collected all the debris because they could salvage plenty of valuable metals from them, and right now the Free Army lacked materials more than anything else. Cillin did not take that from them as a matter of course. The materials he and Xi Kai had brought back from the Mist Bodhisattva Empire would last them a long time still. Thanks for everything. I owe you another one. I might be the one who told you about this place, but I highly doubt we wouldve survived without the Eleventh Squad. So, thanks again, Aikenseth said. Youre welcome. This is a partnership, and weve both done our part. Yeah. Ill keep an eye on the planet for you. Sure. They could have extracted all of the energy ores on the planet, but instead they chose to extract only most of them. The rest were left behind as a primer so that these energy ores would form again thousands and thousands of years later. After bidding the Free Army goodbye, Cillin rounded up the others and got ready to leave as well. The Origin robots had wiped out all remaining traces of the Xi Family from the planet, so they werent afraid of someone showing up and discovering some critical information in the future. As for the secrets revolving around the planet itself, Cillin thought he knew the answer even though Moon hadnt spoken to him about it. There was no way the Xi Family only had one such planet. The old Xi Family had probably hidden many more in undiscovered corners of the galaxy for the descendants who might need them in the far, far future. And so the Eleventh Squad returned to their starship with a new recruit. There were plenty of projectors in the starship, and their new alien friend could be seen on most of them. Their super AI, Little Eleven was very happy that it got a new friend to converse with. In his room, Cillin was sorting out some of the information he collected during the mission and considering some practical problems related to his new Water bullet. How powerful was the Water bullet if he were to use it in a water-deprived environment? On the planet, Cillin had tested it out and found that the crystallization process was much slower than normal, and the effects subpar. Not only was it unable to unleash its usual power, the formed crystal was pretty impure. This meant that it was a lot more fragile and breakable than normal. What if I use some other substance? Could I achieve the same effect? Unfortunately, Cillin had to give up after calculating for a long time and finding no solution. It was like that sometimes. Lying prone in his chair, Cillin sucked in a deep, relaxing breath before looking at Wheeze. The gray cat was currently dozing off on a table with its head hanging off the edge of the table. He had no idea how it was able to sleep so well with such a terrible posture. It had been silent for a time after Czedows lesson, but it wasnt long before it returned to its usual annoying self. As if to prove it was fine, it even broke into Carrys storage cabinet and stole his stuff as usual. Cillin stretched his limbs for a bit before leaving his room. He was going to speak with Eudy about their future plans when he rounded a corner and saw Czedow sitting on a long bench and reading a book. The robot often did his reading here because the animals didnt play here, meaning that there wouldnt be any sudden interruption. It was also more isolated, quiet, and closer to his room compared to most places on the starship. Suddenly, Czedow spoke up, Save your energy. You wont be able to infect me. A white figure appeared next to him a second later. It was White Ghost. Czedow shifted his gaze over to the electronic entity before continuing, Nothing can infect me without my permission. White Ghost stared at him for a moment before pointing at his book. Why are you reading when you can just transmit the data to form permanent memories? What I enjoy is the process of reading. While reading, I am able to learn many things and feel less like a rigid machine. White Ghost couldnt quite understand what he meant. It was because Moon had said that they were all advanced robots that were nothing like a standard, rigid robot. She agreed, which was why Czedows explanation made no sense to her. Sensing White Ghosts puzzlement, Czedow flipped his hand over and projected a blank hologram above his palm. Take drawing as an example. Lets say I wish to draw a sea creature, so I do this A huge, sinister-looking sea creature appeared on the hologram. Its large, wide dorsal fin looked like a massive blade that cuts through the waves. But is this really a drawing? No, it isnt. Its just a picture I projected directly from my brain. I hadnt done any drawing at all. Next, he fished out a carbon-colored, ancient-looking pencil and a sketchbook from the backpack beside him. He put down his book, placed the sketchbook on his thighs, flipped to a blank page and began drawing with the pencil. He drew an outline first before adding in the details. Slowly but surely, the sea creature in the hologram began to take form. White Ghost watched in silence as Czedow eventually finished his drawing. She felt like she was starting to understand what he meant, but only just. She did not have a physical body after all. Expressing data via virtual transmission was her daily life. She could not perform physical activities like Czedow or Moon, and she could only operate within the virtual world. Even the shape she assumed was fake; meshes of data combined to give the appearance of a woman. She was like a soul without a body. Would you like to give it a try? Czedow asked smilingly. How? Her voice remained cold, but this time there was a hint of hope within. Czedow raised his right arm. Its color slowly transformed from human to silver; the silver of unfinished robots. White Ghost looked surprised at first. Then, she sat down next to Czedow andslowly, gingerlyoverlapped their arms. As Czedow said, nothingvirus or programcould infect him without his permission. But now, White Ghost could possess his arm because he had temporarily shut down the restrictions in his arm. From an outsiders perspective, it looked like their arms had merged as one. The silver arm slowly regained its human color after that, but this time it had a white outline. It looked like they were holding the pencil with their palms pressed tightly against one another. The duo started sketching a small, somewhat exaggerated but incredibly cute drawing of a sea beast next to Czedows drawing. It was Blueskin standing on its tail like a seal and spitting water out of its huge mouth. A smile cracked across Cillins lips as he watched the duo from the corner. He was about to turn around and leave when suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Oh! Czedows picking up White Ghost? Then, its eyes bulged in disbelief and envy. Why are they drawing Blueskin? They should draw me instead! Cillin caught the fatty before it could disturb the duo and walked toward the other end of the corridor. Meow dammit, Im gotta tell Moon and the others about it! After Cillin had exited the corridor and released Wheeze, the gray cat immediately took off to the Origin robots location to share his new gossip with them. On the way, Dough leaped onto its back and clung to its fur before they both vanished around the corner. Oh, good timing, Cillin. I was just about to call you, Eudy said when he walked out of the bridge and saw him. Cillin followed him back into the bridge, and Eudy showed him the encrypted message he just received. The message contained nothing substantial. All it contained was a frequency band and a message to contact the sender through the band. After Cillin had decrypted the frequency band and altered the frequency band of the bridges comms device to match it, a person appeared on the screen. I was just wondering when youll respond to our message, hehe. Long time no see, kid! Cillin frowned. He hadnt seen this man before, but he did remember his voice. It was a surprise to say the least. Chapter 383: Yin Wushe, Space Battle (1) Chapter 383: Yin Wushe, Space Battle (1) The middle-aged man looked incredibly average. His clothes and appearance did not stand out in any way, and there was no tremendous pressure that one could feel even through a screen. He looked ordinary enough to step into a crowd and disappear just like that. He was also the one holding the answers Cillin had been looking for this whole time. The first time Cillin had heard this voice, he was semi conscious at the grade one prison planet at Sector S. The voice had even hypnotized him so that he would be unable to recall what happened to him before he fainted in a calm state of mind. Although this was the first time Cillin had ever seen this middle-aged man, he had never forgotten his voice. He hadnt saved Cillin that day, but he hadnt taken his life either. Yin Wushe (Merciless)? Cillin asked while staring at the man on the screen. So, you recognize me, The man let out a chuckle before shoving a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and smacking his lips. I remember your voice. I deduced what happened based on later events, Cillin replied. Although the mission in Sector S had not gone well, Cillin was fairly impressed by Yin Wushe. Yin Wushe was the leader of the killer organization Merciless. He was the one who led his organization to the top and become known as the greatest killer organization in GAL alongside Mist. In fact, both organizations were so special that they existed in a category of their own. Their names were automatically excluded from the usual killer organization rankings because they wouldve just dominated the first and second place every time. They were just too powerful and influential. A good comparison would be the giants of electronic publications, Glory and Code. No one even came close to challenging their spot at the top of the world. Today, the man who could face down Grim Reaper had sought him out for a conversation. What was he planning? Cillin had no idea. The middle-aged man finished his ice cream and scratched his beard a little. Cillin wasnt sure if he noticed, but there was cream in his beard. The first time we ran into each other is in that prison in Sector S, right? You know, that time Blue Phantom kicked your ass and left you half-dead. Cillin: ... Looks like Yin Wushe is an outspoken man. The Blue Phantom he spoke of was probably that blue-skinned woman wielding blue light blades. Eudy shot Cillin a glance. He had no idea that his commander had such a uh, interesting past. Cillin replied, She did give me quite the fright, but youre the reason I was half-dead. It was true he was no match for Blue Phantom back then, but a sudden force had pulled him back into the passage and dealt him a terrible blow right before he was about to escape. He was pretty sure that the culprit was none other than the middle-aged man in front of him, even if he was doing his best impression of a sloppy eater! The middle-aged man looked visibly surprised. You serious? Thats weird. Im pretty sure Im not in the habit of interacting with people far below my power level. Cillin and Eudy: ... While it was true that Cillin was, from a galactic point of view, fairly average back then, Eudy thought he was plenty strong for a member of the Sixth B Squadron. For Yin Wushe to say that he was so far below his power level he wasnt even worth interacting with where does that leave me then? I remember having one foot on the exit before you pulled me back in, Cillin said slowly. Yun Wushe slapped his head as if to jolt his memory and thought long and hard for a moment. Five seconds later, he waved his hand and declared, I cant remember, lad! Im old enough that my memorys pretty fuzzy these days! Cillin and Eudy: ... Cillin decided to change the subject and asked, Anyway, why did you send us that message? Since most of us are far below your power level so to speak. Oh, thats because I heard that you guys taught a brat of the Robert Family a lesson. Also, I helped tie up a loose end for you guys, so I believe you owe me a thanks. Borats dead? Cillin and Eudy exchanged a glance. Whether Yin Wushe was telling the truth didnt matter. What mattered was how he found out about their conflict against Borat in the first place, and how he just happened to run into the fleeing Borat. There were only two possibilities. One, Merciless had been watching on Borat. Two, they had been watching the Eleventh Squadron. If they had been keeping an eye on Borat, then it was unsurprising that they would wipe out the remnants after his main force was destroyed. But if they had been watching the Eleventh Squadron from the start, then Cillin mulled it over for a moment before commenting, Youre a man of great foresight, arent you? Yin Wushe gave a slightly mocking bow. You praise me too much! Youve been watching us, havent you? Cillin asked. Yep, Yin Wunshe answered honestly. In fact, Ive been wanting to speak with you for a while. I kept running into your robot substitute though. Yin Wushe had definitely come prepared, and he had investigated the Eleventh Squad extensively. So, what business do you have with the Eleventh Squad? Were just a new and insignificant B Squadron in Vanguard. As you just put it yourself, there exists gulf between your strength and ours. I dont believe we have had much interaction with each other. A gulf, huh? Yin Wushe pressed a finger to his chin. If thats true, then who was the guy who gave my subordinates quite the scare? You know, the Rhapsody of a Rainy Night? When the Eleventh Squad had gone to rescue Mo Heng, they had encountered a few members from Merciless: Silver, Stola and Judy. Not only did the trio fail to gain the upper hand against Czedow and Shusag, Judy in particular was taught quite the lesson in humility. To say that their comrades were surprised by their sorry state after the trio wrapped up their mission and returned home would be an understatement. In fact, they couldnt remember the last time they ever looked that sorry. After the trio had reported told Yin Wushe everything that had happened, he deduced that Cillin was the reason behind their near failure based on the info he had collected. For example, Shusag was recognized even though he had worn a disguise during his mission at the Miracle base. The more Merciless looked into the Eleventh Squad, the more puzzled they became. The Eleventh Squadron was supposed to be completely insignificant, so why did it feel like they were hiding a ton of secrets? And why was their commander using a robot as his substitute? Cillin and Czedow had been conspicuously missing when Merciless had begun looking into the Eleventh Squad. It wasnt until their mission on the energy planet did they resurface. Naturally, Yin Wushe was more curious than ever before. Anyone who could give a member of the Merciless a run for their money was someone deserving of respect and caution, but he certainly wasnt expecting a mere B Squadroneven if they were one of the Great Fourto be able to infiltrate a Miracle base and even teach his men a lesson in humility. Lets meet up. There are certain things that Id like to speak with you in person, Yin Wushe said with a serious expression. Youre gonna give us a jumpscare if I say no, arent you? Cillin ordered before Yin Wushe could respond, Top priority scan. At first, Yin Wushe did not understand what Cillin mean by that. A moment later, an embarrassed-looking Judy gestured for her boss to take a look at a nearby screen. Yin Wushe turned and saw a single message on a monitor of their bridge: I found you. When Cillin gave the order to conduct a top priority scan, Little Eleventh would invest all of its processing power to locate the target. If the starship was unable to find the target, then Moon, Sigma and Czedow would jump in to help. Cillin did not believe there was anyone in the world who could escape detection when they worked together, and he was right. In less than ten seconds, they had dug out the spaceplane hiding behind a cluster of moons behind a massive gas giant. Hah! Now thats interesting. That makes the second time you got your ass kicked, piglet, Yin Wushe said with a laugh. Judys complexion turned from blue to red, and then red to black. Boss. Can you please call me by a different nickname? No can do, piglet, replied Yin Wushe before turning back to the screen and continuing his conversation with Cillin as if nothing had happened. At the same time, he gestured for his subordinates to fly the spaceplane to the Eleventh Squads starship. Upon learning that they were meeting face to face with Merciless, one of the two greatest killer organization in GAL, everyone (except gluttons such as Wheeze and Snowball) turned serious immediately. Carys hands were shaking not out of fear, but of excitement. I cannot believe Merciless is coming to our ship! How many Hunters can claim that theyve had the honor of meeting the org face to face, not to mention that their legendary boss, Yin Wushe himself? Woohoo! He was unable to calm down despite taking many long, deep breaths. A killer organization operated very differently from a hunter regiment, and unlike the generic killer organization Mist and Merciless rarely made an appearance. In fact, there was so much mystery shrouding Mist and Merciless that Cary was more interested in them than even the infamous Grim Reaper. Xiao Shang was more worried than excited for more or less the same reason. He had heard of Merciless since he became a Hunter. To his younger, more inexperienced self, the two killer organizations might as well be a myth concocted to scare newbie Hunters like him. Even after the two organizations shedded their veil of mystery and began making more high profile splashes in the news, he had never been tempted to get close to them in any way. After all, they were the type of org whose usual targets were prominent members of GALs political and military scene. To that, Xiao Shang could only say that he would never be on that level. But now, the same people were coming to their ship. Arent you guys worried at all? asked Ba Dao after casting a look at his fellow crewmates. Mogas was even more excited than Cary was, and the rest of the crew were a mixture of worry and expectation, but mostly expectation. What is even there to be afraid of? Or do you want me to protect you guys? Youre going to have to pay a protection fee though! Wheeze declared while flying around the room. Yeah, no. I havent even gotten payback for the stuff you stole from my cabinet yet, Cary retorted while tidying his equipment. He suddenly recalled something. Oh right, Shusag, you said you clashed against Merciless before? Yeah. Czedow was there too. How did it go? Im standing here, arent I? answered Shusag while flicking his collar. Theyre pretty strong, but not so strong that you need to be afraid of them. While I cant say I can beat them 100% of the time, Czedow is a different story. If Cillin hadnt called in at the right time, Czedow wouldve defeated them all singlehandedly. Everyones mouth turned into an O-shape when they heard this. They had no idea that the true monster was among them this whole time. It went to show how good Czedow was at keeping a low profile. Chapter 383: Yin Wushe, Space Battle (2) Chapter 383: Yin Wushe, Space Battle (2) Everyone thought that Merciless would be boarding their starship, but in reality that wasnt the case. Maybe it was just habitual alertness, but Yin Wushes spaceplane had stopped after coming within tens of kilometers of the Eleventh Squads starship. Meanwhile, Yin Wushe was still conversing with Cillin, Lets have a fight. If you win, then Ill give you a useful intel. What intel are we talking about, exactly? Cillin asked. Vanguard, of course. Do I look like the type to speak nonsense? Behind Yin Wushe, everyone curled their lips at the exact same moment. Yes, actually. If only you would talk less nonsense all the time. Okay. How do you want to do this? Cillin asked. Hmm Yin Wushe observed the space outside his spaceplane for a moment, Two members each, space battle. A fighter duel, then? What? Of course not. This is gonna be a good ol love-making session. Cillin: ... Once again, everyone on Merciless side was facepalming in shame and humiliation. In the end, Judy was the one who spoke up, Boss, they wont understand our internal language. There was no way to tell if Yin Wushes look of realization was genuine or not. In any case, he explained, Thats what we call hand-to-hand combat in our organization. In this case, it means fighting in space wearing protective suits only. Cillin asked again, The location? The middle-aged man made a hand gesture, and an image appeared on Cillins screen. It was the space between their spaceships. You see this asteroid belt here? Its close enough, the battlefield looks good, and there are no risk of electromagnetic storm. Its perfect. You havent told us what you want if we lose, said Eudy with worry in his tone. As the vice commander of the Eleventh Squadron, Eury had spent a good amount of time looking into Merciless. That was why he felt far more worry than Cary and the others. No matter what the outcome of this duel was, it wouldnt change the fact that they had come under Merciless attention. What happens if you lose? Hmm, the energy ores you dug up a while ago looks pretty good. How about twenty percent of what you have? Yin Wushe said. Eudy looked at Cillin. Commander? We accept. How many rounds are we fighting though? One? Three? Cillin asked. One is enough. Any more than that is just a waste of time. Will you be fighting? Of course not. Why would I get involved in a childrens game? A childrens game, he says It was an annoying way of putting things, but Eudy supposed it made sense coming from a legend like Yin Wushe. If anything, their squadron should be handle anything Yin Wushe could throw at them except himself or so he hoped. Yin Wushe gave them ten minutes to choose their combatant. So, who are we sending? Mo Heng asked. It was impossible for the old man not to worry about this. Who wouldve thought they would run into Merciless on their way home, not to mention that they had just wrapped up a battle a while ago. It was one thing if he knew nothing about them, but Mo Heng was more than aware of infamous killer organization thanks to his son. A Hunters life sure wasnt an easy one. Ill go. What? You sure? Cillins decision wasnt unexpected, but Mo Heng couldnt help but worry anyway. It wasnt like the Eleventh Squad was lacking in capable combatants, and what if something happened to Cillin? The opponent was the Merciless after all. Logically speaking, Mo Heng knew that Cillin was one of, if not the strongest combatants on their ship. He just didnt want to risk any harm befalling the boy. Dont worry. I know what to do. You say that every time, and every time you left me feeling like Im about to have a heart attack! Mo Heng threw his hands helplessly before taking a seat. Whos our second combatant? Eduy asked. Cillin looked outside the door and called out, Wheeze. Its time! Okay The gray cat had been waiting outside the door a while ago. It flew into the bridge the second it heard Cillins call. What could Mo Heng even say to the man-and-cat duo? Cillin was as stubborn as he was, and the cat? Forget it. Ten minutes later, the screen lit up once more. Yin Wushe asked, So? Are you ready? Yeah. We can begin anytime, Cillin replied. Good. Lets begin immediately then. The second Yin Wushe said this, the hatch of his spaceplane opened. Two people flew out from the airlock. Cillin did not recognize either combatant because they were clad in protective armor. It was no ordinary protective armor either; Cillin had a feeling that it was built by Merciless themselves. It was a space cameo suit equipped with a lot of propellors and acceleration equipment, but not so much that one would call it bloated. While it was not as light and easy to move in as Xi Mus armor was, the differences were pretty miniscule. Also, the duo seemed used to fighting in space in that type of equipment. Lets go. Cillin patted Wheeze before heading toward the airlock. Cillins decision seemed rushed on the surface, but it definitely wasnt made out of haste. Although he hadnt had much contact with Yin Wushe at all, he had acquired much info from Shi Huajing and Lung. Mo Heng had also told him what he knew about the legend as well. Since Yin Wushe had been lying in wait for them, it meant they were well prepared. The duel request was less of a request and more of a notice they couldnt even reject if they tried. In that case, he could only meet it head on. Cillin had also brainstormed a number of responsive measures with Eudy. He was confident that his vice commander wouldnt disappoint him in case the unthinkable happened. Of course, Czedow and the rest of this non-human crew were ready as well. They would take action if Cillin gave them the signal. Worse comes to worst, they had an army of robots capable of space combat that they could deploy. Wheeze transformed into its cyborg form in front of the hatch. There wasnt a time it didnt feel like a super badass while transforming. Man, Im so meowing cool. It flapped its wings and looked back at Cillin. Hop on! The hatch opened, and Cillin jumped onto Wheezes back. He grabbed its folded ears while they shot out of the starship. As mentioned earlier, the battlefield was set on the asteroid a short distance away from their starship. The fat cat flew until they reached an asteroid and landed. Merciless two combatants were already waiting for them on the asteroid right next to theirs. In Merciless bridge, everyone was staring at the big monitor at the center. He really did show up with his cat, Judy said. They were just discussing if Cillin would attend the battle with Czedow or his strange cat. During their investigation, they had obtained a footage of the gray cat transforming into a cyborg and flying in space. After the duel was decided, they even had a bet on who Cillin would attend the battlefield with. Yin Wushe had bet on the gray cat, while Silver, Stola and Judy had bet on Czedow. They had personally experienced his strength after all. Unfortunately, their boss had won the bet this time. I gotta say though, I would be pretty proud if I had a cat as cool-looking as it. Its the mythical half-cyborg lifeform, right? Judy asked. Yep. Its nothing like those failures the scientists tried to create in their labs either. This half-cyborg is extremely stable, Yin Wushe said. He then looked at the small creature nibbling away at a small cup of ice cream on the table and asked, What do you think? The small creature looked like a rat, but it had an extremely long and fluffy tail. Its eyes were big and bright, and it was eating the cup of ice cream with a spoon small enough to fits its tiny paws. When it heard Yin Wushes question, it looked up while wiping away the cream on its whiskers. Yep. It went right back to its ice cream after the short reply. Yin Wushes gaze turned back to the screen. This wasnt the first time they had seen the cat, but it had never displayed its cyborg form until now. If it had, it wouldve drawn countless attention a long time ago. Cillin sure knows how to keep his cats abilities hidden! Back on the asteroid belt, Cillin made a pause gesture from Wheezes back as the two combatants got ready to make their move. He then asked, Is there any weapons restriction? The two combatants stopped in their tracks but said nothing. A while later, Yin Wushe gave his reply, Please dont use that extremely flamboyant, lightning-shooting cannon of yours. We dont have anything like that. Long story short, everything else besides that was a go. Cillin jumped off Wheezes back and allowed his armor to attract him to the asteroids surface like he was on land. While he was doing so, his opponents jumped away from the other asteroid and landed on theirs. Thanks to the acceleration provided by their protective armor, they landed a few meters away from Cillins location in just the blink of an eye. Are you ready? One of them asked. Their voice was modulated so that it was impossible to tell their age or gender. Their inflection was also perfectly even and betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Im surprised. Do you always fire a starting pistol before assassinating your targets? His opponents moved right after Cillin was done talking. They had waited for Cillin to get ready out of respect. As Yin Wushe put it, this was just a match, not an actual assassination. Cillin held out his hand and summoned his blade. The one and only. He hadnt planned on hiding this because he was sure that a man of Yin Wushes caliber wouldve found out about the truth; at least some facets of it. Even if he couldnt be certain, he wouldnt have come to Cillin if he hadnt suspected something. His opponent blurred. The clash of blades was so swift that there was only a brief, instantaneous flash of light before it faded to nothing. The same thing was happening on the other side of the asteroid. Everyone thought that Wheeze would give its opponent a taste of its rip and tear in its cyborg form, but to everyones surprise, it did not. Not only that, it transformed back into its biological form as its opponent swung their thorny whip at him. Everyone in the Eleventh Squad was surprised by this. Wheeze itself had proclaimed that this was the form that best fit its astounding qualities, and it had transformed into its cyborg form before the battle had begun. So why had it turned back to a fat cat? In the spaceplane, Yin Wushe was digging away at a new cup of ice cream when Wheezes unexpected action caused him to pause for an instant. He then broke into a grin and said, Oh, piglet, that boy is so cunning, isnt he? How is he so good at hiding his abilities? Everyone wanted to see Wheeze fight in his cyborg form, which was why Cillin had specifically instructed it to turn back right the second the battle began. He was certain that Wheeze was fast enough to avoid taking any damage. He was also certain that it could run rings around the entire asteroid without getting caught. There was one question that puzzled Cillin: why did Yin Wushe want to drive Wheeze into the open? From the start, he knew that Yin Wushe hadnt arranged this so-called space battle to observe the Eleventh Squads combat capabilities. He just wanted to see Wheeze. It was when he saw Yin Wushe picking up another cup of ice cream did he recall something. Shu Huajing had once told him that someone in Merciless was extremely interested in half-cyborgs Chapter 384: I Know Youre Lusting After My Body! (1) Chapter 384: I Know Youre Lusting After My Body! (1) At the asteroid belt, Cillin was defending himself against his opponents attacks. Their speed was impressive, but even more impressive was the fact that they were perfectly used to space combat. It was as if they had become one with the protective armor they were wearing. Each acceleration was just right and perfectly timed. There wasnt any wasted movement whatsoever. They were already fast to begin with, but the acceleration made their attacks stronger as well. Assuming that they were assassinating someone in space, their success rate should be as high as it was in a typical environment. As expected of a real killer, they could always operate at peak performance no matter the environment they were in. Cillins armor did not have an acceleration function, but it could neutralize the effects of his environment. Every time he took a step, spun on his feet or leap into the air, it was like he was moving in normal gravity. There was another flash of light as their blades clashed again. This time though, the killers blade abruptly twisted around Cillins like a snake and shot straight toward his forehead. Cillin crouched sideways at the same time he withdrew his own blade. He was able to block the sudden attack. Light flashed as their blades clashed yet again. In the Eleventh Squads starship, everyone was watching the screens with serious looks on the face. However, the odd feeling in their chest grew bigger the longer they observed the battle. On the other hand, Eudy hid a sigh of relief. Unless he was sorely mistaken, this battle should end peacefully for everyone. Cillin seemed to be locked in a stalemate with his opponent, and Wheeze wasnt making any progress either. More accurately, it was avoiding combat at all costs as per Cillin had instructed him. Unfortunately for the whip user, the gray cat was so fast that they recognized the futility of chasing it almost as soon as the man-and-cat chase began. Not only was the cat more than fast enough to escape out of his range, it even had the time to look back and check if they were following. If they werent, then it would rush them down, land a scratch, then run away again. That guy must be feeling so frustrated right now, commented Cary while watching the whip user chasing after Wheeze. Xiao Shang and Mogas nodded in agreement. Wheezes antics had deflated much of the tension. On the other hand, Phoebes reaction was much more pronounced. Taipan Nahan! Its Taipan Nahan! Taipan what? Cary and the others looked at her in confusion. Im talking about that whip user! His name is Taipan Nahan, and hes the reason I chose a whip as my weapon! I saw him in action once during my time in the A Squad, Phoebe explained. Wait, youve seen him before? Oh, excuse me, I meant that I saw his whip putting a giant hole in a persons head. It seemed like only yesterday when she saw Taipan Nahan in action. He had inspired her so much that she decided to main a whip weapon for life; a chain whip to be exact because the type Taipan Nahan was using wasnt suitable for her. Right now, she was incredibly excited not just because she hadnt expected to meet him again, but also because she now had a combat footage of him to fawn over for the rest of her life. His face was still hidden, but Phoebe was satisfied with what she had already. Taipan Nahan Taipan Eudy was trying to recall what he knew about Merciless. There werent much public information on the organization, and the fact that Taipan Nahan was working for them was one. However, it was rare to be able to put a name under the organizations banner especially since the large majority of their members had never revealed their true face in public before. In fact, Taipan Nahan was a combination of the mans real name and codename. Taipan was his codename, and Nahan his real name. Taipan was the name of a venomous snake capable of extremely swift and rapid attacks. Judging from how he uses his whip, it was clear that the whip user had lived up to his codename. That said, even a fast, venomous snake like him had trouble going up against Wheeze. After blocking an attack and backing out of his opponents attack range, Cillin shot a glance in Wheezes direction just in time to see it catching Taipan Nahans whip between its teeth. It looked like the battle would end with Wheeze biting the weapon in half, but the spikes covering the whip suddenly withdrew back into the body. Immediately after that, a stream of electricity enveloped the cat. Meow dammit! Wheeze immediately let go and withdrew to the back. It was puckering its face for some reason. Cillins mouth twitched the moment he saw this. He flicked his opponents weapon away before running straight toward Wheeze. The dagger user paused, not expecting Cillin to leave the fight so suddenly. In the end, he decided to give chase. Right now, both the Eleventh Squad and Merciless were very confused by Cillin and Wheezes strange action. Was the electricity so powerful that the cats brain was fried? Was Cillin running to Wheeze because he was worried about it? That was the foremost conjecture in everyones mind, but life had a way of surprising people as usual. Cillin moved faster and faster. When even Wheezes whiskers were beginning to twitch unnaturally, he leaped toward the spot behind the gray cat. As soon as he leaped into the air, Wheeze open its mouth and POOOOOOOOO spat out a storm of scraps straight at the two Merciless combatants. To say that they were surprised would be an understatement. There wasnt even enough time to jump out of the way. They tried to block the torrent of metal with their weapons as best they could, but there was just too many of them, not to mention that they came fast, furious and unpredictable at times. As if that wasnt bad enough, something clearly wasnt right with these metallic scraps. Most of them were half melted and covered in some sort of unknown substance that was anything but a humans gastric acid. Yin Wushe was so surprised that he literally spat out the ice cream in his mouth. What the fuck is this diet!? He jabbed the little fellow who was looking at the screen with an equally stunned expression on its face. Can you eat metal if you want to? Wont you get indigestion or something? It twitched its whiskers but did not say anything. After Wheezing was finally done throwing up, it sneezed twice and shot out another rain of much tinier scraps. Still, it was nothing like the first. Wheeze smacked its lips and wiped away the stains around its mouth. Then, it cocked its head and scratched behind its ear with its hind leg. The two Merciless combatants who just finished blocking the Wheezes surprise attack froze all of a sudden. It was because they saw Cillin aiming at them with the PTS K. They exchanged a look with each other before putting away their weapons. Then, they went back to their spaceplane. If this was a true battlefield, Cillin wouldve shot them long before they had finished blocking the torrent of scraps. Knowing how good Cillins shooting skills were, at least one of them wouldve been shot and possibly killed. They might have chosen otherwise if their opponent wasnt Cillin, but they were facing him, and from what their intelligence gathered, he was as mysterious as he was dangerous. Finally, the gun in his hands gave off an extremely dangerous feeling; dangerous enough that they did not want to risk taking a hit at all. Most killers strongly believed in their intuition, so it took them little time to make the retreat. They had already accomplished their mission anyway. While it wasnt the best outcome it could be, they were certain that their boss had already found his answer. This whole space battle was a farce to begin with. What type of killer would challenge their target to a duel in open space? The circus type? It didnt even count as practice because this was a duel, not an assassination. Every real space battle they had participated before this one had ended with the death of their targets. This one was just a pretense the boss had set up to find his answer, and a passable game for them. That was all. Meanwhile, everyone in the Eleventh Squad was wearing a dumbfounded look on their face. Is that it? Why does it feel like weve been played for a fool? After the two killers had retreated, Cillin put away his own weapon before slapping Wheeze on the head. Lets go. Also, pay attention to what you shove into your mouth next time, you glutton. I know what I eat, okay? I was just full, and I felt incredibly nauseous after that electric massage that whip guy gave me. Also, the Robert Familys robots are pretty difficult to digest. Wheeze transformed into its cyborg form and carried Cillin back to their starship after this. On the way, it asked, Did you know they werent serious from the start, Cillin? More or less. Also, my opponent used a retractable dagger with reflective light when he fought me. If this was a proper assassination, he shouldve used a blade thats pitch black and non-reflective. The reason he didnt is because this isnt a serious fight at all. I have a question for you. Why do you think that the boss of Merciless, Yin Wushe had requested such a childish fight? I dont know. Why? I reckon its because of you. Me? What is he planning to do to me?! Wheeze puffed up its fur immediately. There was nothing it loathed more than becoming anothers experiment. He might not necessarily be plotting something against you. There was a rumor that there was an ice cream lover in Merciless whos very interested in half-cyborgs, and Yin Wushe fits the profile, doesnt he? Hes had an ice cream in his hands every time we spoke with him, so Im pretty sure its him. Wheeze remained silent for a few seconds before saying, Do you think we should take him out first? Cillin pulled its ear. Keep dreaming. That old man is slyer than you know. Chapter 384: I Know Youre Lusting After My Body! (2) Chapter 384: I Know Youre Lusting After My Body! (2) Yin Wushe was already waiting in front of his monitor when they returned to the starship. Congratulations. You win this time, Yin Wushe started. He sounded so casual it was like he was praising a kid for getting 2+2 right. Wheeze was crouching on Cillins shoulder and glaring at the old man with hostility. The longer it looked at him, the more he resembled a sly fox. Do you have a problem with me, lil fatty? Wheezes glare was so obvious that Yin Wushe had to put down his ice cream and ask the question. Wheeze raised its chin and dropped a bomb. I know youre lusting after my body! A pause later, it dropped another one. How depraved are you that youll even put your hands on a cat?! Yin Wushe: ... The eyes of the little fellow watching from a table out of view of the camera widened like saucers as well. Is this cat really alright in the head?! Cillin flicked one of Wheezes ear and chided it, Those lines should never be said in situations like this. How many times have I told you to stop watching Moons porn? Your brain is going to rot if you keep this up. Wheeze flicked its tail unhappily and hmphed. Are you done with the comedy skit? Lets get back to business then. I told you Ill give you a useful intel if you win, so Ill fulfill that promise now. Yin Wushe straightened his expression before continuing, Someone is planning to assassinate the higher-ups of Vanguard, and at least ten people have been put on the kill list. I have no idea if Ji Feng is on it though. Someone wants to assassinate the higher-ups of Vanguard? Is it Mist? That was the only other killer organization that was on the same level as Merciless. No one else had the strength, courage or stupidity to commit to something so obviously beyond their ability. Yep! Why didnt you just inform Admiral Ji Feng about it? Why should I? Yin Wushe retorted casually. He knew Cillin would definitely inform Ji Feng about this though, and he was fine with it. Cillin thought for a moment before asking, I will inform the admiral about this. Do you have anything else youd like to share with me? Nope. Oh, I suppose there is one thing I should clarify right now. I admit Im very interested in the cat on your shoulder right now, but you have nothing to worry from me. Not only do I mean it no harm, you and I are, in a sense, on the same side. Yin Wushe cut off the call after that. The spaceplane took off and vanished into the distance in no time. On the same side? What does he mean by that? Cillin did not understand what Yin Wushe mean at this time. By the time he did, a certain duo were already tearing into one another. In Yin Wushes spaceplane, the little fellow who just finished another large cup of ice cream was leaning against Yin Wushes chest with its eyes closed and its long, furry tail wrapped around its body. It looked incredibly full and comfortable right now. Yin Wushe ran his fingers across its snow white fur before asking, So? What are your impressions? Despite how it looked, he wasnt speaking to the dozing creature on his chest. Taipan Nahan and the other killer who dueled Cillin and Wheeze were standing a short distance away from him. He hid his strength, The guy next to Taipan Nahan and Cillins opponent said. Although neither party had brought their true strength into the duel or fought seriously, that didnt mean he didnt notice some things. Is it? Im certain. There were three times I was sure he couldve killed me in a single hit, but he hadnt done so. Im not sure if it was because this was just a spar or other reasons, but hes definitely hiding his strength. Well, youre right. Yin Wushe said slowly, To date, no one knows how strong Cillin truly is. Also, did you notice that he always avoids using violence unless necessary? Remember the virus he released at the Miracle base and the causes of death of the Skull King and his subordinates from a couple of years ago. Almost all of the damage and destruction hed caused are done through other methods. Just the same, he was able to kill Oskulos probably not because he was stronger, but because of other reasons. Of course, everyone here knows that martial strength isnt the be-all and end-all, or even a particularly great threat. The most dangerous people weve ever encountered are those who can kill a ton of people without resorting to violence. Its because its impossible to estimate their threat level accurately, not to mention that that kid possesses the ability to kill with or without violence. One more thing. I may not know what kind of deal he has struck with Jiada, but Jiada is the type of person who would treat you as if you dont exist if he believes that your strength is beneath his notice. Since the boy was able to speak and even enter a deal with him, it proves that Jiada values him a lot. Finally, there were people who wished to hire Grim Reaper to assassinate Cillin, but they were all rejected. Most people believe that Jiadas the one who put a stop to it, but I think Si Huang was the one who made the decision. Yin Wushe said all this for the benefit of his subordinates. He rarely spoke so long at a time, so everyone in the spaceplane took it as seriously as they could. Cillin had no idea how highly Yin Wushe and his people were rating him. Once the time was right, he contacted Ji Feng and told him about his conversation with Yin Wushe. It seemed that Ji Feng was already prepared for such an incident, however. I thought its about time they made a move, he said. There were many internal issues regarding Vanguard that Cillin werent privy to. Considering what Vanguard did last time during the general meeting, Ji Feng might have noticed something even before Songba Leruo was stabbed in the back. Ji Feng warned Cillin to be careful and stated that he would speak with Yin Wushe. He also told Cillin to prepare himself. There was no way Yin Wushe had sought him out for a simple scouting. He was certain that Cillin would meet the head of Merciless again in the near future. Cillin agreed with Ji Fengs assessment not just because Ji Feng must know Yin Wushe far better than him, but also because he had the feeling that the admiral had hidden some things for him. More importantly, those things were related to him and Wheeze. Whats next, Cillin? Eudy asked. Besides the troubling intel Yin Wushe gave him, Ji Feng had also sent him some important information regarding the other hunter regiments. The long story short was that the other three of the Great Four were also acting strange and seemingly plotting something. As Ji Feng said, a massive change that would affect all Hunters might be upon them very soon. The A Squad was going to be busy, and the Hunter world was going to witness a massive change very soon. If a huge war were to break out, then no one would be spared from it. A single, small-sized squadron like them wouldnt have much of an advantage in a chaotic situation like this, so their best course of action was to meet up with the other B Squadrons and discuss countermeasures with them. Well return to our base at Sector Z and prepare ourselves, Cillin said. Got it. One should not fight a war without preparation. Since they knew this was coming, there was no reason not to arm themselves to the teeth before the inevitable happened. For example, the top grade energy ores they excavated recently could be used to enhance many weapons. They needed to work quickly too. No one knows exactly when this massive change would occur. While Cillin was sorting out the information he received, Moon suddenly poked his head through the entrance to the bridge. He waited until his discussion with Eudy was over before flying in. Whats wrong? Cillin asked. Are you busy right now? Moon twirled his fingers while looking unnaturally nervous. Im going to be busy for the foreseeable future, but you should tell me whats troubling you anyway, Cillin said. H-how about we make a deal? Well handle some of your workload for you. In exchange, wed like you to spare us a bit of your time. Moon continued to twirl his fingers. What do you need? If its that urgent, then sure, I can help you first. Thank you! The Origin robot abruptly grabbed Cillins arm and pulled him toward the exit. Whats the hurry? You still havent told me what this business of yours is, Cillin said while running alongside Moon. We need you to save a pair of lives! Chapter 385: To Be Human Chapter 385: To Be Human Cillin knew that Moon, Xi Mu and the others had been working on a project as of late, and it was related to whatever was inside the box Sigma hugged all day and night like it was his most precious treasure. However, he also thought they would return to the base first before executing what Moon called the Awakening Project officially. So why was the Origin robot panicking right now? Did something bad happen? Cillin changed his mind when he looked at Moon again. No, its probably the opposite. They went into Xi Mus workshop where Xi Mu, Xi Kai, Sigma and Wheeze were already waiting for them. The box was placed on top of a silvery-gray metallic work desk, and it was open. Two balls of light were floating inside the box, and the machines beside it were displaying some sort of data. Wheeze jumped onto the desk and circled the box twice. It could pick up bursts of machine language from the balls of light, but they were incredibly weak and incomplete. It was why the machines beside it could only display random and disjointed characters, numbers and symbols. Whats going on? Cillin asked. They woke up! Sigma replied excitedly, But for some reason, neither Moon or I could communicate with them. Its like the connection is unstable or something. Were not sure whats the problem either. Recently, they had been working on preserving Reefia and Suyis brain core. Since the Xi Family had only used their bodies to conduct their researches, and they had only made a token effort to look into the brain core and attempt to make a copy of it, the most important part of their existence wasnt heavily damaged. After all, even they knew just how important a brain core was to any robot. Therefore, the Origin robots could be awaken again as long as the conditions were fulfilled. Moon and Sigma had been attempting to communicate with the brain cores inside the box since they acquired it, but they had not received any response until a while ago. Moon, Sigma and Xi Mu were engaging each other in a discussion after finishing a game of Link of Gypsophila when suddenly, the metallic box on the desk had opened on its own. The two balls of light that was Reefia and Suyis brain core then floated into the air, and the surrounding instruments began reacting erratically. Cillin listened intently as Moon told him everything that had happened. It was clear from his tone just how anxious he felt. Since the brain cores are reacting, does that mean that theres a chance they might awaken? Wha-wha-wha-wha-what should I do? Moon seemed unable to calm him down or even think properly. Things had happened too suddenly and without warning. He had been going to deal with this after they returned to the Eleventh Squads base, not here! Thank goodness he always carried the necessary materials with him just in case, or he would be imploding internally right now. Have you ever encountered something like this when you were creating Czedow, Cillin? Xi Mu asked. Xi Mu was the one who told Moon to bring Cillin. It was because he felt certain that Cillin could contribute some useful suggestions. Back then, Cillin had performed countless simulations on the first generation liquid nucleus chip until he was satisfied with the outcome. Combined with the miraculous crystal he had discovered back then, he was able to realize what was a design that should only exist in theory into reality. One might even say that Czedow was born only thanks to a culmination of many coincidences. Moreover, Czedow was almost a blank paper at the time. Like a newborn, he possessed unlimited potential but possessed next to no knowledge or experience. Later on, Czedow underwent a lot of upgrades to perfect his existence, and most of them were done of his own accord. As a result, not even Cillin, his creator could fully understand the complex structure that was Czedows brain today. Cillin shot a glance at the two floating balls of light. The brain he used to create Czedow was definitely nothing like this, now or before Czedow had upgraded himself. Even so, he could spot some similarities here and there. Cillin quietly sensed the data being transmitted from the two light balls for a moment before saying, I believe this is a normal phenomenon. Think of an animal that is waking up from hibernation. It needs time to fully awaken after its brain has been slumbering for so long, and they, Cillin pointed a finger at the light balls, are in such a period right now. They are technically unconscious, but their brains are starting to become active. Xi Mu nodded in agreement. He had thought more or less the same thing, but he let Cillin give the explanation because he had never created a truly sapient robot before, meaning that his knowledge in this department was mostly theoretical. The same words sounded much more convincing from Cillins mouth than his. Xi Mu and Cillin quickly entered a discussion. Half an hour later, they returned to the others with a set of plans. Cillin walked to the side and pointed at a certain direction, saying, Please put the box inside, Moon. At the direction Cillin was pointing at, Xi Mu was already starting to calibrate the machines. Moon carefully lifted the box and moved it into a transparent compartment that was shaped like a round pillar. It was a synthesis machine Xi Mu and Xi Kai used to create their robots, but unlike the mass-production one, this synthesis machine was more complex and equipped with all kinds of mods. Xi Mu had calibrated some of the values and parameters of the machine after his discussion with Cillin. When Moon put the box inside, Xi Mu pressed the close button and secured the box inside the synthesis machine. Everyone could see the two floating balls of light through the transparent walls. It was at this moment Czedow and White Ghost came in. Cillin was the one who told them to come just in case their help was needed. There was no harm in being prepared, not to mention that this would be an excellent learning experience for Czedow, a fellow sapient robot. Cillin and Moon would continue to operate several different machines until everything was ready. After shooting Xi Mu a glance and getting an affirmative nod, they both pressed a button on their machines at the same time. The environment within the synthesis machine changed immediately. The magnetic fields were being adjusted regularly, and the ions, the gasses, the pressure, the temperature and more were all changing rapidly. Both Cillin and Xi Mu were monitoring their machines closely as they needed to make adjustments based on the data and images being displayed at any moment. The graphs and data shown on the machines fluctuated pretty erratically for a time before it gradually entered a period of stability. However, the balls of light within the synthesis machine didnt look like they changed much at all. This was reflected by the overall line rising very, very slowly on the line chart, meaning that the two brains were waking up at a snails pace. This isnt working. Cillin fell into thought for a moment before looking at Moon, Try communicating with them. While there was a literal wall between Moon and the brain cores, Cillin was sure it wouldnt be a problem for the Origin robot. Moon did as he said and tried to converse with the two balls of light, and it did bump up the overall line on the line chart a little. However, the effects were minimal at best and definitely not up to Cillins expectations. Cillin frowned as he tried to think of a solution. It was at this moment he caught Wheeze reading the data on the machine out of the corner of his eyes, data flashing inside its feline eyes. It was only doing this because it was bored and had nothing to do. It was also because the data being transmitted from the two light balls were disjointed and seemingly incomplete. This gave Cillin the inspiration he needed though. He immediately said to Moon, Try communicating with them using optical data transmission instead. Xi Mus eyes glinted when he heard this. He stared back and forth between Wheeze and Cillin before turning back toward the monitor. Not only was Cillin far more impressive than he had imagined, his understanding of machine language had also exceeded his expectations. As someone who knew machine language to an extent, he knew better than most just how rare and special a human who could understand machine language was. To give an example, such a person appeared only once in a couple of generations even in the Xi Family. Species wise Cillin was just a generic human being, and yet he understood the language even better than Xi Kai, a genuine member of the Xi Family. Moon paid no attention to Xi Mus reactions. All of his attention was on the two balls of light inside the synthesis machine right now. They were his brothers, and it had been centuries since they last met. In fact, it had been a thousand years since the five of them were together. The arrogant Reefia and the indifferent Suyi. Are they finally going to come back? Moon stared at the balls of light inside the synthesis machine as a pair of light beams shot out of his face. They contained all kinds of data such as their time together with the golden generation of the Xi Family and so on. He was hoping that the memories would trigger some sort of reaction in the two brain cores. This time, there was a visible flash from both of the light balls. The data on the monitoring machines connected to the synthesis machine started fluctuating rapidly as well. Thats it! Keep it up! Cillin said while his hands flew all over the controls of his machine. He was making minute adjustments based on the new data, and so was Xi Mu. In this case, robots might not necessarily do better than humans just like how the creator was in the drivers seat in the robot creation process. Their development began only after after they were born. Xi Kai was only watching from the sidelines not because he didnt want to help, but because he was incapable even if he wanted to. For starters, Cillin and Xi Mu alone were enough to handle the machines. Their control was impeccable either. This was one area he fully admitted he was lacking compared to the duo, and he was definitely going to learn from this experience as much as he could. There was a slight problem though. Cillins hands were moving so quickly that his naked eyes were incapable of catching up at all. He had to use an optical tool to actually see what the young man was doing, and even then he wasnt able to capture all of it. Cillin was doing nearly sixty percent of the work, and Xi Mu thirty percent. The remaining ten percent was left to Moon, the two balls of light, and the synthesis machines automated functions. When the data on the monitor finally reached one of the main criterias in Cillins plan, he knew it was time to begin the next step. Its time, Moon! Put in the materials! Cillin called out to Moon, his hands still not pausing for even a second. Moon could sense a growing clarity and familiar presence he hadnt felt for a very, very long time from the two balls of light as well. That was why he did not hesitate to place the materials he had been hiding all this time into the synthesis machines inlet. Cillin noticed that one of the materials looked very similar to the one he had used to create Czedow back then. Besides that, he also saw a few types of super rare metals. Moon had hidden them so well that not even the Xi Family knew he had them. He wouldve continued to hide them if it wasnt finally time to awaken Reefia and Suyi. The balls of light grew brighter and brighter. Moreover, they seemingly absorbed the materials into themselves before shaping them via their own will. First, the outline of their body took form. Then, the details began filling up bit by bit. Two Origin robots that looked very similar to Moon and Sigma were slowly but surely taking form inside the synthesis machine. Reefia! Suyi! Sigma was so excited that he began spinning like a fan, arms waving up and down as he did so. He only wished he had something, anything he could do. Czedow was watching the scene in silence, but he was also recording absolutely everythingthe operations, the data, the parameters, the calculation methods, dominant routes, optimal screening and morethat was happening. The main reason he was able to come this far was thanks to his powerful ability to learn and apply himself. On the day Cillin had created Czedow, he said, I just gave you a starting point. How far you can go is all up to you. Czedow was not the same as the five Origin robots. When Cillin and Wheeze had vanished to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, he had embarked on a long journey. He had walked among crowds and trod on the same streets they did. He had sat in cafes around street corners and read ancient paperbacks to experience the life of an ordinary person. He had done hard labor with the civilians living at the bottom of the society, slept in boxes like the homeless bums in the slums, worked together with well-dressed elites, fought alongside ordinary Hunters that wasnt up to the Great Fours standards, skateboarded alongside screeching youngsters through the neon-illuminated streets of the city, and more. Those were the moments Czedow thought to himself: Ah. So this is the life of a human. I can not be a cold, icy machine. Cillin once said that he could build another robot like him. However, there would always be one Czedow only. Sigma had five family members, but Czedow did not envy him. After all, he already had a family of his own. Their names were Wheeze, Cillin, Cary, Tang Qiu Qiu and more. They were a mix of humans, cyborgs, aliens and even artificial lifeforms, but so what? They were all family members who would go through fire and water for him; people he could entrust his back to one hundred percent. Moon and Sigma were often praised by members of the Eleventh Squadron and those who met them. In contrast, Czedow kept a very low profile. However, the members of the Eleventh Squad also treated Czedow like he was just another fellow human most of the time. Wheeze watched the ongoing scene for a moment and flicked its ears. It then leaped onto Czedows shoulder after letting out a yawn. It didnt dare to disturb Cillin right now since the young man was obviously busy. Wheeze wasnt interested in the final fates of the two robots, and the creation process didnt really catch its fancy either. So, it started dozing as soon as it found a nice spot on Czedows shoulder. Chapter 386: Someone In Your Squad Is On Mist’s Name List Chapter 386: Someone In Your Squad Is On Mists Name List The two robots in the synthesis machine were gradually completing itself. Thats right. As their consciousness became clearer and clearer, the two cores had begun creating their own shells, saving Cillin and Xi Mu the need of having to do it themselves. Still, the duo kept a close eye on the data scrolling through the screens. The two robots had synthesized their shells based on their original programming. Naturally, they looked incredibly similar to Moon and Sigma. That was one of the reasons their creator had classified them as siblings after all. After the synthesis process was complete, light strips flashed across their faceplates before the hatch of the synthesis machine opened by itself. It let out a hiss due to the change in air pressure. Sigma and Moon jumped on the two robots before they could even say a word. After so many centuries, the four brothers were finally together once more. Now, Chip was the only one left. Cillin saw no reason to disturb the four brothers long-awaited reunion, so he left for his room to catch some rest. Technically, the synthesis process hadnt taken a long time, but the amount of computation he needed to perform was enormous to say the least. This was especially true for the beginning where he practically had to run himself like a literal machine. Thankfully, the latter half of the work was much easier, and Czedow was there to act as his insurance in case he faltered. The amount of computation involved was much bigger not only because they were synthesizing two Origin robots at the same time, but also because a lot of the actions had to be executed on the fly. He hadnt been nearly as prepared as he was when he was creating Czedow. Cillin stretched his sore arms a bit while walking back to his room. Wheeze was on his shoulder because the gray cat had jumped over while he was walking toward the exit. Before he left, the gray cat winked at Czedow and said, I shant disturb your date any longer! Bye! Czedow smiled and gave its ear a flick. He then left Xi Mus workshop as well. He had learned many new things from the process, and he would like some private time to process them all. And so the Eleventh Squad gained two new members. It wasnt necessarily a good thing for Xi Mu though. To be specific, it was the noise that irritated him to no end. Sigma and Moon were pretty lively robots, but even they could only generate so much noise with just the two of them. Now? It was like having four radios plowing through one conversation topic after another twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Even the supposedly quieter robot of the four couldnt stop talking because it had been centuries since he last spoke. In the end, Xi Mu could not stand it any longer and kicked all four of them out of his workshop. At the same time, he wondered how the ancient Xi Family managed to stand all five of them in one place. And boy, were they active. Sometimes, they stacked on top of each other with Sigma at the bottom. Sometimes, they would go wild with Snowball and the gang. Even a game of Link of Gypsophila felt like a mini war was going off inside the ship. Still, the overall atmosphere of the Eleventh Squad was pretty pleasant and even celebratory. The four robots kept Sigmas indoor fruit garden as tidy as a book and helped out Mo Heng and Xi Kai a lot. In particular, Mo Heng loved them dearly because he had interacted with machines for decades, but this was the first time he communicated with one that was almost like a human. Heck, they were human besides their metallic appearance, not to mention that each of them possessed a unique personality of their own. Sir Mo was very happy to say the least. Almost everyone in the ship was feeling pretty relaxed, but not Cillin. He was pondering about the future right now. Just now, he had received a secret message from Ji Feng. Not even Eudy was aware of the contents of the message, much less everyone else. To put it simply, it was a matter that concerned the entire Vanguard. In the very near future, the senior members of the Eleventh Squad would be arriving at a support base in Sector Z. There, they would speak with the senior members of Navigators to discuss the ownership of a certain planet. The A Squad of the Navigator and the Vanguard had discovered a huge habitable planet at the same time. The good news was that the GAL military was busy bashing each others faces in, so they would not be able to spare the energy to claim ownership of the planet. Since the planet was discovered by the two of the Great Four, other Hunter regiments and clans would not be foolish enough to stick their hand into the pie either. That was why only the two of them would be having this meeting. The planet was extremely attractive in the sense that it afforded them the opportunity to build a support base for expansion, or sell it for a high price if they didnt need the planet. To make a comparison, the planet was valuable enough to get them a considerable number of weapons, spaceplanes and so on. Naturally, no one was willing to give it up without a fight. In fact, meetings like this were extremely common before the galaxy had fallen into chaos. Hunter regiments often came together to discuss a certain objective or two. Now though, things were not what they seemed to put it lightly. This was especially true considering the intel Yin Wushe had provided him just a while ago. At any rate, Ji Feng was clearly prepared for this. In fact, it was rumored among the Hunter regiments that the Vanguard and the Navigators might go to war with each other. Worst case scenario, it would turn into a total war that wouldnt end until one side was completely destroyed. This was hardly the first time the two Hunter regiments had clashed against one another, so one might say that this planet was just a fuse, a fuse that could result in the biggest conflict ever between the two Hunter Regiments in fifty years. Regardless of the truthfulness of these rumors, there was no doubt that the B Squadrons of both Hunter regiments were assembling in Sector Z right now. Logically speaking, they should hold this meeting at their headquarters, Sector K if they wanted to have a better chance at winning, but if the conflict did devolve into a full-scale war, then their headquarters was almost certainly going to suffer greater damage. This was why both Hunter regiments had chosen the support base at Sector Z as their meeting location. At the very least, they wouldnt need to worry about collateral damage. It was just a support base anyway; a temporary base they might abandon depending on their needs. Heck, they could even destroy entire planets and not wince too hard at the losses. Ji Feng had secretly informed Cillin about this and went through all the possible scenarios. He wanted the Eleventh Squad to be ready because a massively difficult battle awaited them all if a total war did occur. Besides that, Ji Feng also explained some of the meaning behind Yin Wushes words, and that Mist could very well try to pull off some high profile assassinations while they were busy fighting each other. He wouldnt have let go of this chance if he was them. In fact, Ji Fengs biggest worry wasnt the Navigators, but the spies and traitors in their midst. The Navigators was a known factor since they were a fellow Great Four, but the same could not be said for the hidden knives in their back. Despite the major clean-up operation he executed a while ago, it was impossible to root out all of them. He wouldnt be surprised in the slightest if their backline suddenly caught on fire so to speak. His second greatest worry was the killer organization, Mist. If they were going to assassinate someone, then they were absolutely going after the ones at the top. Of course, it was impossible to say how many people were on their hit list, only that losing any one of them would be a massive loss for Vanguard. Of course, if a war did break out, the B Squadrons would not be fighting on the frontlines. The A Squadron would hold the line while they provided support from the back. In fact, one of the reasons Ji Feng had made such a huge fuss during the previous general meeting was to scatter the Hunter regiments future talent across all B Squadrons and minimize the impact they might receive; to diversify the portfolio so to speak. They were the future of Vanguard, and they would carry on its legacy when they grew up. It was also a form of protection for these future talents. It was true that the strength of the members who were forcefully shoved into the B Squadrons were extremely uneven. It was also true that some of them were extremely high-value targets that the higher-ups were willing to risk some less valuable members to provide them with some cover. This was the greatest reason Ji Feng had executed that clean-up operation. Ji Feng had been making all kinds of arrangements since way back then. Its only a matter of time before the Great Four goes to war. The Blue Butterfly and the Heavens Birth are already at war with each other, and there was no hope for reconciliation between the Vanguard and the Navigators as well. If we went to war, many lives would be lost one way or another. That is why we need to secure those who are still growing before it happens. Even if we, the seniors were to perish in this war, at least there would be someone to replace us, and our Hunter regiment would not decline. This was what Ji Feng had told Cillin, and not every B Squadron commander got the same talk. Only those that Ji Feng truly trusted would be given this talk. It was also a warning to Cillin not to move the Eleventh Squad to the frontlines. He wanted them to just stay at the back and protect Mogas, Mao and all the other potential talents. Protect them for me, Cillin! Ji Feng had said this before he cut off the transmission. It was something that puzzled Cillin greatly. Even if the group was highly valued by the higher-ups, Ji Feng almost seemed too concerned about them. It was at this moment he received another transmission request from Yin Wushe. I just received word that someone in your squad is on Mists hit list. Be ready. It could even be your. Try to stay alive one way or another. On the screen, uncle Yin was holding a box of ice cream and chowing down like his life depended on it. There was also a mouse-like creature on top of his head. It had large ears and a hairy body. It was about the size of a small rabbit. After staring at Cillin for a couple of seconds, it leaped away as if it had lost interest in him. Even you dont know who that person is? Cillin asked. I wouldnt tell you even if I knew the answer. Cillin: ... Ill change the question then. Is there only one person in our squad whos on the hit list? Cillin asked again. Yep. As far as I know, theres only one. That said, theres nothing keeping the assassin from going on a killing spree if they felt like it, so dont say I didnt warn you. Cillin fell silent for a moment. Thank you for your warning. Is there anything else youd like to tell me. Nothing for now. Oh right, if you dont feel confident, you can hire our organization to protect your men. Whats the price? Your fat cat. Cillin cut off the transmission immediately. On Yin Wushes side, the middle-aged man bit his ice cream spoon and rubbed the little fellow who had jumped back onto his head. This looks like trouble. Before they returned to the base at Sector Z, Cillin had observed Mogas and the other four for a bit. He had a feeling that the target Yin Wushe spoke of was among these five, or Ji Feng would not have said what he had said. Unfortunately, he wasnt able to find out who the target was. He had even spoken to them one on one and was unable to uncover so much as a hint. How deep do the plots go? He decided to give up for the moment. The answer should reveal itself in time. Their starship had reached the base at Sector Z, but they all knew they didnt have much time left. Cillin hadnt said that they were going to war with the Navigators, but his crew had found out about it through their ways. This wasnt exactly a secret after all. Are we really going to fight against the Navigators, Cillin? Cary asked excitedly. Its possible. Better to be prepared than sorry in any case, Cillin answered. Heh! Ill make sure to over prepare then! Cary dragged Xiao Shang and the others away to discuss how to beat the shit out of the Navigators after saying that. What are you worried about? Eudy asked. Although this might devolve into an all-out war, Eudy knew that the B Squadronsespecially one as small as the Eleventh Squadwould not be thrown to the frontlines. Naturally, they should be facing a lot less pressure, not enough to worry Cillin at least. Im not worried about the Navigators. With our current strength, we should be safe even if we couldnt take out too many enemies. However, the Navigators arent the only ones we have to worry about. Eudy immediately turned serious. Are you saying Yeah. The killers. Chapter 386: Someone In Your Squad Is On Mist’s Name List (2) Chapter 386: Someone In Your Squad Is On Mists Name List (2) When Reefia and Suyi learned that a series of large-scale battles could be on the horizon, they immediately started arming themselves for combat. Reefia especially was a battle maniac. He often kept Mo Heng busy by picking his brain regarding all the latest weapons of GAL. Wheeze was as carefree as ever. It ate, played and slept every day. While everyone in the Eleventh Squad was preparing for the upcoming war, the other B Squadrons were returning to Sector Z as well. It meant that D-day was growing closer and closer. Cillin had communicated with Shawton from the A Squad, and according to him they hadnt planned to cause such a huge scene or summon the rest of the B Squads at the time of the agreement. Later on, rumors claiming that the Vanguard and the Navigators were going to war against one another suddenly spread without warning, and more importantly, the Navigators had responded by summoning their B Squads to Sector Z. That was why the Vanguard decided to summon their B Squads as well. This explained why they had received the summon on such short notice. Ji Feng hadnt wanted to drag any B Squad into this mess, and even now he was doing his best to keep them out of it. As Ji Feng had mentioned earlier, he wanted to protect their futuretalented individuals that displayed great potential, but needed time to grow to their fullesthe hid not just in the Eleventh Squad, but the other B Squads as well. In fact, Cillin was among the earliest to receive the notice because of concerns regarding Yin Wushe. Ji Feng had to explain things to Cillin in advance. This is going to be a hard one, Cillin. Make sure that your squad is ready for anything, Shawton had said seriously, Even the A Squad is as tense as they can be because this is unlike any other mission weve taken in the past. No one knows what is going to happen when it happens. Yeah. I understand. Stick with the Third B Squadron when the time comes, Shawton suggested. Right now, Shawton trusted the Third B Squadron far more than he trusted in the Sixth B Squadron. The Sixth B Squadron was his first squadron, but it hadnt been the squadron he remembered for a very long time. Combined with the fact that a bunch of new members were shoved into each B Squadron during the previous general meeting, the current Sixth B Squadron might as well be a complete stranger to him. Cillin knew what Shawton was trying to do. He was afraid that the Eleventh Squad would be helpless if something bad were to happen. If they were to cooperate with the Third B Squadron, then at least they wouldnt be completely alone. They shared a fairly good relationship after all. Not long after the transmission with Shawton, Cillin received a transmission from the Third B Squadron themselves. He figured that they were aware of the Eleventh Squads situation because they had immediately requested that they band together and look after each others backs when the time came. Cillin did not reject their olive branch because frankly, the Eleventh Squad really was too small. While they were quite stronger than they seemed, they could always use an extra hand or ten especially in an emergency. And who knows, maybe the Third Squad was the one that really needed their assistance when the time came. In any case, the Third Squad was the B Squad they were closest with, and he saw no reason to push them away. Three GAL days later, Cillin finally received a summon from Ji Feng; an actual summon that represented the will of the Vanguard. The Eleventh B Squadron immediately took off toward their destination after receiving it. No one panicked since they were fully prepared a few days ago. In fact, Cary and the others were very much looking forward to it. Before they left, Cillin tried persuading Mo Heng to stay for the umpteenth time. No matter what his mentor might think of his own fortitude, the fact that he was too old to partake in a war. If an emergency did happen, he was worried that the crew would not be able to help him in time. Of course, Mo Heng had waved off his concern like it was nothing. Dias is bringing his baby, isnt he? No way Im missing something this exciting. Also, Ive already written my will, so if something did happen to me, no blame or consequence will fall on you or the squads shoulders. My son knows what kind of person I am. He will understand. Like hell he will! For a time, Cillin was actually tempted to just knock Mo Heng out cold and leave him in the base. He also wondered if Sir Mo was going to use his will as a reason to get his way in the future. It gave him a headache to say the least. In the end, Mo Heng went up the starship with four Origin robots surrounding him like his personal bodyguards. Reefia promised Cillin that they would protect Sir Mo from all dangers, but frankly, Cillin wasnt very confident in his promise at all. After all, he knew the robot even less than the secretive Moon. On the way to the A Squads location, Cillin beckoned Moon to his side and told him to keep an eye out for unusual activities while they were protecting Mo Heng. Specifically, he wanted them to watch out for trespassers. You think that someone might sneak into Little Eleven? Moon asked with a tilt of his head. No ordinary group could sneak into Little Eleven undetected. That is why I want you guys to be careful. Got it. I will keep Sir Mo safe. The four Origin robots combined should be able to detect any trespasser even if they might not be able to pinpoint their exact location. What about you? Are you, Czedow and Wheeze all going to be away from the ship? Moon asked. No one knows whats going to happen. I might have to leave the ship, and Czedow and Wheeze would probably be busy as well. That is why Im leaving Little Eleven to you four. The light strip on Moons face flashed once before he said, Got it. Moon was a very smart robot. He was able to glean much information from Cillins meaningful words. Although Moon appeared to be the least reliable of the four brothers, in reality he was the leader of the group. Even the arrogant Reefia and the quiet Suyi would defer to Moon in specific situations. The starship passed by an asteroid belt and a few non-habitable planets on the way. They also encountered the Second B Squadron. Since they werent familiar with each other, they went their separate ways after just a simple greeting. Many people in the Second B Squadron mocked the Eleventh B Squadron because the only ship they owned was medium-sized at best and smaller than even their auxiliary ships. As if that wasnt bad enough, a platoon in their squadron still had more members than the entire Eleventh Squad. Currently, all the B Squadrons heading toward the A Squads base were bringing both their mothership and their auxiliary ships. They were also accompanied by frigates, spaceplanes and more. It was no wonder that they belittled the Eleventh Squad. The Eleventh B Squadron did not enter the A Squads base. In fact, they didnt even get close to it. They had parked their starship at some smaller planets orbiting the destination planet. The Third B Squadron went straight to the Eleventh Squad upon arrival. From the other B Squadrons point of view, the Third B Squadron was acting as the latters babysitter. After all eleven B Squadrons had arrived, the A Squads fleet finally got ready to take off. The A Squads fleet consisted of three massive multi-purpose-combination ships. The surrounding spaceplanes, fighters and more all flew into the starships after they had left the spaceport. Wow! Lets go, let''s go! Cary whooped. Thats right. This was just the assembly point. They would be heading to the negotiation siteand probably the battlefieldbehind the A Squad. Mo Heng clicked his tongue in amazement as he stared at the monitor displaying the three A Squad starships. Any one of these ships is big enough to carry this starship. They are quite impressive. Technically speaking, the A Squads ships and the B Squads ships belong in the same class, and yet theirs just feel greater for some reason, doesnt it? Dias said. As Dias said, the A Squads multi-purpose-combination ships were technically almost the same size as the other B Squadrons multi-purpose-combination ships, but for some reason, anyone could take a glance and intuit which ship belonged to the A Squad, and which the B Squads immediately. Thats why those B Squadrons are, you know, B Squadrons. That said, Im certain our starship will look as grand or grander than the A Squads if we share the same size! Eudy had that much confidence at least. Hmm. Has anyone seen Cillin? Mo Heng asked suddenly. The young man was just here a while ago. Now, he was nowhere to be seen. As the commander, wasnt it his responsibility to stay at the bridge so he could issue orders at first notice? There was an incoming transmission, Eudy answered. The transmissions Cillin had been receiving were so top secret that Cillin generally accepted them at his room, not the bridge. It was because he relied on Czedow and Wheeze to secure the transmission. Cillin was receiving a transmission, but it wasnt one of those top-secret transmissions Eudy thought he was receiving. The first one was a call from Songba Leruo informing him to keep an eye on his squad and especially on his newer members. The second one was from, yet again, Mr. Yin Wushe. Mist has arrived. Youll probably want to be careful. Also, weve arrived as well. Again, just give me a holler if you need our help. Why have you come, by the way? Are you just here to watch the show? Cillin asked. Im not that idle. I came to take out a few annoying gnats. Dont worry, they dont belong to the Vanguard. Sure, I dont like Ji Feng either, but since his target is that freak, Nebelah this time, I see no reason to interfere with his business. Nebelah was the current leader of Mist. Cillin was quite impressed with both Mist and Merciless. He was sure that their presence had made both the Vanguard and the Navigators very nervous, but only those who were skilled or high level enough to learn their arrival. As for those who were unaware, who wouldve thought that two of the most infamous killer organizations would be present for their war? The Vanguard had brought over a dozen massive multi-purpose-combination ships and almost a hundred medium-sized ships and battleships. It definitely counted as a gigantic fleet. It still wasnt everything they could bring to bear, but it was already enough to draw gasps of amazement. Excluding those who were currently away on a mission or staying behind to guard their base, everyone from the B Squadrons was present for this negotiation. As for the A Squad, a portion of them had stayed behind at their headquarters at Sector K, and another portion at the support base in Sector Z. However, at least half of the higher-ups including Songba Leruo and Barthes ahad shown up. Moreover, some of them were on Mists hit list. The negotiation site was set at a neutral zone that did not fall under the Vanguard or the Navigators jurisdiction. Here, there was a rank B habitable planet that used to belong to the GAL military until they started fighting among themselves. Since no one was supervising the planet any longer, the two Hunter regiments set it as their negotiation site by force. The GAL military said nothing after learning about this either. It was just an ordinary rank B planet anyway, so whatever. Look! Its the Navigators! Cary suddenly exploded in excitement. The monitor was showing a fleet more or less the same size as theirs coming to a stop on the other side of the planet. They too had just arrived a while ago. After the motherships had all come to a stop, the multi-purpose-combination ships began to split. The auxiliary ships, accompanying battleships, spaceplanes, fighters and more all left the combination ships and spread into formation. Just a short time later, the fleet was occupying several times the space it was before. The sheer amount of starships, spaceplanes, fighters and more on both sides of the planet was staggering. From a more distant perspective, one would see that the two fleets pincering the small planet at the center like a pair of half-spread wings. The Eleventh Squads starship was located at the periphery of the wing belonging to the Vanguard. It was surrounded by the Third B Squadrons auxiliary ships, large-sized spaceplanes, warships, space fighters and more. Should we head out, or? Cary looked at Cillin inquiringly while checking his equipment. Xiao Shang and the others were looking at him expectantly as well. However, Cillin denied their request because the time wasnt right. While their starship was as conspicuous a grain of sand at a beach, their fighters were a different story. While they werent coated in shiny paint, they were obviously far superior than your standard fighter. Moreover, he did not trust the crew not to succumb to their desire to show up the second they went into space. He did not want them revealing their secrets before the battle had even begun. The pregame was the moment where both sides actively tried to gauge each others strength. Naturally, it made no sense to send the gang out at this moment. After Ji Feng had issued every B Squadron commander an order, a starship detached itself from the A Squad and flew toward the planet. The vanguard of both Hunter regiments had already landed on the planet a while ago. The B Squadrons remained at the periphery. They were also spread out in a formation that ensured that friendly fire would be kept to a minimum if a battle occurred. Chapter 387: Surrender Control (1) Chapter 387: Surrender Control (1) The negotiations were already on the way on the planet. The B Squadrons just werent allowed to know about the details. They could only see and guess what was happening from outside the planet, and they would choose their solution depending on which signal they received from their A Squadron. Although they couldnt see the negotiation, the tension permeating from the planet still affected everyone around it. Both sides were displaying their logoit looked as if the planet was pincered by two massive hologramsbut the fact that no one was even playing their regiment music showed just how serious the situation was. Even the crew members remained perfectly silent as they waited for the signal. The atmosphere wouldve been something out of a graveyard if the fighters werent flying here and there and adding a sliver of liveliness to the scene. To the best of Cillins knowledge, of the three vice admirals in Vanguard, only Vice Admiral Stanley had come to the planet with Ju Feng. Vice Admiral Soluvis was guarding their headquarters at Sector K, and Vice Admiral Kang Ling the support base at Sector Z. This meant that Stanley was most likely one of the higher-ups who was listed in Mists hit list Many thoughts passed through Cillins mind as he stared at the name list in his hands. He had a feeling that Ji Feng was hiding a lot of things from him. When this war was over, those secrets would probably be spilled into the open. Cillin was puzzling over some stuff when suddenly, the communicator in his hand started flashing erratically. The fact that it did not match any pattern that he knew of informed him of the identity of the caller. Cillin motioned for his crew to continue keeping an eye on the A Squad before walking to his room. He then connected the transmission and asked, What now? In the hologram, Yin Wushe was enjoying a box of ice cream as usual. He alternated scoops between himself and the small creature on his lap while replying, I just want to know how your squad is doing. Im hanging up. Slow down, kid. You youngsters are always so impatient. Yin Wushe handed the box to the small creature in his lap. The creature was only the size of two fists, but somehow it was able to carry the box of ice cream like it was nothing. I just want to warn you to stay calm if something infuriating were to happen later. Such as? Like someone demanding that you surrender control of the ship. What. Its just a guess, but Ji Feng is not the type of person to put all his eggs in one basket. Im sure hell make a move if he notices that the negotiation is looking to escalate into war. Youre talking about the person whos targeted by Mist in our squad. Exactly. Im sure Mist had leaked some info to Tamar, and Tamar would never allow the chance to deal Ji Feng a heavy blow slip through his grasp. Tamar was the Admiral of the Navigators and one of the Six Stars of Hunt. What makes this person so important? Are they related to Admiral Ji Feng or something? Yin Wushe definitely didnt like Ji Feng because he chose to answer Cillins question instead of stonewalling him like usual, You can say that, but its not entirely because of that. Ji Feng has plenty of sons, and his few grandsons are almost as old as you are. However, most of them kept a low profile and managed to avoid catching the eye of his enemies so to speak. Ji Feng himself probably wouldnt give a shit if some of them were to die in the current chaos. This son of his is different though. Yin Wushes tone was full of disdain when he said the word son. Cillin already knew that the person on Mists hit list had to be among his five new crew members, and one of them had to be Ji Fengs descendant. Assuming Yin Wushe wasnt misleading him, then it could only be Mao, Mogas or Pango. He still had plenty of doubts, however. For starters, Cillin had interviewed them, shaken their hands and even tested their combat capabilities himself. However, he had not discovered anything that made them stand out in terms of genetics, which led to his second question. What was so special about this son of Ji Feng, so much so that even Songba Leruo and the rest of the higher-ups were acting strange? Do you want to know? Yin Wushe asked smugly while savoring the sight of Cillins frown. Would you tell me if I say yes? But of course! Yin Wushe adjusted his posture and stroked his short beard before continuing, Youre aware of the Aurelios, right? Have you heard of the one that represents evolution, Spell? The Aurelios again? This person has something to do with Spell then, Cillin thought while sifting through everything he knew about the Aurelios. And if its Spell, then they must possess a certain ability. I see. What else? Cillin looked up at Yin Wushe once more. Yin Wushes eyes twitched. The reason he was so candid with the information was because he wanted to enjoy Cillins reaction, but the young man had revealed nothing except some surprise. He was so calm that Yin Wushe felt like slapping him across the screen. He could tell from Cillins reactionor rather lack thereofthat he didnt really desire the Aurelios. He was plotting to sow some discord between Cillin and Ji Feng and stir up shit for the latter, but it looked like his scheme had failed before it even began. Still, he was very satisfied with this outcome. In fact, one might even say that this conversation had gone better than he expected. This is all I have to say on the matter. Good luck! And before I forget, my deepest condolences on what is going to happen to your ship, Yin Wushe said before hanging up on Cillin. Cillin sat in his room and replayed everything Yin Wushe had said in his head. He felt that too many people had a hidden agenda on their own, and this was especially true for Yin Wushe. What was the real reason the old man contacted him so frequently? Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. It was Wheeze claiming his shoulder as its own once more. While hitting Cillins cheek repeatedly with its paw, it asked, Can I fight in my cyborg form when the war breaks out, Cillin? Wheezes eyes were bright and expectant. It was clear it was looking forward to the upcoming war very much. Cillin slapped its paw away. I can smell the stench on your paw, you know. At least clean yourself up after you ate your fish Suddenly, Cillin cut himself off and stared at Wheeze for a moment. He then narrowed his eyes a bit and asked, Say, do you think youre the only half-cyborg lifeform in the entire GAL? Hmm? Wheeze didnt quite understand the question. Didnt you say that half-cyborgs practically dont exist because they are unstable? In fact, I would not be able to change between forms so smoothly if I hadn''t eaten that weird thing. Im just saying. What if there is another half-cyborg out there whos stable and capable of switching forms freely just like you? Wheeze narrowed its eyes before putting on a menacing face. They are either my friend or my enemy. And if theyre my enemy, then Im gonna massacre them if its the last thing I do! Cillin: ... Is there really another cyborg like me though, Cillin? I dont know. The thought just crossed my mind, is all. Cillin wasnt sure if the small creature that was Yin Wushes pet was a half-cyborg either. Although the chances were pretty small, he could not deny that there was a chance. On the off chance it was true, he could not imagine how Wheeze would react when it realized that its fellow half-cyborg was a mouse. Or at least something that looked like a mouse. Its going to try and eat it, won''t it? What a headache, thought Cillin while massaging his forehead. Whats wrong? Wheeze asked concernedly. Its nothing. Im just thinking about many things. I see. You should refrain from doing that. Youre going to turn into an idiot if you think too much, Wheeze said seriously. Cillin: ... Chapter 387: Surrender Control (2) Chapter 387: Surrender Control (2) By the time Cillin returned to the bridge, the A Squadron had already sent them the alert signal. The negotiations could not be going well considering that it hadnt even been a few hours since it began. Should we get ready? Cary asked while working his elbow a little. He was wearing propeller rings on his arms and knees. There was also a shrunken apparatus behind his back. These were something Xi Mu had added to their Armor after observing Merciless Armor. This would allow them to fly in space in their Armor without having to wear any additional flight equipment. Not only was it highly responsive, the crew had proven themselves capable of utilizing the new enhancements to its maximum capacity. Yeah, we should Before Cillin could finish, they abruptly received a transmission request from a ship belonging to the A Squadron. Upon accepting, the crew was surprised to learn that they were speaking to Vice Admiral Stanley, the only vice admiral of the three to have come to this planet. Grim-faced, Stanley wasted no time in launching straight to his point, I need you to surrender control of your ship. Ill be heading over to handle the takeover in a moment Stanley was still speaking, but that was all Wheeze managed to hear before it started scratching up a table uncontrollably. He wants us to surrender our ship? But why? Is he trying to claim my territory? Is he trying to commit suicide or unalive himself?! Czedow poked Wheeze and shook its head before the gray cat could completely lose its shit. There would be time to throw a tantrum later. Stanley thought he would have to waste a lot of time persuading the Eleventh Squads commander into accepting the order, so he was surprised when Cillin had agreed to his request immediately. However, Cillin had also made a few demands in return, to which Stanley could barely stop himself from responding with an impatient outburst. Right now, his main objective was to take over Cillins ship and protect a certain person on their ship. Everything else was secondary. Fine. I will send someone to take over your ship two minutes later, Stanley cut off the transmission the second he said this. Why are we giving up Little Eleven, commander? And why is the A Squad doing this? Yeah! Our crew may be small, but were still a squadron! They cant just claim our ship as their own no matter how much they look down on us! We built this starship with our own two hands! Why on earth should we give it to them? Its not like theyre lacking in vessels right now! Who the fuck does the guy think he is? Hes just a vice admiral! He has no right to claim our starship! The crew was extremely displeased with Stanleys action to say the least. The B Squadrons of Vanguard normally did not interfere with each others business. While the A Squadron did possess the right to assist with the management of a B Squadron if the situation was deemed necessary, that should be the extent of their authority. Why were the squadrons sometimes addressed as independent squadrons? It was because they acted independently and did not have to answer to their higher-ups every whim. The admiral himself could give them an order, and their commander could still reject it if he decided that it was unreasonable or something! The problem was that Cillin had agreed to the unreasonable demand. That said, they had worked under Cillin long enough to trust his judgment. That was why they still obeyed his command after venting. Cillin had not explained himself, but they were certain that he had a good reason to do this. Please make the necessary preparations. Pango, Kong Lujia, Mogas, Phoebe and Mao, the five of you will be staying behind. The rest of you will be flying out on your fighters. But of course! Like hell well leave our fighters to the fuckers! This is fucking oppression, I swear! Cary complained unhappily as he left with the others. Before they left, they even shot the five members who had been asked to stay behind unfriendly looks. It was because Stanley had explicitly stated for the five of them to stay behind. He had also said that the rest of them could do whatever they wanted, meaning that they could remain in the ship or fuck off to elsewhere. It clearly did not matter to him either way. There had always been a rift between the A Squad and the B Squadrons. Barring a handful of exceptional individuals, the A Squadespecially those who had joined the A Squad from the beginninggenerally looked down on their B Squadrons. In fact, people who were promoted to the A Squad like Songba Leruo and Shawton were often discriminated against by their supposed allies. They had thought that this discrimination would lessen after the impromptu merging of their members a while ago, but it was clear that they had thought wrong. Cary was so pissed he could punch a wall or two. That was why he was venting it on the group of five. Mogas and the others looked wronged, but they did not protest the evil looks they received. In fact, they were so silent that Cillin had a feeling they knew why the A Squad was doing this. Later, Cillin activated a spaceplane and sent Dias baby boy, Mo Heng, Xi Kai and Xi Mu on board. The spaceplane had been built by their best engineers, and part of Xi Kais robot army was stored inside as well. Assuming that the spaceplane could safely evacuate the war zone before the war began, they should be as safe as they could be. Cillin had also spoken to Xi Kai and Xi Mu in private during this time. No one knew the contents of their conversation. After the spaceplane had left, Cillin sent the remaining crew members into another spaceplane that had also been retrofitted after acquisition. Their remaining fighters had been moved into the spaceplane as well. Keep our ship safe, Little Eleven. And dont let them into the places I told you about, Cillin said. I will, responded Little Eleven in a sad voice. Dont be scared. Well come back before you know it. We havent abandoned you. After saying this, Cillin turned around and watched a gray cat dragging an entire cabinet into the spaceplane. Behind it, Czedow was carrying more stuff such as its fluffy nest. Wheeze, were just leaving for a bit. Were not actually moving out of our ship. No! I dont trust them! Wheeze responded without looking back. Seeing Wheezes reaction, Snowball and the other crew members started moving their stuff into the spaceplane as well. Just like Wheeze, they were afraid that the A Squad would steal their precious treasures. Stanley had said that he would be sending someone to take over the ship, and it turned out that person was himself. What about their ship was so important that the vice admiral himself had to come over himself, when he could be helping Ji Feng instead? Only a few people were aware of his true intentions. As expected, the first thing Stanley did upon arrival was to check on the group of five. He did not care what anyone else was doing. After giving Cillin a nod, he and his men went straight to the bridge. While staring at the A Squad members back, Cillin made a hand gesture and said, Were leaving now. Keep our ship safe, Little Eleven. Cillin was the final person to board the spaceplane. When they finally departed, everyone felt terribly bitter on the inside. It was not unlike the feeling of being kicked out of their own homes. Cary might not know why this was happening, but he had been a Hunter long enough to know some common traits that they all shared. For example, Hunters generally did not bother to take care of things that werent theirs. Since the ship belonged to the Eleventh Squad and by extension him, he always took care of his surroundings as best he could. He would even avoid damaging the walls when he was training in the training ground. Would their so-called allies do the same though? Would they not open fire at a wall at random, kick the chairs around as they pleased or, god forbid, flip the tables to use as barricades even though it was completely unnecessary? The more Cary thought about it, the more bitter he felt. In the end, he decided to vent all his rage and frustration against their enemies. Cillin had promised them that they would return to the ship. That was the only reason they hadnt gone to town with the chuckleheads. No one in the Eleventh Squad was afraid to butt heads against the A Squad if necessary. Meanwhile, Stanley and his men were beginning to realize that the ship was more than what it seemed after taking control of it. At first, they had thought nothing of it. However, they soon discovered that there were an ungodly number of places that they were forbidden from entering. Some places were even locked down in a way that not even Stanley could open with his administrative authority. Their codebreaker was unable to hack the doors open either. When someone suggested shooting the door open, Phoebe immediately whipped his ass across the corridor. They would not allow the A Squad members to damage the ship. Is this really necessary? Its just a shitty B Squad ship, man, said the guy who was sent flying just now. The group of five remained silent, and Stanley told his subordinates to watch themselves. He was clearly accommodating them. VA, there are a ton of places in the ship that are sealed as tight as an airlock. The crew cabins, workshops and more are barred from entry, Someone said. I would advise you to rein in your curiosity and not explore the ship anymore than is necessary, Mogas said to a guy who was looking all over the place. If I insist? It was a childish voice who answered him instead of Mogas, Then I will not hold back. In the spaceplane, Cillin was holding a video conference with everyone and discussing their next action plan. He also discussed various contingency measures against unexpected situations. Cillin did not cut the transmission until he got everyone to promise twice that they would carry out his plans as he dictated. What are those people planning, Cillin? Wheeze asked a bit languidly from the side. The gray cat was currently plucking away at a round nut. It was worried for Sigmas indoor fruit garden and the territories it had marked with its scent. It was worried about far too many things for its own good. This was why one should never give up their territory for any reason! Cillin stroked its back while answering, We wont know until we know. What if they damaged the ship? What if something happened to Little Eleven? What will happen to Sigmas indoor fruit garden, your workshops and my territory? If the worst happens, then we will teach them a lesson. Though, I suspect they arent the only ones wholl be visiting our ship. There would be Navigators and other forces as well. Who cares? Were gonna kick all their asses! Wheeze rose to its feet and did a quick shake. Yes, we will. Itll be a lesson theyll never forget. But of course. Beep! Beep! Beep! The system suddenly beeped three times. It was the signal that the negotiations had broken down completely, and the battle was about to begin. Right after that, a corner of the planet abruptly exploded and discharged a massive mushroom cloud. It was of course the negotiation site. Chapter 388: Watch Out For Worms Chapter 388: Watch Out For Worms The explosion signaled the official start of the inevitable battle. Both the A Squad and the B Squads had their own roles to play. The A Squad had already altered their battle formation, and no B Squad was allowed to enter their zone unless absolutely necessary. It was because their presence could potentially disrupt their battle formation and battle plan. Worst case scenario, the A Squad might even have to treat the intruding B Squad as an enemy and destroy them. That wasnt to say that the B Squads were just there to watch the show. On the contrary, they had their own battlefield to win. The Third Squad wanted to protect the Eleventh Squad, but the battlefield had quickly devolved into a confusing mess where small spaceplanes and fighters were everywhere. It was very difficult to locate the spaceplane carrying Cillins crew, not to mention that they just received the order to protect the Eleventh Squads starship. Besides their commander, no one else in the Third Squad knew that the friends they thought they were protecting were no longer in their starship; that they had been forced to leave by their own supposed allies. Cillin had already spoken with the Third Squads commander about their situation. He assured him that they were fine, and that the best thing the Third Squad could do for the Eleventh squad was to protect their starship. Reluctantly, the Third Squad commander acquiesced as he had to protect his own Squad and respond to any enemy attack at first notice. They simply did not have the power to protect another Squad who wasnt even in their starship. The starships and spaceplanes raised their energy shields the second the alarm rang. The black red energy shield warned all fighters and spaceplanes outside that their shields were activating, and attempting to reenter the vessels now would result in self-destruction. Ah! These energy shields are powered by the energy ores we discovered, am I right? Wheeze exclaimed excitedly when it spotted an image on the live feed. Thats right. The dark red shields surrounding all Vanguard starships and spaceplanes were using the energy ores the Sixth B Squadron had discovered when Cillin was still with the squad. Later, the excavation rights of the energy mines had been transferred to the A Squad. Thanks to it, the Sixth Squads evaluation among the other B Squads skyrocketed for a time. That was all in the past though. That was the achievement of the old Sixth Squads, not the new Eleventh Squads. I dont like it! Wheeze declared resentfully. It was because they barely got to enjoy their fruits of labor before it was claimed by the others. In fact, Wheeze got so mad that it put a few holes into the metallic table beside it, and that was after Czedow had consoled it too. In the spaceplane, Eudy was sitting on the commanders seat and giving orders while a bunch of robots assisted with the piloting of the spaceplane. It freed up the others to invest their focus elsewhere. Six fighters had already left the spaceplane in two-man teams. They were Sha Rou and Tico, Udoze and Tang Qiuqiu plus Snowball, the Dias husband and wife, Shusag and Tesoro, Cary and Scarlet Wind, and finally Xiao Shang and Ba Dao. Their job was to intercept the Navigator fighters closing in on their position. Shusag had always thought that the Eleventh Squad was influential despite its ludicrously small crew size. As he and his son fought side by side in a battlefield filled with countless spaceplanes, starships and fighters of all shapes and sizes though, he finally understood why the A Squad members had acted the way they were when they, for all intents and purposes, booted them out of their own starship. They could be the strongest Squad in the entire galaxy, but what did it matter in a war involving thousands and thousands of units? Why would Vanguard as a whole respect a Squad whose total crew count didnt even exceed twenty? In the past, the Eleventh Squad always had a presence even though people thought that they were a joke. A starship piloted by a ludicrously small crew was still a starship-level threat after all. But now, the biggest vessel they had was a spaceplane. Forget presence, no one could even imagine that a B Squad commander of the Great Four would be piloting a spaceplane in this massive battlefield. It was like an ant trying to influence a battlefield between humanoids and the occasional behemoths. Shusag recalled the expressions on Stanley and the A squad members faces. He wasnt sure what they were thinking back then, but now he realized that it was probably a mix of pity and scorn. The battlefield was filled with fighters, explosions, and all kinds of acoustic and magnetic interference. Energy-absorbing weapons and cannons took turns to attack and counterattack the crap out of each other. Pure white freeze cannons and red hot particle beam cannons criss-crossed space and made the messy-looking battlefield even messier than it already was. Countless fighters and even small spaceplanes were being destroyed by the minute. Both sides were suffering a good amount of casualties in just a short time. The battle had just begun, but already the space was filled with debris of all shapes and sizes. A fighter that was flying in front of you just a second ago could be blasted into pieces the next second. They wouldnt even leave behind a scream in this infinitely black vacuum. Life and death were literally decided in an instant. Cillin recalled a line he read in Chamonidines diary, A battlefield that is fueled by life. A raging hot battleeven one that was waged in cold, soundless spacecould always get a Hunters heart pumping. Even the most cowardly Hunter would subconsciously forget their fear and immerse themselves completely in the battlefield. Cillin was currently standing at the bridge and looking at eight screens at the same time. Six of the screens showed everything that was happening around the spaceplaneup, down, left, right, front and backand the remaining two were displaying the planet. Most people would be hardpressed to keep up with two or three screens of activities, but not Cillin. From time to time, Cillin would instruct Cillin to make a record or calculate certain information. Wheeze was the only one out of all of them who had nothing to do. Right now, it was walking circles above a metallic table and scratching it every two revolutions or so. Judging from the frequency its whiskers were twitching, Cillin knew that the gray cat was just barely holding back its impatience. He could tell it desperately wanted to participate in the battle. Cillin frowned as he continued to observe the screens. For some reason, he felt like he had missed something. He watched the screens carefully until his attention were directed to the increasing amount of floating debris in the space. In fact, it grew to the point where the fighters were forced to slow down or risk crashing into them and killing themselves. This was especially true for the fighters fighting at the center of the battlefield. Hmm? Cillin instructed one of the screens to zoom in. It looked like there were some sort of unidentifiable rocks floating among the debris. What are those things? Cillin magnified the live feed from the other screens as well. Can you perform an in-depth analysis of these objects? Cillin asked Czedow. Czedow looked at the floating rocks on the screen and did as Cillin requested. However, the results were subpar as there was only so much he could do without physical contact, not to mention that the battlefield was overflowing with interference right now. Its no use. I can only tell that its no normal debris because it gives off some sort of strange signal, Czedow answered a while later. Cillin was racking his brains about this oddity when his communicator abruptly blinked a few times. Yin Wushe? This time, he received a message instead of a transmission: Watch out for the worms. Worms? Worms! Cillin immediately reached out to his six fighters and commanded, Watch out for the floating debris! Do not make contact with them unless absolutely necessary! The hull of a fighter was pretty tough. Generally speaking, it should be fine flying into a small debris or two. This was something they had all missed until Cillin had warned them about it. The crew was confused by Cillins warning, but they heeded his order and slowed down. Everyone was slowing down anyway, and frankly the battle here wasnt nearly as intense as it was at the center of the battlefield. There, the A Squad fighters flew much faster than the B Squad fighters even though they had slowed down to avoid the debris. It was both a technological gap and a skill gap. Udoze didnt think that his skills were lousier than the A Squads. In fact, he was confident he could fly into the heart of the battlefield, take out a few enemy fighters, then make it back without a scratch. If Cillin hadnt warned them not to take unnecessary risks before the battle began, he wouldve done so. Even then, he was plotting to move closer to the heart of the battlefield and test the waters so to speak. Fortunately, Cillins new warning reached him before he could put his thoughts into action. Udoze did not understand what was the point of avoiding the smaller, harmless debris. The computer automatically calculated what was harmless debris and what wasnt based on the fighters functionality, defense rating and other factors. It would actually hamper their ability to fight to avoid every debris on their path. It didnt long before they realized why Cillin had given the order. Cary was performing a sharp turn to avoid a barrage of shots from a Navigator fighter when he accidentally collided with an unidentifiable object. Scarlet Wind immediately reminded him, You hit a wreckage. It was because it hadnt been two minutes before Cary had screwed up even though it was an accident. I know, my young friend! Cary replied before checking the parameters and confirming that the debris was harmless. He was just about to throw this harmless incident out of his mind when he realized that the wreckage was clinging to his fighter. After attempting to shake it off his fighters hull to no avail, he was going to ignore it when suddenly, his fighters alarm system began shrieking in earnest. Whats going on? Cary blurted in confusion. Scarlet Wind responded quickly by bringing up the exterior camera and checking what was triggering the alarm. What is that? Scarlet Wind exclaimed in alarm. Cary blasted an enemy fighter to kingdom come before turning his head to check Scarlet Winds monitor. Then, he swore on top of his lungs, HOLY SHIT! A meter long object was attached to the tail end of their fighter. At first glance, it looked no different from a random rock in space. In reality, it was the furthest thing away from a rock: it was alive! Its craggy, oval surface slowly expanded until a bunch of scythe-shaped claws extended out of its main body. While clinging to the fighters body using the suction cups on its limbs, it started spitting some sort of corrosive substance that swiftly ate away at the fighters hull! The good news was that Mo Heng had built the fighter using some special materials, so the alien creature only managed to put a shallow dent on Carys fighter after a long time. A Navigator fighter not far away from them wasnt so lucky. The alien creature quickly put a hole in that fighter, and in space, even the smallest leak could be fatal. There was no way to tell what exactly happened to the fighter. All Cary knew was that the unfortunate bastard was shot down by a fellow Vanguard not long after it wobbled past them. He didnt even know if the alien creature was annihilated with the fighter. Cary immediately reported his findings and his situation to Cillin, though Cillin was already responding to the situation and recalling all fighters. Thankfully, Cary was in no danger yet as the fighters anti-corrosion material was pretty strong. After Cillin sent out the intel he had compiled on the spot to all B Squad commanders, he beckoned Czedow and Wheeze to his side while saying, Its time to head out. Wheeze immediately perked up. Finally! Cillin brought up a star chart and circled a particular area. He then told Eudy, Try to stay within this area as much as possible. I got it. Dont worry. Eudy shot the star chart a glance and noted that it was where their starship was at. The Eleventh Squads starship had been flying within the designated area this whole time, though more and more Navigator and Vanguard fighters were converging on the area. Motherfucker! Electrocution does nothing to the fuckers! Cary swore while checking the live feed of his exterior camera. There were now two alien creatures clinging to their fighters. He hadnt noticed it, but the amount of alien creatures in the environment seemed to be growing by the minute. When did they start to appear, and how?! I can climb out and take them out, Scarlet Wind suggested. Not yet. Were almost at the area Cillin told us to go. Focus on dealing with the three fighters on our tail first. There were two sets of weapons systems in the fighter. One of them was for the pilot, and the other the co-pilot. Scarlet Wind was the co-pilot right now. He left most of the piloting to Cary and focused on taking down the fighters, though personally he preferred to fight with his hands, no, claws more. Cary did not send Scarlet Wind out to deal with the alien creatures attempting to put a hole in their fighter because the little fella was so-so at space combat at best. It would be horrific if he screwed up his armor controls and got accidentally flung into space or something. When they had finally arrived at their destination, Cillins voice appeared from Carys communicator. Set your flight speed to third gear, cruising speed and cease all attacks for half a minute. Czedow and I will clean up the hostiles on your hull during this time. Cary did exactly as Cillin said while counting down to half a minute. The Eleventh Squad had always been a stickler for time. When exactly half a minute had passed, Cary and Scarlet Wind would resume offensive operations once more. Cary was just counting down to the thirteenth second when suddenly, they saw a person flying toward their fighter. They landed on three limbs before punching toward the worm that was still spitting acid at their hull this whole time. There was no sound in space, but if there was, Cary thought that the impact would probably sound like a crack. It was because the aliens head looked incredibly tough. Despite this, the person was still able to punch a hole in its head in one strike. The worm immediately died from the blow, but its limbs continued to cling to the hull with a death grip. The only way to remove it was to pull it off physically. However, even after the figure had ripped the worm off the hull and flung it into space, the suction cups still clung to the fighters surface. Cary could not help but feel a chill when he saw that the suction cups were irremovable even after the limbs were literally ripped off. Just what the hell were these things? The second worm was dealt with the same way as the first worm. It took the person only three seconds to remove the worms completely. Thanks, Czedow! Cary yelled as the person flew away. Thats Czedow? Scarlet Wind asked in confusion. Who else could it be? Czedow is the one who usually fights with his bare hands because its less troublesome, isnt it? Also, Czedow is probably the only one in our crew whose fists are tough enough to crack that alien in one hit, Cary said matter-of-factly. Scarlet Wind did not seem to agree with Cary though. He scratched his red hair with its claws before replying, I still think hes Cillin, not Czedow. Cillin? Our commander usually fights with his blade and gun though? Cary retorted, but he quickly fell into thoughtful silence. The person had removed the worms so smoothly that it was as if they were on the ground, not space. His movements were so smooth and natural that Cary could not imagine anyone but Czedow pulling off such a feat. However, Scarlet Wind looked incredibly sure that the person who helped them earlier was Cillin. Was he wrong? Was it really Cillin who helped them? The fuck are you doing? Now is not the time to be distracted! An angry shout abruptly jolted him out of his thoughts. A second later, Cary realized that an enemy had locked onto their fighter, and they were half a second away from being shot before Xiao Shang had blasted them to kingdom come. Ahem, excuse me. I was distracted, Cary quickly put on his game face while replying. On this battlefield? Get your head in the game, senior! Xiao Shang taunted him. Yeah, yeah. Thanks man! Cary stopped thinking who their helper was and focused on the fight in front of him. Cillin loved to keep a low profile even within his Squad, and Cary was fully aware of that fact. Despite this, he still underestimated Cillins capabilities from time to time. For example, he had subconsciously underestimated Cillins physical strength and barehanded fighting skills just because Cillin usually fought with a blade and a gun. Meanwhile, Cillin was eliminating the worms on Tico and Tang Qiuqius fighter after helping Cary and Scarlet Wind. He asked via his communicator, How is it, Czedow? Ive transmitted the analysis data of the sample to Xi Kai, Czedow reported while ripping off a worm clinging to Shusag and Tesoros fighter. He and Cillin couldve done this themselves, but they were quite busy right now. Meanwhile, Wheeze was taking a bite out of the worm on Udozes fighter. It only managed two chews before it spat it out the meat in disgust. Disgusting! Chapter 389: Retaking Control of the Starship Chapter 389: Retaking Control of the Starship Cillin still didnt know what the worms were, but he was sure that the creator must have invested a significant amount of time and effort to create them. After all, there were only so many species that could survive in space and carry a sac of corrosive liquid that was deadly enough to melt the hull of a space fighter. It was clear that it was a bioweapon of some sort. Besides that, it also possessed the ability to camouflage itself. It was incredibly difficult to notice it once the battlefield became filled with debris. Was it the doing of Merciless, or was it Mist? He knew for certain it wasnt the Navigators because plenty of Navigators had fallen for the trap. Its probably Mist. They hadnt heard any big news from the A Squad so far, though he doubted that they would hear them even if the higher-ups had been killed to the last. In any case, Cillin did not care about them right now. His full attention was on the Eleventh Squads starship. When he and Czedow had left the spaceplane to take out the worms, Eudy had told him that more and more fighters were spotted in the zone where their starship was hiding. That number had only grown after ten minutes had passed. Although the starship was on the move, it was constantly surrounded by allies and enemies as if it was the eye of the storm. At first glance, there were only Vanguards and Navigators around the starship. In reality, Cillin was certain that Mist was mixed in the group as well. There was a brief period of utter chaos when the worms ambushed the ships, but it wasnt long before countermeasures were taken. For two-seater fighters, one pilot would do the piloting while the other pilot would kill the worms on another allys fighter. They would be helping each other out so to speak. Some Vanguards noticed Cillin flying through space and killing the worms at a rapid pace, but they didnt recognize him because he was wearing his Armor. It didnt matter anyway. His actions marked him as a fellow Vanguard, and that was good enough for them. In fact, many people thought that Cillin was the reinforcement the A Squad had dispatched to help them. It couldnt be helped. It was clear he was an elite, and no one believed that a B Squad could produce an elite at his level. Cillin watched for a bit after taking out the worms plaguing his fighters. When everyone had adjusted to the worms, he returned to Eudys spaceplane. He did not go inside though. He stood at a recess on the flank of the spaceplane and observed the battlefield. Besides causing trouble for both sides of the war, the worms other function was probably to distract them long enough for someone to carry out their secret operation. Cillin knew that the A Squad had dispatched several special ops teams to attack the Navigators key starships. The Navigators were clearly prepared for the assault as well. Currently, both sides were at a stalemate. Countless units were pincering and flanking their enemies by the second, and more vessels including war boats, spaceplanes and more were appearing at the outer edge of the battlefield via hyperspace jumping. Both sides were hoping to catch the other party off guard, but obviously the effects were minimal at best. They just knew each other too well. This was just the pitched battle. Many more battles were being fought away from prying eyes such as the higher-ups struggle on the planet or the skirmishes happening inside the Eleventh Squads starship right now. In a fighter, Udoze easily shook off an enemy at their tail before Tang Qiuqiu blasted it to kingdom come. He was skilled enough to kill most enemies by himself, but having Tang Qiuqiu at the weapons seat more than doubled their total kill count. Unfortunately, it meant that Snowball had nothing to do. It was so bored that it could fall asleep in the cockpit. The white bear felt a surge of envy when it looked outside and saw Wheeze playing with the worms. In fact, many pilots exploded into curses when they glanced at Udozes fighter and noticed that a fat cat was sitting right on top of it. The gray cat wasnt obvious at all in space, and if it did nothing but sit on the fighter then almost no one would notice it. However, the fatso was currently pinning a worm to the hulla bioweapon that was many times bigger than itand toying with it like it was nothing more but a toy. Its razor sharp, scythe-like claws werent snapped like twigs before they could even touch the hair on its body. The thought that it might be blasted into pieces by an enemy never crossed Wheezes mind because one, nothing short of a heavy weapon could deal a serious blow to it, and two, Udoze was skilled enough to weave through the invisible storm of gunfire like a ballet dancer. All it needed to do was to press itself against the hull, and the chances it might catch a stray blast or two would fall to near zero. Inside the cockpit, Snowball bit its paw unhappily. It wanted to go out and play too! Wheeze was still toying with the worm when suddenly, it received a message from Cillin asking it to return to the spaceplane for a mission. The gray cat immediately threw the worm away, scratched its ear once, and got ready to leave. However, Snowball called out to it before it could do so. Half a minute later, Wheeze contacted Cillin and said, Cillin, Snowball wants to come with us because its bored. You okay with this? Cillin gave it some thought before replying, Sure. Snowball was very happy to hear this. Udoze ejected the bear from his fighter after it was done putting on its Armor. Snowball wouldve been fine without the Armorit could fight in space without breathing for a very long timebut its white fur was way too conspicuous. The Armor was the only way to reduce its visibility. The Armor was also equipped with propellers, but Snowball was unfamiliar with the equipment. It flew so poorly that it accidentally put a dent in the hull of an unfortunate Navigator fighter. While struggling to maintain its balance, Snowball instinctively grabbed onto Wheezes tail. It was the only way it could think of to improve its stability and avoid slamming into more spaceplanes and fighters. Of course, Wheeze looked back at Snowball and swore, Fuck you, you fucking fatty! Snowball: ... Snowball snuck a glance at Wheezes equally fat bod but said nothing. What could it do when it didnt have wings? And so countless people saw a fat, winged cat flying through space while dragging a large, unidentifiable object behind it. It was an amazing sight to say the least. What the hell is that? Some Navigators tried to capture the bizarre duo, but Wheeze opened its mouth and blasted three of their fighters to kingdom come before they could even get close. You can shoot energy from your mouth? Snowball exclaimed in astonishment via its communicator. But of course! Wheeze declared arrogantly. Why didnt you use it in our previous battles? Thats cuz I like to keep a low profile. ... Right. I should just shut up. A while later, they arrived at the spaceplane. As soon as the hatch was open, and Wheeze was inside the airlock, it immediately flicked Snowball off its tail. The poor bear rolled all the way from the entrance to the corridor before it came to a stop. Cillin and Czedow had already returned to the spaceplane. They were currently waiting for them next to Shusags fighter. Wheeze took a moment to shake its fur and lick the crap out of the tail that Snowball had messed up with its grip. It was only then it leaped onto Cillins shoulder and asked, When are we departing? And what is the mission? Were heading back to Little Eleven, Cillin answered. Just now, Eudy had lost contact with Little Eleven. Even Czedow was unable to make contact with the super AI for whatever reason. What happened to Little Eleven? Wheeze asked. Little Elevens status is unconfirmed, but I dont believe it means that something has happened to it. A jammer could stop all communication signals from entering or exiting the ship, Czedow explained. Cillin added, I believe we can make contact with Little Eleven once weve returned to the starship. Hence the mission, Cillin explained briefly to Wheeze and Shusag. What about Cary and the others? Shusag asked. Theyll return to the spaceplane and provide cover for us in a minute. Chapter 389: Retaking Control of the Starship (2) Eudy flew the spaceplane closer to their starship. Already, there were plenty of Navigators surrounding their ship. If a fight broke out, the Third B Squadron would not be able to spare too many forces to aid their starship, not to mention that their starship had been moving at an accelerated rate since lowering its energy shields. Some of the frigates were unable to keep up with it. It was unknown why the Eleventh Squad had lowered its shields. One thing for certain, it definitely wasnt because it ran out of energy. The spaceplane sped toward the starship. The Vanguard units in the area refrained from attacking even though they werent really pleased with the approach. They were on the same side after all. Czedow, hack open that hatch underneath the ship, Cillin ordered. Little Eleven wasnt responding to their call, so they could not expect the super AI to complete the task. Also, he wasnt asking Czedow to open the obvious hatch underneath the ship. The starship had several hidden entrances that only they were aware of. Its done! A small hidden entrance opened at the bottom of the starship. Good luck! Eudy said. He and Tesoro would not be entering the starship with Cillin because they were weak. They would only slow down the strike team. A hatch opened on the roof of the spaceplane. After making a Go hand signal to the team, Cillin exited through the hatch and into the hidden entrance with the others following closely behind him. Everyone except Wheeze was wearing Armor, of course. For obvious reasons, Wheeze did not allow Snowball to cling to its tail this time. There were few things it hated more than having its tail grabbed. If Snowball was a stranger, it wouldve bitten the crap out of them even if they were a fellow Vanguard. Unfortunately, Snowball was still absolutely horrible at spaceflight, so Czedow had to fly it through the hidden entrance by hand. Cillin warned Snowball that it would not be allowed on future space missions if it did not practice its space skills, to which the bear swore it would do so as soon as this mission was over. It did not want to doze off in a fighter because it had nothing to do a second time, especially when everyone else was having fun. Eudy flew the spaceplane away after Cillins team had safely passed through the hidden entrance. However, he remained close to the starship and worked together with the elite frigates to fight against the Navigators. Speaking of which, it took Eudy less than five seconds to park the spaceplane beneath the hidden entrance, wait until everyone was through the hidden entrance, and fly away. For those who werent looking, it looked like the spaceplane was simply making the rounds around the starship. The spaceplane was far more conspicuous than the team entering the starship as well. In any case, it was likely that no one noticed their entry. After passing through the hidden entrance, Czedow tried to communicate with Little Eleven again to no avail. It was as if something was blocking him from establishing communication. What should we do? Czedow asked. Retake control of Little Eleven. Before Cillin left, he had instructed Little Eleven to shut down everything if someone tried to disrupt the ships systems, and it was unable to resist for some reason. Since the passage they came through and everywhere else were shrouded in complete darkness, Cillin knew that Little Eleven had shut down all of its functions except flight. Not only that, Little Eleven had activated the starships autopilot system before entering hibernation mode. This way, no outsider could use the super AI to take control of the starship or even activate its lights. The starship had been designed with many, many emergency situations in mind. They had also prepared a good number of insurances when inserting Little Eleven into the starship. As a result, they were more than prepared to face the current situation. For example, Little Eleven wasnt the one and only ultimate authority of the starship. There was a separate admin channel that would allow someone to assume control of the starship; a channel that only the members of the Eleventh Squad were privy to. Not only that, it was complex enough that even a professional who specialized in this area of knowledge would have an extremely difficult time obtaining the admin right. The reason was simple. It was because the admin right could only be obtained using machine language; a specific type of machine language too. The team waited as Czedow began taking the necessary steps to obtain the admin right. While waiting, Cillin closed his eyes and focused on his senses. It was pitch black inside the starship, but he could sense everything within his range of perception. Not even the smallest disturbances could elude his senses. A short time later, Czedow successfully obtained the admin right without any issues. He did not trigger any abnormality that might warn the outsiders that the team had retaken control of the starship either. And just in time, too. Cillin could feel Wheeze extending its claws unconsciously on his shoulder. It was because the gray cat was beyond furious right now. If Wheeze was alone, it wouldve gone on a rampage already. The only reason it hadnt was because it didnt want to spoil the mission, the poor thing. The starship was still pitch black because Cillin hadnt asked Czedow to reactivate the lighting system. He did not want to alarm the outsiders until they learned more about the situation. Despite the non-existent lighting, everyone in the team was powerful enough to notice that many areas in the starship had suffered varying degrees of damage. For example, the wall of the corridor just a short distance in front of them was riddled with bullet holes. Those with a sharp sense of smell could smell the faint stench of blood in the air as well. As for Wheeze, it had superior night vision, sense of smell and machine senses all at the same time. It was only natural that it was the angriest of them all. Right now, the gray cat wanted nothing more but to devour every last sonuvabitch that did all these damages to its territory before spitting them out like trash. I dont sense anyone a hundred meters from our location, Czedow said. The starship had built-in surveillance cameras as a matter of course, and they were installed in fairly inconspicuous spots. They made very little movement when they were activated as well. Whats the current situation? Czedow projected a hologram from his eyes. It was a see-through image of the whole ship. Czedow had also marked everyone the cameras could capture on the hologram. Right now, they could see a big group at the shooting range. Twenty or so people were holed up inside the shooting range while being surrounded by a separate group. Theyre trying to break into the shooting range, Czedow said. He could feel the doors being broken down even now. It wouldnt be long before the hostile group succeeded. The attackers are probably the Navigators. If theyre the Navigators, then wheres Mist? You said they would be on the ship, right? Shusag voiced in puzzlement while staring at the hologram. I know they are. Theyre just good enough to elude the cameras. Wheeze interrupted right as Cillin finished speaking, Yeah! I can smell their disgusting stench all the way from here. Theyre not escaping this time! Cillin took a few steps forward before crouching on the floor and pulling up a floor plate. He then wiped his hand across what looked like a smear of filth clinging to the bottom of the floor plate. Oh yes, I definitely remember that bastard! Wheeze said fiercely. I remember him too. Cillin wiped off the stain before returning to the team. He ordered while looking at Shusag and Snowball, As you may have noticed, there are some hard-to-detect substances on the starship. They give off a kind of smell that only someone with an extremely keen sense of smell could perceive. If you accidentally catch it, the guy who left behind this substance will be able to sense you for as long as youre within his range. Well, shit. I suppose we should watch our step then, Shusag replied with a frown. He didnt like this because the ship was pitch black, and unlike Wheeze it couldnt just sniff the air and know which areas he should avoid. It would severely impact his combat capabilities to split his focus like this if nothing else. No, you dont need to do anything, Cillin said while producing a can of spray. Just spray this on your body, and itll be fine. Shusag accepted the spray and gave a sniff. He could not smell anything, however. I told Little Eleven to spray this scent insulator in most areas of the ship before we left. Most people would not be able to smell it, but those with an extremely keen sense of smell will. It was one of the counters he had come up with since that fateful day. The scent insulator would protect them to a certain degree even if they did catch the signal markers by accident. Also, our Armor has an automated purification system. Combined with the scent insulator, you should be able to operate at almost max capacity. This was an eye opener for Shusag. He had heard of something like this when he was still serving the military, but he had never experienced it until now. It would seem that he still had a lot to learn. If it wasnt for Cillin, his enemy wouldve been able to track him as easily as they tracked a glowing target, and he wouldnt have a clue until it was too late. Cillin gave everyone their mission objectives after the spray was applied. The team would be splitting up into two teams; Cillin and Shusag, Czedow and Snowball. Czedow would keep track of everyones locations and progress using the ships systems. He would also be protecting Snowball in case the enemy turned out to be stronger than expected. While the team was making their way toward the shooting range, the group inside the venue was busy defending themselves. The wounded were busy treating their own injuries, while the rest were spread out and waiting in position. They formed a protective circle around Mogas and the others. Boss, the doors not going to hold up much longer. Theyre coming in another minute or so, One of Stanleys people reported, to which Stanley responded with a wave of the hand. The atmosphere in the shooting range was pretty heavy as their group of thirty plus had dwindled to just twenty; twenty five if he factored Mogas group into the equation. Meanwhile, they were facing not just the Navigators, but also the killers from Mist. In fact, over half of the deaths they had incurred was due to Mist. In that sense, the Navigators right outside the shooting range wasnt their biggest worry. It was the killers waiting to ambush them in the darkness. They didnt even know how many killers Mist had sent to kill them. Mogas group was doing their best to catch some rest as well. It was because they knew that a difficult battle lay ahead of them. It was worth noting that Mogas, Phoebe, Kong Lujia and Mao were keeping Pango at the center of their small group. Moreover, Pango was just sitting on his chair quietly as if he could not sense the grim atmosphere or the looming threat. His apparent carefreeness chilled Stanley even more than he already was. Sometimes, a harmless-looking person wasnt necessarily harmless. Sometimes, they could even be the Devil himself. They just chose not to reveal their horns because it wasnt time yet. Chapter 390: What Should I Do With You People? (1) There were many ways to get from the secret entrance to the training ground, so the team had no problems splitting up and approaching from two different directions. Although it was pitch black inside the ship, their armors low vision equipment functioned well enough to show them their surroundings clearly. Moreover, they were operating within their own starship. Shusag could probably navigate through the place with his eyes closed, and Cillin definitely could. Cillin and Shusag were currently using a side passage that was rarely used even by the crew themselves. Judging from the smell and certain traces in the surroundings, Cillin and Wheeze were sure that neither the Navigators nor the A Squad had used this passage. That didnt mean that no outsiders had used the passage, however. On Cillins shoulder, Wheeze suddenly sneezed before complaining in disgust, God, it smells awful in here! Shusag said nothing because he couldnt smell anything at all. As they continued forward, Wheeze started extending and retracting its claws unconsciously. Since Cillins own sense of smell was pretty sharp, he knew it was because they were getting closer to something. Swoosh! Suddenly, Wheeze leaped off Cillins shoulder and dashed up to a little thing that was attempting to run away from the group. The gray cat easily crushed it into a pool of sticky liquid with its paw. In fact, Shusag had seen the creature even before Wheeze had made its move. It wasnt even the only creature in the vicinity. Its appearance resembled that of a rodent, but it was covered in a sheen of metallic armor instead of fur. It didnt reflect any light in the darkness, but he reckoned that it was pretty tough. Its limbs were thick and strong, and its claws were sharp enough to leave claw marks on the passage walls. When Wheeze was crushing it with its paw, he also caught a glimpse of razor sharp teeth before it died. It looked like it wanted to screech out in alarm but wasnt able to do so in time. What was even stranger was the fact that the rodent-like thing slowly transformed into a pool of sticky liquid after it died, assuming it was ever alive in the first place. Its tough armor and sharp claws also melted over time. Shusag didnt know what the hell it was, but the stench Cillin had told him earlier had probably come from the creature. The universe truly is a vast place. Shusag had just finished expressing his amazement when he noticed that the rodent wasnt alone. More were closing in on them seemingly with ill intentions. Shusag was going to kill them when Cillin stopped him and said, Leave them to Wheeze and keep an eye on our surroundings. I think were going to have company very soon. To this day, Cillin hadnt forgotten the man he had walked past while pretending to be a prison guard at the maximum security prison. Although the man had hidden himself quite well, the same could not be said for his eyes. It was very similar to the eyes of the rodents Wheeze were crushing right now: Crazed, cruel, and bloodthirsty. Speaking of Wheeze, the gray cat was dashing about and crushing the incoming rodents with a level of speed that did not match its appearance at all. Shusag could not help but click his tongue in amazement as he watched the spectacle. Anyone who judged the gray cat by its appearance was guaranteed to have a bad time. Suddenly, Cillin made a hand signal that caused Shusag to be on alert immediately. The commander told him again that someone was closing in on their location, but it wasnt until a couple seconds later did he finally sense something. As expected of a killer. If it wasnt for Cillins warning, he would be at a greater disadvantage than he already was. The enemy was clearly aware that Cillin was aware of his approach because he stopped trying to stay hidden after getting within a certain range. At the same time, massive hordes of rodents began pouring out from the front and rear of the passage and rushing their position. Some of the rodents were bigger than normal and probably harder to deal with as well. Cillin moved a hand behind his back and made another hand signal. The long story short was that Shusag would handle the rodents, and he would deal with the silent man walking toward them. Shing! Shusags claws extended to full length as he put some distance between himself and Cillin. This way, they were close enough to help each other if needed, yet far enough apart to avoid accidentally hurting or impeding each other. Cillin paid no attention to the rodents pouring in from the front and the back of the passage. Wheeze could handle everything from the front, and Shusag the back. He only needed to focus on the man slowly walking toward them right now. The man walked closer and closer until he was about fifty meters away from Cillin, seemingly considering his next move. For a time, neither the man nor Cillin moved a muscle. They both seemed to be waiting for the other person to arrive at a decision first The rodent horde only increased over time even though Wheeze and Shusag were killing them as quickly as they could. Nearly half of the narrow passage in front of them was fully clogged by the rodents. To improve its killing efficiency, Wheeze extended its claws and tore every rodent that dared to come its way into itty-bitty pieces. It wasnt long before the whole floor was covered in the disgusting liquid. From time to time, Wheeze would kick its legs in an attempt to remove the filth clinging to its paws. To be honest, swallowing the rodents would be the cleaner and more efficient way to clear them out, but they just tasted too disgusting. That was why it would rather stomp on the rodents one at a time. Cillin did not seem to care about the rodents. It was almost as if he couldnt see them. Suddenly, the young man dashed forward so fast it was as if he had teleported. Not a moment too soon, a hand suddenly burst out of the sticky liquid on the floor and swiped at the air where Cillins legs used to be. The hand had long talons that were shaped almost the same as the rodents. The enemy had made a move first, but not only did he ambush Cillin, the commander was able to sever the strange arm with his blade. The severed arm melted back into liquid after the failed surprise attack, but unlike the rodents Shusag and Wheeze were killing at a rapid pace, it actually carried a tinge of red. It was blood. It was also proof that Cillin had managed to wound the enemy. The silent man standing fifty meters away from Cillin started melting from the head. From the start, the humanoid figure was just a ruse. His true body had been hiding in the rodent swarm this whole time. Laton was feeling quite furious right now. He never thought he would lose an arm at the very first exchange. The young man wasnt just fast, he had waited until the last possible moment before leaping out of harms way and severing his arm at the same time. By now, Laton figured out that the young man was intentionally baiting him into overextending. If he wanted to, he could have jumped away even before his arm had emerged from the liquid. Two questions occupied his mind after the failed attack: How did the young man discover the location of his true body, and who on earth was he? Laton knew every higher-up with exceptional combat capabilities in the A Squad of Vanguard, but the young man before him was definitely not among those people. Laton had long since forgotten the prison guard that passed him by in that prison a few years ago, but Cillin had not forgotten him. The reason he was able to identify the location of Latons true body was because he remembered the guys scent, and it was quite different from the rodents around them. If Shusag knew the truth, he might have mourned his poor sense of smell a second time. Cillin stood still again after cutting off Latons arm. It looked like he was waiting for Laton to make another attempt. However, Laton was feeling a lot more cautious after the sudden exchange. Cillin had proven to be faster than he was, so it would be folly to rush into another surprise attack. Instead, he chose to wait for a better opportunity. More and more sticky liquid were gathering within the passage. The air was starting to feel vaporous as well. Laton continued to wait at his hiding spot. So what if the young man could sense his rough location? He was unkillable for as long as he did not manifest his true body. Suddenly, Cillin said something that Laton couldnt understand, but both Shusag and Wheeze could. It was a code phrase that was commonly used in the Mist Bodhisattva military. Shusag understood it because he was a former soldier of the Empire. Wheeze did not actually understand the code, but Cillin had also conveyed his meaning in machine language. While Laton was trying to figure out CIllins intention, the young man abruptly lifted a gun and aimed it straight at his location. At the same time, both Shusag and Wheeze leaped back to Cillins side. Bang! The gunshot sounded surprisingly soft. As soon as the bullet entered the pool of sticky liquid where Laton was hiding in, a layer of crystal immediately spread across its surface. The crystal swiftly thickened and encased everything within. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! A bloodcurdling scream resounded across the passage. At the same time, the attacking rodents suddenly started running into walls and objects as if they had lost their sense of direction. Shusag felt as if the upper half of his body was encased in ice. The pool of sticky liquid Cillin had shot at was covered in a thick layer of ice, but he could tell it wasnt actually ice because it didnt feel cold at all. What chilled Shusag wasnt the ice itself, but the two-thirds of a man flailing above the strange ice. It looked like he was trying to jump out of a pool of water, but the ice had frozen everything below the chest before he could do so. It looked disturbing to put it mildly. Everything encased within the strange ice was completely immovable. Laton didnt even manage to transform completely back into a human before two-thirds of his body were completely frozen. His upper arms were free, but everything below the elbow was also frozen. He extended a long, barbed tongue and tried to scrape away the ice with it, but a gun was pressed against his forehead before he could even begin his desperate action. Bang! His screams were still reverberating throughout the passage, but the rodents running all over the place had already melted into sticky stains. Chapter 390: What Should I Do With You People (2) A loud, bloodcurdling scream suddenly resounded throughout the training ground. It was the second scream Laton had let out after two-thirds of his body became trapped within the strange ice. If Cillin wanted to, he couldve told Czedow to muffle the noise perfectly and keep it from alerting the rest of the uninvited guests on the ship. Instead, he instructed the opposite. Be it the Navigators damaging the door into the training ground or the Vanguard members standing in position and waiting for the enemy to break through, they all heard Laton loud and clear and stopped what they were doing at the same time. Phoebe felt as if every hair on her body was standing on end. A man beside Stanley swallowed audibly before asking in a trembling voice, Whose whose scream is that? A persons voice was a wonderful conveyor of emotions. Assuming that the person wasnt trying to disguise their voice, it was also possible to deduce a part of a persons strength through it. There was a characteristic vibration in the sound waves that identified the person like a marker. A sheen of cold sweat emerged from Stanleys forehead. His crew might not recognize the voice, but he was a vice admiral of Vanguard. Of course he knew who the screamer was. Despite this, he couldnt quite bring himself to believe that he was hearing who he thought he was hearing. It was the literal definition of a death throe, and he almost couldnt believe that Laton, that cold-blooded murderer, was capable of making such a noise. As a professional killer, Laton was invisible in more ways than one. The idea that he would make such a noise on purpose was unthinkable, not to mention that it didnt sound like he was faking it at all. There was so much emotion behind the scream that he could not help but wonder what the hell had happened to the killer. Even he could not help but feel goosebumps crawling over his skin. Who was the one who drove Laton into letting such an undignified scream? Who could push Laton to this extent? Only one answer came to mind. Stanley, the A Squad members, the Navigators, and even the other Mist killers on the ship all arrived at the same conclusion at the same time: Merciless. It was the only logical answer. Sir? An A Squad member spoke up while shooting Stanley an uncertain look. Mist alone had managed to back them into a corner. If Merciless were to join in on the fun as well, he could not imagine many of them making it out alive at all. The fact that their Admiral shared a bad relationship with Merciless was an open secret within the A Squad. Yin Wushe, the head of Merciless, had even threatened Ji Feng openly in the past. Assuming that the mysterious person or group who cornered Laton did belong to Merciless, there was no chance in hell that they would lend them a helping hand. In fact, there was a good chance they might even kick them when they were down. Stanley shot Pango a look. There was a high chance they were going to fail their mission. He wondered what the young man was thinking right now. Hey Phoebe. Can you guess what Im thinking right now? Mogas suddenly asked while purposely elbowing the young woman in the breast, causing her to slap his arm hard enough to leave a bruise. At the same time, she shot Mogas an exasperated look. He was the only one capable of maintaining his happy-go-lucky attitude in a situation like this. Do I look like I care about what you think? Phoebe replied scathingly while rolling her eyes at him. Mogas swept a glance across the A Squad members before covering his mouth with his palm and whispered, I think the commander has come to help us. The young man acted like he was trying to tell Phoebe a secret, but his voice wasnt low at all. At the very least, the men standing guard at the farthest edges of the training ground could hear him loud and clear. Commander? He couldnt be referring to the Eleventh Squad commander, could he? A few A Squad members immediately shot him a disdainful look. Now isnt the time for jokes, boy. Mogas could barely stop himself from snorting. Im not joking though. Sigh! The young man tapped his knees rhythmically while talking seemingly to himself, If you guys hadn''t ordered Little Eleven to surrender control of the ship, the Navigators would not have been able to lock it out completely. And if Little Eleven hadnt been locked up, it couldve shown us what is happening inside the ship, thrown up some obstacles and traps in the Navigators path to slow them down, and even brought us reinforcements. Reinforcements? Someone snorted out loud. Who do you think that the Navigators are? Not only did they succeed in locking out a super AI completely, they also jammed the entire ship. How is the AI supposed to bring in any reinforcements when the ships been turned into a dead zone? Ill grant you that the Navigator has exceeded expectations though. Ive never heard of them possessing such a technology. A couple other A Squad members immediately echoed in agreement. While they couldnt claim to know the Navigators inside out, they were certain that they did not possess such a powerful jamming technology prior to today. So, the question was, who was the bastard who gave it to them? Was it Mist, Merciless, or some other third party they were unaware of? The Navigators had temporarily ceased their attack against the door after the scream, so they were safe for a couple more minutes at least. The A Squad members began discussing who was the mastermind behind the Navigators to relieve some of the tension. Mogas fell completely silent, however. Phoebe, Kong Lujia and Pango were perfectly quiet as well. They were the only ones who knew that Mogas wasnt just referring to the commander and their fellow crew when he said reinforcements. He was also referring to the robots hibernating inside a secret corner of the ship. They could all die, and the robots still wouldnt lift a finger unless they received a direct order from Little Eleven, Xi Kai or Cillin. The four of them did not possess the authority to command them into action either. As the saying went, you reaped what you sowed! The temporary peace did not last long. Just a minute later, the Navigators began working on the door once more. All units, prepare for battle! Stanley immediately ordered. The glowing, bright red lines cutting through the door were incredibly conspicuous in the darkness. It also meant that the door were seconds away from being breached. That wasnt all. The Navigators were also working on the multi-layered, reinforced walls with their plasma cutters as well. In fact, they were already at the final layer. Everyone had entered their optimal state when the plasma cutter had cut through the door completely. They were all in position and ready to respond to anything. Kuang! Someone kicked the door inside before three hand grenades were tossed in. Shields up! Several people activated their large-sized portable shields immediately. It shielded them from the explosions of the three grenades. The hand grenades the Navigators used werent particularly powerful not because their equipment was lacking, but because they didnt want the explosions to blow through the floor. That would allow their prey to make an escape and delay the end of this cat-and-mouse game further. In this sense, the Navigators tactic was as sound as it was well-executed. The energy shields were almost gone after enduring three explosions at the same time. Someone immediately yelled, Take them out! Maintain formation! Everyone was using a kinetic weapon because the environment was pitch black. A laser weapon would only expose their position to the enemy. It was at this moment both parties noticed something odd. Just a few seconds after the gunfight began, they noticed ripples of light appearing at the center of the gunfight. It was almost as if there was an invisible shield blocking their shots Before either side could make sense of the strange phenomenon, the lights of the training ground abruptly turned on in full force. Goro goro No one knew where the object had come from. One second there was nothing, and the next they saw something rolling to the center of the battlefield and stopping just short of the energy shield that had blocked their shots earlier. As it was the first moving object they saw after the lights turned on all of a sudden, of course it drew everyones attention. At first glance, it looked like a large chunk of ice. However, trapped within the ice was Latons disbelieving, bloodthirsty eyes and pain-warped expression. It was a frozen head. As if on cue, the speakers all around the training ground came to life. You guys sure did a number to my ship. What should I do with you people? Chapter 391: We, The Eleventh Squad Everyone in the training grounds knew that the situation had gone out of hand when they heard the announcement. In fact, it had gone out of hand from the moment the energy shield had appeared out of nowhere. It was perfectly natural for the training grounds to be equipped with energy shields and other safety mechanisms to protect the users from harm. However, the A Squad members werent able to activate them because the Navigators had shut down the ships system. They couldnt even send an SOS to the Vanguard members flying outside the ship and request for reinforcements. Even if they could, the ship was constantly on the move. Any reinforcement would have a hard time getting into the ship without someone to facilitate the arrival. It was possible that someone had somehow hacked the local system to turn on the energy shields, but the fact that the lights had turned on could only mean that the ships systems were no longer under lockdown. The question now was: who was the one currently in control of the ship? Stanley felt a chill crawling over his scalp as he watched the chunk of ice lying next to the energy shield. He wasnt imagining it after all. The death throes they heard a few minutes ago really did belong to Laton. It was clear he hadnt died peacefully either. One look at his final expression and recall his death throes told him everything he needed to know. It took a few seconds for Stanley to realize that he was breathing carefully as if he was in the presence of an apex predator. Who were the ones who killed Laton? Was it really Merciless? It didnt match what he knew of their shared history though. If it was them, they would never have raised the shields to protect Vanguard. Stanley wasnt the only one who recognized Laton. There were several people from the A Squad and the Navigators who recognized him as well. It was why the atmosphere took an abrupt nosedive for the eerie. Somehow, and yet it felt darker and more dangerous than when the training grounds were pitch black. Is there someone or something lurking among us? Drip A single drop of blood hit the floor and caused everyone to look up. There was a person standing on a metal rod embedded in a wall about twenty meters above the ground. It was usually used for climbing training. When did the person get here? They hadnt sensed him at all. If it wasnt for the blood drop that broke the eerie silence that had permeated the air since the lights came on, they might never notice that someone had been watching them from above like a ghost. The person was wearing an Armor that Mogas and the others recognized immediately. It was the exclusive Armor only the internal personnel of the Eleventh Squad possessed. The blood didnt belong to the person though. It came from the lifeless man they were holding by the neck. Tyers! Stanley recognized the man with a hole in his chest immediately. He was Tyers the Swiftblade, a Mist killer who wielded a saber that was shaped like a tear. He earned his nickname by moving so fast that most of his victims were dead before they even knew what hit them. Together with Laton, he had caused quite a bit of trouble for Stanleys group and killed many of his men. Stanley would regard him as one of the top threats on this ship if not for the fact that the killer was already and currently hanging off from the mysterious persons hand like trash. His face looked pretty roughed up, and there was an obvious depression where his chest was. A closer look revealed that most of his bones were shattered as well. First Laton, now Tyers the Swiftblade. That was two Mist killers dead just like that. The Navigators had thought that there was nothing that could go wrong tonight, but even the most arrogant of them was starting to have second thoughts about the operation. Contrary to Stanley and the Navigators worry, Mogas group wore a relieved expression on their faces. It was because they knew for certain that their rescuers were friendly. Commander! Mogas jumped to his feet in joy as he cheered, I knew you would come for us! Phoebe and the others were overjoyed as well, though their reaction was much more conservative than Mogas as a matter of course. Mogas was so happy that he started dancing as if he had slain the two Mist killers with his own hands. He continued to perform his silly victory dance even after Stanley shot him a stern look. Stanleys eyebrows visibly twitched with annoyance, but now was hardly the time to rebuke Mogas for his silliness. He turned toward the person standing on the metal rod and asked, Is that you, Cillin? The reason he said this was because he recognized the voice from the speaker before as Cillins. His usual impatience and annoyance with the commander were now completely replaced by a completely different kind of emotion, however. Why was Cillin here, and how did he enter the ship? Instead of answering Stanleys question, the person released his grip on Tyers. The lifeless killer fell in a straight line before hitting the floor with a loud, resounding thud. The noise caused everyone to tense up immediately. On the other side, a Navigator marksman holding the high ground pulled out his gun and shot at the person almost as soon as they let go of Tyers. The globe-shaped energy shield that blocked their shots earlier only covered the center of the training grounds. The person was out of bounds so to speak. The shot was nearly silent, and the marksman was a veteran. His aim and timing were more or less flawless as well. However, the bullet merely bounced off the persons Armor with a soft plink. A bullet-proof Armor!? The thought crossed everyones mind at the same time. The Navigators were still reeling from the discovery when suddenly, their leader suddenly felt a chill blasting against his face like the breath of the Reaper himself. It was the instinct he had honed through countless near-death experiences screaming at him about an impending, immediate danger. Unfortunately, he had just shouted Care before a blur pierced through their formation and Pssh! pierced the marksman with five sharp, steel-like finger bones that were shaped like scythes. Shusag chose to pull away instead of pressing his advantage after successfully assassinating the marksman. It was the right call. The Navigators responded quickly and showered him in bullets, but thanks to his lightning fast reactions and his Armors protection, he didnt take any damage whatsoever. He was even running on the walls thanks to the grav-boots of his Armor. Not every Navigator was shooting at Shusag. Some of them were holding back to keep an eye on the person still standing on the metal rod and the other Vanguards. Behind the energy shield, the A Squad was watching the event unfold with a sense of growing incredulity. They had come here to carry out a protection mission. They should be the ones fighting the Navigators and the Mist. But now, they were hiding behind an energy shield while the B Squadron they scorned were doing their job for them. Back to the Navigators, the group quickly discovered that they were unable to do any real damage to Shusag even if they managed to land a hit on the guy. Not even laser weapons could put a dent on that Armor, not to mention that he was dodging all over the place like a monkey. Wait! The leader of the group suddenly ordered while making a hand signal. Something didnt feel right about all this. The person standing on the rod hadnt made a move since they dropped Tyers to the ground, and the bastard who killed his marksman was only focusing on dodging after his initial success. Was this really all they had up their sleeves after their dramatic entrance? The leader quickly came to a decision and ordered, Withdraw! He also performed a full retreat hand signal. Unfortunately, he was too late. The Navigators hadnt even gotten close to the breached entrance when a storm of bullets abruptly erupted from the corridor. While the Navigators were also wearing bullet-resistant Armor, it was nowhere close to being bullet-proof. A sufficiently powerful shot behind it could punch through the protection all the same. Their Armor also recognized that the hostiles attacking their rear were invisible, but once again, it wasnt good enough to decloak their enemies completely. They could only make out what seemed like the outline of a humanoid. Watch out! Theyre invisible! A Navigator shouted. Invisible? Once again, Stanley was confused by the situation. He remembered reading about a girl with the ability to turn invisible while skimming through the Eleventh Squads profile, but she was just one girl. It was clear to him that the Navigators were contending with a large group of invisible enemies, and unless he was sorely mistaken, none of them looked like the girl he saw in the profile. Stanley thoughtfully turned his attention to Mogas'' group. Mogas excited expression was all he needed to see to know they knew the truth. Whats going on, Phoebe? Stanley asked. He didnt ask Mogas because the guy was flighty in the best of circumstances. Phoebe held her silence for a moment as if she was choosing her words before answering, Theyre reinforcements. What kind of answer is that? It was clear that Stanley was dissatisfied with the answer. Didnt you hear what I said earlier? I said that Little Eleven couldve sent us reinforcements if it hadnt been locked out. Youre looking at the reinforcements right now, Mogas explained. The commander had purposely left them behind so that Little Eleven could mobilize them to assist us in case were in danger. Unfortunately Mogas shrugged and stopped talking after that. It was the A Squad who forced Little Eleven into surrendering control of the ship and giving the Navigators the opportunity to shut down most of the ships systems. Otherwise, they wouldnt have suffered nearly as many casualties as they had, much less be forced to make a last stand at the training grounds. Cillin had reminded Stanley not to go too far and give the starship some space. Unfortunately, the man hadnt listened to his advice. Could he really blame Cillin for this? Blame him for not explaining things as clearly as possible? Of course not. Every B Squadron had their own secrets, activities and development, not to mention that they were a Hunter regiment, not the army. He and his men had already gone overboard by forcefully taking control of their ship and even kicking out the crew because he thought they were nuisances. He only had himself to blame for the consequences. Stanley tried recalling his conversation with Cillin again but was unable to remember anything specific. At the time, the only thought that dominated his mind was impatience and the desire to kick the Eleventh Squad out of their starship as soon as possible. Of course he couldnt remember Cillins words, much less decipher the meaning behind them. Im pretty sure Cillin told me something else that I shouldve paid attention to as well just what was it? While Stanley was busy wracking his brain, the Navigators were finding themselves between a rock and a hard place. The front was blocked by the energy shield and the Vanguards, while their rear was under attack by the invisible people. It wasnt purely a firefight either. Whenever possible, the invisible attackers would abruptly close the distance and take out their target before withdrawing. They couldve believed that the invisible attackers were well-trained soldiers if not for the fact that they could not sense even a sliver of killing intent from them. Already, they had lost a couple more men to the sudden attacks. Shut down the system again! The leader yelled. I already did! It doesnt work! A man holding an oval-shaped device yelled back. The device clearly showed that the starships systems were shut down, but that obviously wasnt the case. Shink! As expected of the leader of the Navigators, an invisible attacker tried to ambush him only to be severed in half with a blade. Since the firefight began, they had immediately realized that the invisible people werent really afraid of bullets. While they werent completely impervious, they were largely resistant to most forms of ranged weapons. That was why they used laser blades or other kinds of melee weapons in close combat. The invisible person revealed their true form after being cut in half. Everyone including the A Squad expected to see a splatter of gore and blood, but to their surprise, the cut section of the invisible person was packed with machinery! A robot? What the fuck? Weve been fighting robots this whole time? The questions were, why were there so many robots on this ship, and how was it possible for their movements, speed and even combat techniques to resemble a humans so closely that they didnt even realize the truth until they killed one of them? Do they come from the Robert Family? Everyone not in the know thought of the greatest robot manufacturing family in GAL immediately. If Mogas was a dog, his tail would be wagging like a fan right now. His reaction when he realized what everyone was thinking was so giddy and childish that Phoebe couldnt help but shoot him a look of disdain. She had to admit that even she couldnt help a sense of pride, however. The Robert Family wasnt the only one who could create powerful battle robots, Merciless wasnt the only organization capable of going toe-to-toe with Mist, and the A Squad wasnt the only one who could be trusted to carry out high-level missions. We, the Eleventh Squadron, are capable as well! The Navigators thought their luck had hit rock bottom when they realized that their opponents were robots, but no, their woes were just beginning. The fight was still ongoing when the artificial gravity affecting the entire training grounds was turned off without warning. The Navigators werent able to react to the sudden change immediately, but the robots could. That brief distraction was all the robots needed to add seven more to the body count. This wasnt a fight. This was a massacre. The Navigator leader tried to mount a charge and was half-successful. On one hand, some of his men managed to break through the invisible robots defense line and reach the exit. On the other hand, they were flattened like pancakes before they could take so much as a step out of the exit. As it turned out, a massive door god had been waiting for stragglers just beyond the exit. Snowball was pretty huge to begin with, but after it transformed it was at least several times bigger than normal. Its thick, fat paws were almost as big as the metal plates covering the walls, but they were surprisingly swift and nimble as well. One hit was all it needed to kill its prey. If by some miracle they somehow survived the blow, they would still be dead in a couple minutes at most. Cillin had tasked Snowball to take out anyone who managed to break through the defense line, but he also said it was fine letting some of the enemies go if they used deadly weapons such as grenades or cannons. There were other robots on the ship anyway. No matter what happened, no enemy was leaving their ship alive. While Snowball was busy taking out the runaways, Mogas had decided to assume the role of a cheerleader. You can do it, Snowball! Flatten them all into pancakes! That guy to your left is getting kinda rowdy, dont let himGRENADE! Phew, that was a close one. Oh damn, behind you! Two of them managed to get past you! Stanley felt a vein popping on his forehead. The more Mogas yelled, the more the desire to tape his mouth grew. Just when the vice admiral was about to put his thought into action, Mogas suddenly stopped cheering and muttered, Weird. Where is that cat? Phoebe and the others were wondering the exact same thing. Knowing Wheeze, there was no way the cat would allow the chance to show off and bring wrath upon its enemies to slip through its grasp. If Cillin was here, then Wheeze had to be on the ship as well. So where was it? And what was it doing right now? What cat? Someone from the A Squad finally couldnt hold back their curiosity and asked. It was because everyone in the Eleventh Squadespecially the ones who were explicitly not humanwas impressive to say the least. Various questions surrounded their mind right now. For starters, they could not understand why someone strong enough to kill a Mist killer would choose to stay in a newly formed B Squad. In their position, they wouldve entered the A Squad a long time ago. After all, it was practically guaranteed that they would be awarded a prestigious position in the squadron. Second, why was there no information about the Eleventh Squad in their database? Nothing that was revealing at least. What do you mean, what cat? Theres only one cat on this ship, and its our commanders pet, Mogas answered. Ah do you mean that gray cat whos only this big, but is also as fat as a house? Another A Squad member exclaimed in realization while approximating Wheezes shape with his hands. Yep, thats it! Sir cat is incredible, man. Im not kidding you, its the strongest combatant on our ship besides the commander oh, I shouldnt forget Czedow. Anyway, the three of them are the strongest combatants in the Eleventh Squad! Czedow? Whos Czedow? Someone asked. Mogas was about to answer when Phoebe struck him with a whip. Control yourself, you blabbermouth! The young man finally realized he was in danger of oversharing and fell silent. He then turned his attention back to the battlefield once more. By now, there werent many Navigators left on the training grounds. Eight people had managed to break through the robots and Snowball and escape, but everyone else were mauled to death one way or another. The leader who led the squad was still at the training grounds. He and the few remaining members had not only succeeded in stopping the robots from pursuing the stragglers, but also taken out some of them. It must be said that the leader was quite the capable combatant. It was at this moment the mysterious person on the metal rod finally made a move. Stanley was the first one to notice their movement. Since there was no gravity in the training grounds, the mysterious person was able to reach the Navigator leader in just the blink of an eye using the propellers of their Armor. Bang! The leader just barely managed to block the punch with his saber, but his body visibly rocked from the sheer force behind the blow. If it wasnt for his grav boots, he was pretty sure that the punch would send him flying through the air like it was a movie. Not only that, there was a visible fist-shaped dent on his blade. It hadnt snapped from the first blow, but there was no way it could handle a second. The remaining three Navigators on the training grounds tried to rush to their leaders rescue, but one of them was skewered in the heart before they could even turn around. Shusag flung the guy away off his finger bones like trash before taking out the other two Navigators. Snap! Snap! Bang! Meanwhile, the mysterious person had slammed the Navigator leader against the wall. Anyone with eyes could tell that the poor guy was completely outmatched. The mysterious person hadnt just snapped both of his arms. They had also shattered some of his ribs. Snap! The sound of snapping bones rippled across the training grounds again as the mysterious person snapped the leaders neck. Then, before anyone could figure out what was going on, they abruptly backed away from the dead man. BOOM In fact, the Navigator leader had wanted to detonate a different bomb; specifically the one that had been installed in the reactor room. It had been set so that his order or his heart stopping would automatically trigger the bomb to explode and destroy the whole ship. He had given the order the second the mysterious person had grabbed his neck, but to his surprise, the anticipated boom did not happen. After that, well, there was no after that. The mysterious person snapped his neck before his surprise had the chance to morph into incomprehension. There was another bomb inside his heart, but for obvious reasons it was small and nowhere powerful enough to destroy the ship. Even so, it shook the training grounds hard enough that it wouldve inflicted some injuries if not for the energy shield. As for Shusag and Snowball, they had been warned about the bomb earlier and managed to duck behind cover before the bomb went boom, so they werent injured either. Commander! Are you alright? Mogas yelled in the direction of the explosion. Everyone else was looking in the mysterious persons direction as well. At that range, it was highly unlikely that they were unscathed even if the Armor was bullet-proof. The artificial gravity system in the training grounds had been reactivated. The dust was slowly clearing as well. A humanoid figure slowly walked out of the dust cloud after Mogas cry. Their figure grew clearer and clearer until they could see even the electricity flashing across their body. Mogas jaw hit the floor. Czedow? He had thought that the mysterious person was Cillin. If he wasnt, then where was Cillin? Chapter 392: The Third One The Vanguard members walked toward the exit after the energy shield within the training grounds was shut down. Mogas reached Czedow first and asked, Are you okay, Czedow? Czedow was currently missing a chunk of his shoulder while electricity rippled constantly across his body. He did not look like he was in pristine condition either. His Armor might be tough enough to reflect bullets, but a bomb was a completely different story. However, as soon as Czedow had withdrawn his Armor, his wounds began healing on their own. It took him mere seconds to recover and look as good as new! This stunned the A Squad members to say the least. The robot had endured a literal bomb at close range, but he still recovered in just a matter of breaths! Meanwhile, Shusag and Snowball had already walked up to Czedow and stood protectively beside him. While everyone here was technically an ally, Shusag did not trust the A Squad one bit. He certainly wouldnt mind engaging them in battle if push came to shove. To Shusag, everyone outside the Eleventh Squad was an outsider. Instead of answering Mogas question, Czedow manipulated the functioning projectors within the training grounds into showing what was going on inside the ship. They could see through the holograms the invisible robots taking out the remaining stragglers and retaking the bridge. They could also see Czedow reactivating the external shields of the starship, though he maintained the same speed at which it was traveling before. The moment the external shields came up, everyone outside knew that Cillins team had succeeded in their mission. Previously, their starship was just passively enduring the bombardment of the fighters. Now, the sentry guns and intelligent weapons were online and annihilating all hostile forces within range. While everyone was watching the holograms, Czedow beckoned Shusag and Snowball to join him in cleaning up the training grounds. While the robots were already on it, there were some messes that could only be cleaned up annually. At the same time, the robot was scouring the dead bodies for information. Stanley watched the trio going about their business while wondering how he should break the ice. Should he thank them for saving their lives? He couldnt quite get over his embarrassment to do that. Should he just greet them as fellow Vanguards then? How should he even begin? In the end, Stanley remained silent because he was unable to drop his pride. In fact, Mogas was the only one orbiting Czedow like a moon and shooting questions at the robot like no tomorrow. Wheres the commander, Czedow? I dont see him in the holograms. Sir cat must be somewhere on the ship, right? And what about the others? Theyre all carrying out their own respective missions Czedow explained briefly before looking at Snowball, Careful, Snowball. We still need that head. Snowball was currently toying with Latons frozen head. The white bear had already put away its armor and returned to its normal size. Snowball obeyed Czedows request and set the head carefully on the floor, but it wasnt long before it got bored again. It scratched its butt once before it began roaming the training grounds. Specifically, it was collecting the Navigators weapons and tools to add to its toy bin. Some A Squad members tensed up when the white bear got close to them. The white bear looked simple, docile and even cute right now, but no one had forgotten how it had flattened most of its enemies into pancakes in one hit. Logically, they knew the white bear probably wouldnt attack them for no reason. Emotionally, it was impossible not to get nervous in the presence of such a formidable creature. Snowball paid them no attention. It was solely focused on collecting its new toys until it glimpsed a new rifle an A Squad member was holding. It immediately walked up to the guy and stared at the gun. The guy holding the rifle felt nervous to say the least. He tried shooting Stanley a soundless plea for help but quickly noticed that the vice admiral was absorbed in thought. Left with no choice, he gulped once before asking carefully, Do you want my rifle or something? Snowball scratched its ear with a fat paw. I just want to borrow it for a bit. I promise Ill return it to you later. That sounds like what a scam artist would say. Also, can this bear really handle my rifle? What if it misfires or something? Despite his doubts, the man eventually handed his rifle to Snowball. One of his comrades immediately shook his head in disapproval, but he stayed silent because Shusag abruptly shot him a look almost as if he had eyes behind his back. They had all witnessed how Shusag had slaughtered the Navigators earlier. They did not want to make an enemy out of him unless they had no other choice. They might be fellow Vanguards, but it was clear that there was a vast divide between them. Not only that, everyone in the A Squad was wondering just how powerful the Eleventh Squad really was. Earlier, Mogas had mentioned that the three strongest combatants in their squad were Cillin, Czedow, and their cat. Shusag was expressly not one of them. They had witnessed Czedows prowess with their own eyes, and they were pretty sure they had a feel for Shusags limits as well. Assuming Shusag was just the baseline, they would definitely have to revise their opinion on the Eleventh Squad. But Cillin is just in his early twenties. Can he really be as powerful as Mogas claimed? The A Squad members were still trying to figure things out when suddenly, a series of shots dragged them back to reality. They turned toward the source of the commotion and saw Snowball holding the rifle it had borrowed and firing at the warped chunk of metal the Navigators had carved out of the entrance earlier. It was standing seventy or so meters away from its target when it fired the rifle, and the resulting bullet holes formed a near perfect circle on the metal! Sure, shooting with near perfect accuracy at seventy meters away was easy peasy for most of them, but the white bear was no human. That wasnt all. After the test fire, Snowball scratched its ear again as if confused about something before seemingly twisting the rifle. It took them a second before they realized that Snowball wasnt ripping the rifle in half, but dismantling it. The rifle wasnt made to fit Snowballs paws as a matter of course, and even if it was, its massive, clumsy-looking paws didnt look like it was capable of such delicate work at all. And yet, there was no denying that the white bear had dismantled the rifle perfectly. Snowball studied the rifles parts for a bit before assembling them back together. Then, it handed the rifle back to the man as if it had lost interest. The man was still in shock when he accepted his rifle. It wasnt until his companion gave him a gentle slap that he jolted back to reality. His first thought after coming back down to Earthor rather, the starshipwas: the fuck, what the fuck was that look of disdain when that fatty gave me back my gun! Meanwhile, Mogas was still prodding Czedow for more details about the happenings on the ship to no avail. Czedow could sense where the commander was right now, but he didnt reveal his whereabouts for obvious reasons. Earlier, he didnt kill the Navigator leader in one hit even though he could because he needed to be sure that the signal was fully jammed. He waited until after the Navigator leader had failed to send the detonation signal before killing him. On the other side of the starship, a veiled figure was slowly walking along a side passage leading toward the reactor room. The corridor was fully lit since the starships lighting system had come back online, but the figure remained shrouded in shadows. They were wearing a long cloak and a big hat that covered them completely. The figure was currently toying with their wrist device in an attempt to contact the others, but they quickly discovered that the message couldnt be sent. It was probably because the ship was being jammed somehow. Suddenly, the wrist device vibrated and displayed some sort of warning message that caused the figure to pause in their tracks in disbelief. A second later, they quickened their footsteps as if realizing that their time was short. They didnt manage to take more than three steps before stopping again, however. They looked up and stared at the young man standing on the other end of the passage about thirty meters from them. Blue Phantom? Cillin called out to the veiled figure. He was here for one reason and one reason alone, and that was to stop the third and final Mist killeralso the one who had nearly killed him back thenfrom accomplishing her objective. Blue Phantom removed her cloak after Cillin had identified her. She called out in return, Commander Cillin of the Eleventh Squad? Prior to executing the mission, the three of them had reviewed everything they got on the members of the Eleventh Squad. Naturally, Cillin did not escape their notice. Blue Phantom was puzzled because Cillin should not be here. He shouldve surrendered control to Stanley and left the ship a long time ago. It did not matter though. BAll Blue Phantom wanted to do right now was to destroy the bomb the Navigator leader had installed in the reactor room. Although the mission had already cost them two livesthe warning message she received earlier was about the deaths of her two comradesnothing was more important than ensuring that the mission was completed. To that end, she was willing to detonate the bomb and destroy the entire ship including herself. She would be dead if she failed the mission anyway. In that case, she might as well take everyone down to the grave with her. Blue Phantom rushed Cillin as soon as she asked her question, blue laser blades jutting out of her hands in just the blink of an eye. Her eyes were just as cold and merciless as he remembered it. Right now, her only objective was to detonate the bomb in the reactor room, and Cillin was the obstacle to be eliminated! Zzzt To her surprise, Cillin pulled out a thin, black blade and blocked both of her weapons because they could carve him into pieces. That surprise turned into shock when she realized what she was looking at. Its you! Despite her words, Blue Phantom didnt actually recognize Cillin as the prey she nearly killed a long time ago. No, it was the blade she wielded that she recognized. Youre the one who killed Oskulos! That was what she was trying to say. Alarm bells rang in Blue Phantoms head as she mustered her laser blades once more and swung them so fast that it looked as if she was weaving a web of pure light. But unlike an actual web of light, this one would carve Cillin into many tiny pieces if he was even a little careless. Already, her blades had carved many crisscrossing patterns on the walls. Cillin wasnt wearing his Armor. He didnt use his Water Bullet gun or his Purgatory Thunder Snake either. Fighting Blue Phantom with only his blade, he defended every strike while slowly backing away from her. At first glance, it looked like Cillin was being pushed back by Blue Phantom. However, the killer knew that that was not the case. It was because his blade was always in the perfect position to block her laser blades no matter the number, angle or speed of her attacks. Its not the same. The first time he fought Blue Phantom, her blue blades had struck fear into his heart. Back then, he had found no opening he could possibly exploit to overcome them; possessed nothing he could possibly use to even defend himself against the deadly beams. That was no longer the case, however. Forget intimidating him to the point of running, the blue blades now felt as ordinary as a pair of kitchen knives. They could whale on him until the end of time itself, and he was confident that they still wouldnt be able to harm a hair on his body. It wasnt that the blue blades were any less intimidating than they were before. It was just that this level of intimidation was no longer enough to suppress his spirit. Blue Phantom wasnt aware of this, but Cillin felt like a machine functioning at a level she could not possibly comprehend right now. No matter how fast she swung her blades, no matter how complicated the moves she used, he was able to memorize it all, predict it all, and counter it all in just an instant. Zzzt zzt zzt zzzt The blue blades made this sizzling noise every time they clashed against Cillins blade or gouged into the walls. The concentrated energy being emitted by the weapons were no joke either. He could feel his skin prickle every time it got close. However, Oskulos blade was truly incredible. Not even an enhanced plasma blade was able to put a single dent on it. Cillin blocked both of Blue Phantoms blue blades again, but unlike usual, he jumped away from her instead of standing his ground. As if on cue, another two pairs of blue blades appeared out of seemingly nowhere and carved deep into the walls of the passage! Blue Phantom didnt just have two hands. She just rarely needed to use all six of them. Of course, each one was wielding a deadly laser blade as well. Blue Phantom was certain that the surprise attack would catch Cillin off guard, but forget killing the commander, it didnt even burn the fabric of his suit. This made her realize that there was little chance she would be able to defeat Cillin, and that extending the fight would only be a waste of time. She immediately decided to retreat and find another opportunity to infiltrate the reactor room or just destroy the starship another way. Unfortunately, the thought had just crossed her mind when suddenly, she felt chilled to the core. It was as if the air around had suddenly turned into solid ice. Every nerve in her body was shaking so hard she almost didnt know how to react. In fact, pure instinct had taken over as she bent all six of her arms to form a defensive web of slashes in front of her. It was a reflex she had formed after countless life-and-death battles. Boom! Blue Phantoms eyes widened in utter shock as her three left arms were severed from their sockets. The attack was so swift that she had not been able to react to it at all. The laser blades winked out of existence as soon as they clattered against the floor, leaving behind only the severed limbs. You That was all she managed to say before a crack appeared from the right side of her neck and stretched all the way down to her left waist. Blue blood darker than even her blue skin began gushing out earnestly. Why? Blue Phantom knew she would have to give it her all from the moment she recognized Oskulos blade. After all, he was the man who had killed Oskulos, and the resulting fight had only served to strengthen her belief. However, it wasnt until that final blow that she realized that the commander hadnt been using his full strength at all. At that moment, she felt as if she was facing Oskulos himself, the man who stood on the same level as her boss, Nebelah. Why would he drag out the fight until now when he couldve ended me in one strike? Did he think this a game?! That wasnt the only question in her mind. She did not understand why the man who killed Oskulos would willingly rot away in an insignificant B Squadron of Vanguard. She did not understand how no one in GAL had noticed how big of a threat Cillin had become. How was it possible for a Star Rank Hunter to walk among them while remaining under everyones radar? Unfortunately, Blue Phantom would never find out the answer. If they knew that their target was protected by such a threat, Nebelah himself and combatants stronger than her wouldve carried out the mission. At the very least, they wouldnt have sent the three of them over to die a dogs death Just like Laton, Blue Phantom had completely forgotten about the young man whom she had given chase and nearly killed back in that level one prison. But Cillin had never forgotten them. Cillin put away his blade and made a hand gesture. A robot slowly manifested into view not far behind him. Carry her. Acknowledged, commander. Blue Phantoms eyes were wide open with shock and disbelief when the robot went over to carry her. She did not know Cillin was this strong until it was too late, and she never received answers for her final questions before she died. Of course she wouldnt be able to rest in peace. While the robot was dragging Blue Phantom, Cillin turned around and looked into the reactor room. There, a cat was sitting at the entrance while nodding off as if it could fall asleep at any moment. Scratch that, it was actually asleep. Tsk. This might be the only cat, no, sentient being in the entire universe who could doze off with a ship bomb right next to it! Earlier, Cillin had instructed Wheeze to guard the reactor room and ensure that the bomb did not go off. Its ears twitched, and its eyes opened when Cillin walked up to the gray cat. It then let out a huge yawn that revealed some very suspicious-looking substance between its teeth. How many did you swallow? Cillin asked. I dont remember. Two? Maybe three? Wheeze yawned again before lifting its butt and stretched for a good couple seconds. After giving its fur a good tussle, Wheeze shot Blue Phantom a glance and said, Youre done? Awesome! Lets meet up with Czedow and the others already. The gray cat could hardly wait. Lets take care of the ship destroying bomb before we go anywhere, hmm? Cillin said before lifting Wheeze by the nape. Then, he walked back into the reactor room. With Wheezes help, Cillin was able to disarm the bomb in just a short time. For obvious reasons, no one (except a certain cat) could relax until the bomb was fully disarmed. Half an hour later, Cillin handed the disarmed bomb to another robot. The robot then threw it out of the starship. We can demand compensation, right Cillin? Wheeze asked while stretching its claws. But of course. At the training grounds, the A Squad members were standing in a circle and discussing something. Czedow and Shusag were still busy tidying up the place, and Snowball was playing happily with itself. Suddenly, Czedow glanced at the entrance and said, Cillins back. As if on cue, everyone in the room turned toward the entrance at the same time. Footsteps began ringing from the corridor. It was mixed with the incessant chattering of a certain fat cat. A short while later, the duo finally stepped into the light. Shusag relaxed when he gave the commander a look over and found him to be perfectly fine. Mogas immediately ran up to Cillin while cheering, Commander! You sure took your The young man was about to say something when he suddenly noticed that Cillin wasnt alone. Specifically, there was a robot behind him dragging a corpse he recognized just a second later. He wasnt the only one who was speechless when the corpse was brought into the training grounds. Thats the third one Chapter 393: Ice Cream Mist had dispatched a total of three killers to kill them. If there were more, then they hadnt shown themselves yet. However, three was enough to cause significant casualties among Stanleys group. But now? First it was Laton, then it was Tyers. When the body of the third and final killer, Blue Phantom, was dragged into the light, Stanley had no choice but to admit that he had made an error in judgment. In fact, Ji Feng had spoken with Stanley and hinted that he shouldnt underestimate Cillin too much. He just hadnt taken his advice to heart. After this incident, Stanley was pretty sure that Ji Feng himself had underestimated Cillin and his squadron. His advice wouldve been much more forceful otherwise. What the meow happened to this place?! Wheeze exploded the second it saw the wrecked training grounds. Although the A Squad would be paying for the damages, no one liked coming home and seeing their territory in ruins, much less a cat. Im so happy to see you, sir cat! Mogas immediately ran over to comfort Wheeze while explaining everything that had happened up until this point. Every A Squad member spun around the second they heard the nickname. Their eyes were filled with deep curiosity to say the least. Wheezes nose twitched once before it leaped down from Cillins shoulder. It then ran up to the warped door that had been blown in a while ago and gave it a sniff. A flick of the ear later, it raised its paw and swiped it aside as if it weighed no more than a dead leaf, when in fact it was heavy enough to flatten most people like a pancake. The A Squad members couldnt help but let out a gasp of surprise. Mogas was telling the truth after all. They already knew that the cat was special from its profile, but they didnt know it was this special. Wheeze did not care what the humans thought of it. Its focus was on the object trapped beneath the block of metal just now. There was a crushed corpse beneath the metallic door, but that wasnt what the cat was looking for. It was the device he was holding that had caught its interest. Wheeze picked up the device with its paw before tossing it into Cillins hand, saying, Theres something about this device. Czedow took a look at the device. He hadnt paid it any attention or picked it up during the clean-up because it was damaged and useless. He hadnt expected Wheeze to seek it out at first notice. What is this? Cillin asked. I dont know, Wheeze shrugged while shaking off the bloodstains and debris on its paw, I just felt that its rather special. Thats the device the Navigators used to shut off the starships systems, interrupted Stanley when the opportunity to inject himself into the conversation finally showed itself. Cillin shot Stanley a glance before passing it to Czedow. Show this to Xi Mu and the others later. Got it, responded Czedow while thinking that it should speak with Wheeze about its ability to identify valuable items without having to rely on machine language or signals. Clearly, he was inferior to Wheeze in this regard and could use an upgrade. On a side note, Czedow had already dealt with most of the problems in the training grounds and the starship itself, so Cillin didnt need to waste his energy on them. Vice admiral Stanley, I believe we should speak again when this matter is fully behind us, Cillin looked at Stanley and said. I think so too, Stanley responded. The man still didnt know how he should treat Cillin, but he definitely recognized the need to have a proper conversation with the commander after this whole fiasco. There were simply too many things they didnt know about the Eleventh Squad. How Vanguard as a whole should treat the Eleventh Squad was also something they needed to address as soon as possible. But of course, that conversation wasnt going to happen right away. After all, they were still in the middle of a war. Once the comms was restored, Stanley also needed to speak with the main force and find out how everyone including the higher-ups who were targeted by Mist was doing. While Stanley was attempting to contact the frontlines, Cillin sought out Mogas group for a conversation. Specifically, he wanted to speak with Pango because he was the one listed on Mists hit list. Pango didnt hesitate to confess his background as there was no longer any point in hiding it. As it turned out, Pango was Ji Fengs son, but his mother wasnt a member of Vanguard. She was a Merciless. Merciless was in possession of two Spell star map fragments back then. The third one was in Ji Fengs hands, and the fourth was somewhere else. After Merciless had obtained the last fragment, Pangos mother betrayed Merciless and took all four fragments for herself. She then located Spell with Ji Fengs help. Spell was identical to Gods Tear in the sense that it was also a consumable drug. But unlike Gods Tear, Spell contained a set of genes that granted its user a special ability. Spell made Pangos mother much stronger than she used to be, but not even her new strength could protect her from the whims of fate. During a mission, her spaceplane strayed into an unusual electromagnetic storm and encountered all kinds of bizarre accidents such as a sudden solar eruption, an ion storm and more. She had had to give it her all to save Ji Feng and a couple Vanguard higher-ups. The incident wouldnt be life-threatening if she was at her peak form, but she was seven months pregnant at her time. In the end, everyone in the spaceplane survived the crisis, but Pango was born prematurely, and his mother would never open her eyes again. She had used her last bit of strength to protect him. Considering the circumstances, few people thought that Pango would survive even after putting him in the best nurturing capsule they could get their hands on, but the child turned out to be way stronger than they expected. The first time Pango cried, he had destroyed the capsule around him. Later, Ji Feng and his colleagues would find out that his mothers genes had been successfully passed down to Pango. The baby hadnt just inherited his mother and fathers already high-level genes, he was also the bearer of the Spell genes. As Pango grew older, the two sets of genes in his body gradually merged into one. As Pango had been born with the genes, his affinity was way better than his mothers so to speak. His mother had never managed to combine more than one-third of her genes and the Spell genes before she passed away. On the other hand, Pango had reached the same level when he was just ten years old. Ji Feng treasured Pango and went to great lengths to keep his existence a secret. Yin Wushe had told the truth when he said that Ji Feng had many children, but few of them had ever received much affection or attention from dearest daddy. Pango was a different story though. Be it for broader or narrower interests, Ji Feng couldnt afford to lose him no matter what. The higher-ups who owed their lives to Pangos mother had also done their utmost to maintain the secret. Barring exceptional circumstances, Pango wasnt just going to succeed his father as the next admiral, he was going to be stronger than his father as well. On the surface, Pango looked like an amicable person. In reality, he was a lot more stubborn than he looked. From the moment he grew to perceive the world, Ji Feng had not succeeded in changing the boys mind even once. It was also why Pango had joined the Eleventh Squad instead of other stronger squadrons. Ji Feng had been reluctant to accept the boys decision when he learned about this, but having learned his lesson after years of failure, he chose to manipulate things behind the scene so that Kong Rujia, Ruan and the more capable younglings of the group would be assigned to the Eleventh Squad. His plan had only partially succeeded though: he couldnt have anticipated that only four people would remain in the Eleventh Squad when all was said and done. At first, Ruan and the others were unaware of Pangos background either. Later, Ji Feng contacted them so they would not slip up and reveal what should not be revealed. It was also why Cillin had not been able to detect anything out of the ordinary during his previous conversation with them. Cillin didnt care if Pango was Ji Fengs son, if he would become Vanguards admiral in the future, or if he was the bearer of Spell genes. He only cared about the Eleventh Squads wellbeing. So, he gave the group two choices. One, they could part ways with the Eleventh Squad peacefully. They would be comrades of the same hunter regiment, but they would be family no longer. It was only natural. Two, they could remain in the Eleventh Squad, but the Eleventh Squad had their own way of doing things. This was something they had been taught since the day they joined the Eleventh Squad. In the Eleventh Squad, Cillin was the de-facto leader and the decision maker. When he wasnt around, the deputy commander would assume his responsibilities. They were free to consult with the commander, the deputy commander or anyone they trusted within the Eleventh Squad about anything, but they must never skip over the Eleventh Squad to accept orders from someone else, not even if the order had come from Ji Feng himself. It sounded like a dictatorial decision, but the Eleventh Squad was hiding too many secrets, most of them powerful and deadly in equal measure. If the squadron wasnt of one mind, then their future troubles would be endless. It was also why Cillin hadnt told Mogas group some of the Eleventh Squads greatest secrets. All five members chose the second choice, though Pango might not be able to stay with the Eleventh Squad forever. The first thing Ji Feng did after Pango had fully merged his genes was to bring him back to the A Squad whether he liked it or not. Pango might be able to delay the call for a couple of years or even a decade, but Ji Feng had to retire eventually. Cillin understood that everyone had their own inescapable responsibilities. If there was a silver lining to all this, it was that Pango was one hundred percent sincere when he chose and promised to stay with the Eleventh Squad for as long as possible. Since joining the Eleventh Squad, it was like every other squadron in Vanguard had suddenly lost their allure. The Eleventh Squad wasnt just a happy place to him, it was also a great source of much Hunter and non-Hunter knowledge. Besides, everyone here was ridiculously strong. Even their pets were in a different league, no, in a different Sector compared to most people. Of course, Cillin wasnt going to accept them back unconditionally. They would have to go through the probation period they had experienced at the beginning again. Mogas confidently declared that he would regain their teammates trust one way or another. When the talk was finally over, Cillin stepped out of the room just in time to see Stanley walking toward his direction with an ugly expression. Stanley had managed to contact the A Squad, and what he learned wasnt good news. Two higher-ups were dead, and five were severely injured. Among the injured was one of Cillins old acquaintances, Barthes. Thankfully, Songba Leruo managed to escape unscathed, but it was unclear if he was on the hit list in the first place. The admiral is hurt as well, so I need to head there right now. Well speak after the war is over, Stanley said. Understandable. But before you go, I must warn you to keep a tight rein over your people. Some of the things theyve seen here are best kept a secret. Naturally. Oh right, that device didnt look like something the Navigators could come up with, Stanley said. He was suggesting that there might be an unknown party pushing for this war to happen, and indirectly asking Cillin to inform him if he found anything. Stanley and his remaining men quickly rushed to the center battlefield at the frontlines. Pango shouldnt be in danger anymore now that all the threats to his life had been killed, not to mention that the Eleventh Squad had proven themselves to be monstrously strong. Until he had spoken with the admiral, he had no intention in interfering with the Eleventh Squads business anymore. After Stanley was gone, Cillin summoned everyone back to the starship including Xi Kai and the others who had left the battlefield on the spaceplane before. There were three reasons Cillin hadnt deployed any robots in this war. First, they only had a limited amount of battle-ready robots because half of them were currently in the middle of an upgrade. The Eleventh Squad would be incurring unnecessary losses if he threw them into battle. Take the robots who had fought the Navigators for example. It was precisely because they were partially upgraded that they were nowhere as dominant as they were during the bout against the Robert Familys robots. Second, Vanguard itself might not welcome the robots. Unlike the Free Alliance, most Hunters had their own way of thinking. For starters, they believed that their prey should be hunted by their own hands, not to mention that the war was slanting in their favor right now. It was one thing to deploy them in his own ship, but if he were to deploy them on the battlefield en masse, then he was sure to earn their ire even if he was really doing them a favor. Third, most Hunters who didnt believe in robots. They had no problems using robots as cannon fodders, but to fight alongside one and entrust their back to them? Hell no. Naturally, Cillin wasnt going to make trouble for himself. AHHHH! What the fuck happened to my sparring room? How the fuck did they manage to collapse the whole thing? Cary roared in shock and fury. My shooting targets arent working either, Tang Qiuqiu commented with a frigid expression. Oh thank god, my indoor garden is still intact, Sigma sighed out in relief. Cillin clapped his hands together to catch everyones attention before declaring, When youre cleaning up your territories later, please tally your damages and losses and compile a list. I will take it to the A Squad and ask them to compensate for everything. Will they pay us though? Xiao Shang voiced his doubts. Dont worry, I made a deal with vice admiral Stanley when I was handing over the reins, Cillin said. OH FUCK YEAH! In the meantime, we still have a war to fight, so battle stations, everyone. Xi Mu, Ive placed that device in your workshop. Please check it and give me a report later. Cillin returned to his room after he had assigned everyone their tasks. Thankfully, nothing was out of order as this area had been locked tight. He opened his communicator and checked out an encrypted message he just received a while ago. It came from Yin Wushe. After he finished reading the message, Cillin notified Czedow to drop the starships shields for two seconds. The shields switched off and came back online precisely two seconds later. Wheeze was sitting around with the Origin robots and discussing how best to maximize the amount of compensation during these two seconds when suddenly, it looked up and around it for a bit. When Czedow gave it the OK hand signal, it flicked its ears and went back to compiling the list of damages. A short while later, Cillin opened the door to the lounge and stepped in. A certain person was right behind him. I love your starships security measures, said the stranger while pulling a chair for himself and taking a seat. He crossed his legs and examined the lounge curiously. You have no manners, do you? Cillin asked while Yin Wushe opened a food cabinet and began going through the food. The stranger was none other than the leader of Merciless, Yin Wushe. On the surface, it was impossible to associate the word hitman leader with the man at all. He was the picture of an ordinary middle-aged man. Manners are for masochists and self-flagellants. Yin Wushe grabbed two bags of jerkies and a few boxes of sweet sauce. Seriously though, you have plenty of good stuff here. I wish I was close enough to the Food King to enjoy such benefits. Instead of replying, Cillin watched the white animal Yin Wushe was carrying in his lap. It was the same creature that had shown up during their video calls. Cillin already knew that it was no ordinary pet at the time, but now he could actually feel it. Is it a half-cyborg as well? Cillin asked. The small creature was currently chowing down a sauce-stained piece of jerky Yin Wushe had handed it like a grinder. Yep! Its name is Ice Cream, or Ice for short. Its cute, isnt it? Hehe! Yin Wushe declared proudly like a parent boasting about their child. Ice Cream Ice loves ice cream, so I thought Ice Cream might be a fitting name for it. It agreed, Yin Wushe said while stroking the little fellas head and causing it to squint in pleasure. Now Cillin understood Yin Wushe always carried a box of ice cream with him when he saw him. He had no right to criticize the middle-aged mans cringeworthy naming sense, but he was thinking how Wheeze would react when it finally noticed the duo going through its food cabinet and eating its food. I heard that Admiral Ji Feng was hurt, Cillin said. There werent many people out there who could seriously injure Ji Feng. Even if it was done using some sort of tool, Ji Feng wasnt the type to fall for such tricks easily. Hell live, Yin Wushe replied carelessly before asking, I heard that the three killers Nebelah dispatched to your ship are all dead. Is that true? How did you know? Yin Wushe didnt answer his question directly. There were supposed to be three more, but we stopped them before they could get anywhere close to your ship. It made sense that Mist would have a Plan B after Czedow had regained control of the starship, and the three killers they dispatched hadnt made a peep after that. In fact, Cillin had been waiting for them to show up, but they never did. Now he knew it was because of Merciless. Cillin thought for a second before asking, You knew about Pango, right? What are you referring to, exactly? His mother. You purposely let her steal the starmap fragments, didnt you? Yeah. Yin Wushe didnt deny this. She wanted them, so I gave them to her. In fact, I dont really care about Spell. I just wanted to know if she would betray Merciless. She did. You can be the strongest person in the universe, but youll never surpass the universe. That is the path she had chosen, and so she must bear the consequencesincluding death, Yin Wushe said calmly. It was at this moment Ice suddenly paused its movements and turned to look at the entrance. A few seconds later, the door of the lounge suddenly opened to reveal a cats head. Its eyes widened. Wheeze had had a field day compiling the list of damages when it decided that it was time to check up on Cillin and his uninvited guests. That was until it saw this. Cillin palmed his own face. This is not going to be good. Chapter 394: Let’s Partner Up PUT DOWN MY JERKY! Every hair on Wheezes body was standing on end not out of fear, but anger. Its claws had also extended into the floor itself, putting a good number of holes in the thick metal. Ice Cream squinted its eyes at Wheeze for a second. Then, it took a few big bites from the jerky cradled in its paws. Yes, it was totally taunting the fat cat. You DARE provoke me in MY territory!? Cillin caught the gray cat before it could pounce onto the mouse and trigger an irreversible diplomatic incident. Wheeze struggled even as it glared daggers at the creature sitting on Yin Wushes lap, eyes wary. Yin Wushe watched the interaction curiously. Cillin was strong enough to resist the temptation of the Oskulos, so its cat could not be too bad. In fact, he could see that Wheeze wasnt truly hostile toward Ice. It was angry because the mouse was eating its food, and wary because it was a threat it could not afford to underestimate, but that was it. Ice wouldve reacted the exact same way if someone aboard their ship had eaten its ice cream. It was a reaction he could accept. My apologies, little fatty. We can compensate you for the food if you want, Yin Wushe chose this moment to speak up. Wheezes ears straightened, and its struggles subsided a little when it heard this. Its eyes were still wary though. Will you really pay me for the food? Wheeze asked. Yep. Wheeze raised two claws. Double! Youll pay me double of what its worth! Double it is. Yin Wushes quick and unhesitating reply finally calmed Wheeze down a bit. Unfortunately, Ice Cream ruined his efforts by calling Wheeze, Fucking fatty, right as the gray cat was about to speak with Cillin about the list of damages. Who the fuck are you calling a fucking fatty you damn mouse! I HATE mice! Alright, alright. Calm down already. Theyre still our guests, you know, Cillin said placatingly while giving it a scratch beneath the chin. Claws twitching, Wheeze glared at the two bastards who were still eating its food without a care. Yin Wushe let out a chuckle before patting the little fella on his lap. I need to have a little chat with Commander Cillin, so why dont you go to the side and play in the meantime? Ice Cream looked reluctant, but it eventually jumped onto a nearby table. Cillin also gave Wheezes ear a flick and said, We have things to discuss, so go play with our guest. Wheezes ears turned left and right as if a thought had just occurred to him. It then said, Give me my ball, Cillin. Cillin knew that the gray cat was scheming to bully Ice the second he saw its reaction. Well, it should be fine. Cillin pulled out the ball from his subspace ring and tossed it in its direction. Wheeze nimbly caught it with a front paw before playing with it for a bit. At the side, Ice Cream was watching the ball with an envious look on its face. It wasnt blind to the balls unique properties. Suddenly, Wheeze tossed the ball into the air and did a backflip. It hit the ball with its tail and sent it flying straight toward Ice. Ice knew it was coming from a mile away, but instead of dodging out of the way it sent the ball flying right back at Wheeze with a headbutt. Wheeze and Ice began exchanging blows like it was a badminton match, but the projectile kept moving faster and faster until it became outright impossible for an ordinary person to keep track of it. The half-cyborgs themselves were moving incredibly fast as well. One moment they were at the table, and the next they were next to the food cabinet. Wheeze was aware that the mouse was also a half-cyborg. Its kind was exceedingly rare even on a galactic scale, which was why it couldnt help but get competitive. The fact that the damn mouse had eaten its food was a factor as well. Wheeze began hitting the ball harder and harder. With luck, it would teach the damn mouse a lesson it wouldnt forget before they were gone. Yin Wushe looked particularly happy as he observed the ongoing duel. He was literally smiling from ear to ear as the two creatures moved at blurring speeds. When did you find your cat, Cillin? Yin Wushe asked. A few years ago. Cillin proceeded to summarize his experience for Yin Wushe, though he did not mention the white ball as a matter of course. You found it on a hunt? You must be an exceedingly lucky man. I had mine for over a decade already, but it wasnt me who found Ice. Ice was the one who saved me during the lowest point of my life, Yin Wushe said. The short version is that a former subordinate of mineone who had served me loyally for twenty years until that pointbetrayed our entire organization, and he might have succeeded if it wasnt for Ice. Who wouldve thought that a cute little animal would change the course of history itself? Yin Wushe did not go into details, but Cillin could guess that the enemy who nearly took his life was probably from Mist. What he did not expect was the fact that Yin Wushe would value a half-cyborg much more than his own organization. A humans lifespan is short. It is my sincere wish that Ice would have a friendeven one who only elicits violent impulses from itwhen the day comes where I cannot eat ice cream with Ice anymore. That it wont be too lonely. For so many years, your fat cat is the only one Ive found who meets these requirements in GAL. A humans lifespan really was too short compared to unique creatures like Wheeze and Ice Cream. Even the strongest, longest living of them all could not hope to match their lifespan. After all, they were part biological and part mechanical. They themselves didnt know how long they could live. How old is your cat? Yin Wushe asked. Its over two hundred years old, or so it claimed. What about yours? I dont know. Before we found each other, it used to live on a C-rank habitable planet with below average civilization level. Moreover, it hid in its tunnels all day and night unless it was hunting for food. Its really stronger than anyone or anything on the planet, but it rarely went to the surface almost as if the light itself could kill. I thought I was going to be eaten when it dragged me into its tunnels back then. It wasnt until later that I realized that it was just trying to keep me safe. It was because there was no creature on the planet who would dare to enter its tunnels. Yin Wushes eyes were gentle when he talked about his history. An outsider could probably never imagine such a look on the face of the boss of Merciless. Assuming that Yin Wushe was telling the truth, Ice Cream had definitely lived like a mouse before it met the middle-aged man. But what about Wheeze? Cillin could still remember the cat swallowing a couple of wolves like nothing despite looking as weak as a kitten who hadnt weaned off its milk. As far as he could tell, the gray cat had been living arrogantly and wantonly since the day it came to be. Cillin could tell that Ice Cream was very important to Yin Wushe, but he didnt believe that Ice Cream was the only thing in his mind in regards to this meeting. As expected, Yin Wushe would speak about Ice Cream a little more before changing the subject, I used to spy on the secret labs littered across GAL during my search for a half-cyborg companion for GAL. There are a surprising number of labs in GAL who research half-cyborgs, but I can tell you right now that their findings are worse than subpar. They are failures, to put it bluntly. Is that why you sent your men to steal information from that research lab in Sector C? Thats right. One of its labs was looking into ways to combine machine and biological life into one. I thought it might be an eye-opening experience, but in the end, it was the same trash all over again. His eyes were calm, but there was an obvious tinge of disdain in his voice. While looking into this information, I came upon some behind-the-scenes stuff such as the fact that someone is behind the most influential company in GAL, Miracle. Id also found out the dirty trades the bastards were conducting away from the publics eyes. There was one time they partnered up with Nebelah and tried to kidnap Ice, so I assassinated the shit out of their people in retaliationor at least I tried to. Who are these bastards youre talking about? The seniors of the Yu Family. I wouldve succeeded if it wasnt for Grim Reaper sticking their nose into my business. Oh right, youre good friends with their princess, Yu Linglung, arent you? Did you know that there was a time where she lost her legs? Cillin frowned. He did remember the time where Yu Linglung had to sit on a wheelchair. It was around the time that area in Sector Z had opened, and he became aware of the Grim Reapers for the first time. The Grim Reapers and the Yu Family share a business relationship. I dont know exactly what their business is, but I know theyre in contact with one another. The device that the Navigators used to shut down your starships system? Thats something the Grim Reapers had come up with. It was a most informative statement to say the least. Were the Grim Reapers the ones who were helping the Navigators? Or was the Yu Family actually the one behind the scenes? One more thing. Are you aware that Yu Linglung was plotting to steal your cat from under your nose at first? You didnt, did you? Im not saying that your precautions were insufficient, in fact they were excellent all things considered, but some people still noticed how special it is. When it was time to take action though, they suddenly decided to change their minds and target Ice instead. All politicians are natural born actors. Cillin did not say a thing. Forget about the Yu Family, the fact that Yin Wushe knew about Wheeze since way back then meant that the middle-aged man had been observing the two of them for just as long. This conversation would never have happened if Yin Wushe hadnt concluded that they were reliable and fit for his purpose. A moment of silence later, Cillin urged, So? What are you trying to say? Im saying that we should partner up. I wont interfere with your business, and you wont interfere with mine both publicly or privately. Otherwise, lets cooperate with each other as we see fit. Mist and the Grim Reapers are wearing the same pants. I think we should cooperate with each other too, dont you agree? Who am I in this equation, exactly? Vanguard or the Eleventh Squad? Cillin asked. The Eleventh Squad, of course. You know Ji Feng and I dont mesh for various reasons. Cillin mulled over the suggestion for a second before extending his hand and smiling. I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with you. Same here, Yin Wushe replied while clapping hands with Cillin. They did not sign a contract or anything because it would be pointless. If it ever came to the point where they were thinking about betraying the other person, the contract wouldnt be able to stop either of them. While Cillin and Yin Wushe were talking business, the ball fight had devolved into an actual fight. The two half-cyborgs were currently clinging against one another, biting, kicking and sending fur flying all over the place in general. Even the nearby tables and chairs had been torn or bitten to shreds. Cillin wasnt exactly paying attention to the fight. Look at those two. I can tell theyre going to be fast friends already, Yin Wushe said with a chuckle. Cillin: ... What part of this scene suggested that they would be friends, exactly? Yin Wushe knew what he was thinking and added, Its normal for kids to get into fights, isnt it? Say, is Ice a female? Cillin asked. I think so. You think so? Youve been living together for over a decade, and you didnt even know what gender your pet is? It was at this moment Yin Wushe received an encrypted message on his communicator. He looked down. Looks like the war is finally about to end, which is my cue to leave. Im very happy with how our conversation turned out, Yin Wushe said before calling out to Ice. Ice Cream immediately kicked Wheeze in the chest and dislodged itself from the cat. Then, it leaped back onto Yin Wushes lap in the blink of an eye. You better watch it, you damn mouse! The next time we meet, Im gonna turn you into a hairless mouse! Wheeze spat out a mouthful of white fur before declaring ferociously. Ice Cream merely let out a disdainful snort before licking its own fur. Both animals were bald in some places, though their wounds quickly healed, and new hair grew over the healed wounds until they looked as good as new. To the half-cyborgs, this level of injury was practically nothing. Yin Wushe and Ice Cream left the starship after that. Cillin, Wheeze and Czedow were the only ones who were aware that they were ever here. Not even the Origin robots had detected their arrival or departure. Wheeze was looking through its food cabinet and counting its losses when suddenly, it screamed in rage, Meowafacka! They didnt pay for the food before they left! That damn mouse better not show its face again, because I will murder its ass the next time we meet! Cillin shook his head before picking up the lonely, forgotten ball at the side. The gray cat would definitely throw a tantrum if it couldnt find it later. Just as Yin Wushe had said, it wasnt long before both sides declared a ceasefire. As the Navigators had suffered more losses than Vanguard, they were the ones who withdrew first. As the winner, Vanguard stayed behind to deal with the aftermath. Aboard an A Squad starship, Ji Feng was lying in a medical capsule and receiving treatment. He was covered in wounds from head to toe, and all kinds of tubes had been plugged into his body. He wasnt in the best condition so to speak. Despite his rather grotesque appearance, the man was fully conscious. Beside the capsule, a couple of higher-ups including Stanley himself was giving Ji Feng a report. Ji Feng was closing his eyes as he listened to the reports. When Stanley was finally done talking about the Eleventh Squad, he finally opened his eyes and said, Im not about to bid this world goodbye yet, so if Pango wants to stay with the Eleventh Squad, then let him. Its the same with the Eleventh Squad. Let Cillin do whatever he wants to. But admiral, dont you think were giving them a little too much freedom? Theyre easily the most uncertain factor in Vanguard right now, someone said worriedly. Cillin wont harm Vanguard unless we aggress against him first. After all, we were the ones who gave him the opportunity to become who he is today. Also, the Eleventh Squad possesses something no other hunter regiment has: a team of highly skilled individuals with expertise in technology-related fields. Technical talents were valuable, but they generally werent valued too high by hunter regiments. Even Chamonidines Parasite Code wouldnt have become as influential as it was if it wasnt for Natas help. Internally, hunter regiments rarely developed their new technology. Even the Great Four had bought or exchanged most of their technology from others. The Eleventh Squad was completely different though. Be it their Armor, their fighters, and their small yet exceptionally skilled crew, they all left a deep impression on those who had witnessed their prowess with their own eyes. Ji Feng didnt get angry when Stanley brought up the list of damages the Eleventh Squad had sent them. In fact, he even let out a chuckle before saying, Thats definitely something that boy would do. Pay them exactly what they had requested. Got it. And how should we treat the Eleventh Squad in the future? Stanley asked. We treat them as we have done before. There is no need to change anything, not to mention they arent the type to care about anothers opinion. I must admit that Ive underestimated Cillin though Ji Feng closed his eyes after saying that. He had definitely underestimated Cillin, but he was sure that he wasnt alone in his mistake. Mist, the Grim Reaper and many other forces had paid the price as well. While Ji Feng could not say how strong Cillin was right now, he did know that the man had chosen to keep a low profile despite the absolute chaos that was tearing GAL from the inside out right now. Just what on earth in Cillin planning? Despite everything he knew about Cillin, Ji Feng had never managed to figure out the young mans true objective. He knew that Cillin only cared about a small number of people in Vanguard and not the organization itselfit was why Ji Feng was never afraid that Cillin might challenge him for his position one dayand at first glance, it seemed like that was all he cared about. However, Ji Feng never thought that Cillin was ambitionless or aimless. It was just that no one could figure out what he wanted. It was at this moment Stanley reported, Admiral, the corpses of the three Mist killers just came in. Ji Fengs fingers twitched. I dont need to tell you what to do with them, do I? Just do as you please. To put it shortly, they were going to use the three bodies to pay tribute to all the people they had lost today including the higher-ups who had been assassinated by Mist. Admiral is Cillin really that strong? A man next to Stanley asked. Ji Feng waved a hand at Stanley instead of answering his question. Stanley immediately brought up a hologram showing Blue Phantoms corpse. The fatal wound that had nearly severed her entire body in half was in full display. Judging from her severed arm and the fatal wound across her torso, you can tell she didnt react to either attack until it was too late. Cillin isnt just fast. When it is time to kill, he will kill his enemies as quickly as possible. Cillin had struck Blue Phantom down so fast that she never reacted to it until it was over. Just how fast was that? The small group huddled around Ji Fengs medical capsule couldnt help but glance at their admiral. They wondered how Cillin would measure up to him. Have we figured out how Laton had died yet? Ji Feng asked another question. Stanley shook his head. No. The Eleventh Squad isnt saying anything either. Forget it then, Ji Feng said while waving his hand, meaning that there was no need to look into it any longer. Admiral! It was at this moment someone entered the med bay. It was one of Ji Fengs most trusted subordinates, Suoli. Ji Feng motioned for the others to leave. When they were gone, he received an encrypted message from Suoli. Blue Butterfly? Why is he contacting me? He should be duking it out with Heavens Birth right now. Despite his confusion, Ji Feng still sent Suoli away before muttering out a very, very long password. The nearby projector immediately projected a hologram in front of him, and the man in the hologram was none other than the current leader of Blue Butterfly, the man who was codenamed Blue Butterfly himself. Howre ya doing? Youre still alive, arent you? Cut the crap. Whats your business? Lets partner up. Chapter 395: Deserved To Be Kidnapped Ji Feng did not seem overly surprised by Blue Butterfly''s suggestion. You cant handle them yourselves? Oh no, Blue Butterfly crossed his fingers together while wearing a smirk on his face. Given enough time, I can take them all out of the picture including Blumar. Blumar, Blue Butterfly, Ji Feng and Tamar (Navigator) were Star Rank Hunters and the biggest giants in the world of Hunters. It was because they were the ones who had blazed a trail for all Hunters behind them to follow. Without exaggeration, the Great Four was the unifying symbol that represented all Hunters in GAL. However, Blue Butterfly had confidently declared that he only needed time to take out Blumar. You must have set up everything nicely then, Ji Feng replied without emotion. I did, thanks to a certain hunter regiment drawing all the attention to themselves. Who wouldve thought that the three most difficult forces in GAL would interfere with your war with the Navigators all at the same time? Youre really lucky youre still able to speak, you know that? Blue Butterfly said. The man was referring to the Grim Reapers, Mist and Merciless. Any one of these forces wouldve been a pain in the ass to deal with, much less all of them. Blue Butterfly did not know that Merciless had interfered not for Vanguards sake, but for Cillins sake though. Regardless, it was undeniable that Vanguard had sustained less losses thanks to their interference. Without Merciless keeping some of their enemies at bay, they wouldve lost a couple more higher-ups at the very least. Despite their best preparation, Vanguard was hardpressed to handle three forces at the same time. If it wasnt for the Grim Reapers and Mists interference, Ji Feng would not be lying in a medical capsule right now. Did Nebelah show himself personally? Blue Butterfly asked. Ji Feng did not answer, but yes, he had had to fight Nebelah and Tamar at the same time. If Yin Wushe hadnt shown up to block Nebelah afterward, this war would not have ended as quickly as it had. Blue Butterfly did not mind that Ji Feng was keeping him in suspense. That wasnt his goal for contacting the leader anyway. Lets cooperate, Blue Butterfly repeated his earlier sentence. Why? Because there doesnt need to be four symbols on the banner. Ji Fengs pupils abruptly centered on Blue Butterflys face. That was not the answer he was expecting to hear! Who do you want to remove? There was no need for four leading hunter regiments in GAL, but there couldnt be just two either. There would be no end to the strife if that happened. They could only eliminate one of the two. Heavens Birth. I would tell you my reason, but Im sure you already know why I chose them. Ji Feng did know why Blue Butterfly had chosen them. Heavens Birth was less a hunter regiment and more a coalition of several killer organizations, while the Navigators were backed by those forces from the Upper Three Sectors. The reason they knew this was because some of the weapons and technologies they used werent something they could have produced on their own. Specifically, they were new tech that had just been developed by the military. There werent many like them out there as a matter of course, but Ji Feng had still recognized their origins. Both sides had sustained massive casualties in this war, but there was no telling if the Navigators would put up greater numbers and weapons in their next conflict. In fact, it was entirely possible that the Navigators had undergone a reorganization without anyone knowing until now as most of the faces Ji Feng had seen during the negotiation were completely unfamiliar to him. If he wasnt mistaken, the Navigators had not been the Navigators he knew a long time ago. They were no longer pure Hunters either. No, the stench he picked up was that of a hunting dog! Theyre trying to pit hunter regiment against hunter regiment? Ji Feng narrowed his eyes for a bit before continuing in a chilly tone, Very well. Well take out Heavens Birth first! While Ji Feng and Blue Butterfly were scheming to turn the Great Four to the Great Three, Cillin was receiving his own secret transmission. Long time no see, Cillin. The face on the screen ws just as familiar as ever. It was a girl whose smile was pure, cute, and naughty at the same time. Long time no see, Linglung. Cillin was alone in his room right now. He didnt even let Wheeze into the room because there were some secrets in life that could not be shared even with ones closest. Also, he was sure that the gray cat would nag his ears off if it knew about this conversation. How are you doing? Did the Eleventh Squad suffer much damage in this war? Is everyone alright? Cillin could tell from her questions alone that she knew a lot about the ins and outs of this war. Were fine. We took some damage, but there are no casualties. Thats good, Yu Linglung replied with a sweet smile. Ive spoken with Yin Wushe. Yu Linglungs smile thinned immediately after she heard this. Is that so? What have you learned? I learned some things including why you were on a wheelchair back then. In that case, he must have told you that your cat was nearly kidnapped because of me as well. Yu Linglung wrapped her hair around her finger. Do you believe what he told you? I do. But Im sure there is more than what he told me behind this incident. Yu Linglung dropped her smile completely and said in a serious tone, I wont deny that Im the one who told grandpa about your cat, but I also know that my grandpa would choose Yin Wushe every time if he had to choose between you and him. Coincidentally, its partially why Im contacting you today. Cillin simply motioned for Yu Linglung to continue without saying anything. Seeing that Cillin wasnt about to get impatient, she continued, You should know that families like ours would normally select one heir and invest most of their resources on them, and my generation currently has three candidates fighting for that spot. There used to be five, but two of them have been eliminated from the race. By eliminated, she meant that they had died or become crippled. The three candidates are me, my paternal cousin and his younger brother. The competition between the three of us has always been fierce, and during that incident, once I learned Nebelah and my older paternal cousin are in cahoots, I knew that he would target Yin Wushe instead of you. Yin Wushe had protected his half-cyborg very well. That was precisely why Nebelah wanted to destroy him through his half-cyborg. It was the one thing that truly concerned the Merciless leader his whole life. Merciless newer recruits such as Judy or those who had failed to earn his full trust despite their long service were never told that his favorite pet was truly a half-cyborg, a creature that was renowned as a miracle lifeform in GAL. They all thought that it was just an expensive, fairly intelligent mouse that could speak. Later, Yin Wushe mounted a retaliation against the Yu Family for daring to threaten his pet and nearly killed my father and my two cousins. I myself lost a leg even after the Grim Reapers had interfered to stop his retaliation. Nebelah was supposed to help us as well, but he never did because he was plotting to kill the three of us via Yin Wushes hands and create a blood feud between him and our family. Fortunately for everyone except him, his plan ultimately didnt succeed. My older paternal cousin also lost some support in the family including my grandfathers. Yin Wushe declared that no one was to lay a hand on his half-cyborg or your cat after that, but my older paternal cousin didnt heed the warning and plotted to kidnap your cat. I was going to tell you about it, but I wasnt able to contact you no matter what I tried. It was almost as if you had vanished into thin air. Cillin and Wheeze had already teleported to the Mist Bodhisattva Empire at the time. It wasnt intentional, but it would seem that they had avoided a crisis thanks to it. By the time they returned, GAL had fallen into chaos long enough that few people could bother to keep track of Cillin after he returned. By now, Cillin could guess that the reason he and Wheeze had had an extraordinarily smooth journey so far was thanks to Yin Wushe blocking most of the threats for them. He was very grateful for what the middle-aged man had done. Regardless of whether he had done it for selfish reasons or not, it was a favor he would need to repay in the future. As for the incident with Teacher Mo, Im sorry, but there was nothing I couldve done to stop it. The best I could do is to imprison him myself so that he wouldnt suffer too much. My younger paternal cousin wouldve done it if I hadnt, and trust me when I say that he wouldve suffered much more in that case. Cillin stayed silent for a moment before continuing, So, why have you contacted me this time? Yu Linglung stared at Cillin for a moment. It had been several years since they saw each other for the first time, but she still couldnt figure him out to this day. Yu Linglung let out a sigh before answering, My younger paternal cousin is my strongest competitor right now. Hes dispatched assassins to carry out an assassination, and my men wont get to the location in time to protect the target. I would like you to find the target and protect him until my men are able to reach him. Although the target has retired from his post, his influence is still present. If I can get his help, then my support in Sector A would be that much bigger. Yu Linglungs entire aura changed when she said this. At that moment, she was the quirky and lively girl who would prank the crap out of you if you werent looking, but a ruthless and competent administrator who would do what was necessary to get what she desired. Perhaps this was the true face of the princess, and perhaps the princess would ascend to become the queen of the Yu Family in the future! Cillin watched her for a bit. It wasnt a side he was familiar with, but he wasnt surprised by it either. The fact that Yu Linglung could tell him all this was also proof that she trusted him. Who is the target? Cillin asked. A former congressman named Samburt. Yu Linglung spent the next few minutes telling Cillin everything he needed to know about Samburt. This was a transaction between an employer and a hunter. In this case, the friendship they shared was but the prerequisite of trust. Alright. Ill contact you again when its time. Dont worry, no more than three people in my squad would learn about this information, Cillin said before deleting the file he received right before Yu Linglungs eyes. ... Thanks, Cillin, the young woman said after a moment of silence. You dont have to thank me. Ive received a lot of help from you. Do you know? Since the first day I met you in Seven Lights, I had the feeling that it is only a matter of time before I control not just the Yu Family, but GAL itself if I have you on my side. That feeling has not changed to this day. My apologies, but I only want to be a Hunter, Cillin replied smilingly. Fair enough. The Cillin I know isnt someone who will subordinate himself to anyone, Yu Linglung also broke into a grin that smoothed out the hard lines on her face. Be careful. Our killers may not compare to Mist or Merciless, but theyre no slouches either. Cillin gave her an OK hand signal before ending the call. Silence enveloped his room as Cillin lay down on his chair and replayed his conversation with Yu Linglung in his mind. He decided that he believed her explanations and everything. A lot of people had helped him when he and Wheeze still weak and vulnerable. Yu Linglung was one, and Yin Wushe was another. There was also Jiada, who for some reason never showed up again after that day. He knew why Yin Wushe had helped him, but what about Jiada? Why had that man chosen to help him? A short while later, Cillin rubbed his forehead and decided to stop thinking about it. He would rely on his intuition when the time came. As it turned out, Cillin recognized the congressman Yu Linglung wanted him to protect. Samburt was none other than the old man Hua Xiao (refer to chapter 337) had desperately tried to protect back then. He had suspected that the old man was a VIP, but he wasnt expecting Yu Linglung to pay him so much importance either. It was clear that the old man was seriously influential. He then recalled the address Yu Linglung gave him and smiled. By a twist of fate, after his spaceplane was attacked by the Yu Familys men, Samburt had decided to escape to planet XC362 in Sector X to avoid being intercepted by the enemy. The planet was none other than Cillins birthplace, Brown Earth. I suppose its time I pay my home planet a visit. When Cillin rose to his feet and left his room, he immediately saw Wheeze running toward him with light footsteps. It was obviously in a great mood right now. You took your time, Cillin! Wheeze yelled from far away before leaping onto Cillins shoulder once it was close enough. The A Squad had paid us our due, and I can tell you right now its more than worth the damages! Hehe! Cillin had a feeling even before the gray cat had spilled the beans. There were only a handful things in life that could brighten its day, and money was one of them. Okaay. Is there anything else? Cillin asked while removing Wheeze from his shoulder. It was because there were food crumbs stuck between its paws. If he had to guess, the gray cat was in the middle of licking them clean when it suddenly heard the news that the money had come in. It was so happy that it forgot what it was doing and ran straight to him to tell him the good news. The repairs are almost all done, and we have a surplus of funds even after accounting for everything. What do you think we should buy with that cash? Wheeze said excitedly while walking in front of Cillin with its tail curled into a happy shape. It would continue to ramble until they arrived at the bridge. Cillin did not interrupt it because he knew it would be pointless. The gray cat wasnt the type who could hold itself in. After arriving at the bridge, Cillin called Czedow over and told him about their new operation. As he had promised Yu Linglung, he was only going to bring Czedow and Wheeze with him on this mission. Meanwhile, Wheeze finally stopped rambling and noticed that Cillin and Czedow were discussing some serious business. Another mission already? The gray cat whined while pulling its ears back in a clear sign of reluctance. It had been planning to sleep like a pig for the next couple of days, maybe even weeks. This mission would obviously get in the way of its plans. That said Where are we going this time? Wheeze asked. It didnt mind visiting the Trade Sectors. It would be able to buy some high class cat food on the way. Unfortunately, it was immensely disappointed when it learned that their destination was the ludicrously poor Sector X. Wheeze had accompanied Cillin to Sector X once, so it could declare with absolute certainty that there was nothing fun in that place at all. Plus, the current state of the galaxy meant that the Tourism Sectors were half-closed, and countless businesses had folded up for one reason or another. It could already imagine how boring this trip would be. Its true that Sector X is a simple place, but our mission isnt nearly as simple, Cillin said slowly. Wheezes ears twitched, but it didnt give him a reply. We would probably run into a lot of killers, Cillin added. Now the gray cats ears were fully erect. It would be a complicated mission, Cillin concluded. Wheeze scratched an ear before asking, How good is the pay? Pretty good. What are we waiting then? Lets go already! Wheeze replied cheerfully while shaking its fur. Money, money, money! ... At the side, Czedow thought to himself: This cat deserved to be kidnapped by Cillin! Chapter 396: How Did You Recognize Me (1) Cillin did not stay behind for the post-mortem involving the entire Vanguard as Ji Feng was still in the middle of treatment. He, Czedow and Wheeze took their leave as soon as he had informed Stanley of their upcoming absence. Stanley accepted the decision without question as Ji Feng had already told him to allow the young man to do as he pleased. In fact, he was quite glad to hear this. Cillin had struck quite the impression in him to put it mildly. He would rather avoid the young man if possible. Eudy would be attending the post-mortem on Cillins behalf. The deputy commander was the de-facto leader of the Eleventh Squad when Cillin wasnt around. The research team was currently busy upgrading the robots. Previously, the robots had been thrown into battle before they could finish the upgrades. It wasnt all bad though. Thanks to the data from their latest conflict, Xi Kai and Xi Mu believed that they could improve the robots even better than their original expectations. After the post-mortem was over, Eudy led the squadron back to their base for some much needed R&R. It wasnt just their hardware including their Armor that needed some repair and maintenance. They needed to speak with Mogas group as well. They all needed a heart-to-heart talk after their recent experiences. Hey man, do you think our commander is made of super alloy or something? We just finished a war, and hes out on yet another mission, Xiao Shang asked lazily while resting atop a handrail. Beneath the handrail, Cary replied while repairing his fighter, How would I know? Our commander has always been a busy man. We dont need to stick our nose into his business though. All we need to do, as always, is to grow stronger. Cary knew from the fact that Cillin had only taken Czedow and Wheeze with him that he was carrying out yet another dangerous secret mission. He and Xiao Shang might be above average compared to most others, but they were nothing before the trio. Moon circled around the starship once before taking a seat at a random corner. He looked like he was absorbed in thought. What are you thinking, Moon? Reefia asked while flying over to his side. Suyi and Sigma were right behind him. The four Origin robots almost always operated together since they were reunited. The light strip on Moons faceplate flickered once before he replied in a deep tone, Im thinking about life. Okay, but make sure you dont dive too deep into your thoughts. The starship is still in the middle of upgrading. It would be bad if you accidentally crippled Little Eleven. You know the machines around us get messed up when we think too hard about something, Reefia said in a proud voice for some reason. Suyi interrupted in a cold voice, You know theres nothing to be proud about this trait of ours, right? Reefia glared at Suyi like he had just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. While everyone in the Eleventh squad was busying themselves, Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze had entered Sector X without anyone noticing. The sector looked the same as ever. If he had to point out something, it would be that the Sector had fallen into a slump once more. Before the chaos, Sector X had experienced a brief period of prosperity thanks to the rise and development of several tourism planets. Many peoples lives were improved thanks to the influx of people and money. Although their labor was still ludicrously cheap compared to other Sectors, it was still better than having no people or money coming into the sector at all. At the very beginning, Sector X was so unpopular they couldnt even sell their labor for free. The time Cillin had taken Wheeze and Tang Qiuqiu to Sector X was also the time it was most prosperous. Unfortunately, it only lasted a couple of decades before the chaos began, and everything went to shit. All tourism planets including the Little Garden created by the Feniers Family were half-closed as a result. This caused Sector X to fall into a slump once more, but that was only if you compared it to the trade sectors. For the locals, their lives had barely changed even when their Sector was experiencing what was supposed to be its Golden Age. Cillin read the encrypted message he just received before ordering Czedow to fly their spaceplane into Brown Earth Planet. He didnt bother checking a map because he was intricately familiar with the place even though it had been years since he came back. He knew at least a handful of places they could land without being detected by the satellite array. Speaking of the satellite array, the surveillance slash global weapon looked just as menacing as ever, but unlike the residents Cillin had not been afraid of it for a very, very long time. Any one of them couldve easily subverted its system to facilitate their entry. It was downright mundane compared to some of the surveillance systems they had had to face. Eventually, the spaceplane landed in a secluded area with a small forest. The forest was horribly sparse and narrow due to the poor environment, but it was good enough to conceal their landing and keep their spaceplane hidden. The spaceplane automatically turned invisible after they left it. Even if someone decided to visit this forest for whatever reason, chances were they werent going to discover the invisible spaceplane. Where are we going? Wheeze asked from Cillins shoulder while stretching its claws lazily. Its paws got itchy every time it felt bored. Cillin checked his communicator again. Although Yu Linglung knew that Samburt was hiding on this planet, she didnt know his exact location. This meant that the only way they could meet up was if Samburt contacted Cillin of his own accord, or if Cillin somehow located the old man. Considering that Samburt was being hunted right now, he shouldve told Yu Linglung of his exact location so she could protect him as soon as possible. This could only mean two things: One, his circumstances werent yet so dire that he had to throw all caution to the wind. Two, he was suspicious of Yu Linglung and hadnt yet accepted her olive branch. In fact, Samburt must be incredibly distrustful toward the Yu Family itself. Cillin scanned his surroundings briefly before saying, Well, theres no hurry. I think we can afford to go home for a bit. Home? You mean that shabby town you used to live in? Wheeze remembered that town quite well because it was literally worse than even its birthplace. Yeah. Wheezes ears pulled back immediately. Cillin didnt even need to look to know that the gray cat didnt like the decision at all. The only reason it didnt say anything about it was because it respected Cillins decision. Cillin smiled and patted Wheezes head. Its been a few years. The town shouldve changed a little. So what? Its still not fit for a cat to live, Wheeze muttered. Have you forgotten? I bought an abandoned residential area the last time we were here. Wheezes ears immediately shot upward when it heard this. Now that he mentioned it, they had bought a residential area in that town. In fact, it was the one who modified some of the data to expedite the purchase. Otherwise, it wouldve taken Cillin much more effort to purchase it without showing himself. Wheeze immediately huffed through its nose and said, Lets go then. We dont need to pay for anything since we own the place, right? Czedow: ... I think I know exactly what purchase youre thinking about. Wheeze wasnt just trying to cut down on its cat food expenditures. Now that it knew that it had a territory on Brown Earth Planet, it wanted to mark and patrol it as soon as possible. On Brown Earth Planet, there was a sort of neutral ground between the city and the slums. It was here the trio had landed the spaceplane. They didnt need to walk far before they were greeted by rows and rows of rundown houses. No one paid attention to the trio as they entered the small town. Cillin could see that the town population had become much sparser and smaller than before. Some of the buildings had even collapsed from lack of use and maintenance. On the other hand, he saw new houses in the areas closer to the city. They were bought by laborers who had finally saved up enough money to fund the construction. The reason they chose these locations was because it gave them a sense of superiority. It made them feel different from those living at the center of the slums. The abandoned residential area Cillin had purchased was at the center of the slums. The place was well-built as it was based on the blueprints Cillin had given to the developer. There used to be a bunch of abandoned houses in the area, but now they had demolished and replaced by a massive residence. It looked almost like Genyas place except that the architecture was intentionally kept simple and bland. As a result, the two-storey building was inconspicuous even from a satellites point of view. Cillin had paid for the place with the money he had earned doing hunting missions. He hadnt touched the Eleventh Squads budget or Wheezes cat food money at all. An entire residential area sounded expensive, but this was Brown Earth Planet and the slums. Moreover, its population was fewer than ever as everyone who had participated in the development of the tourism planets had moved out of the planet. Those who remained tried their best to move into the city. Those who couldnt would camp in the city outskirts. Few people were willing to move back into the slums. And of course, some people just vanished and were never seen again. It was unknown what happened to these people, or if they were even alive. All in all, this was why there were so many more abandoned buildings in the slums than before. Back to the present, Wheeze leaped off Cillins shoulder and began exploring the residence almost as soon as the security walls had come within view. The residence was protected, but of course it took Wheeze no effort to slip inside. Frankly, there was literally nothing in the residence that was up to Wheezes standards, but no matter how backward it was it was still its own territory. So, it carefully marked its territory and patrolled the whole place at least once before finally returning to Cillins shoulder. It then pointed at the abandoned buildings next to the residence and said, Lets buy up those plots as well, Cillin! This place needs to be bigger, dont you think? I am planning to buy up those plots, yes. Cillin hadnt gone into the residence like Wheeze. After the gray cat had returned, he walked down another path toward a pub. It was the one he was renting to a friend. The pub was doing poorly. He could tell few people frequented the place just by looking at the counter. He could hear the sounds of laughter both adult and young from inside the pub though. Cillin noticed that the Welcome sign at the entrance was unlit as he entered the pub. It made sense. Considering the number of customers the pub must receive every day, it would be a waste of electricity and money to keep it on. Good day, customers! What do you A middle-aged man with a sparse beard stepped out from inside to greet the trio. Although he looked weathered, his spirit was strong, and his eyes were smiling. Surprise overcame him, and he forgot what he was going to say when he saw Cillins face though. Long time no see, Er Cheng, Cillin greeted his friend smilingly before taking a seat at a round wooden table. Chapter 396: How Did You Recognize Me (2) Czedow sat down at another table to avoid disturbing Cillin and Er Cheng. Wheeze was going to take a walk along the counter but was caught by Czedow before it could do so. Cillin had rented the restaurant to Er Cheng the first time he departed Brown Earth. The restaurant was still doing okay at the time, and Er Chengs living conditions were much better as well. That wasnt the case anymore. The counter looked clean enough that he could tell that someone wiped it down everyday. The glass bottles and glasses were pretty clean as well. However, there were dust at inconspicuous corners that revealed the truth of the matter. Youre not doing well, are you? Cillin began. Is Is it really you? Cillin? It took Er Cheng a long time to react. Even now, he couldnt quite believe that the young man before him was Cillin. After all, Cillin had left Brown Earth some years ago, and he never asked how the restaurant was doing whether it was profitable or hemorrhaging money like the past two years or so. Er Cheng chuckled when Cillin nodded in confirmation. You didnt change much! Er Cheng wasnt only a few years older than Cillin, but they looked so different that they couldve fooled people into thinking that they were father and son. The age disparity was caused by the difference in living environment, gene rank and more. Cillin and Er Cheng talked about everything that had happened for the past few years. Er Cheng had a family now, and his life was no different from his fathers and those before him. While they were talking, Er Chengs wife came out and greeted Cillin cordially. She was your classic commoner woman, but Cillin could tell that she was an honest woman who loved her husband and her children very much. Her son was holding a rag and following behind his mother. Would you like to live in the city? Cillin asked. Nah, the city life doesnt suit me. Er Chengs wrinkled face scrunched up in embarrassment as he scratched his head. I prefer it here. Er Cheng then pulled his son into his lap and said, Come, Little Kang. Greet your Uncle Cillin. Cillin and Er Cheng were peers, so of course his son should address Cillin as uncle. Nice to meet you, Uncle Cillin! The boy greeted obediently. Personally, the boy thought he should address Cillin as an older brother because he looked way younger than his dad. However, the thought had just passed through his mind when his eyes became affixed to the yawning fat cat sitting on the table next to theirs. Its eyes were darting all over the place as well. Its so fat! Nice to meet you too, Little Kang. Please accept this gift, Cillin replied while producing some of the snacks he had bought while purchasing Wheezes cat food. Wheeze loved to grind his teeth on them. Cillin, you dont have to Er Cheng was embarrassed. Logically, there was no reason for him to turn down a friends gift for his son. However, one look was all he needed to tell that the snacks were incredibly expensive. Cillin could not have purchased it from nearby. Dont worry about it, Cillin assured before pushing the pile of snacks over to Little Kang and rubbing his head. Thank you, Uncle Cillin! Little Kang replied happily. He immediately opened the wrappings and chowed down like no tomorrow. Meanwhile, Wheeze had looked over to glare daggers at Little Kang. You little! Thats my snacks! I need them to grind my teeth when my claws are itchy! Sensing Wheezes gaze, Little Kang handed over a biscuit and said, You want one, kitty? Wheeze looked away. No! Im angry right now! Its okay, Little Kang. It has its own food, Cillin said. It was at this moment Er Chengs wife brought over a case of beer and a tray of food. Cillin grabbed a bottle of beer and said, Thank you, sister-in-law. It tasted like home; cheap but extremely strong. It made him recall the time he worked at this restaurant. Er Chengs wife also brought Czedow some beer, but instead of turning it down the robot thanked the woman and took a few sips. Wheezes eyes bulged when it saw this. Czedow, youre a robot! You cant drink beer! It was at that moment Wheeze noticed that Czedows body was releasing some sort of vapor. Excuse me, sister-in-law! Do you have a napkin? Cillin called out. Of course. Give me a moment. Er Chengs wife smiled apologetically before heading to the kitchen to grab a bunch of napkins for Cillin. After she returned with the napkins, she smiled again and said, Please enjoy the meal. I should head back to the kitchen and prepare some dishes. She also took Little Kang with her so that the boy wouldnt disturb their conversation. She knew that Cillin was the restaurants owner, and that he was the one who gave Er Cheng a better future. She wondered if he had come back to take back the restaurant, but that was for the two men to discuss. After Er Chengs wife and son were gone, Cillin took another sip of beer before saying, Both you and Little Kang can upgrade your gene rank to increase your lifespan. Of the three of you, you have the highest chance to succeed. Little Kangs success rate is a little lower, but its still between seventy to eighty percent. Er Cheng set down his bottle and asked, What about his mother? Her constitution is a little unique, so Im afraid her chance to modify her genes is ten percent at most. Cillin had analyzed Little Kangs genes when he rubbed his head, and his mothers when he accepted the napkins and touched her fingers earlier. There were some things in life that could not be changed even with the most advanced medical technology. Once upon a time, Genya called this phenomenon fate. Never mind then. Er Cheng smiled. Thanks anyway. Er Cheng knew that Cillin wanted to help him, but if it meant outliving his wife, well he would rather not accept this gift. Undeterred, Cillin produced a beaker and a box of syringes. There are enough here for five people. Just in case you change your mind in the future. Cillin had synthesized the drug himself. It didnt stress the body as badly and had slightly less side effects. It was useless to most Hunters because the average Hunter gene rank was B or higher, but the same could not be said for those with low gene rank. Er Chengs hands were shaking when he saw the medicine. He knew that it was a treasure their family could never obtain by their own capabilities. Cillin then produced a card and pushed it across the table as well. It contained all the rent money Er Cheng had paid him until now. The restaurant is yours, Cillin said, Ive already completed the procedures, so you dont need to worry about anything. The second half of his sentence was technically a lie. He had skipped the procedures entirely by hacking into the system. No one would find anything wrong with it, and no one would bother looking into it. Old David had seized the opportunity to migrate out of Brown Earth when the opportunity showed up, so Er Cheng was literally the only close friend he had left on this planet. After bidding Er Cheng goodbye, Cillin went back to Genyas old residence to check out the Fuji Tree in the courtyard. Once upon a time, it was flourishing and very healthy. The last time he came over to check it, it had barely grown at all. Now, it was clearly sick and didnt have years or even months left to live. He already had a feeling, but the Fuji Tree could not grow without people or the Gen Family after all. Cillin caressed its cracked bark and said, Hang on a little longer. Ill take you back to the Gen Family soon. For a time, Cillin simply stood at the courtyard and remembered the old days. Then, he sat down beside the wooden recliner that had nearly rotted completely and dozed off for a bit. Suddenly, he and Czedow looked up and turned toward a certain direction. As if on cue, a humanoid figure nimbly leaped over the wallsnone of the defenses on the walls were effective against themand landed firmly on the ground. It was a pretty cool landing all things considered. The intruder was a man with a thick mustache and beard. He was also wearing a commoners clothes. It should not need to be said, but he was completely dumbfounded when he looked up and found two men and even a fat cat sitting on a piece of rotting wood staring at him. Huh? Huh?! The mans face twitched violently as if he was chewing on lemon. The way the fat cat was staring at him especially made him squirm. But instead of tensing up for a potential conflict, the man actually relaxed a little and coughed, Ahem. Sorry. It seems that Ive entered the wrong courtyard. Ill be out right away. The man turned around and tried to leave, but Cillin said, Where do you think youre going, Little Stache? The man nearly sprained his hip as he was just about to leap over the wall again. Heno, she turned around and complained in a helpless voice, Are you serious? How did you recognize me this time? Wheeze yawned and dozed off again. The woman wasnt an enemy, so there wasnt going to be a fight. Boring! What are you doing here? Sector X is a long way from Sector S, no? Cillin asked. The bearded man in front of him was none other than Pian Huo, disciple of the current person-in-charge of Fire Phoenix. Fire Phoenix was one of the three greatest factions in Sector S. Youre always disguised as a man when I see you. Do you actually have a crossdressing fetish, or? Cillin threw another question. Screw you! Its just more effective to disguise myself as a man, okay? Pian Huo complained. Cillin thought there was a story behind this, but he didnt press the question as Pian Huo wasnt willing to answer. Anyway, back to my first question. What are you doing here? Youre even climbing walls and trespassing and stuff. Pian Huo walked up to him while looking a little disgruntled. Its nothing. I was just curious since this place looked abandoned is all. Wheezes nose twitched. Do you need a place to stay? Youre going to have to pay rent if you want us to accommodate you and everyone youve brought with you though. Per person, of course. Pian Huos eyes flashed, but she chuckled. The heck youre talking about? Im alone. By the way, what are you guys doing here? This is my birthplace. This courtyard belongs to my master, Cillin replied. Oh, I see WHAT? You were born here? This was your home? It was no wonder that Pian Huo was surprised. She didnt know much about Cillin, but she at least knew how strong he was. It was hard to believe that someone like him would be born on a planet like this, much less the slums. Does that mean youre only here to reminisce about the good old days? Pian Huo asked. Cillin asked, What are you trying to say? ... Its nothing. Pian Huo hesitated. Samburt, Cillin whispered. Pian Huo abruptly looked up when she heard the name. She gave up trying to conceal her business when she saw Cillins expression, Yes, yes, Ive made contact with Samburt. Cillin didnt actually know if Pian Huo was here for Samburt. He was just making a guess. Of course, the moment Pian Huo looked up like someone had shot her with a taser, they both knew that there was no hiding this anymore. Youre such a cunning man! Pian Huo muttered while sitting down next to the rotten wood Wheeze was sleeping on. She then tried to flick the gray cats ear but was thwarted repeatedly by the very ear she was trying to flick. How did you and Samburt come to be together? I ran into him by accident on my way to somewhere, so I thought: why not? Samburt is pretty popular among the people, and he was even spoken of in the prisonyou know, the one we explored back then. Later, I came to learn that he was extremely respected by the people and especially those from Sector M. Cillin offered, I received a mission to protect Samburt until he is safe with his handler, but I could not find his exact location since he has refused to make contact with me. Pian Huo exclaimed in surprise, So youre the one Samburt was talking about! If youre the helper, then I dont mind persuading Samburt to change his mind. Hell be safer with you around anyway. Unfortunately for him, his pursuers will locate him very soon. They have a unique tracker that can track him down very easily. Pian Huo rose to her feet and patted away the dust on her pants. So? What do you say? Im fine with this arrangement. Bring Samburt to this place if hes okay with this arrangement, Cillin said and gave her the address of his newly built residence. Huh? You have a house on this planet? Thats surprising. I do, and I dont like people trespassing into my place. Yes, yes, sorry for jumping into your old haunt without asking for your permission, Piano Huo rolled her eyes. She went away after memorizing the address. Im going to beef up the security system a little, Czedow said after Pian Huo was gone. Cillin nodded and turned to look at the near leafless Fuji Tree again, frowning. Wheeze stretched a little and instinctively scratched the rotten recliner. Of course, the recliner looked even worse than before. What are you thinking now, Cillin? Wheeze asked while leaping over to Cillins shoulder. It snuck some rotten wood chips and even a tiny mushroom into Cillins collar while grinning like the Chesire cat, but the Hunter immediately grabbed it by the nape and lifted it into the air. He then patted away the rubbish and said, You realize I know what youre plotting the second you curl your tail, right? On the other side, Czedow stepped out of the house and said, Done. Ive upgraded the residences security system. Sorry it took so long, there are just too many flaws. A programmer wouldve flown into a flying rant if they heard this. The robot had done half-a-days work in less than two minutes, and he was apologizing for taking too long? Is this a joke? Still holding Wheeze by the nape, Cillin glanced at the withering Fuji Tree one last time before heading toward the exit. Lets go. Cillin went to his new residence and waited until the sky had turned dark. It was only then Pian Huo finally showed up with Samburt and five bodyguards. The bodyguards werent doing too well, however. One of them was seriously injured, and two lightly injured. The other two who werent hurt looked very tired as well. Pian Huo was the only person in the group who was brimming with energy. I know you, Cillin. You saved my life once, A tired Samburt started. He would not have agreed to meet Cillin so quickly if he was anyone else. As for why he had waited until night to show up at Cillins place, it was to avoid his pursuers, of course. Im glad to meet you as well, sir, Cillin replied. Chapter 397: You Look Like An Old Friend Of Mine I didnt think Yu Linglong would send you to find me, Samburt sighed. Cillin smiled politely and shifted his gaze to Samburts hidden right arm. He could tell that it was injured in some way. Noticing Cillins gaze, Samburt raised his hand and rolled up his long sleeve to reveal a severed stump. The wound was treated, but it was only a first-aid measure. It must be hurting horribly even now. I was betrayed. Someone injected a transmitter into my right arm, Samburt explained. Samburt had been hunted for some time, and he had been wondering how his enemies were able to find him again and again despite repeated inspections. After Pian Huo had saved him, he finally realized that a special transmitter had been injected into his right arm. Samburt had a fondness for watch-style communicators. One day, he had to replace his old communicator because it broke. He hadnt removed the new communicator since. It wasnt until Pian Huo told him the truth that he realized that the communicator had been tampered with. He tried removing the communicator as a matter of course, but he quickly realized that the special transmitter had seeped into his right arm. Knowing it had to be done, he cut off his right arm and destroyed the transmitter. One of the reasons he was able to contact Cillin and vice versa was because his communicator was already destroyed. He couldnt use his bodyguards communicators either because it was risky. Moreover, Pian Huo couldnt be sure if there was only one such transmitter in Samburts body. It was entirely possible that there was an even more hidden transmitter that was still transmitting Samburts location to his enemies, so they dared not hide in a location where they were easily exposed. Pian Huo was searching for a good hiding spot when she saw Genyas residence. It looked abandoned, and she believed she could borrow its security system and set up some simple electronic countermeasures. She was just about to secure it when she stumbled upon Cillin, Czedow, and Wheeze. You should probably look at your wound again, Cillin suggested. Its fine. It can wait until Im safe. Right now I dont even know if I can get home alive, so whats the point? Samburt waved off his concern before asking a bodyguard to carry him into a room Cillin had prepared for them. Forget Samburt, even his men looked like they could use a long, long vacation. Samburts group had set up a watch despite their fatigue. Cillin did not offer to treat Samburts wound either. It was because he knew that the old man must be extremely paranoid right now. He might not have been a paranoid man in the past, but he was now after he was betrayed by someone he trusted. If he was still a trusting man, his wound wouldve been in far better condition. Cillin refused to believe that Pian Huo didnt have the medical equipment necessary to treat him properly. If he couldnt even trust Pian Huo, the one who had saved his life, then he definitely wouldnt trust a mercenary Yu Linglong hired to protect him. Are you going to catch some rest? Cillin asked Pian Huo. The woman was teasing Wheeze with a blade of dry grass right now. Im still fine. Ill catch some rest when I feel tired, Pian Huo dragged the dry grass out of Wheezes paw and swiped its nose. She seemed pretty energetic all things considered. Oh right, does the Eleventh Squad offer peripheral membership, Cillin? You want to join us? Yeah. I envy you. Theres always another adventure waiting around the corner with you Hunters. Pian Huo tossed the grass away after Wheeze had bitten it and left her with a short stump. Im serious. Ill join you as a peripheral member if you do. No, we do not accept peripheral members. Youre either one of us, or youre not not, Wheeze interrupted in an imperious tone before Cillin could answer. When Pian Huo looked at Cilin and saw no objection from him, she thought for a few seconds and asked, Okay. What if I join the Eleventh Squad for real then? Cillin was silent for a good few seconds. Pian Huo was a member of Fire Phoenix, one of the three major factions in Sector S. If she were to join the Eleventh Squad Does your master know about your intention? Will he agree? Cillin was pretty sure Fire Phoenix the man (The organization and the leader share the same name) would not like this. But Pian Huo surprised him by answering, He will. My master rarely disagrees with my decision. Now he was curious. From what little information he managed to gather from Qi Geyou regarding Pian Huo, Fire Phoenix cared deeply for his disciple. She was a VVIP within the organization as well. However, it was true that Fire Phoenix rarely restrained his disciple, if at all. Otherwise, he would not have run into her in the prison, and her activities would be much more limited after the prisons were gone. Heck, she didnt even have a bodyguard. It made little sense now that he thought about it. Angenia was very protective of Gen Xingfu and her children, and even Qi Geyou had some protectors here and there. Pian Huo was Fire Phoenixs designated successor, and yet the way he allowed her to do whatever she wantedit was little better than a dad who threw his daughter out into the wild and forgot about her. Speaking of Qi Geyou, he was just as confused as Cillin was regarding Pian Huo. She was a paradoxical existence that he just could not make sense of. For example, Pian Huo always wore a disguise when she was outside, which suggested that there was a very good reason why her identity had to be kept a secret. In that case, why did Fire Phoenix allow her to run free at all? Wouldnt it just increase the risk unnecessarily? Back to the present. When Cillin didnt reply immediately, Pian Huo turned back to Wheeze and said in a serious tone, I can pay the membership fee! Is this enough? She gestured a number, and Wheeze immediately turned to stare at Cillin. It was obvious what its meaning was. Cillin: ... She didnt even have to try to figure out its weakness, huh? Fine, I can tell you need some time to think this through. Im in no hurry anyway. Just give me an answer after this mission is over, Pian Huo clapped her hands and stretched a little, but she didnt go to her room. Instead, she sat down on a stone bench and stared at the sky. Anti-surveillance countermeasures had already been set up throughout the residence. The satellites wouldnt notice a thing even if the entire place went boom. Can you tell me some of the places the Eleventh Squad has been to, Cillin? Someplace special. Id like to visit them one day even if you reject me in the end, Pian Huo said. Someplace special? Cillin thought for a moment and told her just that including the hunting planets. Sounds awesome, she said in the end. Cillin couldnt tell if she was referring to the locations or the occupation. Suddenly, Wheeze lifted its ears and called out, Cillin! The warning was unnecessary. Earlier, he had installed some detection equipment within five hundred meters of the residence, and some of them had just been triggered. The equipment were configured to detect certain rare metals instead of people to lower the chances of the equipment being discovered. There was no one in the slumsexcept himselfwho could afford these rare metals, and the people carrying them were moving very, very quickly. The only people who fit the criteria were Samburts assassins. Czedow was guarding Samburt in the room next door, and he notified the old man immediately after the fact. As expected, the transmitter wasnt the only way the assassins had to track him down. Cillin was staring at a moth on the wall. At first glance, it looked no different from a regular moth, but a closer look would reveal many discrepancies. For starters, it didnt even look like a moth from this area. In fact, moths were so rare in the slums that they were practically protected insects. If the assassins knew better, they wouldve used a fly to track down Samburt; the most common insect in the slums. Smell. The assassins were tracking Samburt through smell, and Cillin didnt think that it was just the blood stench of his stump. They must have a sample of his body scent as well. Of course, the transmitter was their main method of tracking Samburt, but they werent stupid, and they had several backup plans in case the transmitter failed. This special moth was one of them. Wheeze leaped into the air and swallowed the moth in one gulp. Some vigorous chewing and swallowing later, it commented, It tastes horrible. Then why did you swallow it!? Pian Huo ranted in her head. Pian Huo and Cililn withdrew to one side of the building, Czedow and Samburts two bodyguards moved to the other side. The assassins fired near soundless shots at Cillin and Pian Huo, but an invisible shield Pian Huo had set up earlier blocked it all. Then Pssh! A shower of blood sprayed over the wall. It was followed by the thud of a body hitting the ground. This one was Wheezes work. The gray cat had pretended to be a normal cat while the assassins ran past it, and as soon as they were distracted it swiped at the nearest guys neck and nearly beheaded the poor guy. And this was Wheeze being restrained because it didnt want its ear pulled. It had been cooped up a little too much as of late, and it was looking to relieve itself with a good ol bloodbath. The other assassins never saw Wheeze killing their ally, but they immediately spread out and observed their surroundings warily. Unfortunately for them, they were completely distracted when three people suddenly lost their heads and collapsed to the ground. Whos shooting at us?! thought the remaining assassins. Cillin was the only one who had his gun out, but he wasnt aiming at them, so it couldnt be him. Even if it was, there was no way he could headshot three of them at the same time right? This was just the beginning. Five more people dropped to the ground without a head, and every one of them was wondering how they got shot when no gun was pointing at them before their consciousness melted into eternal darkness. After taking out eight assassins in a row, Cillin turned around and watched Pian Huo as she took out her second assassin. She had a hidden weapon in her bracer that fired extremely fast projectiles that were partially homing as well. Not only that, the projectiles exploded the second they sank into the body. The explosion was small, but it was enough to destroy the victims organs and kill them near instantaneously. Cillin wondered if it was a proprietary technology of Fire Phoenix. I thought you used a whip? Cillin asked. Instead of answering his question, Pian Huo said urgently while looking left and right, There were thirteen assassins, but I count only eleven bodies. She thought that the two missing assassins were lurking in the dark. Oh, theyre already dead. As soon as Cillin said this, Wheeze jumped over from the other side of the wall and walked toward them. It complained while smacking its lips, They taste just as horrible as the moth! Pian Huo: ... On the other side of the building, Czedow had taken out seven assassins, and Samburts bodyguards two. When Cillin met up with them, he saw Samburt and his subordinates staring at Czedow and him like they were monsters. Most of them hadnt seen Cillin in action, but the two bodyguards responsible for keeping an eye on Cillins battlefield had. Naturally, they saw how he killed eight people in a row without pointing his muzzle at them. As for the bodyguards fighting alongside Czedow, they doubted his abilities at the beginning as a matter of course. But when Czedow rushed out into the open before they could react and fired his gun so fast they thought he was carrying a rifle, they knew they were dead wrong. When they saw him dragging in seven bodies and realized that that was how many assassins he killed in the span of seconds, they knew they were beyond lucky to have him on their side. They were also recalling how poorly their engagements had gone and wondered if they were dreaming. Samburt had witnessed the Eleventh Squads strength at Sector M before, but he was still stunned by what he saw tonight. Less than three minutes had passed since the moment they discovered the assassins, waited for them to enter the residence, and killed them all. In fact, it had really taken them less than a minute to kill all the assassins since the battle began. Is everyone in Vanguard like you? Samburt couldnt help but ask. No. Cillin knew what Samburt meant. If even one-fifth of Vanguard was as strong as him or Czedow, then the Great Four would be history a long time ago. There would only be Vanguard. Yes, that makes sense, Samburt figured out the answer to his own question and smiled. They werent out of the woods yet though. This was just the first wave; the vanguard of the assassins Yu Linglongs second cousin, Yu Xing sent. In light of some new information, I would seriously advise you to treat your wound and use an odor-blocking spray, Cillin said while producing a small canister. Most Eleventh squad members were familiar with it as it was a tool they used quite often. Cillin proceeded to tell Samburt about the moth and showed it to him. There were two tracker moths in total. One of them was eaten by Wheeze, and the other one was caught as proof. This time, Samburt did not turn down the suggestion. He also agreed when Pian Huo offered him her medical equipment once more. However, Samburts bodyguards had no idea how to use them, so Pian Huo had to instruct them step by step from the side. No! The medicine needs to be spread out more evenly. You cant smear too much of it on the wound. And remember, you need to smear another medicine laterokay, stop. Why are you smearing it so far away from the wound? Whats the point Despite Pian Huos instructions, it was clear that the bodyguard was neither dextrous nor very good at applying medicine in general. It wasnt like he had never treated wounds before, but it was usually basic first aid that would keep him functioning long enough to lie down in a healing capsule and let the machines do the rest of the work. Obviously, they would recover way faster if they had treated themselves properly before lying down in the capsule, but the process was, as the poor bodyguard had come to realize, extremely troublesome. There was one bodyguard who was more skilled with medicine than the current one, but the guy was currently injured and not fit enough to help. So, suffering it was. The bodyguard was sweating bullets when he was finally applying the first medicine. He thought it was way, way harder than fighting the assassins. Shaking his head, Samburt gave Pian Huo a nod and said, Can I trouble you to apply my medicine? As you may have noticed, my men are quite clumsy. No problem. Im quite familiar with the process. A proper treatment now would save you a lot of trouble when you regrow your hand later, Pian Huo replied while picking up the second medicine. As expected, the treatment process was smooth-sailing after she took over. The bodyguard had taken five minutes to finish smearing the first medicine, but Pian Huo had taken only half a minute to smear the second medicine and move on. One look at her proficiency, and you know that she got hurt a lot during her adventures. In this line of work, you would encounter many situations where machines couldnt help you. That was why it was incredibly important to master such skills. Primitive it might be, it could make the difference between life and death. This was especially true for Hunters. Five minutes later, Samburts hand looked way better than it used to. Cillin then used the odor-blocking spray on Samburt and his subordinates. They should be able to avoid the track moths now, though of course their pursuers might have other tricks up their sleeves. Thank you so much for your help, boys! Samburt said. Boys? Wheeze tilted its head at Pian Huo and wondered how the hell the old man managed to mistake a girl for a boy. No wonder he got betrayed. Wheezes opinion was completely unfair, of course. Pian Huos disguise was good enough to fool most people and even electronics. It just so happened that Cillin, Czedow and Wheeze werent one of them. Samburt tried moving his retreated arm a little before looking thoughtfully at Pian Huo. You know, you look like an old friend of mine. Cillin had noticed that Samburt was shooting weird looks at Pian Huo from time to time. Now, he understood why. An old friend, he says? Who could it be? Pian Huo was putting away the medicinal bottles when Samburts comment caused her to pause for a second. She then resumed her work and asked in a casual tone, Your friend? Who? Si Fang. Cillin felt a twitch in his eyes. Si? His attention quickly shifted to the name. He had seen the name Si Fang when he visited Sector S with Lung before. Publicly, she did not exist in GALs database. The reason Cillin recognized the name at all was because Mo Hengs son, Mo Qing was currently sitting in her seat. Si Fang was a famous admiral back then. In fact, she was the only female admiral in the GAL Army who wielded true power. However, she was sent to a max security prison in Sector S due to a certain incident and was never heard of again after the fact. Cillin didnt think it was odd at the time because it was standard procedure to wipe out all data regarding a senior officer who was sent to a max security prison. But now Cillin stared at Pian Huothe woman was focusing a little too hard on her medicineand wondered. Chapter 268: A Few Strangers and Two Animals (1) Ka After the last robot was cut in half from top to bottom, White Night put his laser blade away. Unlike Sula and her companions, he wasnt wearing a protective suit. In fact, he looked as immune to the cold like the robots who assaulted them earlier. After giving her teammates some basic first aid treatment and confirmed that their life was not in danger, Sula walked towards White Night and asked, Why are you here? White Night shot her a glance before kicking the decapitated robot beneath his feet to a spot. He replied expressionlessly, Teacher Guan. Sula was surprised for a moment, but she quickly accepted his explanation. They really couldnt hide anything from Guan Feng. Thanks. Are you the only one he sent? She was just done asking when her eyes were drawn towards a certain direction. A big wolf about 150 centimeters tall with snow white fur was running towards them in an elegant and orderly manner, its footsteps unaffected by the treacherous terrain. Anyone who caught its gaze would discover that it was a haughty wolf if it looked you in the eye, then it was granting you a huge honor, or so it thought. Rubu?! Who else is coming?! This time Sula was well and truly shocked. She just couldnt believe that someone like them would personally attend to a mission like this. What on earth was Guan Feng thinking?! What on earth happened? Whats so important that even you two are Sula stared at White Night. It was at this moment White Night took out a protective suit and put it on, muttering, Its cold. Sula: ... So not even you were immune to the cold! White Night was neither a robot nor a wolf with thick fur like Rubu the wolf. He was a human just like them, so of course he could feel the cold as well. However, he disliked wearing insulated clothing, protective suits or even breathing masks while conducting his mission because they were a hindrance. It was only after he killed all of the robots that he put his insulated winter protective suit back on. Rubu was holding something in its mouth. It was something it had dug out of a robots head. After stopping before White Night and spitting out the item it was holding, Rubu said, Its tough. Its tougher than it used to be. The robots Sula and her team encountered werent everything. There were robots scattered in other parts of the glacier as well. That was why White Night and Rubu had split up and attacked their enemies from two different directions. Sula shot a glance at the crouched Rubu. Right now the wolf was busy picking out deformed metal stuck from between its teeth in a rather inelegant manner. She asked White Night again, How many of you have come? White Night didnt answer her. He walked up to Rubu and patted its head once, Time to go. White Nights attitude pissed off Sulas companion a lot. Although White Night had saved their lives earlier, that didnt mean they liked the way he treated them. He was just about to step forward and give him a piece of his mind when Sula stood in his path and shook her head. She was familiar with White Nights behavior. Lets leave. The situations taken an unexpected change, we should check with the higher ups and see if there are any new instructions. Oh right, we should also gather the robot remains. We can use them. Sula said. When Cillin drove past that particular glacier, everyone had evacuated already. The snow had covered up the ground and eliminated most signs of battle except for an incredibly long crack stretching down from the top of an iceberg. Naimi, you drive. Cillin said. Ah? Naimi asked after his brain caught up with Cillins request, But why? Im tired. Oh, I see. I can only do so much though. The other racersll probably overtake us. Naimi was at least aware of his limits. Vege-Fritter might be holding the first place right now, but it hadnt managed to shake of its tails. Its fine. Let Vege-Fritter assist you. Cillin ran his fingers across the control panel for a bit and switched seats with Naimi. The latter accepted the wheel a bit nervously with Vege-Fritter acting as support. After Cillin had left the drivers seat, he began typing on the navigators analysis panel and producing many smaller windows such as wave frequency analyses or image analyses. The multifaceted data was more than enough to make Naimis head dizzy, so Naimi looked away and focused on his driving after the initial glance. Cillin was able to deduce many things using Vege-Fritters analyser. For example, he was able to narrow down the locations where the robots had appeared. He had seen the crack on the iceberg after intercepting and processing the footage of nearby surveillance cameras from the Sizer Family and the media. He had even nailed down the location where Rubu had fought the robots. From the looks of it, Sula and her teams goal was probably to wipe out Black Vipers robots. There were a lot of details that escaped Cillins understanding, but he was certain that he had picked up the robots presences back at the rainforest. Since they showed up in this circuit as well, it meant that they would make an appearance in all remaining circuits as well. It was impossible to know if Sula and her team could stop them all. Naimi was speeding up while Cillin was performing his analyses. It was night time when they first arrived at the snowy lands, and it was almost dawn when they reached the end of the circuit. Although Naimi had done his best, his skill ultimately couldnt compare to the veterans when it came to adapting to the minute changes brought about by the environment. That being said, the lead Cillin accrued while he was piloting the race was strong enough to guarantee them the second place for this circuit. The first place was claimed by Lightnings crescent-shaped car, the third place was claimed by Aeros prism-shaped car, and the fourth place was claimed by Spearheads blade-shaped car. There still werent many racing cars who stopped for maintenance at the repair stations after the fourth circuit was over. The next circuit they were about to enter was a vast desert. The fourth and the fifth circuit were two different extremes. It was only possible because of the unique geography of this place. Everything was white in color even though the racing cars had left the snowy lands for quite some time now, but anyone who was keeping an eye on the thermometer would realize that the temperature outside was completely different to that you might expect from the arctic. The temperature outside was almost the same as the human body temperature. The white things were sand, all of them. It was a line that separated the snowy lands and the desert. The temperature here wasnt as hot as it could be at the desert. In fact, one might even say that this area was relatively cool and humid. You want to take over, Cillin? asked Naimi, but in reality he didnt really want to switch places with Cillin just. Although he made a small mistake earlier and failed to take first place during the sprint, his craving for racing was brought up to the surface. Frankly, being a racer was just a lot more exciting than being a navigator. Its okay. Keep it up. Cillins answer pleased Naimi, Dont worry, Ill do my best! The white sand eventually turned yellow as they flew deeper and deeper into the desert, and the temperature outside was definitely rising in a straight line; hot enough to turn anyone into dry meat in just a matter of hours. Thankfully, the thermostat kept the internal temperature at a relatively bearable level. When Cillin saw some animals crawling across the sand from his monitor, he couldnt help but admire the tenacity of life for a moment. They were incredibly tiny, and they werent aided by any equipment whatsoever, and yet they were tenacious enough to live in a place like this through the sheer power of adaptability and evolution. Hmm? Finally, Cillin caught some unusual activity on his device. It originated from the robots, and it was similar to machine language in some ways. However, Cillin couldnt decipher it due to external interferences. Even his attempts to deduce a precise coordinate was hindered because of said interferences. It was impossible to tell if the interfering source was made by the robots themselves or a third party, but one thing was certain: there were robots lying in wait for him. Cillin had seen what these robots were capable of before, and it was the main reason he had to pass control to Naimi. The race literally wouldnt matter if he were to die here. Fleka had seen Vege-Fritters blueprint before, and Naimi was right next to Cillin when he was assembling it. However, neither of them knew that Cillin had installed a very, very well hidden, multi-password protected and independent weapons system inside the vehicle. Right now, Cillins plan was to activate this weapons system and deal with any unexpected situation when necessary. The good news was that the weapons system barely affected Naimis driving, in fact the young man had no idea that Cillin had activated a dangerous program in Vege-Fritter. The materials Fleka provided him was restricted, and he was forced to work under a budget, so the weapons system Vege-Fritter was currently carrying couldnt do any real damage to those robots. That was why their main purpose was to buy time for himself. Also, Cillin had a couple of weapons inside his ring, including the PTS K and its bullets. He inhaled deeply. He couldnt place all his hopes on Sula and her team. He must prepare his own path of retreat. Naimi was deserving to be called a member of the Sizer Family. After the somewhat shaky start, he was slowly but surely growing more and more familiar with driving Vege-Fritter. Although he couldnt get to Cillins microscopic level of control, he was honestly not far behind, and thanks to Vege-Fritters support, they were still among the top four. The fact that Vege-Fritter, a forgotten car type, was ahead was already a miracle to most people, and it had more than proved itself during the first four circuits. Of course, only the real pros and experts knew that not anyone could drive Vege-Fritter to that level. Cillin was just done preparing his countermeasures when the unusual activity on the analysis screen suddenly vanished all at once. It was almost as if the robots had winked out of existence. Cillin stared at the screen for two straight seconds before he quickly conducted a scan for unusual activities, comparing it to the other analysis results on the screen. However, the final result proved that the robots in this area really have all disappeared. There were some minor machine language activity in other places, but none of them are close enough to impose a threat. Something must have happened to the group of robots Cillin had narrowed down on his screen. Either they were taken out by Sulas team, or they were taken out by someone else. The rest of the robots were making a run for it. Who could it be? Cillins concentration heightened as they moved closer and closer to the designated coordinate. Fixing his eyes firmly before him, Cillin got ready to act on first notice the second he saw any machine language activity, even if it would cost him the race. The good news was that he detected no machine language activity whatsoever. Even better, he detected biological lifeforms not native to this desert. He couldnt determine who they were or what faction they belonged to because of the interference device, however. Still, some of Cillins tension slipped away from him. Whoever this group might belong to, they had taken out the robots hiding in this area. This meant that they werent his enemies at least. By now a sand storm had descended upon them, and it was impossible to see anything outside without some sort of special sight. However, Cillin as able to catch a glimpse of a round-shaped thing about two meters wide on the desert floor. It was almost completely buried in sand, but Cillin could see some scales on it. When Vege-Fritter flew away from the area, Cillin saw through the surveillance camera the round-shaped fellow shaking off the sand on itself before rolling down a certain direction. At a sandstone somewhere on the desert. The huge rock formation was a natural shelter that blocked both the sunlight and the violent winds on the desert. A man could be seen lying in between the gaps. His hat was pressed as low as possible to prevent any sand that managed to slip in from getting into his face, and his clothes looked ragged from fighting or self-tearing. Probably both. The man was resting on his arm and shaking his legs leisurely, the half-rolled strip of cloth on his legs flapping almost in sync with his movements. He sure looked like he was having a good time despite the environment. Not far away from the rocks, the wind continuously rolled sand across something that obviously didnt belong to this place. However, it wasnt completely buried in sand yet, a small corner of the object reflecting light like a metal would. If someone was paying attention, they might even catch the sound of electricity buzzing just beneath the sand. It didnt take long for the buzzing sound to grow weaker and weaker until it died off completely. Gulugulu. A spiky, round-shaped object rolled closer and closer towards the rock formation. It was the ball Cillin had seen earlier. The ball tried to roll its way into the rock formation, but it soon got stuck between the rocks. It rolled backwards and tried charging into the rock formation again, but the result didnt change. Finally, the ball gave up after a few failed attempts. The entire rock formation might fall apart if it kept trying to force its way in. The spiky ball unrolled itself and revealed its true appearance. It was an armadillo lizard nearly five meters long. The armadillo lizard shook off the sand on its body before strutted its way between the gaps of the rocks. This time it didnt get stuck. Fang Fang, everythings gone smoothly. We can go back now! The armadillo lizard said to the man lying inside. The man called Fang Fang let out a long sigh. It was almost as if he was sad that his free time had come to an end. He pushed his hat higher with a finger, revealing a pair of small, thin eyes before glancing once at the armadillo lizard. Then, he yawned, slowly got up to his feet and stretched his back lazily. Lets go. Our works done. The man and the armadillo lizard walked out of the rocky formation and into the sandstorm. Some time later, they arrived at a small sand dune. He hit one part of the sand dune with his hand while yelling loudly, Open the door, were back, the sandstorm outsides really big! It didnt sound like he was striking sand when his hand made contact. In fact, when the wind blew away the sand covering the part he was hitting, it revealed a yellowish exterior that shared nearly the same color as the sand outside. It was a spaceplane disguised as a sand dune using protective coloring, material and the sandstorm itself. It took a lot of hitting and yelling before the hatch finally opened to admit them. It closed just as quickly after both man and armadillo lizard had entered the spaceplane. Inside the cockpit, a young girl who looked to be around seven to eight years old was busy playing a game on the main pilots seat. She was completely absorbed by the screen in front of her, and she didnt react to the man and the armadillo lizard at all when they entered the cockpit. It was a driving game; a flying car game developed by the Sizer Family not long ago. The armadillo lizard was just lying down on the floor to rest when the girl finally spoke up, Armadillo* you brought a lot of pollutants into the spaceplane again! Youre up for the next cleaning duty! *I dont know what I expected, but the armadillo lizards name is Armadillo. Yep. The armadillo lizard Armadillo froze in mid step. Then, Its huge, armor-like scales swelled like it was about to pop out of its skin as it yelled, What! Why me! I was the one who cleaned the ship last time! You didnt shake off the sand on your scales before you came in, so you only have yourself to blame. The girl was still staring at the screen, but there was no doubt that she was speaking to Armadillo. Armadillos eyes rolled cunningly before he pointed a tail at the man lying on his chair like he had no bones inside his body, I want to make a report, Nikki. Fang Fang was goofing off and doing nothing for nearly the entire mission! Meanwhile, I nearly lost my tail while I was fighting those robots! Look at my missing scale! The man lying on the chair jumped to his feet immediately and pointed at the rags that were barely covering his body, complaining, Nonsense! Look at my clothes! I did fight, and I was one step away from being completely naked! You have to help me, boss Nikki! Youve gotta raise my pay! It was plain weird to see a twenty years old young man addressing a seven to eight years old kid as his boss. Nikki was still absorbed in her game as she snorted, Chi Lafang, Armadillo, both of you will clean the spaceplane next time. This is injustice! Im serious, I really did give it everything I got! Look into my eyes and see my sincerity if you dont believe me! said Chi Lafang while moving his face closer to Nikki and pointing at his own eyes. The girl was finally done completing her mission as she set down the controller. She turned around and stared closely at Chi Lafangs eyes still as thin as slits despite his best attempt to widen his eyelids searching for his so-called sincerity. Finally, she concluded, Your eye boogers are extremely profound today. Not only was Chi Lafang completely unaffected by her words, he put a finger to the inner corner of his eyes before replying, Exactly! The weather outsides so hot that my eyes are tired and dry, and I think Im coming down with sunstroke and fatigue! Hmm, they might even become inflamed soon, or should I say theyre already inflamed, so you absolutely should increase my pay dont you think! Oh, and more holidays, or even better a sponsored vacation trip! At the back, Armadillos tail twitched before it buried its head between its hand and kept silent. A moment of silence later, Chi Lafangs attention suddenly shifted to Nikkis ears as he asked, Eh? Boss Nikki, when did you reach thirty five years old? I thought I saw only thirty four teeth on your ears just a while ago. Nikkis ears were sharper than most people, and there was a ring of teeth running along the edge of her ear. The number of teeth on her ear represented her true age. The question was immediately followed by a loud thump inside the spaceplane and Chi Lafangs bloodcurdling scream. Chapter 268: A Few Strangers and Two Animals (2) All in all, things went pretty well during the dessert circuit. Vege-Fritter was still among the top four, and Naimi was driving faster after he shedded his anxiety and injected himself with a boost of excitement. Sadly, he finished the circuit at fourth place, falling behind his opponent by one centimeter despite being in good form. The third place of this circuit was Aero, the second place was Lightning, and the first place was Spearhead. Five out of seven parts of the race were over already. Right now, the current score of the top four racers were: Aero - 150 points, Lightning - 145 points, Vege-Fritter - 145 points and finally Spearhead - 140 points. The point difference wasnt so big that a decisive victor could be spotted. It was still anyones game since there was no telling what might happen during the last two circuits. Naimi felt a little depressed because he came in fourth place. Moreover, he was seriously dehydrated and fatigued due to a prolonged period of high tension and concentration. His amazement towards Cillin had climbed to a whole new level, however. He was already feeling this way after finishing just one circuit, but earlier Cillin had flown through four circuits without rest. If this was the level of concentration and mental power a racer must maintain throughout the whole race, then he must admit that they were incredibly capable. In fact, Naimi thought that some racers and navigators must have switched positions mid-race just like them. Not anyone could stand or master an endurance race like this, and it was pure torture for those who were unqualified. It wasnt like Naimi had never participated in an endurance auto race before, but his competition was so-so, and the obstacles blocking his way werent particularly difficult. That was why he was able to endure until the end. But now that he was fighting in the Winds of Freedom for real, he could only sigh at his own powerlessness. He needed more training and experience. In the past, he and a bunch of noble youngsters thought that racing on a safe road from one circuit to another was an incredibly simple task. Its just driving! Its just an endurance auto race, right? Bullshit! Naimi insisted on entering a repair station for maintenance before he told Cillin everything about his thoughts. I give up, Cillin. You should take the drivers seat. Right now Im not good enough yet. Cillin gave it a thought and agreed, Okay, Ill drive. Vege-Fritter wasnt the only automobile in the repair station. In fact nearly every participating vehicle was planning to visit the repair station because the sixth circuit would take place under the sea. Death was a real threat if anything were to happen to their vehicle while they were driving underwater, and there was no guarantee that the rescue team could get to them in time every time. It was definitely better to be safe than sorry. One of the top fours, the blade-shaped car was the only automobile currently parked at Spearheads repair station because they had arrived earlier than most. For example, Tobia and Naimi hadnt shown up yet. While the repairmen were busy performing emergency maintenance to their car, Spearheads racer and current captain of the Spearhead racing team, Danny was talking with his navigator. Somethings off about that Vege-Fritter earlier. It was still very fast, but it didnt feel as hair-raising as before. The navigator said. Danny nodded in agreement. True, its almost like it was a different racer altogether It was at this moment both men recalled that Naimi, a member of the Sizer Family was also participating in the race as a navigator. Although Naimi was young, he had participated in many flying car competition before. Even if he had no experience in a grand race like the Winds of Freedom, he shouldve no problems racing in his racers stead! So Naimi, that young master from the Sizer Family was driving during the last circuit? Youre probably right. But Danny, do you think the actual racer will switch back during the last two circuits? Its possible, no, its very possible. As long as their racer isnt wounded, theyll definitely switch back during the next circuit. We need to work harder, that racer is an insane driver. A similar conversation was happening between Aero and Lightnings racer and navigator as well. They had all figured out that Naimi and Cillin must have switched during the fifth circuit. They had finally arrived at the final two circuits, the mad dash that would decide who would be the victor Time to go! When the top four flew out of the repair station, the rest of the competitors were just making their way in. The gap of skill was absolutely clear. The lit signs of the circuit led the flying cars down a cliff and into the sea. All four vehicles had already made the necessary adjustments and settings to minimize water resistance as much as possible prior to entering the sea. The most troublesome part of this circuit was the big fellows roaming under the water. Although the authorities had done their work to remove them from this part of the sea, they could just as easily swim back during the race. The good news was that the circuit didnt lead into the deep sea, so the chance that a racer would run into a big fellow wasnt high. Of course, some racers had run into this problem in the past, and there was nothing they could do except to dodge out of the way and hope for the best. However, the act of dodging itself was time consuming, and one second was all it took for the lucky competitor in front of them to gain a sizable lead. The sea was very beautiful since there werent many industrial facilities or man-made pollution on this planet. There were plenty of coral reefs on the sea floors, and the strange fishes and sea creatures going about their business beneath the sea looked very lively. Contrary to expectations, the sea was quite the lively place. Cillin didnt stop enjoying the scenery around him just because he was racing. It was because sights like these never failed to invoke emotions that were beyond his control. A colorful cast of countless sea creatures coexisted in the sea, and the surrounding coral reefs made it look like they were living in a sea carnival. It was a beautiful, natural ecosystem that Cillin rarely saw in his life. Even the coral reefs could be separated into two different kinds, the ones that swayed like flowers and the ones that were as tough as rocks. The sea was the playground of these creatures and their home. There was a big turtle leisurely moving its forelegs, there was a huge grouper swaying its tail clumsily and honestly forwards, there was a parasite opening its big mouth and allowing small fishes to clean its oral cavity, and there was a goby and a mud lobster building a home they would share while the other stood guard Anytime Cillin saw a scenery like this, every time he saw a scenery like this, he would recall the myth-like era the people spoke on TV. After he had left Planet Brown Earth, Cillin witnessed many myth-like sceneries that were pure creations of nature that were completely unblemished by man or science. But as beautiful as they were, some people would never get to see them in their lives. Cillin was enjoying himself, but Naimi was experiencing quite the anxiety attack. It was because Cillin was looking at three windows the front screen, a live view of the corals, and a wave diagram he knew nothing about at the same time! If Naimi wasnt afraid before, he was definitely afraid now that he had taken over the drivers seat once for a full circuit. Three windows! Cillin, havent you heard the saying that one shouldnt divide their attention into two, much less three! Every time Vege-Fritter brushed past a big fish, Naimi felt like his breathing had slowed a beat. This this is just too worrisome! And so Cillin drove, watched, and checked for any abnormal activities on his wave diagram all at the same time. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, a figure emerged from beneath the seawater and walked to the shore. The mans body was covered in scales, and some of them looked damaged and worn. In fact, blue colored blood was seeping out of the less serious wounds, although a scab quickly formed over them. The man shook his arms once after he left the water, his hand never letting go of a certain object he had dug out of a robots head. Swearing under his breath, the mans scales receded into his body until he looked more or less like a human. Luckily for him, there was no one around to catch sight of him, or they would be screaming about a naked man on the beach. The man produced a communicator from seemingly nowhere and made a call after he was sure that there was no one around him. He didnt turn on the video feed though. Hey, its me, Sediya. This place has been taken care of Yes, I know, no one saw me I know, I know, I should pay attention to my image, right? Of course Im not going to streak, do I look like that kind of person to you? Stop accusing me of immorality and unprofessionalism, will you right. I got the best sample possible out of all possible targets, Ill deliver them to you in a moment Sigh. Its nothing, its just a few hits deep enough to see the bones and a copious amount of bleeding. Im telling you, youve gotta gimme a raise this time Seriously, Im not lying! Didnt you notice that the sea is particularly blue today Cillin didnt pick up any abnormal machine language activity this time, so the sixth circuit ended in relatively smooth fashion assuming that the giant squid that had appeared out of nowhere during the middle of the race, and the giant school of fishes who were probably chased over by sharks during the latter half of the circuit didnt count as an obstacle, that is. When Vege-Fritter burst out of the sea and claimed first place like it was on steroids, the three competitors following right behind it thought: As expected, that racers back in the drivers seat. Hell yeah! Lets hold onto this momentum and finish this final circuit with a bang, Cillin! Naimi was so excited that he couldnt stay seated, although he was a young man in his twenties, so it couldnt be helped. How anyone this young be expected to stay calm in a situation like this? Then Naimi glanced at the zombie-like Cillin next to him and scratched his own head. A stranger mightve thought that Cillin was much older than Naimi judging from his reaction or lack thereof, when in reality they were pretty much the same age. Just why were they so different? Cillin didnt stop for a maintenance check this time because one, Vege-Fritter was doing fine and two, he had a rough idea on what really was going on with Black Vipers robots and was no longer as worried as he was before. He thought to himself: Lets get this over with. Cillin activated every squamous propulsion engine there were in Vege-Fritter as his hands kicked into a blur across the control panels. Naimi subconsciously clutched onto his seat the second he saw Cillins movements, and a moment of thought later stuffed a pill into his mouth for the first time since the beginning of the race. Naimis reaction was understandable considering the impression Cillin had left him during the first circuit, and the young master had a feeling that things would go very badly for him if he had chosen not to take the appropriate measures. He was right. The last circuit was set on a mountainous, rocky terrain, and a collision here was nothing like a collision against sand dunes. One single mistake might mean the end of the entire race. The closer the racers were to the end of the race, the more cautious they became. No one wanted to see all their efforts go down the drain. The sky had gotten dark again, and this without a doubt added to the difficulty of the circuit. Moreover, the lit signs indicated that the racing track were encircling a mountain, so the racers must race around the mountain several times before they reached the bottom. Assuming that the racers made a poor judgment during their flight, they would either slam into the sharp corners in the best case scenario or explode into a ball of fire in the worst, killing both man and car at the same time. The closer they got to the mountain, the shorter the track became, but the risk associated with danger also grew proportionally bigger. Racing in such an environment demanded a lot of skill, and it was why Naimi felt like his heart would jump out of his throat every time Vege-Fritter brushed past the protruding rocks on the face of the mountain. Just now Naimi took a peek at his analysis data and discovered that they were less than five millimeters away from collision during that last turn! A lot of racers couldve done this in the norm, but this was a race and Cillin was flying as fast as he was during the first circuit! Naimi felt like he could faint at any moment, and a nauseous feeling was sitting firmly in his stomach. Was this the legendary carsickness the normies were talking about? He would be laughed all the way to his death bed if a member of the Sizer Family were to hear about this! A Sizer Family member experiencing carsickness, is that a joke?! Naimi wasnt the only one who thought that his situation was ridiculous, the racers behind them were just as astonished. Was he seriously flying in a circuit like this at that speed? Was he trying to win or was he trying to commit suicide?! Every time Cillin made it past a mountain, the people waiting at the finish line would cheer like mad. It was nighttime now, but the live feed on the giant screen was processed so that every flying car was marked with glaring highlights, so everyone could see the Vege-Fritter that was highlighted in silver zooming past the screen like a literal beam of light. Gen Xingming was yelling go faster and charge like crazy, not caring at all if Cillin could even hear his cheers. The people around him didnt care that it was the nth time he shouted thats my bro! either. Everyone was screaming and cheering like they were in a carnival. Brielles stared quietly at the giant screen at the center of his vision for a very long time before he chuckled quietly and shook his head. His followers didnt know what his reaction meant. Everyone here was aware that Brielles, Naimi and a young boy had made a bet with each other, and it looked like that relic Vege-Fritter was actually going to win the race. If that was true, then Brielles was going to lose 100 million MB. 100 million It was literally the sum of years worth of pocket money. Had they been in Brielles position, they would probably have to roam the streets as beggars. It was only natural for Brielles to feel terrible after losing so much money in one go. That was why no dared to speak up for fear that they would become Brielles practice target. Brielles suddenly got up to his feet and caused everyone of his followers to quake in fear. However, the young man paid no heed to their reaction and turned to his servant, Prepare the money. About the general Ill speak with him about this. Yes, young master. Done speaking about money, Brielles waved his people away and walked into his private lounge. Then, he made a call on his communicator. It didnt take long for a figure both Cillin and Bel were very familiar with to pop up on the screen. It was Nuhatch Tousen. Whats wrong? Judging from the time, is there some shit you need me to wipe off your ass again? Tousen was wearing his military uniform and looking a little travel-worn, but overall he looked pretty spirited. He had probably just come back from a mission not long ago. Brielles smiled at Tousen before saying, I lost money today, brother. By now Tousen was very familiar with this line already, so he asked carelessly while cleaning the dust on his clothes with a cleaner, How much? 100 million. Thats ok what did you say?! The cleaner shattered into countless pieces in his hand as veins popped out of Tousens forehead. 100 million MB. Tousen sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. Oh no, I feel like running to the other side and end that little bastard once and for all. He inhaled deeply again, and once more. When Tousen finally got his emotions under control, he started talking with barely suppressed anger, Did you mistake our family for a business-based family like the Sizers?! You lost 100 million in a goddam race?! Do you think 100 million falls from trees or something? Do you know how much allowance I get from the military, and how little I get from bounties despite hunting down a dangerous criminal?! Do you know In the middle of throwing a bunch of do you know your bro, I, do you know our papa and do you know our family at Brielles, Tousen suddenly noticed that something was amiss. In the past, the little bastard wouldve cut him off impatiently with a wave of his hand, but today something wasnt right. Something really wasnt right. Tousen looked closely at his younger brothers image. It was just a video feed, but it was enough for Tousen to tell that Brielles was acting strangely. Were you bullied? Tousen asked tentatively. Money was money; it was something that could be earned as it was spent. But bullying was a different story altogether because it was something that was tied closely to a mans pride. At a certain level to borrow his mommas words it was something that affects a growing mans mentality, especially a young man who was already kind of twisted already. Brielles shook his head and smiled, No, I just realized a few things during my time here. In the past, Brielles had always thought that his brother and his father were just making excuses when they made him pilot flying cars instead of battleships. After all, a battleship was a battleship and a flying car was a flying car; how could they possibly be the same? To make a comparison, a flying car was a land coward and a battleship was a space hero. It was why Brielles had always hated flying cars, his grudge extending even to Naimi of the Sizer Family. It was the main reason they often butted heads against one another. But now after that match, Brielles felt like he found something he had lost a long time ago. The feeling of being so fast that time itself seemed to freeze in limbo he felt like the boy who saw a battleship for the first time again. Flying cars werent a mistake. He was. If he kept fooling around like this, where he stood right now might be where he was ever going to be for the rest of his life. He would always be watching others fly from a viewing platform, unless he changed this with his own hands. At the 23rd military zone, Tousen suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body. What did he just hear? Did his little bastard of a brother really say he realized a few things? Did I run into a ghost today*?! *meaning something like the sun rises from the west You, youre watching that winds of something, right? Dont think too much and dont do stupid things, okay!? Just stay there and wait for me! Tousen turned off his communicator and contacted Brielles men immediately; they were all people his papa had sent over to guard his little brother. Unable to question anything useful from their mouths, Tousen ordered them to watch Brielles every move and stop him in case he does anything stupid at all cost. After that, he immediately rang his papa at the imperial capital and exclaimed the second the call went through, Papa, this is bad, Brielles said hes realized some things! What?! Did he suffer a shock or something?! Tell the men to stop him from doing stupid things, quickly! Meanwhile, Brielles stared at his communicator while feeling a little confused. Shouldnt his brother feel happy for him? So why had he looked at him like he was about to commit suicide? By now an ear deafening cheer was shaking the world outside, and Brielles put away his communicator after he read a message he received. Then, he beckoned over his servants and subordinates and left the place. The cheers were loud, and the atmosphere was exciting, but it was, after all, not a stage that belonged to him. If he couldnt walk away from someone elses stage, if he always lived under the shadow of anothers stage, then he would never truly be able to take a step forwards. When Vege-Fritter raced past the finish line, Gen Xingming literally ran over the people in front of him to reach Cillin. Cillin had parked Vege-Fritter at a private parking lot to avoid the overly excited crowd, but that didnt stop Gen Xingming from racing towards him the second he got out of the vehicle. Bel and Ulaganuo were following closely behind him, and Cillin caught a glimpse of Sula somewhere amongst the crowd too. Sula gestured for him to follow her later, and Cillin gave her a nod before he welcomed Gen Xingming and the others. After receiving a fist-salute congratulations from his friends, he mentioned that he needed to leave a bit for business. Gen Xingming had seen Sula and a couple of people waiting since a while ago, so he didnt try to stop Cillin. Then, he turned to look at Naimi still sitting inside Vege-Fritter. Hey Naimi, what are you waiting for? Come out already! Im so excited not even shouting three times can quell the boiling blood in my veins! Yeah, Naimi, come out and party with us already! Naimi, the prize, dont forget to claim the prize! And dont forget to wear and handsome formal attire and show off later! Naimi looked a little pale even after he looked up in response to their chit chat, but there was no mistaking the excitement in his eyes. I want to go party too, but my legs are completely numb after such a long ride! Give me some time to catch my breath first, Im not a robot like Cillin. It was a lie. His legs were in fact shaking with fear, not numbness, but it wasnt something that Naimi was going to admit readily. Still, his scalp tingled like that of a character in a fairy tale who barely escaped through the gap of a devils teeth. Seriously, he wouldve fainted already if he hadnt wisely taken that pill earlier. On the other side, Sula led Cillin to a room while saying, Black Viper had sent their greetings, and we were here to help you. However, your master Guan Feng was the one who really did all the work. When the door opened, Cillin was immediately greeted by several unfamiliar faces and two animals.